Where to go, what to see and when to travel

France

Paris

World-class museums, café terraces and walkable riverside quarters

Best: April–June and September–October

United Kingdom

London

Free national museums, royal landmarks, West End theatre and riverside walks

Best: May–June and September

Italy

Rome

Ancient ruins, Vatican art, Baroque piazzas and long trattoria lunches

Best: April–May and September–October

Spain

Barcelona

Gaudí architecture, Gothic lanes, tapas bars and city beaches

Best: May–June and September–October

Netherlands

Amsterdam

Canal rings, Golden Age art, brown cafés and a city made for bikes

Best: April–June and September

Turkey

Istanbul

Byzantine domes, Ottoman palaces and ferries between Europe and Asia

Best: April–June and September–October

Portugal

Lisbon

Hilltop viewpoints, yellow trams and custard tarts on the Tagus

Best: April–June and September–October

Spain

Madrid

Velázquez and Goya by day, tapas bars and late nights after dark

Best: April–June and September–October

Czechia

Prague

Gothic spires, a hilltop castle and Europe's great beer halls

Best: May–June and September

Austria

Vienna

Imperial palaces, coffee houses, Klimt and world-class music

Best: April–June and September–October

Germany

Berlin

Cold War history, world-class museums and nights that never end

Best: May–September

Italy

Venice

Canals, Byzantine mosaics and lagoon islands with no cars at all

Best: April–May and September–October

Italy

Florence

Renaissance masterpieces, Brunelleschi's dome and Tuscan food on foot

Best: April–May and September–October

Greece

Athens

The Acropolis, late-night tavernas and beaches a tram ride away

Best: April–June and September–October

Hungary

Budapest

Thermal baths, Danube views and ruin bars at Central European prices

Best: April–May and September–October

Ireland

Dublin

Georgian squares, free museums, trad-music pubs and a coastline by train

Best: May–September

United Kingdom

Edinburgh

A castle on a volcano, medieval closes, free museums and August festivals

Best: May–June and September

Denmark

Copenhagen

Harbour swims, Tivoli lights, Danish design and a city made for bikes

Best: May–September

Iceland

Reykjavík

A small, walkable capital and base for geysers, waterfalls and northern lights

Best: June–September

Spain

Seville

Moorish palaces, orange-tree squares, tapas bars and flamenco

Best: March–May and October–November

Portugal

Porto

Riverside terraces, azulejo tiles, port-wine lodges and the Douro Valley

Best: May–June and September–October

Germany

Munich

Beer gardens, royal palaces, world-class art and the Alps on the horizon

Best: May–July, September and December

Italy

Milan

Gothic Duomo, The Last Supper, fashion streets and canal-side aperitivo

Best: April–June and September–October

Italy

Naples

Pizza's birthplace, baroque churches, Vesuvius and Pompeii next door

Best: April–June and September–October

France

Nice

Pebble beaches, Old Town markets and a rail gateway to the Riviera

Best: May–June and September–October

Croatia

Dubrovnik

A walled Adriatic city of limestone streets, sea forts and island swims

Best: May–June and September–October

Greece

Santorini

Cliff-top villages, a flooded caldera and black-sand beaches in the Cyclades

Best: May–June and September–October

Belgium

Brussels

The Grand-Place, Art Nouveau houses, comic murals and serious beer and chocolate

Best: May–June and September

Belgium

Bruges

Medieval canals, a climbable belfry and Flemish masterpieces in a walkable old town

Best: April–June and September

Poland

Kraków

A royal old town, Wawel Castle and the cafés and memory of Kazimierz

Best: May–June and September

Poland

Warsaw

A rebuilt Old Town, world-class history museums and Chopin in the park

Best: May–June and September

Sweden

Stockholm

A capital on 14 islands, a 17th-century warship and the archipelago on the doorstep

Best: May–September

Norway

Oslo

Fjord-side architecture, Munch and Viking-age history with forest on the doorstep

