Top places to travel by month: Take off to Japan in April, Iceland in October, and more

Beat dreary winter weather with a balmy jaunt to Australia in January. Thanks to the country’s sunny location in the Southern Hemisphere, it experiences its summer months during our winter season. That means January is the best time to visit Australia for golden beaches, tons of sunshine, and average temps from 68-99 F.

Set off on our Highlights of Australia: The Great Barrier Reef to Sydney tour to discover why the Land Down Under’s summer is such a treat. You’ll see dazzling Sydney in January—and can use your free time to head to Sydney Harbour, where the Westpac OpenAir event hosts outdoor movies by the water at the start of the year.

Need more reasons why Australia is one of the best places to travel in January? Here’s one: You don’t want to miss New Year’s Eve in this corner of the world. “I went to Australia to get away from the New England winter,” said staffer Gustavo while sharing the best places to travel during our winter season. “It was so nice to thaw out at Bondi Beach and be the first in the world to ring in the New Year, as we were there for New Year’s activities!”

When it comes to delightful times to visit Thailand, the dry season is most certainly it. This less-rainy period runs from November through February—and is the best time to visit Thailand if you want clearer skies for island hopping. (Sounds dreamy, right?)

While Thailand is a tropical destination with hot weather year-round, February is relatively cooler, with average temps ranging from 70-90 F. So, you can hit the beach on picturesque Thai islands knowing the weather will be ideal for swimming, but that there’s less chance of rain showers.

The more reliable weather in Thailand in February means more visitors, so you’ll be sharing your experience with other excited travelers. Want to see the highlights on a quick trip to the Land of Smiles? Set off on our A Week in Thailand: Bangkok & Krabi tour. You’ll soak up the best of Bangkok while enjoying the month’s lower humidity, stay cooler while swimming around Hong Island in Krabi, and discover why Thailand is one of the best places to travel in February.

With soaring coastal cliffs and verdant vistas, Ireland is a must-see in any season. Visit in March on our A Week in Ireland: St. Patrick’s Day tour, however, and take part in a beloved celebration: St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin. Watching the parade in the Irish capital makes spring one of the best times to visit Ireland—and this cheerful season has plenty of other perks, too. The warming days mean budding flowers across the fields, and you’re sure to see a baby lamb or two when you set off on our A Week in Ireland: Dublin, Cork & Galway tour.

If visiting Ireland in March is up your alley, be sure to prepare for every type of weather, as Irish Tour Director Patricia shared in our guide to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland. “In Ireland, we don’t have any extremes of temperature, of heat or cold,” she said. “We have a very temperate climate. Every day the sun is shining—sometimes we get liquid sunshine, sometimes we get the bright yellow sunshine, but every day is a wonderful day in Ireland.” Long story short: Put on your walking shoes, pack your parka, and discover why Ireland is one of the best places to travel in March.

Japan’s varied geography means dramatically different weather depending on where you are, but one thing’s for sure: Spring brings its own magic. While the best time to visit Japan comes down to what you hope to experience, April is a stunner because it ushers in cherry blossom season (a highlight in our Japan Travel Guide).

Looking to enjoy the iconic blooms (and see why all those soft-pink petals make Japan one of the best places to travel in April)? Our Cherry Blossoms in Japan: Tokyo to Kyoto tour will whisk you to the best viewpoints. Think: Ueno Park, one of Tokyo’s biggest green spaces, and Nijo Castle in Kyoto, which sits against a cherry-blossom backdrop each April. Our Highlights of Japan: Tokyo to Kyoto tour offers up another springtime opportunity to take part in hanami, the national tradition of relaxing under the cherry trees and enjoying their beauty.

Japan in April is also memorable thanks to festivals like the Kitano Odori in Kyoto, which highlights geisha performances in the Kamishichiken district. There’s also the wonder of the Takayama Spring Festival from April 14-15, when ornate parade floats take center stage. Use your free time on our Japan: Kyoto, the Japanese Alps & Tokyo tour to take part.

Italy is a bright spot on any travel itinerary—especially when you experience it during the warming days of May, before the big summer crowds arrive. This is one of the top times to explore the country in our season-by-season Italy guide.

If you want to experience Italy in May like a local and soak up as much as possible, our Grand Tour of Italy is the ticket. Savor Lake Como’s spring gardens, get front-row seats at May’s Calendimaggio festival in Assisi during free time (think: knights on horseback and musical performances), and cap off your spring trip to Italy on the Sorrento Peninsula (which will be warm but not scorching during this time of year).

Tuscany in May also sings (literally and figuratively), and you can find out why on our A Week in Italy: Venice, Florence & Rome tour. For starters, those rolling Tuscan hills look lovely when flowers are sprinkled into the mix. Then, there’s the famed Maggio Musicale Fiorentino festival that’s held in Florence each spring. This is distinguished as Italy’s oldest music festival, and it offers up opera, ballet, classical music, and more. It’s just one of many events that make Italy one of the best places to travel in May.

Want to get outside? Banff in June is calling. This month kicks off the park’s warmer season, when snow has melted off the lower-elevation trails and some of the most beautiful hikes of your life await. Even better? The early part of the month is still considered the shoulder season, when crowds and costs are lower, so you can see the sights for less. That accessibility alone makes Banff National Park one of the best places to travel in June.

