Best Time to Visit Solomon Islands

Dry season: May to October

If you want the easiest weather, aim for the drier months. Honiara, the capital on Guadalcanal, is best in August and September. Days are warm but not heavy, and the trade winds (steady winds from the southeast) take the edge off the heat. Roads and tracks are drier too.

This is the best time for diving and snorkelling. Visibility is usually good around the Florida Islands and the Marovo Lagoon in Western Province. You can also walk to the Mataniko Falls near Honiara without fighting mud. Our data only covers Honiara, so treat conditions in other islands as a rough guide. The islands are spread over a long stretch of sea, and rain can differ from place to place.

Wet season: November to April

The wet season is hot and sticky. Honiara's hottest month is November, at 30°C. January is the wettest, with 315 mm of rain. Expect heavy downpours, muddy tracks and some rough seas. Small boats and domestic flights can be delayed, so leave a spare day before any international flight home.

This is also cyclone season, though the Solomons are hit less often than islands further south. If you don't mind rain, you'll get greener hills and fewer visitors. Just don't pack a tight schedule.

Holidays, events and crowds

The country has no big tourist crush, so "high season" mostly means the dry months, especially July to September. Flights and guesthouses in Honiara fill up faster then. Wet months are quieter and easier for last-minute plans.

Independence Day on 7 July is the big national holiday. Expect parades, music and sports in Honiara, and some offices and shops shut. Christmas and Easter matter a lot in this mostly Christian country. Families travel between islands, so boats and flights can be full. Travelling with kids? Local school holidays around then can make seats scarce.

If you only have one window, pick August or September. It's the safest mix of dry roads, calm seas and good diving.