This holiday season, instead of the twelve days of Christmas, why not the 12 months of travel? We’ve selected the ideal location month by month to celebrate a year of travel. From our experience, there are places to visit at certain times of the year which offer the perfect vacation spot. The right month can put you sitting in a hammock or skiing down a mountain and thinking, “There is literally no better place in the world to be right now.” Be it weather, festivals, blooming flowers, starry skies, we’ve selected our choices for the best place to travel during each month of the year.
January
New Zealand is one of our favorite places in the world, and January is an ideal time to travel there. The weather is warm (but usually not too hot) and everyone is enjoying the balmy summer. There’s a bit less rain at this time of year, the days are long, and the beaches are delightful. Mountain tramping is mostly free of snow. January on the southern hemisphere is equivalent to July in the northern. The only downside is that it is high season and a bit more crowded, but overall nothing feels terribly crowded in this country where sheep outnumber people. Check out our itinerary to begin planning your trip to both islands!
February
Costa Rica is a fantastic travel destination, and February is the driest month of the year. The country is still plenty lush, but dry days make for more pleasant weather and easy travel. Enjoy the wonderful sandy beaches, diverse wildlife (sloths, monkeys, toucans), hot springs, and river rafting. If the weather is too warm, head up to the cloud forest in Monteverde where cooler weather is pretty much guaranteed. Check out our itinerary to begin planning your trip to Costa Rica!
March
In March head to Hawaii. Hawaii temperatures are pretty good year-round but in January and February it can be fairly rainy. By late March the rain is much less common, and sunny beach days prevail. March is also prime whale watching season! Whale watching is best on Maui, but all of the islands are charming. Consider combining with a week on Kauai or the Big Island. Check out our itineraries to begin planning your trip to one of these islands!
April
In April you can see amazing tulip blooms spread across acres and acres in the Netherlands. Visit the gardens at Keukenhof, world class museums, and unique Dutch towns and villages. April is the most popular time of the year, so book far in advance for best choices. Check out our itinerary to begin planning your trip!
May
Ireland is charming at any time of the year, but May is probably the best. It’s warmer, the daylight lasts longer, the crowds are smaller than in the summer, and it’s simply a fantastic time to be in Ireland. Grab a car and spend a couple weeks circling the island, but make sure you don’t miss the Dingle Peninsula or Skellig Islands.
June
Thousands of waterfalls, amazing scenery, and daylight at 1:30 am – who wouldn’t want that? June may not be the warmest month in Iceland, but the weather is perfectly fine, and you may beat some of the crowds with a June (rather than July or August) trip. When we traveled in June, we had amazing weather and nearly 24 hours of daylight, perfect for long evening hikes or hot spring excursions. We suggest a couple of weeks to fully circle the island.
July
The Canadian Rockies near Banff and Lake Louise boast some of the most beautiful places on earth, and July is an ideal time to visit. Snow will have melted, allowing lots of outdoor activities and hiking. There will be more people visiting at this time, but just plan in advance and enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery.
August
South Africa in August may not be the warmest, but it avoids the sweltering summers. There are several advantages to this time of the year: it’s the dry season, and animals will be much easier to spot during your safari. On the south coast it’s still whale season. The biggest advantage to August however, is that there is a good chance to see one of the world’s most spectacular superblooms of wildflowers; the latter part of August into early September is generally the ideal time for this. The disadvantage is that it can be a little chilly – bring clothes for cool weather.
September
Portugal is a fantastic place to visit, but the peak of summer – especially in the Algarve – can be incredibly hot, it’s overly crowded, and you’ll be paying high-season rates. Delay your trip to late September – the beaches and beach resorts are still open without the hordes.
October
There are few better places to be in the world than New England in the fall. Yes there will be lots of other folks enjoying the foliage, but plan ahead and you will have a great trip. The first two weeks in October are generally peak foliage season (though the peak gets earlier as move northward), with great fall weather and foliage.
November
You definitely want to visit India after it starts to cool down – so not before November. However, crowds and prices start to peak in December, and if you travel in November you can be there for Diwali as well.
December
OK, we admit that it can be really cold, but Germany does Christmas like no other place on earth. Almost every town has a Christmas market – plan your whole trip around visiting them. During the day see the sights, museums, and castles. In the afternoons and evenings, join the locals wandering the Christmas markets with a cup of gluhwein to keep you warm. See our Christmas market trip for ideas.
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly believe this site needs far more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks
for the information!