The Best Time to Visit Hawaii in 2026: skip the clouds & crowds

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As Hawaii sits in the tropics, the weather is always great for the beach and a swim. But there is a best time to visit Hawaii, given the crowds, the wet season, and the high costs.

The best time to visit Hawaii is during the shoulder season months: April, May, September, October, and November (before Thanksgiving). The best month to visit Hawaii is September. During these periods, you will find good weather, fewer crowds, and the best prices.

After living on Oahu and Maui and making careful notes of what was different each month, we used data and our own experience to determine the best time to visit Hawaii. While the data can tell you the cheapest time to visit, the atmosphere on the islands requires being there for the experience.

Even with the best time to visit Hawaii, we are still adamant that you should come over whenever you can get away from school and work. With flexibility comes rewards, so below you will find all the details on why there is a best time to visit Hawaii.

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The Best Time to Visit Hawaii Data

To determine the best time to visit Hawaii, we looked at the data. We call our analysis the three Cs: Clouds, Crowds, and Costs. The three criteria overlap to determine the best time to visit Hawaii.

We collected data from the Hawaii Tourism Authority Research, Weather Channel, and NOAA to determine the best time to visit Hawaii.

The data doesn’t tell the whole story. While December is a rainy and expensive month, we still recommend planning a Hawaii Christmas vacation.

We share the worst times to visit Hawaii, but with things to consider!

The Best Month to Visit Hawaii

September is the best month to visit Hawaii. October is a close second for the best time to visit Hawaii.

In September, you will find the best weather, the fewest people on the islands, the best prices for lodging, and the best ocean conditions for swimming and snorkeling. Plus, the vibe is more laid back after the summer busy season. For all those reasons, it is the best time to visit Hawaii.

October is also a great month to visit, but we have found the ocean conditions are not as favorable for snorkeling, swimming, and boat trips. October can experience larger swells, making ocean conditions more dangerous than in September. This isn’t every day, but it’s more likely than in September.

When you choose to visit Hawaii, make sure you know what to pack for the time of year. See our Hawaii packing list!

Let’s dive into the details, as there is a lot more to know about the best time to visit Hawaii.

Do you know which Hawaiian island you are visiting? See the best time to visit below.

• Is There a Best Time to Visit Maui? Yes, here is what to know
• When to Visit Kauai
• The Best Time to Visit the Big Island (Hawaii)
• Is There a Best Time to Visit Oahu? The 4 Best Months

The Best Months to Visit Hawaii

While September is our favorite month to visit, we really think that any of the shoulder months are excellent for visiting. These months are:

• April: after any spring break crowds have left
• May: before Memorial Day
• September: after Labor Day
• October: pretty much anytime!
• November: earlier in the month, before the Thanksgiving rush arrives

When is the Best Time to Visit Hawaii?

We’ve already established that overall, the best times to visit Hawaii are the shoulder seasons of September through November (before Thanksgiving) and April/May. But what if you’re looking for the best time to visit Hawaii based on specific criteria? We have you covered.

The Best Time to Visit Hawaii for the Weather

Hawaii has two seasons compared to four on the mainland of the USA. In most of Hawaii, summer runs from May to October, and winter runs from November to April.

Hawaii is in the tropics, where the length of day and temperature are relatively uniform throughout the year.

While we did say the temperatures are warm year-round, Hawaii still gets rain. And while you are heading to a beach destination, you probably want to minimize your chances of rain. 

As you can see from the chart below, Hawaii experiences peak rain from November through March. Though to be fair, rain varies on different sides of each island — we are showing average rainfall for one popular visitor destination of each isle.

If you do get stuck in the rain in Hawaii, see our What To Do in Hawaii When It Rains for a list of rainy day activities.

Therefore, to avoid rain and cloudy days, the best time to visit Hawaii during its rainy season is during Hawaii’s summer or dry season.

The rains in Hawaii are warm and don’t last long. It may rain in the morning and then clear up for a beach day. All-day rain is rare, even in winter. Plus, rain brings rainbows! We think you should still keep Hawaii in November in the running if you’re still not sure.

