We had the privilege and pleasure of visiting Maui in June of 2023. We absolutely fell in love with it – the beauty, the people, the food and drink, and things to do. A couple of months later, everything changed for this beautiful place, when wildfires burned Lahaina and multiple properties in the Upcountry district. Devastating as that was for residents, it has had the long-term effect of being devastating to the economy there which relies heavily on tourism. The majority of Maui wasn’t physically affected by the fires and the things that make it a treasured place to visit remain. As lovers of the island, we are here to tell RealFoodTraveler.com readers that Maui awaits you, with so much to offer. Here, then, is our Editor’s Pick list of 10 best things to do in Maui!

Save this article about 10 Things to Do in Maui to Pinterest to help you plan your trip. Photo and graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

Here is a message from our friends at the Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau: Though still grieving, recovering, and trying to comprehend the incomprehensible, the spirit and resilience of Maui residents remain strong. Maui welcomes others to discover for themselves that much of everything the world loves about the island is still very much there. And right now, what Maui needs most is for you to visit and mālama (care for) Maui.

The magnificent and historic Banyon tree in Lahaina, photographed about a month before the fire in Lahaina. Banyon trees extend their branches and drop roots so that, in this park, it is a single tree that extended throughout the entire park. It’s a natural wonder. The tree was scorched but is coming back to life, a beautiful sign of Maui’s resilience.

10 Best Things to Do in Maui

1. Stay somewhere that’s a real treat
We couldn’t get enough of the views from the lobby of The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua and neither could every other new guest we saw arriving. “Ahhh”-inspiring, layers of turquoise pools, palm trees, lush gardens and the big blue ocean might tempt you to just sit and stare at the beauty. But take advantage of everything this property has to offer including multiple restaurants, live music, historical cultural activities and their very special annual event, the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival taking place every June. Read more about it here.

Montage Kapalua Bay is another nearby property with luxurious rooms (including condos for the whole family), a great kids’ club, and lovely indoor-outdoor restaurant called Cane & Canoe where we had a great dinner and Mai Tai’s (more on that below).

Take in the incredible views of the grounds and ocean at Ritz-Carlton Maui Kapalua.

2.Stay somewhere serene
Lumeria Maui was once where sugar plantation workers were housed. The historic property is now a peaceful escape, called an “educational retreat center,” but not a hotel in the traditional sense. Yes, there are beautiful rooms, each with a front porch to lounge on, a beautiful pool, gardens to explore and on-site restaurant. But Lumeria is also a place for travelers and groups to partake of classes and events that encourage mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Walk the meditative labyrinth, take a yoga class, nap in a hammock or find some solace and solitude – there is a sense of calm and peace here that you can feel.

Lumeria Maui offers a quiet, calm retreat and lovely place to stay.

3. Eat groovy in Pāʻia

As luck would have it, a short drive from Lumeria Maui, is the town of Pāʻia, a fun, kinda hippy, place with easy access to the beach. There’s also easy access to great food where both the locals and visitors like to eat. Café Mambo is a surprise, owned by an Italian transplant, you’ll find local craft brews, sandwiches, burgers, and one of their specialties, duck nachos! Local artists’ creations adorn the wall. Pāʻia Fish Market lines can be long but it’s worth any wait for plentiful portions of fresh fish which you can order prepared a variety of ways. Be willing to share a table with others and make some new friends.

At the Paia Fish Market, you can get fish fried, grilled and blackened.

4. Shop for what the locals eat
Sure, we advocate eating at restaurants in Maui but we also suggest you stop at local grocery stores for picnic items (or to take back to your room). You’ll find produce, prepared and packaged foods you’ve never seen before. We stopped at the Nāpili Market – Nāpili Plaza where varieties of poke can be had by the pound and treats that were colorful and pretty tempted us. It’s like a field trip to go explore and appreciate items that are different than what you’d shop for at home.

Try a variety of kinds of poke from the grocery store to eat like what the locals do in Maui.

