Herd of elephants in South Africa

Best places to travel in June 2022

The solstice at the end of June brings long days to destinations in the northern hemisphere, making it an excellent time to get outdoors. You can roam through Canada’s wilderness, hike in Germany’s Black Forest or soak up the sun in the French Riviera.

This is also a popular month for festivals. For example, Greece’s Athens and Epidaurus Festival lets you watch ancient plays performed in ancient venues, while in Peru, you can attend a festival celebrating the Inca sun god, Inti. The month also marks the end of the rainy season in places like Uganda and the Zanzibar Archipelago, where you’ll find well-watered landscapes bursting with life, but mostly sunny skies.

Festivals and events around the world in June

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France

Visiting France in June means you’ll beat the heavy summer crowds. The warm sunny days are just right for whiling away an afternoon at a Parisian cafe, or indulging in a picnic under the shade of a tree in one of the parks. Head north to Normandy for the D-Day anniversary and you can stroll along the beaches to soak up some of the glorious light that’s attracted so many artists over the years.

Towards the end of the month, the lavender is just beginning to bloom in Provence. Or you might relax on the Riviera’s beaches before the real heat sets in.

Lavender field, Provence
Lavender field, Provence

Peru

June is the best month to see Peru, so you’ll need to plan well ahead to guarantee the best options within a short window. The rainy season ends in May, leaving the landscape lushly green and the weather warm and sunny, though you can expect crisp, cool evenings at altitude. It’s an excellent time for hiking the Inca Trail.

Throughout the month, you’ll find a series of festivals across the country, which builds up to Inti Raymi. Held just after the summer solstice, it’s a celebration dedicated to Inti, the benevolent Inca sun god.

Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu

Zanzibar Archipelago

June is an excellent time to visit Zanzibar. The long rains have finally ended, though you might get the occasional sprinkle, which keeps visitor numbers down. It means you can enjoy the white-sand beaches, warm weather and (mostly) blue skies without too many others around. You can also tour Stone Town or the spice plantations, hike through the Jozani Forest to try to spot red colobus monkeys, or take a sailing safari to look for dolphins.

You might combine a stay here with a safari on Tanzania’s mainland, where the parks and reserves are at their greenest, birdwatching is excellent and animals are in prime health.

Dhow boat in the crystal blue waters of Zanzibar
Dhow boat in the crystal blue waters of Zanzibar

Uganda

Though the temperatures are consistently warm year-round, June is one of the best months to visit Uganda. It’s the start of the second dry season, so you’re less likely to encounter rain, but the landscape is still verdant from the recent rains. The roads are also in peak condition, making travel into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest smoother.

Bwindi is one of very few places in the world you can track highly endangered mountain gorillas, and June provides some of the best conditions for hiking to see them. You can also head to Kibale Forest National Park to see habituated groups of chimpanzees.

Silverback gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Silverback gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Greece

Across Greece’s mainland and islands, June is an exceptional time to visit. Everything is fully open and the temperatures start to rise, but the real heat doesn’t set in for another month or so. You’ll be able to enjoy pleasantly warm temperatures without the summer throngs, either in the cities or on the beaches.

June is also when many festivals take place across the country. For example, the Athens and Epidauros Festival showcases theatrical performances in both cities. It’s a chance to see ancient Greek plays performed in ancient venues, including the Theatre of Epidavros.

Theatre of Epidavros, Greece
Theatre of Epidavros, Greece

Malaysia

Though the capital and west coast of Malaysia are year-round destinations, June is also an excellent time to visit the islands scattered up and down the east coast, which is experiencing its dry season. June also offers some of the best diving conditions in the waters off Tioman, Redang and the Perhentians, where you’ll enjoy hot, dry weather and clear waters.

You might start off with a few days in Kuala Lumpur, where you can take a walking tour to sample the street food. Then you could visit the Sultan’s Palace in Kuala Terengganu, before ending with a few days on the beaches of Tioman.

Kuala Lumpur cityscape
Kuala Lumpur cityscape

Mauritius

With a subtropical climate, Mauritius enjoys lovely beach weather most of the year. However, June is particularly pleasant. Not only are there fewer visitors, you’ll also experience less humid days, making it an excellent time to lounge on the white-sand beaches. If you want to explore the island’s islets and snorkeling spots, consider a private boat tour.

The Chamarel Mountains, in the south, see the occasional burst of rain, which keeps them green. You can take a private tour through this verdant region to see the sugarcane fields, tea plantations, and national parks there.

