I am aware that there are tours at 3am, which I'm still debating if it's worth the crowds, the bikes, the freezing cold, the 3am wakeup....someone mentioned going at sunset...sounds great, but how is the drive? Is it 2 hours of small, winding road up a mountain?
I read in a book that the sunrise is only really wonderful if there are clouds present..does everyone feel this is a MUST DO thing? I was all set to book a trip up at 3am until I read some other opinions.
THanks!!!!

We did the sunset and were glad we did. Much less crowded and quite a moving experience. The drive is surreal, going in and out of the clouds and while I'll admit to being afraid of heights and begged my husband to turn around, he assured me that it would be fine (and it was) and I was never so glad to suck it up and go to the top of the summit. We have incredible photos of the sun going down.

Dress warmly, and do not miss this.

You couldn't force me on a bicycle careening down the mountain from a dawn bus trip. Not my thing, but definitely do this on your own.

My fiance and I did the 3 A.M. wakeup for the sunrise our first morning in Maui since our internal clocks were still on East Coast time. Now we didn't do a bike trip...we drove up on our own and drove back down. That worked better for us. And while the road is windy, if you take it slow it's really not a problem.

We read the same thing about the clouds and while the morning we were there it wasn't overly cloudly, it was still a spectacular experience...the views were unbelievable. But do dress warmly as it's about 40 degress that early in the morning (and very windy).

Sunrise or sunset, it's definitely a MUST DO!!!

ABSOLUTELY a must do - although not necessarily at sunrise or sunset. We drove up at about 10:AM. It was uncrowded and we did not have to worry about cyclists coming down. The views going up and down are spectacular. Just drive carefully and stop at viewpoints coming down (lets brakes cool) and going up (allows you to become accustomed to altitude). Use gears rather than riding brakes coming down.

Like Doug, we went at 3AM for the sunrise on the first Maui morning and it was an experience we will never forget and will repeat the next time we are there! We did not drive ourselves...rather we booked Temptation Tours at $129 per person in a limo-van and breakfast at the Kula Lodge. Wonderful!

I agree this is a must-do. We went mid morning and stopped at the first info center to get some ideas on places to stop for short hikes. DO bring warm clothes. I could not believe the number of people who went all the way up in shorts, no jackets and were freezing! I'm terribly afraid of heights and didn't feel frightened except on a hike where I felt my sons got a bit too close to the edge of the crater.

Sunrise at the summit of Haleakala is a hit or miss thing. If the weather is bad (and it often is) you can't see the sun rise.

Th drive is not dangerous at all. Just hope you are not behind the bikes though.

Whoever told you that dawn is the best time to see the view is nuts! Half the time the fog is so dense you cannot see anything. We, too, drove up around 10:00 am - it was perfect! Don't miss the experience. And check out the silver green plants - they are not to be touched - Park Police.

Maui is so great because of its diverse climates, elevations, waterfalls, and fantastic restaurants. Of all three islands we were on (Big and Ohau) it was our favorite.

We've been up there 6 or 7 times but never at dawn. We go about 10-10:30 a.m. and it's lovely. The road is not dangerous but there are a lot of switchbacks and it is 2 lanes. It's well paved, marked, etc. The views are marvelous. It's possible you can hit fog/rain/sunshine, on the way up (or down), it just adds to the beauty of the trip. (Side note: Use the restrooms at the stop on the way up, the ones at the top are not great).

It really is very cold and windy. If you are adventurous it is the experience of a life time. The drive up is a very long one so plan accordingly. Chances are that the clouds will prevent much of a view.

Very dangerous!!!! We had a terrible accident, our brakes failed on our rental car and we went over the side of the road (cliff). Fortunately, we got stopped by a tree. The car ended up on its side. There were 4 of us in the car. I was the only one NOT wearing a seatbelt. I was in the left rear and I was busy filming. I was the only one injured. I had a tractured vertebra, broken ribs, internal bleeding, etc. I was in the hospital in Maui for 5 days and then recovered in an apartment for 2 weeks before I was able to travel back to the East coast. When our car was lifted there was a wreath under it from the last car that landed there, killing all the occupants. I heard many terrible stories from the hospital staff about accidentS on Haleakala. DRIVE IN LOW GEAR GOING DOWN!!!! THIS WAS NOT POSTED WHEN WE WENT AND THE GUY WHO DROVE OUT CAR DIDN'T USE LOW GEAR. IF HE HAD, PROBABLY OUR BRAKES WOULD HAVE HELD.

Wow, Elainee, so sorry that happened to you! Hope you are completely well now. I will add my 2 cents regarding the drive. I wasn't expecting it to be as scary as it turned out to be. But we were driving through fog, clouds and light rain. In fact I had been saving my trepidation for the Hana Road drive we had planned for the next day, which turned out to be piece of cake after the Haleakala experience. That said, I would not let it deter you from going. Just drive slowly and carefully and you will be fine. The view is worth it.

We did the sunset trip, which was amazing. We got such mixed reactions about the sunrise event, that we decided not to do it and don't feel like we've missed a thing. The views from Haleakela are amazing, and in the late afternoon, there are so few people there that you can get some great pictures of the volcano without hordes of people being in your shots. We got there in the afternoon, did some hiking into the volcano (you feel like you're on Mars), watched the sunset from the practically deserted parking lot and then drove back down while there was still light. We stopped for dinner at the Haliimaile General Store which is close by. As for the drive during the day, I wouldn't be too concerned, it's not bad at all. Not too sure about nighttime conditions or with bikers though.

x0x0x Just curious what time you left to go to Mt. Haleakala to see the sunset? Did you spend the entire day there? I think I might do either the sunset at Mt. Haleakala or the Road to Hana. I'm just not sure I want to spend the entire day driving. Thanks

jean77,

I believe at that time of year, the sunset was about 7 p.m. I think we started the drive at about 2:00 p.m. and it took us about 2.5 hours to get there from Kapalua with a stop or two to enjoy the view. Then we visited and hiked for about 2 hours and watched the sunset. There were clouds that day so we didn't watch the entire event, just up to the point where the sun went below the cloudline, creating some beautiful colors. We started back while it was still light. I haven't seen the famous Haleakela sunrise so I can't compare, but we thought the sunset that day was pretty special. Overall, I think we preferred the Haleakela trip over the Road to Hana.

x0x0x,

Thanks for the info!

I like the idea of leaving before it gets dark! I vote for sleeping later and going to the sunset!! thanks for all the info...we are going in June. So from Wailea, how far is Haleakala?? or how long will it take??

Took us about 1 1/2 hours to get there from the Four Seasons, but we went for the sunrise so there was nobody on the roads at that time. If you go during the afternoon for the sunset, you might hit more traffic.

The sunrise at Haleakala is Spectacular. You cannot see this at 10a.m. To see the absolute beauty of it, you must go at 3 or 4a.m. It is very cold there in the early morning hours. We were prepared, since we came from the east coast, we had our winter jackets, gloves, etc. The road is not treacherous, I can be very squeamish on certain roads, this one did not bother me. Simple, sensible driving is the key.
I have wonderful memories of the sunrise, I am sure I will not ever forget them.