Where to go in June: 10 places at their best
June is the start of the northern summer, and the longest days of the year. In Scandinavia and Iceland the sun barely sets, and you can walk and sightsee at 11 pm in daylight. In the south of Europe the heat is building but not yet fierce, the sea is warming and the school holidays have mostly not begun. In East Africa and the Andes, the dry season is under way.
June is also the month before prices jump. July and August are the expensive months in most of Europe, so June often gives you nearly the same weather for less money and fewer people. Here are ten places that are properly good in June.
Iceland
Around the solstice the sun barely sets, and you can hike, drive and sightsee late into the night. Roads are open, puffins nest on the coast and islands, and the highlands start to open from late June, depending on snow. The tracks into the interior are called F-roads and need a four-wheel-drive vehicle. It is the easiest season for driving, and the busiest, so book cars and stays early. Nights are never dark, so bring an eye mask. Check the official weather and road sites each morning. The Iceland travel guide has a route.
Norway
Summer is the main season. The fjord boats and mountain roads run in full, hiking trails are open and the weather is at its mildest. Above the Arctic Circle, the sun does not set for weeks from roughly late May to late July around Tromsø. High trails can hold snow into early summer, so check conditions before you set out. June is quieter than July, when prices and crowds peak. Bergen is rainy in any month. See the Norway travel guide.
Sweden
The days are long, in the south it stays light until late in the evening and in the north the sun barely sets. Archipelago ferries run frequently, outdoor tables fill and swimming in lakes and the sea is the national pastime. Midsummer, on the Friday and Saturday between 19 and 25 June, is the biggest holiday of the year, with maypoles, flowers and long lunches outdoors. Many shops and restaurants close, so plan food ahead and book a place if you want to join in. Read the Sweden travel guide.
Canada
Summer is the high season, with long days and every road, trail and ferry open. The Rockies, Vancouver Island and the Maritimes are at their best. June is the start of it, with a little more room than July and August. Mosquitoes and black flies can be bad in the north and in forests in early summer, so bring repellent. Many lodges and some trails open only from late May. Wildfire smoke can affect the west later in summer, so keep plans flexible. See the Canada travel guide.
Switzerland
High trails are usually clear of snow from late June or July, meadows are in flower, and every mountain railway and lake boat runs. Days are long and warm in the valleys and cool at altitude. Thunderstorms build in the afternoon, so start hikes early. June is a good compromise: the lifts and huts are opening and the crowds of July and August have not yet arrived. Snow can linger on high passes in the first half of the month, so check conditions. The Switzerland travel guide covers the routes.
Portugal
June brings the festivals of the popular saints. Lisbon's Santo António is in mid-June, with grilled sardines and street parties, and Porto's São João is on the night of 23 June, when the whole city is out in the streets. The weather is warm without being hot, and the beaches are open without the full crowds of August. The Atlantic stays cool all year. Follow the Lisbon itinerary and read the Portugal travel guide for Porto and the coast.
Greece
By June everything is running: the ferries, the island restaurants and the beach bars. The sea is warm enough for most people, the sights are best seen in the morning, and the crowds and the heat of July and August are still to come. The meltemi, a strong north wind, comes mainly in July and August, so June is calmer for ferries. Book flights and island rooms early, as the season is short. See the Athens itinerary and the Greece travel guide.
Peru
June is the middle of the dry season in the Andes. Days are sunny and clear, nights are cold at altitude, and Machu Picchu and the treks are at their best. Inti Raymi, the Inca sun festival, usually fills Cusco around 24 June, and rooms in the city sell out months ahead, so book early or avoid the date. July and August are the peak. Lima is under its grey winter cloud. The Peru travel guide explains the regions.
Kenya
The long dry season starts in June, and it is the classic time for safari. The grass is short, animals gather around the rivers and waterholes, and the roads are good. The great wildebeest migration usually reaches the Maasai Mara from about July, so June is the quieter run-up, with fewer vehicles and lower prices than August and September. Book lodges early, as the best ones fill. Read the Kenya travel guide.
Indonesia
The dry season runs from about April to October, and June is one of its best months for Bali, Lombok, Java, the Gili Islands and Komodo. Days are sunny, humidity is lower and seas are calmer. April to June are quieter and cheaper than July and August, which are the busiest and most expensive months. The Bali itinerary gives five days, and the Indonesia travel guide covers the islands.
Planning a trip for June
The early weeks of June are the best-value time for most of this list. Prices rise as schools break up, usually from late June in the northern hemisphere, so a trip that finishes before then is both cheaper and calmer. Book flights and the places that sell out, such as Machu Picchu, Midsummer rooms in Sweden and island ferries, as soon as your dates are set. Our guide to how far in advance to book gives sensible lead times.
Daylight changes how you plan in the north. With nearly twenty hours of light, you can start late and finish late, but it is easy to overdo it, so build in rest. For the long-light countries, a road trip is the natural way to see them.
Heat is the other thing to plan around in the south. Even in June, the middle of the day in Greece and Portugal can be hot for sightseeing, so do the big sights early, rest in the afternoon and eat late, as locals do. In the Andes, the opposite applies: mornings are freezing and afternoons are warm, so layers matter more than any single heavy coat.
