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Where to go in May

43 of our 95 destinations are at their best in May, across Asia, Middle East, Europe, Africa, North America, South America and Oceania. The best places to visit in May include San Francisco, Amalfi Coast, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dubrovnik and Grand Canyon.

Beach trips in May 8

• Amalfi Coast

  Italy · Europe
  $$$$

  Pastel villages stacked on cliffs above the Tyrrhenian Sea. Positano and Ravello are the highlights; the Path of the Gods hike links them.

  Best: May and June, or September and October

• Bali

  Indonesia · Asia
  $$

  Volcanic island with Hindu temples, terraced rice fields around Ubud, and surf breaks on the Bukit peninsula. Dry season runs April to October.

  Best: April to September

• Bora Bora

  French Polynesia · Oceania
  $$$$

  A turquoise lagoon ringed by a barrier reef under Mount Otemanu. Snorkel with rays and blacktip reef sharks.

  Best: May to October

• Dubrovnik

  Croatia · Europe
  $$$

  Walk the 2 km of medieval walls above terracotta roofs, then take a ferry to the islands of Lokrum or Mljet.

  Best: May and June, or September and October

• Fiji

  Fiji · Oceania
  $$$

  333 islands. The Mamanuca and Yasawa groups have calm lagoons; Taveuni is known as the soft coral capital of the world.

  Best: May to October

• Hawaii (Maui)

  United States · North America
  $$$$

  Sunrise above the clouds at Haleakalā, the winding Road to Hana, and humpback whales offshore from December to April.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Moorea

  French Polynesia · Oceania
  $$$$

  A heart-shaped island in French Polynesia, a short ferry ride from Tahiti. Jagged green peaks rise above a lagoon with overwater bungalows and whale watching in season.

  Best: May to October

• Santorini

  Greece · Europe
  $$$

  White villages on a volcanic caldera rim. Oia's sunset is famous and crowded; Imerovigli and Pyrgos are calmer alternatives.

  Best: May and June, or September and October

City trips in May 13

• Amsterdam

  Netherlands · Europe
  $$$

  A ring of 17th-century canals best seen by bike. The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum sit side by side on Museumplein.

  Best: April to June, or September

• Barcelona

  Spain · Europe
  $$$

  Gaudí's Sagrada Família and Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter, and a city beach. Dinner starts at 9pm or later.

  Best: May and June, or September and October

• Buenos Aires

  Argentina · South America
  $

  Parisian boulevards, tango in San Telmo, and late-night parrillas. Dinner rarely starts before 10pm.

  Best: March to May, or September to November

• Lisbon

  Portugal · Europe
  $$

  Seven hills, yellow trams, tiled facades, and fado in Alfama. Day trips to Sintra and the Cascais coast are easy by train.

  Best: April to June, or September and October

• London

  United Kingdom · Europe
  $$$$

  The British Museum, the Tate Modern and the National Gallery are free. Add a West End show and a Sunday at Borough or Columbia Road market.

  Best: May to September

• Mexico City

  Mexico · North America
  $

  One of the world's great food cities, with Aztec ruins under the Zócalo, Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul, and Chapultepec's museums.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

• New York City

  United States · North America
  $$$$

  Five boroughs, the Met and MoMA, Broadway, and every cuisine on earth. Walk the High Line and cross the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset.

  Best: April to June, September and October, or December

• Paris

  France · Europe
  $$$

  The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and a café on every corner. Walk the Seine quays at dusk and pick one arrondissement to explore properly.

  Best: April to June, or September and October

• Rio de Janeiro

  Brazil · South America
  $$

  Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Sugarloaf by cable car, and Carnival in February or March.

  Best: May, September, or December to March

• San Francisco

  United States · North America
  $$$$

  Hills, fog, and the Golden Gate Bridge. September and October are the warmest months; Napa and Sonoma are an hour north.

  Best: May, or September and October

• Seoul

  South Korea · Asia
  $$

  Joseon palaces next to glass towers, 24-hour markets, and hiking trails inside city limits. Spring and autumn are mild and clear.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Sydney

  Australia · Oceania
  $$$

  The Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk, and ferries to Manly.

