Hawaii is one of the best places to vacation with teens. Just the reputation alone is enough to get your kids excited! Our family vacation to Maui was one of the best we’ve ever had (and as family planner, we’ve had some awesome vacations! If I do say so myself.) Want memories that will last a life time? Read on for tips about where to stay, what to do, and how to plan the best vacation ever to Hawaii with teens!
Hawaii makes a great destination trip to celebrate a big event, like your first child graduating from high school. When your kids have grown into teens, there aren’t going to be many more of these family events. So make the most of them! We had a fantastic trip to Maui, but here are my tips so that you can make your trip to Hawaii with teens even better!
Be sure to check out all 23 posts in my Maui Hawaii – First Trip Travelers Guide!
1. Stay in a resort on your trip to Hawaii with teens
Yes, I know it’s not the least expensive place to stay in Hawaii, but if you do your homework it’s really not too bad. And this is one of the things that really made the trip memorable for my teen girls. Like my oldest said, the condo we stayed in was nice, but it felt like all the other beaches stayed at on other family vacations on the mainland. Staying at the resort was Hawaii. See my post on the best resort on Maui.
2. Don’t try to get up early every morning in Hawaii with teens.
You might wonder why we would possibly try this, but the snorkeling is best in the morning. The problem is, snorkeling weather is hit or miss. Teens just won’t have the stamina to get up early morning after morning just because the snorkeling might be good. We also skipped the Sunrise bike tour because of this, and I’m convinced we had a much better time seeing the Haleakala Summit and Crater later in the day with teens (and parents!) who weren’t sleep deprived.
3. Book a snorkel trip in Hawaii with teens.
Book a snorkeling boat trip instead and maximize your chances of having good snorkeling in just one morning. See my tips on snorkeling tours for beginners.
4. Make your teens wear water shoes in the ocean in Maui.
Until you really know the beach and the ocean, be an annoying parent and do your best to insist your teens wear water shoes in the ocean. There’s lots of coral and rocks just off the beach. Unfortunately, I didn’t make myself annoying about this, and my teen girls found out the hard way and ended up hiking the Bamboo Forrest with torn up feet. And from overheard conversations all over the island, they weren’t the only ones.
5. Skip the famous Maui summit sunrise when in Hawaii with teens.
Don’t attempt to see the Maui sunrise from the crater. It’s just too early. See above. This was one thing I was smart enough not to schedule, and seeing a couple on their way back riding the elevators one morning, my teens were so thankful! And just like I thought, the fabulous guidebook I found on my list of must have Hawaii trip planning resources, the Hawaii trip guidebook Maui Revealed, confirmed that the sunrise can be hit or miss.
6. Book lessons for an active sport for teens in Hawaii.
Book a lesson for an active sport like surfing (it’s Hawaii!) or paddle boarding. This is something we weren’t able to do. (One of our teens had a knee injury.) But there are lots of neat lessons near the Hyatt Resort where we stayed.
7. Plan a hike when you go to Hawaii with teens.
Our hike to the Bamboo Forest was one of our favorite memories! If your teens are like ours, they’re likely to beat you so be sure to have contingency plans for where and when to meet. Read my tips for the Bamboo hike and be sure and go prepared.
8. Take a GoPro Camera when you go to Hawaii with teens.
Yes, a GoPro camera can seem a little pricey. But your teens are going to want to take lots of pictures on the beach and underwater, and they are going to love this little camera. And it should stand up to the beach better than most cameras. (To be honest, ours got a crack in the water proof housing and we’re not sure how. Be sure to download your photos and videos every night.) GoPro photos somehow just look active and like you’re having fun even if you’re just sitting quietly on the beach; I think it’s the curvature of the lens.
If a GoPro isn’t in the budget, see my cheap hack for taking underwater photos.
Be sure to check out all 23 posts in my Maui Hawaii – First Trip Travelers Guide!
Ready for your trip with teens to Maui, Hawaii? It’s going to be your best family vacation ever!