In much of the northern hemisphere, June is an excellent time weather-wise to squeeze in a trip before school vacations start, the summer crowds surge, and the heat descends. In some places, it’s also a great month for hiking and spotting elusive beasts of the wild. Here are our Trusted Travel Experts’recommendations for the best places to travel in June.
Newfoundland, Canada
June is typically an optimal month for iceberg watching—a popular pastime here. On a warm day, you can watch these majestic mountains of ice flow along the province’s northern and eastern coasts. —Jill Curran, Trusted Travel Expert for Newfoundland and Nova Scotia
Read Jill’s Insider’s Guide to Newfoundland, and reach out to get the best possible trip.
Provence, France
June is sublime: Spring is in full bloom, the produce is at its peak, and the warm, sunny days (save for the occasional rain and mistral wind) and extra-long evenings mean you can usually enjoy all three meals outdoors. Many villages hold festivals, with costumed parades and traditional food and activities, at the end of the month. —Annie Flogaus, Trusted Travel Expert for France Villa Vacations
Read Annie’s Insider’s Guide to France Villa Vacations, and reach out to get the best possible trip.
In June you are guaranteed sunny days and warm evenings, with not too much humidity. Local festivals are common, and the many Milanese families who decamp to their lake homes for the month of August are around only on the weekends. —Andrea Grisdale, Trusted Travel Expert for Italy
Read Andrea’s Insider’s Guide to Italy’s Lakes Region, and reach out to get the best possible trip.
The Algarve, Portugal
The weather is beautiful in June, and the coastal towns are not too busy yet, so you can get a table in the restaurants and enjoy uncrowded beaches. —Virginia Irurita, Trusted Travel Expert for Spain and Portugal
Read Virginia’s Insider’s Guide to the Algarve, and reach out to get the best possible trip.
Mykonos, Greece
In the second half of June (and into the first half of July), you get the best of both shoulder and peak seasons: It’s lively but not crowded, and warm but not scorching, and hotel rates aren’t sky-high. You’ll also elude the worst of the meltemi, the afternoon wind that can sandblast you off the beach in July and August, but be aware that Mykonos is always windy; bring a light sweater for evenings. —Christos Stergiou, Trusted Travel Expert for Greece
Read Christos’s Insider’s Guide to Mykonos, and reach out to get the best possible trip.
Cappadocia, Turkey
In June the wildflowers are in bloom and everything is still green. The light is ideal for photography, the days are long, and the nights are lovely. It is also a perfect time for balloon flights, and there is a mountain biking festival too. —Earl Starkey, Trusted Travel Expert for Turkey
Read Earl’s Insider’s Guide to Cappadocia, and reach out to get the best possible trip.
June is the calm before—and after—the tourist storms that hit this island in December, January, April, May, July, August, and September. It also has the most reliably pleasant weather (daytime temps in the 80s and gentle breezes to keep the sun from feeling too hot) and decent prices (high-season hotel rates don’t kick in until July). —Diane Embree, Trusted Travel Expert for Bali
Read Diane’s Insider’s Guide to Bali, and reach out to get the best possible trip.
Laos
While you will likely have some rain in June, it brings a bit of relief from the summer heat. And because June is a slower season for visitors, there are better hotel and touring deals available. Plus, there is no more beautiful time in Laos, with the juxtaposition of bright green mountains against an electric blue sky and billowing white clouds. —Andrea Ross, Trusted Travel Expert for Southeast Asia
Read Andrea’s Insider’s Guide to Laos, and reach out to her to get the best possible trip.
India’s Himalaya Mountains: Trekking and Tigers
June is an excellent time for hikers, as many Himalayan trekking routes are open, and the mountains (up to about 14,000 feet, at least) are covered with rhododendron blooms and other wildflowers. And while it’s very hot in the central plains, it’s also the best time for visiting that region’s wildlife parks—especially the tiger reserves. —Sanjay Saxena, Trusted Travel Expert for India
Read Sanjay’s Insider’s Guide to Secrets of India, and reach out to get the best possible trip.
Bhutan
In June the higher mountainsides are dressed in the pinks, whites, reds, purples, and oranges of rhododendron flowers. Iris, orchids, primula, and other flowers are blooming, spring plantings are poking their leaves up out of fields, and migratory birds are heading north across the mountains. Many travelers have gone home, so roads are not teeming with buses and other tourist vehicles (which is very important in a country with only one east-west road). —Antonia Neubauer, Trusted Travel Expert for Bhutan, Myanmar, and Nepal
Read Antonia’s Insider’s Guide to Bhutan, and reach out to get the best possible trip.
Rwanda and Uganda: Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla sightings are equally good all year long (though never guaranteed). However, the best time for gorilla tracking is June, when it’s cool and there is less precipitation (but remember, this is still the rain forest, and storms can hit any day). The annual Kwita Izina gorilla-baby-naming ceremony also takes place each June, in Rwanda. —Linda Friedman, Trusted Travel Expert for Safaris: East Africa