How To Vacation to Maui With Kids? Follow This 7-Day Itinerary

Known as the “The Valley Isle”, the island of Maui is known for its beautiful beaches, sunny skies, and relax atmosphere. Every year, thousands of tourists make their way to this breathtaking island including many families. Maui is packed with fantastic things to do. You can watch a sunrise from the top of Haleakala, snorkel with marine life at Molokini Crater, or experience the thrilling road to Hana. Follow this step-by-step itinerary for the perfect balance of adventures and enough downtime at the beach or the pool. You will experience the best Maui vacation and will keep everyone in the family happy.

Updated December 2023

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When is the Best Time to Vacation to Maui

There is no bad time to vacation in Maui. Each season has pros and cons. You should time your trip based on your interests. For example, if you set on whale watching, come between mid-December and mid-May.

Be aware that winter is peak season for tourists looking to escape the bitter cold on the mainland. Summertime is equally busy with kids out of school. Expect crowds if you vacation during those times.

Other important detail to know is that the rainy season from November to March can bring floods and landslides. We traveled to Maui end of March to April 2021, and it coincided with the beginning of the dry season. The week prior to our trip, there were massive floods in the Eastern side of the island. Like most touristic hot spots, shoulder season, specifically April/May or September/October, is always a great time to travel. You’ll enjoy warmer weather and warmer ocean temps with far fewer crowds.

Where to Stay in Maui

First of all, you will need to figure out where to stay on Maui. Accommodations tend to be expensive and you will want to book this as soon as you decide on your vacation dates. If you are looking for beautiful luxury resorts, you will definitely want to stay in Wailea. However I am more of a budget traveller and would not splurge on those.

So for a budget stay in Maui, I highly recommend the Kihei area. You will find more family-style condo resorts here. We opted to stay at the Maui beach Vacation Club as it was central to all the activities and excursions we had planned. The condo was clean, well appointed and pretty roomy for our little family. All condos were renovated in 2020. Plus there were several shops and restaurants within a 3-mile radius.

Kihei is only a short drive south to Wailea and north to West Maui’s Lahaina, Kaanapali, and Kapalua. And if I couldn’t convince you to stay in Kihei, maybe this will: accommodations tend to be more affordable here than the rest of the island.

Lahaina/Kanaapili is another good option but it is further out and adds at least another 30-45 mins to your drive. At first sight, it might not seem like at lot, but since you have to wake up early a couple times during this trip, it starts adding up.

What to Pack for your Maui Vacation

You don’t want to over pack on you trip to Maui but you also don’t want to forget anything at home. This tried-and-true packing list covers the essentials and was very helpful on our last trip to Maui.

Essential Clothing for a Maui Vacation

• 2-3 bathing suits
• 3-4 daytime outfits
• 2 dinner outfits (nothing fancy: sundresses for the ladies and shirts and nice shorts/slacks for the gents will do)
• Rain jacket
• Warm jacket if watching the sunrise at Haleakala

Beach & Water Gear

• Turkish towels
• Sunglasses
• Rash guard
• Floppy hat for the beach
• Packable/collapsible cooler

Hiking Gear

• Hat
• Hiking bag or backpack or day pack
• Reusable water bottle
• Hiking shoes

Electronics

• GoPro to shoot all underwater activities
• GoPro flotation band
• Extra GoPro batteries with charger
• Memory cards for your devices
• Waterproof phone case or dry bag
• Portable phone charger
• Noise cancelling headphones for the long flight

Sundries

• Dramamine (Adults & Kids)
• Reef safe sunscreen
• First aid kit
• Laundry detergent sheets

First Leg of your Maui Vacation

Arrival

Most flights from the mainland arrive in the late afternoon/ early evening. After you pick up your rental car, drive to your resort. Maui has seen an influx of tourists recently and renting a car is very expensive in Maui. Try out Turo for cheaper options. After getting to the resort, I like to run to the grocery store and purchase anything we might need during our stay or anything we might have forgotten to pack: breakfast items, snacks, drinks, sundries.

Day One: Pool/Beach Day

On your first full day in Maui, take it easy. Chances are you will need to rest after your Trans-Pacific flight especially if you are traveling with little kids. Take the day to lounge by the pool.

If you feel up to it, head to the beach in the afternoon. If you are staying in Kihei, the Kama’ole Beaches are excellent choices. Alternatively, you could also drive to South Maui: Big Beach is stunning; Makena Cove is a not-so-secret spot to watch the most gorgeous sunsets; and Makena Landing is a great place to watch sea turtles.

On your way back home from the beach, grab dinner at one of many food trucks in Kihei. We like South Maui Fish Company and Horhitos Taqueria, and head to bed early.

Day Two: Haleakala & the Upcountry

As you’ll almost certainly be awake early due to jet lag, you might as well make the most of it. Head to Haleakala to witness the most breathtaking sunrise you’ve ever seen. Haleakala, Maui’s highest peak, is the ideal spot to watch the sun rise over the clouds. You will want to get there early. I suggest leaving your resort by 3:30 am. Wear warm layers as it will be freezing over there. Read my blog entry below for additional information about Haleakala.

After Haleakala, grab breakfast at Kula Lodge while enjoying sweeping views and enjoy the Upcountry region of Maui. You can find plenty of kid-friendly activities in the region like: the Surfing Goat Dairy a goat farm where you pet the goats and sample cheese, lavender farm tours, the Kula Botanical Gardens, and the paniolo or “cowboy country” town of Makawao.

