Are you thinking about planning a trip to Maui in May? Find out some of the best things to do in Maui in May that are worth adding to your itinerary!
This list of things to do in Maui in May was written by Hawaii travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
May is the month Maui belongs to people who actually did their research.
The spring break crowds have gone home. Summer hasn’t kicked in yet. The weather is warm and mostly sunny. Prices are a touch lower than peak season.
And there are still humpback whales in the water if you get there early enough in the month.
I’ve been to Hawaii more than 40 times since I was 10 years old. My grandmother lived part-time on Kauai, and my mom still does. I’ve visited every Hawaiian island, in every month, in every budget.
And when people ask me which month to visit Maui for the first time, May is always on my short list.
It doesn’t get the press that February does (whale peak season) or December (holidays).
But for families who want good weather, breathing room, and everything actually open? May quietly delivers.
That said, there are a few things you need to know before you go, including one big update about Lahaina that affects your planning.
Quick note if you’re just starting to plan: My free 7-Day Maui Trip Planning Email Course walks you through everything from where to stay to what to skip. It’s free and it’ll save you hours of Googling.
TL;DR: What You Need to Know About Maui in May
- Daytime temps average 80-87°F, evenings around 68°F
- Way less crowded than winter or summer peak seasons
- Lei Day on May 1st is a legitimate cultural highlight
- Whale season technically runs through mid-May, so early arrivals might still get lucky
- Lahaina’s historic district remains closed while the community rebuilds after the 2023 fires. West Maui’s resorts (Ka’anapali, Napili, Kapalua) are fully open
- You need a car. Public transit on Maui isn’t going to cut it
- Book Haleakala sunrise reservations exactly 60 days out. They sell out in minutes
What’s the Weather Like in Maui in May?
Warm and mostly sunny, which is the short version.
Daytime temperatures average around 80-87°F. Nights cool down to about 68°F, which feels glorious after a day at the beach.
You’ll get roughly 9 hours of sunshine on a typical day, and the trade winds keep the humidity from feeling oppressive.
May is technically still the tail end of Hawaii’s wetter season, so you might get a passing shower, especially on the north shore and along the Road to Hana.
These usually don’t last long. The south and west sides of the island (Wailea, Ka’anapali) tend to be drier and sunnier.
The one weather exception: if you’re driving up to Haleakala, it’s a totally different situation.
The summit sits at 10,023 feet and temperatures up there regularly dip into the 40s, even in May. Pack actual layers for that morning, not just a thin hoodie.
What Should You Pack for Maui in May?
Pack for summer. Swimsuits, shorts, t-shirts, flip flops, and a rash guard for snorkeling. Most of your days will be hot.
Then add: one pair of sneakers or hiking sandals for trails, a light jacket for evenings, and actual warm layers if you’re doing Haleakala.
And please bring your own reef-safe sunscreen from home. Hawaii law bans chemical sunscreens (oxybenzone and octinoxate) to protect coral reefs, so you can’t just grab your usual drugstore brand.
Sunscreen bought on the island is wildly expensive. I forgot mine once and paid $57 at an ABC Store for a small bottle. Learn from that.
For a full packing list, check out my post on what to pack for Hawaii.
What’s Happening in Maui in May? (Events Worth Planning Around)
May 1st: Lei Day
May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii, and if you happen to be on Maui for it, go find an event.
I’ve been dancing hula for over 20 years, so this one means something to me beyond just a fun festival.
Lei Day honors the role that leis play in Hawaiian culture, and each island has its own official lei. Maui’s is the lokelani, a small pink rose, and it’s beautiful.
The Lei Day Heritage Festival at the Bailey House Museum (Hale Ho’ike’ike) in Wailuku is free to attend and features a lei contest, live Hawaiian music, hula performances, food, and cultural demonstrations.
It’s the kind of thing that reminds you why Hawaii is different from every other beach destination.
For more on the tradition, read my full post on Hawaii Lei Day celebrations and activities for kids.
Mother’s Day
If you’re celebrating Mother’s Day on Maui, you’ve made a good call.
Several restaurants do special brunches, and Pacific Whale Foundation runs a Mother’s Day Sunset Dinner Sail out of Ma’alaea Harbor.
Being on a boat watching the sun go down over the West Maui Mountains while having dinner is… not a bad way to spend the day.
These book up fast. More ideas in my post on how to spend Mother’s Day in Hawaii.
Important: What’s the Situation with Lahaina in 2026?
The August 2023 wildfires destroyed most of historic Lahaina town. More than 100 people lost their lives. Thousands of families were displaced. It was one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history.
