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.
March is a month of overlaps in Hawaii. Whale season is winding down but not over. North Shore surf is still in season while the south shore's swell season begins. Spring break fills family resorts. And in 2027, Easter lands on March 28, the same day the Merrie Monarch Festival, the biggest week in hula, opens in Hilo.
The weather barely moves. Highs in our data run 75°F to 80°F (24°C to 27°C) and the sea is 76°F to 78°F on every island. What does move is rain on Kauai. March is the wettest month there in our dataset, and that, plus the closures left by Hurricane Lowell, sends it from fourth in January to last.
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 | 8.6 | 79 | 77 | 1.7 |
| 2 | Oahu | 8.2 | 78 | 77 | 2.2 |
| 3 | Big Island (Hawaii Island) | 7.9 | 78 | 78 | 3.8 |
| 4 | Molokai | 7.1 | 80 | 77 | 1.7 |
| 5 | Lanai | 6.9 | 75 | 77 | 2.2 |
| 6 | Kauai | 6.7 | 76 | 76 | 5.9 |
1Maui keeps first place in March with the same strengths as in winter: 9 of 10 for beaches and things to do, and a 9.3 weather score, with 79°F (26°C) highs, a 77°F sea and just 1.7 inches (44 mm) of rain. The last weeks of whale season play out off its south and west shores. Haleakala sunrise needs a $1 reservation on top of the $30 park fee. The catch is cost: our Kihei benchmark was $296 in January and $216 in July, and spring break pushes demand up.
2Oahu is second on value and access: 28 US nonstop airports and Waikiki rooms at $139 on our January date. Its March weather score, 8.9, trails Maui's because of 2.2 inches (55 mm) of rain, and it is the most crowded island here. Highs reach 78°F. It is the easy spring break base for families who do not want to drive. North Shore surf is still in season until May, while Waikiki's gentle waves stay the place to learn.
3The Big Island is third. It matches Maui on things to do, 9 of 10, and is the least crowded of the big islands, but its beaches score 7 and its March weather 8.3, with 3.8 inches (97 mm) of rain at Kona and 78°F highs. In 2027 it has the month's main event: the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo from March 28 to April 3. Pair Hilo nights with the volcano, where a car pays $30 for seven days. Kailua-Kona rooms were $261 on our January date.
4Molokai climbs to fourth in March because Kauai falls. Its weather score is 9.3, tied with Maui, with 80°F highs and 1.7 inches (43 mm) of rain. Its low beach and things-to-do scores, 4 each, and a 0.4-point deduction for a conditional verdict keep it here. It suits a quiet week after you have seen the big islands: whales off the south shore, Kalaupapa by guided tour for those 16 and older, and Hotel Molokai at $328 on our January date.
5Lanai is fifth. March is dry, 2.2 inches (55 mm), but it has the coolest highs in this ranking, 75°F, and a value score of 1.0: the Four Seasons, the only 3-star-plus hotel Kayak priced, was $2,642 for January 13, 2027 and $1,959 for July 14. Hulopoe Bay is the one great swimming beach. For most travelers it is a day trip by ferry from Maalaea, three a day from $30, across the channel where whales still pass in March.
6Kauai is last in March, and rain is why. Our data gives it 5.9 inches (149 mm) at Lihue, the wettest month of its year, a 6.9 weather score and the coolest sea here, 76°F, with 76°F highs. Its conditional verdict after Hurricane Lowell costs another 0.4. On October 19, 2026 Koke'e Road and most state parks were still closed. Haena reopened on October 15. If you go anyway, Poipu on the south shore is the drier, calmer base; Kapaa rooms were $233 in January.
In this guide
Each island's score is 55% its March weather score and 45% the rest of its overall score: our editors' beach and things-to-do scores, access from the US, hotel value and crowding. The weather score combines daytime high, sea temperature, rainfall and sunshine at each island's gateway airport. Islands our own pages call worth it only for some travelers carry a 0.4-point deduction. See how we score islands for the weights.
Whales. NOAA's humpback sanctuary says whales are visible from November through April, and its last shore count of the season is held on the last Saturday of March, which it still counts as peak season. If whales are the reason for the trip, March is safer than April. Base on Maui, where boats leave from Maalaea and Kihei into the Lanai channel.
Surf. The University of Hawaii Sea Level Center's Oahu climatology puts the North Shore season at September to May and the south shore season at March to October. In March, north-facing beaches can still be dangerous, and south-facing ones start to get their first swells. Ask a lifeguard before you swim, and check the National Weather Service surf forecast.
Merrie Monarch. The 64th festival runs March 28 to April 3, 2027 in Hilo, on the Big Island's east side, with a parade through town. If you want to go, book Hilo rooms and flights first; Kona hotels are a long drive away.
Hawaii's state holiday calendar puts Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day and Good Friday on the same day in 2027, Friday, March 26. Easter is that Sunday, and Merrie Monarch opens the same day. Book flights, rooms and rental cars for that long weekend early.
We price hotels on two fixed benchmark nights, January 13 and July 14, 2027, not in March. On those dates the cheapest 3-star-or-better rooms were $139 and $169 in Waikiki, $296 and $216 in Kihei, and $261 and $269 in Kailua-Kona, taxes and fees in. Treat them as a guide, not a March quote.
Looking beyond Hawaii? Our best islands in March ranks all 64.
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
Lunch and park entry are included; tips are not, and vacation rentals are not picked up. With a rental car the park pass is $15 to $30, but the round trip from Kona is long, which is what this tour saves you.
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. Highs in our data are 75°F to 80°F and the sea 76°F to 78°F, whales are still around, and most islands are fairly dry. The downside is spring break demand, especially the Easter weekend of March 26 to 28, 2027.
Yes. NOAA's sanctuary says whales are seen from November through April, and it holds its last shore count of the season on the last Saturday of March, during what it calls peak whale season. Maui's channel with Lanai and Molokai is the main area.
March 28 to April 3, 2027, in Hilo on the Big Island, according to the festival's official site. It is a week of hula competition and events, with a parade through Hilo.
In our data it is Kauai's wettest month: 5.9 inches (149 mm) at Lihue. That, plus closures after Hurricane Lowell, is why it ranks last for March. The south shore around Poipu is usually the drier side.
Yes. Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day is a state holiday on March 26. In 2027 it falls on Friday, the same day as Good Friday, which makes Easter weekend a long one for residents too.
Further reading