Best: May–September

Finland

Helsinki

Sea fortress, public saunas and Nordic design on a Baltic peninsula

Best: May–September

Estonia

Tallinn

Walled medieval Old Town, creative factory districts and the Baltic shore

Best: May–September

Latvia

Riga

Art Nouveau boulevards, a Hanseatic old town and a market in zeppelin hangars

Best: May–September

Lithuania

Vilnius

Baroque old town, a self-declared artists' republic and wooded river valleys

Best: May–September

Switzerland

Zurich

Lakeside old town, world-class art and swimming in the Limmat

Best: May–September

Switzerland

Geneva

Lake Geneva's jet d'eau, a Calvinist old town and the world's diplomats

Best: May–September

Switzerland

Lucerne

Covered wooden bridges, lake steamers and Alpine peaks a boat ride away

Best: May–June and September

Switzerland

Interlaken

Gateway to the Jungfrau region between two turquoise Alpine lakes

Best: June–September

Austria

Salzburg

Mozart's Baroque city beneath a hilltop fortress on the Salzach

Best: May–June and September

Germany

Hamburg

Harbour city of brick warehouses, Alster lakes and the Elbphilharmonie

Best: May–September

Germany

Frankfurt

Skyline, riverside museums and apple-wine taverns on the Main

Best: May–September and December

Germany

Cologne

Gothic cathedral, Kölsch brewhouses and Germany's wildest carnival

Best: May–September and December

France

Lyon

France's food capital of bouchons, Renaissance lanes and two rivers

Best: April–June and September–October

France

Bordeaux

18th-century stone quays, wine bars and the gateway to Saint-Émilion

Best: May–June and September–October

France

Marseille

France's oldest port city, with bouillabaisse, island forts and the Calanques

Best: May–June and September–October

Spain

Valencia

Paella's home city, with a riverbed park, futuristic museums and city beaches

Best: April–June and September–October

Spain

Málaga

Picasso's birthplace, a Moorish fortress and sardine skewers on the beach

Best: April–June and September–October

Spain

Granada

The Alhambra, the Moorish Albaicín and free tapas below the Sierra Nevada

Best: April–May and October

Spain

Palma de Mallorca

A Gothic cathedral on the sea, old-town courtyards and Mallorca on the doorstep

Best: May–June and September–October

Spain

Ibiza

A walled UNESCO old town, sunset coves and some of the world's best-known clubs

Best: May–June and September

Spain

Tenerife

Mount Teide, year-round sunshine and black-sand Atlantic beaches

Best: May–June and September–October

Italy

Bologna

Porticoed streets, medieval towers and the home of tagliatelle al ragù

Best: April–June and September–October

Italy

Verona

A Roman arena, Romeo and Juliet lore and the gateway to Lake Garda

Best: May–June and September

Italy

Amalfi Coast

Cliffside villages, lemon terraces and boat days on the Gulf of Salerno

Best: May–June and September–October

Italy

Cinque Terre

Five cliff villages linked by trains, terraced vineyards and coastal paths

Best: May–June and September–October

Italy

Palermo

Arab-Norman mosaics, street-food markets and Baroque piazzas by the sea

Best: April–June and September–October

Croatia

Split

A lived-in Roman palace, island ferries and Adriatic swimming

Best: May–June and September

Slovenia

Ljubljana

A car-free riverside old town, Plečnik's bridges and the Alps an hour away

Best: May–June and September

Slovakia

Bratislava

A compact coronation town on the Danube, an hour from Vienna

Best: May–June and September

Serbia

Belgrade

A fortress over two rivers, kafana dinners and nights on floating clubs

Best: May–June and September–October

Bulgaria

Sofia

Roman ruins, golden domes and a mountain at the end of the boulevard

Best: May–June and September–October

Romania

Bucharest

Belle Époque avenues, Ceaușescu's colossal palace and a late-night old town

Best: May–June and September–October

Greece

Mykonos

Whitewashed lanes, windmills, beach clubs and the sacred island of Delos

Best: June and September

Greece

Crete

Minoan palaces, Venetian harbours, deep gorges and lagoon beaches

Best: May–June and September–October

Greece

Rhodes

A walled medieval Old Town, the Lindos acropolis and two very different coasts

Best: May–June and September–October

Turkey

Antalya

A walled harbour old town, long beaches and Roman cities below the Taurus Mountains

