Best time to visit
When to go: month by month
Our editors' picks of places that are at their best in each month of the year, based on typical weather and seasonal highlights. Conditions vary from year to year, and dates of festivals and natural events change, so check before you travel.
January
January is high summer in the Southern Hemisphere and the dry season across much of South-East Asia, India and the Caribbean, while northern cities are quiet, cold and good value.
February
February keeps the Southern Hemisphere summer and the tropical dry seasons going, while Carnival and Lunar New Year (both on dates that change each year) bring festivals to many cities.
March
March brings spring to the Northern Hemisphere, with the first blossoms in Japan and Korea in some years, and the end of the dry season in parts of the tropics.
April
April is spring in Europe, Japan and North America, with blossom, mild temperatures and Easter (on a date that changes each year), and autumn colours begin in the Southern Hemisphere.
May
May is one of the best months in much of Europe and North America: long days, green landscapes and fewer crowds than summer.
June
June brings long days and summer warmth in the north, white nights near the Arctic Circle, and the start of the dry season in much of East and Southern Africa.
July
July is peak summer in the Northern Hemisphere: mountain trails open, northern Europe is at its warmest and the dry season continues in Africa and parts of South America.
August
August is holiday season in Europe and festival month in Edinburgh, while it is winter and dry season in much of the Southern Hemisphere.
September
September brings warm seas and calmer crowds to the Mediterranean, the start of autumn colour in the north and the end of the rainy season in parts of the tropics.
October
October is prime time for autumn colours in East Asia and North America, comfortable sightseeing in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and festivals in many cities.
November
November brings late autumn colour to Japan, the start of the dry season in South-East Asia and the Caribbean, and late spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
December
December brings festive markets in Europe, peak dry season in the Caribbean and much of the tropics, and summer in the Southern Hemisphere.