United States · OGG
Flights to Maui
A domestic flight that behaves like an international one
Maui is domestic travel for Americans, which makes it deceptively simple to book and easy to underestimate. It is five to six hours from the West Coast and a full travel day from the East, and once you land the island is large enough that where you stay determines what your holiday actually looks like.
It is also a place where a few specific things must be reserved well in advance — not the hotel, but a sunrise permit and, in season, popular snorkel trips. Booking the flight and sorting the rest on arrival is the one approach that reliably disappoints here.
Getting to Maui
Airports
Kahului (OGG) on the north shore is the island's airport and where essentially all visitors arrive. Kapalua (JHM) in West Maui and Hana (HNM) on the east coast are tiny and serve only limited inter-island service, so plan around OGG.
Flight time
Roughly 5 hours 30 minutes non-stop from Los Angeles and about the same from San Francisco, a little over 6 from Seattle, and 8 to 9 from Dallas or Chicago where a non-stop is running. From the East Coast, expect a connection on the West Coast and a very long day.
Into the city
There is no meaningful public transport for visitors, so a rental car is close to essential and should be booked with the flight rather than after it. Kahului to Kīhei is about 20 minutes, to Wailea 30, to Kapalua and the west coast 45 to 60 depending on traffic, and to Hāna a slow three hours that is the point of the drive rather than a transfer.
When to go
Demand rather than price is described here on purpose. Any fare we show you comes from a live search on your own dates, so a fixed figure on this page would be out of date before you read it.
Busiest
Mid-December to March, and July to August
The winter peak combines mainland cold with humpback whale season, and the weeks around Christmas and New Year are the hardest of the year to book. Midsummer is the family peak. Both push flights and accommodation to their highest.
Whale season
December to April
Humpbacks migrate to the shallow waters between Maui, Lāna'i and Moloka'i to calve, and from January to March you can often see them from shore. If this is why you are coming, the timing is not flexible.
Best balance
Late April to early June, and September to October
The shoulder windows: warm water, settled weather, noticeably fewer people and the softest fares of the year. September and October are the quietest months on the island and the ones experienced repeat visitors tend to choose.
Good to know
- Currency
- US dollar — Maui is part of the United States
- Language
- English, with Hawaiian used in place names and greetings
- Time zone
- Hawaii–Aleutian Standard Time, and Hawaii does not observe daylight saving. The gap to the mainland changes twice a year, which trips up scheduled calls and connections.
- Power
- Type A and B plugs, 120V — no adapter needed from the mainland
- Entry
- No passport needed for US citizens on a domestic flight. Visitors from abroad clear US immigration at their mainland entry point, so confirm your own requirements with US authorities.
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Hawaii prohibits the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. Bring a mineral-based product or buy on arrival.
Entry requirements change and we are not an immigration authority. Always confirm the current rules for your nationality with the relevant government before you book or travel.
Worth sorting before you fly
Haleakalā sunrise needs a reservation
Entry to the summit for sunrise requires a permit booked in advance through the National Park Service, and the window opens sixty days ahead. They go quickly. Sunset needs no permit and is nearly as good, which is the fallback most people end up glad of.
Travel thoughtfully around Lahaina
The 2023 wildfire destroyed much of historic Lahaina and killed over a hundred people. Parts of West Maui have reopened and the island's economy depends on visitors returning, but the burn zone is a community still rebuilding and not a sight to visit. Follow local guidance on where is open, and spend money in West Maui businesses that are trading again.
Choose your base before you choose your hotel
Kīhei and Wailea in the south are drier and central; Kā'anapali and Kapalua in the west are further from the airport and from Haleakalā; Pā'ia and the north shore are quieter and better for the Hāna road. Driving across the island twice a day gets old fast, so pick the coast that matches your plans.
The road to Hāna is a whole day, not an outing
Around sixty miles, hundreds of curves and dozens of one-lane bridges. Start early, do not plan anything for that evening, and treat the driving as the attraction. Many rental agreements restrict the unpaved stretch beyond Hāna, so check yours before continuing round the back.
Book snorkel trips and luaus before you fly
Molokini crossings and the better-known luaus sell out days ahead in peak season. This is the short list of things worth locking in early; restaurants you can mostly sort on the island.
Other destinations
FAQ
Maui — common questions
Airports, timing, and when it is worth talking to an agent.
Which airport do you fly into for Maui?
Kahului (OGG), on the island's north shore. It takes the non-stops from the West Coast and the inter-island connections from Honolulu. Kapalua and Hāna exist but are small commuter fields, so almost every itinerary routes through OGG regardless of where you are staying.
Do I need a rental car on Maui?
In practice yes. There is no visitor-oriented public transport, the island's highlights are spread across a wide area, and rideshare gets expensive quickly outside the resort corridors. The exception is a short trip where you intend to stay entirely within one resort area. Book the car when you book the flight — supply on the island is genuinely limited and prices move sharply in peak weeks.
When is the cheapest time to fly to Maui?
September and October are consistently the quietest, with late April to early June close behind. The most expensive stretch is the Christmas and New Year fortnight, followed by the rest of the winter whale season. We are not printing figures because Hawaii fares from the mainland move constantly and any number here would mislead you — the search on this page prices your own dates.
How many days do you need in Maui?
Seven nights is the comfortable shape: a day to arrive and adjust, a day for Hāna, a morning for Haleakalā, a snorkel trip, and enough unstructured beach time that it feels like a holiday. Five works if you cut one of those. From the East Coast, budget two of your days for travel.
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