Best: May–June and September–October

Turkey

Cappadocia

Fairy chimneys, rock-cut churches, underground cities and dawn balloon flights

Best: April–June and September–October

Turkey

Bodrum

A Crusader castle, whitewashed bays and gulet cruises on Turkey's Aegean coast

Best: May–June and September–October

Japan

Tokyo

Neon districts, historic shrines, outstanding food and punctual trains

Best: March–May and October–November

Thailand

Bangkok

Gilded temples, river boats, street food and rooftop bars

Best: November–February

Singapore

Singapore

Hawker food, garden architecture and four cultures on one island

Best: February–April and July–August

China

Hong Kong

Harbour skyline, dim sum and mountain trails minutes from the towers

Best: October–December

South Korea

Seoul

Joseon palaces, market food and late nights in a 24-hour capital

Best: April–May and September–November

Japan

Kyoto

Temples, Zen gardens, geisha districts and Japan's finest traditional food

Best: March–May and October–November

Japan

Osaka

Japan's street-food capital, neon canals and an easy base for Kansai

Best: March–May and October–November

Indonesia

Bali

Hindu temples, rice terraces, surf beaches and volcano sunrises

Best: April–June and September–October

Thailand

Phuket

Andaman beaches, island-hopping and a Sino-Portuguese old town

Best: December–March

Vietnam

Hanoi

Guild streets, lakeside temples and street food on plastic stools

Best: March–April and October–December

Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City

Colonial landmarks, war history and late-night street food on the Saigon River

Best: December–March

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur

Twin towers, temple caves and round-the-clock hawker food

Best: January–February and June–July

Taiwan

Taipei

Night markets, temple incense, hot springs and mountain trails by MRT

Best: March–April and October–December

Georgia

Tbilisi

Sulphur baths, balconied old streets, qvevri wine and a fortress above the river

Best: May–June and September–October

Azerbaijan

Baku

A walled medieval Old City, flame-shaped towers and a long Caspian promenade

Best: April–June and September–October

Armenia

Yerevan

Pink-stone boulevards, ancient manuscripts and views of Mount Ararat

Best: May–June and September–October

Maldives

Maldives

Overwater villas, house reefs, manta rays and local-island guesthouses

Best: December–April

India

Goa

Portuguese-era churches, 100 km of beaches, fish curry rice and beach shacks

Best: November–February

India

Delhi

Mughal tombs, Old Delhi bazaars, street food and the gateway to the Taj Mahal

Best: February–March and October

India

Mumbai

Victorian Gothic and Art Deco, Bollywood, sea-facing promenades and vada pav

Best: November–February

India

Jaipur

Pink City bazaars, hilltop forts and Rajput palaces in Rajasthan's capital

Best: October–March

India

Agra

The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Mughal tombs along the Yamuna