The popular places to stay on each of the major Hawaiian Islands are located on the leeward sides. The leeward side of the island gets less rain and has more sunny days compared to the windward side. The leeward side gets most of its rain during a few winter storms. 

Want to know where to stay in the Hawaiian Islands?

• Where to Stay in Hawaii: Costs, Activities, and How to Save
• Kaanapali vs Wailea: Where to Stay on Maui
• Where to Stay on the Big Island
• Which Part of Oahu Should You Stay: Waikiki, North Shore, or Ko Olina
• Princeville or Poipu: Where to Stay on Kauai

The coldest temperatures in Hawaii are from January through March, where the average low temperature is the high 60s to low 70s. 

The summers can get too hot for some, especially along the ocean on the leeward sides of the islands. Lahaina translates to “cruel sun” in Hawaiian due to the hot and dry weather. But it is rare to get temperatures in the 90s even during the summer. 

If you’re looking for warm temperatures but not too hot, the shoulder seasons are the best time to visit Hawaii. We prefer September for the best weather in Hawaii, as the hot days are waning and the rainy season hasn’t started yet. September is the end of Hawaii’s summer.

Kauai is a little more complicated when it comes to weather. See Erica’s article on the best time to visit Kauai if you’re planning a Napali Coast Cruise or other activities.

The Best Time to Visit Hawaii to Avoid Hurricane Season

Hawaii’s hurricane season runs June 1 – November 30th. While hurricanes don’t occur or cause damage or destruction every year, it’s something to be aware of as you book your trip. Hurricanes causing destruction in Hawaii are rare.

The last three hurricanes that caused damage on Hawaii are Hurricane Lane (2018), Hurricane Iniki (1992), and Hurricane Iwa (1982). The majority of the damage from Hurricane Inkiki was on Kauai. 

Even if a hurricane doesn’t cause destruction or harsh weather (many of them veer off the path of Hawaii), it can still be disruptive to your vacation.

If you get a hurricane warning while on your trip, you can expect disruptions for a few days until the threat passes. For example, if you have a boat trip planned, it will likely be canceled as they wait for storm warnings to pass. 

The Best Time to Go Swimming in Hawaii

The ocean temperature around Hawaii ranges from 71 degrees in winter to 80 degrees in summer. You can go swimming year-round in Hawaii without a wetsuit. 

While the ocean stays warm year-round in Hawaii, the ocean conditions change a lot from summer to winter. The best time to go swimming in Hawaii is in the summer, as you will have a higher probability of calm conditions on the north and south shores of the islands. 

Always check lifeguard flags, ocean conditions, and Hawaii Beach Safety before you head out. See our articles below for safety information.

Related articles:

• The Best Snorkeling in Hawaii by Month
• 5 Best Big Island Beginner Snorkeling Spots
• Swim Without Fear: The Best Places to Snorkel on Maui

Large waves and strong currents are caused by storms thousands of miles away in the Pacific.

During the winter, storms from Alaska create large waves (and big wave surfing) on the north shores of the Hawaiian Islands. Storms from the southern hemisphere are blocked by other islands, but you can still experience large swells during the summer on the south shores of the Hawaiian Islands. 

The Best Time to Visit Hawaii for the Fewest Crowds

If you’re worried about the islands being too busy during your vacation, pick a month when the daily visitor census is low. 

January, February, September, and October have the fewest people on the Hawaiian Islands. To avoid the crowds, these months are the best time to visit Hawaii.

September and October are the least crowded, as visitor counts to the islands drop after Labor Day. 

Note: We will update the graphs below once the 2025 data has been released. 2025 saw about 3% fewer visitors than 2024; hence, the data will be similar. Kauai was the only island to see an increase in visitors.

While the pandemic and fires have caused visitor counts to vary dramatically from previous years, the trends in the ebb and flow of visitors remained the same.

September and October consistently attract the fewest people to Hawaii. When we lived on Maui, those months were a nice break from the summer crowds.

