Haleakala National Park

The Haleakala Crater towers above the Hawaiian Island of Maui and offers stunning views over Maui and visiting Haleakala National Park is a must do for your Maui Hawaii holiday or honeymoon. Your Hawaii holiday will not be complete without a trip to this stunning National Park – Haleakala means “house of the sun” in Hawaiian and many will recognise the following iconic myth: legend has it that the Demigod Maui lassoed the sun from its journey across the sky as he stood on the volcano’s summit to make the day longer. One of the most awe-inspiring and breath-taking things to do on the Hawaiian Island of Maui is to visit the summit of Mt. Haleakala and watch the sunrise – something Mark Twain described as “the most sublime spectacle I have ever witnessed”. Visiting the summit of Mt. Haleakala to watch the sunrise requires an early start (about 2am) to make the ascent in time to watch the sky come alight with oranges and yellows as the sun peaks above the clouds and lights up Maui. You can do this trip yourselves by driving to the summit, but the roads are windy, and it is a very early start, so we recommend booking a tour that will collect you from your accommodation and take you to the summit…you might even be able to squeeze a nap in on your way! We at Charter Travel can organise this tour experience for you when you book your Hawaii 2023 holiday. You will drive you through the scenic Kula District, past the Puu Ulaula Overlook en-route to the top of Mt. Haleakala but it will be dark on your ascent so these things will be far more visible as you make your way down the mountain. Haleakala National Park is also wonderful in the evening and you can drive to the summit of Mt. Haleakala to see the most amazing stars on the Hawaiian Island of Maui.

You’ll want to bring warm clothes for the summit as though Hawaii is known for its tropical weather, the summit of Mt. Haleakala is usually between 0 and 10 degrees Celsius. If you think you’ll be peckish whilst on the trip you’ll also want to pack some food for breakfast (or dinner) as there is no food sold within the National Park, so be sure to have enough supplies! If you’re planning your 2023 Maui holiday in the summer the average sunrise time will be 5:45-6a.m and in the winter, it will be 7am. The journey usually takes around 2 hours depending where on Maui you are coming from, so you see why an early start for a sunrise viewing experience is essential!

Haleakala National Park also has some amazing landscapes and hikes to do in the day where you will encounter Mars-like red deserts near the summit and lush waterfalls and streams in the park’s coastal Kipahulu section near Hana. You can also go horseback riding throughout the park; two well-known trails are the Keoneheehee Trail and Pipiwai Trail, where you will likely see some endangered Hawaiian species of plants and birds!