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The best countries to go backpacking in August, 2027

Discover the best countries to go backpacking in August, based on weather, festivals, wildlife, and seasonal highlights. Drawing on firsthand travel experiences, this guide helps you find destinations that match your interests—whether it’s scenic landscapes, cultural events, or unique adventures. Refine your search to plan the perfect August journey.”

Best countries in August in

Africa | Asia | Europe | North America | South America | Oceania
August is a fantastic month to explore Africa, as the continent showcases a variety of climates and conditions that can make your trip memorable. While some regions are basking in dry and pleasant weather, others might experience wet conditions that can put a damper on travel plans. Understanding the climate nuances is key for budget travelers looking to make the most of their adventure.

Starting with Southern Africa, countries like Namibia and Botswana are prime spots in August. This time of year is part of the dry season, offering excellent wildlife viewing opportunities and comfortable temperatures. It’s also a great time for hiking and exploring national parks without the sweltering heat. Conversely, Zimbabwe and Zambia are also favorable, especially for budget travelers looking to experience iconic sites like Victoria Falls, where water levels are lower but the scenery is still stunning.

In East Africa, countries such as Kenya and Tanzania are particularly appealing in August due to the Great Migration, where millions of wildebeest and zebras move through the Serengeti. The weather is generally dry and cooler, perfect for trekking and safari adventures. Uganda and Rwanda are also solid choices for those keen on gorilla trekking, with less rain and more manageable hiking conditions.

Moving to Central Africa, places like Gabon and the Republic of the Congo offer lush landscapes and unique wildlife experiences. However, August can be a mixed bag as it falls within the dry season, making it a decent time to visit, though some areas might still be hard to access due to lingering rain effects.

Lastly, in island regions, the Seychelles and Madagascar are stunning options during August, presenting dry and sunny weather ideal for beach lounging or hiking. Meanwhile, Mayotte and Réunion can also be explored, but be mindful of potential humidity, which can be a bit uncomfortable for some.

Ultimately, August can be a great month to traverse Africa, with many regions offering favorable conditions for a variety of activities. Just keep an eye on the weather and plan accordingly to ensure an unforgettable adventure!

⚠️ At 'Which continent' below, select Africa and use the filters on the right to find your perfect match for August.
August can be a tricky month for travel in Asia, as the continent experiences a mix of climates and weather conditions. While some regions are basking in warm sunshine, others are battling monsoon rains or sweltering heat. If you're looking to backpack through Asia during this time, it's essential to know which regions offer favorable conditions and which might be less ideal for your adventure.

Starting with Southeast Asia, countries like Indonesia and Malaysia can be a great choice in August. While it's generally the dry season in many parts of Indonesia, Malaysia's west coast is usually pleasant too. You can enjoy stunning beaches and vibrant culture without the heavy rains that plague other areas. Just keep in mind that the eastern parts of Malaysia might be experiencing wet weather, so plan accordingly.

Moving to Central Asia, countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are perfect for those who love the outdoors. August brings warm, dry weather, ideal for trekking in the mountains. The stunning landscapes and rich nomadic culture make it a worthwhile stop. Just be prepared for cooler nights, especially in the mountains.

In South Asia, Sri Lanka and parts of Vietnam can be visited, but with caution. In Sri Lanka, the southwest is dry during this time, making it great for exploring the cultural sites and beaches. However, the east coast may still be experiencing some rain. Meanwhile, Vietnam in August can be quite hot and humid, especially in the south, but northern areas like Hanoi are relatively cooler, making it a decent option for travelers.

Lastly, Mongolia offers a unique experience in August as it’s the peak of the summer season. The weather is generally warm and dry, making it perfect for exploring the vast landscapes and attending the Naadam Festival, which showcases traditional sports and culture.

In summary, while August presents a mixed bag of weather across Asia, regions like Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia can be quite favorable for budget travelers. Just keep an eye on local weather patterns and plan your itinerary to avoid the rain where possible. Happy travels!

⚠️ At 'Which continent' below, select Asia and use the filters on the right to find your perfect match for August.
August in Europe can be a mixed bag, with some regions basking in pleasant weather while others can be a bit extreme. Generally, it's peak summer, so expect warmer temperatures and crowded tourist spots. If you're backpacking, knowing where to go can make all the difference, especially regarding budget and comfort.

For those looking for a warm and enjoyable experience, the Scandinavia region, including countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, offers long days and stunning natural beauty. This is an excellent time to explore the fjords, hiking trails, and vibrant cities. Just keep in mind that prices can be on the higher side, so budgeting is key.

Moving east, the Baltic States — including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — offer a unique blend of culture and history with a milder climate. August is ideal for enjoying local festivals and outdoor events, plus accommodation prices tend to be more backpacker-friendly compared to Western Europe.

In Central Europe, the Alpine region (Austria and Switzerland) is gorgeous in August, perfect for hiking and enjoying stunning landscapes. Just be prepared for some tourist crowds, especially in popular spots. The weather is generally pleasant, but accommodation can get pricey, so book ahead if you can.

Head south to the Balkans (Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Serbia) for a different vibe. The beaches along the Adriatic Sea are buzzing in August, and prices are typically lower than in Western Europe. The heat can be intense, so plan your activities for early mornings or late afternoons, and don't miss out on the local cuisine.

Finally, the UK and Ireland can be a hit or miss in August. While you might find some decent weather, it's also a time for unpredictable rain. Still, this is when festivals are in full swing, making it a vibrant time to visit. Just budget for some potential rainfall and keep your plans flexible.

Overall, August offers diverse experiences across Europe, so pick your region wisely based on your interests and budget.

⚠️ At 'Which continent' below, select Europe and use the filters on the right to find your perfect match for August.
August in North America brings a mix of weather patterns and travel experiences, depending on where you land. Generally, this month is known for warm to hot temperatures, especially in the southern areas, while northern regions can still offer some pleasant summer days. For backpackers, understanding the climate across different regions can help you make the most of your trip.

Starting with the Western Canada, this area is prime for outdoor enthusiasts in August. The weather is typically mild, perfect for hiking in places like the Canadian Rockies or enjoying the stunning coastlines of British Columbia. Just keep an eye out for wildfires, which can occasionally affect air quality and visibility.

Moving to the Eastern Canada, cities like Montreal and Toronto are bustling with festivals and events during this time, making it an exciting spot for cultural experiences. However, be prepared for the humidity, as it can get sticky. If you’re hitting the coast, the Atlantic provinces may be a bit cooler but are often less crowded, presenting a nice mix of relaxation and exploration.

In the United States, the Northeast offers a vibrant summer vibe with plenty of outdoor activities and events, though it can be hot and humid, especially in places like New York City. The Pacific Northwest is also a fantastic choice, with its cooler temperatures and beautiful natural landscapes. But steer clear of the Southwest, where desert heat can be brutal, making it less appealing for backpackers who prefer to be active outdoors.

On the flip side, Greenland is a unique option in August, as it experiences milder temperatures and longer daylight hours, which is great for trekking and witnessing the stunning landscape. Just remember that its remote location means you'll need to plan your trip and budget accordingly.

In summary, August can be a great time to explore various regions in North America, but it's essential to choose wisely based on climate and activities. Whether you’re hiking in the mountains, enjoying city life, or immersing yourself in unique cultures, there's something for every budget traveler.

⚠️ At 'Which continent' below, select North America and use the filters on the right to find your perfect match for August.
August is a unique time to explore South America, as the continent showcases a variety of climates and travel experiences depending on where you choose to go. While some regions enjoy mild weather and vibrant festivals, others may be less inviting due to cooler temperatures or heavy rainfall. Understanding these regional differences can help you make the most of your backpacking adventure.

In the Andean Region, which includes Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, the dry season is in full swing. This means clear skies and pleasant temperatures, making it an ideal time for trekking in places like the Inca Trail or exploring the stunning landscapes of the Altiplano. Just be prepared for chilly nights, especially at higher altitudes.

Moving to the Amazônia region, you’ll find countries like Peru and Brazil. August marks the dry season here as well, so it's a good time for jungle treks and wildlife spotting. The humidity is lower, making your adventures a bit more comfortable, although be ready for the occasional rain shower.

On the other hand, the Southern Cone, which includes Paraguay and parts of Brazil, can be quite chilly in August. While it's not the peak travel season, you might find fewer crowds and better deals on accommodations. Just remember to pack for cooler weather if you're planning to visit here.

Finally, the Caribbean Coast, notably represented by Curaçao, offers warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine in August. This region can be a great escape if you’re looking to relax on beautiful beaches, but keep in mind that it can be pricier compared to other South American destinations.

In summary, August can be a fantastic month to explore South America, especially in the Andean and Amazon regions where the weather is generally favorable for outdoor activities. Just keep the conditions in mind when planning your itinerary!

⚠️ At 'Which continent' below, select South America and use the filters on the right to find your perfect match for August.
August in Oceania is a mixed bag when it comes to weather and travel conditions. As it’s winter in the southern hemisphere, you'll find varying climates across the region. Some areas are perfect for outdoor adventures, while others might be a bit damp and chilly. If you're planning a backpacking trip during this month, it’s wise to know which regions are more traveler-friendly.

Starting in Melanesia, places like Fiji and Papua New Guinea are quite appealing in August. The weather tends to be dry and pleasant, making it ideal for beach lounging, snorkeling, and exploring. Fiji, in particular, sees a surge in tourism during this time, so expect a lively atmosphere along with the stunning scenery. Papua New Guinea offers unique cultural experiences and incredible biodiversity, but be prepared for a bit of humidity and potential rain in some areas.

