Big Island (Hawaii Island)

Best months by our weather score: January, October, November. Daytime highs, rain and sunshine are 2016–2025 averages at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (Open-Meteo historical weather archive); sea temperatures are 2022–2025 averages for the nearest sea area (Open-Meteo marine archive). Months marked in the storm row fall in the Central Pacific hurricane season (June 1 to November 30); the score takes that risk into account.

Gateway airport

Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA)

US nonstops

ANC, DEN, DFW, LAS, LAX, ORD, PDX, PHX and 6 more

Distance

2,501 mi from Los Angeles, 4,945 mi from New York

Passport

Not needed for US citizens

Hotel, one night

$261 on Jan 13, 2027 · $269 on Jul 14, 2027 (Kailua-Kona)

Visitors a year

1,724,952 overnight visitors (2025)

Bringing a dog

Hard: Rabies-free state: two rabies vaccinations, microchip and a passing FAVN blood test at least 30 days before arrival qualify a dog for the 5-Day-or-Less program ($244) or direct airport release; otherwise quarantine of up to 120 days ($1,080). Release at Kona needs a $165 Neighbor Island Inspection Permit, a booked inspection with an approved local vet and documents 30+ days ahead.

Hotel prices: Cheapest hotel rated 3 stars or better in the named area, 1 night, 2 adults, Kayak 'Nightly total - including all taxes + fees' view, Class 3+ filter, checked 2026-10-20. Pacific 19 Kona on both dates. Excluded: Manago Hotel in Captain Cook ($85, outside Kailua-Kona), Sea Village condominium ($248 Jul) and listings in Pahoa/Ainaloa that Kayak returned under the Kona search.. Visitor figures: DBEDT (State of Hawaii, which now produces the former HTA visitor statistics), 2025 Annual Visitor Research Report, Table 51.

It suits teens and active families, because the days are full: lava at night, a manta ray snorkel off Kona, a drive up toward Mauna Kea, a black-sand beach. It suits couples who like road trips. It is the best Hawaiian island if you care more about landscapes than sand.

Skip it if you want a resort beach outside your door and nothing else. The Kohala coast has a few excellent beaches, but the island has far fewer than Maui, and many shorelines are lava rock. Families with toddlers usually do better on Maui or Oahu. Our best Hawaiian island with teens ranking shows where it wins.

• Kailua-Kona is the main town on the west coast, with the airport nearby and most mid-priced hotels. On Kayak, the cheapest 3-star-or-better hotel was Pacific 19 Kona at $261 for January 13, 2027 and $269 for July 14, 2027, one night for two adults with taxes and fees. Royal Kona Resort, a 4-star, was $315 and $278.
• The Kohala coast to the north holds the big resorts and the best beaches. It is the base for a beach-heavy trip.
• Hilo and Volcano on the wet east side are closest to the national park. Spend one or two nights there instead of driving to the volcano and back from Kona in a day.

The cheapest 3-star listing Kayak showed under its Kailua-Kona search was the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook at $85 for both dates, a basic hotel south of Kailua-Kona.

The best swimming beaches are on the Kohala coast. Hapuna Beach is a wide strip of white sand in a state recreation area; the state parks division said its Waialea section would reopen on October 17, 2026 after storm cleanup. Kauna'oa Bay, also called Mauna Kea Beach, is a sheltered crescent. Kua Bay in Kekaha Kai State Park has bright water and a shorebreak that turns rough in winter swells.

For snorkeling, Kahaluu Beach Park in Kona is shallow and protected, which makes it the easy choice for children. Black-sand and green-sand beaches in the south are sights more than swimming beaches. Expect sea turtles on many beaches; keep your distance.

• Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: $30 per private vehicle for seven days. The eruption takes place in a closed area; you view it from overlooks. The park warns of closures and delays from a two-year construction project at the summit, and the Holei Sea Arch on the coast collapsed during Hurricane Nolo.
• Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park: $20 per private vehicle. A Hawaii Tri-Park annual pass at $55 covers this park, Volcanoes and Haleakala on Maui.
• Kealakekua Bay and the Kona coffee farms south of Kailua-Kona.
• Manta ray night snorkel off Kona, run by boat operators from Kailua-Kona and Keauhou.
• Whale watching: NOAA's humpback sanctuary says whales are seen from November through April.

Some sites were still closed on October 19, 2026: Lapakahi State Historical Park and part of the Akaka Falls trail, both for fallen trees, and camping at Hapuna, Kiholo and Kalopa.

The Kona side is dry and sunny much of the year; the Hilo side is wet and green. The summit of Mauna Kea gets occasional snow. The climate table on this page has the monthly numbers for the Kona coast.

The Central Pacific hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, per NOAA's National Hurricane Center. 2026 was unusual: Hurricane Lala in mid-August was the first direct hurricane impact on the Big Island since 1871, and flash floods swept away homes in Naalehu. Nolo flooded Kau again in late September. The worst flooding was in the south, so check road conditions if you plan the southern loop. See our hurricane season guide.

Kona International Airport (KOA) has nonstops from 14 US airports: Anchorage (seasonal), Chicago O'Hare (seasonal), Dallas/Fort Worth (seasonal), Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City (seasonal), San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle. Hilo has a smaller airport for the east side, and both have flights to Honolulu.

It is a domestic flight: a REAL ID-compliant license or a passport is enough, and TSA charges $45 for ConfirmID if you arrive without acceptable ID. See our no-passport islands.

Kailua-Kona hotels came in at $261 to $269 on our two dates, close to Kihei on Maui and well above Waikiki. Since January 1, 2026, the state Transient Accommodations Tax is 11%, up from 10.25%, under the Act 96 green fee. County lodging tax and general excise tax come on top; Kayak's totals include them. Budget for a rental car and a lot of fuel: a loop of the island is a full day of driving.

Big Island in a Day: Volcanoes Waterfalls Sightseeing and History

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.

11 hours

4.9★★★★★★★★★★(7,107 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on Viator

Big Island: Captain Cook Snorkel On A Power Catamaran With Lunch

Lunch, snorkel gear and gratuities are included; pickup is not. The monument reef is only practical to reach by boat or a steep hike, so this is good value.

4 hours

4.9★★★★★★★★★★(2,487 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on Viator

Kailua Kona: Night Manta Ray Adventure on the Big Island

Snorkel gear, snacks and soft drinks are included; hotel pickup and tips are not. Mantas usually show up but are wild animals, so ask about the operator's no-sighting policy before booking.

2.5 hours

4.8★★★★★★★★★★(1,653 reviews)

Reserve

Rating as shown on GetYourGuide

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.