The Best Time to Visit Samoa: A Month-by-Month Guide 🗓️

When is the High and Low Season in Samoa?

When is the Peak, Shoulder and Off-Season in Samoa?

In terms of the tourist seasons, Samoa experiences three: a high season, a low season and shoulder seasons in between. It’s important to note, however, that Samoa never feels too “busy” compared to many other tourist destinations across the world – no matter what time of the year you visit.

High Season (July – August & December – January)

There are two high seasons in Samoa: one where the country is at its busiest with international tourists and the other when the country is at its busiest with Samoans visiting family from overseas.

The first high season is July and August. Not only do these months fall during the New Zealand and Australian school holidays, but also the coldest months in New Zealand and Australia where most travellers are visiting from. Being in the middle of the dry season, it’s also widely considered the most favourable time for international travellers who want to avoid the rain as much as possible while the humidity is not excruciatingly high.

The second high season runs from mid-December to mid-January. This is when many Samoans living overseas return to Samoa during the Christmas and New Year holiday season. Samoans are avid travellers of their own country, so expect attractions like waterfalls and beaches to be busy with locals during this time.

Low Season (February – March)

After the Christmas holidays, the tourism industry in Samoa is at its quietest in terms of tourist numbers. The higher likelihood of rain and the possibility of cyclones puts many travellers off. Some tourists from the northern hemisphere, however, choose to travel in February and March to escape the northern hemisphere winter.

Check out some of the benefits of visiting in the least-popular season in the 10 Reasons to Travel in the Low Season in Samoa.

Shoulder Seasons (April – June & September – November)

The shoulder seasons are all the months in-between the low and high seasons. These months tend to experience the best of both seasons: weather that’s not as humid nor as rainy as the low season yet has fewer tourists than in the high season.

In our opinion, the shoulder seasons, particularly the latter shoulder season of September to November (and particularly September and October), are the best time to travel to Samoa. Although just before the wet season, these months have less rainfall than the other “shoulder season” months of April and May that come after the wet season.

The Best Months to Visit Samoa for the Best Weather

Weather plays a huge role in many of our minds for determining the best time to visit Samoa. There are two seasons you need to be aware of: the dry season (May to October) and the wet season (November to April).

Skip the next bit and just check out Samoa Weather, Seasons & Climate + Samoa Weather by Month to get a full rundown of the weather. Otherwise here’s a quick overview of Samoa’s weather month by month.

January Weather

Average temperature: 30°C / 86°F in the day, 24°C / 75°F at night
Average sea temperature: 29°C / 84°F
Average rainfall: 419 mm / 10.5 in
Daylight hours: 13 hours
See the Samoa Weather in January for a full guide.

February Weather

Average temperature: 30°C / 86°F in the day, 24°C / 75°F at night
Average sea temperature: 29°C / 84°F
Average rainfall: 325 mm / 12.8 in
Daylight hours: 13 hours
See the Samoa Weather in February for a full guide.

March Weather

Average temperature: 30°C / 86°F in the day, 24°C / 75°F at night
Average sea temperature: 29°C / 84°F
Average rainfall: 332 mm / 13.1 in
Daylight hours: 12 hours
See the Samoa Weather in March for a full guide.

April Weather

Average temperature: 30°C / 86°F in the day, 24°C / 75°F at night
Average sea temperature: 29°C / 84°F
Average rainfall: 261 mm / 10.3 in
Daylight hours: 12 hours
See the Samoa Weather in April for a full guide.

May Weather

Average temperature: 30°C / 86°F in the day, 24°C / 75°F at night
Average sea temperature: 29°C / 84°F
Average rainfall: 205 mm / 8.1 in
Daylight hours: 11 hours
See the Samoa Weather in May for a full guide.

June Weather

Average temperature: 29°C / 84°F in the day, 24°C / 75°F at night
Average sea temperature: 28°C / 82°F
Average rainfall: 165 mm / 6.5 in
Daylight hours: 11 hours
See the Samoa Weather in June for a full guide.

July Weather

Average temperature: 29°C / 84°F in the day, 23°C / 73°F at night
Average sea temperature: 28°C / 82°F
Average rainfall: 133 mm / 5.2 in
Daylight hours: 11 hours
See the Samoa Weather in July for a full guide.

August Weather

Average temperature: 29°C / 84°F in the day, 23°C / 73°F at night
Average sea temperature: 28°C / 82°F
Average rainfall: 155 mm / 6.1 in
Daylight hours: 12 hours
See the Samoa Weather in August for a full guide.

September Weather

Average temperature: 29°C / 84°F in the day, 23°C / 73°F at night
Average sea temperature: 28°C / 82°F
Average rainfall: 180 mm / 7.1 in
Daylight hours: 12 hours
See the Samoa Weather in September for a full guide.

October Weather

Average temperature: 29°C / 84°F in the day, 24°C / 75°F at night
Average sea temperature: 28°C / 82°F
Average rainfall: 257 mm / 10.1 in
Daylight hours: 12 hours
See the Samoa Weather in October for a full guide.