Moving to Polynesia, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia are also great choices in August. This is the dry season for both, meaning you can enjoy warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine. The landscapes are breathtaking, and the local cultures are vibrant, perfect for those looking to unwind or engage in some adventure sports. Just be mindful that some accommodations can be pricier during peak travel season, so book in advance if you can.

In Micronesia, the weather can be hit or miss during August. While places like Nauru and Kiribati might offer some decent weather, you could also run into more rainfall. It’s a less-traveled area, which means fewer crowds, but you might want to keep an eye on the weather forecasts if you're planning to explore the islands.

As for Australasia, New Caledonia and Vanuatu are generally pleasant in August, with comfortable temperatures and low rainfall. These islands boast rich cultures and beautiful landscapes, making them worth considering if you’re in the mood for a mix of relaxation and adventure. However, be prepared for slightly chillier evenings.

Overall, August can be a fantastic time to explore parts of Oceania, especially if you stick to the regions mentioned above. Just be sure to check local weather conditions before you go, and you'll be set for a memorable trip!

⚠️ At 'Which continent' below, select Oceania and use the filters on the right to find your perfect match for August.
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Peru
1

Peru

Inca stone, glacier lakes and canyon condors, linked by long bus rides.


Climb to Machu Picchu and Laguna 69, watch condors over Colca Canyon, sleep on Taquile and eat late in Lima’s Barranco.
The best months for backpacking Peru are May and September: the Andes are dry and clear, the trails are firm, and you avoid the June to August crush and its higher room rates. Region changes the picture a lot. The Andean highlands and the Amazon follow a dry winter and a wet summer, while the desert coast flips the script, sunny from December to March and under a low gray sea fog (the garúa) from June to September.
  • Peak dry season (June to August): Sunny highland days around 18 to 21°C in Cusco, with nights near or below freezing. Machu Picchu tickets and Inca Trail permits go fast, and Cusco dorms climb to roughly S/40 to 70 (US$11 to 19). Best for high treks around Huaraz and the Colca Canyon, and for low-water wildlife trips in the Amazon. Lima sits under flat gray skies.
  • Shoulder season (April to May, September to October): The same trails with far fewer people. April carries leftover showers and green hillsides; October brings the first afternoon storms. Hostels and tour agencies discount more readily, and Machu Picchu can usually be booked days or weeks out instead of months.
  • Rainy season (November to March): Daily afternoon downpours in the highlands, heaviest in January and February, with landslides cutting mountain roads. The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance. Amazon rivers rise and flood the forest. Highland prices hit their lowest point of the year.
  • Coastal summer (December to March): Lima, Paracas and the north coast around Máncora turn hot and sunny. This is beach season for Peruvians, so coastal weekends and holidays fill up and cost more.
For a dry-season trip, I’d buy Machu Picchu tickets or Inca Trail permits the day your dates are fixed, then pack a proper down jacket, because highland nights are colder than most people plan for.
Best known for:Known for: mountains | backpackers | architecture
Best time to visit: April - October, December
Daily cost: US$30 to 45 [peru.travel]
Kenya
2

Kenya

Mara migration, Swahili lanes on Lamu and bike safaris at Hell’s Gate.


Watch wildebeest cross the Mara River, cycle past zebras at Hell’s Gate, see Kilimanjaro from Amboseli and walk Lamu’s donkey-filled Old Town.
The best months for backpacking Kenya are late June to October, when the long dry season thins the bush so animals gather at water, park roads stay passable and the wildebeest migration fills the Maasai Mara, though July to September also brings the highest lodge rates of the year, and Mara reserve fees double from July. The regions run on different clocks. The highlands around Nairobi and Mount Kenya turn chilly from June to August, the coast stays hot and humid all year with its heaviest rain in May, and the arid north around Lake Turkana sees little rain in any month.
  • Long dry season (June to October): Sunny days of 22 to 28°C in the parks, cold nights in the highlands, and the biggest crowds of the year. Mara camps and minivan safaris fill up, and reserve fees jump in July. Best for game viewing everywhere, Mount Kenya treks and humpback whales passing Watamu and Kisite.
  • Short rains (November to mid-December): Afternoon showers that rarely wipe out a whole day, green hills and quiet parks. Prices dip until mid-December, then the coast books solid for Christmas and New Year.
  • Short dry season (January to February): Hot, dusty and clear, with the coast around 30 to 32°C. Good game viewing, good climbing on Mount Kenya, moderate crowds and mid-range prices.
  • Long rains (March to May): Heavy afternoon downpours, muddy park tracks and the cheapest rates of the year. Many lodges on the coast and in Lamu close from April to June, and some Mara camps shut too.
Mara River crossings, where herds plunge past crocodiles, mostly happen between late July and September and depend on rainfall in Tanzania, so plan at least two or three days in the Mara rather than one. For August, book Mara camps and the Madaraka Express train from Nairobi to Mombasa three to four months ahead, and pack a fleece: Nairobi sits at 1,795 meters and nights drop to around 10°C.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | scenery | low cost
Best time to visit: June - February
Daily cost: US$30 to 45
Bolivia
3

Bolivia

High, raw and rough: salt flats, a sacred island and mining tunnels.


Cross the Salar de Uyuni, sleep on Isla del Sol, descend into Potosí’s mines and head to the Amazon lowlands for caimans.
The best time for backpacking Bolivia is May to October, the dry winter, when Altiplano skies stay clear, roads to the salt flats and the Amazon are passable and trekking routes are open, though July and August bring the biggest crowds and the least room to bargain. Altitude changes the experience: La Paz, Potosí and Uyuni are sunny but freezing at night in these months, while Santa Cruz and the lowland Amazon stay warm all year and swing between dusty dry months and soaking, flooded summers.
  • Peak dry season (June to August): Cloudless days around 15°C in La Paz, hard frosts on the Altiplano and nights down to about −20°C on multi-day Uyuni tours. Northern Hemisphere summer holidays and Bolivia’s own winter school break fill jeeps, dorms and jungle lodges, so discounts are rare. Best for climbing in the Cordillera Real and for pampas wildlife near Rurrenabaque.
  • Shoulder dry season (May, September and October): The same dependable weather with fewer people, milder nights by September and more willingness from agencies to cut a deal. By late October heat builds in the lowlands and the first afternoon storms can appear.
  • Transition months (April and November): Rain is either tapering off or building up. Valleys turn green, prices sit low and crowds are thin, but lowland roads can still be muddy and plans need slack.
  • Rainy season (December to March): Daily afternoon downpours in the highlands, floods in the Amazon and landslides on Yungas roads. Few foreign travelers, with two exceptions: Carnaval and the flooded Salar de Uyuni, which turns into a giant mirror. Some jungle trips get cut back and the southern lagoon route from Uyuni can close.
I’d pack a proper down jacket and a sleeping bag liner for any month you plan to cross the Altiplano, then buy cheap alpaca hats and gloves in La Paz instead of carrying them from home.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | mountains | backpackers
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: US$25 to 40
Iceland
4

Iceland

Chase glaciers, geothermal pools and puffin cliffs along the Ring Road.


Watch icebergs wash ashore at Jökulsárlón, hike colored rhyolite hills, soak in warm rivers and look for puffins on the Látrabjarg cliffs.
The best time to go backpacking in Iceland is June to September, when roads are open, daytime temperatures sit around 10 to 15°C and daylight stretches 16 to 24 hours, though July and August bring the highest prices and the thickest crowds on the South Coast. Region matters a lot here: the interior highlands and their F-roads usually open only from late June to early September, while passes in the Westfjords and the north can stay snowbound well into spring.
  • Summer peak (June to August): 10 to 15°C, almost no darkness, every campsite and mountain hut open. Gullfoss and Reynisfjara are packed by mid-morning, and Reykjavik dorm beds run ISK 6,000 to 11,000 (US$50 to 90). Highland hiking, including the Laugavegur trail, works only in this window.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to October): 3 to 10°C, more wind and rain, and prices drop after mid-September. Northern lights return, but most campsites and highland huts shut by mid-September.
  • Spring shoulder (April to May): 0 to 9°C, quiet roads, puffins back on the cliffs, but the highlands stay closed and mountain trails turn to mud.
  • Winter (November to March): -3 to 3°C on the coast, colder inland and in the north, as little as 4 hours of daylight, and storms that close roads. Aurora, ice caves on Vatnajökull and cheaper rooms. The week between Christmas and New Year is the oddity: Reykjavik books solid for the fireworks despite the darkness.
I’d reserve Laugavegur huts and any summer rental car by February, and pack a proper waterproof shell for every month, because the wind is what wears you down here.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | uniqueness | safety
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €90 to €130 [visiticeland.com]
São Tomé and Príncipe
5

São Tomé and Príncipe

Volcanic spires, cocoa plantations and empty beaches on two small islands.


Hike to Pico Cão Grande’s rock needle, wander crumbling cocoa estates, straddle the equator on Ilhéu das Rolas and find empty sand on Príncipe.
The best time for backpacking São Tomé and Príncipe is the “gravana” dry season from June to September, when rain mostly stops, temperatures settle around 22 to 27°C and mountain trails firm up, though July and August also bring the year’s highest flight and room demand. Location matters as much as the calendar. The north of São Tomé island around the capital gets roughly 1,000 mm of rain a year, while the southwest slopes and much of Príncipe get several times that, even in drier months.
  • Gravana (June to September): Overcast skies, cool breezes, dry trails for Pico de São Tomé and humpback whales offshore from July. European holiday traffic peaks in July and August, so book ahead.
  • Gravanito (December to February): A shorter, hotter dry spell with sunnier beaches, turtle nesting and hatching, and a Christmas rush.
  • Rainy months (March to May, October to November): Heavy afternoon storms and muddy southern roads, but emptier lodges and more room to negotiate rates.
Pack a light rain jacket in any month, because the forest makes its own weather.
Best known for:Known for: low cost | safety | people
Best time to visit: May - September, December - March
Daily cost: €40 to €60
Botswana
6

Botswana

Self-drive wilderness: Okavango channels, Chobe elephants and endless salt pans.