As of 2026, Lahaina’s historic district, including Front Street and the Banyan Tree area, remains closed to visitors. Reconstruction is underway but it’s a multi-year process.
Please respect the closures. Trespassing in the restricted zone can result in up to a year in prison and a $2,000 fine, but more importantly, the community is still grieving and rebuilding.
Here’s what that means for your trip practically:
The resort areas in Ka’anapali, Napili, and Kapalua are fully open and welcoming visitors. Lahaina Harbor has partially reopened for boat tours.
Old Lahaina Luau is operating again. The best thing you can do for Maui right now is visit, stay in West Maui, eat at local restaurants, and spend your money there.
If you want to understand the situation better before you go, I’d encourage you to read up on it. Visiting with awareness makes a real difference.
11 Best Things to Do in Maui in May
1. Drive the Road to Hana
This is the one experience you can’t skip on Maui, and May is an excellent time to do it.
The 64-mile route along the northeast coast winds through rainforest, past waterfalls, bamboo groves, taro patches, and some of the most dramatic coastal scenery you’ll find anywhere in the Pacific.
The drive itself takes about 2.5 hours without stops, but that’s not how anyone actually does it. Plan a full day, leave early (seriously, by 7am if you can), and stop constantly.
A few things I’d tell you that most guides leave out: the banana bread stands along the way are legitimately good and worth every dollar.
The black sand beach at Wai’anapanapa State Park requires advance parking reservations, so book those before your trip.
And the back road return (Highway 31 around the south side of the island) is unpaved in sections, so check your rental car agreement before you take it.
If you’d rather not drive yourself, guided Road to Hana tours on Viator take all the navigation stress out of it.
2. Watch Sunrise from Haleakala Crater
The dormant volcano. 10,023 feet. Watching the sun come up above the clouds from there is the kind of thing that stays with you.
Here’s the practical reality for 2026: you must have a reservation to enter the summit between 3am and 7am.
Reservations cost $1 per vehicle and are released on Recreation.gov exactly 60 days in advance, at 7am Hawaiian Standard Time.
They regularly sell out within minutes on popular dates. A small batch is also released 48 hours before each date if you miss the 60-day window.
This is separate from the $30 park entrance fee, which you pay when you arrive.
Budget 1.5-2 hours to drive up from Ka’anapali, dress in actual warm layers (40s at the summit, no joke), and if the sunrise clouds out, the landscape is still otherworldly.
Don’t leave the minute the sun comes up. Stay for 20 minutes and watch what happens to the colors.
I’ve done this many times and covered it in detail: Haleakala sunrise tours on Maui.
3. Snorkel Molokini and Turtle Town
Off the south shore of Maui, about a mile from the coast, sits Molokini: a half-submerged volcanic crater that creates a natural protected marine preserve.
The water clarity inside can reach 150 feet visibility on a calm day. It’s some of the best snorkeling in Hawaii.
Most boat tours combine Molokini with a stop at Turtle Town, a stretch of reef near Maluaka Beach where green sea turtles hang out and feed.
Watching a sea turtle glide past you about three feet away never gets old, no matter how many times I’ve done it.
Book a morning tour because afternoon winds pick up and make the water choppier. Viator and Get Your Guide both have solid options at a range of price points.
4. Walk the Kapalua Coastal Trail
This is the underrated one. Less than two miles, totally flat, and it takes you along some of the most beautiful coastline on the island.
You’ll go past rocky tidepools, small coves, and wide-open ocean views with Moloka’i across the channel.
The trail runs from Kapalua Beach north to D.T. Fleming Beach, and both endpoints are worth spending time at.
Go in the morning before it gets hot, wear shoes with some grip (it’s rocky in spots), and bring water.
My boys could do this at any age, though the rocky sections need some attention with younger kids.
5. Hike the Pipiwai Trail
Deep in East Maui, past Hana, Haleakala National Park extends down to the coast at Kipahulu.
The Pools of ‘Ohe’o (the “Seven Sacred Pools” nickname is actually a marketing invention from the 1940s, for what it’s worth) sit at the trailhead.
One important update: swimming in the pools has been prohibited since 2025 due to flash flood safety concerns. The pools are prone to sudden dangerous flooding from rain up on the mountain, and there have been fatalities over the years.
You can still walk the Kuloa Point Trail to see the pools and the ocean views, which are genuinely stunning.
What you absolutely should do is hike the Pipiwai Trail above the gulch. Four miles round trip through a bamboo forest so thick it blocks the sky, ending at 400-foot Waimoku Falls.
It’s one of the best hikes on Maui, full stop. Give yourself 2-3 hours and wear actual hiking shoes. Park entry is $30 per vehicle.