Best: October–March

Nepal

Kathmandu

Stupas, Newar temple squares and the gateway to the Himalaya

Best: March–April and October–December

Sri Lanka

Colombo

Colonial Fort streets, Buddhist temples and seafront sunsets on the Indian Ocean

Best: December–March

Thailand

Chiang Mai

Lanna temples, night markets and mountain day trips in northern Thailand

Best: November–February

Thailand

Krabi

Limestone cliffs, longtail boats and island-hopping on the Andaman coast

Best: December–March

Thailand

Koh Samui

Palm-fringed beaches, island resorts and boat trips in the Gulf of Thailand

Best: February–April and June–August

Cambodia

Siem Reap

Gateway town to Angkor Wat, the Bayon and the temples of the Khmer Empire

Best: November–February

Cambodia

Phnom Penh

Royal Palace, riverside promenades and Cambodia's modern history

Best: November–February

Laos

Luang Prabang

Gilded monasteries, dawn alms rounds and the Mekong in Laos's old royal capital

Best: November–February

Vietnam

Da Nang

City beaches, river bridges and mountains on Vietnam's central coast

Best: February–May

Vietnam

Hoi An

Lantern-lit merchant streets, tailors and rice-field cycling near the coast

Best: February–May

Philippines

Manila

Spanish-era Intramuros, free national museums and Binondo food crawls

Best: December–March

Philippines

Cebu

Spanish-era Cebu City, sardine runs, waterfalls and island beaches

Best: February–May

Philippines

Boracay

Powder-white sand, paraw sailboats and sunsets over the Sibuyan Sea

Best: January–May

Indonesia

Jakarta

Dutch-era old town, national monuments and Indonesia's street food

Best: May–September

Indonesia

Yogyakarta

Borobudur, Prambanan and the Sultan's Javanese court city

Best: May–September

China

Shanghai

Art Deco riverfront, plane-tree lanes and a skyline across the Huangpu

Best: April–May and October–November

China

Beijing

Imperial palaces, hutong lanes and the Great Wall within a day's reach

Best: April–May and September–October

China

Macau

Portuguese squares, Macanese cooking and the resorts of the Cotai Strip

Best: October–December

South Korea

Busan

City beaches, seaside temples and Korea's biggest fish market

Best: April–May and September–November

South Korea

Jeju

Volcanic craters, lava tubes, haenyeo divers and black-pork barbecue

Best: April–May and October–November

Japan

Sapporo

Snow festival, miso ramen, beer halls and Hokkaido seafood

Best: February and June–September

Japan

Okinawa

Subtropical beaches, Ryukyu castles, coral reefs and island cooking

Best: April, June–July and October

Japan

Hiroshima

Peace memorials, Miyajima's floating torii and layered okonomiyaki

Best: March–May and October–November

Japan

Nara

Japan's first permanent capital, the Great Buddha and a park of bowing deer

Best: March–May and October–November

Japan

Fukuoka

Tonkotsu ramen, riverside yatai stalls and an airport five minutes from downtown

Best: March–May and October–November

Malaysia

Penang

Hawker food, shophouse streets and clan temples in George Town

Best: December–March

Malaysia

Langkawi

Duty-free island of rainforest peaks, mangroves and west-coast sunset beaches

Best: December–March

United Arab Emirates

Dubai

Record-breaking towers, winter beaches, desert dunes and creekside souks

Best: November–March

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

A white-marble mosque, island museums and Yas Island's theme parks

Best: November–March

Qatar

Doha

Landmark museums, a restored souq and a waterfront skyline on the Gulf

Best: November–March

Israel

Tel Aviv

Mediterranean beaches, Bauhaus boulevards and the old port of Jaffa

Best: April–June and September–November

Israel

Jerusalem

A walled Old City sacred to three faiths, with markets and museums beyond

Best: April–June and September–November

Jordan

Amman

Roman ruins, hillside cafés and the gateway to Petra and the Dead Sea

Best: March–May and October–November

Oman

Muscat

A low-rise capital of forts, souqs and beaches between mountains and sea

Best: November–March

Morocco

Marrakech

Souks, riad courtyards and the High Atlas on the horizon

Best: March–May and October–November

Egypt

Cairo

The Pyramids of Giza, medieval minarets and life on the Nile

Best: October–March

South Africa

Cape Town

Table Mountain, two oceans, Cape Malay food and winelands an hour away

Best: February–April and November

Morocco

Fes

A car-free medieval medina of madrasas, tanneries and craft souqs

Best: March–May and October–November

Morocco

Casablanca

An Atlantic seafront mosque, Art Deco boulevards and Morocco's modern pulse

Best: April–June and September–October

Tanzania

Zanzibar

Stone Town's carved doors, spice farms and white-sand Indian Ocean beaches

Best: January–February and June–September

Kenya

Nairobi

Lions below the skyline, orphaned elephants and the gateway to Kenyan safaris

Best: January–February and June–September

South Africa

Johannesburg

Apartheid history, Soweto, gallery districts and the road to Kruger

Best: April–May and September–October

Mauritius

Mauritius

Reef-sheltered lagoons, volcanic peaks, dholl puri and Creole, Indian and French culture

Best: April–May and September–November

United States

New York City

Skyline views, world-class museums, Broadway and food from every culture

Best: April–June and September–October

United States

Los Angeles

Beaches, Hollywood history, free museums and serious taco culture

Best: March–May and September–November

United States

San Francisco

Cable cars, steep hills and the Golden Gate Bridge in summer fog

Best: April–May and September–October

United States

Las Vegas

Themed resorts, big shows and the desert parks beyond the Strip

Best: March–May and October–November

United States

Miami

Art Deco beaches, Cuban coffee windows and street art in winter sun

Best: December–April

United States

Orlando

Theme parks, spring-fed rivers and rocket launches an hour away

Best: January–February and October–November

United States

Chicago

Skyscraper architecture, lakefront beaches, deep-dish pizza and blues clubs

Best: May–June and September–October

United States

Washington, D.C.

Free Smithsonian museums, monuments on the Mall and historic rowhouse neighbourhoods

Best: April–May and September–October

United States

Boston

Revolutionary history, brownstone streets, harbour seafood and Fenway Park

Best: May–June and September–October

United States

New Orleans

Live jazz every night, Creole cooking, Mardi Gras and the French Quarter

Best: February–April and October–November

United States

Honolulu

Waikīkī surf, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor and year-round warm sea

Best: April–May and September–October

Canada

Toronto

Lakefront towers, global food neighbourhoods and Niagara Falls within reach

Best: May–October

Canada

Vancouver

Seawall walks, mountains across the harbour and Pacific seafood

Best: June–September

Canada

Montreal

French-speaking bistros, cobbled Old Montreal and a festival nearly every summer week

