Best Things to Do in Kula
Closures, checked 23 Oct 2026: Makawao Forest Reserve (Kahakapao), Waihou Spring, Kula Forest Reserve and Polipoli are closed for storm repairs after Hurricane Nolo, no reopening date. Haleakalā and Thompson Road are open. Check the DLNR news page before you go.
The short version
- Kula isn’t a town; it’s miles of farms, gardens and views along three roads.
- With kids: Surfing Goat Dairy (Tue–Sat), Kula Country Farms, Kula Botanical Garden. Couples: Oʻo Farm brunch, lavender (Fri–Mon), Ocean Vodka at sunset.
- Kula Lodge Restaurant is closed; the food truck and marketplace are open daily 7–7.
- Lavender is a hillside garden with views, not a guaranteed purple field.
At a Glance
Our pick: Cycle to the Sea with Maui Bombers
Best for confident riders who want Haleakalā downhill without the sunrise crowds.
Our pick: Haleakala 6 Line Zipline Adventure
Best for first-timers and families who want a small-group Kula zipline near Haleakalā; max 12, with native-forest and bird ecology woven in.
A Kula Half-Day
Family version
- 8:00: breakfast at Grandma’s or Marlow (checked Oct 2026).
- 9:30: Surfing Goat Dairy.
- 11:00: Kula Country Farms or Kula Botanical Garden.
- 12:15: Kula Bistro or the Kula Lodge Food Truck.
- Optional: Thompson Road before the afternoon clouds settle.
Couples version
- 8:30: Oʻo Farm coffee and brunch.
- Noon: a short Kula drive or the Marketplace.
- 1:00: Aliʻi Kula Lavender, when open.
- 3:00: Ocean Vodka for a tasting, food and views.
Surfing Goat and Ocean Vodka are the easy pair; Oʻo Farm usually stands on its own.
With kids: Upcountry Maui with Kids → The farms in depth: Best Farms and Agricultural Experiences → Where to eat: Best Restaurants in Upcountry → The whole region: Ultimate Upcountry guide →
Pair Kula With Haleakalā
Kula is the natural lower-mountain half of a Haleakalā day. For sunset, spend the morning and early afternoon in Kula, eat before heading up, then keep climbing. For sunrise, Kula is where the day starts to feel human again on the way down.
Sunset from the Haleakalā summit. Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)
Reservations, summit weather and hikes: Haleakalā guide →
What Is Actually in Kula
Aliʻi Kula Lavender
- Hours: Friday–Monday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (checked Oct 2026)
- Admission: $5 adults; $2 seniors, military and kamaʻāina; 12 and under free
- Reservation: not needed for general admission
- Allow: 45–75 minutes
- Best for: views, gardens, couples, a relaxed walk
- Not ideal for: limited mobility; the property is sloped
Above the farm, Waipoli Road climbs into open pasture with some of Upcountry’s best panoramic views; pull over only where it’s safe and legal and turn around before the road gets rough. Polipoli at the top needs four-wheel drive and is closed for storm repairs (checked Oct 2026).
Open pasture, Upcountry
Surfing Goat Dairy
- Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday (checked Oct 2026)
- Reservation: book animal experiences ahead
- Best for: young children and hands-on farm time
- Allow: 30–90 minutes by experience
The casual tour is a quick farm overview with goat feeding and petting; the longer evening experience includes chores and milking. It sits close to Ocean Vodka on Ōmaʻopio Road, the easiest pair in Kula.
Oʻo Farm
- Coffee and brunch: Monday–Friday, 8:30–11:30 a.m. (checked Oct 2026)
- Price: $135 adults; $67.50 ages 5–12; infants free
- Reservation: required
- Allow: about three hours
- Best for: couples and food-focused travelers
- Not ideal for: families wanting a quick animal stop
It combines the farm walk with the meal, which beats piecing together three smaller stops; keep the rest of that half-day light.
Kula Botanical Garden
- Hours: daily 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., last admission 3:15 (checked Oct 2026)
- Admission: $15 adults; $5 ages 6–12; under 6 free
- Reservation: no
- Allow: 45–75 minutes
- Best for: a low-pressure garden walk when farm-tour schedules don’t fit
Kula Country Farms
- Farm stand: seasonal; check the current schedule
- Pumpkin patch: October 1–31, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., gates close 3:45; $5, ages 3 and under free (checked Oct 2026)
- Reservation: generally no
- Best time in October: a weekday morning
The open-air stand sells local produce, flowers and pantry goods with a broad view over Central and South Maui; it works even when you only have 30–45 minutes.
Kula Lodge Marketplace and Food Truck
- Hours: daily 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. (checked Oct 2026)
- Restaurant: closed indefinitely
- Food truck: breakfast 7:00–11:00; lunch and dinner 11:00–7:00
- Best for: coffee, a practical meal, groceries, gifts and a view stop
The Marketplace carries deli food, drinks, groceries, local art and gifts; it’s the practical restroom-and-regroup stop before continuing up toward Haleakalā.
Ocean Vodka
The Café & Lawn asks very little of the day: food, craft drinks, big views across both sides of Maui from the 80-acre farm, and room to sit. Late afternoon is best. Guided tastings are available, but the lawn and the view are reason enough.
Upcountry Farmers Market
Saturday 7:00–11:00 a.m. at Kulamalu Town Center (checked Oct 2026): produce, flowers, baked goods, coffee, breakfast and local products. Go hungry, walk a lap before buying everything, then decide whether the rest of the morning is a farm, Makawao or a drive higher into Kula.
Keōkea Park
A small local park and a practical pause near Grandma’s, not a destination. A picnic or a break with kids; don’t build the day around it. It’s also where you park to walk Thompson Road.
Grandma’s Coffee House
- Hours: daily 7:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (checked Oct 2026)
- Order: coffee, a hearty breakfast plate and whatever looks best in the bakery case
- Reservation: no
If you still want more after Keōkea, continue south to the ʻUlupalakua Ranch Store and MauiWine rather than turning the day into another farm circuit.
What’s Overrated
MauiBookIt take: Aliʻi Kula Lavender is the stop most likely to disappoint someone arriving with the wrong expectation. It’s a lovely hillside garden with excellent views; it is not guaranteed to be a field of purple lavender.
One Last Tip
Enjoy the cool air and take it slowly. Do the view stops before noon; by 2:00 the clouds usually have Kula, and the farms are nicer in the morning anyway. Three good stops make a Kula day; five make a driving day.
Check before you go: Haleakalā conditions (NPS) · Forest reserve closures (DLNR) · Weather warnings (NWS)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to do in Kula, Maui?
Farms, gardens and views: Surfing Goat Dairy (Tue–Sat), Aliʻi Kula Lavender (Fri–Mon), Oʻo Farm’s brunch (Mon–Fri, reservation), Kula Botanical Garden (daily), Kula Country Farms (pumpkins in October), breakfast at Grandma’s, a view stop at Kula Lodge’s marketplace and food truck, and Ocean Vodka for sunset. Pick one farm, one meal and one view.
Is Kula Lodge open?
The Marketplace, Food Truck, gardens and lodging are open daily 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. The restaurant is closed indefinitely after the 2025 fire (checked Oct 2026).
Is Aliʻi Kula Lavender worth it?
Yes for the gardens and the panoramic view, 45–75 minutes, $5, Friday–Monday 10–4 (checked Oct 2026). Go knowing bloom varies and the property is sloped; it’s not the purple field in the photos.