6. Catch the End of Whale Season
Most “Maui in May” posts skip this completely. The official humpback whale season runs December through mid-May, with peak activity in January through March.
By May, most whales have started heading back to their feeding grounds in Alaska.
But early May? You might still get lucky.
If you’re there in the first two weeks of the month, it’s worth booking a whale watch tour. Even a low-sightings day on the water off Maui is a good day.
Pacific Whale Foundation runs great eco-tours out of Ma’alaea Harbor with certified marine naturalists on board. I trust them.
By late May, sightings become rare enough that I wouldn’t book a trip specifically around whale watching. But as a bonus experience for early May visitors, it’s a real one.
7. Watch the Sunset Cliff Diving at Black Rock
Every evening at sunset, a Sheraton Maui staff member carries a torch along Ka’anapali Beach, lights the tiki torches, then dives off the lava rock cliff at Pu’u Keka’a (Black Rock) into the ocean below.
It reenacts something Chief Kahekili actually did in the 1700s.
This is free to watch from the beach, and it’s one of those only-in-Hawaii moments you don’t expect to feel as moving as it does. Arrive 15-20 minutes before sunset to get a good spot.
During the day, the snorkeling right off Black Rock is excellent. Easy entry, colorful fish, and clear water. If you’re staying in Ka’anapali, this is your free afternoon option.
8. Horseback Ride Through the West Maui Mountains
Ironwood Ranch in Napili takes small private groups through tropical valleys, pineapple fields, and ironwood forests with views across to Lana’i and Moloka’i.
The horses are well-matched to rider experience, and the guides know the history of the land they’re riding through.
Kids need to be at least 7 years old, at least 4 feet tall, and weigh under 220 pounds.
Rides are at 8am and 10am, and availability is genuinely limited, so book directly through their website before you leave home.
9. Go Ziplining
May weather is ideal for ziplining: warm, low rain chance on the west side, and great visibility for those panoramic views. There are several good operations on Maui at different price points and intensity levels.
My full breakdown is here: Best Ziplines in Maui for Families. You can also browse current availability and reviews on Viator.
10. Stargaze at the Hyatt’s Tour of the Stars
The Hyatt Regency Maui in Ka’anapali runs a nightly rooftop astronomy program at 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm.
A NASA Solar System Ambassador named Eddie Mahoney leads the tours and has been doing it for over two decades.
You look through high-powered reflector telescopes at planets, galaxies, and star clusters, and from that rooftop you can see 80 of the 88 constellations.
Here’s my honest take on this one: it’s genuinely cool, but recent reviews are more mixed than they used to be.
Ka’anapali has developed a lot over the years, and the light pollution has increased.
Some visitors love it and find Eddie’s knowledge and presentation really compelling. Others leave wishing they’d driven upcountry for clearer skies instead.
My recommendation: if you’re staying at the Hyatt anyway, do it. If you’re a serious stargazer, look into a Haleakala stargazing tour instead. The summit view is in another category entirely.
It’s open to non-guests. Reserve through the Hyatt concierge at (808) 667-4727. Subject to weather.
11. Attend the Old Lahaina Luau
The Old Lahaina Luau survived the 2023 fires, though it sustained smoke damage and many of its staff lost their homes.
It’s been operating again and it’s the one luau on Maui I’ve recommended to everyone for years.
It’s smaller and more intimate than the big resort luaus, it’s 100% rooted in Hawaiian tradition, the food is genuinely good, and the hula and music performances are the real thing.
As someone who has danced hula for over 20 years, I notice when a luau cuts corners. This one doesn’t.
It books out well in advance. Check availability on Hawaii Activities or directly with the luau.
Don’t Skip a Family Photo Session
We always book a Flytographer session when we visit Hawaii, and I’d encourage you to do the same.
It means I’m actually in some of the photos instead of taking all of them, and May light in Maui is beautiful. You can save $20 off your first session through my link.
How to Get Around Maui in May
You need a rental car. I know some people try to get creative about this, but Maui’s public transit isn’t going to get you to Haleakala, the Road to Hana, or most of the places on this list.
I always book through Discount Hawaii Car Rental. They consistently have competitive rates and I’ve had good experiences booking through them.
Book before you leave home because inventory gets tight in May and you don’t want to be stuck with whatever’s left at the airport counter.
