Ali'i Kula Lavender is a famous Maui lavender farm. It's located in Kula town in Upcountry Maui. They have tours, a fun gift shop, and housemade lavender tea and scones!
Winter at Ali'i Kula Lavender farm
Have you heard about the Maui lavender farm? It's located far up in Upcountry Maui. Heading "upcountry" is something we do on every trip to Maui, no matter how long or short the trip!
What Is Ali'i Kula Lavender?
Ali'i Kula Lavender is a working lavender farm. It's a must-visit for any Maui visitor. The farm is open year round, and offers guided tours, a fun gift shop and bakery. It's also a really nice place to relax. It feels so different the usual sun-and-beach vibe of Hawaii.
A big chair for one and my cup of lavender tea
Where Is Ali'i Kula Lavender?
Ali'i Kula Lavender is located in Upcountry Maui. Upcountry is located on the Haleakala side of Maui, and consists of many different towns. This farm is located in the town of Kula. It's a long, windy and oh so beautiful drive.
Kula is famous for many things including sweet Maui strawberries at Kula Country Farms, a French bakery called La Provence, and also Surfing Goat Dairy. Make sure to stop by these places on your drive to/from the lavender farm.
Protea flowers blooming during winter at Ali'i Kula Lavender
Best Time To Visit Ali'i Kula Lavender
The farm is most beautiful during July and August, aka the peak summer months. They grow many varieties of lavender on the farm and this is when all the lavender is blooming. Come during one of these months and the scent intoxicating! You can smell all the lavender right when you drive in.
No worries if you can't make it during July and August. The farm is open year round. Visit during the winter (I took these photos in December), and you still get to see some of the lavender in bloom. This is because Ali'i Kula grow certain lavender varieties that bloom year round.
In winter you also get to see pretty protea flowers (pictured above). You just won't get that super photogenic full bloom of lavender. So plan and expect accordingly.
Strolling around the farm
What To Do At Ali'i Kula Lavender
First decide if you want to do a self tour or take a guided tour. They have two kinds of guided tours:
- Guided Walking Tour - These tours run throughout the day (9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 1pm and 2:30pm) They take 30-40 minutes. Cost is $12/person or $10 if you reserve in advance.
- Guided Cart Tours - This one is more of an extended tour and you can see more of the farm (which is 13.5 acres!) The cart tours are offered twice a day (10:30am and 2pm). They take an hour each. Cost is $25/person and advanced reservations are required.
I've done the guided walking tour once and it was fun to learn more about the different varieties of lavender along with some history. Since then, I just come and do a self-guided walk. I also just like to sit on the benches with a cup of lavender tea (more on that below), and a book. Get some quiet time ^_^
If you want to have a full lunch, you can book the Picnic Lunch for $26/person. You get a choice of a wrap, sandwich or salad, chips, a lavender dessert (the brownies are real good), and choice of drink. Picnic lunch reservations require 24 hours advance reservation. You pick up the lunch from the Gift Shop and are free to eat it on property (I like to sit at the open Lanai area).
Housemade fresh lavender tea/tisane
Ali'i Kula Lavender Gift Shop
I LOVE gift shops in general. They are my favorite part of museums (to each his/her own!) and farms and I will go far out of my way to check out a neat gift shop. Ali'i Kula Lavender has a very cool gift shop. The shop sells everything lavender you could imagine. From lavender essential oils to soaps and creams, to lavender honey, lavender-lilikoi jelly, lavender-strawberry-pepper jam, and lavender scone mixes...I always end up getting a few gifts for myself and friends.
They also happen to have food and drink!
My single favorite part of visiting the farm is getting the Lavender Tea. It's made with fresh lavender grown on the farm, simply brewed into a heavenly, hot drink. It's cold in Upcountry Maui, and a warm drink is bliss. The tisane is fragrant and barely sweet. It's so soothing and makes me wish they would also run a bread and breakfast up here! They also make housemade lavender scones (you can warm it up so it's nice and toasty), which come with butter and that lavender-lilikoi (passion fruit) jelly.
Upcountry Maui vibes at Ali'i Kula Lavender
Ali'i Kula Lavender: Insider Tips
- If you're flying to Maui on Hawaiian Airlines, ask for a Maui map (#9 on this post) before landing. There's a coupon for free admission (which is usually $3) in the map.
- Bring your own thermos, and you can get a cup of the Lavender Tea for $1 (it's normally $3). Or you can check on Yelp and get the tea for free.
- If seeing the lavender is a must, make sure you go during July and August. Winter season (which is when I took these photos) is must lighter on the lavender and heavier on the protea flowers.
- Upcountry Maui can get chilly fast! Bring a sweater/jacket. You'll be glad you did 🙂
Ali'i Kula Lavender: Info
- Ali'i Kula Lavender | 1100 Waipoli Road, Kula, Maui, Hawaii | (808) 878-3004 | aliikulalavender.com
- Price: $3 admission fee
- Hours: Monday-Sunday (9am-4pm)
Hi Alan! I love Komoda Bakery (especially those glazed doughnuts on a stick!)...will have to go back next time we are in Maui. Thank you so much for sharing all these cool memories...wish I had a chance to grow up experiencing all the other Makawao spots you mentioned. Makawao has really turned into a serious tourist destination these days!
- Kathy
Hi Kathy: I love reading your blog, especially since I am an expat kamaaina. This post about Kula got my attention. As a kid, I spent many summers on the slopes of Haleakala. Actually, I spent lots of time in Makawao, where my uncle lived (my mom was a Maui girl). I have no recollection of the Lavendar Farms, Surfing Goat Dairy, the bakery, or Kula Country Farms -- all of these places probably did not exist during my times in Makawao probably 60 years or so ago. In fact, the term "up country" also was not born yet. My memories are of places like Pukalani Superette, Komoda Bakery, Haleakala Dairy, Makawao Meat Market, and Ulupalakua Ranch, where the grass fed beef sold in the meat market came from. Yes, the beef was a little tough, but the taste was wonderful due to the beef being all grass fed.
But that part of the island was always wonderful and brought me many great memories.