Travel,  Travel | Hawaii

10-Day Maui, Hawaii Itinerary with Kids

October 17, 2019 / 387 Comments

Maui, Hawaii, nicknamed “The Valley Isle” for it’s many large valleys carved into both northwestern and southeastern volcanoes, is Hawaii’s second largest island. It is commonly referred to by locals as “Maui No Ka Oi” or “Maui is the best” because of it’s many lush rain forests and gorgeous beaches. With so many wide open spaces, a variety of terrains and tons of things to do, its no wonder Maui is an ideal tropical family vacation getaway. And for foodies, its a dream come true with so many tasty eateries featuring fresh and local cuisine like no where else in the world. We recently traveled to Maui, Hawaii with our 3 kids, age 3, 7, and 13, and their grandparents. Here’s a look at our family’s 10-day Maui, Hawaii itinerary with kids!

Day 1 – Travel to Maui, Check In, Foodlands & Costco

From Seattle to Maui, Hawaii is 5.5 hours plus time to and at the airports. After a long day of travel and getting our rental car, we headed to Costco to load up on drinks and snacks. This is the best place to get alcohol for the trip, if that’s your thing. After Costco we went to Foodlands, which is an amazing local grocery store that carries everything you need from mainland foods to plenty of Hawaiian fare. Everyone agrees, Foodlands is the best place for fresh poke, with a huge selection in the meat department made fresh daily! After traveling we opted for some to-go deli foods and poke for dinner and spent the evening at the pool at our condo. Also, for filtered water and ice (which you may need lots of during your trip) head to the little 24hr water and ice station in the Safeway lot – water is only 25 cents per gallon and ice is $3 for 20lbs. We bought one jug and refilled it throughout the trip.

Day 2 – Kihei Beaches, Ululani’s Shave Ice, Kihei Shops, Enjoy a Beach Sunset & Dinner To-Go from South Maui Fish Co.

Our first full day in Maui, Hawaii was devoted to exploring and shopping the Kihei area – where we were staying. Kihei is full of life, with lots of shops and restaurants and several beautiful beaches in a combination of sand and rocks lining the area. Neighboring Wailea is lush and upscale with lots of rentals and less activity if you want a quieter stay in South Maui. Between beaching and shopping we stopped for shaved ice at on one Maui’s best spots – Ululani’s Shave Ice. Try the Haleakala (Coconut & Leche) with Haupia topping.

For dinner we grabbed some Poke (this was the best Poke bowl I’ve ever had – super fresh!), fish tacos, and lava mac from South Maui Fish Co. and headed back to the condo to enjoy it by the pool. After dinner we walked the beach and caught the sunset!

Day 3 – Surf Lessons with Maui Beach Boys, Shops in Wailea, The Honolulu Cookie Co. & Dinner at Fred’s Mexican Cafe

The girls took lessons with Maui Beach Boys located at Kalama Park in Kihei. They shared a semi-private lesson, giving them 2 hours with one instructor for about $170. The lesson was amazing, and the girls were able to both get up and surf several times during their lesson thanks to their awesome instructor. Take advantage of the professional photographers on site, the surfers are too far out for decent photos with your phone, and they are very affordable – we received over 100 amazing photos for $50 and it was well worth it! There is a large playground and sandy beach area nearby for younger kids (we took Arlo there during the girls lessons). There are several awesome surf companies to choose from, check out these Maui surf lessons for more info.

Maui Surf Lessons

After a quick lunch break at the condo and washing up, we headed to nearby Wailea (about 5 min from Kihei) for some shopping and to sample our favorite cookies in the world – Honolulu cookies! They are all delicious pineapple shaped shortbread cookies, my favorites are white chocolate dipped kona coffee and coconut white chocolate. We also tasted some ice cream from Lappert’s hawaii which was very tasty (try the Coconut Macadamia Nut Fudge and Coconut Pineapple).

