Top 10 Cheap Maui Things
To Do on a Budget

Visitors need to get a permit in advance for the county and state parks. Most campsites have limited space and can be booked up to a year in advance, so booking a few months ahead is never a bad idea. Rates also tend to be cheaper at least 3 weeks out. These campsites offer various amenities like picnic tables, volleyball courts, restrooms, and even showers.

Reserve a campsite for state parks online at Camping and Lodging Permits. Sites start at $12 per night. County campsites are even cheaper, starting at just $3 per night. Permits need to be printed off from here and brought to the campsite. Haleakala National Park offers free camping permits in person with no advance reservation.

Some of our favorite coastal campsites include:

• Kahana Beach Park
• Kipahulu
• Papalaua Wayside Park
• Waianapanapa

If you’re more of a last minute planner or if the camping fees are still out of your budget, we’ll let you in on a little local secret- it’s technically legal to camp on any beach in Maui for “fishing purposes” provided that there are no posted signs prohibiting camping. Find a friend with a fishing pole, keep a line in the water at your camp, and you’re good to go!

Some of our other favorite camping spots are located in West Maui just south of Lahaina. Camping in this area has its benefits. It’s often warm enough to camp with just a hammock and sleeping bag. It’s also home to some of the best places to surf during the summer months.

Bring your own bag, a big bottle of water, and cash. You can easily spend a few hours here.

Tip: Most of the vendors are fair and willing to bargain, but don’t buy the first thing you see. The vendors further away from the entrance tend to be cheaper.

If you can’t make the swap meet on Saturday but still want affordable produce, Maui has a farmer’s market somewhere on the island every day:

• Makawao Farmers Market: Wednesdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 200 Olinda Road
• Maui Mall Farmer’s Market and Craft Fair: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kaahumanu Avenue in Kahului
• Farmer’s Market of Maui-Honokowai: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 3636 Lower Honoapiilani Road in Lahaina

For a complete listing, visit Farmers Markets on Maui

Snorkel rentals start at around $1.50 per day, making it one of the absolute cheapest activities to do in Maui. If you plan on snorkeling often, consider investing in your own snorkel set. Cheap ones are available at ABC stores, Walmart, and Whaler’s General Store starting at around $20, but Costco in Kahului offers much higher quality ones for similar prices. Make sure you get a dry snorkel- one that automatically closes when you go underwater so that you won’t get water down your snorkel.

Some of our favorite places to snorkel are:

• Honolua Bay
• Ho’okipa Beach Park
• Kama’ole Beach Parks
• Kapalua Bay
• Ulua Beach
• Black Rock in Kaanapali Beach

Tip: The number one rule to remember while snorkeling is not to step on the reef! The second rule is wear natural, zinc-based sunscreens to protect yourself from sunburn and the ecosystem from harmful chemicals.

Check out the Best Places to Snorkel in Maui here

Some food trucks pay rent to park at specific lots while others travel around to events like the Friday night town parties (Maui Fridays), the Maui Swap Meet, and Maui Brewing Company. Most offer some patio seating area for you to enjoy your delectable cuisine of choice. The cheapest eats on the island can be found at Horhito’s Shrimp Tacos in Kihei next to The Triangle. They offer $2 tacos!

Some of our other favorites include:

• Mediterranean Grill in Haiku
• Like Poke in Kahului
• Kina’ole Grill in Kihei
• Shark Pit in Kaanapali
• Big Beach BBQ in Makena Beach State Park

Wherever you go, you’re sure to have a delicious meal for less than $10, although higher priced menu items are available if you feel like splurging.

Check out the Top Maui Food Trucks here

Three’s Bar and Grill in Kihei is arguably the best happy hour deal in Maui. Our favorites include the Mediterranean Whole Wheat Flatbread Salad for $6.50 and a $3.00 Three’s Mai Tai with added guava juice. They also have $5 house wines, $3 wells, and $3 drafts as well as sushi rolls from $3.00 to $4.50 and an assortment of appetizers from $6.00 to $8.00. Three’s offers happy hour daily from 3 to 6 p.m. and 9-10 p.m. and specializes in Hawaiian, southwestern, and Pacific Rim fusion cuisine.

