Covers the six Hawaiian islands, Key West, Nantucket, Hilton Head, Fiji and Bora Bora, plus the passport rules for US citizens.
UpdatedThis page carries dated prices, schedules or seasonal facts checked on the date above, and that window has now passed. Re-check the sources at the foot of the page before you book.
July is Hawaii at its hottest and, on the leeward coasts, its driest. Highs in our data reach 85°F (29.5°C) on Maui and Molokai, and the sea is 80°F to 81°F (27°C) on every island. The north shores are in their calm summer phase, and the whales are long gone.
July is also the one month on these pages where our hotel benchmark is the real thing: we priced every island for Wednesday, July 14, 2027. The result splits the islands. Maui and Lanai are cheaper than in January. Oahu, Molokai and the Big Island are not. And July opens the part of hurricane season our scores penalize, a reminder that 2026 brought three storms to the islands.
Score = 55% this month's weather + 45% the island's other five factors. How we score
| # | Island | Score | High °F | Sea °F | Rain (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maui | 8.8 | 85 | 81 | 0.6 |
| 2 | Oahu | 8.7 | 84 | 80 | 0.8 |
| 3 | Lanai | 7.6 | 81 | 80 | 1.5 |
| 4 | Kauai | 7.3 | 81 | 80 | 5.7 |
| 5 | Molokai | 7.3 | 85 | 80 | 0.6 |
| 6 | Big Island (Hawaii Island) | 6.8 | 82 | 81 | 9.8 |
1Maui leads July with a 9.7 weather score, 85°F highs, an 81°F sea and 0.6 inches (15 mm) of rain, plus 9 of 10 for beaches and things to do. It is also the island where July saves the most against winter: Kihei's cheapest 3-star-or-better hotel was $216 on July 14, 2027, $80 less than on January 13. Summer brings calm water to the west and south shores. You give up whales, and Lahaina is still being rebuilt.
2Oahu is 0.14 points behind, with the same 9.7 weather score, 84°F highs and 0.8 inches (21 mm) of rain. Its beaches score 8 against Maui's 9, and it is the most crowded island here. It stays the value pick: Waikiki was $169 on July 14, 2027, though that is $30 more than in January. The North Shore is calm in summer, so Waimea Bay and Shark's Cove are for swimming and snorkeling, not just watching.
3Lanai is third, and July is its best month in our weather data. The score is 9.7, with 81°F highs, an 80°F sea and 1.5 inches (38 mm) of rain. Calm summer seas make Hulopoe Bay a reliable snorkel. Its value score of 1.0 holds it back, even though the Four Seasons was $683 cheaper on July 14, 2027 than in January, at $1,959. A ferry day trip from Maalaea, from $30, gets you the same beach.
4Kauai edges Molokai for fourth by 0.01 points. Its July weather score is 8.0: 81°F highs, an 80°F sea and 5.7 inches (146 mm) of rain at Lihue. Its 8-of-10 beaches lift it; its conditional verdict after Hurricane Lowell costs 0.4. Summer is the season for Hanalei Bay and Ke'e at Haena, which reopened October 15, 2026. Kapaa was $236 on July 14, 2027. Check whether Koke'e Road to Waimea Canyon has reopened before you plan the west side.
5Molokai matches Maui's July weather, 9.7, with 85°F highs and 0.6 inches (15 mm) of rain. It ranks fifth because beaches and things to do score 4 each. July is the month when Papohaku and the east-end coves toward Halawa are most often calm enough to swim. Hotel Molokai was $356 on July 14, 2027, more than on our January date, and Lanai Air flies in from Honolulu for $169 one way.
6The Big Island is last for July because our data puts 9.8 inches (248 mm) of rain at the Kona gateway, which drops its weather score to 6.2. Highs are 82°F and the sea 81°F. It still scores 9 for things to do: Kilauea's eruption episodes, manta ray night snorkels, Mauna Kea. Kailua-Kona was $269 on July 14, 2027. After Hurricane Lala in August 2026, check road conditions in the Kau district before driving the southern loop.
In this guide
Each island scores 55% for its July weather and 45% for the rest of its overall score: beaches and things to do (editors' scores), access from the US, hotel value and crowding, minus 0.4 for islands our pages rate conditional. The weather score uses daytime high, sea temperature, rainfall and sunshine at the gateway airport, then subtracts a storm-season deduction. For Hawaii that deduction is 0.3 points in July. It is the only reason Maui, Oahu, Lanai and Molokai score 9.7 for July weather rather than a perfect 10. See how we score islands.
These are the cheapest double rooms rated 3 stars or better on Kayak for one night, Wednesday, July 14, 2027, two adults, taxes and fees in, as recorded on each island page:
| Island | Area | July 14, 2027 | January 13, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oahu | Waikiki | $169 | $139 |
| Maui | Kihei | $216 | $296 |
| Kauai | Kapaa | $236 | $233 |
| Big Island | Kailua-Kona | $269 | $261 |
| Molokai | Kaunakakai | $356 | $328 |
| Lanai | Manele Bay | $1,959 | $2,642 |
Totals include the state's 11% Transient Accommodations Tax, raised on January 1, 2026, plus county and general excise tax. Resort fees and parking can still be added at the hotel. Independence Day is observed on Monday, July 5, 2027, so the holiday weekend runs July 3 to 5.
The Central Pacific hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, per NOAA's National Hurricane Center. In 2026 the damage came later in the season: Hurricane Lala hit the Big Island in mid-August, Hurricane Lowell hit Kauai directly on September 7 and 8, and Hurricane Nolo flooded the Big Island's Kau district and cut power on Maui in late September. Kauai was still reopening state parks in October.
July's storm deduction, 0.3 points, is half of August's and September's. Still, buy travel insurance that covers hurricanes for any summer trip, and read our hurricane season guide.
Kauai's north shore is at its best in summer, and Koloa Plantation Days are held around Koloa and Poipu each July (July 17 to 26 in 2026; 2027 dates not yet posted). See our Kauai page for what has reopened. For July beyond Hawaii, see the best islands in July.
Breakfast, a deli lunch and water are included; tips are not. It is a long day in a van on a narrow road, and the sign-up page lists pickup at hotels or a Kahului meeting point, so check which applies to you.
Rating as shown on Viator
A snack and water are included but lunch is not, and Dole train or maze tickets are extra. It is a large-coach tour; a rental car covers the same loop at your own pace.
Rating as shown on Viator
This also departs Maui and snorkels near Lanai rather than landing there. To actually spend time on Lanai you need the passenger ferry or a flight and your own plans.
Rating as shown on Viator
Booking through these links supports this site at no cost to you. Prices move by date, so we do not print them here; the official prices we checked are in the page above.
Yes, for heat and dry weather. Highs in our data reach 85°F on Maui and Molokai and the sea is 80°F to 81°F. It is school holiday season, whales are absent and hurricane season is open, though the 2026 storms came in August and September.
It depends on the island. On our benchmark dates Kihei on Maui was $216 in July against $296 in January, but Waikiki was $169 against $139. Kauai, the Big Island and Molokai were within $30 either way.
Yes. The Central Pacific hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, per NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Direct hits are rare, but 2026 brought Lala to the Big Island in August and Lowell to Kauai in September.
Maui's West Maui bays, Napili and Kapalua, are usually the calmest in summer. North-shore beaches on Oahu and Kauai also calm down, while south shores can get summer swell.
Independence Day, observed on Monday, July 5, 2027, and on Kauai the Koloa Plantation Days, a ten-day festival around Koloa and Poipu held July 17 to 26 in 2026. Its 2027 dates are not posted yet.
Further reading
