Maui travel guide

On Maui, Wailea is about 17 miles from Kahului Airport, so whether your hotel is near the airport or in a beach resort shapes your first day. The drive takes 25 to 35 minutes.

To enter Haleakalā National Park's summit district in the sunrise window, 3:00 to 7:00, you need a USD 1 per-vehicle reservation. Reservations open on Recreation.gov 60 days ahead at 7:00 Hawaiʻi time and are separate from the entrance fee; vehicles without one can enter the summit district only after 7:00.

Visa Waiver Program travellers need an approved ESTA and can stay up to 90 days.

Visa and entry requirements for The United States

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

• Visitor visa (U.S. Department of State)
• ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)
• ESTA FAQ (fees and payment) (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

Haleakalā National Park requires a reservation to enter the summit district in the sunrise window, 3:00 to 7:00. It costs USD 1 per vehicle, separate from the entrance fee, and is taken only on Recreation.gov, not by phone or on site.

Reservations open 60 days ahead at 7:00 Hawaiʻi time, and some are released two days ahead at the same time. They're popular and can sell out within minutes. Vehicles without one enter only after 7:00, and a reservation is valid for its one date only, with no refunds or exchanges for cloudy weather.

There are four sunrise viewpoints, from highest: Puʻu ʻUlaʻula Summit, Haleakalā Visitor Center, Kalahaku Overlook and Leleiwi Overlook, the last a 10-minute walk from its car park. Car parks close when full, so no specific viewpoint is guaranteed; sunrise vehicles are limited to 150.

Kahului Airport to Wailea is about 17 miles, 25 to 35 minutes. Some sources give Lahaina as about 24 miles and around 43 minutes, so first-day timing depends on where you stay.

Based on National Park Service and travel-site information. Times vary with traffic.

With 2 nights: go from the airport to your hotel and rest on the beach on day one, and drive up Haleakalā before dawn on day two. Sunrise means a very early start, so rest early the night before.

With 4 nights: keep the first two days in the same order, leave day three as a rest day, and allow plenty of time for the airport on day four.

Plan meals on Maui around poke, plate lunches, malasadas and haupia. Have poke or a plate lunch for lunch, and malasadas and haupia as snacks. We don't pick shops or prices here.

Travellers on Visa Waiver Program passports need an approved ESTA to visit the United States, for stays of up to 90 days; the ESTA fee is USD 40.62. Approval doesn't guarantee entry, which is decided at immigration. Check requirements for your nationality with US Customs and Border Protection before you travel.

Sunrise reservations open on Recreation.gov 60 days ahead at 7:00 Hawaiʻi time, so convert that to your own time zone. Weather varies by season.