Best time to travel to Hawaii
A question we hear frequently is "What's the best time to travel to Hawaii?" or "When should I visit Hawaii?" This question is typically followed by "What’s the weather like in Hawaii?" You can learn about the general weather conditions on our Hawaii Weather page (also linked at the bottom of this article). On this page we’ll discuss our personal favorite times of the year to visit and why. We should note that this article is written in bias towards the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai, and doesn't detail Oahu as much. We highly recommend checking a local Hawaii calendar online prior to scheduling your trip, thus allowing you to determine what is and what is not occurring on the island of your choice ahead of time. We've detailed a few of the major events (specifically on the Big Island) below. Also, as a general rule of thumb, if you hope to avoid the crowds, then consider planning your trip to avoid holidays. Many folks from the west coast of the mainland (or even from neighboring Oahu) will jump over to the less visited islands for the holiday(s). This is especially true during the Christmas holidays, when things get very busy in the islands.
First we want to point out there is considerable confusion about there being a "wet/dry" season and a "high/low" travel season in Hawai'i. The two assumptions are both true and not true; from a certain point of view. Let's take a look.
Spring: Less rain starts to fall on the islands as the trades die down to their summer levels making this is one of the most ideal times to visit. Some call this the start of the "dry" season. The weather is almost always perfect and in general this is the best time to find good travel bargains. After mid-April most airfare and lodging prices drop as a result of "high season" ending. The last week of April and first week of May are often a time when the most Japanese visitors will arrive due to the "Golden Week" holiday in Japan.
Water temperatures measure near the high 70-degree mark this time of year, and the surf begins to die down as the trade winds let up. The best part of the spring is the fresh flowers, fruit, and vegetation that can be seen around the island. This is our favorite time to visit. We should note that the spring does hold one large event on the Big Island of Hawai'i that can cause crowding on the Hilo side of the Island. The Merrie Monarch festival is held annually starting on Easter Sunday. Visit the Merrie Monarch website (merriemonarchfestival.org) for dates and times.
Summer: Typically summer is classified on Hawai'i as the "low season." This results in lower rates for both accommodations and/or rental vehicles. However, this "low season" classification can often be misleading, as June - August are very popular with travelers. Airline prices will often increase into late June through July as demand is higher for seats nationwide. Thus, if you are flying from the east coast, the most expensive flight you pay for might ironically be the continental flight to the west coast.
According to the tourism authority in the islands, July continues to be the month with the most visitor arrivals. To us, this makes sense because this is when the most families visit the island, mainly due to their children being out of school. The same rule applies for local children on the island. This is their summer and they often frequent the same beaches, trails, and places you’ll be visiting too.
The summer months are always the warmest on the island, and temperatures can reach as high as the 90’s under the right conditions. Combined with the high humidity, the heat can occasionally be unpleasant for some travelers not accustomed to it. Surf is at its lowest during the summer, and the rain clouds are few and far between except on the windward coast. Note the difference in flow rates at Rainbow Falls, on the Big Island, between summer (left) and winter (right). Water temperatures usually rise above the 80-degree mark. While a rare event, the summer months are also hurricane season in Hawai'i, and the last major storm to hit Hawai'i was Iniki in September 1992, when it came ashore on Kaua'i as a strong category 3 (border-line category 4) storm. In 2007, another storm grazed the southern portion of the Big Island, giving some folks quite an initial scare when it appeared to be locked on the island chain. These large storm systems are, as noted, rare - just be aware they do occur from time to time.
Spring: Less rain starts to fall on the islands as the trades die down to their summer levels making this is one of the most ideal times to visit. Some call this the start of the "dry" season. The weather is almost always perfect and in general this is the best time to find good travel bargains. After mid-April most airfare and lodging prices drop as a result of "high season" ending. The last week of April and first week of May are often a time when the most Japanese visitors will arrive due to the "Golden Week" holiday in Japan.
Water temperatures measure near the high 70-degree mark this time of year, and the surf begins to die down as the trade winds let up. The best part of the spring is the fresh flowers, fruit, and vegetation that can be seen around the island. This is our favorite time to visit. We should note that the spring does hold one large event on the Big Island of Hawai'i that can cause crowding on the Hilo side of the Island. The Merrie Monarch festival is held annually starting on Easter Sunday. Visit the Merrie Monarch website (merriemonarchfestival.org) for dates and times.
Summer: Typically summer is classified on Hawai'i as the "low season." This results in lower rates for both accommodations and/or rental vehicles. However, this "low season" classification can often be misleading, as June - August are very popular with travelers. Airline prices will often increase into late June through July as demand is higher for seats nationwide. Thus, if you are flying from the east coast, the most expensive flight you pay for might ironically be the continental flight to the west coast.
According to the tourism authority in the islands, July continues to be the month with the most visitor arrivals. To us, this makes sense because this is when the most families visit the island, mainly due to their children being out of school. The same rule applies for local children on the island. This is their summer and they often frequent the same beaches, trails, and places you’ll be visiting too.
The summer months are always the warmest on the island, and temperatures can reach as high as the 90’s under the right conditions. Combined with the high humidity, the heat can occasionally be unpleasant for some travelers not accustomed to it. Surf is at its lowest during the summer, and the rain clouds are few and far between except on the windward coast. Note the difference in flow rates at Rainbow Falls, on the Big Island, between summer (left) and winter (right). Water temperatures usually rise above the 80-degree mark. While a rare event, the summer months are also hurricane season in Hawai'i, and the last major storm to hit Hawai'i was Iniki in September 1992, when it came ashore on Kaua'i as a strong category 3 (border-line category 4) storm. In 2007, another storm grazed the southern portion of the Big Island, giving some folks quite an initial scare when it appeared to be locked on the island chain. These large storm systems are, as noted, rare - just be aware they do occur from time to time.
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ALOHA AND MAHALO
Est6her and Tony Zimmermann