Fly above the West Maui Mountains on a Zipline Adventure Tour

Maui has so many activities that it’s hard to choose what to spend your time doing. Since my wife had never been on a zipline before – and she’s not too keen on heights – we thought it would be fun to try a zipline in Maui. What made it even better was that each route had two lines, meaning we could go side-by-side on the dual lines. There’s something fun about flying down a mountain next to your wife.

There are several companies across Maui that offer zipline tours. Since we were staying in Kaanapali Resort at the Marriott Ocean Club, we chose Kapalua Ziplines. They were a short 15 minute drive from our hotel in the west Maui mountains. And after spending nearly three hours with their guides ziplining over the treetops, we both recommend scheduling a tour with them.

Here’s a rundown on what to expect with Kapalua Ziplines in Maui.

A Few Things to Help You Plan

Tours can be booked roughly three months in advance. The earlier you can book your zipline tour, the more options you’ll have in tour-time flexibility. We booked about a month or so in advance and opted for the afternoon start time. That meant it was a hotter portion of the day, but we also had some rain fall to cool us down. Not enough rain to stop us from the ziplines. Phew!

There are two options

A four zipline tour (2 hours) or a six zipline tour (3 hours). It’s $40 more to go with the six zipline tour versus the four and we are glad we went with the six.

Arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled tour start time. This will allow you to check in at the front desk and take part in a brief orientation. You’ll meet at the office building and will later be transported up the mountain.

We appreciated the lockers they had in the office building. You can use them for free. Simply put phones or other valuables in it, lock it up and hook the carabiner key ring to your belt loop. They don’t regulate what you bring ziplining (within reason, of course), but if you drop it into the forest below, chances of recovery are slim.

I did bring my Olympus TG-6 camera with me, but I also used a carabiner to hook it to my harness so I didn’t risk dropping it. I enjoyed the photos I was able to capture – but part of me wishes I would’ve spent more time enjoying the view than trying to take photos. But I’m glad I have photos of all the smiles from our little couple’s adventure. The guide will take photos during the tour, but you’ll have to pay $$ for a copy of all the photos at the end. We opted to simply capture our own.

Getting Up and Down the Mountain

After checking in at the front, meeting your tour guide and a brief orientation, you’ll be given a canyoneering helmet and told to board the 15 passenger van. The ride up the mountain is about 15-20 minutes. It gives you an opportunity to get to know your tour guide. You can ask questions or express any fear of heights you may be dealing with.

When you arrive at the first stop, climb out of the van and head to a second orientation spot. Here’s where you’ll get your harness. The guides will ensure you put it on correctly so there are no un-intended falls. They’ll also teach you some of the positions they need you in to help you slow down near the end and prepare for the stop at the end. It’s pretty simply, but some people on the tour had a hard time remembering the hand signals while enjoying the ride down the ziplines.

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Transportation between some of the ziplines is done by ATVs. So be sure you put your seatbelt on and enjoy the adventure through the forest before you rise above it and fly above the canopy.

When the ziplines are all done, the large van will take you back to the office. But let’s share a little more with you about the actual ziplines.

Multiple Ziplines to Enjoy

We opted to book the six-zipline tour. I think that if we had only done the four, we would’ve been left wanting more. It takes it takes a few ziplines to really get the hang of it all.

Zipline 1: The first one is more of an orientation zipline. It’s a short 500 feet so the guides can make sure you know and pay attention to the hand signals. From here, you’ll head up the mountain in an ATV.

Zipline 2: The longest zipline of the entire course is 2,300 feet long. You access the platform by walking up a rope bridge that shakes around a little. My wife wasn’t too thrilled when I started bouncing a little. From the top, the guides hook up your harness to the line and you wait patiently before they give you the go ahead. Then down you go. The ride seems to go quick, so stick your arms and legs out and cheer to your heart’s content.

Zipline 3: This next one is a short 800 foot zipline over the valley below. It’s beautiful, so once again, take in the magnificent views.

Zipline 4: This one’s 1,900 feet long, but it’s a little different than the rest. The lines are a little closer together than the others, so couples (or really good friends) can hold hands on the way down. But it’s not as easy as you think. It takes some maneuvering at the top and a helpful guide. My wife and I tried to connect, but our fingers slipped and we rode down without the linking hands. It’s okay. We still love each other.

Zipline 5: Another shorter one, the 850 foot line traverses the valley yet again, but this time running parallel to Hawaii’s largest suspension bridge. After reaching the other side, you’re guide will take you up and out on the bridge before doing the final zipline.

Zipline 6: The second-longest zipline wraps up your tour with a 2,100 foot line. Take in the final views of the forest, coastline and ocean before hitting the brakes on the tour.

Walk Across Hawaii’s Largest Suspension Bridge

I was surprised to see a large suspension bridge traversing the valley. We learned it’s the largest suspension bridge in all of Hawaii. Yet, it’s not a bridge that everyone gets the chance to use. The 360-foot long bridge offers some stand-still views of the area (meaning you aren’t ziplining down a cable, but you’re standing there taking in a beautiful view). One of the persons in our group was afraid of heights and opted to not walk out only to the bridge.

We didn’t get to traverse the whole bridge. Our guide took a photo of each group at the start of the bridge, then we walked half-way across, took some photos, enjoyed the views and walked back to the side we started. It was fun, but brief.

Learn more about the suspension bridge, it’s construction and history.

The Details:

Address: Meet at 500 Office Rd, Lahaina, HI 96761. The tour includes transportation up the mountain for the zipline tour.

Cost: $160 per person for the four-line dual zipline course. $200 for the full six-line dual zipline course.

How Long to Spend: Plan on two hours for the four-line tour and three hours for the six line tour.

Parking: There is parking near the Kapalua Zipline Tour building, either between that building and the nearby store, or behind the store.

Hours: Tours can be scheduled Monday through Friday (they are closed on Saturday and Sunday). Tours start as early as 7:30 a.m. During peak season, tours run until 3:15. During the off-season, the last tour is at 11:30 a.m. Check their website for the timeframe of your vacation to find the time that works best for your itinerary.

Website: https://www.kapaluaziplines.com/

Phone: (808) 756-9147 – Reservations

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