When should you go to Maui?
If you want to see the whales, you need to visit Maui between January and the end of March. If whale watching is not a deciding factor, then the easiest way to determine good times to visit would be to eliminate the less desirable times.
The busiest times to visit Maui are around the big holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter. During these times, the crowds are the biggest and the hotel rates are high. The crowds are typically larger than normal during the summer months when kids are out of school and people are taking their summer vacations.
The chart below shows the number of monthly visitors to the island of Maui. The greatest number of visitors is during the month of March—perhaps due to spring break—but I have taken my family to Hawaii during a number of spring breaks and not had any trouble. The family is tired of the cold weather at our house, the kids are out of school, and it’s a great time to see the whales. September looks like the least popular time to visit Maui—perhaps because none of those three previous reasons to visit Maui are true.
Monthly Visitors to the Island of Maui
Weather is often a consideration when planning a vacation. Below are the high and low temperatures for Lahaina. As you can see, they don’t vary much. The temperature in Hawaii is pleasant year-around, hovering in the seventies and eighties.
Temperature (Fahrenheit) in Lahaina
Below is a chart of the monthly average rainfall (in inches) in Lahaina. The winter months are wetter while the summer months are drier.
Rainfall in Lahaina
If you’re up around Lahaina or Ka’anapali, the best times for sunsets are April, May, October, and November. That’s when you can actually see the sunset on the horizon. In winter, the sun sets a bit to the south, so it sets behind Lana`i; in the summer, it sets to the north behind Moloka`i.
If you’re staying down around Kihei or Wailea, the sunsets may be better from fall to spring. During that time, the sun should set south of Lana`i.
Of course, if you take a sunset cruise, any time of year is good because the crew will take the boat out where the islands don’t obscure the sunset. Remember, though, that you can see a great sunset from many places on the island.
If you don’t care whether you see the whales or not and are free to travel any time during the year, based on the factors we have just covered, September may be a good time for you to visit Maui.
