If you’re visit Maui and looking for the best things to do in Lahaina, you have come to the right spot! Lahaina is a beautiful town on Maui’s west side, and it boasts incredible beaches, fun shopping spots and mind-blowing whale watching (in the winter).

This guide will take you through the 10 absolute best things to do in Lahaina – and this is coming from someone who lived in Lahaina and spent hours doing these very things. I’ll go into more detail below, but here’s a look at what to expect!

This post includes affiliate links, which means if you purchase something I may receive a commission for purchases, at zero cost to you. I only recommend things I love and think you will love too 🙂

10 Best Things to Do in Lahaina

• Visit Lahaina’s Best Restaurants (details below)
• Snorkel Honolua Bay & Mala Ramp
• Go Scuba Diving (or get certified)
• Chill at Lahaina Baby Beach
• Watch the Sunset at Airport Beach
• Do a Whale Watching Tour
• Shop at Whalers Village
• Take Surfing Lessons
• Have a Picnic at Launiupoko Beach
• Walk Front Street

Is Lahaina Worth Visiting?

A hard YES! Lahaina is one of the most beautiful areas on Maui, and it has something for everyone. Lahaina is also very convenient because it has a mix of beaches, water activities and shopping that are all very close to each other. If you’re traveling with friends or family who have different interests, Lahaina is a great place for everyone to find their own activities and see different sides of Maui. Plus, you can’t beat the mountain and ocean views that you will find in Lahaina!

If you’re looking to skip ahead to a certain section, you can find everything linked below!

10 Absolute Best Things to Do in Lahaina

1. Visit Lahaina’s Best Restaurants

Lahaina has many amazing restaurants, and many of them have ocean views. You will probably get a very wide variety of answers from people telling you which restaurants in Lahaina to visit, but these are my personal favorites that I recommend to everyone.

• Mala Ocean Tavern: on the ocean, great for brunch
• Choice Health Bar: incredible acai bowls and healthy food
• Down the Hatch Maui: open-air seating, casual dining and live music
• Star Noodle: Asian fusion, ocean view. Great for a fancy dinner
• Fleetwood’s on Front St: excellent food, rooftop seating. Great for dinner
• Merriman’s Kapalua: insane ocean view, great for sunset happy hour or special occasion dinner
• Moku Roots: vegan, zero-waste restaurant. Great for a fresh & healthy lunch

2. Snorkel Honolua Bay & Mala Ramp

One of the best things to do in Lahaina is to experience the incredible beaches and coral outcroppings that are found near the shore. While there are numerous amazing places to snorkel in Maui, my favorites to recommend in the Lahaina region are Honolua Bay and the Mala Ramp.

Honolua Bay is about 15 minutes north of Lahaina, and it is widely considered the best place to snorkel in Maui. You can reach Honolua Bay by car and easily hike in to snorkel, or you can book a half-day Honolua Bay snorkel tour from Lahaina. The snorkel tours usually last around 6 hours, and they allow you to take incredible photos of the Maui coastline and snorkel in all of the best locations. Honolua Bay is an excellent place to see turtles, tropical fish and dolphins.

The Mala Ramp is also an excellent place in Lahaina to snorkel, and there are also snorkel tours that take you on a boat to Mala Ramp and let you swim at some of the best snorkeling locations in Maui. If you don’t want to take a boat tour, you can certainly can get to the Mala Ramp by car and then swimming from the shore to the ramp, but I would not recommend this route unless you are a confident swimmer.

3. Go Scuba Diving (Or Get Certified!)

If you are interested in scuba diving, Maui’s calm waters and vibrant ocean life make it a great place to scuba dive or get certified as a scuba diver. There are numerous tours that allow you to try out scuba diving in Maui if you are certified, like this intro to scuba diving tour.

If you are already certified to scuba dive and are looking to book a cool dive while in Lahaina, there are also great guided scuba diving tours where you can explore Maui’s ocean life with a dive master. Shore dives in Lahaina often take you near the Mala Ramp (mentioned previously), where you can usually find turtles, coral and other wildlife.

4. Chill at Lahaina Baby Beach

If all of the above activities sound too adventurous for you, this is a great option! One of the best things to do in Lahaina is to hang out at the Lahaina Baby Beach, which is a shallow, reef-protected beach with stunning blue water. It is also near the Mala Ramp, so if some of the people you’re traveling with want to opt for adventure while you relax, it’s an easy option.