Glide through the Okavango in a mokoro, watch Chobe elephants from a boat and camp on the Makgadikgadi salt pans or deep in the Kalahari.
June to September is the best time for backpacking Botswana: dry skies, thinning bush and shrinking waterholes push wildlife into plain view, and the Okavango Delta floods peak just as the rain disappears, though prices and demand peak too. The north (Okavango, Moremi, Chobe) follows the water, while the Kalahari and Makgadikgadi flip the logic and come alive after summer rain.
  • Green season (December to March): Hot, humid days of 30 to 35°C with afternoon thunderstorms, few visitors and lodge rates often 30 to 50 percent lower. Best for zebra on Nxai Pan, springbok and oryx herds in the Central Kalahari, and birdlife. Sand tracks in Savuti and Moremi turn to mud, and a few delta camps close.
  • Autumn shoulder (April to May): Rain fades, nights cool, the bush is still green and prices sit between seasons.
  • Peak dry season (June to September): Sunny days around 25°C, full delta channels for mokoro trips, top game viewing along the Chobe River and the busiest, priciest months.
  • Hot build-up (October to November): Temperatures climb past 40°C, game crowds the last water, and the first rains arrive in November.
The risk most visitors underestimate is the cold: winter nights in the Kalahari and Makgadikgadi drop to around freezing, which is brutal in a rooftop tent or a cheap sleeping bag. Book Moremi and Chobe campsites six to twelve months ahead for July to October, and pack a fleece, a beanie and a bag rated to 0°C.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | scenery | people
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: US$45 to 70
Canada
7

Canada

Drive glacier highways, then eat poutine in French-speaking Quebec.


Drive the Icefields Parkway past glaciers, walk the walled streets of Quebec City and hike Newfoundland’s fjord and the Pacific storm beaches of Vancouver Island.
The best time for backpacking Canada is mid-June to late September, when mountain trails are mostly snow-free, park shuttles and ferries run full schedules, and September trims both crowds and hostel prices after the July and August peak.
Timing shifts by region. High trails in the Rockies often hold snow into early July, the Pacific coast stays mild but wet from November to March, and the east (Quebec, Ontario, the Maritimes) hits its best stretch with fall color from late September to mid-October.
  • Summer (June to August): Long days, with sunset after 10pm in Edmonton around the June solstice, and highs of 20 to 30°C in the south (sticky and humid in Toronto and Montreal). This is peak season: hostel dorms in Banff and Vancouver often run CA$55 to 100 (US$40 to 73), and Banff and Jasper campgrounds can book out months ahead. Wildfire smoke can haze over British Columbia and Alberta in July and August. Best for hiking, canoeing and festivals.
  • Fall shoulder (September to October): Crisp days of 10 to 20°C, frosty mountain nights and the year’s best colors. Prices ease after Labour Day (the first Monday in September), so you get summer-grade hiking for noticeably less. By mid-October the Moraine Lake road closes, many seasonal businesses in the Maritimes and Newfoundland shut, and ferries switch to reduced schedules.
  • Winter (November to March): Brutal on the Prairies (-20°C is routine in Winnipeg), around -10°C in Montreal and Quebec City, and 0 to 8°C with steady rain in Vancouver. City hostels hit their lowest prices, except ski towns like Whistler and Banff over Christmas and school breaks. Northern lights are strong in Yukon and the Northwest Territories, but most hiking terrain needs snowshoes or avalanche training.
  • Spring (April to May): A messy thaw with slush, mud and snow lingering at altitude. Vancouver and Victoria bloom early, spring skiing runs in the Rockies, and black flies arrive in the eastern woods from mid-May. Prices stay low until the Victoria Day long weekend in late May, when campgrounds and seasonal attractions reopen.
I’d book Rockies campsites the day Parks Canada opens its reservations (usually January or February) and pack a real fleece and rain shell even in July, because a mountain night can drop close to freezing.
Best known for:Known for: mountains | safety | scenery
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: US$70 to 110 [travel.destinationcanada.com]
Tonga
8

Tonga

Whale swims, blowholes and a Sunday when everything stops.


Swim with humpbacks in Vava’u between July and October, watch Tongatapu’s blowholes and listen to church hymns on a day of enforced rest.
The best time for backpacking Tonga is July to October, when dry, mild weather (highs around 23 to 26°C) coincides with humpback whale season, though August and September guesthouses fill fast and prices rise. Vava’u in the north runs a little warmer and wetter than Tongatapu, and the remote Niuas get the most rain of all.
  • Whale and dry season (July to October): Low humidity, steady trade winds and good sailing around Vava’u. Expect peak crowds, peak rates and whale boats booked out.
  • Shoulder season (May and June): The weather cools and dries out, visitors are few, and rooms and fares are easier to find. Diving and kayaking are good.
  • Wet and cyclone season (November to April): Hot and humid at 28 to 31°C, with heavy downpours and the highest cyclone risk from January to March. It is quiet and cheap apart from the Christmas rush.
Swimming with humpbacks is only possible July to October and is best in August and September. Book whale swim operators and inter-island flights at least three months ahead for that window.
Best known for:Known for: safety | people | beach life
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: US$45 to 70
Paraguay
9

Paraguay

Jesuit ruins, a giant dam and everyday life with few travelers.


Explore the red sandstone mission church at Trinidad, tour the Itaipú Dam, browse Asunción’s Mercado 4 and visit the falls near Ciudad del Este.
The best time for backpacking Paraguay is April to September, when daytime highs mostly sit between 20 and 28°C, storms ease off, and prices stay flat because foreign crowds barely exist here in any month. The Chaco in the northwest runs hotter and more extreme than the eastern half, and its dirt roads turn to impassable mud after summer rain, so the dry winter months are the only dependable window for reaching it.
  • Summer (December to February): Asunción regularly hits 35 to 40°C with heavy humidity and violent afternoon storms. Paraguayans pour onto the river beaches at Encarnación, so weekend rooms there fill up and cost more, while Carnival weekends add parades and late nights.
  • Autumn (March to May): The heat breaks gradually and rain thins out. Semana Santa packs the buses and puts fresh chipa on every roadside, so book around Easter week.
  • Winter (June to August): Dry, sunny days of 18 to 25°C, with the occasional southern cold front (a “surazo”) pushing nights close to freezing. This is peak time for Chaco trips, wildlife spotting and the San Juan fire festivals, though July school holidays fill domestic buses.
  • Spring (September to November): Warming fast, with pink lapacho trees still flowering early on. September keeps the Chaco open; by November the storms are back.
For a winter trip I’d pack a proper fleece and wool socks, because most budget rooms have no heating and a surazo night feels far colder indoors than the forecast suggests.
Best known for:Known for: low cost | safety
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: US$30 to 45
Andorra
10

Andorra

Sleep in free mountain huts and cross high Pyrenean valleys.


Walk the glacial Madriu valley, visit Romanesque churches, hike to the Tristaina lakes and tour the parliament house, the Casa de la Vall.
The best time for backpacking Andorra is July to September, when high trails are snow-free, staffed huts are open and hotel rates sit well below ski-season levels. Altitude matters more than region. Andorra la Vella warms up weeks before passes above 2,500 meters shed their snow.
  • Summer (July to August): Valley highs of 24 to 27°C. Every trail and hut is open, and August is the busiest stretch, driven by French and Spanish families.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to October): Crisp, stable days, thinning crowds and falling prices, which makes it best for long ridge walks.
  • Mud season (November, April to June): Rain, lingering high snow, closed lifts, some shuttered hotels and the cheapest rooms.
  • Ski season (December to March): Freezing nights and peak prices in Soldeu and Pas de la Casa. Hiking is limited to snowshoes.
Early December is the oddity. The Spanish holiday bridge of 6 to 8 December packs the resorts weeks before Christmas. Reserve August hut bunks two to three weeks ahead.
Best known for:Known for: safety
Best time to visit: June - October
Daily cost: €50 to €85 [visitandorra.com]
Kiribati
11

Kiribati

Remote atolls, rusting WWII guns and bonefish flats across the Pacific.


Walk Betio’s battlefield on Tarawa, wade the flats and seabird colonies of Kiritimati and accept canceled flights across a vast scatter of islands.
The best time to visit Kiribati is June to September, when steady easterly trade winds bring the driest, breeziest weather and outer-island boat trips run most reliably. Prices barely shift by season, but a few things change by region. The Gilbert Islands (Tarawa and the outer atolls) get much more rain than Kiritimati in the Line Islands, which stays fairly dry year-round with a wetter spell around March and April.
  • Wet season (November to April): Hot, humid, 26 to 32°C, with heavy squalls and westerly wind bursts that chop up the Tarawa lagoon. Almost no visitors, though flights fill around Christmas.
  • Dry season (May to October): Breezy, sunny and slightly cooler at night. The best months for snorkeling, lagoon crossings and outer-island hopping.
  • National Day week (around 12 July): Independence celebrations in South Tarawa bring canoe races, traditional dance competitions and sports, and the biggest local crowds of the year.
Flights run only a couple of times a week, so book July and December seats months ahead.
Best known for:Known for: safety
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: US$55 to 90 [visitkiribati.travel]
Niue
12

Niue

Climb down ladders into limestone chasms and snorkel very clear water.


