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Where to Go in May: The Best Places to Travel
May is an oh-so-lovely time to be hiking, sightseeing, or simply people-watching at an outdoor café in many destinations. Below are some of your smartest May trip options. (For other months of the year, see Where To Go When.) Click the black buttons below to connect with a top local expert to plan an extraordinary trip for you. Here’s how to get a WOW trip.
The Grand Canyon
Kolb Studio is a historic relic perched on the edge of the Grand Canyon. Photo: Mike Buchheit
Beat the summer crowds and head to the canyon in springtime, when the weather is still pleasant. The right local fixer can have you flying over the canyon, hiking or riding mules into it, and gazing into its vastness from the best vantage points along the rim. (The South Rim is open year-round; the North Rim opens in mid-May.)
Read reviews of WOW trips to the Grand Canyon. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Los Cabos, Mexico
May in Los Cabos means less crowded beaches and restaurants—and more comfortable temperatures. Photo: CaboVillas
In May, the weather is mild and there’s little chance of rain. The bustle of spring break has passed, so it’s much less busy than just a month prior. That means less crowded beaches and restaurants—but more comfortable temperatures than the very hot summer months ahead. Plus, villa rates are lower than in high season (December through April), with great deals to be had.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Los Cabos. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Scandinavia
The village of Reine in Lofoten, Norway. Photo: Shutterstock
After months of darkness, May’s longer days bring locals out to soak up the sunlight, making the outdoor cafés lively. You’ll also find an abundance of freshly caught seafood, and celebrations throughout the countryside leading up to the summer solstice.
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Santorini and Mykonos, Greece
Oia town, on Santorini, is famous for its blue-domed churches and white houses. Photo: Shutterstock
May through early June is one of the most beautiful times to travel to the Cyclades—the group of Greek islands that includes the iconic spots of Santorini and Mykonos, but also less-crowded favorites of our travelers, including Naxos, Paros, and Sifnos. Days are warm, but the sun is not as relentless as it is in summer. Wildflowers blossom, beaches are empty, and locals welcome you with smiles.
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European Canal Barge Cruises
Wendy biking near the barge canal in Burgundy, France. Photo: Timothy Baker
In May, 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. Read what Wendy loved about her own barge cruise in Burgundy in May.
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Portugal
Vineyards in Portugal’s Douro Valley are lush and green in May. Photo: Shutterstock
The country’s weather is beautiful from March to mid-June. In the Algarve, the coastal towns are not too busy yet, so you can get a table in restaurants and enjoy uncrowded beaches. The Douro Valley’s rolling hills are lush and green from the winter rains, and there is excitement in Porto as the city prepares for summer festivities.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Portugal. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Spain
La Rambla, in Barcelona, is far less crowded in May than it will be in July. Photo: Ronny Siegel/Flickr
Café terraces open in May, and residents head outdoors to enjoy Spain’s beautiful cities before the heat sets in and the crowds arrive. Spring is the perfect time for strolling and picnicking in the sparkling Mediterranean light. In Madrid, everyone pours into the streets in mid-May to celebrate San Isidro.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Spain. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
France
Provence and its pretty villages, like Gordes, are less busy in May. Photo: Pixabay
Paris is already crowded by late spring, but May is the optimal time to explore France’s countryside: Down south in Provence, the weather is lovely, there aren’t as many tourists, and fields of poppies are in colorful bloom. In Burgundy, temperatures have usually warmed up after the feast days of the Saint de Glace (which fall in the second week of the month and seem to bring showers or even frost). Later in May, flowers on trees bloom and the vineyards turn a bright springy green. May is also filled with bank holidays and tends to be any French person’s favorite—and it never hurts to see the French in the right mood.
Read reviews of WOW trips to France here, here, and here. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Japan
Japan’s cherry blossom trees are still in bloom in May.
May (after Golden Week, which ends on May 5) brings great weather throughout the entire country. While the cherry blossoms generally peak in April, you can still enjoy the sweet scent and beauty of the blooms in May, but without the crowds.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Japan. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Croatia
Dubrovnik’s Old Town, a summertime tourist magnet, is much more pleasant in May. Photo: Shutterstock
In late April and May, you have glorious weather, the crowds are thinner, and prices are a little lower than at the height of summer.
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The Cotswolds, England
Hidcote Manor Gardens in the Cotswolds, England. Photo: Jonathan Epstein
By May, spring has taken hold, so flowers are blooming across the Cotswolds—fruit-tree blossoms, clematis, and wisteria are everywhere. The air smells fresh, and there are so many shades of green. Hotel rates are also lower than in the summer high season.
