Best Breakfast & Brunch in Maui

Maui’s breakfast scene splits between beachfront resort dining, upcountry farm-fresh café culture, and the local plate lunch counters where sunrise surfers refuel.

Beachfront & Resort

Gazebo Restaurant (Napili) — Tiny oceanfront restaurant where sea turtles swim in the bay below your table. The macadamia nut pancakes and fried rice omelette are famous. The wait can be 45+ minutes on weekends. Worth every minute.

Merriman’s (Kapalua) — Upscale brunch at Kapalua Bay. Farm-to-table eggs, local fish, and views that remind you why you flew to Hawaii.

Best Breakfast & Brunch in Waikiki

Waikiki wakes up to an unusual breakfast landscape — Hawaiian plate lunches next to Japanese cafés next to beachfront pancake houses. The Japanese influence on Honolulu’s breakfast scene is particularly strong, with fluffy Japanese-style soufflé pancakes and elaborate set breakfasts.

Local & Hawaiian

Rainbow Drive-In (Kapahulu) — The local classic since 1961. Loco moco (hamburger patty, rice, gravy, fried egg), Portuguese sausage and eggs, and spam and eggs. Counter service, massive portions, low prices. This is how Honolulu eats breakfast.

Best Restaurants in Maui

Maui’s food scene is defined by the ocean, the farms, and the cultural mashup of Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Portuguese cuisines that created something uniquely local. Here’s where to eat.

Local & Hawaiian

Mama’s Fish House (Paia, North Shore) — Regularly cited as one of the best restaurants in Hawaii. Oceanfront setting, fresh-caught fish with the fisherman’s name on the menu, and Polynesian-inspired preparations. Expensive. Worth it. Reservations essential — book weeks ahead.

Best Restaurants in Waikiki & Honolulu

Honolulu’s food is the result of Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Portuguese, and American cuisines mixing for over a century. The result is a food culture that includes poke bowls, plate lunches, spam musubi, shave ice, and some of the best Japanese food outside of Japan.

Local & Hawaiian

Rainbow Drive-In (Kapahulu) — Open since 1961. The plate lunch destination. Two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and your choice of protein (loco moco, chicken katsu, mixed plate). Cheap, massive, and the locals’ go-to.

Day Trips on Maui

Maui is a small island with enormous variety — you can drive from sea level to 10,000 feet in 90 minutes, snorkel in a volcanic crater, and wind through 600 hairpin turns on one of the world’s greatest drives, all in separate day trips.

Haleakalā Sunrise — 1.5 Hours from Resort Areas

Watching the sunrise from 10,023 feet above sea level — above the clouds, with the sun breaking over the crater rim — is one of the most awe-inspiring natural experiences in America.

Free Things to Do in Maui

Maui is expensive — resort prices, activity prices, restaurant prices. But the island’s greatest assets — the beaches, the drives, the sunrises, and the natural beauty — are either free or nearly so.

Free Beaches

All beaches in Hawaii are public by law. You’ll never pay to access the sand.

Ka’anapali Beach — The resort beach on the west side. Walk past the resorts and lay your towel anywhere. Free. The daily cliff-diving ceremony at Black Rock (Pu’u Keka’a) at sunset is a tradition worth watching.

Free Things to Do in Waikiki & Honolulu

Oahu has an enormous amount of free entertainment — from world-famous beaches to hiking trails to cultural experiences that cost nothing.

Beaches (All Free)

All Hawaii beaches are public by law. No beach charges admission.

Waikiki Beach — The most famous beach in the Pacific. Walk along the shore, swim in the gentle surf, and watch the sunset behind Diamond Head. Free.

Maui Timeshare Promotions

Maui is consistently voted the best island in the world — and timeshare promotional deals here offer one of the only ways to experience Hawaii resort accommodations without paying $400-800+ per night at retail rates. From the Road to Hana to sunrise at Haleakalā, Maui offers an unforgettable vacation experience for qualified visitors.

Here’s how it works, what it costs, and how to decide if it’s right for your next Maui trip.

Maui with Kids — Family Guide

Maui is one of the best family destinations in the world. The beaches are calm enough for toddlers, the marine life is accessible to snorkelers of any age, and the island’s natural beauty makes every drive an adventure.

Best Family Beaches

Ka’anapali Beach — The resort beach on Maui’s west side. Calm water, lifeguards, and the Black Rock cliff jumping area for older kids (or brave parents). The Whaler’s Village shopping center is right on the beach for snack runs.

Things to Do in Maui, Hawaii

Maui is the second-largest Hawaiian island and consistently voted one of the best islands in the world. It has a 10,023-foot dormant volcano, a road with 620 curves and 59 bridges, whales breaching offshore in winter, and some of the best snorkeling in the Pacific.

Haleakalā National Park

The summit of Haleakalā reaches 10,023 feet — high enough to be above the clouds. The sunrise from the summit is Maui’s signature experience. You’re watching the sun come up over a volcanic crater while standing above a sea of clouds. Reservations required for sunrise viewing (recreation.gov, $1 per reservation).

Things to Do in Waikiki & Oahu

Waikiki is the famous beach neighborhood of Honolulu — a 2-mile crescent of sand backed by high-rise hotels with Diamond Head crater standing guard at the east end. Oahu, the island it sits on, has Pearl Harbor, the legendary North Shore, and a food scene driven by a mix of Polynesian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and American influences.

Waikiki Beach

The beach is narrower than photos suggest, but the setting is iconic. Warm water, gentle waves perfect for learning to surf, and Diamond Head framing every sunset.

Waikiki Timeshare Promotions

Waikiki is the most iconic beach destination in the United States — and timeshare promotional deals here offer one of the only affordable ways to experience Hawaii’s most famous stretch of sand and surf without paying Honolulu’s eye-watering hotel rates. Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, and legendary Waikiki Beach — all at promotional pricing for qualified visitors.

Here’s how it works, what it costs, and how to decide if it’s right for your next Waikiki trip.

Waikiki with Kids — Family Guide

Oahu is one of the most family-friendly islands in Hawaii — Waikiki’s calm beach, the educational power of Pearl Harbor, and the Polynesian Cultural Center make it a destination where kids learn while having the time of their lives.

Best Family Beaches

Waikiki Beach — The most famous beach in Hawaii is also one of the calmest. Lifeguarded, gentle waves, and shallow water that’s perfect for young swimmers. Boogie board and surfboard rentals right on the sand. Surf lessons for kids 5+ are available from multiple operators.