5. Visit Maui Tea Farm
The organic farm grows and produces loose leaf teas and specialty Hawaiian tisanes (herbal tea). Because their farm and tea shop are located at 4,100 feet in Upcountry Maui, the cool air and cloud mist (which we witnessed firsthand – mystical!), make it very conducive to growing mountain tea. Book a tea farm tour and leave time to order a cup of tea and pick up gifts for home in the tea shop. Do like we did and sip while sitting on their side yard among plump hydrangea flowers. An additional perk, it’s on the way to, or back from number six on our list…

Stop in to the Maui Tea Farm for tours, tastes, and shopping.

6. Haleakalā National Park & Summit
This place feels almost unreal and absolutely other worldly and shouldn’t be missed on your visit to Maui. After paying a park entry fee, you’ll drive a meandering path that will probably take you through cloud banks as it did us, until the skies clear and you are suddenly rewarded with beautiful and strange sights at 10,023 feet. The barren volcanic landscape (except for a few silver-hued plants that look otherworldly) offers views of the ocean, rain forests and coastline. The Haleakalā Observatories can see an item the size of a basketball from 20,000 miles away. You can see the buildings from afar, but they aren’t for visitors. They lend to the outer space-like scene. A highlight of Haleakalā National Park & Summit is to visit at sunrise which requires advance reservations.

It’s one dramatic view after another from the paths of Haleakala National Park.

7. Sip the iconic cocktail of Maui, the Mai Tai
You’d be hard-pressed to not find a Mai Tai on a restaurant or bar menu in Maui. The absolute king of tiki cocktails, there is controversy over where it got started. One story is that Victor Jules Bergeron, or Trader Vic, made the original in 1944 at his original Polynesian restaurant. Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt, owner of Don the Beachcomber, says the creation is his. You really won’t care who came up with it as you enjoy the spin-off of a daiquiri with an aged rum base. Montage Kapalua shared one of their recipes with us.

Sip a Mai Tai in Maui such as ones that change seasonally at Cane & Canoe at Montage Kapalua.

Hungry for more? Get a recipe for an authentic Maui Mai Tai cocktail.

8. Attend the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival
For 43 years (an incredible claim to fame for a food and beverage event!), this annual event has been introducing some of the world’s best winemakers and top chefs to food and wine lovers. We attended in 2023 and learned a ton about wine itself but also about the stories, expertise, creativity and passion that goes into the wine we sampled. A wine pairing dinner with guest chefs provided a chance to see them in action while dining with the winemakers who had led wine tasting seminars we’d attended. The pinnacle of the festival is a Grand Tasting where fabulous wines from around the world meet local ingredients, dishes, chefs, and restaurants from Maui. It’s a fabulous event to build your visit to Maui around.

Examples of food and wine during the Grand Tasting at the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, an annual event.

Hungry for more? See what it’s like to attend the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival in person.

9. Support local
These last two suggestions for the 10 Best Things to Do in Maui are more meaningful. Maui always has been eager to show off “Maui Nui” – Maui, Moloka‘i and Lana‘i – no ka oi, or “the best.” Now, more than ever, that’s not just a desire, it’s a need. As a visitor, that means shopping, eating, drinking and doing what Maui has to offer, all pleasurable, enjoyable, exciting opportunities while helping the local people and economy while you’re at it. Here’s a link that makes that easy.

There are many ways to support Maui that are enjoyable for visitors.

10. Participate in the Mālama Hawaiʻi Program
Give of a little of your time and efforts and receive so much back when you visit Maui through the Mālama Hawaiʻi Program. It provides unique ways for you to benefit Maui such as through a beach cleanup or planting a tree. In the process, you’ll meet locals and other visitors and immerse yourself in Maui in a very meaningful way while having fun.

There are numerous ways to help give back to Maui when you visit including beach cleanup. That’s just one of the more meaningful 10 best things to do there.

-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher and Managing Editor, RealFoodTraveler.com

Use our Real Food Travel affiliate links to plan your trip: Hotels.com and Expedia.com. While these links do not, in any way, change your search, reservation or pricing experience, we may receive a small commission on purchases.

Please note: As is common practice in this industry, we were hosted for some of these activities to help facilitate writing about them for our readers. However, as is always the case, the honest opinions are our own.