Is Maui worth it with kids? After traveling to Maui with our family of six, including four kids, I can honestly say that our trip was one of those vacations that we will talk about for years to come.
Hawaii is one of those destinations that can feel almost too good to be true. The beaches are beautiful, the resorts are incredible, and there are endless things to do—but traveling to Hawaii with a big family can also feel intimidating. Between airfare, accommodations, rental cars, food, and activities, the costs can add up quickly.
I honestly never in a million years thought that Hawaii was in the realm of possibility for our large family. But when I started to learn about how to utilize points and miles for travel, I figured to shoot for the stars and try to get our family to Maui! Within two years we were flying across the country for the trip of a lifetime. I still pinch myself.
Is Maui actually worth it with kids?
After spending eight days there as a family of six, here’s what I loved, what I would do again, what I wouldn’t necessarily prioritize, and what I think families should know before planning their own Maui vacation.
First: Yes, Maui Is Worth It With Kids
There are plenty of family-friendly destinations that are easier, cheaper, or closer to home.
But Maui offers something that is hard to replicate.
You can have a completely relaxing resort day, get up before sunrise for an incredible adventure, eat an unforgettable meal, swim in the ocean with the most incredible wild life, explore a new part of the island, and still spend an afternoon doing absolutely nothing.
And for me, that’s what made Maui such a special family destination.
It didn’t feel like we had to entertain the kids every minute.
We could actually be together.
Traveling to Hawaii With Four Kids
One of the biggest questions I get about family travel is how we make expensive destinations work with four kids.
The answer is that we don’t try to make everything cheap.
Instead, we figure out where we care about spending money—and where we don’t.
That’s become one of my favorite travel philosophies:
Bougie where it matters. Budget where it doesn’t.
For our Maui trip, we used points and miles to help with the cost of getting our family there, which made a huge difference. All of our flights and accomodations were covered by credit card points. That gave us more room in the budget to spend on the parts of the trip that mattered most to us- a luau, a snorkeling excursion, and an anniversary dinner to remember!
Because if we’re going all the way to Hawaii, I don’t necessarily want to spend the entire trip trying to avoid spending money. I want to actually experience Hawaii.
What We Loved Most About Maui With Kids
The Resort
This probably goes without saying, but the resort on points was a huge part of why Maui worked so well for our family.
And with four kids, sometimes the best vacation activity is simply:
Go to the pool or the beach.
No reservations. No complicated itinerary. No trying to get everyone dressed and out the door at a specific time.
Just sand, water, snacks and plenty of time together.
One thing I appreciated about Maui was that we could build slower days into our trip. Every other day was a rest day at the resort to rejuvenate for another adventure day.
After a bigger adventure or a long day, having a day where we could simply enjoy the resort and beach made the entire vacation feel more relaxing.
Haleakalā Was One of Our Biggest Adventures
One of the experiences we were most excited about was visiting Haleakalā.
Standing above the clouds and looking out across the volcanic landscape is one of those experiences that photographs beautifully—but feels even more incredible in person.
Traveling with four kids means that not every adventure goes exactly according to plan.
That’s something I think is important to remember when planning a family trip to Hawaii.
You don’t have to do every single thing.
Pick the experiences that your family will actually remember.
For us, Haleakalā was one of them. It was quite the experience driving up the mountain from sea level, but the views at the tops were more than worth it.
And Then There Was Mama’s Fish House
If you’re researching Maui, you’ve probably heard of Mama’s Fish House.
And yes, it is expensive.
But this is exactly where my “bougie where it matters” philosophy comes into play.
We decided that if we were going to splurge on one really special meal for our 14th wedding anniversary, this was going to be it.
And it did not disappoint.
We had an incredible seat with beautiful views of the beach, and the entire experience felt like more than just going out to dinner.
It was an experience we were excited to have together as a family.
Is it something I would recommend doing every night on a Hawaii vacation?
Absolutely not.
But is it the kind of splurge that can become one of the memories you talk about long after the trip?
For us, yes. We still talk about that Black Pearl dessert.
Our Resort Was Part of the Vacation
Another thing I think families sometimes underestimate when planning Hawaii is the importance of where you’re staying.
With four kids, I don’t want our hotel to be somewhere we only sleep. We were able to reserve two connecting rooms at Hyatt Regency Maui and they upgraded us to ocean front, which was such a treat. Coffee on the balcony every morning was peak living.
Having a beautiful resort meant that there were days when we didn’t need a huge plan.
We could swim, eat, relax, enjoy the property and head to the beach.
Those slower days ended up being some of my favorites. We did a lei making class, enjoyed the pools, checked out the on-site penguins. And even ventured next door to checkout the vacation club.
When you’re traveling with kids, especially a larger family, having permission to not maximize every single day makes a huge difference. As Justin always says, we are steering a cruise ship with all these people!
You Don’t Need to Fill Every Day With Activities
This is probably one of my biggest pieces of advice for families visiting Maui.
Don’t over-schedule yourself.
It can be tempting when you’ve traveled all the way to Hawaii to create a giant bucket list.
But your kids may not remember whether you checked off every attraction.
They may remember swimming in the ocean.
They may remember eating shave ice.
They may remember playing in the pool.
They may remember the sunset.
They may remember being together.
Our Maui trip wasn’t about seeing absolutely everything. It was about experiencing enough to make the trip feel special while still leaving room to breathe. I wanted to really experience the culture of island life, so being overbooked was never an option.
A Day to Discover Lanai with Sail Trilogy
Our favorite excursion of the week was a day trip to Lanai to snorkel in a beautiful coral reef. We chose Sail Trilogy because eI read lots of amazing reviews and knew it was a great fit for our family.
The morning started with a catamaran ride to Lanai and included their homemade cinnamon rolls and breakfast sandwiches. When we arrive to Lanai, we were lead to a private beach where we could choose our day- playing and relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, hiking.
They provided all the gear needed for all the activities, which was a huge selling points for and East coaster like me packing up 6 people to take across the country. Less for me to worry about!
We had a Hawaiian inspired lunch on the island before our ride back to Maui. And capped off the day with an ice cream sundae or an adult beverage.
This excursion would not typically be something we would be able to do after paying cash for flights or hotels. But since our budget opened up with the help of points and miles, we were able to splurge on an all inclusive day trip like this!
So… Is Maui Worth It With Kids?
For our family, absolutely.
Was it inexpensive?
No.
Was traveling to Hawaii with four kids completely effortless?
Also no.
But was it worth it?
Our Maui vacation was one of those trips that felt bigger than a vacation. It was eight days of being somewhere completely different together. We got to slow down, explore, eat amazing food, spend time at the beach, experience things we’d never experienced before, and make the kind of memories that are hard to put a price on.
And that’s ultimately why we travel with our kids.
Not because every trip is perfect.
Not because traveling with four kids is always easy.
But because I don’t want to wait until they’re grown to start making the memories I know we’ll wish we had later.
Planning a Maui Family Vacation?
If you’re considering a trip to Maui with kids, my biggest advice is to choose a few experiences that are really important to your family, save money where you can, and leave plenty of room in your itinerary to simply enjoy being there.
You don’t need to see everything.
You don’t need to have a perfect vacation.
And you definitely don’t need to entertain your kids every minute.
Sometimes the best part of Hawaii is simply being together on the beach and realizing, we’re really here.
And for our family, that’s exactly what made Maui worth it.
