Planning your next Maui itinerary? Have only a few days to explore? No problem — you can easily pack in a solid Maui itinerary for just 3 days, especially if you live on the west coast. When Kevin and I moved to California nearly 14 years ago, we thought that we’d visit Hawaii every year. Nope! It’s sort of like when we moved to LA and thought we’d join a trapeze school to do our daily workouts. Seriously, what were we thinking?

Kevin got a new job in Washington, DC, so we’re about to make the move back to the east coast. So naturally the first place we thought of (finally) visiting was Hawaii. There are direct flights to Maui from Los Angeles and it takes less than 6 hours. And of course, it made me ask, why did we wait this long to visit Maui?

We just had 3 days in Maui. But wow, we packed in a lot. If you’re planning a trip, you’ll need to check out our top 5 things to do in Maui. It is a place like nowhere else! But first…

A Fun Maui Itinerary: Where To Stay?

Kevin and I are not exactly resort guys. They’re great for families, and now that we have kids, we’ll probably be doing it more often. But for a romantic getaway for the 2 of us, we like a smaller, boutique hotel. The Plantation Inn hit all the marks for us.

The Plantation Inn looks like it’s been around forever. But it was actually built in 1987. It blew our minds! This smaller hotel is located in the incredibly walkable town of Lahaina,  a historic town that has been transformed into a Maui hotspot with dozens of art galleries and restaurants. We enjoyed our time at the hotel and just how convenient it was to the rest of the island. Plus, plenty of parking! You can tell we’ve lived in LA for awhile, right!?

Top 5 Picks During Your Maui Itinerary

Whether you’re planning a 3-day Maui itinerary or 2 week Maui itinerary, these are some of our top picks you can’t miss. We planned out a 3-day Maui itinerary and packed in a lot. These are our top 5 picks.

5. Visit Maui Gold Pineapple Farm

I’m not gonna lie, I love a good farm tour. In fact, if we had more time in Maui, we would have also visited a coconut farm (which I brought up probably no less than 10 times with Kevin). He’s such a trooper for putting up with me! The Maui Gold Pineapple Farm Tour is a great time for all. We planned this as the first activity when we got into Maui, so we could enjoy some tasty snacks and sugar to rev us up.

For whatever reason, pineapples at home just don’t taste the same. These golden pineapples are so sweet and along our drive, the guide allowed us to taste several pineapples as he told us about the history of the farm.

Tours run throughout the day and take about 1 hour 30 minutes. It might seem like a long time, but it truly flew by. Most of the time was spent in the bus, which we didn’t mind since it kept raining. I’m just glad we didn’t get soaked! At the end of the tour, you’ll get to see their packing area and even get a box of pineapples you can take home with you. It’s easy and you can check it as a bag for free at the airport. Score! Tours cost $75 per person and can be booked here.

4. Enjoy The Traditional Old Lahaina Luau

What would be a trip to Hawaii without booking a luau? We ended up with two reservations to see a luau – the first was with the Feast at Lele and eventually the Old Lahaina Luau. Both are conveniently located in Lahaina, but which one should you book? That was our dilemma and we did our homework!

You can’t go wrong with either luau. But it comes down mainly to these small differences — the Feast at Lele is more about the celebration of Polynesia (including New Zealand and other islands) while the Old Lahaina Luau is focused on Hawaiian dance.  But what mostly pushed us over the edge to book Old Lahaina Luau is the setting. It’s a beautiful spot, located just on the ocean’s edge. There is also a large circular stage at the center of it all… so not a bad view in the house.

As of writing, the food is brought directly to your table and you won’t go hungry. It’s a multi-course meal where you get to enjoy steak, chicken, fish, and veggies with an island twist.  You’ll also get salad, dessert, drinks… you get the picture. It’s a lot!

The setting is spectacular. Before the show started, Kevin and I walked around and checked out the vendors selling their goods and obviously had to take a selfie (or more like 20 selfies…I mean we had to get the best shot).

This is a big activity with the entire experience taking about 3 hours (running 6-9 PM). Our #1 piece of advice: book early. We tried booking online about 3 months ahead and it was already booked up. Be sure to call the luau directly and ask to get on their wait list. Believe it or not, they get frequent cancellations and will call a few days ahead if they have openings. We lucked out and were able to secure our reservation that way. And went ahead and cancelled the backup of Feast at Lele.

The Old Lahaina Luau costs about $180 per person and can be booked online here. There is free cancellation so we’d recommend booking this first.

3. Drive Maui’s Rugged North Coast

Nothing prepared me for just how wild this portion of our trip would be. The roads in north Maui are pretty wild and have many twists and turns. Lush scenery, great views, and some exciting ridge-line hiking can be found here. First stop: Hike Waihe’e Ridge Trail.