Mauritius
Mauritius

Canada

Long, warm days make June an excellent month to visit every part of Canada. The summer crowds haven’t arrived in full force yet, but trails, hotels and restaurants are all open. Across the country, the waterways are fully thawed, and even in the northern reaches of the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, the snow has melted, revealing a playground of mountains, forests, valleys, lakes and waterfalls in full flow.

The vast wilderness offers many options for hiking, kayaking and more, but don’t overlook the cities, where you can enjoy the many cultural festivals on offer. For example, Montréal hosts the world’s largest jazz festival each June.

Kluane National Park, Yukon
Kluane National Park, Yukon

Germany

Though Germany is a year-round destination, June’s long days and warm spring temperatures make this an excellent time to visit. The summer crowds haven’t descended and you’ll be able to enjoy the fine weather without the crush.

The trees in the Black Forest have fully leafed out and are best appreciated on a driving tour. You’ll be able to hike under the cool shade, visit the world’s biggest cuckoo clock, and admire Triberg Waterfalls, one of the highest waterfalls in Germany. This is also a great time to visit the cities — festival season is in full swing and the weather is comfortable for walking tours.

Traditional houses in a Black Forest village
Traditional houses in a Black Forest village

Nicaragua

Tropical Nicaragua is a year-round destination. However, June is an exceptional time if you want to visit for snorkeling or birdwatching — two of the main reasons people visit this often-overlooked Central American country.

You might slip silently along the Rio Bartola under the towering rainforest canopy on a privately guided tour of the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve. Along the way, look out for birds like trogons, manikins, tanagers, and if you're lucky, scarlet macaws. Or you might visit the Corn Islands, located off the east coast. Boasting a laid-back Caribbean atmosphere, these two islands have some of the best snorkeling in the region.

Great egrets, Juan Venado Island
Great egrets, Juan Venado Island
Travel Ideas in January

Places to travel in January

As Christmas slopes into the distance, journeying to find some sun is an appealing prospect for January. We recommend beach time on a Caribbean island, a secluded Cambodian archipelago or Sri Lanka’s southern shores. In Africa, the January rains break the Kalahari heat and the quenched plains spring to life. Journey to Botswana to watch new-born zebra take their first steps, as migratory birds feast on the fresh grasses.

In Baja California, on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, you can watch as hundreds of whales and dolphins leap, arch and twirl in and out of the ocean. If you’re after cooler climes, temperatures in India have cooled enough to make exploring its fortress cities comfortable. Or, embrace winter in the steaming waters of a Japanese hot-spring bath after exploring the snow-dusted forests of the Japanese Alps.

Places to travel

Travel Ideas in February

Places to travel in February

Whether you’re wrapping up warm to experience wintry activities like dog-sledding and snowshoeing in Canada, or escaping the colder temperatures at home with a cruise along the Nile under sunny skies, February can make an excellent time to travel. A safari in Tanzania gives you a chance to see new-born antelope take their first wobbly steps, while warm temperatures in Argentina make it an ideal time for trekking in Patagonia.

We’ve shared some of the most popular destinations to visit in February below, as well as a few countries that you may not have considered, where you can visit key sights without the crowds.

Places to travel

Travel Ideas in March

Places to travel in March

As spring blossoms across the Northern Hemisphere, the American Southwest opens to a range of outdoor adventures, while lengthening days in Iceland allow for more time exploring wild, volcanic landscapes. Japan’s springtime blooms start to emerge, and milder temperatures coupled with the showings of early plum blossom make it a good-value time to travel here ahead of the peak season.

In South Africa, the wine harvests are in full swing and vibrant carnivals for the Jewish festival of Purim take place across Israel. Warmer temperatures and sunny skies show the beaches of Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Maldives at their best. However, cooler climes in New Zealand makes this an excellent month to explore, with quieter walking trails, near-empty coastlines and a good chance of sunshine.

Places to travel

Harrismith Beach, Barbados

Places to travel in April

If you’re looking to go on safari, April is the best month to tiger-spot in India’s national parks, where you’ll also see a supporting cast of elephants, deer, and birdlife. For a coastal escape, you’ve got your pick, including Mexico’s Mayan Riviera and secluded Maldivian islands.

If you’re seeking adventure, this is the time of year to take an in-depth tour across Vietnam, or explore the highlights of Morocco at their best. April is also a month of festivities around the globe, from the Festa di San Marco in Italy and cherry blossom celebrations in South Korea to Caribbean regattas and music festivals.

Places to travel

Travel Ideas in May

Places to travel in May

Across the northern hemisphere, May brings spring blossoms, sunshine, and warmer weather, but the summer crowds haven’t arrived to most destinations. In the southern hemisphere, the rains are ending and the weather is starting to cool down a bit.