Scramble through coral pinnacles into Togo and Matapa chasms, snorkel reef pools at slack tide and plan around the weekly flights.
May to October is the best time for backpacking Niue, with drier, cooler days of roughly 20 to 27°C, clear water for snorkeling and humpback whales offshore from July to October. At 260 square kilometers, the island shares one climate, though the sheltered west coast keeps its reef pools calm when easterly swells pound the other side.
  • Dry season (May to October): Low humidity and the best visibility in the chasms and pools. It is peak season, so rental cars and beds fill up and rates sit at their highest.
  • Wet season (November to April): Hot and sticky, around 26 to 31°C, with heavy showers and cyclone risk peaking January to March. Rough seas can close sea tracks, and rates drop.
  • Christmas crunch (mid-December to mid-January): Despite the rain, it is unexpectedly busy as Niueans living in New Zealand fly home, booking out flights and family-run lodgings.
With only one or two flights a week from Auckland and a few hundred beds island-wide, book your flight and room together, months ahead for whale season.
Best known for:Known for: safety | uniqueness | scenery
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: US$110 to 170
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
13

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

A French outpost of fog, seals and shipwreck dunes off Newfoundland.


Watch seals at Grand Barachois, wander the abandoned fishing village on Île aux Marins and cross the long Langlade dune on foot.
July and August are the best months for backpacking Saint Pierre and Miquelon, with daytime highs around 15 to 20°C, the longest days and the full summer schedule of boats, festivals and guesthouses, though that also means rooms fill and prices sit at their yearly high. Miquelon and Langlade run cooler and windier than Saint-Pierre town, and Langlade’s summer-house community is busy only in the warm months, served by a seasonal boat.
  • Summer (July to August): Mild, often sunny afternoons after foggy mornings. This is when the territory comes alive: Bastille Day on July 14, the Basque festival in August, hiking on Langlade’s dunes and coastal trails. Book beds months ahead, because there are only a few dozen.
  • Early summer (June): Cool, 10 to 15°C, and the foggiest stretch of the year. Thinner crowds and easier rooms, with puffins and whales offshore.
  • Autumn (September to October): Crisp, clear days, empty trails and lower rates. Services start trimming hours by October.
  • Winter (November to May): Cold, wet and gusty, roughly −5 to 3°C, with snow and ice. Many tourist services close and ferry crossings are reduced.
The risk travelers underestimate is fog: it regularly cancels Air Saint-Pierre flights and delays ferries from Fortune, Newfoundland, even in July, so leave a spare day before any onward connection and pack a windproof, waterproof shell whatever the month.
Best known for:Known for: safety | uniqueness
Best time to visit: June - October
Daily cost: €110 to €160 [spm-tourisme.fr]
Brazil
14

Brazil

Rainwater dune lagoons, jungle treks and sunset crowds on Rio’s rocks.


Wade through the lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses, trek the Vale do Pati, wander Salvador’s Pelourinho and watch Arpoador applaud the sunset.
The best months for backpacking Brazil are May, June and September, when the Southeast and the interior are dry, the Brazilian school holidays are not running, and dorm beds sit at their normal R$60 to 120 (US$11 to 22) instead of the double or triple you pay in high summer. The country is bigger than the contiguous United States, so timing shifts by region. The Amazon and the Pantanal run on a wet-dry cycle, the coast from Salvador to Recife takes its heaviest rain between April and July, and the south gets a proper winter with frost.
  • Summer peak (December to March): Rio and São Paulo swing between 28 and 38°C with sticky humidity and violent afternoon storms. Brazilian families are on vacation, New Year and Carnival land in this window, and coastal prices jump accordingly. The Amazon is at its wettest and much of the Pantanal floods, cutting off some lodges. Iguaçu Falls thunders at full volume, and beach towns are at their liveliest.
  • Autumn shoulder (April to June): Rain fades across the Southeast and Rio settles into 20 to 28°C days with clear skies. Rates drop after Easter, and the Amazon’s flooded forest lets canoes slip between treetops. Salvador and Recife are soggy, so this is the season for Rio, Minas Gerais and the lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses.
  • Winter dry season (July and August): The interior dries out, which makes this the start of prime wildlife time in the Pantanal. July school holidays push domestic prices up in Bonito, Jericoacoara and the mountain towns. The south drops to 5 to 15°C, and the trade winds on the Ceará coast pick up for kitesurfing.
  • Spring shoulder (September to November): Central Brazil is at its driest and the Amazon at its lowest, exposing white river beaches near Santarém. Fernando de Noronha has its calmest, clearest water. Prices stay moderate until December, though rain returns to the Southeast from late October and wildfire smoke can haze the Cerrado and Pantanal.
The price gap is large: an Ipanema dorm bed that costs R$80 in September can top R$300 over New Year, with a four-night minimum attached. If your dates touch New Year or Carnival, I’d book beds and long-distance buses two to three months out. Any other time I’d book a night or two ahead and pack a fleece, because air-conditioned night buses and June evenings in Curitiba both get properly cold.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | wildlife | backpackers
Best time to visit: April - June, August - November
Daily cost: US$35 to 55
Madagascar
15

Madagascar

Lemurs, baobabs and limestone spires, reached by slow taxi-brousse rides.


Ride crowded taxi-brousses between rainforest lemurs, a baobab-lined dirt road, razor-sharp limestone canyons, sandstone trekking in Isalo and snorkeling off the Nosy Be coast.
The best time for backpacking Madagascar is September and October, when the dry season brings warm, clear days, lemurs carry newborns, and the July and August crowds and prices have eased. Regional splits matter here: the east coast and Masoala catch rain in any month, the southwest around Toliara stays dry for most of the year, and the cyclones of January to March mostly strike the east and north.
  • Rainy season (December to March): Hot and humid, often above 30°C on the coasts, with heavy afternoon downpours and a real cyclone risk from January. Dirt roads turn to mud, Tsingy de Bemaraha closes, and many west-coast lodges shut. Visitors are few and rates are at their lowest. Rainforest frogs and chameleons are at their most active.
  • Shoulder season (April to May, and November): Rains taper off in April and return in November. Landscapes are green, rooms are easy to find, and prices sit below peak. Tsingy usually reopens between mid-April and May, once the access roads dry, and closes again around mid-November.
  • Cool dry season (June to August): Sunny and dry across most of the island, but highland nights drop to around 5 to 10°C, and Andringitra can freeze. July and August bring European holidaymakers, so flights and lodges fill and prices peak. Humpback whales gather off Île Sainte-Marie from July to September, the one narrow window for that trip.
  • Warm dry season (September to October): Rising temperatures, little rain, thinning crowds and baby lemurs in most parks. The west and south get very hot by late October.
I’d book Sainte-Marie and Tsingy lodging two to three months ahead for July to September, and I’d pack a real fleece even for a beach-heavy trip, because the highland nights catch almost everyone out.
Best known for:Known for: uniqueness | scenery | people
Best time to visit: April - December
Daily cost: US$25 to 45
South Africa
16

South Africa

Self-drive from Table Mountain to Kruger and the Drakensberg.


Climb Table Mountain, drive your own safari through Kruger, hike to Tugela Falls and spend a sobering day at Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum.
The best time for backpacking South Africa is September to October, with March to May a close second, because days are mostly dry and warm, school holidays are over and hostel and car-rental prices sit well below their December peak. The country has a split climate: the Western Cape gets its rain in winter, while Kruger, the Drakensberg and Johannesburg get theirs as summer thunderstorms, so the right month depends on which half of the map matters most to you.
  • Summer (November to February): Hot, low 30s °C inland and 25 to 28°C in Cape Town, which stays dry but gets hammered by the southeaster wind. The northeast gets afternoon storms, green bush and newborn antelope in Kruger. Mid-December to mid-January is the local school holiday, when Garden Route beds, SANParks camps and rental cars sell out and prices jump sharply.
  • Autumn (March to May): Settled, sunny weather across most of the country, warm sea on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, harvest season in the Cape winelands and thin crowds apart from Easter.
  • Winter (June to August): Cape Town turns cold and wet as fronts roll in. The interior is dry, with frosty nights near 0°C and sunny days of 18 to 25°C. This is prime safari time in Kruger as the bush thins and animals gather at water. Snow sometimes closes Drakensberg and Eastern Cape mountain passes.
  • Spring (September to October): Whales off Hermanus, wildflowers on the West Coast, still-dry bush for game viewing and shoulder prices almost everywhere.
The risk travelers most often ignore is malaria: Kruger and northern KwaZulu-Natal carry a real risk in the wet months from roughly November to April, so see a travel clinic before a summer safari.
I’d pack a proper fleece and windproof layer even in summer, because Cape Town’s wind and Drakensberg nights cut through a T-shirt fast.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | beach life | scenery
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: US$40 to 60 [southafrica.net]
Colombia
17

Colombia

Jungle ruins, tall wax palms and a walled Caribbean city.