Best: June–October

United States

San Diego

Year-round mild beaches, Balboa Park's museums and Baja-style tacos

Best: April–May and September–October

United States

Seattle

Pike Place Market, Puget Sound ferries and mountain views on clear days

Best: June–September

United States

Portland

Food carts, gardens, bookshops and the Columbia Gorge on the doorstep

Best: June–September

United States

Austin

Live music, brisket, spring-fed swimming and the Texas Hill Country

Best: March–April and October–November

United States

Nashville

Honky-tonks, the Ryman and Grand Ole Opry, and fiery hot chicken

Best: April–May and September–October

United States

Denver

Mile-high city of craft beer, museums and Rocky Mountain day trips

Best: June–September

United States

Philadelphia

Independence Hall, Rocky Steps, cheesesteaks and walkable colonial streets

Best: May–June and September–October

United States

Atlanta

Civil rights history, the BeltLine, Southern cooking and leafy in-town neighbourhoods

Best: April–May and October–November

United States

San Antonio

The Alamo, Spanish missions, the River Walk and Tex-Mex at its source

Best: March–April and October–November

United States

Dallas

JFK history, a free downtown arts district, brisket and the State Fair

Best: March–April and October–November

United States

Houston

NASA's Mission Control, a world-class Museum District and the most varied food in Texas

Best: March–April and October–November

United States

Phoenix

Desert mountain hikes, saguaro gardens, resort pools and Sonoran food

Best: November–April

United States

Sedona

Red-rock buttes, canyon trails, creekside swims and dark desert skies

Best: March–May and September–November

United States

Charleston

Pastel row houses, Lowcountry cooking and harbour forts on a walkable peninsula

Best: March–May and October–November

United States

Savannah

Live-oak squares, Spanish moss and a walkable riverfront in Georgia's oldest city

Best: March–May and October–November

United States

Key West

Sunset at Mallory Square, Hemingway's house and reef trips at the end of US-1

Best: December–May

United States

Maui

Haleakalā sunrise, the Road to Hāna and winter humpback whales

Best: April–May and September–October

United States

Anchorage

Alaska's gateway city, with mountains, moose and glaciers on the doorstep

Best: June–August

United States

Salt Lake City

Temple Square, mountain canyons and powder skiing 40 minutes from downtown

Best: January–March, June and September

Canada

Quebec City

A walled French-speaking old town on a cliff above the St. Lawrence

Best: June–October

Canada

Calgary

Stampede city on the Bow River, an hour from the Rocky Mountains

Best: June–September

Canada

Banff

Turquoise lakes, hot springs and a mountain town inside a national park

Best: June–September

Mexico

Cancún

Turquoise Caribbean beaches, Maya ruins, cenotes and island day trips

Best: December–April

Mexico

Mexico City

Aztec ruins, world-class museums, street tacos and leafy Roma and Condesa

Best: March–April and October–November

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro

Granite peaks, city beaches and samba between rainforest and the Atlantic

Best: April–June and August–October

Argentina

Buenos Aires

Tango, steakhouses, late nights and grand avenues on the Río de la Plata

Best: March–May and October–November

Puerto Rico

San Juan

Spanish forts, blue cobblestones and city beaches in Puerto Rico's capital

Best: December–April

Cuba

Havana

Colonial plazas, the Malecón seawall and live son music on every corner

Best: November–April

Dominican Republic

Punta Cana

Palm-lined white-sand beaches and all-inclusive resorts on the Dominican east coast

Best: December–April

Bahamas

Nassau

Pastel colonial streets, Junkanoo and turquoise water on New Providence

Best: December–April

Jamaica

Montego Bay

Jerk smoke, reggae and reef-protected beaches on Jamaica's north coast

Best: December–April

Australia

Sydney

Harbour ferries, ocean beaches and the Opera House on one waterfront

Best: March–April and September–November

Australia

Melbourne

Laneway coffee, free CBD trams, big-ticket sport and serious food

Best: February–April and October–November

New Zealand

Auckland

Harbour city of volcanic cones, island ferries and west-coast surf beaches

Best: February–April and December

New Zealand

Queenstown

Lakeside adventure town under the Remarkables, with ski fields and Central Otago wine

Best: July–August and December–March

Australia

Brisbane

Subtropical river city of CityCat ferries, free galleries and koalas

Best: April–June and August–October

Australia

Gold Coast

Surf beaches, theme parks and rainforest hinterland on Queensland's southern coast

Best: April–May and September–November

Australia

Cairns

Tropical gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree rainforest

Best: June–October

Australia

Perth

Sunny Indian Ocean city of sunset beaches, Kings Park and Rottnest's quokkas

Best: March–April and September–November

Fiji

Fiji

Coral islands, village kava ceremonies and some of the South Pacific's best reefs

Best: May–October