Head back to your resort after visiting Upcountry. You might be tempted to squeeze in another activity, but don’t forget that you will still be jetlagged and you will most likely be tired of the drive. Relax by the pool and get an early dinner.

Day Three: Snorkel Molokini Crater & Paia

Molokini Crater is a crescent-shaped island remnant of an extinct volcano off the coast of Maui. It is undeniably the most popular snorkeling spot on the island. You will need to book a tour to get there and I cannot recommend Four Winds II enough! The crew is simply amazing! For this excursion, you will want to book a morning snorkeling tour to avoid the high winds in the afternoon. Check out the link below for an in-depth review of our Molokini snorkeling tour.

After your morning cruise, head back to your resort for some much-needed rest. In mid to late afternoon, drive to Paia. This hippie town is worth a visit. For dinner, choose between Mama’s Fish House (very pricey but worth the experience) or Paia Fish Market (more affordable option)

Second Leg of your Trip

You are now halfway through your Maui vacation. Read on as there are still more to do in Maui.

Day Four of your Maui Vacation: Surfing & Iao Valley

You can’t go to Hawaii and not learn to surf. You will remedy that on the morning of your 4th day on the island, and take a surfing lesson. All of the surf schools give lessons at “The Cove” at the southern end of Kalama Park in Kihei. The gentle waves and shallow waters make this place the best spot for beginner surfers. We booked private lessons with Maui Beach Boys and we had a blast! The instructors were patient and by the end of the lesson, we were both standing up on our boards. Fun times!

For lunch, head across the street from the park to Foodland. Foodland is a local chain of grocery stores offering a large variety of prepared meals and snacks in their deli department. I highly recommend you try their poke bowl. They also have other Hawaiian specialties like musubi, loco moco, etc. The food is yummy and prepared fresh every day.

After lunch, head to Iao Valley State Park for hiking. The park, located in Central Maui is known for its lush flora. There are several hikes here but most tourists do the Iao Needle Lookout Trail. It is an easy 0.4 mile trail through a floral park and ends at a lookout in front of the Iao Needle, a tall lava relic rising 1200 feet from the valley floor.

Most visitors just stay for an hour or two, so if you feel like it, stop by Maui Tropical Plantation on your way back to the resort. Maui Tropical Plantation is a tropical plantation with over 60 acres. It offers visitors an overview of Hawaii’s famous fruits and plants. The tour lasts 40-minute and is ideal for families.

After such a busy day, go back to your hotel and head to bed early.

Day Five: Drive the Road to Hana

Today you will drive the famous Road to Hana, one of most scenic road in the world. You will want to start early for your drive. You can grab breakfast and lunch items at Kuau store in Paia (do try their Nutella croissants!) As you make your way along the winding Road to Hana, make sure to stop at all the best sights including Twin Falls, the Garden of Eden Arboretum, Pipiwai Trail, Waimoku Falls. I talk in depth about the Road to Hana on the link below.

Day Six: Visit Lahaina/Kanaapili

Update: following the devastating wildfire of August 8, 2023, much of the town of Lahaina is in rubble and is off-limits to everyone except residents. I’ve updated this section to reflect this and the part in italic is no longer available.

Spend your last full day in Maui in the Lahaina/Kanaapili area. But first you will want to have a lazy morning following your Road to Hana adventures. When you are ready for breakfast/brunch, head to Gazebo (the macademia nut pancakes are to die for!) Then go to the beach at either Napili Beach or Kapalua Bay Beach. Those are famous spots for sea turtles watching and snorkeling.

After the beach, stroll around Lahaina Front Street, a stretch of shops, restaurants, galleries, and other attractions. Don’t miss the 143-year old, 60-foot-tall Banyan Tree in Lahaina Banyan Court Park!

Finally end your day with a Luau. My first choice for a luau was the critically acclaimed Old Lahaina Luau. Sadly I could not get a reservation during our stay.

On with plan B, I started looking around at other luaus possibly more kid-friendly ones. I stumbled upon Myths of Maui and cannot recommend it enough. My daughter loved the fire show and the kid food options.

Day Seven: Last Day of Your Maui Vacation

Time to say goodbye to this magnificent island. If you haven’t done so already, shop for souvenirs at an ABC store. This chain of stores is present throughout the island.

Before going to the airport, give yourself some time to stop by for lunch/early dinner at one of the food trucks in Kahului (Like Poke?, Geste Shrimp, and Thai Mee Up are our favorites) and avoid expensive airport food prices.

So there you go: a perfect 7-day itinerary for a Maui vacation. I haven’t mentioned it earlier but we had shave ice every day of our trip. It helped that we were within walking distance of the best shave ice place on the island: Ululani’s. Also not included is a helicopter or whale watching tour. Honestly it didn’t fit in our budget and I didn’t think we were missing out on anything. We did see whales on our way to Molokini Crater which was a big bonus.

Do you agree with this itinerary? Which experiences would you add or remove from the list? I would love to hear about it. Also please subscribe to the blog for more family travel inspiration.

Thank you for reading xx

FOR MORE KID-FRIENDLY IDEAS IN MAUI:

• Haleakala: How to experience the Haleakala Sunrise with kids
• Molokini Crater: Can you snorkel at Molokini Crater with kids?
• Road to Hana: How to survive the Road to Hana with kids?