I’ve got good news for you…there’s no BAD time to go to Hawaii ; )

But depending on what you’re after (low crowds, best weather, low prices, WHALES), then some times are definitely better than others.

The Best Time to Go to Hawaii

This post may contain some affiliate links, which means I’ll make a little money on anything you choose to purchase. But of course, I only recommend my absolute favorites to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Mousin’ Around possible.

And I know these days most people are planning their vacations around work/school/holiday schedules and generally have an idea about when they’re going to go, but if you’re wide open and trying to pick the best time to go to Hawaii, here are a few things to think about:

Weather

As far as weather goes, Hawaii is pretty temperate year round, but their seasons technically match ours on the US mainland. Our summer is their summer and our winter is their winter.

“Winter” is a relative term in Hawaii, but what it mostly means are big waves and more rain.

Winter is the wet season in Hawaii so while most resort areas on the Hawaiian islands occupy the leeward (dry and sunny) side of the island, if you’re venturing to the north shore or any jungle areas, you’ll likely experience more rain in the winter months. It’ll also be much lusher and greener and you’ll see more waterfalls ; )

The winter months also bring big swells and surf competitions (on Oahu) and many stellar snorkeling spots (Honolua Bay on Maui, Waimea Bay on Oahu, and Tunnels on Kauai) aren’t snorkelable (is that a word??) in the winter.

The difference between “winter” and “summer” is a bigger deal to locals than tourists though. Unless you’re visiting the higher elevation areas of Maui and the Big Island, you aren’t likely to notice much of a difference in the temperature (air or water). Just remember, winter generally means more rain. But if you’re staying in the resort areas (Waikiki and Ko Olina on Oahu, Wailea/Kihei and Lahaina/Kaanapali on Maui, Kona and Kohala on the Big Island, and Poipu on Kauai) you’re going to be pretty good on the sunshine.

And while hurricane season in Hawaii is technically June-November, hurricanes are pretty rare.

Whale Season

Whale season usually stretches from mid December through mid April. Of course the whales aren’t quite aware of the thousands of tourists in Hawaii waiting for their arrival, so they come when they want to.

The first arrivals could start showing up as early as late October, but they’re few and far between. The end of December through January is when they reallllly start to arrive with February being PEAK whale season.

By mid April, the majority have already started their migration back to Alaska (where they feed), but there could be a few stragglers that hang around into May.

If you’re planning your trip with the main goal of seeing humpback whales…make it February, and make it Maui.

Read more about whale watching in Hawaii here.

***Want to save major $$$ on your trip to Hawaii? I get asked ALL the time how I’m able to travel so often to Hawaii and stay at really nice resorts. Well, my favorite travel hack is cashing in points to score free airfare and free nights at some of Hawaii’s most high end resorts. Read my full guide on the exact system I use to max out credit card rewards here. Seriously, it’s going to save you soooo much money.

The Cheapest Time to Go to Hawaii

Well, it’s not when kids are out of school ; ) Whenever kids are out of school is high season…the summer and the winter holidays are booming, ESPECIALLY around Christmas and New Years.

Airfare skyrockets around Christmas and you’ll pay a premium at every resort and condo in the islands. If you’re traveling on a budget, avoid Christmas! I would block out the last two weeks of December and the first week of January.

June, July, and the first half of August are when summer crowds flock to Hawaii. Though nothing like Christmas in terms of crowds and prices, the summer months still attract a fair number of visitors and airfare prices sometimes reflect that. If you’re working with some kind of external factors (school schedules, ability to take vacation days from work, etc.) summer is still a good time to plan a trip to Hawaii.

You may not find airfare or accommodations at their rock bottom, but you can still find plenty of deals during this time of year.

So the VERY best time to go to Hawaii in terms of low crowds and therefore low(er) prices is during shoulder season in the spring and fall.

I’ve been to Hawaii pretty much all times of the year and I’m constantly monitoring prices on flights and hotels and I consistently find mid April through May and mid August through mid October to be the cheapest time of year to go to Hawaii.

You can find great airfare bargains during this time and hotel prices are generally as low as you’ll ever find them. Kids are either just wrapping up school and have a lineup of events (prom, graduation, etc.) or they’ve just started back to school so no one is skipping school for vacation.

