The best islands to visit in October

Maui is #1 for October. The weather scores 9.7: an 84°F (29°C) average high, an 81°F (27°C) sea and 1.5 inches of rain, with only a small storm deduction at the end of the Central Pacific season. Beaches and things to do both score 9, from Kaanapali and Napili Bay to Haleakala, where entry is $30 per car. September to early November is a shoulder season. The weak factor is price: Kihei's cheapest 3-star-plus hotel was $216 in July and $296 in January. Kahului has nonstops from 18 US airports, and you need no passport.

Oahu is #2, a fraction behind Maui on weather: an 83°F (29°C) high, an 81°F (27°C) sea and 1.6 inches of rain. It wins on flights, nonstop from 28 US airports, and on price, with Waikiki rooms from $139 in January. It loses on beaches, 8 against Maui's 9, and on crowds. Storm damage from 2026 is limited here, but the Keawaula section of Kaena Point State Park is closed and the upper Makapuu Lookout is shut for repairs from October 21 to November 4, 2026. The North Shore surf starts building late in the season.

Bali is #3. October sits at the end of its dry season: an 85°F (30°C) high, an 85°F (29°C) sea and 3.1 inches of rain, more than in September as the wet monsoon starts. Things to do scores 9.5 and value 10, with a well-reviewed Seminyak 4-star at $22 to $30 a night on our dates. Beaches score 6.5 because the calm water is only in a few resort areas. Expect more beach plastic when the monsoon winds turn onshore. There is no US nonstop, and you pay a $28 visa and an $8 levy.

Curaçao is #4 and the only Caribbean island in the top ten. October is warm, an 88°F (31°C) high and an 86°F (30°C) sea, and its short rainy season begins, with 2.6 inches in our data. It takes half the usual Atlantic storm deduction because it lies south of the main track; NOAA's records show one hurricane within 50 nautical miles since 1950. Value scores 9.9, with $62 rooms in Willemstad on both our dates, and six US airports fly nonstop. You need a car for the west-coast coves.

Zanzibar is #5. October is still warm and mostly dry, with an 85°F (29°C) high, an 81°F (27°C) sea and 3.7 inches of rain. The catch for 2026 is the short rains: the Tanzania Meteorological Authority forecasts average to above-average rain on Unguja, starting in early October and lasting into January 2027. Value scores 10, with $36 rooms in Nungwi in January. Getting there takes one connection, a $100 visa and $44 compulsory insurance, which is why access scores 2.1.

Crete is #6, down from #1 in summer as the Aegean cools. The October high averages 76°F (24°C) and the sea 76°F (25°C), still swimmable, with 1.0 inch of rain. That cooler weather suits hiking and Knossos. Beaches score 9 and things to do 9.5, and the island stays open into winter, unlike the Cyclades. There is no US nonstop, so fly via Athens. Greece's hotel climate fee is $5.60 (€5) per night at a 3-star until the end of October, then $1.70 (€1.50).

Tenerife is #7 and the warmest European island on this list. October weather scores 9.3: an 80°F (26°C) high, a 76°F (25°C) sea and 0.9 inches of rain on the sunny south coast. Things to do scores 9, with Teide's cable car ($48, or €43, return) and La Laguna. Beaches score only 6, because many are man-made or behind breakwaters. There is no US nonstop since United left in May 2025; connect in Madrid or Lisbon. The cheapest south-coast room was $124 in January and $92 in July.

The Big Island is #8. Our data put October among its three best months, and its crowd score of 9.1 is far better than Maui's or Oahu's. The Kona-airport data show an 82°F (28°C) high, an 81°F (27°C) sea and 4.3 inches of rain. Things to do scores 9, with Kilauea erupting in episodes. Beaches score 7. 2026 was rough: Hurricane Lala in August and Nolo in September flooded the Kau district, and some sites, including Lapakahi, were still closed on October 19. Kailua-Kona rooms cost $261 to $269.

Rhodes is #9. Its own page calls October a good month to swim without the crowds, and our data agree: a 78°F (26°C) high, a 75°F (24°C) sea and 1.1 inches of rain. Value scores 9.6, with 3-star rooms near the Old Town for $36 in January and $96 in July, and Rhodes Town stays open all year. Things to do scores 8.5, for the walled medieval city and Lindos. Beaches score 7. There is no US nonstop; connect in Athens or take the long overnight ferry.

Fiji is #10. October weather drops to 8.0 as the wet season approaches: an 86°F (30°C) high, an 82°F (28°C) sea and 6.1 inches of rain in our data. The Fiji Meteorological Service says storms occasionally form in October, and it forecasts an above-average 2026/27 cyclone season across its region from November. Value and crowds both score 10, with Nadi rooms from $31. Fiji Airways flies nonstop from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu.