Planning a trip to Maui but don’t know what to do? Find out some of the best things to do in Lahaina Maui. Scroll down to read them all!
This list of things to do in Lahaina Maui was written by Marcie Cheung (a Hawaii travel expert) and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
Front Street in Lahaina reopened to cars on August 1, 2026.
I know that headline alone is enough to make a lot of people start rebooking their Maui trip.
But before you get too excited, I need to tell you what that means, because it’s not what most people picture when they hear “Front Street is open again.”
I’ve been back to Lahaina twice since the August 2023 fire, most recently for the Maui Chocolate Tour at Kuʻia Estate, a night at the Old Lahaina Luau, and an afternoon browsing the Cannery Mall.
I’ve also driven through the area more than once just to see how things are coming along.
So this isn’t a post I’m writing from a press release. It’s what I’ve seen with my own eyes, combined with a lot of research into what’s confirmed open, what’s still closed, and what’s coming next.
If you’re planning a Maui trip and wondering what a visit to Lahaina looks like these days, this is your answer.
Quick Take: Lahaina in 2026
- Front Street reopens to vehicle traffic on August 1, 2026, from Pāpalaua Street to Shaw Street. This is a road reopening. The shops and restaurants people remember are a separate story, covered below.
- The historic commercial core (the galleries, boutiques, and most of the restaurants people remember) is still gone or fenced off. The first new storefronts, at ʻUlu o Lele Marketplace, aren’t expected until September 2026.
- Several longtime favorites are back and worth your time, including Old Lahaina Luau, Mala Ocean Tavern, Moana Glass, Atlantis Submarines, and Baby Beach. Parasailing and sunset sails are back too, just relocated to Kaʻanapali Beach.
- Kaʻanapali, just north of Lahaina town, was untouched by the fire and is a great home base. I’d start your hotel search on Expedia for options along Kaʻanapali Beach.
- Some of the town’s most beloved landmarks, like the Baldwin Home Museum and Banyan Court Park, remain closed with no firm reopening date.
A Quick, Honest Word About What Happened Here
I don’t want to breeze past this. The August 2023 wildfire killed more than 100 people and destroyed most of historic Lahaina, including homes, businesses, and cultural sites that had stood for well over a century.
Nearly three years later, the community is still rebuilding, and it will be for years to come.
That context matters for how you plan a visit. This isn’t a “check it off your list” kind of stop anymore. It’s a place that welcomes visitors again, but on different terms than before.
If you’d like to support recovery efforts directly, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund is still funding rebuilding projects across West Maui, including the new marketplace I mentioned above.
What’s Open in Lahaina Right Now
Old Lahaina Luau
This is still one of my favorite luaus in all of Hawaii, and I mean that after 20-plus years of hula dancing and 40-plus trips to these islands.
The luau closed for about seven months after the fire and reopened in March 2024, and it’s been running strong ever since. It sits on Front Street across from the Cannery Mall, north of the burn zone.
Tickets run about $229 per adult and $140 per child as of mid-2026, whether you sit at a table or on a traditional mat.
Book two to three months out if you can. It runs close to full capacity year-round. Check Hawaii Activities for current dates.
Mala Ocean Tavern
Mala reopened on February 1, 2024, one of the very first restaurants to come back after the fire. It sits right on the water near Māla Wharf. Order the ahi bruschetta if it’s on the menu.
Atlantis Submarines
Atlantis lost its submarine, tugboat, and dock facilities in the fire.
It came back in June 2026, running three tours a day, five days a week, at $148 for adults and $66 for kids (children need to be at least 36 inches tall and able to climb a vertical ladder on their own).
Tuesday and Friday are reserved for recharging the sub’s batteries.
Good pick if you’re traveling with older relatives, or with anyone who wants to see the reef without getting in the water. Check rates here.
Moana Glass by Ryan Staub
This one never closed. It’s on the bypass road as you enter Lahaina, well outside the burn zone.
Watch a demonstration or book a lesson and blow your own piece of glass with help from an instructor.
My take: it’s a memorable way to break up a week of beach days, and the piece you make becomes a souvenir you’ll keep for years.
Whale Watching Tours
Humpback season runs roughly December through April, and Maui is still one of the best places in the state to see them.
Most boats now depart from Māʻalaea Harbor or Kaʻanapali Beach rather than Lahaina Harbor, which is still limited to a handful of returning operators.
Prices run anywhere from about $80 for a small-group raft tour to $150 or more for a longer sail with drinks included, so it pays to compare a couple of options.
Double-check the departure point when you book, since it affects your drive time. Viator and Get Your Guide both list current options.
Parasailing
West Maui Parasail and a couple of other operators are back, but the launch point moved from Lahaina Harbor to Kaʻanapali Beach, right in front of Whalers Village.
The season runs mid-May through mid-December, since federal rules pause boat-towed activities during humpback whale season.
If you’re visiting between December and April, this one isn’t available, whale watching takes its place instead.
Sunset Dinner Cruise
Same story here. Most sunset dinner sails now load straight off the sand at Kaʻanapali Beach instead of the old Lahaina Harbor departure.
Expect to pay somewhere between $150 and $165 per person for a dinner cruise with an open bar, a bit less for a shorter cocktail sail without dinner.
Between December and April, keep an eye out on the ride back. Whale sightings are common. Check rates.
Baby Beach (Puʻunoa Beach)
Good news here. Baby Beach reopened to the public, and it’s still the calm, shallow, reef-protected spot I’d send anyone with young kids or nervous swimmers.
Some of the homes along the south end of the beach were lost in the fire and that section still has restricted road access, so park and enter from the north side near Mala Ramp instead.
Maui Chocolate Tour at Kuʻia Estate
I did this one myself and it’s a nice half-day activity that has nothing to do with the burn zone at all.
You’ll tour a working cacao farm above Lahaina, learn how chocolate gets made from bean to bar, and taste your way through the process.
It’s a good option if you want something educational that isn’t a beach day. Check rates here.
Lahaina Cannery Mall
Still open, still air-conditioned, and still a decent stop if you need supplies, a meal, or an hour out of the heat. It sits north of the historic district, so it was not affected by the fire.
Kaʻanapali Beach, Whalers Village, and the Golf Courses
Technically Kaʻanapali rather than Lahaina town itself, but most visitors lump the two together, so I’m including it here. None of this was touched by the fire.
Kaʻanapali Beach is still one of the prettiest stretches of sand on Maui, Whalers Village still has shopping and free entertainment like the cliff diving ceremony, and the Royal Kaʻanapali and Kaʻanapali Kai golf courses are both open.
If you’re building your Maui itinerary around this area, it’s a smart, low-stress home base right now.
What’s Still Closed (And Why That Matters)
The Historic Front Street Shopping and Dining District
The stretch of Front Street most people picture, with its art galleries, boutiques, and oceanview restaurants, is still gone.
The road reopening to cars on August 1 is a construction and infrastructure milestone. Most of that commercial core is still behind fencing while permitting and rebuilding continue, block by block.
Baldwin Home Museum
Maui’s oldest home didn’t survive the fire in usable condition, and this spring a storm caused part of its remaining stone walls to collapse.
It’s currently being carefully taken apart and rebuilt using as much of the original material as possible. There’s no reopening date yet.
Hale Paʻahao (Old Lahaina Prison)
The wooden structures burned, though the stone walls are still standing. It’s within the closed historic core and not currently open to visitors.
Lahaina Banyan Court Park
The banyan tree itself survived, though it lost close to 40 percent of its canopy, and arborists are still assessing whether it’s stable enough for the park to reopen to the public.
It’s a moving thing to see from a distance, roots reaching back into a hard-hit town, but you can’t walk up to it right now.
ʻUlu o Lele Marketplace (Opening Soon)
This is worth watching. It’s a new interim marketplace bringing the first storefronts back to the Front Street area since the fire, expected to open in September 2026 on the former Outlets of Maui site. I’ll update this section once it’s up and running.
How to Visit Lahaina Respectfully Right Now
A few things I’d keep in mind if you’re heading there this year:
- Stay out of anywhere marked closed or fenced off, even if it doesn’t look dangerous. Some of these areas are still active construction or debris removal zones.
- Skip the drive-by gawking through residential neighborhoods that were lost. It’s not the same as visiting a public attraction.
- Spend your money at businesses that have reopened. Every dollar at Mala, Old Lahaina Luau, or Moana Glass supports people who are actively rebuilding their lives here.
- Reef-safe sunscreen matters everywhere in Hawaii, but especially right now on Maui’s coastline. I like this mineral sunscreen on Amazon for beach days.
Lahaina FAQs
Is Front Street open to tourists in 2026?
The road itself reopens to vehicle traffic on August 1, 2026. The historic shopping and dining district that once lined it is still mostly closed and under construction.
Is it okay to visit Lahaina as a tourist right now?
Yes. Businesses that have reopened, like Old Lahaina Luau, Mala Ocean Tavern, and Atlantis Submarines, want and need your visit. Just be mindful around areas that are still closed off.
Did the Lahaina Banyan Tree survive the fire?
Yes, though it lost roughly 40 percent of its canopy. Banyan Court Park itself remains closed to the public while arborists monitor the tree’s recovery.
When will the rest of Front Street reopen?
There’s no full timeline yet. The first new storefronts, at ʻUlu o Lele Marketplace, are expected to open in September 2026, with more rebuilding projects moving through permitting after that.
Planning the Rest of Your Maui Trip
Lahaina is one piece of a much bigger island, and if you’re trying to figure out how it fits into a realistic Maui itinerary, that’s exactly the kind of trip planning I help with in my Hawaii travel consultations.
I’ve been to Hawaii more than 40 times at this point, and I still learn something new every visit, which is part of why I keep this Hawaii travel research expert hat on and keep updating posts like this one instead of leaving them to go stale.
I also talk through changes like this on my podcast, Hawaii Travel Made Easy, if you’d rather listen than read.
For more on building out a realistic Hawaii itinerary, check my full Maui travel guide, or if you’re trying to decide how to split time between islands, my island hopping guide walks through how to choose a Hawaiian island that fits your trip.
I get why people want the old Lahaina back. I want that too.
But the town in front of us right now still has good food, a luau I’d send anyone to, and people who need your visit more than they need your pity.
Go, spend money at the places that reopened, and skip the rest respectfully. That’s the whole ask.