For dinner we enjoyed Fred’s Mexican Cafe. It was super close to the condo and after a long day Mexican cuisine always satisfies (our kids also really enjoy it and requested it for dinner). Everything was good – try the chicken chingaderas appetizer. It sounds weird, but trust me, its delicious.

Day 4 – Breakfast at Kihei Caffe & The Road to Hana

Before a long day on the Road to Hana we ate a big breakfast at Kihei Caffe. Everything here is amazing, the portions are large and the prices are good. The kids and I shared the Pancakes with Pineapple and Coconut topping and the French Toast with Bananas and Mac Nuts. We couldn’t even finish! Dad had the Loco Moco (substituted Kalua pork for the meat) and ate every last bite. They have cute kids meals too. Get here early (we arrived at 7:30) and were lucky to beat the crowds. Lines can be long, but it moves pretty fast. You order and then seat yourself.

After being more than full we set out for a full days adventure on the Road to Hana. You can check out my my guide to the top family-friendly stops on the Road to Hana for a complete guide to this adventure.

Day 5 – Snorkel at Maluaka Beach, WOW WOW Hawaiian Lemonade & Dinner at Maui Brewing Company

After asking around we discovered that the best local family-friendly snorkel beach is a secret spot at Maluaka Beach. With a large sand entrance it is easy for kids to get in and out. Near the rocks there is some amazing reefs. We saw turtles, sting rays, and plenty of fish! We rented gear from Boss Frogs for the day (at about $12ea). Our 3 year old played on shore, and our 7 year old only lasted 20 minutes but the rest of us enjoyed about 3 hours in the water and it was plenty!

After so much sand and sun, we cooled down with some Acai bowls and lemonade from WOW WOW Hawaiian Lemonade. Everything here is made fresh and locally sourced for “Aloha in a jar.” We purchased one of the reusable mason jars ($5) as a souvenir for the kids, and ordered a Lava Flow Lemonade and the Haupia Ono Acai Bowl (for around $20) to share. Both were fantastic with lots of coconut flavors, and very refreshing! And they were beautiful – probably the prettiest food item we had on our trip.

Local breweries are always a must-do for us, so we checkout out Maui Brewing Company for dinner. We tasted a few beers and ended up ordering the Double Overhead IPA, it was perfectly smooth and nice and hoppy. We shared 2 pizzas between us. The kids shared the Brewmaster, Dad and I shared the Farmer. Both had great flavor! But it’s a bit pricey here, go for an early happy hour – pizzas are only $10 and select apps are 1/2 off!

Day 6 – Visit Historic Paia, Lunch at Paia Fish Market, Happy Hour at Monkeypod Kitchen, Visit Makena Beach at Sunset & View Lava Rock at Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve at Dusk

On the way to Hana we first passed by Paia, but knew we wanted to return for a morning of shopping and snacking. There are tons of shops here, my favorite was a jewelry shop called To the Moon. Though you can find lots of jewelry throughout Maui, this shop was exactly my style! Emily and I bought matching rings with a wave shape on it.

For lunch we grabbed a bite at Paia Fish Market. We ordered a Fish Burger and Fish & Chips with 3 extra fish and shared it between us. We all agreed that the fish & chips was fantastic!!

Dinner and drinks at Monkeypod was next. We went for happy hour to take advantage of drink specials, including their uber famous Monkeypod Mai Tai ($10 at HH) – famous for its lilikoi foam topping. I do agree, it was my favorite drink of the trip and was strong (albeit the most expensive drinks we enjoyed during the trip, even with HH pricing). We shared a Kalua Pork & Pineapple Pizza (only $10 at HH) with our drinks. The pizza and drinks were very satisfying! Make reservations. We actually came earlier in the week and left because of the long wait. You can make reservations even for happy hour, and the happy hour is family-friendly.