  Best: March to May, or September to November

• Tokyo

  Japan · Asia
  $$$

  The world's largest metro area runs like clockwork. Neighbourhoods feel like separate cities, from Shibuya's crossings to quiet Yanaka.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

Culture trips in May 8

• Istanbul

  Türkiye · Europe
  $$

  Straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus. Byzantine and Ottoman landmarks, the Grand Bazaar, and ferries that double as sightseeing cruises.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Marrakech

  Morocco · Africa
  $

  The Jemaa el-Fnaa square comes alive after dark. Stay in a riad inside the medina and take a day trip to the Atlas Mountains.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

• Petra

  Jordan · Middle East
  $$

  A city carved into rose-red rock by the Nabataeans around 300 BC. Walk the Siq to the Treasury, then climb 800 steps to the Monastery.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

• Prague

  Czechia · Europe
  $$

  A largely intact medieval centre, the Charles Bridge, and a hilltop castle complex. December brings the Old Town Square Christmas market.

  Best: April and May, September and October, or December

• Rome

  Italy · Europe
  $$$

  Nearly 3,000 years of history stacked in one city: the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Vatican Museums, and carbonara in Trastevere.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Samarkand

  Uzbekistan · Asia
  $

  A Silk Road city founded more than 2,500 years ago. The Registan's three tiled madrasas and the turquoise tombs of Shah-i-Zinda are among Central Asia's great sights.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Seville

  Spain · Europe
  $$

  Andalusia's capital of flamenco and Moorish palaces. The Real Alcázar and the cathedral's Giralda tower are the must-sees; avoid July heat.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

• Uluru

  Australia · Oceania
  $$$

  A 348 m sandstone monolith sacred to the Anangu people. Watch it change colour at sunrise and sunset; climbing has been banned since 2019.

  Best: May to September

Nature trips in May 8

• Galápagos Islands

  Ecuador · South America
  $$$$

  Giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies that don't fear people. Most visitors explore by small-ship cruise.

  Best: December to June

• Grand Canyon

  United States · North America
  $$

  A canyon 446 km long and up to 1.8 km deep. The South Rim is open year-round; the North Rim from mid-May to mid-October.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Ha Long Bay

  Vietnam · Asia
  $

  Some 1,600 limestone islands rise out of emerald water. Overnight junk cruises and kayaking through sea caves are the classic way in.

  Best: March to May, or September to November

• Iguazú Falls

  Argentina / Brazil · South America
  $$

  275 waterfalls along a 2.7 km horseshoe. The Argentine side gets you close; the Brazilian side gives the panorama.

  Best: March to May, or August to October

• Norwegian Fjords

  Norway · Europe
  $$$$

  Sheer walls around Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, both UNESCO-listed. The Flåm Railway descends 863 m in 20 km.

  Best: May to August

• Scottish Highlands

  United Kingdom · Europe
  $$$

  Glens, lochs and single-malt distilleries. Drive the North Coast 500 or take the train from Fort William over the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

  Best: May to September

• Yosemite

  United States · North America
  $$

  El Capitan, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls in one glacial valley. Waterfalls peak in May; some summer dates need an entry reservation.

  Best: May and June, or September and October

• Zhangjiajie

  China · Asia
  $$

  Thousands of quartz-sandstone pillars wrapped in mist in Wulingyuan. Take the Bailong elevator up and walk the ridgelines.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

Adventure trips in May 6

• Cappadocia

  Türkiye · Europe
  $$

  Hundreds of hot-air balloons lift off at dawn over valleys of fairy chimneys. Stay in a cave hotel in Göreme and hike the Rose Valley.

  Best: April to June, or September and October

• Machu Picchu

  Peru · South America
  $$

  The 15th-century Inca citadel on a ridge above the Urubamba. Hike the four-day Inca Trail (permits sell out) or train from Cusco.

  Best: April to October

• Salar de Uyuni

  Bolivia · South America
  $

  The world's largest salt flat, 10,000 km² of white crust high in the Bolivian Andes. In the wet season it becomes a giant mirror; in the dry season, 4x4s cross it.

  Best: January to March, or May to October

• Sossusvlei

  Namibia · Africa
  $$$

  A clay pan in Namibia's Namib Desert, surrounded by red dunes more than 300 m high. In nearby Deadvlei, camel-thorn trees that died 600 to 700 years ago still stand.

  Best: May to October

• Victoria Falls

  Zambia / Zimbabwe · Africa
  $$$

  A 1.7 km-wide curtain of water called Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders. Peak flow is Mar–May; low water brings Zambezi white-water rafting.

  Best: March to June, or August and September

• Wadi Rum

  Jordan · Middle East
  $$

  A protected desert of red sand and sandstone mountains in southern Jordan, where T. E. Lawrence travelled and The Martian was filmed. Jeep tours by day, Bedouin camps and dark skies by night.

  Best: March to May, or September to November