Maui in May: Quick Activity Comparison
| Activity | Best For | Cost (approx.) | Book Ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haleakala Sunrise | Everyone | $31 ($1 res + $30 park) | Yes, 60 days out |
| Road to Hana | Families | Free to self-drive | Yes (Wai’anapanapa parking) |
| Molokini Snorkel Tour | All ages | $80–$150/adult | Yes |
| Kapalua Coastal Trail | All ages | Free | No |
| Ironwood Ranch Horseback | Ages 7+ | $130–$200/person | Yes |
| Pipiwai Trail Hike | Active families | $30/car park fee | No (arrive early) |
| Old Lahaina Luau | Everyone | $130–$175/adult | Yes, sells out |
| Whale Watch (early May) | All ages | $50–$90/adult | Yes |
| Tour of the Stars (Hyatt) | Curious minds | $25–$30/person | Yes, call concierge |
| Helicopter Tour | Splurge activity | $250–$350/person | Yes |
| Ziplining | Thrill seekers | $150–$200/person | Yes |
| Black Rock Sunset Dive | Everyone | Free to watch | No |
More Maui Resources
- Most Beautiful Places in Maui
- How Many Days in Maui Do You Actually Need?
- Best Things to Do in Maui in April
- Best Things to Do in Maui in June
- Best Ziplines in Maui for Families
- How to Get Around Maui Without a Car
- Surprising Facts About Maui
FAQ: Maui in May
Is May a good time to visit Maui?
Yes, and it’s underappreciated. Weather is warm and mostly sunny, averaging 80-87°F. The island is noticeably less crowded than peak winter or summer season, prices are slightly lower, and the Lei Day celebrations on May 1st are a genuine cultural highlight. For most families, May is actually one of the best months.
Can you still see whales in Maui in May?
Possibly in early May. The official humpback whale season runs December through mid-May, with peak activity from January through March. By May, most whales are heading back to Alaska, but late-season sightings do happen. Book a tour for the first two weeks of the month if you want a shot at it. By late May, sightings are rare.
Is Lahaina open to visit in 2026?
The historic district remains closed while the community rebuilds after the August 2023 wildfires. Front Street, the Banyan Tree area, and most of the old town center are still restricted. The rest of West Maui, including Ka’anapali, Napili, and Kapalua, is fully open. Visit there and spend your tourist dollars supporting local families.
How do you get a Haleakala sunrise reservation in 2026?
Book on Recreation.gov exactly 60 days before your visit, at 7am Hawaiian Standard Time. Reservations cost $1 per vehicle and sell out within minutes on popular dates. A small batch is also released 48 hours before each date. The $30 park entrance fee is paid separately on arrival.
Can you swim at the Seven Sacred Pools in May?
No. Swimming has been prohibited since 2025 due to flash flooding risk and safety concerns. You can still hike the Kuloa Point Trail to view the pools and the coastline, and the Pipiwai Trail above is one of the best hikes on Maui. Just don’t plan on getting in the water.
Where is the best area to stay in Maui in May?
Ka’anapali and Wailea are the most popular for families. Ka’anapali puts you close to most of the activities on this list and has a great beach strip with easy access to restaurants and shops. Wailea on the south shore offers more luxury resort options and consistently calm, sunny weather. Kihei is a solid budget-friendly option between the two.
What are the best free things to do in Maui in May?
Plenty. The Kapalua Coastal Trail is free. Black Rock sunset cliff diving is free to watch. Lei Day events at the Bailey House Museum are free. Every beach on Maui is free to access. Snorkeling off Black Rock costs nothing if you bring your own gear. And watching the sunrise from any West Maui beach (not the summit) costs nothing at all.
Is the Old Lahaina Luau open after the fires?
Yes. It survived the 2023 fires, and while half its staff lost their homes, it’s been operating again. It’s the luau I’ve recommended for years: small, authentic, genuinely rooted in Hawaiian tradition. Book as early as possible because it sells out regularly, especially in spring.
Best Things to do on Maui in May Wrap-Up
Maui in May rewards the people who plan ahead. Get the Haleakala reservation on your calendar now. Book the luau early. Lock in your rental car before you land.
The rest, honestly, you can figure out when you get there. That’s what I love about this island in this month: it doesn’t feel rushed. The beach is always there. The trail will wait.
And on a clear evening, you can sit on the Ka’anapali shore and watch the sun drop behind Lana’i and feel like you made exactly the right call.
If you want help putting together a day-by-day itinerary for your specific family, that’s exactly what I do through my Hawaii travel consultation services.
As a professional tourist and certified Hawaii destination specialist, I’ve done this trip enough times to know what actually works for real families with real kids and real budgets.
My Maui Family Travel Guide is also a great place to start if you want everything in one organized, downloadable resource.
And if you’re a podcast person, the Hawaii Travel Made Easy podcast has Maui-specific episodes on snorkeling spots, itinerary planning, and where to eat that go way deeper than I can in a single blog post.
However you plan it, Maui in May is worth it. Go.
