Vanuatu
The best time to visit
When to go to Vanuatu
Go in the dry season, May to October, for mild, settled weather, the clearest diving and the surest trips to the Mount Yasur volcano rim. The wet season, November to April, is hot and humid, and Vanuatu is one of the Pacific's most cyclone-exposed countries.
A 0 to 100 comfort rating from daytime heat, overnight chill, rainfall and storm risk, for Port Vila. Higher is better. Some links on this page are affiliate links, at no cost to you.
The steadiest weather, peaking around Aug.
Either side of peak, with thinner crowds and better rates.
Cyclone season.
In short
The year at a glance
Vanuatu is an 80-island chain of active volcanoes, blue holes, kastom villages and reef: the South Pacific at its rawest. It is warm year round and splits into a mild dry season and a hot, humid wet one. We rate on Port Vila, the capital on Efate.
May to October is the time: drier, breezier, with August the driest month and cool, comfortable nights. November to April brings heavy rain, sticky heat and real cyclone risk, at its highest January to March. Island flights and boat trips all run more reliably in the dry half.
Month by month
Vanuatu month by month
Highs, lows, rainfall and the rating, for Port Vila.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Rating | What it is like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29°C / 84°F | 23°C / 73°F | 290 mm | Avoid 16 | Hot and very wet, storm season. |
| February | 29°C / 84°F | 23°C / 73°F | 300 mm | Avoid 14 | Hot and very wet, storm season. |
| March | 29°C / 84°F | 23°C / 73°F | 340 mm | Avoid 9 | Hot and very wet, storm season. |
| April | 28°C / 82°F | 22°C / 72°F | 290 mm | Avoid 17 | Warm and very wet, storm season. |
| May | 27°C / 81°F | 21°C / 70°F | 200 mm | Good 51 | Warm and wet. |
| June | 26°C / 79°F | 20°C / 68°F | 150 mm | Great 58 | Warm and wet. |
| July | 25°C / 77°F | 19°C / 66°F | 130 mm | Great 66 | Warm and wet. Port Vila hotels in July |
| August | 26°C / 79°F | 19°C / 66°F | 120 mm | Great 70 | Warm and wet. Port Vila hotels in August |
| September | 26°C / 79°F | 20°C / 68°F | 140 mm | Great 62 | Warm and wet. Port Vila hotels in September |
| October | 27°C / 81°F | 21°C / 70°F | 170 mm | Good 56 | Warm and wet. |
| November | 28°C / 82°F | 22°C / 72°F | 200 mm | Fair 29 | Warm and wet, storm season. |
| December | 29°C / 84°F | 23°C / 73°F | 260 mm | Avoid 20 | Hot and very wet, storm season. |
By region
Where you go changes when you go
Efate and Port Vila
The capital, harbour resorts, and the round-island road: blue lagoons, waterfalls and beaches. Best May to October.
Tanna and Mount Yasur
The world's most accessible active volcano, glowing at the rim after dark. Dry-season evenings give the clearest views.
Espiritu Santo
Champagne Beach, the blue holes and the SS President Coolidge, one of the world's great wreck dives.
Go for
Best time to visit Vanuatu for
The volcano
May to October, when dry trails and clearer skies make the Yasur rim at dusk most reliable.
Diving and snorkelling
The dry season for visibility on the Coolidge and Santo's reefs, in warm water year round.
Kastom culture
April to June for Pentecost Island's land diving, the original bungee, on towers of vine and wood.
Best value
November to April, accepting heat, rain and cyclone-season flexibility for quiet resorts and green islands.
On the calendar
What is on, and when
Naghol land diving, Apr to Jun
Pentecost Islanders leap from wooden towers with vines at their ankles, a ritual for the yam harvest.
Dry season, May to Oct
Mild trade-wind weather, the year's best for volcano trips, diving and island hopping.
Cyclone season
Nov to Apr.
Rainy season
Sep to Jul.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Vanuatu
Compare hotels and rentals around Port Vila, 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 Vanuatu?
When is cyclone season in Vanuatu?
Can you always visit Mount Yasur?
Where else, and when
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