Trek four or five days to Ciudad Perdida, hike the Cocora Valley, climb Guatapé’s rock and wander Cartagena’s old streets at sunset.
The best months for backpacking Colombia are December to March, when the Andes and the Caribbean coast are both at their driest, though this is also when Colombian holidaymakers fill the beaches and coastal prices climb. The country sits close to the equator, so seasons follow rain rather than temperature. The Andean cities get two wet spells a year, the Caribbean has one long one from roughly May to November, and the Pacific coast is wet in every month.
  • Peak dry season (December to March): Sunny days in Medellín, Bogotá and the Coffee Region, with calm seas around Cartagena and Santa Marta. Christmas to mid-January is the most crowded and expensive stretch of the year, with coastal rooms often 30 to 50 percent above normal rates. February and March keep the weather and lose most of the domestic crowds.
  • First rains (April to May): Afternoon downpours return to the Andes, and hiking trails in the Coffee Region turn to mud. Outside Semana Santa, prices drop and hostels have space. The Caribbean stays mostly dry through April.
  • Mid-year dry spell (June to August): The Andes dry out again, the coast gets a short lull in its rains, and humpback whales arrive off the Pacific coast from July. Colombian school holidays from mid-June to mid-July push beach prices back up.
  • Main rainy season (September to November): The wettest months for most of the country, with heavy storms on the Caribbean coast peaking in October. The Ciudad Perdida trek usually closes in September, and landslides can slow mountain roads. Rooms are at their cheapest.
I would book coastal beds for late December several weeks ahead and leave the rest of the trip flexible. In any month, pack a light rain shell and a fleece: Bogotá sits above 2,600 meters and drops to around 7 to 9°C at night.
Best known for:Known for: backpackers | scenery | people
Best time to visit: July - August, December - March
Daily cost: US$30 to 45 [colombia.travel]
Tanzania
18

Tanzania

Serengeti camping, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar spice-scented lanes in one route.


Join a shared Serengeti and Ngorongoro camping safari, climb Kilimanjaro, eat octopus skewers in Stone Town and snorkel with whale sharks at Mafia.
The best months for backpacking Tanzania are June and November: June brings dry trails and thinning bush before peak-season rates and jeep queues arrive, while November’s short rains turn the plains green, cut lodge prices and leave the parks quiet. The coast and Zanzibar stay hotter and more humid than the northern highlands year-round, and the far south and west (Ruaha, Katavi, Nyerere) get one long rainy season instead of two, so they largely shut from about March to May.
  • Long dry season (June to October): Clear skies, cool nights in Arusha and on the Ngorongoro rim, and animals clustered around rivers. July to September is peak. The Mara River crossings in the northern Serengeti draw convoys of vehicles, lodges charge top rates, and Kilimanjaro sees its best climbing conditions.
  • Short rains (November to mid-December): Showers that usually blow through in an hour or two, fresh grass, migrant birds, and the herds drifting back south through the Serengeti. Prices stay low until the Christmas surge.
  • Short dry season (mid-December to February): Hot and mostly dry, with wildebeest calving around Ndutu in the southern Serengeti. It’s a second Kilimanjaro window and prime beach weather on Zanzibar.
  • Long rains (March to May): Heavy, often all-day rain peaking in April, the year’s cheapest rates, and many southern camps and some Zanzibar hotels closed until June.
The risk people underestimate is road access. In the long rains, the black-cotton soil of the Serengeti and the dirt tracks into Ruaha and Katavi turn to deep mud, budget operators reroute or cancel at short notice, and flights to bush airstrips get dropped. Whatever month you pick, pack a fleece and a warm hat, because dawn game drives on the Ngorongoro rim at around 2,300 meters run cold in any season.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | scenery | mountains
Best time to visit: June - February
Daily cost: US$30 to 45 [tanzaniaparks.go.tz]
Kyrgyzstan
19

Kyrgyzstan

Yurt stays, turquoise alpine lakes and shared minibuses through the Tian Shan.


Hike to Ala-Kul’s glacier-ringed lake, sleep in a yurt at Song-Kul, climb Osh’s sacred mountain and shelter in the Silk Road stone inn at Tash Rabat.
Late June to mid-September is the best time to backpack Kyrgyzstan: high passes are free of snow, yurt camps are open, and homestay prices stay low outside the Issyk-Kul beach towns. Region matters. The southern lowlands around Osh and the Fergana Valley warm up by April and bake in July, while the Tian Shan above 3,000 m can hold snow until late June and get dusted again in September.
  • Peak summer (July to August): Warm days, cold nights at altitude and afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains. Every major trek, from Ala-Kul to Kel-Suu, is usually passable and shared taxis run often. Expect company on popular trails and higher rates for jeeps and horses.
  • Shoulder summer (June and September): Quieter and often clearer. June brings wildflowers but some passes stay snowbound; September has crisp nights and yurt camps packing up by mid-month.
  • Spring and autumn (April to May, October): Mud, snowmelt and fickle mountain weather, but the south is pleasant, Arslanbob’s walnut harvest runs into October and prices drop.
  • Winter (November to March): Hard cold, many high roads closed, yurt camps shut. Karakol’s ski slopes and cheap Bishkek guesthouses carry the season.
August has an odd split: the Issyk-Kul north shore around Cholpon-Ata fills with Kazakh and Russian holidaymakers and guesthouse rates jump, while the south shore stays calm. Pack a sleeping bag rated to around freezing even in July, since nights at Song-Kul (roughly 3,000 m) regularly drop near zero.
Best known for:Known for: mountains | people | low cost
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: US$20 to 35 [cbtkyrgyzstan.kg]
Mozambique
20

Mozambique

Whale sharks, coral-stone island towns and Portuguese flavors on a long coast.


Dive with manta rays and whale sharks at Tofo, wander Ilha de Moçambique, sail to Bazaruto’s dunes and see wildlife return to Gorongosa.
The best time for backpacking Mozambique is May to October, the dry season, when coastal days run 24 to 29°C, rain is rare, roads are passable and accommodation outside the July holidays stays at normal rates. The south (Maputo, Tofo, Vilankulo) has a milder wet season than the center and north, where Beira, Pemba and the Quirimbas take the heaviest rain and most cyclone strikes.
  • Wet and cyclone season (December to March): Hot and humid at 30 to 33°C, with heavy afternoon storms and cyclone risk peaking January to March. Northern and central dirt roads wash out, and parts of Gorongosa and Niassa become unreachable. Late December to mid-January is unexpectedly the busiest stretch of the year in the south, as South African families fill the beach towns and lodges charge peak rates with minimum stays.
  • Shoulder months (April and November): Rain tapers off in April and returns in November. Crowds thin and prices dip, apart from Easter week.
  • Cool dry season (May to August): Clear skies, highs of 24 to 27°C and chilly southern nights around 12 to 15°C. Humpback whales arrive from June, and July’s South African school holidays push up southern prices.
  • Warm dry season (September to October): Rising heat, calm seas, whales with calves and the best game viewing before the rains.
Pack a fleece for winter evenings, and book southern lodges at least three months ahead for Christmas and Easter.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | uniqueness | low cost
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: US$35 to 55 [visitmozambique.net]
Rwanda
21

Rwanda

Gorilla treks, canopy walks and lake days along smooth, winding roads.


Trek to mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park, walk Nyungwe’s canopy bridge, rest on Lake Kivu and drive safari in Akagera.
The best time for backpacking Rwanda is June to September and again December to February, when the two dry seasons firm up muddy gorilla trails and Akagera’s animals gather at the remaining water. Altitude shapes the rest. Volcanoes and Nyungwe stay cooler and catch showers year-round, while Akagera in the east runs hotter and drier.
  • Long dry season (June to September): sunny and dusty, around 24 to 27°C in Kigali, with peak permit demand and top lodge rates. Best for Akagera game drives.
  • Short rains (October to November): afternoon downpours, greener hills, thinner crowds and good birding.
  • Short dry season (December to February): warm and mostly clear. The last two weeks of December spike with holiday visitors, then January calms down.
  • Long rains (March to May): the heaviest rain, slick trails, lodge discounts and empty hiking paths.
Gorilla permits cost US$1,500 whatever the month. Book them three to six months ahead for July and August, and pack gaiters and a rain shell in any season.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | scenery | low cost
Best time to visit: June - October, December - February
Daily cost: US$30 to 45
Solomon Islands
22

Solomon Islands

WWII wrecks, lagoon canoes and guesthouses on solar power.


Snorkel the Bonegi wrecks, paddle to Skull Island, see shell money made at Langa Langa and accept slow connections and basic comforts.
The best time for backpacking Solomon Islands is June to September, when the southeast trade winds bring the driest, least humid weather, calm lagoon crossings and no cyclone risk, while prices stay flat year-round because tourist numbers are tiny. Regionally there is one big exception: Guadalcanal’s south coast, the aptly named Weather Coast, catches those same trade winds against its mountains and gets its heaviest rain mid-year, while Honiara, the Western Province and Malaita are at their driest.
  • Dry season (May to October): Highs around 30°C, lower humidity, breezy afternoons. Ferries and banana boats run more reliably, Marovo Lagoon and Gizo diving is at its clearest, and treks on Guadalcanal’s north side are muddy rather than impassable. Australian school holidays (late June to July, late September) fill the few lodges in Munda and Gizo first.
  • Transition months (April and November): Showers come in bursts, trade winds swing, and cyclone risk is low but present. Quiet and easy to book.
  • Wet and cyclone season (December to March): Hot, sticky, 250 to 300 mm of rain a month in Honiara, with cyclones possible. Roads wash out and boats get cancelled, though north-swell surf peaks. December is the odd one out: it’s busy, as Solomon Islanders head home for Christmas and domestic flights and ferries sell out.
Book Solomon Airlines domestic legs well ahead for December and July, and pack a proper dry bag for every boat ride.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | safety | people
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: US$60 to 100
Brunei
23

Brunei

Stilt villages, rainforest canopy walks and night-market grills in a quiet sultanate.


