High and Low Seasons, Weather, and Where To Go
When To Visit
When is the best time to visit Hawaii? The answer depends upon your vacation goals, how much you want to spend and what your top priorities are? Do you want the best weather? The best waves? The lowest cost?
Peak Seasons
Peaks seasons for visitors in the Hawaiian Islands are June to mid-September and from mid-December to January. From mid-June to August many children are out of school and family vacations to Hawaii are popular.
Traveling to Hawaii during a peak season time may require a little more planning to make sure you have everything you need such as a great place to stay, rental car, etc.
A low season for visiting Hawaii is from January to March and from November to the middle of December. Lower priced plane tickets can generally be found during the low seasons, and you can often find good prices with very short notice. Airfares and hotel room prices can be researched on the internet for good deals.
April and May, as well as mid-September to October are “shoulder seasons” that fall somewhere between the peak season and the low season in terms of prices as well as crowds.
Crowds
Generally a Hawaii vacation at any time of year will give you a chance to enjoy warm and expansive white sand beaches, tropical sunshine, and popular visitor attractions without too much worry about crowds, though traveling during a low season ensures a more spacious environment during your adventures.
Hawaii receives a huge influx of Japanese visitors during the last week of April, which is known as Golden Week. Three Japanese holidays come one after another during this time, and most of them go to Waikiki.
Traveling during high season may also make it difficult to secure the best deals on airfares and accommodations (hotel room, condo, vacation rental) as well as rental cars and other things you may want.
Seasons
While winter weather in Hawaii can sometimes be a bit rainy and even chilly, there are generally warm and comfortable conditions all year around, and often beautiful beach days even in the middle of winter. Winter is also the time that surfers love to ride the biggest waves, particularly on the northern shores of the islands.
Since many other areas are quite cold during the winter, Hawaii sees many visitors during December and January who travel to the islands to enjoy the warm weather that typically hovers around the 70s and 80s (Fahrenheit).
By Hawaii standards it is considered chilly if you have to put on a sweatshirt, and this can occur on some winter nights or in the early morning.
Ocean Conditions
Though ocean conditions are often rougher in the winters on the northern shores, there are more protected beaches on southern shores and the water temperature is about 75 degrees Fahrenheit, which is only about five degrees less than in the winter and still plenty warm for swimming.
Of course there are much cooler areas at higher elevations such as Maui’s Upcountry region and summit of Haleakala Volcano, Kokee State Park on Kauai, or the Big Island’s snow-capped Mauna Kea.
The Tradewinds
Hawaii’s prevailing northeasterly tradewinds create wetter and windier conditions on the eastern sides of the islands and hotter, drier conditions on the western sides.
Mountain ranges also create different climates in particular areas from the lush green of Hanalei on Kauai’s northern shore to the pleasant, balmy conditions of Oahu’s southern shore at Waikiki.
Sun Worshippers
If you are coming to Hawaii for sunny beach days your best bet is usually on the south and western shores of the islands, from Kailua-Kona on the Big Island’s western coast to “sunny Poipu” on Kauai’s south coast.
Keep in mind that during the peak of summer these areas may be a bit warmer than you like, and so many people prefer the cooler and breezier conditions found on eastern and northern shores.
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helpful - thanks!