Also, while these are transition seasons, you’ll have mostly summer weather. Late spring has the perk of everything still being super green from all the winter rain, but early fall has the perk of warmer air and water temperatures on the coattails of summer (both are relative though because Hawaii is pretty much always “green and lush” and “warm and sunny.”

(an end to the busy summer travel season) and holiday travel hasn’t started yet so it’s a nice little lull.

You’ll have mostly summer weather although October is usually a transition month.

Avoiding Crowds

I’ve already mentioned Christmas and the general busyness of summer, but another window to be aware of is Japan’s Golden Week.

Japanese tourists flock to Hawaii year round, but their prime travel time (comparable to our winter holidays) is Golden Week. This week at the end of April/beginning of May (April 29-May 5, 2025) is a stretch of four national holidays over the span of seven days. So it’s a major travel time.

While I don’t think you necessarily see more crowds in general during this time in Hawaii (because it’s the low season for US travel), it’s a higher concentration of Japanese travelers and sometimes that means higher prices at resorts and hotels. This is mostly on Oahu, but you may notice it a bit at the high end resorts on the outer islands too.

I don’t think this is something to reschedule a trip around, but if you’re wide open you may find better prices (and slightly fewer crowds) by avoiding these days. Just something to look into.

That being said, if you like Japanese culture, I think sometimes the hotels/shops/restaurants put our special offerings that cater more to Japanese guests during this time and that could be attractive.

For example, at Disney’s Aulani Resort on Oahu, character meet and greets, merch, and snacks that vibe with things that are popular with Asian visitors (namely fan favorites like Duffy, Shellie May, and Olu Mel) are featured more plentifully during this time of year. Read this post if you have no idea what I’m talking about ; )

There may be more shopping collections and opportunities at places like the Ala Moana geared towards Japanese visitors too. Basically, don’t miss the Hello Kitty merch.

And I would also be aware of the IronMan World Championships which are hosted in Kona (Big Island usually towards the end of October (October 26, 2024 this year). This event brings a LOT of people to the island and congestion around Kona in particular. Can you avoid it if you’re staying on another part of the island? Yes, but have a good plan.

Side Note: If you’re looking for a rental car for your trip, I LOVE Discount Hawaii Car Rentals. They’re seriously the only company I ever use. They’ll give you the very best prices, you don’t have to reserve with a credit card or pay until you show up, you can cancel and re-book anytime if you find a better rate, and they usually have a special that adds additional drivers for no fee. It’s a no brainer. Click here to check rates for your trip.

Special Events in Hawaii

Sometimes it’s fun to plan your trip to coincide with a special event. Here are some big ones throughout the islands:

 Merrie Monarch Festival (Hilo, Big Island in March 31-April 6, 2024)

Honolulu Marathon (Oahu on December 8, 2024)

Made in Hawaii (Oahu on August 23-25, 2024)

Made on Maui (Maui on November 1 and 2, 2024)

May Day (All Islands on May 1)

Hawaii International Film Festival (October 2-13, 2024)

Prince Lot Hula Competition (Oahu on July 20, 2024)

King Kamehameha Celebration (All Islands from June 7-15)

Hawaii Food & Wine Fest (Big Island, Maui, and Oahu in October)

Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (Big Island on November 1-10, 2024)

Kapalua Wine & Food Fest (Maui on June 6-9, 2024)

Kauai Chocolate & Coffee Festival (Kauai on October 20, 2024)

My Favorite Times to Go to Hawaii

Like I said, there’s never a bad time to go to Hawaii, and I’ve tested that out ; )

But here are the times of year I keep coming back to…

Shoulder Season in April/May and September/October

I am a hotel/resort person so I always have a list of places that I want to stay. And I consistently find the best rates in either late April through May or late August through October. So that is very attractive to me. The only downside about visiting during these times is that it’s the best part of the year weather wise where I live. So escaping home for a trip to Hawaii just isn’t as appealing as it is in…

February

This brings me to my FAVORITE time of year to go to Hawaii. February is not necessarily the cheapest or the least crowded (it’s also not the most!), but there is NOTHING more luxurious than escaping the long, cold, dark winter where I live for a trip to Hawaii.

I will pay a little bit more as a “winter tax” and while visiting Hawaii anytime is a treat, visiting Hawaii during the winter is my ultimate treat. Plus, there are whales ; )