Best time to visit Hawaii: weather, prices and crowds
Hawaii is warm all year, so the best time to visit comes down to rain, prices and what you want to see. Pick an island for its weather month by month, then compare hotel rates and crowds below.
Hawaii weather by island and month
Example valuesBars: average rain per month. Choose a month for the details.
Turn on JavaScript to use the finder, or read the hotel rates and island notes below.
Hawaii weather month by month
NOAA 1991–2020 averages at each island’s main airport. Best: highs 68–90 °F and under 2.4 in of rain; Good: highs 64–91 °F and under 4.7 in; Wet: over 7.9 in.
The best time to visit Hawaii: two seasons
For most of Hawaii there are only two seasons, the National Weather Service says: “summer,” between May and October, and “winter,” between October and April. Winter brings more clouds and rainstorms, and some days with southerly or westerly winds instead of the usual trades. Temperatures barely change: at Honolulu, average highs run from 80 °F in January to 89 °F in August.
The ocean lags behind the air. Near the islands it is coolest, about 73 to 74 °F, in late February and March, and warmest, near 80 °F, in late September and early October.
Which island is driest
Rain depends more on where you stay than on the month. The sides of the islands sheltered from the trade winds, leeward, tend to be sunny and dry; the windward sides catch the showers. In NOAA’s 1991–2020 averages:
- Kona, Big Island west: about 10 inches of rain a year, never much more than an inch a month.
- Honolulu (Oʻahu) and Kahului (Maui): about 16 inches a year, mostly from November to March; Kahului gets just 0.2 inch in June.
- Līhuʻe (Kauaʻi): about 36 inches a year, wettest in March (5.6 inches).
- Hilo, Big Island east: about 120 inches a year, with 10 to 19 rainy days every month and 14.4 inches in November.
Cheapest time to go: hotel rates and crowds by month
Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism publishes hotel rates and occupancy every month. In 2025, statewide:
| Month (2025) | Average rate a night | Rooms filled |
|---|---|---|
| January | $384 | 73.9% |
| February | $379 | 79.3% |
| March | $379 | 74.9% |
| April | $366 | 73.0% |
| May | $339 | 71.4% |
| June | $375 | 74.3% |
| July | $386 | 77.1% |
| August | $361 | 74.1% |
| September | $315 | 69.7% |
| October | $322 | 72.8% |
| November | $345 | 70.2% |
| December | $449 | 76.1% |
Hawaiʻi DBEDT monthly Hotel Performance Reports (data compiled by STR). Hotels only; vacation rentals and timeshares aren’t included.
September was both the cheapest and the emptiest month, followed by October and May. December was the most expensive by far, and February, the peak of whale season, the fullest.
Hurricane season and this winter’s outlook
The central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Hawaii usually doesn’t have hurricanes, the National Weather Service notes, but keep an eye on the forecast for a trip in late summer or fall.
For the coming winter, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (outlook of October 15, 2026) expects a strong El Niño and says below-normal rain is increasingly likely for all of Hawaii from November through June 2027. The outlook is updated every month.
Whales, sunrises and more
Humpback whales are in Hawaiian waters from November to April, most of all from January to March: see Maui whale season for your dates. On Maui, Haleakalā sunrise reservations open 60 days ahead. For other trips, compare Hawaii with Alaska, Greece or Costa Rica in When to Go.
Questions
What is the best time to visit Hawaii?
For dry weather and lower prices, September and October: the drier season is still on, the ocean is near its warmest (about 80 °F), and hotel rates were the year’s lowest in 2025 ($315 and $322 a night on average statewide). For humpback whales, come between January and March.
What is the cheapest time to go to Hawaii?
September, going by hotels: in 2025 the statewide average was $315 a night, against $449 in December, and September had the lowest share of rooms filled (69.7%). October ($322) and May ($339) were the next cheapest months.
When is the rainy season in Hawaii?
Winter, from October to April, says the National Weather Service, with more clouds and rainstorms than the May-to-October summer. Where you stay matters as much: Kona averages about 10 inches of rain a year, Hilo about 120.
What is the best month to visit Hawaii?
It depends on your priorities. May, September and October combine dry weather with lower hotel rates; January to March is the peak of whale season; December is the most expensive month. The finder shows each island’s rain, temperatures and cloud cover month by month.
Should I worry about hurricane season in Hawaii?
The central Pacific hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. The National Weather Service notes that Hawaii usually doesn’t have hurricanes, but check the forecast before and during a late-summer or fall trip.