Hawaii · United States
January
Humpback whale season opens and North Shore surf peaks — winter Hawaii at its most dramatic.
Strong option
#10 of 12 months
There are better months for Hawaii — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
27°C
Low
21°C
Rain
78mm
Sun
6.8hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How January scores in Hawaii
Weather
Good
Value
Average
Crowds
Average
Events
Excellent
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in January
- ↑Humpback whale season (January through May) is one of the most reliable whale watching experiences on Earth — Hawaii's waters host 10,000+ North Pacific humpbacks annually, and Maui's Auau Channel is the world's primary breeding ground; surface activity including breaches, tail slaps, and spy-hops is extraordinary from December through April
- ↑North Shore Oahu surf is at its peak in January — the famous Banzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach break at heights of 15–25 feet, and while the Eddie Aikau competition requires a 40-foot swell, watching any January swell from the shore is genuinely spectacular
- ↑Post-New Year pricing softens slightly from Christmas peaks — mid-January to late January is the best value window of the winter high season, and hotel availability improves after the holiday rush
What you sacrifice
- ↓January is among the rainiest months of the year: 78mm across the islands (predominantly on the north and east-facing windward coasts) means rainy days are common, particularly on Maui's Road to Hana side and Kauai's North Shore
- ↓Post-Christmas demand keeps prices elevated through January — airfares and accommodation remain well above the shoulder season rates of April–May, and quality properties need booking months in advance
- ↓North Shore surf makes the water completely un-swimmable on Oahu's north coast from October to April — surf is spectacular to watch but the safe swimming beaches are on the south shore (Waikiki) or in protected coves
How January compares to May (best month)
| Factor | January | May ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 6 | 9 |
| Value | 4 | 7 |
| Crowds | 4 | 7 |
January in other destinations
Lisbon (13.6°C)Barcelona (13.2°C)Tokyo (9.8°C)Bali (30.2°C)Santorini (13.4°C)Paris (7°C)New York (3.3°C)Marrakech (17.3°C)Amsterdam (5.6°C)Maldives (30.1°C)Rome (11.6°C)Bangkok (31.1°C)Istanbul (8.7°C)Vienna (3.2°C)Seoul (1.1°C)Dubrovnik (11.1°C)Rio de Janeiro (30.9°C)Kyoto (9.2°C)Phuket (31.5°C)Cape Town (26.1°C)Prague (2°C)Amalfi Coast (12°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (31°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (24°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (29°C)Miami (24.1°C)Florence (9.2°C)Queenstown (22°C)Madrid (9.4°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (4°C)Budapest (4°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (6°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (18°C)Osaka (9°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (19°C)Buenos Aires (30°C)Mykonos (13°C)Zanzibar (32°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (13°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (29°C)Havana (26°C)Split (10°C)Taipei (19°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (15°C)Ho Chi Minh City (33°C)Cappadocia (4°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (28°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (18°C)Jordan (12°C)Azores (17°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (19.8°C)Cairo (19.1°C)Kenya (26.8°C)Jaipur (22.2°C)Las Vegas (13.9°C)San Francisco (13.2°C)Madeira (19.5°C)Vancouver (6.9°C)Muscat (26.4°C)Lima (26.2°C)Cinque Terre (11°C)Kotor (10°C)Tel Aviv (18°C)Santiago (30°C)Bogotá (19°C)Bruges (5.8°C)Penang (31.5°C)Lombok (30.8°C)Cape Verde (26.2°C)Fez (13.8°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (18°C)Oslo (-1°C)Auckland (24°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Hawaii, not across destinations. Methodology →