Best Time to Visit Jamaica

Dry season is the sweet spot

If you want easy beach days, come between December and April. Montego Bay is at its best in January and February, and Kingston stays pleasant from December right through to April. Days are warm, evenings are comfortable, and rain is usually a short shower rather than a washout.

This is also high season, so expect higher prices and busy resorts along the north coast. Christmas, New Year and the weeks around Easter are the busiest. Travelling with kids? Those school holidays are when flights and hotels fill up first.

Hot, wet and cheaper

August is the hottest month in both places, at 31°C in Montego Bay and 30°C in Kingston. Afternoons feel sticky, and the sea is lovely but the sun is strong. October is the wettest month in both cities. Montego Bay gets 212 mm and Kingston 172 mm, so the north coast is a bit wetter.

Hurricane season runs from June to November, and the risk is highest in late summer and autumn. Most trips go fine, but pack some flexibility and check your cancellation terms. The upside is lower prices and quieter beaches at places like Doctor's Cave Beach.

Events that shape your trip

Reggae fans should look at February. It's Reggae Month, and Kingston celebrates Bob Marley's birthday on 6 February with events around the Bob Marley Museum on Hope Road. Jamaica's Independence Day is 6 August, and Emancipation Day is 1 August. Expect parades, parties and some closed offices around then. Both fall in the hottest part of the year.

Reggae Sumfest, held in Montego Bay in July, is the big summer music draw. Book rooms early if you plan to go.

Which month for you?

For beaches and sightseeing in Montego Bay, go in January or February. For Kingston's music, food and the Blue Mountains, pick December to April, when hiking is more comfortable. On a budget and fine with a few storms? Try June or early November, but skip the peak of the rains in October.