If you want to get outside to enjoy the ample sun, you might hike in Scotland, look for wildlife in US National Parks, or take a water safari in a mokoro canoe in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. It’s also a popular time for festivals, whether you’re in Venice to watch the mayor pledge himself in a symbolic wedding to the sea, watching jazz performances in Saint Lucia, or sampling single-source organic chocolate in Belize.

Places to travel

Herd of elephants in South Africa

Places to travel in June

The solstice at the end of June brings long days to destinations in the northern hemisphere, making it an excellent time to get outdoors. You can roam through Canada’s wilderness, hike in Germany’s Black Forest or soak up the sun in the French Riviera.

This is also a popular month for festivals. For example, Greece’s Athens and Epidaurus Festival lets you watch ancient plays performed in ancient venues, while in Peru, you can attend a festival celebrating the Inca sun god, Inti. The month also marks the end of the rainy season in places like Uganda and the Zanzibar Archipelago, where you’ll find well-watered landscapes bursting with life, but mostly sunny skies.

Places to travel

Travel Ideas in July

Places to travel in July

July gives you many destinations to consider if you’re looking to experience them in their prime. Explore the great outdoors while the sun shines in the US’s northern states, Norway or Switzerland. Balance beach relaxation with culture or wildlife in Costa Rica, French Polynesia or Vietnam. Or, in Kenya, be among the first of the season to see the Great Migration herds arrive as they make their frenzied crossing of the Mara River.

July is also one of the only months you can cruise the Arctic or hike in the mountains of Ladakh. And, in Japan, you can escape the summer humidity in the Japanese Alps.

Places to travel

Mirissa Beach, Sri Lanka

Places to travel in August

Many destinations are ripe for a summer break in August. For a trip focused around wildlife, consider a safari in Tanzania, which experiences its dry season, a trip to Borneo to see turtles hatch, or a visit to Brazil’s Pantanal for a shot at seeing a jaguar.

Elsewhere, beaches are at their best on Sri Lanka’s north and east coasts, Iceland’s interior has thawed out ready for you to explore on foot and by superjeep, while northern Australia is dry, sunny and comfortably warm for hikes. Alternatively, you might like to soak up the culture in Luxembourg or Denmark, stay on a hacienda in Ecuador’s countryside or enjoy a family escape to Mauritius.

Places to travel

Lion, Etosha National Park

Places to travel in September

Whether falling in autumn or spring, September can showcase countries at their most scenic, from the green, lamb-dotted valleys of New Zealand and the wildflower-coated countryside of Argentina to Russia’s rust-hued city parks.

In Canada, the salmon run sees bears gather for a feeding frenzy along British Columbia’s rivers. Bhutan’s clear skies are ideal for hiking among its mountains, while similar conditions in Bolivia make for excellent photography around its salt pans. Spain and Turkey are pleasantly warm without the crowds of summer. And, in South Africa, you can combine regions while they’re at their best. It’s also an excellent time for seeing Namibia’s wildlife and stargazing among its desert dunes.

Places to travel

Amalfi coast, Italy

Places to travel in October

Whether you’re looking for spring blooms, autumnal foliage or prime wildlife-viewing opportunities, you’ll find plenty of destinations to choose from if you’re planning to travel in October. Below are just some of the places we feel are at their best at this time of year, along with our suggestions on the best things to do there.

You could make the most of excellent hiking conditions in New Zealand, go whale watching in South Africa, or indulge in fresh produce during harvest time in Vietnam, Japan or Italy. And, in many of our chosen countries, you’ll be visiting before or after the busiest times of year.

Places to travel

Travel Ideas in November

Places to travel in November

Though the temperatures may begin to drop, November still offers plenty of opportunity for active adventure. Trek to the top of the world in the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal, and witness the sunrises over the tops of the peaks. Enjoy snorkeling or scuba diving in the warmer temperatures of the Red Sea in Egypt, where the water is a clear blue and the coral reefs teem with marine life. Or experience Vietnam by bicycle, along the countryside around the historic merchants' town of Hoi An or through the rice terraces and remote villages of Sapa.

Places to travel

Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road, Australia

Places to travel in December

From festive celebrations to sun-kissed beaches, December can be an excellent month to travel to a wide range of destinations, depending on what you want from your trip. Below are ten destinations that shine for their own reasons during December.

You could head to Japan, where the chill in the air can be tempered with a soak in a steaming onsen. Thailand’s beaches and clear, calm waters are all the more enticing during winter. Or, under a blanket of snow, Canada offers cheery Christmas markets, cosy log cabins and dog-sledding through ice-bejewelled forest.

Places to travel