Best Road Trips in Hawaii for Couples
Hawaii's road trips are unlike mainland road trips — the islands are small, so distances are short, but the variety of landscape compressed into those short distances is extraordinary. Here are the drives worth doing as a couple.
The Road to Hana — Maui
The 64-mile drive along Maui's northeastern coast from Kahului to Hāna is one of the most iconic drives in the United States — 617 curves, 59 bridges, and dramatic coastal scenery that varies from black sand beaches to bamboo forests to waterfalls visible from the road. The NPS provides a detailed Hana Highway guide. Budget a full day each way; the temptation is to drive through faster than the landscape deserves.
Chain of Craters Road — Big Island
Inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, the Chain of Craters Road descends from the summit area to the coast through a landscape of historic lava flows, offering views of the Pacific from the edge of an active volcanic zone. The drive ends at a former parking area where 1990s lava flows buried the original road — you can walk to the edge of the old pavement and see where it disappears under solidified lava.
Kohala Mountain Road — Big Island
Highway 250 from Hawi to Waimea passes through the ranch country of northern Hawaii at 3,000-4,000 feet elevation — rolling green hills, cattle, and views across both coasts of the island on clear days. It takes about 45 minutes and is almost never crowded. Late afternoon light across those hills is some of the best scenery on the Big Island.
Kamehameha Highway — Oahu North Shore
The drive along Oahu's northeastern coast from Kailua through Kahuku and down to the North Shore passes through coastal communities, shrimp farms, and surf spots that don't appear on most tourist maps. The Giovanni's shrimp truck in Kahuku has been a landmark stop on this drive since 1993.