Best time to visit / Honolulu
When is it cheapest to visit Honolulu?
See how room prices move month by month, and know the cheapest window and the peak season to avoid before you book.
Cheapest Jan, Feb
A regional seasonality estimate; see the notes below for this city and its specifics.
Honolulu is cheapest to visit in January and February.
Peak season is June, July, August, and December, when rooms cost the most.
Honolulu seasons and room prices
Honolulu is warm all year, but hotel prices swing hard. Christmas to New Year is the peak, mainland winter demand keeps rates high from mid December to March, and Japan's Golden Week in early May and Obon in mid August add their own spikes, as does the Honolulu Marathon on the second Sunday of December. April to early June and September to early December are the value windows, with the same Waikiki hotel noticeably cheaper and the weather still fine. November to March is technically the wet season, but rain usually means a passing shower, and the June to November hurricane season rarely affects Oahu.
Honolulu local costs and payment
The currency is the US dollar, cards work everywhere, and cash is needed only for tips and the bus. Hawaii taxes hotels heavily: the state transient accommodations tax, an Oahu county surcharge and the general excise tax together add close to a fifth of the room rate. On top of that most Waikiki hotels charge a nightly resort fee, which booking sites often leave out of the online total so it surfaces at check in, and parking is a further daily charge. Compare hotels on the total with tax and resort fee, pay in dollars, and decline home currency conversion. Restaurant tips run fifteen to twenty percent.
Take Honolulu further into a stay plan
Once you have picked a cheap time to go, work out which base gives you the shortest travel.
When to visit Honolulu: common questions
When is it cheapest?
Honolulu is cheapest in the low season, January and February.
When is peak season?
June, July, August, and December is peak season, when room prices are highest.
Which months should I avoid?
To spend the least, avoid the peak months of June, July, August, and December, when prices climb.