“Love, to me, is like a summer day,” crooned Louis Armstrong in Summer Song, and there sure is a whole lot to love about the warmest season. Be it cool days by the pool or hot nights in the city, prime vacation time serves it all up. From the beach parties of Mykonos to the quiet fjords of Norway, make the most of the sun and sunsets at these 12 best places to travel in the summer. To expedite your decision-making, take our three-question summer travel quiz to discover your ideal destination.
Worthy of its own Pantone shade, Aegean blue, the sparkling cyan-colored waters surrounding the islands of Greece are enjoyed from every angle—get a bird’s-eye view from a cliffside infinity pool in Santorini or dig your feet into the sand at sea level in Mykonos.
Spain for utmost pleasure? Moor yourself on one of its Mediterranean islands. Mallorca is the crowning jewel, home to both beach resorts and countryside castles. Over on Ibiza, the nightlife is truly infamous, but there’s a quiet side too to get the best of everything.
Named the Island of the Gods for all its temples and altars, its abundant natural beauty supports the claim too. There’s the lush jungle and rice paddies of Ubud, five-star beach clubs of Seminyak and jaw-dropping cliff views in Uluwatu, and that’s not even the half of it.
Canada isn’t all snow and no place bucks that stereotype more than British Columbia. Along with the best ski resort in North America—that’s Whistler—the country’s westernmost province boasts the famed surf town of Tofino and one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Vancouver.
Aristocrats, artists, writers and actors have flocked to its seaside since the 18th century—they can’t be wrong, Cannes they? Synonymous with five-star luxury, the French Riviera is beyond Nice. Puns aside, you yacht to go and bring your biggest, most glamorous sunglasses.
No better boot has ever been made. Feast on rolling vineyard views in Tuscany and bird’s-eye ones of the Tyrrhenian Sea from the Amalfi Coast’s colorful cliffs. Live like the Clooneys on Lake Como or escape the crowds in Puglia, “The Florence of the South.” Dolce vita indeed.
The coolest dry season from July through October sees the great migration into the Maasai Mara Reserve making it prime time for a Kenyan Safari. Wildebeest, zebras and plunge pools with epic savannah views, oh my!
From Big Ben to the Shard, history and cutting-edge converge here. The U.K. capital serves up the full spectrum of experiences—fine dining, casual pubs, high art, flea markets. Sunny summer vacation days call for picnics in Hyde Park, row boating and lido swims.
Between Broadway shows and the ever-evolving food scene, the Big Apple is always delicious, but summer takes the party outside. Watch the sun set on The City That Never Sleeps from a rooftop bar, Shakespeare in the Park or Hudson River Greenway.
With all that dramatic Atlantic coastline, Europe’s westernmost country makes for the perfect summer road trip. Soak up the sun on the beaches of Algarve, eat your way through Lisbon, watch the waves in Nazaré and head inland for wine touring in Alentejo and the Douro Valley.
Early summer is the time to see the Golden Gate Bridge at her most golden before foggier days roll in. Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, Haight-Ashbury, America’s oldest Chinatown—the seaside city’s list of iconic spots is as long as its streets are steep.
Scandinavia
Sweden, Denmark and Norway all sit at the top of UN’s World Happiness Report and those good vibes are bound to rub off. With food, design and culture in the capitals and abundant natural splendor in the countryside, the region is the ultimate summer vacation package.
