Cook Islands Travel Weather
New Zealand's Associated States
When Is the Best Time To Visit Cook Islands?
The answer to the question of what is the best month to visit Cook Islands depends on what you are interested in doing during your stay. Here you can see an overview of each month and its typical weather conditions.
Tourist Season in Cook Islands
The Cook Islands are best visited from April to November, when the weather is most favorable. Warm, sunny and relatively dry days attract lovers of beachcombing, water sports, diving and trekking. Local holidays and festivals held during this time also encourage tourists. Unfortunately, prices also rise, and it is worthwhile to be tempted to book airline tickets and hotel places in advance.
December, due to the Christmas holidays and the New Year period, despite the slightly more rainy weather, is also a popular month.
The beginning of the year (January through March) is considered the off-season due to heavy rains, and travel during this time can be somewhat inconvenient.
Tourist season month by month. Legend
Tourist season - time period with sightseeing-friendly weather (or sunbathing in the case of small island countries) for the average tourist. For countries with a large geographical spread, the most visited places were taken into account and the data were averaged. For selected countries, seasonal holidays were also taken into account, as long as they significantly affect the tourist traffic in this period.
The best time to travel, you can count on very good weather.
A good time to travel, however, sometimes there can be some weather conditions that make the visit a bit difficult.
Travel possible, but it is not the best time. The weather at this time can be very unpredictable, with a tendency to be bad.
Travel is not recommended, the weather at this time can make sightseeing/resting very difficult or even impossible.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average temperatures throughout a year for Avarua (°F)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
- Whale watching - from July to October.
- Cyclone season - from November to March.
Season and weather by month
January - March
Jan | Feb | Mar |
The rainy season is underway, bringing an increase in temperature and humidity.
The wettest months of the year, there are often intense afternoon downpours combined with thunderstorms and strong winds. Despite the increased rainfall, you can still count on hot, sunny and bright days - usually in the morning and midday.
Holidays and observances in Cook Islands
- 01 Jan 2026 - New Year's Day
- 02 Jan 2026 - New Year Holiday
April - November
Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
Dry season covering all islands in the country. Most days are sunny and rain-free. This is an excellent time to travel throughout all regions of the Cook Islands. The season for beachcombing, water sports and diving is in full swing.
During this period, tourists are attracted not only by the favorable weather, but also by numerous festivals introducing the rich traditions of the islands' inhabitants.
In late April and early May, the National Dancer of the Year Competitions (Te Mire Atu) takes place, a time of dance competitions among the local community, bringing together the best dancers from all the islands in the country.
In June, the annual International Kite Surfing Contest (Aitutaki) is held on Aitutaki, for kite surfing enthusiasts from around the world.
In late July and early August, the Te Maeva Nui Celebrations Independence Day is celebrated, full of traditional dances and music, as well as local crafts.
In October, the annual flower exhibition (Tiare Festival) can be seen in Rarotonga.
In mid-November, Vaka Eiva, a canoe competition in traditional boats, is held.
Holidays and observances in Cook Islands
- 04 Aug 2025 - Constitution Day
- 26 Oct 2025 - National Gospel Day
- 27 Oct 2025 - National Gospel Day Holiday
- 03 Apr 2026 - Good Friday
- 06 Apr 2026 - Easter Monday
- 25 Apr 2026 - Anzac Day
- 01 Jun 2026 - The Sovereign's Birthday
- 03 Jul 2026 - Ra o te Ui Ariki
December
Dec |
A month heralding the arrival of the rainy season. Gradually the air temperature and the intensity of rainfall increase.
The Christmas and New Year period makes this month very popular with tourists despite the increased rainfall and much higher prices.
Holidays and observances in Cook Islands
- 25 Dec 2025 - Christmas Day
- 26 Dec 2025 - Boxing Day
Avarua
Friday 18 Jul
Humidity
80%Cloud cover
21%Wind speed
7.8 mphChance of rain
65%Avarua
Saturday 19 Jul
Humidity
72%Cloud cover
2%Wind speed
7 mphChance of rain
7%Avarua
Sunday 20 JulHumidity
82%Cloud cover
20%Wind speed
8.5 mphChance of rain
58%Avarua
Monday 21 JulHumidity
84%Cloud cover
32%Wind speed
15 mphChance of rain
45%Avarua
Tuesday 22 Jul
Humidity
78%Cloud cover
98%Wind speed
16.5 mphChance of rain
10%Climate and Average Weather in Cook Islands
General weather conditions each month by city.
Weather Map
The icons next to the month name indicate the convenience of the date for visiting the selected area/territory/ country. They are only a suggestion and should not be used as the final criterion for selecting your travel date. The season is defined as the time period with the weather favorable for sightseeing (or sunbathing - small island countries) for the average tourist. For countries with a large geographical range, the most touristic places were included.