Hawaii · United States
May
The best month nobody talks about — near-summer weather at shoulder prices with empty beaches.
Best match
#1 of 12 months
May is one of the best times to visit Hawaii.
Climate
High
29°C
Low
24°C
Rain
24mm
Sun
8.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How May scores in Hawaii
Weather
Outstanding
Value
Very good
Crowds
Very good
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in May
- ↑May delivers summer-quality weather — just 24mm of rain, 8.5 sunshine hours daily, and temperatures reaching 29°C — with none of summer's prices or crowds; it is statistically the best month for value-to-conditions ratio across the Hawaiian islands
- ↑Lei Day (May 1) is the Hawaiian cultural celebration of flowers and community — a genuine local event rather than a tourist production, with lei-making competitions, hula performances, and outdoor markets that offer an authentic entry into Hawaiian culture
- ↑Snorkelling conditions on all islands reach their seasonal peak in May: water clarity is excellent, reef fish populations are active, and the calm post-whale-season water makes Molokini Crater (Maui), Hanauma Bay (Oahu), and Kealakekua Bay (Big Island) accessible to all skill levels
What you sacrifice
- ↓Memorial Day weekend (end of May) brings a sharp demand spike — the final days of May see a significant jump in domestic US travel and prices; book accommodation for the Memorial Day long weekend well in advance or accept higher rates
- ↓Some visitor attractions and beach concessions are not yet at full summer hours in early May — a handful of seasonal operations (paddleboard rentals, snorkel tours on certain islands) are still in shoulder-season mode
- ↓May is genuinely post-whale season — anyone specifically visiting for humpback sightings will be disappointed; the whale boats still run but sightings are sporadic rather than reliable
May in other destinations
Lisbon (20.7°C)Barcelona (20.8°C)Tokyo (23.8°C)Bali (31.2°C)Santorini (19.8°C)Paris (18.1°C)New York (20.4°C)Marrakech (26.4°C)Amsterdam (16.4°C)Maldives (31.5°C)Rome (21.7°C)Bangkok (32.6°C)Istanbul (20.7°C)Vienna (19.7°C)Seoul (21.4°C)Dubrovnik (20.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (26.2°C)Kyoto (25.2°C)Phuket (32.6°C)Cape Town (18.9°C)Prague (21°C)Amalfi Coast (23°C)Mexico City (27°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (28°C)London (18°C)Sydney (19°C)Iceland (10°C)Tulum (32°C)Dubai (38°C)Singapore (33°C)Hoi An (33°C)Chiang Mai (33°C)Miami (30.6°C)Florence (23.1°C)Queenstown (11°C)Madrid (21.7°C)Porto (21°C)Edinburgh (15°C)Copenhagen (16°C)Budapest (22°C)Kraków (20°C)Tbilisi (23°C)Palawan (32°C)Hanoi (31°C)Osaka (25°C)Goa (33°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (19°C)Mykonos (23°C)Zanzibar (28°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (27°C)Cancun (32°C)Krabi (33°C)Athens (25°C)Seville (27°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (34°C)Havana (30°C)Split (22°C)Taipei (30°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (24°C)Ho Chi Minh City (34°C)Cappadocia (22°C)Dominican Republic (31°C)Jamaica (31°C)Tanzania (23°C)Seychelles (28°C)Nepal (28°C)Jordan (28°C)Azores (21°C)Bora Bora (28°C)Los Angeles (22.8°C)Cairo (34.8°C)Kenya (26.1°C)Jaipur (40.2°C)Las Vegas (33.8°C)San Francisco (17.5°C)Madeira (23°C)Vancouver (17.8°C)Muscat (40.1°C)Lima (20.5°C)Cinque Terre (21°C)Kotor (22°C)Tel Aviv (27°C)Santiago (17°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (17.8°C)Penang (33.2°C)Lombok (31.5°C)Cape Verde (27.8°C)Fez (27.8°C)Kerala (33°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (28°C)Oslo (17°C)Auckland (17°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Hawaii, not across destinations. Methodology →