“When is the best time to visit Hawaii?” Friends and family often asked me this question while I lived in Hawaii, working travel healthcare contracts.
Hawaii is a beautiful place to visit all year round, so I don’t think there’s a bad time to visit.
When to visit depends on what you are looking for in a Hawaii travel getaway.
Do you want to:
- See whales
- Soak in the sun and avoid the rain
- Enjoy the holidays
- Be budget-conscious
- Avoid crowds as much as possible
All of these things will help paint a picture of the best time to visit Hawaii for you.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Hawaii?
To summarize the main points of this post, there is a rainy season and a dry season. If you want to avoid the rain, it’s best to avoid traveling from November through April.
However, if you want to avoid crowds and overspending, I think the shoulder season is best, usually April/May before schools let out for the summer, and September/October.
As someone who travels a lot, both professionally and for fun, my favorite times to visit Hawaii are the shoulder seasons, from April to May and September to October.
During those months, you typically won’t see much rain, and the weather will be nice and sunny. The temperature during these months typically ranges from the high 60s to mid-80s.
The cost of flights and hotels will typically be off-peak prices.
Not to mention, the islands will be less crowded, making it easier to book excursions, rental cars, and restaurants.
Holiday-season travel typically starts in early to mid-November and runs through the new year.
This is by far the busiest time of the year. It’s also some of the most beautiful if you enjoy holiday decorations and flair. Plus, you can see the whale migrations.
During the holidays, you’ll see airfare prices skyrocket, and it’s generally one of the busiest times on all of the islands.
Learn More About Hawaii Travel Here: The Ultimate Hawaii Travel Guide
Go During an Airfare Sale
Getting a cheap flight to Hawaii is always a win!
Now, when planning a trip to Hawaii, I often let the dates come to me.
I learned that there are often airfare sales for flights to Hawaii, especially if you live on the West Coast.
I subscribe to multiple travel-alert newsletters that email me about special airfare deals to Hawaii.
Typically, I find round-trip deals under $400 per person (or less) from the West Coast.
Why pay full price when you can get a sale?
Travel alert email newsletters
- Going (previously Scott’s Cheap Flights): Sends deal alerts and error fares via email
- Thrifty Premium: Emails deals and an occasional text message for a unicorn error fare.
- TravelZoo: Sends weekly emails with their top deals of the week, and there are often great Hawaii sales on them, often including hotel packages.
Other Places to Look For Hawaii Deals
- Costco Travel: Consistently has great Hawaii vacation packages. Must be a member.
- Kayak: Aggregates flight, hotel, and car rental deals
When Is The Rainy Season In Hawaii?
The rainy season in Hawaii is typically from November through April. However, rain can come earlier or later in the year.
The amount of rainfall depends a lot on which island you’re on and which side of the island you’re visiting.
According to the National Weather Service, Hilo on Hawaii Island receives approximately 130 inches of rain per year. This is more than triple the amount of rain that Seattle receives on the mainland, at 39 inches per year.
Meanwhile, Ewa Beach, on Oahu, gets only 17 inches of rain per year.
After spending a winter living and working in Hilo, and getting crushed by the rain throughout the rainy season, I would never travel to Hilo in the winter if I wanted a sunny trip. However, you have higher chances of getting sun on an Oahu winter trip.
Make sure you pack everything you need for the rain or sun: Hawaii Packing Guide
When Is Hurricane Season In Hawaii?
Hurricane season is June 1 through November 30. This runs through the summer, which is one of the hottest months for tourism in Hawaii.
The weather patterns in Hawaii tend to protect the islands from hurricanes coming close to land. It’s still a good idea to check the weather and stay alert before you travel in the summer.
When Can I See Whales in Hawaii?
The humpback whales migrate through Hawaii from the polar regions, typically from November through April.
Every year, thousands of whales come to Hawaii to breed and give birth to their calves in the Hawaiian waters.
If your goal is to see whales in Hawaii, January, February, and March are typically the best months for whale watching.
Maui is your go-to island for whale watching, and you can check out whale watching excursions here.
Plan your trip to Hawaii with these posts
When to Work a Travel Nursing Assignment in Hawaii?
If you’re in the travel nursing industry, like I was for 15+ years, you know how hard it is to coordinate when we work in places with specific seasons. You know you need to go to the jobs when they appear, versus waiting for a job to come to you.
In this case, I recommend taking a job in Hawaii whenever you can.
If you go in the winter, which is the rainy season, and you want to stay until the summer, you can always extend. In my experience, Hawaii tends to extend travelers more than the mainland.
Personally, the first job I worked in Hawaii was in September, and we had an early rainy season. Within weeks of getting there, I was rained out on most hikes. I ended up extending for a year and then working perm at a hospital for another year.
I later worked a job in Hilo during its rainy season, which has by far the highest rainfall in Hawaii.
Even though I went to work in Hilo during a downpour each day, I still enjoyed it.
Plus, you could usually drive an hour and be able to see some sunshine. There’s usually sun at some place on the islands if you’re willing to drive for it.
Moral of the story: if you want the job, take it!
Conclusions on The Best Time to Visit Hawaii
There is no bad time to visit or take a travel nursing assignment in Hawaii.
If you value smaller crowds and lower prices, you may enjoy the shoulder season, which lies between the rainy and dry seasons.
If you want to see the whales, January through March is a good time.
To avoid the rainy season, try May through October.