Hawaii

SUNRISE AT HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK TOUR

DurationDuration 4-6 hrs
DirectionTour Directions 1
tour Tour Stops 13
$19.99

Description

In Hawaiian, Haleakala means house of the sun -- that’s why it’s one of the best places on the island to watch the sunrise. We’ll guide you to the summit with legends and history of this sacred spot, just in time for sunrise.

Here are just a few of the fun things you can do on the tour!

•⁠ Watch the sunrise atop Mt. Haleakala
•⁠ Hike the Hosmer Grove or Sliding Sands trails
•⁠ Visit a lavender or dairy farm
•⁠ Walk through historic Makawao Town

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Recommended Start Time: Before 4:00 a.m. (check sunrise times in advance)
Tour Starting Point(s): Kahului
Direction: Loop, Loop, ending where you began
Please Note: You’ll need a reservation to enter the park for sunrise, use the link below to make a reservation: www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/253731

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Tour Stops

Preview Audio

Intro to Tour & Planning
Turn Right to Haleakala Hwy
Exit 35 for Pukalani
PELE AND THE CREATION OF MAUI

Tour Route

Important Travel Info

Safety & Etiquette
Budgeting, Fees & Reservations
Time & Schedule
Suggested Packing List

You might not have packed a jacket for your Hawaii vacation, but you’ll definitely want to run to the nearest gift shop and grab a sweatshirt before embarking on a trip to Haleakala. Or even bring a blanket or towel from your hotel or vacation rental, just anything to keep you warm! Temperatures are considerably cooler in the park before the sun rises, especially at the summit where they can drop below freezing.

Also, be prepared with some water as altitude sickness is common atop the mountain. You’ll gain a lot of elevation in a short period of time.

You must make an online reservation and pay $1.50 if you’re visiting the park for sunrise (between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m.). You can make that reservation here.

Entrance to Haleakala National Park is $30 per car - you can pay with cash or credit.

We recommend starting the tour from Kahului around 4:30am (depending on the time of year)

The tour starts and ends in Kahului. This is about a 2-hour drive from the resort areas of Kaanapali and Lahaina in West Maui.

The sun rises at about 7am in the winter and 5:30am in the summer.

  • Very Important: Car Charger
  • Layers, Jacket, Blanket: temperatures can reach below freezing at the summit, especially before sunrise
  • Sneakers 
  • Hiking Clothes 
  • Water Bottle 
  • Towel 
  • Bathing Suit 
  • Sandals 
  • Sunscreen 
  • Sun Glasses and/or Hat 
  • Snacks 
  • Cash 
  • Phone Mount

Tour FAQs

This tour begins in Kahului and guides you through the park until you reach the summit. From there you’ll watch the sunrise before continuing the tour with hikes and viewpoints on your way down the mountain. Here are some of the popular spots you can explore on the tour! 


  • Pukalani Town

  • Upper Visitor’s Center

  • Sliding Sands Trails

  • Kalahaku Overlook

  • Leleiwi Overlook

  • Halemau’u Trail

  • Lower Visitor’s Center

  • Historic Makawao Town

For help planning your day check out our Sunrise at Haleakala National Park suggested itinerary and here's everything you need to know before you go.

Yes! Feel free to join the tour along the route. Just make sure that you follow the numbers in chronological order from where you are starting from.  If you don’t begin at one of the tour starting points you’ll miss a few stories, but you’ll still have a great experience.

Here’s our packing list for this tour. It may seem a little long, but remember, what you bring depends on the activities you choose to do for the day. 

  • Layers, Jacket, Blanket: temperatures can reach below freezing at the summit, especially before sunrise
  • Sneakers 
  • Hiking Clothes 
  • Water Bottle 
  • Towel 
  • Bathing Suit 
  • Sandals 
  • Sunscreen 
  • Sun Glasses and/or Hat 
  • Snacks 
  • Cash 
  • Car Charger *Very Important*
  • Phone Mount 

Aside from the morning reservation which costs $1.50, there’s only one entrance fee on this tour and that’s at the park itself. Entrance costs $30.00 per car. There are optional trips to Upcountry Maui and Makawao Town where you can visit some paid attractions and grab a bite to eat.

You can book a sunrise reservation for Haleakala up to seven days in advance here. Please note, you do NOT need a reservation to see the sunset, just the sunrise.

It depends on the time of year, but sunrise in the winter (October-March) is between 6:15 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. and in the summer (April-September) it’s between 5:45 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. We recommend you double check the night before your visit. 

Please note, if you’re staying in West Maui at one of the resorts in Lahaina, Kaanapali or Kapalua it takes about 45 minutes to reach the start of the tour in Kahului and then about an hour to reach the summit — plan for two hours of travel time.


No, this tour can only be done in one direction.



Do you have other questions that we didn’t list here? 

Feel free to message us through the in-app chat box, Facebook Messenger, our emailor give us a call at 1-888-250-2261. We will be glad to help and answer your questions as soon as possible!


Mahalo,

Shaka Guide

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Maui Tour Driving Bundle

$29.99
$59.9850% off

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