Later we took a drive to see sunset st Makena Beach and view the Lava Rock at Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve at dusk. The small beach cove at Makena Beach is breathtaking, a perfect spot to watch sunset. There were several couples having their wedding photos taken in this spot. We drove further through the Lava Rock fields – it’s amazing to see just how much lava rock there is! At the end there is a cove where locals say there is fantastic snorkeling.

Day 7 – Malasada Hawaii Donuts, Scenic West Maui Drive, Nakalele Blowhole & Maui’s Heart Shaped Rock, Shops in Lahaina, Maui Pineapple Store, Happy Hour at Down the Hatch

West Maui offers another beautiful scenic drive, less well-known that the Road to Hana but home to a unique treat – the Nakalele Blowhole & Maui’s Heart Shaped Rock. From Kihei you drive past Lahaina and continue just past Kapalua. On the way there we stopped for some delicious Hawaiian Donuts at Malasada’s in Lahaina. It’s easy to miss – just a stand with a fryer in front of a church. DELICIOUS.

Next, we journeyed to the Nakalele Blowhole and witnessed the super cool blowhole. The drive to West Maui is beautiful, passing several lookouts and an awesome snorkeling spot. Nakalele is located just past mile marker 38.5. We didn’t go down the short hike but you easily could (and need to to view Maui’s Heart Shaped Rock). But the view was amazing from above and the kids thought it was very cool!

We then drove back to Lahaina to sight-see, shop, and eat. Historic Lahaina has some cool spots like the oldest Banyan tree in Hawaii, lots of shopping, and some yummy treats. The Banyan Tree was planted in 1873 and is massive. With 16 trunks and standing over 60 feet tall, it is also the largest Banyan tree in the United States! You must see this tree while in Lahaina – it’s incredible! We also enjoyed the shopping here. Lots of cute things including tons of these beautiful Hawaii-made bags.

We loved the Maui Pineapple Store, for $12 you get a decent size serving of fresh-made pineapple soft serve made right in front of you and served inside a pineapple! The flavor was perfect, and refreshing on such a hot day.

After some shopping we did an early happy hour at Down the Hatch (they start at 2pm) for lunch. This was probably our favorite happy hour of the trip for the food. We ordered 4 appetizers and shared it between the 5 of us. The total for 4 apps and 2 drinks was around $50 and we were all full and happy. We shared the Kona Beach Quesadilla with Kalua Pork, Mermaid Fries, Coconut Shrimp and Lava Lava shrimp (this was a favorite for us all)! It is located in the center of a big outdoor shopping mall. You order at the counter and then seat yourself at a table. There was also live music and it was shaded from the sun.

Day 8 – Saturday Swap Meet, Lunch at Da Kitchen Cafe, Swim at the Pool & Foodland’s Poké for Dinner

If you will be in Maui on a Saturday, go to the Saturday Swap meet, trust me. This is the place to shop. There were tons of vendors, lots of foods and locally crafted items as well as more of the things we had seen in shops all over the island. The prices were slightly better here than in the shops and some didn’t charge tax. Dad and I loved the shirts from Paradise Now, which had such cute designs made with a unique printing process by a local artisan. We also really loved the blown glass pendant necklaces (which we only found here) and the huge selection of Hawaii-made bags.

Down the street is Da Kitchen Cafe – famous for being featured on Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives for its Notorious B.I.G. Loco Moco – we knew we had to eat here. We got there just before they opened and a line was already forming. This is the spot everyone around there goes and its for a good reason – the portions are huge, and the Hawaiian flavors are amazing. We shared the Loco Moco, Teriyaki Chicken, and deep fried Spam Musubi (definately try – it tastes like a deep fried sushi roll). We could barely finish, but this was one of our favorite meals on the island.

We spend the rest of the day swimming at the pool. The beach is fun but requires a lot more preparation and cleanup. The pool is cool and refreshing and fun! After a long swim, we enjoyed Beer and Poke from Foodland while watching the sunset by the pool.