Read reviews of WOW trips to England. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Peru’s Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
The Sacred Valley is a hiker’s paradise in May. Photo: Shutterstock
May is a wonderful month to be outdoors exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Choose from a wide variety of hiking trails for easy day hikes or overnight treks through the Andes. Skies are mostly clear, hillsides are green following the heavier rains that have ended by mid-April, and there are fewer crowds. Temperatures are also warmer on average than during the peak season (June through August). Base yourself in the Sacred Valley and enjoy convenient side trips to Machu Picchu and Cusco.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Peru. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Brazil’s City and Countryside
May is ideal for combining Rio’s beaches—this is Copacabana—with the Pantanal’s wetlands. Photo: Shutterstock
Given its large mass and varied geography, the perfect time to visit Brazil depends on what parts of the country you hope to see. May makes for a good city-country combo: some of the best animal sightings in the Pantanal wetlands, and the sunniest skies and a gentler mood in Rio.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Brazil. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Chile’s Atacama Desert
The Atacama desert is at its prime in May. Photo: Shutterstock
This geological wonder is typically dry by May—though the Atacama is one of the driest places on the planet, in recent years it’s seen rain showers and even flooding from January to March—and many dormant desert plants are in bloom, transforming the arid landscape. Try to visit during the new moon, when the Atacama’s famously dark sky is at its prime for stargazing.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Chile. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Bolivia
Salar de Uyuni salt flat, Bolivia. Photo: Shutterstock
May is the sweet spot at the Salar de Uyuni salt flats: It’s not too cold, not too crowded, and the Salar is dry enough to cross in a vehicle but you still get some reflections off its surface.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Bolivia. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Scotland
The Kinnoull Hill tower ruins overlook the River Tay. Photo: Shutterstock
In May the weather is mild and even warm on occasion, and you won’t have to deal with the August crowds. Since this month falls before peak season (June–September), you can find some bargains, and the hills and roadways are dotted with blooming gorse, a bright-yellow flower.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Scotland. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Mediterranean Cruises
The Celebrity Reflection. Photo: Celebrity Cruises
May is the sweet spot: The weather is gorgeous, temperatures are ideal for sightseeing, and crowds are not as abundant as in summer, when kids are out of school and both overseas visitors and Europeans flock to the Mediterranean.
Read reviews of WOW Mediterranean cruises here and here. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
A wooden gulet is an enticing way to explore the hidden islands of the Aegean. Photo: Sea Song Tours
In May the sun is out but it’s not sweltering, the sea is calm, and summer crowds haven’t arrived. Plus, rates are up to 50% lower than during the high season of July and August.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Turkey. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Fiji
Savasi Island is a 52-acre private island in Fiji with only seven villas. Photo: Savasi Island
May falls during the islands’ drier “winter,” but outside the peak months of June and July, when Aussie and Kiwi vacationers drive up airfares and hotel rates. During the winter, temperatures are at their coolest (with highs hovering around 80), and the occasional rain showers are brief. With less humidity there are also fewer mosquitoes.
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Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
Quito’s famously changeable weather is usually mild in May. Photo: Myths & Mountains
Ecuador’s capital city, Quito, is called the City of Four Seasons for a reason: The weather can change in the blink of an eye. May falls during the shoulder season, when the temperature is mild, usually reaching the high 60s, and there are fewer travelers. It’s also a great month to combine mainland Ecuador with the Galapagos Islands, before all the families descend in summertime, filling the boats there.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Ecuador. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
A Safari in Namibia
Sorris Sorris Lodge, Namibia. Photo: Tino De Njis/Namibia Exclusive
In May, temperatures are mild night and day, the occasional rains tease the desert wildflowers into bloom, and the animals are fat and happy. Read what Brook and her son loved about Namibia in spring.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Namibia. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
A Safari in Zambia and Zimbabwe
Explore Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park via canoe safaris. Photo: EXPLORE
In May, everything is still verdantly green from the rains and the temperature is delightful, but it’s dry enough that you see plenty of wildlife and there are virtually no mosquitoes or tsetse flies. Game viewing during this time is not quite as intense as later in the season, when it is very dry and dusty, but the landscape is more beautiful and the animals more at ease.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Zambia and Zimbabwe. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Romania
Bran Castle, in Transylvania, inspired Bram Stoker’s description of Dracula’s castle. Photo: Tim Baker
May and June offer prime weather with the fewest crowds at the country’s dozens of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Available activities range from horseback riding and skydiving to truffle hunting and wine tasting.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Romania. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.
Other Smart Options This Month
Click on any of the destinations below to find out why May is a good time to go.
North America and Caribbean
Hawaii: Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island
Mexico: Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya
Montana and Wyoming: Yellowstone National Park
St. Barts: beach and villa vacations
Central and South America
Costa Rica: Pacific and Central regions
Europe
England: castles, manor houses, and gardens
France: Paris apartment rentals
Ireland: Killarney and County Kerry
Italy: Puglia, Rome, Umbria and Venice
Turkey: Cappadocia and Istanbul
Asia and Pacific
China: big cities and small villages, and Yunnan Province
India: Trekking and tiger reserves
Indonesia: Bali without the crowds
New Zealand, including Queenstown hiking and cycling
Africa and Middle East
South Africa: Cape Town and Winelands
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Interested in senior guided tours. Especially in UK, Ireland, Scotland.
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