Hawaii’s Big Island – When to Go

There’s really not a bad time to visit the Big Island of Hawaii. We wouldn’t hesitate visiting Hawaii, the Big Island any day of the year. One of our favorite times to visit Hawaii is during humpback whale season that generally runs from January through March, plus or minus a couple of weeks. The peak month is February.

For low crowds and usually good deals, we like traveling to Hawaii in mid/late April, May, early June and then in the autumn months of September, October, and even into November.

The busiest time to visit the Big Island is around any holiday, especially Christmas, New Years Eve, Valentines Day, Easter and Independence Day (July 4th). Summer months (from mid-June through August) are also popular as families come to the island for summer vacations. These busy times are also some of the more expensive times to visit Hawaii. So, it’s not terrible, but try to schedule around them if you can.

The Big Island’s weather is pleasantly warm and tropical all year-round. The daily average temperatures range from mid-70’s to mid-80’s in the major resort areas. In the higher elevations such as Waimea and Volcano, the temperatures can be a bit cooler, especially at night. Check out ourHawaii Island weather guide for more weather details.

The Big Island is really one of the best places to stay on Hawaii to avoid rain. The amount of rainfall varies based on what side of the island you are on. The east side (Hilo side) averages 132 inches of rain each year, mostly falling overnight. The west side (Kona side) averages only 10 inches of rain per year in the Kohala Coast region. Most of the rain in Hawaii tends to fall in the winter months of November through February and even a bit into March.

For month by month detail see our article detailing when are the best times to go to Hawaii

>> Go back to the Big Island Vacation Guide