Related articles:

• Your Guide to the Best Spring Break in Hawaii
• Visiting Maui in the Winter: Is It a Good Idea?
• Planning a Trip to Hawaii: 15 Essential Details
• Hawaii in August: Everything to Know For Your Trip

In the 2024 visitor count by Hawaiian Island graph below, you can see that Oahu receives far more visitors than the other islands. If you’re looking to beat the crowds, head to Kauai or the Big Island. 

The Best Time to Visit Hawaii for the Cheapest Costs

Lodging will be your biggest expense when you visit Hawaii. Hotel and vacation rental rates vary by supply and demand. Hence, the summer and winter seasons experience a surge in average daily rates. 

The lowest hotel rates were in September 2019. From 2021-2023, hotel rates also dipped compared to the summer and winter months. FYI, Oahu is the cheapest Hawaiian Island to visit, thanks to hotel prices. Oahu has a larger selection of hotels at different price points.

The large quantity of hostels and 2-star hotels helps to bring the overall average down. You won’t find a difference in hotel quality between the islands. The Four Seasons on Maui is just as lovely as the Four Seasons on Oahu.

Vacation rental daily rates are also low in the fall. The lowest rates for vacation rentals are found in September, October, and early November (prior to Thanksgiving). October had the lowest vacation rental rates in 2019 and 2021-2023, but September won by a few dollars for 2024. 

Car rental rates track lodging rates because they base prices on demand. Hence, you will find the lowest car rental rates in September and October.

For all of our trips to Hawaii, we price shop on Discount Hawaii Car Rental. We find they have the best prices with no pre-pay for the national car rental companies. We share our favorite local car rental companies here.

Airplane tickets are not as seasonal. See the articles below for booking your flight to Hawaii.

• How to Get a Cheap Ticket to Hawaii
• Cheapest Time to Fly to Maui

The Best Time to Visit Hawaii for Whale Watching

If you’re hoping to get a glimpse of the majestic humpback whales that migrate to Hawaii each year, plan your trip sometime between December and the end of March. While you can start spotting whales as early as October or as late as May, the peak whale watching season is during those four months.

If you want to get really specific, the peak months for whale watching are mid-January through March. This is when you’ll find official whale counts happening. And if you’re trying to figure out what island is the best for whale watching, that would be Maui!

To give you an example, the whale counts from January 25th, 2025, are below. These are the total number of whale sightings on each island for that day:

• Maui: 702 whales
• Oahu: 399 whales
• Kauai: 440 whales
• Moloka’i: 87
• Hawai’i (Big Island): 493 whales

The Best Time to Visit Hawaii by Island

The best time to visit Oahu

Oahu is the most popular island to visit — it receives over 50% of Hawaii’s total visitors! And for good reason — Honolulu is a vibrant city, there are so many cultural and historic sights, and it is the cheapest Hawaiian island to visit. You’ll save big on a hotel room in Oahu, even during the peak summer travel season:

July 2025 average daily rate for hotel rooms:

1. Oahu: $307
2. Big Island: $446
3. Kauai: $443
4. Maui: $558

Source: The Hawaii Tourism Authority

Oahu is great to visit year-round, but since it does get so busy, we really like to avoid the summer months. The main area of Waikiki is on the leeward side of the island, so it receives relatively little rain year-round. And if you head out to Ko Olina, you’ll be met with sunny skies practically year-round.

One thing to note is that you won’t want to visit the North Shore of Oahu during the winter months if you’re hoping for ocean conditions that are swimmable. The North Shore of Oahu is home to big wave surfing competitions like the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing.

During those winter month,s the Pacific Ocean shows you just how powerful it is. While you won’t get in the water, it’s incredible to watch the big wave surfers.

Read more about the best time to visit Oahu.

The best time to visit Maui

The best time to visit Maui again is during the shoulder months of April, May, September, and October. Unless you’re coming for whale season, because Maui is the best island for whale watching!

In the summer, Maui can get hot, especially the leeward side of the island, where you will likely be staying (Ka’anapali/Napili/Kapalua or Wailea and Kihei). Things in the summer can get jam-packed, especially on the Road to Hana. And prices surge over the summer, especially for accommodations.