Ride a water taxi through Kampong Ayer, see the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, climb Ulu Temburong’s canopy and spot proboscis monkeys at dusk.
February and March are the best months for backpacking Brunei, with the year’s driest skies, 32°C afternoons and hotel rates that barely move outside major holidays. Bandar Seri Begawan and the coast dry out faster than Temburong, where the rainforest catches more rain and rivers rise quickly.
  • Drier season (February to April): Fewer downpours and clearer mornings for the Ulu Temburong canopy towers. Ramadan currently overlaps these months, so daytime eateries close.
  • Southwest monsoon (May to September): Hot and humid with short afternoon storms. July brings the Sultan’s birthday on 15 July and a spike in domestic crowds.
  • Northeast monsoon (October to January): The wettest stretch, with hard bursts of rain, muddy trails and occasional flash flooding.
The surprise crowd is Hari Raya Aidilfitri, when the Istana Nurul Iman opens to the public and capital hotels fill. Book that week early, and pack a light rain shell plus long sleeves for mosques.
Best known for:Known for: safety | scenery | people
Best time to visit: February - September, December
Daily cost: US$30 to 55 [bruneitourism.com]
Namibia
24

Namibia

Gravel-road self-drive past red dunes, salt pans and floodlit waterholes.


Run down the dunes to Deadvlei, watch rhinos at Okaukuejo’s waterhole, camp among Spitzkoppe’s granite domes and stand at the rim of Fish River Canyon.
The best time for backpacking Namibia is May to October, the dry season, when skies stay clear, days are mild and wildlife packs around Etosha’s waterholes, although July to October also brings the highest rental prices and the fullest campsites. The regions behave differently: the far north and the Zambezi Region take most of the summer rain, the south barely gets any, and the Atlantic coast around Swakopmund stays cool and foggy all year.
  • Early dry season (May to June): Daytime highs of roughly 22 to 26°C, golden grass after the rains and fewer visitors than later in the year. The multi-day Fish River Canyon hike opens in May, and lodge and car rental rates sit below peak.
  • Peak dry season (July to October): The best game viewing of the year as bush water dries up. Desert nights drop below freezing in July, then heat climbs to 35 to 40°C by October. Etosha and Sossusvlei campsites book out months ahead.
  • Hot build-up (November to December): Fierce heat, the first thunderstorms in the north and east, and Namibian holidaymakers filling the coast over Christmas.
  • Rainy season (January to April): Short afternoon storms, green plains, superb birding, newborn antelope and lodge discounts, but flooded riverbeds can cut gravel roads for hours.
For July to October, reserve your 4x4 and national park campsites six months or more in advance, and bring a sleeping bag rated to around 0°C for winter desert nights.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | wildlife | safety
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: US$35 to 55 [visitnamibia.com.na]
Papua New Guinea
25

Papua New Guinea

Muddy war trails, Sepik spirit houses and Highland festivals with local guides.


Trek the Kokoda Track, paddle the Sepik to carved haus tambaran and join the Goroka Show, using flights and hosts to cross a rugged country.
The best time for backpacking Papua New Guinea is May to October, when the southeast trade winds bring the driest weather to most of the country, trekking trails firm up and the big highland shows fill the calendar. The exceptions are Lae, the Huon Gulf and parts of Milne Bay, where those same winds make June to August the wettest stretch, while the highlands and islands see some rain in every month.
  • Wet season (December to March): The northwest monsoon brings heavy afternoon downpours and muggy lowlands at 25 to 32°C (77 to 90°F). Landslides cut the Highlands Highway and most Kokoda treks stop. Foreign visitors are few, though this is surf season in Kavieng and Vanimo.
  • Shoulder (April and November): Rain eases or builds depending on the month, Kokoda season opens or winds down, and Alotau holds its Kenu and Kundu canoe festival in early November.
  • Dry season (May to October): Port Moresby gets little rain, highland mornings are clear and cool, and Mount Wilhelm and Kokoda are at their best. The Rabaul Mask Festival runs in July, the Mount Hagen Show in August.
  • Festival crunch (September): Independence Day on 16 September, the Goroka Show and Port Moresby’s Hiri Moale festival land together, so Goroka beds sell out months ahead and rates jump.
Book show-season beds and Air Niugini flights three to six months out, and pack a fleece for highland nights near 12°C (54°F).
Best known for:Known for: uniqueness | mountains | wildlife
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: US$70 to 120 [papuanewguinea.travel]
Zambia
26

Zambia

Walking safaris, bat migrations and Victoria Falls from the Zambian side.


Walk with guides in South Luangwa, canoe past elephants in the Lower Zambezi, stand in Victoria Falls’s spray and see millions of bats at Kasanka.
June to August is the best time for backpacking Zambia, with dry skies, cool days, wildlife gathered around shrinking water and every safari camp open, though prices peak. The low Luangwa and Zambezi valleys turn very hot from September, while Lusaka and the central plateau stay milder. The far north and the western floodplains get the heaviest rains.
  • Cool dry season (May to August): Days run about 24 to 27°C, and nights on the plateau and in open game vehicles can drop near 5°C. Demand for camps in South Luangwa, Kafue and Lower Zambezi climbs from July, so rooms sell out. Victoria Falls still throws heavy spray in May and June.
  • Hot dry season (September to October): The bush goes leafless and brown, valley floors reach 35 to 40°C, and animals crowd the rivers. Victoria Falls thins out on the Zambian side. Some lodges cut rates in late October.
  • Rainy season (November to April): Afternoon storms, sticky heat and muddy dirt roads. Many bush camps close, especially in Kafue and Lower Zambezi. Where camps stay open, green-season rates often run 30 to 50 percent below July. The Falls hit full flow around March and April.
The swim at Devil’s Pool, right on the lip of Victoria Falls, only runs at low water, roughly mid-August to mid-January. Book July and August camps three to six months ahead, and pack a fleece for dawn drives.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | safety | scenery
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: US$35 to 55 [zambiatourism.com]
Poland
27

Poland

Go from Kraków’s squares to Tatra lakes and bison forest.


Explore Kraków and Kazimierz, visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, hike to Morskie Oko, see Gdańsk’s rebuilt merchant streets and the Białowieża primeval forest.
The best months for backpacking Poland are June and September, when days run 18 to 24°C, hostels are open and stocked, and prices sit below the July and August peak. Regional differences are mostly about altitude and coast: the Baltic shore near Gdańsk only gets swimmable from July, while the Tatras around Zakopane keep snow on high trails into June and turn wintry again by late October.
  • Spring (March to May): Cold, damp March gives way to a green, changeable May with highs of 15 to 20°C. Crowds stay thin outside Easter and the early-May long weekend, and room rates are moderate.
  • Summer peak (June to August): Highs of 22 to 28°C, open-air festivals, lake and seaside season in Masuria and on the Baltic. Kraków, Gdańsk and Zakopane fill up, and dorm beds cost the most.
  • Autumn (September to October): Crisp, settled weather, golden forests in the Bieszczady and Tatras, smaller crowds and falling prices.
  • Winter (November to February): Gray skies, minus 5 to 2°C, sunsets before 4 pm. Christmas markets and skiing near Zakopane, cheap city beds, many seaside guesthouses shut.
In the Tatras, watch for afternoon thunderstorms: in July and August storms roll in fast after noon, so start high-mountain hikes by 7 am. Book Intercity train seats early for summer Fridays, and pack a rain shell in every season.
Best known for:Known for: safety | mountains | backpackers
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €35 to €55 [poland.travel]
Eswatini
28

Eswatini

Walk and cycle among rhinos and zebras in a small mountain kingdom.


Hike Malolotja’s gorges, cycle past zebra at Mlilwane, see white rhino at Hlane and Mkhaya and visit the ancient Ngwenya mine.
May to August is the best time for backpacking Eswatini, with dry, sunny days, thinned-out bush for game spotting and quieter lodges outside South African school holidays. Altitude sets the weather here: the highveld around Mbabane and Malolotja gets frosty winter nights and misty summer storms, while the lowveld around Hlane and Mlawula stays mild in winter and tops 30°C from November to March.
  • Rainy summer (November to March): Hot, humid, green, with afternoon thunderstorms. Quiet and cheaper except over Christmas. Best for Great Usutu rafting and birding.
  • Autumn shoulder (April): Rain fades, nights cool. Easter brings crowds.
  • Dry winter (May to August): Clear skies, cold highveld nights, top hiking and wildlife viewing. Busy in June and July holidays.
  • Spring shoulder (September to October): Warming, windy, hazy from grass burning until the first rains.
The Umhlanga Reed Dance at Ludzidzini near Lobamba falls only in late August or early September. Whatever the month, pack a warm fleece for the highveld.
Best known for:Known for: low cost | scenery | mountains
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: US$30 to 45
Czechia
29

Czechia

Drink cheap lager between castle towns, sandstone arches and bone chapels.


