cook-islands

Cook Islands Travel Weather

New Zealand's Associated States

Trek Zone

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Average temperatures throughout a year for Avarua (°F)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
  • 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 2025 - New Year's Day
  • 02 Jan 2025 - 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

  • 18 Apr 2025 - Good Friday
  • 21 Apr 2025 - Easter Monday
  • 25 Apr 2025 - Anzac Day
  • 02 Jun 2025 - The Sovereign's Birthday
  • 04 Jul 2025 - Ra o te Ui Ariki
  • 04 Aug 2025 - Constitution Day
  • 26 Oct 2025 - National Gospel Day
  • 27 Oct 2025 - National Gospel Day Holiday

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 2024 - Christmas Day
  • 26 Dec 2024 - Boxing Day

Avarua

Saturday 23 Nov
Update 2024-11-22 00:43 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
partly-cloudy-day
74°F
Humidity
72%
Cloud cover
81%
Wind speed
10.9 mph
Chance of rain
3%

Avarua

Sunday 24 Nov
Update 2024-11-22 00:43 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
partly-cloudy-day
74°F
Humidity
83%
Cloud cover
86%
Wind speed
16.1 mph
Chance of rain
29%

Avarua

Monday 25 Nov
Update 2024-11-22 00:43 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
rain
74°F
Humidity
83%
Cloud cover
100%
Wind speed
16.8 mph
Chance of rain
55%

Avarua

Tuesday 26 Nov
Update 2024-11-22 00:43 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
partly-cloudy-day
75°F
Humidity
84%
Cloud cover
87%
Wind speed
17.5 mph
Chance of rain
36%

Avarua

Wednesday 27 Nov
Update 2024-11-22 00:43 CET. Powered by Visual Crossing Weather.
cloudy
74°F
Humidity
86%
Cloud cover
100%
Wind speed
16.5 mph
Chance of rain
36%

Climate and Average Weather in Cook Islands

General weather conditions each month by city.

  • Avarua
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Average temperature (°F)
Average rainfall (in)
RAIN - Days with precipitation
DAY - Average length of day
SUN - Sunshine hours per day (cloudless weather)

Weather Map

Select month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
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Avarua

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.

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