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.
October sits between Hawaii's two busy seasons, after the summer school holidays and before the winter whale and holiday months; our Maui page counts September to early November as shoulder season, with lower rates. The sea is at or near its warmest of the year, 81°F to 82°F (27°C to 28°C) across the islands in our data, and highs run 80°F to 84°F.
It is still hurricane season, which runs to November 30, and October 2026 is a live example of what that means. Kauai is reopening parks after Hurricane Lowell's direct hit on September 7 and 8. The Big Island is cleaning up after Lala in August and Nolo in late September. If you are reading this to plan a trip in the next few weeks, the closures below matter more than the weather.
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 | 84 | 81 | 1.5 |
| 2 | Oahu | 8.6 | 83 | 81 | 1.6 |
| 3 | Big Island (Hawaii Island) | 8.1 | 82 | 81 | 4.3 |
| 4 | Kauai | 7.5 | 81 | 82 | 4.9 |
| 5 | Lanai | 7.4 | 80 | 81 | 2.6 |
| 6 | Molokai | 7.3 | 84 | 81 | 1.5 |
1Maui is first in October with a 9.7 weather score: 84°F highs, an 81°F sea and 1.5 inches (38 mm) of rain. Add 9 of 10 for beaches and things to do and nothing here catches it. October is shoulder season, with lower rates than winter on our Maui page; Haleakala sunrise still needs a $1 reservation on top of $30 a car. Late September's Hurricane Nolo cut power in West Maui and fed a brush fire at Olowalu. Kihei was $296 on our January date.
2Oahu is 0.19 points behind, with a 9.6 weather score, 83°F highs and 1.6 inches (41 mm) of rain. Beaches at 8 and the heaviest crowds here are why it is second. Value and access are why it is close: Waikiki was $139 on our January benchmark, and 28 US airports fly nonstop. October is when North Shore surf starts to build. Hurricane Lowell's outer bands brought a tropical storm warning in September 2026; damage was limited.
3The Big Island climbs to third because October is one of its three best months in our data: an 8.6 weather score, 82°F highs and 4.3 inches (108 mm) of rain at Kona, far less than in summer. Things to do score 9, with Kilauea erupting in episodes since December 2024. It is the least crowded of the big islands. Hurricanes Lala and Nolo flooded the Kau district in 2026, so check the southern loop. Kailua-Kona was $261 on January 13, 2027.
4Kauai is fourth. It has the warmest sea on this page, 82°F, with 81°F highs, but 4.9 inches (125 mm) of rain gives it an 8.3 weather score, and its conditional verdict costs 0.4. The reason is current: Hurricane Lowell hit it on September 7 and 8, 2026, and on October 19 Koke'e Road and most state parks were still closed. Haena and the Kalalau Trail reopened October 15. Kapaa rooms were $233 on our January date.
5Lanai is fifth, ahead of Molokai thanks to its 6-of-10 beaches. October weather scores 9.3, with 80°F highs, an 81°F sea and 2.6 inches (65 mm) of rain. Hulopoe Bay is the draw. Price is the brake: a value score of 1.0, with the Four Seasons at $1,959 on July 14, 2027. Lowell's surge damaged Kaumalapau, the cargo harbor, in September 2026, but the Expeditions ferry from Maalaea, three crossings a day from $30, kept running.
6Molokai has a 9.7 October weather score, tied with Maui, with 84°F highs and 1.5 inches (39 mm) of rain. It is last because its beaches and things to do score 4 each, and its conditional verdict costs 0.4. Its parks, closed for Nolo on September 25, 2026, have reopened. It suits a quiet few days after another island: Kalaupapa by guided tour, Halawa Valley, Kaunakakai. Lanai Air flies from Honolulu for $169 one way.
In this guide
Each island's score is 55% its October weather score and 45% the rest of its overall score: our editors' scores for beaches and things to do, plus access from the US, hotel value and crowding, with 0.4 off for islands our pages rate conditional. The weather score blends daytime high, sea temperature, rainfall and sunshine at the gateway airport and subtracts 0.3 points for October's hurricane risk. The weights are in how we score islands.
Our Kauai and Big Island pages track these in more detail. Check the state parks notices again the week you travel.
The Hawaii Food and Wine Festival moves between islands each fall. In 2026 it was on the Island of Hawaii on October 16 and 17, is at Kaanapali on Maui from October 23 to 25, and closes on Oahu from November 5 to 8. The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival follows on the Big Island, November 6 to 15, 2026, with a lantern parade from Kailua Pier on opening night.
October is also when the North Shore wakes up. The University of Hawaii Sea Level Center's Oahu surf climatology puts the North Shore's active season at September to May, so the first big swells of the winter can arrive this month. The south shore's season runs to October. Swim where there is a lifeguard tower, and treat any high surf advisory as a closed beach.
Pick Oahu if you want the lowest prices and no rental car; it is 0.19 points behind Maui. Pick the Big Island if the volcano and space matter more than sand: it is the least crowded of the big islands, and October is one of its best months in our data. Leave Kauai for spring or summer 2027 if Waimea Canyon is on your list.
Because October is storm season, buy travel insurance that covers hurricanes; our hurricane season guide explains the risk. For October islands outside Hawaii, compare the best islands in October.
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, with a caveat. It is shoulder season, the sea is near its yearly peak, 81°F to 82°F in our data, and most islands are dry. It is also hurricane season, which runs to November 30, so buy insurance that covers storms.
Partly. The airport reopened September 8, and Haena State Park on October 15, but on October 19, 2026 Koke'e Road and most Kauai state parks were still closed after Hurricane Lowell. The north and east shores are the parts to plan around.
Yes. The Central Pacific hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, per NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Our scores subtract 0.3 points from every Hawaiian island's October weather for that risk.
The Hawaii Food and Wine Festival, at Kaanapali on Maui from October 23 to 25, 2026, after an Island of Hawaii weekend on October 16 and 17. The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival follows from November 6 to 15, 2026.
It can be. The University of Hawaii Sea Level Center's Oahu surf climatology dates the North Shore season from September, with the biggest surf in midwinter. Early swells can arrive in October; check the National Weather Service surf forecast.
Further reading