Cross Prague’s Charles Bridge at dawn, then reach Český Krumlov, Kutná Hora’s ossuary, the Bohemian Switzerland arch and Moravian wine cellars.
May, June and September are the best months for backpacking Czechia, with daytime highs of roughly 18 to 24°C, long evenings, every castle open and hostel prices still below the July and August peak. Prague and Český Krumlov fill up first and stay busy longest, while South Moravia’s wine country and the Krkonoše and Šumava mountains follow their own calendar of harvests and ski seasons.
  • Spring (April to June): Unsettled in April, warm and green by late May. Castles reopen and prices sit in the middle range. Easter week breaks the quiet pattern: Prague dorms can sell out as European school holidays land while the rest of April stays calm.
  • Summer peak (July to August): Highs of 23 to 27°C, the odd heatwave above 30°C and afternoon thunderstorms. Prague dorm beds run about CZK 600 to 1,000 (US$26 to 43), and the Old Town is packed. Best for hiking, paddling and festivals.
  • Autumn (September to October): Crisp mornings, wine harvests and fall color. Crowds thin fast after the first week of September, and prices drop 20 to 30 percent from peak.
  • Winter (November to March): Highs around 0 to 5°C, short gray days and the lowest rates, from CZK 350 (US$15) for a dorm. Many castle interiors close, Christmas markets run from late November, and skiing in the Krkonoše runs roughly January to March.
I’d book Prague beds about two months ahead for any summer weekend and pack a light rain shell whatever the season, because showers here arrive in every month.
Best known for:Known for: backpackers | safety | architecture
Best time to visit: April - October, December
Daily cost: €40 to €60 [visitczechia.com]
Samoa
30

Samoa

Beach fales with dinner included, ocean trenches and village life.


Sleep on Upolu and Savai’i beaches, climb down into To Sua Ocean Trench, watch the Alofaaga blowholes and expect quiet Sundays.
The best time for backpacking Samoa is May to October, when the dry season brings lower humidity, steady trade winds and very little cyclone risk, with September the pick for settled weather after the winter-holiday rush. Upolu and Savai’i share one climate, though the south and east coasts and the mountain interiors catch noticeably more rain than Apia’s sheltered north coast.
  • Dry season (May to October): Highs around 29°C, cooler nights and calm lagoons. Late June and July fill with New Zealand and Australian school-holiday families, so south-coast beach fale book up, while early September brings the Teuila Festival to Apia.
  • Wet season (November to April): Hot and humid, with heavy downpours and cyclone risk peaking January to March. Crowds thin out, and waterfalls run at full force.
  • Christmas peak (mid-December to mid-January): The odd one out. It sits in the wettest stretch, yet flights fill as Samoans abroad fly home for the holidays.
Book Christmas flights from Auckland months ahead, and pack a light rain shell whatever the month.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | safety | people
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: US$45 to 75
Norway
31

Norway

Choose between fjord walls and Arctic islands, then hike.


Climb Preikestolen above the Lysefjord, hike Lofoten’s stone steps, cruise the Geirangerfjord and walk Bergen’s wooden wharf before visiting a stave church.
The best time for backpacking Norway is mid-June to early September, when mountain trails and passes are snow-free, ferries and buses run full timetables, and daylight runs late into the evening. Late August and early September keep most of that with thinner crowds. Region matters a lot here: the fjords and high mountains get a short summer window, while the Arctic north has a second high season from late November to March for snow and northern lights.
  • Summer peak (mid-June to August): Highs of roughly 16 to 25°C in the south, cooler and changeable on the west coast, where Bergen sees rain in every month. Cruise ships fill Geiranger and Flåm, and hostel dorms (around NOK 350 to 600, US$33 to 55) sell out. Every staffed mountain hut, scenic road and hiking bus is running.
  • Shoulder (May and September): Fewer people and softer lodging rates. In May the high trails are still under snow; September brings the first storms and the best autumn color in the mountains.
  • Dark autumn (October to November): Wet, windy and short on daylight. Trollstigen and other mountain roads close, and many fjord-village hotels and cafés shut until spring.
  • Winter (December to April): Snow across the interior, -5 to -15°C inland, milder on the coast. Ski and aurora season makes Tromsø and Lofoten busy and pricey.
The midnight sun lasts only from about late May to late July north of the Arctic Circle. For summer, I’d book hostels and the Flåm Railway two to three months ahead and pack a real waterproof shell.
Best known for:Known for: safety | scenery | mountains
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €80 to €120
Greenland
32

Greenland

Iceberg fjords and long treks, reached only by plane or boat.


Watch icebergs drift from Ilulissat’s fjord, hike the 160-kilometer Arctic Circle Trail, visit Norse ruins and step onto the ice sheet.
The best time for backpacking Greenland is July to September, when temperatures sit around 5 to 15°C, trails are snow-free, boats run on most routes, and September adds autumn tundra colors, the first northern lights and fewer travelers than midsummer.
Region matters a lot here. South Greenland (Narsarsuaq, Qaqortoq) greens up first and stays mild longest, while East Greenland around Tasiilaq is often blocked by sea ice until July. Disko Bay and Ilulissat have polar night from late November to mid-January.
  • Winter (November to March): Coastal towns average roughly -5 to -10°C in Nuuk and -15 to -20°C in Ilulissat and Kangerlussuaq, with short days or none at all in the north. Tourist numbers are tiny and some tour operators and seasonal lodges close. Northern lights, dog sledding from February and a quiet look at town life are the draws.
  • Spring (April to May): Long, bright days, solid sea ice in the north and the best sledding and ski-touring conditions of the year. Temperatures climb from around -10°C toward freezing. Crowds stay low and prices sit below summer levels.
  • Summer (June to August): Peak season. Midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle, open hiking routes, iceberg boat trips and whale watching. June brings snowmelt and soggy ground, and mosquitoes peak from late June into July. Flights and guesthouses cost the most, and Ilulissat fills up.
  • Autumn (September to October): The shoulder season, and the one I’d pick. Frosty nights, red and gold tundra, auroras returning and airfares easing. By October boat tours wind down and snow starts arriving.
Book Air Greenland domestic flights and Ilulissat beds three to six months ahead for July and August, and pack a head net for the mosquitoes whatever your summer plans.
Best known for:Known for: uniqueness | safety | scenery
Best time to visit: April - May, July - October
Daily cost: US$150 to 250 [visitgreenland.com]
Mauritius
33

Mauritius

Public beaches, rainforest hikes and Creole street food on a small island.


Scramble up Le Morne Brabant, hike Black River Gorges, see the colored dunes at Chamarel and eat dholl puri at Port Louis market.
The best time for backpacking Mauritius is September to October, with June a close second: dry, sunny days, thinner crowds than the Christmas or European summer peaks, and fair guesthouse rates. The west and north coasts stay drier and calmer year-round, while the windward east and southeast catch more wind and showers, and the central plateau around Curepipe is cooler and wetter than anywhere on the coast.
  • Winter (June to August): 17 to 25°C, dry on the west coast, strong trade winds in the southeast. Kitesurfing at Le Morne and humpback whales off the west coast. Prices climb in late July and August.
  • Spring shoulder (September to November): Warming, dry, quieter, good diving.
  • Summer (December to March): Hot, humid, heavy downpours, peak cyclone risk. A class 3 warning shuts buses, shops and offices, sometimes for days.
  • Autumn shoulder (April to May): Rains fade, fewer visitors.
Book Christmas rooms months ahead, and pack a fleece for plateau evenings.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | safety | low cost
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: US$40 to 60 [mymauritius.travel]
Svalbard
34

Svalbard

Join guided trips to glaciers, mines and polar landscapes.


Cruise to the Nordenskiöldbreen glacier, crawl into a coal mine, visit the Global Seed Vault and the museum, and enter winter ice caves.
July to September is the best time for backpacking Svalbard: 3 to 8°C, open hiking and boat routes, and fewer crowds and easier bookings than the March and April snowmobile rush. Regions differ by sea ice more than weather. The west coast around Longyearbyen clears first, while the northeast and Nordaustlandet often stay icebound into July and are reached only by expedition ship.
  • Polar night (November to January): Constant darkness, -10 to -20°C, the lowest hotel rates, aurora and dog sledding. Most boat trips are closed.
  • Sunny winter (February to May): Fast-returning light, snowmobile and ski season, top prices in March and April.
  • Midnight sun (June to August): 24-hour daylight, hiking, kayaking and boats to Pyramiden, with cruise-ship crowds in town.
  • Autumn (September to October): Quiet, first snow, aurora returns, tours thinning.
Polar bears roam year-round and are harder to spot on bare summer tundra. Beyond Longyearbyen you need a guide or a rifle. Book spring beds months ahead.
Best known for:Known for: uniqueness | safety | scenery
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: €100 to €160 [visitsvalbard.com]
Switzerland
35

Switzerland

Picnic below glaciers, ride cog railways and walk cliff-walled valleys.


Ride the Gornergrat train toward the Matterhorn, walk the Lauterbrunnen Valley, see the Aletsch Glacier, taste Lavaux wines and stroll Bern’s arcades.
The best time for backpacking Switzerland is mid-June to mid-September, when high trails, mountain huts and pass roads are all open, and September beats July and August on both crowds and bed prices. Region matters: Ticino and the Lake Geneva shore warm up weeks earlier than the Bernese Oberland or Valais, where trails above 2,000 meters often keep snow into late June.
  • Summer (June to August): Lowland highs of 20 to 28°C, afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains, and every cable car running. This is peak season, with Interlaken and Zermatt dorms filling weeks ahead at CHF 45 to 70 (US$50 to 80) a bed.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to October): The most stable weather of the year and clear views. Rates fall after mid-September, though many huts and high lifts shut by mid-October.
  • Winter (December to March): Snow above roughly 1,000 meters, short days and full-price ski resorts, especially over Christmas and the February school holidays. Cities stay grey but cheaper.
  • Spring and the gap months (April, May and November): The quietest, cheapest stretch, good for lakes and lowland walks, but many mountain lifts close for maintenance and high trails stay snowbound.
I’d lock in July and August beds in the Bernese Oberland before booking anything else, and I’d pack a proper rain shell even on a clear forecast, since mountain storms build fast after lunch.
Best known for:Known for: mountains | safety | scenery
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €100 to €150 [myswitzerland.com]
Nauru
36

Nauru

A tiny mined island with WWII guns and a one-road loop.


