Interactive guides to where you're headed

Iceland

Summer + Aurora

• 🌌Aurora overlay

The best time to visit Iceland depends on your goal: June through August for midnight sun, summer hiking, and all Highland roads open. September through March for aurora season and lower prices. June and February are the two best individual months — June for summer travel, February for aurora hunting. Avoid November and December for the most challenging weather.

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Japan

Spring + autumn

The best months to visit Japan are late March to mid-May (cherry blossoms and warm spring) and October to November (autumn leaves and dry weather). Avoid June through September unless you specifically want festival season — rainy weather, typhoons, and intense humidity dominate.

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• Japan tokyo · Kyoto · Osaka
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Vietnam

Region by region

The best time to visit Vietnam is November through April — cool dry weather in the north, warm dry weather in the south, and (mostly) workable conditions on the central coast. The central coast (Da Nang, Hoi An) gets a brutal monsoon September through December that's separate from the national pattern. Avoid June through September unless you specifically want Sapa's lush rice terraces.

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Da Nang

Central coast · beach city

The best time to visit Da Nang is February through May — dry, warm, and uncrowded, with March as the sweet spot. Avoid September through December, when monsoon and typhoon season delivers 324–631mm of rainfall per month and beaches close.

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Hoi An

Lantern-lit old town

The best time to visit Hoi An is February through May — dry, warm, and uncrowded, with March as the sweet spot. Avoid September through December, when monsoon and typhoon season delivers 368–656mm of rainfall per month and the Thu Bon River regularly floods the UNESCO Old Town.

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Thailand

Region by region

The best time to visit Thailand is November through February — cool dry weather in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, peak Andaman beach season (Phuket, Krabi), and the Gulf coast (Koh Samui) recovering from its November wet peak. Avoid March–April for northern haze (Chiang Mai burning season), and skip July through September for nationwide monsoon weather.

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Koh Samui

Gulf-coast island

The best time to visit Koh Samui is January through March — peak dry season with under 80mm of rain per month and 11 hours of sun. June is a strong secondary window, hidden from most guides because it falls inside Phuket's peak monsoon. Avoid October–November when the NE monsoon delivers 234–345mm of rain.

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Krabi

Andaman coast

The best time to visit Krabi is January through March — peak dry season with under 100mm of rainfall per month, calm seas for Phi Phi day trips, and reliable Railay rock climbing. Avoid May through November when the SW monsoon delivers 185–315mm per month, peaking at 315mm in November. December is workable but pricey for Christmas.

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Bali

Wet vs dry season

The best time to visit Bali is May through September — the dry season — with June and September as the smartest picks. Avoid November through March, when the wet season delivers 300–385mm of rain per month and beaches become unreliable. December adds Christmas/New Year price spikes on top of bad weather.

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Spain

Mainland + Balearics

The best time to visit Spain is April through June and September through October — warm everywhere, manageable crowds, and the major festivals (Semana Santa, San Isidro, wine harvest) fall in this window. Avoid Madrid and Andalusia in July–August (interior temperatures hit 35–40°C+) and the Atlantic north January–March (cold and wet). Coastal Spain stays mild all year, but Balearic beach venues close November–March.

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Ibiza

Party + beach island

The best time to visit Ibiza is May through September — warm, dry, and with the full club season in operation. June and September are the sweet spots: hot enough for the sea, less crowded and expensive than July–August. Avoid November–March, when most clubs and beach restaurants close completely.

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Mallorca

Beach + hiking island

The best time to visit Mallorca is May through September — warm, dry, and with the full tourism economy in operation. June and September are the smartest individual months: hot enough for beaches, less crowded and 25–35% cheaper than the July–August peak. Avoid November–March for beach trips, but the Tramuntana mountains stay excellent for cyclists and hikers year-round.

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New Orleans

Spring + autumn windows

The best time to visit New Orleans is March–May (warm, dry, Jazz Fest) or October–November (cool, dry, Halloween). Avoid July–September — heat index hits 38°C+, daily thunderstorms, and hurricane season peaks in August–September with real risk of trip disruption.

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Miami

Dry season + hurricane risk

The worst time to visit Miami is August through September — the hottest, most humid weeks of the year (32°C with 26°C nights) coinciding with the peak of the hurricane season and 232mm of September rain. Irma (September 2017) and Andrew (August 1992) both struck in this window. June is the wettest month but storm-quiet. November through April is the dry, comfortable season; early November and early December are the value picks.

