Best time to visit
When's the best time to go?
The 'best' time to visit is usually a trade-off between weather, crowds and price. Peak season has the best weather and the highest prices. The best-value months, either side of it, often have nearly the same weather for a lot less.
Search a destination to see its year at a glance, or browse the calendar below.
The three seasons
Our when-to-go filter marks every month for every destination as one of three seasons.
Good weather with fewer crowds and lower prices. Usually the shoulder months either side of peak season.
Peak season. Often the best weather or school holidays, so book flights and rooms early.
Off season. Cheapest and emptiest, usually because of heat, rain or cold. Some places close.
The holiday calendar
Peak, best-value and quiet months for popular destinations.
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Best valueBusy and pricierQuiet
How to time your trip
- 1Avoid UK school holidays
Package prices can jump by a third or more in half-term, Easter and the summer holidays.
- 2Aim for the shoulder season
May, June and September in the Mediterranean. November and March for long-haul winter sun.
- 3Check rainy and hurricane seasons
Monsoons in Asia and Atlantic hurricanes (June to November) can wash out a trip.
- 4Check local holidays
Ramadan, Golden Week, Chinese New Year and Easter change opening hours, crowds and prices.
- 5Book peak dates early
For Christmas, Easter and August, the cheapest flights go months ahead.
When-to-go guides
Destinations where timing really matters, from monsoons and hurricanes to cherry blossom and northern lights.
Spring blossom and autumn colour are peak. Winter and early summer are quieter and cheaper.
Read the guide →November to February is dry and cooler. The Gulf islands have their rain later, in autumn.
Read the guide →Dry from April to October. May, June and September dodge the summer crowds.
Read the guide →December to April is dry and busy. Hurricane season peaks Aug to Oct, and seaweed can arrive in summer.
Read the guide →November to March is ideal and busy. Summer is over 40°C in the afternoons, but cheap.
Read the guide →Red Sea sun all year. Sightseeing is best from October to April, before the summer heat.
Read the guide →December to April is dry and pricey. May to October is wetter but much cheaper.
Read the guide →Summer for driving and hiking, winter for northern lights. September and March offer both.
Read the guide →Warm all year, with winter the busiest season. May and October offer sun at lower prices.
Read the guide →July and August are hot and packed. June and September give warm sea and fewer crowds.
Read the guide →Two monsoons mean one coast is always good. West and south Dec to Mar, east coast May to Sep.
Read the guide →Spring and autumn are ideal. Summer is very hot inland, and winter nights are cold.
Read the guide →Southern Spain is warm enough for a spring break by April, and the coast stays pleasant well into October.
Read the guide →The Algarve has one of the longest seasons in Europe, with warm, dry weather from May to October.
Read the guide →Paris is lovely in spring, when the parks bloom, and in September, when the city comes back from holiday.
Read the guide →Rome, Florence and Venice are hot and crowded in July and August, and many Italians take their own holiday around Ferragosto on 15 August.
Read the guide →Dubrovnik gets very busy when cruise ships are in, mostly from June to September.
Read the guide →Cyprus has the warmest sea in the Mediterranean in autumn and stays warm enough for the beach into November.
Read the guide →Malta's winters are mild and sunny, making it one of the best short-haul city breaks from November to March.
Read the guide →The Turquoise Coast resorts run from May to October, with the sea warmest in August and September.
Read the guide →Doha is pleasant from November to March, with highs in the low to mid 20s.
Read the guide →Northern Oman, including Muscat and the mountains, is at its best from October to April.
Read the guide →Petra and Wadi Rum are best in spring and autumn, when days are warm and nights mild.
Read the guide →Goa and most of India are best from October to March, after the monsoon.
Read the guide →Vietnam has three climates.
Read the guide →Cambodia's dry season runs from November to April, with December and January the most comfortable.
Read the guide →Malaysia has two coasts with opposite monsoons.
Read the guide →Singapore is hot and humid every month, around 27 to 28°C, with short tropical downpours.
Read the guide →The Philippines is driest from December to May, with March to May the hottest.
Read the guide →Seoul has four sharp seasons: cherry blossom in early April, autumn leaves in October, a humid monsoon in July and freezing winters.
Read the guide →Beijing is best in spring and autumn.
Read the guide →Nepal's main trekking seasons are October to November, with clear mountain views, and March to April, when the rhododendrons flower.
Read the guide →Australia's seasons are the reverse of ours, so Christmas is summer in Sydney.
Read the guide →New Zealand's summer, from December to February, is busiest.
Read the guide →Fiji is warm all year.
Read the guide →Mauritius is warm all year.
Read the guide →The Seychelles is warm all year.
Read the guide →Cape Town's summer, from December to March, is dry and sunny.
Read the guide →Kenya's big draw is the Great Migration, which reaches the Masai Mara from about July to October.
Read the guide →Tanzania works almost all year.
Read the guide →New York is best in spring and autumn, when the parks are green or gold and walking is a pleasure.
Read the guide →Canada's summer, from June to September, is the time for the Rockies, lakes and road trips.
Read the guide →Cuba's dry season, from November to April, is warm and sunny.
Read the guide →Punta Cana is driest and sunniest from December to April, which is also peak season.
Read the guide →Jamaica's dry season, from December to April, is its busiest.
Read the guide →Barbados is warm all year.
Read the guide →Costa Rica's dry season, from December to April, is best on the Pacific side and in the central valley.
Read the guide →Rio's summer, from December to March, is hot, humid and festive, peaking with Carnival in February or March.
Read the guide →Buenos Aires is best in spring (October and November) and autumn (March to May).
Read the guide →The Andes, including Cusco and Machu Picchu, are driest from May to September, which is also peak season.
Read the guide →Norway has two very different seasons.
Read the guide →Lapland is the place for snow, husky rides and the northern lights from December to March, with a big Christmas rush.
Read the guide →Amsterdam is at its prettiest from mid-March to mid-May, when the tulip fields and Keukenhof gardens are in bloom.
Read the guide →Germany is best from May to September for cities, rivers and beer gardens.
Read the guide →Switzerland has two peak seasons: skiing from December to April and hiking from June to September.
Read the guide →Austria is a winter favourite, with skiing from December to April and Christmas markets in Vienna and Salzburg.
Read the guide →Prague is busiest in summer and at Christmas, when the Old Town Square market fills.
Read the guide →Budapest works all year: summer festivals and rooftop bars, autumn wine and winter thermal baths.
Read the guide →Kraków is a good-value city break all year.
Read the guide →Ireland is green because it rains in every season, so plan for showers whenever you go.
Read the guide →Copenhagen is at its best from May to September, with long days, harbour swimming and outdoor cafés.
Read the guide →Orlando's parks are busiest in the UK and US summer holidays and at Christmas.
Read the guide →Before you book
- Search your destination above to see its peak, value and quiet months.
- Compare prices a week either side of UK school holidays.
- Check rainy and hurricane seasons for tropical trips.
- Check local festivals and holidays that might affect opening times.