If you are looking to make a trip during whale season, the best time to visit is after the New Year, when the crowds go home. Maui is extremely busy the week before Christmas through New Year’s, so plan your trip for mid-January to head out on a whale-watching tour.

Related read: the 9 BEST whale watching tours on Maui (+our discounts!)

Read more about the best time to visit Maui.

The best time to visit Kauai

Kauai is called the Garden Isle thanks to its lush landscape. The northernmost island is stunning, but rain is essential to keep it so beautiful. Kauai gets a bit more of the extreme weather during winter in Hawaii, which means you should expect a little rain for at least part of your trip.

The best time to visit Kauai is May, August, September, and the beginning of October, when skies are usually blue, and the ocean swells aren’t as big as during the summer months. We love spending the summer months up on the North Shore of Kauai, in Hanalei. (Check out some of the best things to do in Hanalei).

And if you’re hoping to visit the Napali coast, summer is the best time to do so. While the ocean is always a little rough on that side, it is significantly calmer during the summer months. And if you are staying on the north shore, some boats leave directly from there, making the trip out shorter! You’ll definitely want to see our review of the best Napali Coast boat tours before deciding where to go.

Read more about the best time to visit Kauai.

The best time to visit the Big Island

The Big Island is unique in that it sees its biggest surge in visitors over Christmas and New Year’s, so if you can, that’s the time to avoid that island. But we love going pretty much any other month of the year. The best time to visit the Big Island again is during those shoulder months of April, May, September, and October. You likely won’t see big swells on the Kohala coast during those months, which means some of the best beaches on the Big Island are easily accessible.

If you’re headed out to the Big Island to go Manta Ray night snorkeling, you’re in luck.

Unlike whale watching, you can go manta ray night snorkeling any time of year. There is no “season” as far as seeing these beautiful creatures — they live in Hawaii year-round. 

That said, during the winter months, the ocean conditions can be rougher, so you’ll see a higher number of tours cancelled thanks to dangerous conditions. If you’re planning to visit during the winter months and want to go manta ray night snorkeling, be sure to book your trip at the beginning of your visit so you can reschedule if it’s cancelled due to bad weather or ocean conditions. 

Before you book, check out our review of the best Manta Ray night snorkeling tours. There are a lot to choose from, but we did our best to find a range of options that we think provide great experiences.

Read more about the best time to visit the Big Island.

The Worst Times to Visit Hawaii

While you can figure out the best time to visit Hawaii using the charts above, you can also deduce the worst times to visit Hawaii.

The busy times to visit Hawaii are the winter and summer. The winter brings snowbirds who wish to escape the cold. Many annual travelers to Hawaii stay in timeshares or vacation rentals. Hence, vacation rental prices are higher than average during the winter. 

The summer is the peak season, with schools out and summer vacations. Hawaii hit a million monthly visitors in July 2019. Post-pandemic, numbers improved, but in 2025, we are seeing a decrease on some islands.

In July 2025, the total visitor count dropped 4.4 percent compared to 2024. For example, a total of 873,430 visitors came to Hawaii in July 2025.

In 2026, we expect visitor counts to stay flat or decrease.

Hotel rates stayed relatively similar to last year, which is uncommon for this tropical destination (why are Hawaii hotels so expensive (plus clever ways to save)).

The Christmas season is another expensive time to visit the islands due to their holiday popularity. While we say it is the worst time to visit Hawaii, Christmas is a special time on the islands. In fact, the holidays are our favorite season on the islands.

See our Christmas Magic in Hawaii: 19 Tips to Plan Your Hawaii Christmas Vacation and our Things to Do in Hawaii During Christmas to determine if this is the best time to visit Hawaii for you.

Regardless of the time you choose to visit Hawaii, you will have a blast with our Wayfinder Itineraries. Our itineraries finish the planning for you with one download. Perfectly planned excursion days, where to eat, where to stay, a video guide, and more. 

Learn more about our Hawaiian Island Itineraries below.

