Things to do in Oahu and Hawaii in May

Temperature: 72-84°F • Average Rainfall: 10 days/month • Average Sunshine: 11 hours/day • Sea Temperature: 77°F

May nestles right between Hawaii’s busy peak winter and summer seasons, with attractive hotel rates and relatively sparse crowds that make it a great time for in-the-know vacationers to visit. The weather at this time of year is typically warm and sunny, and the winter rains are already beginning to feel like a dim and distant memory.

Such improved weather also makes for superior ocean conditions, with calmer, clearer waters that hit the sweet spot for swimming and snorkeling, and softer swells that are much better-suited to novice surfers than those awesome winter waves.

Evenings are warmer too, so you can probably get away with leaving the layers at home, though a cardigan or light sweater is always handy for al fresco dining and late nights at Honolulu’s rooftop cocktail bars.

May’s a great time to tick off big-ticket Oahu attractions including Pearl Harbor memorials, the Bishop Museum and the opulent Iolani Palace. Why? Well, fewer crowds means less time standing in lines and more time ogling museum art and artifacts. You’ll also find it much easier to secure the dates you want for those hot-ticket luau performances, island tours and sought-after restaurants when there are fewer folks around to fill seats.

The Oahu pass makes it even easier (and cheaper) to book the attractions, tours and activities you want, and could save you up to 50% on regular admission prices at top Hawaii sightseeing hotspots. Click here to find out more and to buy your pass, or read on for more fun things to do in Hawaii and Oahu in May…

Set at the eastern end of Waikiki Beach and overlooked by the mighty Diamond Head crater, Kapiolani Park is 300 acres of swaying palms, lush greenery and swoonsome sea and mountain views. Visit in May for lazy picnics on the lawn, free shows at the bandstand, and evening concerts at the Waikiki Shell amphitheater. You can also say hey to the residents of Honolulu Zoo. Started as an aviary to house King David Kalakaua’s bird collection back in 1877, it’s now home to some 1,200 critters, including indigenous Hawaiian hawks, ferociously cute fennec foxes and inscrutable crocodile monitor lizards.

Kapiolani Park is also the epicenter of Oahu’s Lei Day celebrations on May 1. This statewide celebration of the iconic floral garland sees the park festooned with thousands of buttery yellow ilima flowers and promises live music, hula dancing, lei-making contests and more.

Oahu’s North Shore is wildly popular for pro surfers during winter. But come May, the surf has calmed down somewhat, paving the way for swimmers, snorkelers, kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders to take to the water. 

Pretty Laniakea Beach (not to be confused with Lanikai Beach on the windward coast) is a prime people-watching spot. It’s also the best place on the island to eyeball native green sea turtles. Indeed, so many of the majestic seafaring reptiles call this bay home that it’s more commonly known as Turtle Beach.

There’s also an abundance of sealife to spot on snorkeling excursions at Shark Cove, including our aforementioned turtle pals, plus tropical fish, eels, octopuses and more. But, strangely enough, no sharks.

Cool off after all that strenuous beach bumming with a traditional Hawaiian shave ice from North Shore stalwart Matsumoto’s – its natural yuzu, lychee and passion fruit flavors are among the best on the island.

Hawaii’s tropical bounty is at its sweetest, juiciest best in May. Now’s the time to gorge on ripe papayas and pineapples and to work your way through the region’s abundance of refreshing melon varieties, including honeydews, cantaloupes and watermelons. You’ll find all these and much more, including lychees, starfruit and tomatoes, at farmers’ markets across the islands. Try the KCC Market in Honolulu, Hilo Market on Big Island and Hanalei Market on Kauai for some of the freshest tropical fruit you’ll ever have the pleasure of tasting. Don’t miss your chance to bag souvenir jars of raw Manoa honey, bars of single origin Waialua Estate chocolate and aromatic bags of Kona coffee while you’re at it.

The pleasant May weather makes for splendid hiking conditions across the Hawaiian islands. And hey, if you’re going to go hiking in Hawaii you might as well go big, right? In which case, you’ll want the daddy, the top dog, the big kahuna of Hawaii hikes. And you’ll find it at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

To stroll these otherworldly hills and valleys on the Big Island is to feel you’re exploring the lava-scarred landscapes of some alien planet. The park – an UNESCO World Heritage Site – is almost the same size as Oahu and contains one of the world’s most active volcanoes and most of Hawaii’s highest peaks: a guided hike to the summit of mighty Mauna Kea, nearly 14,000 feet above sea level, is one of the most challenging (and rewarding) island climbs in the world.

For easier (but no less scenic) hikes, hit up Oahu, where popular trails include the iconic Diamond Head just behind Waikiki Beach, the trail up to Makapuu Lighthouse on the windward coast, and the breathtaking Kuliouou Ridge Trail, around half an hour inland from Honolulu.

Looking for more fun things to do in Oahu and Hawaii in May? The Oahu pass from Go City can save you up to 50% on entry to around 40 Oahu and Hawaii attractions, including the Polynesian Cultural Center, the Queen Emma Summer Palace, and several island tours. Click the buttons below to get yours!