The Best Places to Travel

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.

(Don’t miss the rest of our “Where to Go” series on the best destinations for every month of the year. If you’re wondering when’s the best time to book your destination to get the best value for your dollar, see our “Where to Book Now” series.)

Alaska

The first two weeks of June in Southeast Alaska—the region that nearly all expedition cruises focus on, also known as the Inside Passage—typically offer drier days and better wildlife spotting on the beaches at low tide. This is also a prime time to spot transient orcas, migrating humpback whales, and hauled-out harbor seals. Winds coming off the snow-covered mountain peaks make the air crisp, and the forests showcase an abundance of colorful and diverse wildflowers. —Ashton Palmer, Trusted Travel Expert for Expedition Cruises

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

Dominica

June is low season in the Caribbean; while you might experience a bit more humidity and occasional rain showers, you’ll also find hotel rates cut by as much as 40 percent. Dominica doesn’t have many beaches, but that’s kept it from becoming overly commercialized—and the island is a great option for nature lovers, with rainforest and waterfalls galore. (You can even keep an eye out for iguanas and hummingbirds from the porch of your cliff-side bungalow at Secret Bay, the island’s most luxurious property.) Dominica’s lively Jazz ‘N Creole Festival culminates on June 4 with a concert at Fort Shirley in Cabrits National Park. —Lindsey Epperly, Trusted Travel Expert for Caribbean Islands

London, England

Spring and autumn may be the loveliest times of year in London, but the busiest month in the British royal calendar is June. The season actually starts in late May with the Chelsea Flower Show. Then, in mid-June, there’s the Trooping of the Colour, a big parade on horseback held in honor of the queen’s birthday. After that, the ceremony at Windsor Castle for the Order of the Garter, which is the biggest spectacle of all, with the knights in blue velvet cloaks and hats decorated with heron and ostrich feathers. The whole royal family turns out, and everyone is in their morning coats, medals, and top hats. It’s really a sight! The following day: the Royal Ascot races. All of these events are open to the public, but they tend to be mobbed. We can arrange special entry to all four (and other royal meetings), including an after-hours visit to the Chelsea Flower Show and access to the castle grounds for the Order of the Garter ceremony. —Jane McCrum, Trusted Travel Expert for England

Paris

In June, the days are longest, the temperature is most pleasant, and the cherry blossoms are in bloom. And it’s when Parisians spend many an evening on the docks of the Ile Saint Louis with a musical instrument, a bottle of wine, and some playing cards. Plus, there are events galore, from Shakespeare en plein air in the Bois de Boulogne to the Paris Air Show. —Jennifer Virgilio, Trusted Travel Expert for France and Monaco

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

Italy’s Lakes Region

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

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

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, 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

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

Baltic Cruises

The Baltic is ideal during St. Petersburg’s “White Nights,” when dusk meets dawn and the sun does not dip deep enough below the horizon to bring on full darkness (a phenomenon lasting from late May through July, and peaking in mid-June). During this period, there is a playful feeling in the city as inhabitants and visitors enjoy being outside late into the night, and numerous ballet, opera, and music events take place. —Leslie Fambrini, Trusted Travel Expert for Luxury Small-Ship Cruises

European Canal Barge Cruises

In June, the weather is best (not too hot, not too cool), and the crowds haven’t yet arrived, making this a perfect month to get to know a small slice of the Continent intimately and thoroughly. —Ellen Sack, Trusted Travel Expert for European Canal Barge Trips

Yakushima, Japan

This sub-tropical island, located in the waters just south of Kyushu, is ideal for intrepid travelers: Its mountains and vast forest of ancient cedar trees are crisscrossed by a network of hiking trails, from easy walks to challenging ascents. June signals the end of the rainy season, so you’ll find stunning waterfalls along the trails; it’s also when endangered loggerhead sea turtles return to Yakushima’s beaches to nest. —Lorenzo Urra, Trusted Travel Expert for Japan, the Philippines, and Asia’s Most Exotic Islands

Bali

June is the calm before—and after—the tourist storms that hit this island during the Christmas/New Year period and in July, August, and early 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

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

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

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 her through our site to be marked as a VIP and 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