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Key West

Dry season + hurricane risk

The worst time to visit Key West is August through September — the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, the wettest stretch of the year (189mm in September), and 30°C days with 28°C nights. The Keys are the most storm-exposed place in the US with a single evacuation road; Irma (September 2017) came ashore 30km away. November through April is the dry, comfortable season; early November and early December are the value picks.

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Hawaii

Leeward vs windward, month by month

The worst time to visit Hawaii is late August through September — the peak of the Central Pacific hurricane season and the hottest, most humid weeks of the year. The most expensive time is the Christmas fortnight (December 20 – January 5), when rates roughly double and it is also the wettest stretch. April–May and October–November are the sweet spots.

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Bahamas

Dry season + hurricane risk

The worst time to visit the Bahamas is August through October — the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, when rainfall doubles, humidity is oppressive, and many Out Island resorts close. Dorian (September 2019) and Matthew (October 2016) both struck in this window. December through April is the dry, reliable season; late April and early May offer the best value.

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Jamaica

Dry season + two rain peaks

The worst time to visit Jamaica is September and October — the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season and the wettest stretch of the year (242mm in October). Gilbert (1988), Ivan (2004), and Melissa (October 2025) all struck in this window. December through April is the dry, reliable season; late April and early December offer the best value.

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Punta Cana

Dry season + sargassum window

The worst time to visit Punta Cana is September through November — the peak of the hurricane season followed by the wettest month of the year (178mm in November). Fiona (September 2022) made a direct hit on the resort zone. Sargassum seaweed adds a second problem from May to September. December through March is the dry, reliable season; late April and early December offer the best value.

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St. Thomas

Dry season + cruise-day timing

The worst time to visit St. Thomas is August through October — the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season and the wettest stretch of the year (145mm in October). Irma and Maria both struck as Category 5 storms in September 2017, two weeks apart, and many businesses close for September and October. December through April is the dry, reliable season; late April and early December offer the best value.

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Aruba

Outside the hurricane belt

The worst time to visit Aruba is October and November — the short wet season, when rain roughly doubles, humidity peaks, and sunshine drops. It is still mild by Caribbean standards, and Aruba sits outside the hurricane belt. The most expensive, most crowded time is December 20 – January 3 and Carnival week in February. Mid-April to June is the sweet spot: identical weather, 20–30% lower rates.

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Costa Rica

Dry vs green season

The worst time to visit Costa Rica is September and October — the deepest part of the green season on the Pacific coast and in the Central Valley, when rain tops 400–500mm a month, unpaved roads wash out, and many Nicoya and Osa lodges close. The exception is the Caribbean coast, which is at its driest then. December through April is dry season; late November and early May offer the best value.

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Mexico

Country + 4 cities

The best time to visit Mexico is the dry season, roughly November through April: the Caribbean and Pacific beaches are warm, dry and clear of hurricanes, while the central highlands enjoy mild sunny days. This page's month chart uses Mexico City as the national proxy, where rains run June–September. The trade-off is that the dry months are also the busiest and priciest, peaking around Christmas and Semana Santa; for value with decent weather, target May, October or November.

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• Tulum · Cabo · Mexico City

Maldives

Dry vs wet monsoon

The best time to visit the Maldives is the northeast-monsoon dry season, December through April, with February and March the driest, sunniest and calmest-sea months of the year. The southwest monsoon (May–November) brings more rain, wind and rougher seas, but also the lowest prices and the manta-and-whale-shark season in Baa Atoll. Most travellers should target February–March; for value, aim for late November or April.

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Philippines

Dry season vs typhoons

The best time to visit the Philippines is the dry season, roughly December through May, with January to March the sweet spot — dry, sunny and not yet at the searing heat of April and May. June to October is the wet southwest-monsoon and peak typhoon season, wettest in July (around 447mm): cheap and quiet, but stormy. Because the eastern islands (Siargao, eastern Visayas) run on the opposite rain cycle, the smartest plan is to match both the month and the island — and to target January–March for the most reliable archipelago-wide weather.

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Greece

Shoulder seasons vs heatwaves

Greece has two worst times. For most travellers it is July and August — heatwaves above 40°C that close the Acropolis at midday, high wildfire risk, peak prices, saturated islands, and the meltemi wind cancelling ferries. For island trips it is January and February, when most hotels, tavernas, and ferry routes are shut and Athens is cold and grey. May–June and September–early October are the sweet spots.

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