the Solomon Islands
The best time to visit
When to go to the Solomon Islands
Go from June to September, the drier trade-wind months, for the calmest seas and the clearest water over the reefs and WWII wrecks. The wet season, November to April, is hotter, stickier and much wetter, with some cyclone risk.
A 0 to 100 comfort rating from daytime heat, overnight chill, rainfall and storm risk, for Honiara. Higher is better. Some links on this page are affiliate links, at no cost to you.
The steadiest weather, peaking around Jun.
Either side of peak, with thinner crowds and better rates.
Cyclone season.
In short
The year at a glance
The Solomon Islands are the Pacific before mass tourism: a thousand islands of jungle, lagoon and reef, and the ships and aircraft of the Guadalcanal campaign resting in dive depth. It is hot, humid and equatorial year round. We rate on Honiara, the capital on Guadalcanal.
June to September is the relative dry season, when monthly rain roughly halves, the southeast trades blow and seas settle for diving and island transfers. November to April is the wet season, with heavy rain, the odd cyclone in the far south, and March the wettest month in Honiara. Showers can arrive any day of the year.
Month by month
the Solomon Islands month by month
Highs, lows, rainfall and the rating, for Honiara.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Rating | What it is like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°C / 86°F | 24°C / 75°F | 290 mm | Avoid 15 | Hot and very wet, storm season. |
| February | 30°C / 86°F | 24°C / 75°F | 290 mm | Avoid 15 | Hot and very wet, storm season. |
| March | 30°C / 86°F | 24°C / 75°F | 340 mm | Avoid 8 | Hot and very wet, storm season. |
| April | 31°C / 88°F | 24°C / 75°F | 210 mm | Avoid 25 | Hot and wet, storm season. |
| May | 31°C / 88°F | 24°C / 75°F | 150 mm | Good 56 | Hot and wet. |
| June | 30°C / 86°F | 23°C / 73°F | 120 mm | Great 69 | Hot and wet. Honiara hotels in June |
| July | 30°C / 86°F | 23°C / 73°F | 120 mm | Great 69 | Hot and wet. Honiara hotels in July |
| August | 30°C / 86°F | 23°C / 73°F | 140 mm | Great 61 | Hot and wet. |
| September | 30°C / 86°F | 23°C / 73°F | 120 mm | Great 69 | Hot and wet. Honiara hotels in September |
| October | 31°C / 88°F | 24°C / 75°F | 140 mm | Great 60 | Hot and wet. |
| November | 31°C / 88°F | 24°C / 75°F | 150 mm | Good 56 | Hot and wet. |
| December | 30°C / 86°F | 24°C / 75°F | 250 mm | Avoid 21 | Hot and very wet, storm season. |
By region
Where you go changes when you go
Guadalcanal and Honiara
The capital, the war museums and battlefield sites, and Iron Bottom Sound's fleet of wrecks offshore.
Western Province
Munda, Gizo and the Marovo Lagoon: the country's diving and surface-snorkelling heartland, best in the dry trades.
Malaita and the outer islands
Artificial islands, shell money and village stays, reached by boat and small plane. Easiest mid-year.
Go for
Best time to visit the Solomon Islands for
Wreck and reef diving
June to September for the calmest seas and best visibility, in bathwater year round.
WWII history
The dry months make Guadalcanal's battlefield sites and memorials easiest to reach. August marks the 1942 landings.
Surfing
November to April, when north swells reach the breaks around Gizo and Santa Isabel.
Birding and jungle walks
The drier mid-year months, for trails that are merely muddy rather than flooded.
On the calendar
What is on, and when
Dry trades, Jun to Sep
The steadiest weather of the year for diving, transfers and village travel.
Guadalcanal anniversary, 7 Aug
Commemorations of the 1942 landings at the memorials above Honiara.
Cyclone season
Dec to Apr.
Rainy season
Aug, Oct to May.
Where to stay
Where to stay in the Solomon Islands
Compare hotels and rentals around Honiara, then book the month you want.
Ready to book?
Rates climb in peak season, so the best-weather months pay to book early. Shoulder and low months are the value windows.
Prefer to sort flights first? Compare flights
Questions
Good to know
What is the best time to visit the Solomon Islands?
Do the Solomon Islands get cyclones?
Is malaria a risk in the Solomon Islands?
Where else, and when
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