Best time to visit Dunedin
New Zealand · 20-year averages
February is the best month in Dunedin, scoring 70 out of 100, with July the weakest at 47. The 23-point spread means timing is worth planning around without being decisive. 6 of the twelve months sit within ten points of the best, so there is more than one right answer.
January is the warmest month at 16.4 °C and July the coolest at 9.3 °C — a 7.1 °C spread across the year. It never reaches 30 °C in an average year, which takes heat off the list of reasons to avoid any particular month.
Rain is spread evenly through the year — between 10 and 14 wet days in every month — so there is no dry season to aim for and no wet one to dodge. Whatever you plan, the odds of rain are much the same.
The sea peaks at just 13 °C, which is wetsuit territory even at its warmest — a coast to look at rather than swim in. Daylight runs from 8.7 hours in winter to 15.7 in summer, enough to notice on a sightseeing itinerary.
The three strongest months are February, March, January. The one to think twice about is July. Each month below has its own page with rainfall reliability, extremes, daylight, sea temperature and crowd levels.
Dunedin month by month
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Rain days | Daylight h | Sea °C | Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.4 | 11.7 | 13 | 15.3 | 12.5 | 65 | A good month |
| February | 16.4 | 11.9 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 70 | A good month |
| March | 15.7 | 11.3 | 10 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 69 | A good month |
| April | 13.8 | 10 | 10 | 10.8 | 11.7 | 63 | Shoulder season |
| May | 11.8 | 8.5 | 13 | 9.5 | 10.7 | 52 | Shoulder season |
| June | 9.9 | 7 | 12 | 8.7 | 9.6 | 47 | A hard month |
| July | 9.3 | 6.4 | 11 | 9 | 8.9 | 47 | A hard month |
| August | 9.9 | 6.7 | 10 | 10.1 | 8.7 | 48 | A hard month |
| September | 11.4 | 7.2 | 12 | 11.7 | 8.9 | 53 | Shoulder season |
| October | 12.4 | 7.9 | 14 | 13.3 | 9.3 | 52 | Shoulder season |
| November | 13.8 | 9.1 | 12 | 14.8 | 10.1 | 60 | Shoulder season |
| December | 15.2 | 10.7 | 14 | 15.7 | 11.5 | 61 | Shoulder season |
Planning the rest of the trip
- Where to eat & stay in Dunedin every café, restaurant and hotel
- Flight time to Dunedin how long you are actually in the air
- Dunedin time zone and the difference from home
- Days until your trip count down to the departure date
- Gyms & clubs in Dunedin keep training while you are there