Lahaina Baby Beach is also ideal for children due to the shallow water and calm water conditions. If you are traveling with your family, this is one of the absolute best beaches on the island. There is also an expansive sand area where you can set up for the day and enjoy the view.

5. Watch the Sunset At Airport Beach

If you’re looking to end your day in Lahaina in style, one of the best things to do in Lahaina is to watch the sunset at Airport Beach. Located in Kaanapali near the hotels, Airport Beach is easy to access by foot along the boardwalk, and there is also expansive parking.

This is a real local favorite, and you are likely to see neighbors who ride their golf carts down to watch the sunset or have a dinner picnic. There is a large grassy area at airport beach, so it’s a great option for picnics or bringing beach chairs to sit and watch the sunset.

6. Do a Whale Watching Tour

If you are visiting Maui during whale season (December to April) the absolute best thing to do in Lahaina is to book a whale watching tour. If you are prone to being sea sick, booking a tour like the one I just linked is a good idea, because they use larger boats that experience less of the rolling waves.

I have done countless whale watching tours in Lahaina, and believe me when I say that they have been worth it every single time. There are SO MANY whales that come to Lahaina area in the winter from Alaska, because they head to warmer weather in order to give birth before returning to Alaska. You will likely see mother whales, baby whales and often male whales competing for the females’ attention.

If you’re looking for an even more incredible photography opportunity, there are also sunrise whale watching tours and sunset champagne tours that let you whale watch while enjoying the beautiful skyline.

7. Shop At Whaler’s Village

Looking to do some shopping while in Maui? One of the best things to do in Lahaina is to check out the shops and restaurants at Whaler’s Village. There are numerous places to sit down and eat or to take food on the go, and there are also a variety of high-end (think Prada) and low-end (souvenirs, surf clothes) shops.

Whaler’s Village is also located along the Kaanapali boardwalk, so you have a beautiful ocean view and easy beach access if you want to turn your shopping day into a beach day.

8. Take Surfing Lessons

Always dreamed of being a surfer? One of the best things to do in Lahaina is to take surf lessons, because of the area’s easy waves and overall calm ocean conditions. I personally took surfing lessons in Lahaina and had a great time!

There are numerous types of surf lessons, such as group surf lessons and private surf lessons. Because of Lahaina’s calm ocean conditions, it’s also a great place for children and total beginners to learn. Lessons are usually only 1-2 hours, but they’re a great workout and will leave you tired! Many surf companies also offer multi-day lessons if you’re looking to master standing up by the end of your trip.

9. Have a Picnic at Launiupoko Beach

If you’re looking for an authentic Maui experience, one of the best things to do in Lahaina is to go to Launiupoko Beach. The beach park has a massive grassy area and built-in bbqs, where you will often find local families hanging out and making food on the weekend.

Launiupoko is also an extremely popular surfing spot on Maui, so it’s a great place to hang out, have a picnic and enjoy watching local surfers. If you’re already an established surfer and want to grab some waves while in Maui, this is also a great spot to try.

Launiupoko also has a small ‘baby beach,’ where the water is very shallow and you can often find children playing. Overall, this is one of the best family beaches on Maui.

Tip from a local: Choice Health Bar is about a 3 minute drive from Launiupoko, and one of my favorite things to do is grab an açaí bowl and head to the beach park to hang out in the sun and watch the surfers.

10. Walk Front Street

Front Street Lahaina is a vibrant road filled with countless stores, souvenir shops and restaurants. It also sits directly on the water, so you have an incredible ocean view while browsing through the local stores. If you’re looking for gifts to take home for family members or just a few trinkets to remember your trip to Maui, this is definitely the best place in Lahaina to do so.

However, Front Street doesn’t only sell souvenirs- it also has many clothing stores, high-end art galleries and restaurants. It’s a great way to spend several hours, although I would recommend going in the evening to avoid the heat.

Also on Front Street you can find Lahaina’s famed Banyan Tree, which is a massive (seriously, massive) tree that is a great spot for photos and to sit for a few minutes.

And that wraps it up for this list of the top 10 absolute best things to do in Lahaina! I know some lists will include a lot of museums and random tours, but as someone who has lived in Lahaina and knows it well – trust me when I say these are the most fun and interesting things to do in the area.

Have you been to Lahaina or are planning a trip to Lahaina soon? If so, comment and let me know!