Is July a good month for a Hawaii vacation?

We continue our month by month examination all the important criteria – such as costs, weather, crowds and special events –  to evaluate when is the best time for you to visit Hawaii. It’s now time to focus in on the month of July.

What’s the weather like in Hawaii in July?

July’s weather in Hawaii can be described as very summer-like with lots of sunshine and warm temperatures. Daytime high temperature average in 80s F. Nighttime temperatures only dip into the low to mid 70s F.

The ocean temperatures are warming up after winter. For example, the July ocean temperature in Honolulu is about 80F. You can swim year round in Hawaii.

July’s rainfall is typically one of the lowest for the year. July levels are only slightly higher than the lowest rainfall averages normally seen in June. Here are the average rainfall levels by island for the month of July:

Kauai – 1.87 inches – This measurement is based on Lihue’s averages per Weather.com. Lihue is located on the southeastern side of the island and is not as wet as the North Shore, but not as dry as the South Shore.

Oahu – 0.92 inches – This average is based on Honolulu’s rainfall per Weather.com. North Shore rainfall will be a little higher, while Ko Olina’s rainfall will be slightly lower.

Maui – 0.5 inches – This average is based on Kahului’s rainfall per Weather.com. Kahului is where Maui’s main airport is, but it’s not typically considered a resort area like Wailea, Lahaina, Kaanapali and Kapalua. Kahului’s rainfall tends to be a bit higher than all the resort areas, with the exception of Hana on east Maui.

Hawaii, the Big Island – 0.57 inches – This average is based on Kailua-Kona’s weather per Weather.com. Kailua-Kona is a popular resort area. Further north on the Kohala Coast, the weather tends to be even drier with only about 10 – 12 inches of rain for the entire year! Hilo, on the east side of Hawaii Island, is another story though, with an average of 10.81 inches of rainfall for July per Weather.com.

Lanai – 1.66 inches – This average is for Lanai City in Lanai’s upcountry/highlands, which tends to get much more rain that the island’s sunny, beach resort at Manele Bay. Data sourced from Weather.com.

Molokai – 0.44 inches – This average, per Weather.com, is for the airport just west of Kaunakakai town. Weather towards the east side will be rainier.

Though not necessarily weather-related, it’s worth mentioning that daylight hours are practically maximized in June and July. If you are planning long hikes or sight-seeing trips, you’ll have more daylight hours than compared months around winter.

Is July a crowded time to visit Hawaii?

Let’s preface the answer to this question by saying that we always hesitate to use the word crowded when talking about Hawaii. The reason being is that even when we’ve visited Hawaii during busy holidays like Easter and New Year’s Eve, we’ve never felt like Hawaii was crowded.

That being said, from our analysis of Hawaii visitor data provided by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, July attracts the most visitors to Hawaii.

One of the two main reasons Hawaii attracts more visitors in July is that the North American school year has just completed. With the kids being out of school for summer vacation, July is a popular time for family vacations.The other reason July is popular is for the July 4th holiday. All the major Hawaiian islands offer great July 4th celebrations and fireworks. We create a list of all the best July 4th fireworks shows, parades and celebrations each year. They are updated by June of each year. You can find those pages via these links:

• Oahu July 4th
• Maui July 4th
• Kauai July 4th
• Hawaii, Big Island July 4th

Is July an expensive time to go to Hawaii?

Per our Hawaii hotel rate analysis, July rates tend to be above average, with the week of July 4th being the most expensive time of the month to visit.

Airfare-wise, from our observations, July tends to be one of the more expensive times of the year to travel to Hawaii, but not as pricey as the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Are there any special festivals or reasons to visit Hawaii in July?

As we’ve already mentioned, Hawaii offers excellent July 4th fireworks and events.

The major Hawaii festivals typically held in July are as follows:

Lanai – Pineapple Festival 

Oahu – Prince Lot Hula Festival 

Kauai – Koloa Plantation Days

Beyond these major festivals, you might find other events during your July visit by searching the Events on GoHawaii.com. Also, we publish a list of the top festivals at least a month or two before each new quarter. Subscribe to our free updates to stay on the pulse of the very best Hawaii vacation news.

In summary, is July a good month to visit Hawaii?

Summer weather with low rainfall levels, along with great festivals make July a great time to visit Hawaii. Though the Hawaiian Islands will have a near peak number of visitors, hotel rates tend to be above average. On the downside, flights tend to be fairly expensive in July. If your schedule and budget allows, we don’t hesitate to recommend a July visit to Hawaii.

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This article is part of a larger, month by month series. To learn about other months, see our article on the best times to vacation in Hawaii.