Our Canadian Rockies by Train: Banff, Lake Louise & Vancouver tour can take you to the too-blue-to-be-true Lake Louise in June. This glacial lake has usually defrosted by early summer, which means you can see that iconic turquoise shade on sunny days! While you can certainly expect to catch some summer rays, be sure to follow our Banff National Park Travel Guide and bring your waterproof clothes while exploring the Rockies—Banff in June gets a good amount of rain (which helps the landscapes flourish), so you want to be prepared for any change in weather.

If you take one piece of travel advice, it’s this: Don’t miss summer in Scandinavia. This is the time to bask in longer days that are illuminated by the midnight sun (which shines for almost 24 hours a day in July). So, while this popular season sees more visitors, you can all spread out as you get into nature to enjoy the weather.

Speaking of getting outside, one thing to know before you go to Scandinavia is that you can’t miss a Norwegian fjord cruise. Set off on our Highlights of Scandinavia: Sweden, Norway & Denmark tour to zip through the UNESCO-listed Naeroyfjord, a waterway fit for a postcard. (Plus, all the summer greenery surrounding the fjords is another perk that makes Scandinavia one of the best places to travel in July!)

If you love being on the water, keep this in mind during your free time: Denmark is lined with more than 4,000 miles of beautiful beaches, so one of the top things to do in Scandinavia during the summer is lounge on the shore! Beyond the waterfront, beautiful parks and quaint lanes make Copenhagen in July a gem.

Sprawling landscapes, beautiful wildlife, and a heart-expanding culture make Kenya a life-changing place to visit year-round—and August is like the cherry on top. This month marks part of the country’s dry season, when you’re more likely to see animals at watering holes, and when sparser vegetation means less greenery blocking your view. Long story short: Choose the African safari that’s right for you, and keep your camera ready while exploring Kenya in August.

As our Kenya Travel Guide points out, late summer is also a peak time to catch the Great Migration. This is when millions if wildebeest travel from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya in search of food, so it’s the best time to visit the Maasai Mara. (Witnessing that captivating event is just as moving as it sounds, and makes Kenya one of the best places to travel in August!) Peek at our Africa packing list and embark on our Kenya Wildlife Safari: Mount Kenya, Maasai Mara & Amboseli to seek out natural wonders that you’ll never forget.

If you want to pair warm-but-not-scorching weather with fewer crowds, Greece in September awaits. As you’ll discover in our season-by-season Greece guide, September kicks off the shoulder season (so you’ll have more space as you explore the islands on our A Week in Greece: Athens, Mykonos & Santorini tour). Expect temps between 65-85 F, making beach days as warm and welcoming as the locals.

Another reason to visit Greece in September is to savor harvest-season treats. Does that bring a Mediterranean feast to mind? You’re right on the money. Visiting Santorini in September means you’ll be there in the thick of the assyrtiko grape harvest, and figs, pistachios, and early olives will be being plucked across the country. Dig in to the freshest seasonal flavors on our The Greek Islands: Mykonos, Santorini & Crete tour, which offers up olive oil-drizzled dips, glasses of wine at lively tavernas, and more. Dig into more reasons why Greece is one of the best places to travel in September in our Greece Travel Guide.

Iceland is a top place to travel for any nature lover during any time of year, and that outdoor appeal makes it one of the best places to travel in October. One reason to visit as fall kicks off? It’s your chance to spot northern lights in the darkening autumn skies. So, while the days may be shorter in Iceland in October, nighttime’s swirling colors more than make up for it. (Psst... even if you don’t glimpse the aurora borealis, the super-dark skies are always ideal for stargazing!)

October is also a fairly mild month in Iceland. As our season-by-season Iceland guide points out, you can seek out this bucket list experience before cold, snowy winter conditions creep in, but after the heavy summer crowds have departed.

“Iceland was almost like a dream,” said traveler Melissa about our Iceland: Reykjavik & Northern Lights tour. “Autumn in Reykjavik was full of gorgeous colors and the scenery amazed us. Between the waterfalls, city views, small houses with colorful roofs, black-sand beaches, geysers, glaciers, icebergs, sheep, Icelandic horses, lava tunnels, taking a dip in the Blue Lagoon, and witnessing the phenomenon of the northern lights, Iceland definitely did NOT disappoint.”

Bustling markets, the best Egyptian ruins, and the storied Nile River make Egypt a bucket list destination, no matter the season. But, exploring Egypt in November is ideal because that’s when the usually soaring temps dip between the upper 50s and 70s F. You can go from the Pyramids of Giza to the labyrinthine alleys of Cairo without sweating it, which is one of the best reasons to visit Egypt in the fall.

The Cairo Film Festival and Arabian Music Festival also take place during this time, and there’s a deeply religious celebration at the end of the month in Cairo: Moulid al-Hussein, which honors the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. It features processions, musicians, and colorful floats, and visitors are encouraged to enjoy the parades and don the traditional attire in a gesture of solidarity.

Because November is the beginning of Egypt’s dry season, other travelers will be just as eager to visit. Avoid the hassle of planning and waiting in lines by booking our A Week in Egypt: Giza, Nile River Cruise & Cairo tour and know that everything—from internal flights to river cruises to museum tickets—is pre-planned and pre-purchased by our experts. (That leaves you to simply enjoy all the things that make Egypt one of the best places to travel in November.)

Wondering what to throw in your suitcase for your trip to the Land of Pharaohs? Check out our Egypt Travel Guide and our Egypt packing list for tips!