Best time to visit Haiti: weather and seasons by month

Go December to March for the driest, coolest weather and the biggest festivals. Go June to November only if you accept hurricane-season risk and want lower prices; September and October are the months most likely to be disrupted. Haiti's travel advice is the deciding factor, not the weather: check your government's current guidance before you book anything.

Haiti sits in the Caribbean hurricane belt, so the year splits into a drier, cooler half and a wetter, hotter half. The table below is a planning guide, not a forecast; conditions vary between the coast, the mountains and the north around Cap-Haïtien.

Haiti has a tropical climate with two broad seasons rather than four. The dry, cooler stretch runs roughly December to March, when daytime highs on the coasts sit near the high twenties and nights are comfortable. The wet, hotter stretch runs roughly April to November, with humidity, afternoon downpours and the hurricane season that officially opens on 1 June and closes on 30 November.

Rain does not fall evenly. The northern coast around Cap-Haïtien and the mountain areas can be wetter or cooler than Port-au-Prince, and a wet month rarely means rain all day: showers often build in the afternoon and clear by evening. September and October are the months when a storm is most likely to change your plans, so build slack into any itinerary in that window.

Temperatures are warm year-round, so pack for heat and sun rather than cold. The main exception is the mountains, where nights can be noticeably cooler.

Prices track the weather. December to March, and especially the weeks around Christmas, New Year and Carnival, are the busiest and most expensive. June to November is the low season: fewer visitors, softer room rates and easier availability, at the cost of heat, rain and storm risk.

Carnival in February is the single biggest domestic travel period, so book rooms and transport well ahead if you want to be there. Outside those peaks, Haiti is not a high-volume destination, and demand is shaped more by travel advisories than by season.

Travel advice comes first. Several governments advise against travel to parts of Haiti, and that guidance, not the weather, should decide whether you go at all. Check your own government's current advice and register your trip if your country offers it.

If you travel in hurricane season, follow official storm advisories, keep a flexible plan and know your airline's change policy. Travel insurance that covers weather disruption is worth the extra cost. Hurricane season also overlaps with the wet months, so pack quick-dry clothing and a light rain shell.