Monkeypod Kitchen in Wailea features one of the best beer selections on the island, with 36 microbrews. Monkeypod offers happy hour daily from 3-5:30 p.m. and 9:30-11 p.m. Draft beers are only $4.75, $6 house red and white wines, and $6 cocktails made with Kula-based Ocean vodka. Additionally, most appetizers are 50 % off, and flatbread pizzas are only $9. Our favorite are the garlic truffle oil fries for only $5 paired with Maui Brewing Company’s Big Swell India Pale Ale.

Some of our other favorites include:

• Five Palms Beach Grill happy hour 3-9 p.m. and 9-11 p.m. (2960 S Kihei Rd)
• Kimo’s happy hour 3-5 p.m. (845 Front St)
• Sea House Restaurant happy hour 2-5 p.m. (5900 Lower Honoapiilani Rd)

Three’s Bar and Grill in Kihei is arguably the best happy hour deal in Maui. Our favorites include the Mediterranean Whole Wheat Flatbread Salad for $6.50 and a $3.00 Three’s Mai Tai with added guava juice. They also have $5 house wines, $3 wells, and $3 drafts as well as sushi rolls from $3.00 to $4.50 and an assortment of appetizers from $6.00 to $8.00. Three’s offers happy hour daily from 3 to 6 p.m. and 9-10 p.m. and specializes in Hawaiian, southwestern, and Pacific Rim fusion cuisine.

Monkeypod Kitchen in Wailea features one of the best beer selections on the island, with 36 microbrews. Monkeypod offers happy hour daily from 3-5:30 p.m. and 9:30-11 p.m. Draft beers are only $4.75, $6 house red and white wines, and $6 cocktails made with Kula-based Ocean vodka. Additionally, most appetizers are 50 % off, and flatbread pizzas are only $9. Our favorite is the garlic truffle oil fries for only $5 paired with Maui Brewing Company’s Big Swell India Pale Ale.

Some other spots to see humpback whales from shore are:

• Kaanapali Beach a few miles north of Lahaina
• North Kihei beaches
• Makena Beach Park
• D.T. Fleming Beach in Kapalua

Tours last about half an hour and run 7 days a week. Arrive at least 20 minutes early as tours are limited. Call ahead on the weekend. Tours cover history, distribution, beer brewing methods, and packaging.

If you miss the tour, you can still buy a beer, enjoy the view of the ocean from their shaded patio, play board games, buy merchandise, or have a 40 ounce growler filled. They also offer giant Jenga, giant Connect Four, and corn hole in the lobby.

Though the focus is on the 45 different types of lavender grown on the 10 acres of Ali’i land, countless other unique plants and flowers can also be seen amidst Buddha statues and relaxing gazebos with stunning overlooks. As beautiful as the property is, the real allure is the vibe. Maui doesn’t get any more zen than this.

The winding walking paths overgrown with foliage might excite a botanist, but for most of us, the lavender farm provides an opportunity to take some deep breaths of pure, mountain air and escape the busy beach scene for a few hours.

The gift shop is a highlight in itself offering an array of lavender products for aromatherapy, culinary, medicinal, and spa uses. They also offer samples of lavender honey, lavender tea, and assorted lotions and mists.

Kula Country Farms offers more than just strawberries. They’re also known for their Kula corn and onions. The small store sells fresh flowers, jams, sauces, baked goods, fresh juices, and gift baskets just past mile marker 13 on the Kula Highway.

If you feel like staying awhile and spending a little more money, they offer a 7-hole miniature golf course as well as a Bocce Ball court. There’s also a swing set overlooking miles of green farmland and with views of both the west and north shores.

Downtown Makawao is a great choice for window shopping and browsing art galleries. Quaint, adorable shops line the main street with handmade trinkets and responsibly sourced clothing. Make sure to get a small snack at the Rodeo General Store before exploring more. They specialize in organic, vegetarian, and vegan options but are an equally tasty option for meat-eaters.

Makawao is an excellent place to just… wander. We recommend making the trek down the 7-mile stretch of Baldwin Avenue from Makawao to Paia. Check out the farmer’s market. Enjoy the chickens roaming freely on the streets. Allow the horses eat right out of your hand.

Maui is full of other amazing sights to see while driving around the island. Check out Manaloha car rentals for the cheapest car rentals on Maui.