Things To Do Each Month in Hawaii

If you still aren’t quite sure when you want to visit Hawaii, we have a few events happening on the islands each month to help you decide.

Things to do in January

In January, you have some big swells on the north of the islands, so visit the north shore of any island to watch big wave surfers show off their skills (just don’t try it yourself!). You can also celebrate Chinese New Year in Honolulu’s Chinatown, watch the PGA tour in Kapalua on Maui, and go whale watching on any island. Check out our full breakdown of visiting Hawaii in January.

Things to do in February

In February, things are still all about the whales. Head to the Maui whale watching festival or head on a tour. Watch free, multicultural performing arts and participate in hands-on demonstrations at the Waimea Cherry Festival. And check out Waimea Town Celebration. There’s a rodeo, canoe races, foot races, ice-cream eating contests, and many other fun activities. Get all you need to know about Hawaii in February.

Things to do in March

Listen to spectacular performers and participate in educational programs at the Honolulu Festival in early March. Show off your fitness skills at the Lavaman Triathlon Marathon or the Big Island International Marathon. Listen to Hawaii’s iconic instrument at the Ukulele Festival at Waikoloa (and then take a ukulele class so you can learn to play!) Here’s more on visiting Hawaii in March.

Things to do in April

As we mentioned, April is a great time to visit Hawaii! Check out the Merrie Monarch Festival that celebrates the legacy of King David Kalakaua on the Big Island. Enjoy delicious flavors at the Big Island Chocolate Festival. Enjoy free entry to Hawaii’s National Parks to celebrate the first day of National Park Week. Get important details on visiting Hawaii in April.

Things to do in May

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii. Check out the display of leis at the Annual Lei Day Celebration on May 1st. Participate in a remembrance ceremony at Ala Moana Beach Park on Oahu with the Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony.

Learn more about visiting Hawaii in May.

Things to do in June

There are a number of celebrations on each island to celebrate King Kamehameha, the father of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Celebrate King Kamehameha Day with the floral parade that starts at ‘Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu. The other islands (Maui, Kauai, Big Island, and Molokai) all have floral parades as well. You can also watch statue lei draping on Oahu and the Big Island. Read all about visiting Hawaii in June.

Things to do in July

The summer is full of fun! Watch 4th of July fireworks in Waikiki, Turtle Bay, and other locations. Take part in the Pineapple Festival on Lanai or enjoy a Pineapple Tour on Maui. Check out the Waikiki Steel Guitar Week festivities. July is busy in Hawaii, so read more so you go prepared!

Things to do in August

Listen to some great music at the Hawaiian Slack Key Festival at the Waikiki Aquarium, watch Waikiki’s premier ocean sports festival, Duke’s OceanFest, and run in the Kauai 50 or the Maunawili Out and Back races. If you’re thinking of visiting in August, check out our Hawaii in August article for everything you need to know.

Things to do in September

Check out the Annual Waikiki Ho’olaule’a beachfront street festival and celebrate Hawaiian culture, and watch hula competitions at the Kauai Mokihana Festival. September is one of the best months to visit Hawaii, so make sure you read all about visiting Hawaii in September before you book that trip!

Things to do in October

One of the most affordable months to visit Hawaii, there is still plenty to do in October. Visit the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival or the Honolulu on Tap beer festival. Or explore upcountry Maui and make a stop at the Kula Country Farms pumpkin patch. Definitely read more about visiting Hawaii in October and why it’s so great.

Things to do in November

Enjoy Hula O Na Keiki, the children’s hula competition that’s held each November at the Kaʻanapali Beach Hotel on Maui. Or celebrate the coffee harvest at the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. This is Hawaii’s longest-running food festival, and there’s always plenty to do (and lots of tasty coffee to enjoy!). Read all about visiting Hawaii in November.

Things to do in December

Visiting in December can be busy or quiet, depending on when you go. You can participate in the Pearl Harbor memorial event, visit the Honolulu City Lights displays, run the Honolulu marathon, and see palm trees decorated in Christmas lights. Get the scoop on visiting Hawaii in December.

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