We are going to Maui x 7 nts. & then to Kauai x 3 nts. We're still undecided if we want to make the drive to Hana (we will have a 1 1/2 y.o. with us) or wait until another trip. Some friends said since we'd see so many waterfalls in Kauai, we wouldn't being missing out on as much if we don't make the drive to Hana this trip. For anyone who's done the drive & been to Kauai, do you agree?

Tough call, if you don't mind 6+ hrs in a car with a probably carsick child then go for it. Others will tell you they did it with children and it was fine.

We're staying in Ka'anapali. Is that 3 hrs from there to Hana or from Wailea area to Hana?

Its at least 3 hrs from Kaanapali.

Hi stacie. The road to Hana is about 30-40 minutes longer from Kaanapali, simply because it is further away from Paia, which is where the "road to Hana" starts. It will be about 3 hours each way depending on how many stops you make.

It is a beautiful drive. Lots of waterfalls, flowers, ponds, and gardents. But with a 1.5 year old. I don't think I would do it. My wife and I drive to the 7 Sacred Pools, picnic, and then drive back. But with a small child it would be rough.

My advice would be to save this trip for another time. Hope this helps.

Hi Stacie,
We did the trip with 11 people and three Jeeps- it takes a REALLY long time, but is very beautiful all the way. With a 1.5 year old though, I would say postpone it for another time when you can enjoy it without worrying about how the baby will like it. ENJOY!

I say, especially with a baby, that I would not do the road to Hana if I were doing Kauai! The scenery will be very similar. If I didn't have the baby and were only visiting Maui, then I'd think differently maybe. Aloha!

We did it on our honeymoon 14 years ago and I do not feel the need to do it again. Our kids our 13, 11, and 9, and I'm sure they would rather hang out at the beach or take a snorkle trip. Yes, I agree Kauai is very scenic. I would just take the Napali Coast boat trip or fly in a helicopter over Hana.

I found the Road to Hana to be the most overrated, time consuming thing I did in Hawaii. You are stuck in your car for hours. The curvy road is also difficult to drive and becomes very tiresome. I am active and prefer to be out there hiking and doing stuff rather than sitting in a car on my vacation. The other thing it, Hana has nothing! Unless you have time to go do stuff like hike back to waterfalls or pools, you will find your time in Hana to be rather boring. There are a few stores and that's it. Not even anywhere decent to eat. My view would be, since your time is rather limited, don't lose an entire day driving to Hana.

I would stay on Maui the entire trip. Three nights is such a short time on Kauai and you will be more familar with Maui if you give it all your time

I have done the drive and it can be a pain but it involves the most beautiful strip on the island. If I were you I would spend two nights in Hana (Hotel Hana) do another night somewhere else, maybe Wailea if you are not already there.

I go to Kauai every year and I don't see the similarity at all with the road to Hana.

Road to Hana you are on a winding road that hugs the coast line, on many parts of the road you have trees streching over your path. I don't know shaded drives that lend these shaded views at elevations the way the road to Hana does (on Kauai). I actually would shy away from a convertible car on Kauai because you are so infrequently shaded on while driving.

I love Kauai but there is something uniquely special about the road to Hana. I can't think of a more beautiful spot on Maui. P.S I have gotten sick on 3 out of four road trips to Hana but I would go again in a heartbeat.

2 reasons I think you should save it for another time. First, if driving time is a concern, you will be disappointed when you get to Hana and say, "that's it??!!" For me the best part about this road is stopping and hiking back to remote waterfalls and places away from the road. Very difficult to do with children of any age. Which makes part 2 of why to wait pretty obvious. I saw a guy at blue pool treacherously walking over wet rocks with his 6 month old in a baby back pack. what if he slipped?! The child gets nothing out of it except a long car ride. And to stop and truly enjoy this drive, you are looking at a full day..10-12 hours at least. If you want to zip to Hana in 3hrs and then back again, I don't really see the point, and you may gripe that it is extremely overrated and cause someone else to not want to experience your same fate.

Thanks, everyone. I think I'll wait. My ideal would have been to stop & do all the hiking trail, spend 1 night in Hana just to have the whole day to drive the rest of the way around. Thanks again.

Yeah I did not see the kids in your post. Why aren't you just going to Kauai then?

The most scenic area on Maui is on road to Hana. Haleakula and back side to Haleakula also require car time

Think Kauia everything is closer together and the landscape is more diverse and dramatic. Only draw back is that there are a lot less commercial activities here if that is why you were going to Maui.

Of course do what you want just my two cents.

Stacie, good call to miss it this time. We left our kids (1 1/2 and 6 at the time) back home when we went to Hawaii, and during our drive to Hana we said several times how GLAD we were not to have the children along! They would have HATED it after the first hour or two, especially the young one. We watched other children who were dragged along crying and complaining at different stops, as their harried parents said things like "Look at the pretty waterfall!" "Aren't the views pretty?!" Yeah. THAT matters to a toddler.

It's a beautiful drive and we enjoyed it very much, but you should thank your lucky stars you are smart enough to save it for another time.