Haleakalā National Park — Summit Sunrise. At 10,023 feet, Haleakalā's dormant summit crater is one of the most otherworldly landscapes on Earth. Watching the sun rise above a sea of clouds from the crater rim is a once-in-a-lifetime moment that draws visitors back to Maui again and again.
Road to Hāna (Hāna Highway). Fifty-two miles of two-lane highway spiraling through sea cliffs, bamboo forests, and 59 one-lane bridges make this one of the world's most iconic scenic drives. Stops include Waiʻānapanapa's black sand beach, Wailua Falls, and the 400-foot Waimoku Falls at trail's end.
Molokini Crater Snorkeling. This partially submerged volcanic crescent two and a half miles off the southwest coast is a protected marine sanctuary with visibility up to 150 feet, more than 250 fish species, 38 coral species, and resident Hawaiian green sea turtles. Boats depart from Maʻalaea Harbor.
Waiʻānapanapa State Park — Black Sand Beach. Maui's only black sand beach, formed from volcanic basalt, sits inside a wild 122-acre park on the Hāna coast that also features sea stacks, blowholes, ancient lava tubes, and a section of the old King's Highway coastal trail.
Kāʻanapali Beach. Three miles of white sand on West Maui's leeward shore, formerly ranked America's Best Beach, face west for spectacular sunset views toward Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi. Each evening a torchlit cliff diver reenacts the leap of King Kahekili from Puʻu Kekaʻa (Black Rock).
Pīpīwai Trail & Waimoku Falls (Kīpahulu District). This four-mile round-trip hike inside Haleakalā National Park threads through a cathedral bamboo forest and past the 200-foot Makahiku Falls before culminating at 400-foot Waimoku Falls. It is consistently rated one of the finest hikes in all of Hawaiʻi.
Hoʻokipa Beach Park — Windsurfing & Sea Turtles. Maui's legendary North Shore break hosts professional windsurfers and kitesurfers on afternoon swells while Hawaiian green sea turtles (honu) haul out on the sand to rest each evening. Lifeguards are on duty daily and the park has full facilities.
Humpback Whale Watching (December–April). Maui lies at the heart of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, one of the world's most important humpback breeding grounds. From December through April thousands of North Pacific humpbacks fill the channel between Maui, Lānaʻi, and Molokaʻi — breaching, tail-slapping, and nursing calves.