November Weather

Average temperature: 30°C / 86°F in the day, 24°C / 75°F at night
Average sea temperature: 29°C / 84°F
Average rainfall: 270 mm / 10.6 in
Daylight hours: 13 hours
See the Samoa Weather in November for a full guide.

December Weather

Average temperature: 30°C / 86°F in the day, 24°C / 75°F at night
Average sea temperature: 29°C / 84°F
Average rainfall: 372 mm / 14.6 in
Daylight hours: 13 hours
See the Samoa Weather in December for a full guide.

Again, head to our Samoa Weather, Seasons & Climate + Samoa Weather by Month for a complete weather and climate rundown.

The Best Time to Visit Samoa for Seasonal Activities

If you’re visiting Samoa with the intention of doing a particular activity, then be sure to research the best seasons to do it! Scuba diving, surfing, fishing, events, festivals and even waterfalls all have “seasonal” elements.

The Best Time for Surfing in Samoa

The best time for surfing in Samoa is during the dry season from May to October. With large southeast and southwest swells that sweep across Samoa, the dry season is when Samoa experiences the most consistent surf waves rolling in. Head to The Best Time to Surf in Samoa for our full guide!

The Best Time for Scuba Diving in Samoa

There’s good scuba diving in Samoa all year round, but the dry season (May to October) tends to be more favourable due to less rainfall and therefore less surface runoff that might affect water visibility. Plus, the prevailing swells in the dry season are less likely to cut off access to particular dive sites along the north coasts. See The Best Time to Dive in Samoa for a comparison between diving in the dry and wet seasons.

The Best Time for Fishing in Samoa

Again, there’s never a bad time to go fishing in Samoa. Most of Samoa’s game fish species can be caught year-round. There are, however, peak months for targeting particular game species:

• Yellowfin Tuna – November to May
• Dogtooth Tuna – September to November
• Wahoo – September to November
• Mahimahi – September to November
• Blue Marlin – November to May
• Black Marlin – September to November
• Pacific Sailfish – September to November
• Giant Trevally – January to April.

Check out The Best Time of Year for Fishing in Samoa for our full fishing analysis.

The Best Time for Waterfalls in Samoa

Samoa is brimming with waterfalls which is a major draw to the islands. You can witness them in their full glory during the wet season, however, some waterfalls are unsafe to swim at after heavy rain, such as Fuipisea Falls. On the other hand, some waterfalls like the Togitogiga Waterfall can completely dry up if there hasn’t been enough rain, which is more likely to happen mid-way through the dry season and at the beginning of the wet season (August to November, for example). For more on Samoa’s waterfalls, take a look at the 10 Best Waterfalls in Samoa.

The Best Time for Events and Festivals in Samoa

To attend cultural or sporting events in Samoa, you’ll need to time your trip at particular times of the year. Of course, dates change yearly, but the approximate months for popular events and festivals are:

• First New Year in the World – 31 December/1 January
• Independence Day Celebrations – 1 June
• Teuila Festival – September
• White Sunday – Second Sunday in October
• Palolo Rising – October and/or November

Learn more about each of these events in The Top Events & Festivals in Samoa.

The Cheapest Time to Visit Samoa

If you’re on a bit of a budget, travelling in the right season can help reduce some costs.

The Best Time to Visit Samoa for Cheap Accommodation

The biggest saving you can make is on the nightly rate of accommodation if you stay during the low season – usually anywhere from September to mid-December and from mid-January to April. Not only will you see prices change across the months on platforms like Booking.com and Expedia, but many accommodations offer special low-season deals on their websites. We’ve seen the difference between low and high season rates as much as ST$400! Plus, low-season deals such as “stay seven nights, pay for six” are also very common.

The Best Time to Visit Samoa for Cheap Car Rental

Ok, so car rental rates don’t tend to fluctuate between seasons in Samoa. However, we have seen some car rental companies retract their “rent for seven days, pay for six” deals during the Christmas and New Year holiday season from December to January, so you could be missing out on a good car rental deal if you are visiting during this time. For the best car rental rates, head to The Cheapest Car Rentals in Samoa.

The Best Time to Fly to Samoa

The best time to fly to Samoa for cheaper flights is from late-January to March if coming from the southern hemisphere – typically for the direct flights we list in Which Airlines Fly Directly to Samoa? If coming from the northern hemisphere, you’re more likely to find cheaper airfares to Samoa from September to November or March to May. All of this is explained in more detail in How to Book a Cheap Flight to Samoa.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Time to Visit Samoa

Finally, what are the most common questions that people ask about the best time to visit Samoa? We go through some of them here!

What is the Best Time to Visit Samoa?

Generally, the best time to visit Samoa is agreed to be during the dry season between May and October.

What is the Best Month to Go to Samoa?

If we have to choose, the best month to go to Samoa is September due to the dry weather, fewer tourists and cheaper travel deals. See the “The Best Months to Visit Samoa” section above for more details and similar months to visit.