Day 9 – Maui Plantation Tour, Leoda’s Pies, Happy Hour at Three’s Bar & Grill & Sunset Turtle Watching at Ho’okipa Beach

Hawaii is home to a bounty of tropical plants and fruits, so we decided to take the Maui Tropical Plantation Tour to see some of the plants while in Maui. Dad and Emily went surfing in the morning while I took the younger kids to this activity. It was pricey ($24 for adults and $12 for kids) and somewhat short, but the kids really enjoyed the ride, listening to the guide, watching the coconut husking demonstration and the fruit bowl at the end.

After the Maui Plantation Tour we stopped over at Leoda’s Pies – about a 10 minute drive from there. We tried the Coconut Cream, Banana Cream, and Pinapple Mac Nut pies for about $30. All of them amazing. Literally the best pies I have ever had. Everyone loved the Banana Cream, followed closely by Coconut Cream.

After a break back at the condo for some swimming, we headed out to Happy Hour at Three’s Bar & Grill. Make reservations ahead of time. We were able to enjoy happy hour prices with the kids and with a reservation. The kids enjoyed a smoothie and shared Kalua Pork Nachos, while Dad and I ate Sushi (unagi avocado roll and salmon avocado roll), Oysters, Coconut Crusted Fish Tacos and Coconut Crusted Shrimp – all very good. We tried the HH Southside Mai Ties which were tasty but by far the weakest Mai Tai we had in Maui – however a bargain at $3.75.

We finished our HH dinner around 4:30 so that we could watch sunset at Ho’okipa Beach and go turtle watching. You can fins turtles swimming out by the rocks, but if you go down to the beach and go to the far right where the lookout cliff is, there is a roped off area where turtles frequently rest on shore. Don’t cross the rope or touch the turtles. Afternoon/sunset offers a very good chance to see the turtles here – we came at that time and saw several!

Day 10 – Breakfast at Maui Bread Co., Lunch at Coconuts Fish Cafe, Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm, Sunset Happy Hour at Lava Rock Bar & Grill

Maui Bread Co. has both savory and sweet breads, so we sampled a bit of both for breakfast on our last day in Maui. We tried the Hawaiian Bread, Pina Colada Sweet Bun, Jalapeno Bun & Teriyaki Bun – all very good – we really liked the savory ones. They were already almost sold out of savory buns around 9am when we ate so go early for those.

After breakfast we went to the beach and played for a bit, then grabbed a quick lunch from Coconuts Fish Cafe. The fish tacos are huge, each one more like 2 tacos in one! The coconut shrimp were also tasty.

We headed up to Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm for the afternoon. We had originally planned to drive up to Haleakala for sunset but decided against it and went to the Lavender Farm instead, which is part way up the volcano and has beautiful grounds and a stunning view of Maui below. If you have time to both, visit the farm on your way up to the top!

Finally, for dinner we enjoyed a sunset happy hour at Lava Rock Bar & Grill. The outdoor seating has a beautiful view of the beach at sunset. Appetizers are 50% off at HH and drinks are only $5! Try the lobster spinach dip and tempura shrimp – they were our favorite app of the evening. This was our favorite evening HH for ambiance, the drinks were strong and tasty and the view was beautiful.

Day 11 – Travel Home

Ok so technically we were there for 11 days, but I don’t really consider the day we return home a true vacation day. This day was sad for all of us, but we were ready to come home. It was an awesome 10 days in Maui, Hawaii and we can’t wait until next time!

Looking for more Maui, Hawaii travel guides? Check out these posts!

10-Day Maui Itinerary with Kids in Maui, Hawaii

A Guide to the Best Sweet Foods & Desserts in Maui, Hawaii

A Guide to the Cheap Eats & Happy Hours in Maui, Hawaii

The Top Family-Friendly Stops on the Road to Hana – Maui, Hawaii

9 Locally-Loved Businesses to Support on Your Next Maui Vacation

All photos in this post were edited with my custom Lightroom mobile presets.

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