Best time to visit Hawaii: month by month

The best time to visit Hawaii is April to May or September to October: the weather is warm and fairly dry, and there are fewer visitors than during the summer holidays and around Christmas. Hawaii is warm all year – Honolulu averages 25 to 29 °C by day in every month – so the real differences are rain, waves and crowds. According to the National Weather Service, Hawaii has two seasons: summer from May to October, when the trade winds are steadiest, and winter from October to April, with more clouds and rainstorms. Within each island, the windward (north-east) sides are much wetter than the leeward sides. We analysed the weather from 2015 to 2024 at three places: Honolulu on Oʻahu, Kahului on Maui and Hilo on the windward side of the Big Island.

The short answer

• Best months overall: April, May, September and October – warm, drier than winter and quieter than the peak seasons.
• Driest time: May to September on the leeward sides. Kahului on Maui gets only 7 to 19 mm a month in May, June and September.
• Whale watching: November to April, with the peak from January to March, according to NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
• Wettest time: November to April. On the windward side, Hilo gets 200 to 260 mm a month in the model data.
• Hurricane season: the UK travel advice gives May to November for the Pacific hurricane season; storms that affect Hawaii are not common, but possible.

Hawaii's climate: all 12 months

Temperature and rain: monthly averages 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded. A grid cell is about 25 km wide, which is coarse for small, mountainous islands, so treat the rain figures in particular as a rough guide. Rainfall in Hawaii changes over very short distances: a few kilometres inland from a dry beach, the mountain slopes can get many times as much rain. Individual winters also vary a lot, and a single storm can bring more rain than the monthly average. For forecasts, see the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

Honolulu's temperature range is narrow: 25 °C by day in February, 29 °C in August and September, and warm nights of 20 to 24 °C all year.

Hilo, on the windward side of the Big Island, shows what the trade winds do: rain in every month, with 131 to 256 mm. On the leeward coasts, such as Kona on the Big Island or Kaʻanapali on Maui, it is far drier.

Hawaii month by month

April and May: spring

One of the best times. The winter rains ease off, the islands are green, and the spring break crowds thin out after Easter. Honolulu averages 26 to 27 °C by day. The last humpback whales leave in April. The sea is generally calmer on the north shores than in winter.

June to August: summer

Warm and fairly dry, at 28 to 29 °C in Honolulu, with steady trade winds that keep it pleasant. This is a busy time, as many families from the US mainland travel in the summer holidays, so book accommodation and hire cars early. The Pacific hurricane season is under way, so keep an eye on the forecast.

September and October: autumn

Often the best value: the summer crowds are gone and the weather is still summery at 28 to 29 °C. The UK travel advice notes that the Pacific hurricane season normally runs from May to November and that hurricanes can affect Hawaii, so check the forecast before and during your trip.

November to March: winter

The wetter season. According to the National Weather Service, the heaviest rains in Hawaii come from winter storms between October and April, and the windward sides get far more than the leeward coasts. Temperatures stay warm, at 25 to 27 °C by day. This is humpback whale season: NOAA's sanctuary says the whales are typically seen from November through April, with the peak from January to March. In winter, big waves arrive on the north shores, especially on Oʻahu's North Shore, so swim only where it is safe. Christmas, New Year and February are popular and expensive.

Which island?

Each island has its own character. Oʻahu with Honolulu and Waikiki is the busiest and the easiest for a first visit; Maui has beaches, the road to Hāna and the summit of Haleakalā, where it is much colder than on the coast; the Big Island (Hawaiʻi) has active volcanoes in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and Kauaʻi has the cliffs of the Nā Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon. For two weeks, many travellers combine two islands, linked by short inter-island flights. On every island, the leeward side is the driest place to stay in the wetter months. Outside Honolulu, a hire car^* is the easiest way to explore. Comparing warm destinations? See the best time to visit California and the best time to visit Florida.

How YesTrip helps with this trip

In YesTrip you plan Oʻahu, Maui or the Big Island day by day on one map, including the island hops. The forecast for your travel days shows rain on the windward side or a storm warning in good time, so you can swap a beach day for a museum or a drive to the drier coast. The packing list adds sun protection, a warm layer for Haleakalā or Mauna Kea and the right plug adapter. Travelling with friends, you share the trip and split costs like flights, the hire car and tours; the map of your places also works offline, which helps on remote roads.

Before you go

• Entry: British visitors usually need an ESTA or a visa for the USA. Check the current rules on gov.uk before you travel.
• Time: Hawaii is 10 hours behind the UK in winter and 11 hours in summer; Hawaii does not use daylight saving time.
• Power: 120 volts, sockets type A and B, so bring an adapter.
• Mobile data: a travel eSIM^* for the USA is usually much cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

More destinations by month: Best time to visit: where to go when.

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