So you want to visit Rarotonga. It’s a fantastic place. But unless you’re booking a spontaneous flight deal, you’ll want to plan ahead to ensure you’re traveling at the best time for your dream Cook Islands vacation.

Whether you’re looking for dry, idyllic weather or the cheapest time to book a Rarotongan accommodation, consider this your definitive guide to planning a perfect trip to Rarotonga.

The best weather in Rarotonga

Generally, the best weather in Raro can be experienced in June, July, August and September. This is when travelers can expect the least amount of rainfall along with warm water temperatures. However, The Cook Islands have pretty great weather year-round (with only two seasons). So if traveling during June, July, August or September isn’t in the cards, you’re not out of luck.

The best time for local events

Summer Events

In the summer, visitors can attend the Golden Ukalele Festival, "Te Mira Ura" individual dancing competition and the awesome International Triathlon Event. awesone.

Fall Events

Rarotonga Amateur Golf Open, a World Amateur Golf Ranking Tournament held at the Rarotonga Golf Course annually. Open to all golfers.

Winter Events

This is prime season for Whale Watching and The "Te Maeva Nui" Celebrating our nation's independance, national culture and dance festival .

Spring Events

Heading to Rarotonga in the springtime? Consider the Vaka Eiva an exciting & fun outrigger canoeing festival or The Raro Rugby 7s tournament, held in November.

Best Time to Surf & Bodyboard

The best time for water activities like surfing and bodyboarding will be during the summer months. The biggest waves, for professionals, will be on the north side and West side. The south coast is best during the winter with South Swells but this again can be a year-round activity if you select the right location(s) based on the time of year you visit. If you're visiting Rarotonga, we highly recommend Booghouse.

Best Time to go Fishing

Fishing is another activity that can be partaken year-round, as different species of fish will bite at different times of the year and off the coast of each unique island. Summer tends to be one of the most popular periods for fishing - offering marlin (blue and yellowfin), skipjack etc... Fall and spring both offer good marlin and mahi-mahi fishing. Winter months are best for catching snapper, skipjack, tuna, and striped marlin.

Best Time for Hiking

Rarotonga offers some of the best hiking experience! a hiker can traverse Rarotonga from the North side to the South side. There are many different trails to do in Raro, you will never get bored. As with most things in Rarotonga, the hiking is excellent year-round, but the best months for hitting the trails are during the late spring and early fall (April to October). The weather will be drier during these months, as well as throughout the entire winter, but unlike the winter, these spring/fall months will also be cooler. Be sure to take water and insect repellent before you head out. If you hike during the summer months, be prepared for showers and trail conditions to potentially be messier / less maintained.

Conclusion

The best time to visit Rarotonga, and the most comfortable, is during the dry season between May and October when temperatures hover around 25°C by day and drop to a pleasant 19–20°C at night. At this time of year the southerly trade winds bring cool breezes off the sea. Coinciding with the southern hemisphere winter, the dry season is also the busiest time to visit, with holiday-makers from New Zealand and Australia flocking to Rarotonga to escape the cold. Hotels in the popular resort areas are often booked out months in advance, especially around the school holidays.

The summer months from November to March are known as the wet season when temperatures rise to a fairly constant 31°C but with greatly increased humidity. Rainfall during these months is substantially higher, although most of it falls in sudden torrential tropical downpours, usually in the mid-afternoon. Mornings and late afternoons generally remain sunny and the sea is often beautifully blue – a great time for snorkeling. During the wet season the islands are lush with vegetation and waterfall are at their most impressive; however, note that walking trails can get slippery. Low pressure between December and March sometimes brings stormy weather from the north. In extreme cases tropical cyclones can develop. Direct hits on the islands are infrequent and rare.

Another aspect of Rarotonga’s weather are the microclimates. For example, Arorangi/Nikao, on the dry west side of Raro, has reliably sunny weather while Muri, on the opposite side of the island but barely 20km away is often drenched by showers rolling in off the ocean.