Hiking the Waihe’e ridge line up in the west Maui mountains overlooking the Waihe’e Valley is dramatic and always scenic. Trail can be very slippery after rain and especially muddy. You’ve been warned!

We felt like we walked into the set of Jurassic Park with all of this beauty. The trail takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to hike roundtrip. That’s even with all our many stops (and nearly falling every 5 seconds on the slick rocks).

Next up is a local landmark with fans around the world: Julia’s Best Banana Bread. This stuff is legend, opening at 9 AM and closes whenever they run out. We were lucky to secure one of the last 2 loaves they had. Phew!

You’ll find banana bread just about everywhere in Maui. But this one is especially fresh and moist. You can find the recipe online on Bon Appetite. But if you ask the workers at Julia’s Best Banana Bread, the recipe is a deep secret that most family members don’t even know it.

At this point, you’ll be fueled up and just a short 20 minute drive away from Nakalele Blowhole. This is a very easy hike, especially compared to the earlier one we recommended. There is a parking lot at the top of the trail. Then you just walk down the hill towards the ocean – it’s that easy. The best odds of seeing the Nakalele Blowhole is going at high tide and high surf. The hike is about 1.5 miles round trip to the viewing spot (located a safe distance away).

The drive back to Lahaina is just 30 minutes away. We suggest going back to The Plantation Inn, freshening up and heading north again to enjoy a fancy dinner out at Merriman’s Maui. Again, book early. Reservations open 1 month ahead of the date. I had an alarm set to book and I still even missed my first-choice time slot. As of writing, it’s a set price of $120 per person for a 3 course meal.

2. Drive The Road to Hana

Another road trip adventure? This is the road trip of them all in Maui. Just about every travel blog recommends the road to Hana. But there are better ways to do it than others. I did a ton of research before setting out on what can easily be a 10-12 hour day out. Best piece of advice? Leave early! Second piece of advice: purchase this incredible app called Road to Hana Maui GyPSy Guide ($9.99). I laughed since Kevin fell asleep for portions of the drive, but I weirdly enjoyed the company of the audio narrator I affectionately named “Maui Mike.” Yes, it was a long drive!

The scenery is stunning along this ride and the audio guide will give you recommendations of where to stop along the way. It’s great since it shares some key must-see places. But I narrowed down my favorites ahead of time, which included: the Rainbow Eucalyptus Trees (located just past mile marker 6.5).

Ke’Anae Park for some beautiful beach shots…

The “Halfway to Hana” sign…

The Hana Lava Tube (closes at 4 PM). We loved this self-guided underground tour with flashlights.

The Nahiku Marketplace, a great place to stop, stretch your legs, shop, eat, relax…

And finally the must-stop Pipiwai Trail (Bamboo Forest); a 4 mile roundtrip at the tail end.

As mentioned, we left Lahaina around 6:30 AM. And you should arrive in the town of Paia (the gateway to the official start of the road to Hana) at 7 AM. By leaving early, you can get back to Hana while it’s still daylight and not worry about missing any of the wonderful stops along this LONG day of driving.

1. Top Pick For Your Maui Itinerary: Go Snorkeling With Sea Turtles

Neither Kevin or I expected this to be our top choice in Maui. But hands down, it was both our favorite activity. We booked with Maui Reef Adventures on their 4-hour Molokini Crater tour.

What I liked about this tour, vs other snorkeling tours, was the small size of the group and the type of boat. Don’t expect luxury yacht. This trip is what they call their “super raft” or think high-speed pontoon boat.

They provide light snacks and drinks. Hang on tight. This is a fast ride. You’ll beat everyone to the spots, allowing you to enjoy the locations without many others beyond your tour group.

We recommend bringing a towel and a waterproof (or water resistant) bag to keep your things. They provide all the gear and expertise along the way. The snorkeling with the sea turtles was truly the trip highlight. We saw at least 2 dozen sea turtles and for some reason, many loved to resurface right underneath me. On the way back, keep your eyes open for whales.

The second stop on the snorkeling trip is to Molokini Crater. This is where you’ll see the tropical fish like at your local aquarium. Kevin and I felt like the coral was dying here and not quite as spectacular as other dive spots we’ve been. But we certainly loved swimming and pointing out our favorite fish. To book a tour, head to Maui Reef Adventures. Tour costs $149 for adults (12+) and $129 for children (must be at least 4 years old).

Looking for other ideas of things to do in Hawaii? Check out our full Hawaii coverage, including our visit to the Big Island where we visited our friend a few years ago. We enjoyed 3 days driving the Big Island and took in the many incredible sites. Is your next stop California? You should see our many stories including our adventures in Napa Valley on the Napa Wine Train, and our favorite Instagram spots in LA.