Drive the ring road in an hour, climb Command Ridge, swim at Anibare Bay and walk the coral pinnacles left by phosphate mining.
The best time for backpacking Nauru is May to September, when easterly trade winds bring the driest, breeziest weather. Prices and crowds barely shift, because the island sees only a few hundred tourists a year. At 21 square kilometers there are no regional differences worth planning around, though Topside, the mined phosphate plateau, always feels hotter and more airless than the coast.
  • Dry season (May to September): Highs near 30°C, steady breezes and less rain. This is the best time to walk the 19-kilometer ring road or scramble across Topside’s coral pinnacles.
  • Shoulder (April and October): Showers come and go and the heat is heavier. Angam Day on 26 October brings island-wide celebrations, the one date worth timing a trip around.
  • Wet season (November to March): Westerly winds, sudden downpours and sticky humidity. Everything stays open, but outdoor days get cut short.
Nauru Airlines flies from Brisbane only a few times a week, so lock in flights and your hotel room together, months ahead.
Best known for:Known for: safety | people | beach life
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: US$140 to 220 [nauru.gov.nr]
Lithuania
37

Lithuania

Walk shifting dunes, a baroque old town and an island castle.


Wander Vilnius Old Town, cross the Curonian Spit’s dunes, eat kibinai at Trakai Castle and visit the Hill of Crosses and Aukštaitija’s lakes.
The best time for backpacking Lithuania is late May to mid-June and September, when highs sit around 15 to 21°C, the coast is open and hostel prices run below the July and August peak. Vilnius and Kaunas work year-round, but the Baltic coast at Palanga and the Curonian Spit is mostly a summer operation, and many Nida guesthouses close from October to April.
  • Summer (June to August): Highs of 20 to 24°C, the warmest sea, long evenings, and the busiest, priciest coast. Book Nida weeks ahead for July.
  • Shoulder (May and September): Mild, green and cheaper, with quiet lakes at Trakai and Aukštaitija. Early September is oddly empty on the coast because Lithuanian schools restart on September 1 and the resorts clear out while the water is still swimmable.
  • Spring and autumn (March, April, October): Damp, 5 to 13°C, cheap, and best for cities.
  • Winter (November to February): -8 to -1°C, snow, seven-hour days, the lowest prices and Christmas markets.
Pack a rain shell in every season, since summer storms blow in fast off the Baltic.
Best known for:Known for: safety | low cost | architecture
Best time to visit: March, May - October
Daily cost: €35 to €55
Tuvalu
38

Tuvalu

A runway that doubles as the town square, on a lagoon of turtles.


Boat across Funafuti’s lagoon to the conservation islets, watch families fill the airstrip at dusk and join dancing at the maneapa.
June and September are the best months for backpacking Tuvalu, with steady southeast trade winds, fewer downpours, calmer seas for inter-island ships and flights from Suva that are easier to book outside holiday peaks. Heat barely varies across the country (28 to 31°C); what differs is access: Funafuti has the airport, while the eight outer atolls rely on ships that slip or cancel in rough weather.
  • Drier season (May to September): Breezy afternoons, shorter showers, best ship odds. Visitors stay few all year, so room prices barely move; you gain reliability.
  • Shoulder months (April and October): Changeable skies. National Day on 1 October fills Funafuti’s flights and rooms.
  • Wet and cyclone season (November to March): Heavy squalls, westerly storms and February to March king tides that flood low parts of Fongafale. Christmas brings full planes.
Lock in your Fiji Airways seat before the room, and pack a light rain shell.
Best known for:Known for: safety | beach life | scenery
Best time to visit: April - September
Daily cost: US$80 to 130 [timelesstuvalu.com]
Finland
39

Finland

Follow lake shores, fell trails and old fortresses north.


Walk Lapland’s Karhunkierros and Hetta to Pallas trails, climb Koli above the lake and visit Savonlinna’s castle and Helsinki’s island fortress.
July and September are the best months for backpacking Finland: July brings 20 to 25°C days and light until midnight, while September drops the crowds and prices and paints Lapland in the autumn colors Finns call ruska. The south (Helsinki, the Lakeland, the archipelago) runs on a short, intense summer, while Lapland keeps snow from late October into May and has its real high season in winter.
  • Summer (June to August): Highs of 18 to 25°C in the south, cooler and changeable up north, with midnight sun above the Arctic Circle. Finns take their holidays in July, so lake cottages and archipelago ferries fill while some Helsinki restaurants close for weeks. Festivals, lake cruises and summer-only island ferries all run now. Mosquitoes swarm in Lapland from late June through July.
  • Autumn (September to October): Crisp 5 to 15°C days, frost in the fells, auroras back in dark skies. Ruska peaks in Lapland for roughly the first two to three weeks of September, the narrowest and best hiking window of the year. Many summer services shut by mid-September.
  • Winter (November to March): The south sits around 0 to -10°C, often slushy and dim; Lapland runs -10 to -30°C. Christmas and the February to March school ski holidays make Lapland the most expensive place in the country.
  • Spring (April to May): Long-light spring skiing in Lapland, muddy thaw everywhere else, then a fast green-up in the south by late May. Shoulder prices throughout.
I’d book Midsummer weekend and any Lapland December bed three to four months out, and in summer I’d never head north without a mosquito head net.
Best known for:Known for: safety | scenery | wildlife
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: €60 to €90
Côte d’Ivoire
40

Côte d’Ivoire

Colonial beach towns, a giant basilica and chimps cracking nuts.


Walk the faded streets of Grand-Bassam, tour the Yamoussoukro basilica, track nut-cracking chimps in Taï and climb the granite peak above Man.
The best time for backpacking Côte d’Ivoire is December to February, when the south is dry, park roads are passable and the humidity eases just enough to make Abidjan walkable. The country splits in two: the coast and forest south get two rainy seasons, while the savanna north around Korhogo and Comoé has one long wet season from roughly June to October.
  • Long dry season (December to March): Sunny on the coast at 30 to 32°C, with dusty harmattan haze in the north. This is the busiest stretch, and prices peak over Christmas when the diaspora flies home. Comoé National Park tracks are open and animals gather at shrinking water holes.
  • Long rains (April to mid-July): Abidjan’s wettest months, with June often topping 500 mm of rain, flooded streets and slow, muddy travel west to Man and Taï. Visitors thin out and hotel rates become easy to bargain down.
  • Short dry season (mid-July to September): Overcast and cooler on the coast at 24 to 28°C, with little rain in August. Assinie and Grand-Bassam are pleasant and calm, but the north is soaked and many Comoé tracks are impassable.
  • Short rains (October to November): Showers return to the south while the north dries out from late October, and the festival calendar picks up.
Book Christmas rooms in Assinie several weeks ahead, and pack a light rain jacket for any month outside December to February.
Best known for:Known for: low cost | safety
Best time to visit: July - September, November - April
Daily cost: €30 to €45
Moldova
41

Moldova

Taste cellar wines and visit cave monasteries in a quiet country.


Visit the cliff monastery at Orheiul Vechi, tour the vast Mileștii Mici wine cellars, see Soroca Fortress and cross into Soviet-styled Tiraspol.
The best months for backpacking Moldova are May and September. Days sit around 20 to 25°C, the countryside is green or heavy with grapes, and hostel prices barely move from their low baseline. The south (Purcari, Gagauzia) runs a degree or two warmer and drier than the north around Soroca.
  • Spring (April to May): 15 to 23°C, orchards in blossom, Orthodox Easter traditions, very few visitors. This is prime hiking time at Orheiul Vechi.
  • Summer (June to August): highs of 27 to 30°C with 35°C spells and June thunderstorms. Locals crowd lakes and festivals, but prices stay low.
  • Autumn (September to October): harvest season. National Wine Day, on the first weekend of October in Chișinău, is the narrow window, so book beds weeks ahead.
  • Winter (November to March): gray, -5 to 3°C. Rural guesthouses scale back, while the Cricova and Mileștii Mici cellars stay open.
Pack a fleece even in summer, because those cellars hold 12 to 14°C year-round.
Best known for:Known for: low cost | safety
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €25 to €35 [moldova.travel]
Guam
42

Guam

Reef snorkeling, Chamorro barbecue and a rental car at US prices.


Snorkel off Ritidian Point, eat at the Wednesday night market in Hagåtña and drive south to Spanish-era Umatac, at US prices with no hostels.
February to April is the best time for backpacking Guam, with the driest air, steady trade winds and room rates that sit below the New Year and Golden Week spikes. The west coast around Tumon and Hagåtña stays calmer all year, while the windward east coast gets rough surf in the dry months and southern trails turn to mud once the rains arrive.
  • Dry season (January to May): Highs around 29 to 31°C, breezy, little rain. Rates jump at New Year and Golden Week (late April to early May). Best for hiking Mount Lamlam and the southern villages.
  • Wet season (June to November): Muggier air, heavy showers, lower prices outside Japanese and Korean holidays. Typhoon risk peaks August to November.
  • Holiday season (December): Rains taper off, while Christmas and New Year crowds push prices up.
Typhoons ignore the calendar: Mawar hit in May 2023, so watch forecasts in any month. Buy travel insurance that covers weather delays.
Best known for:Known for: safety | beach life
Best time to visit: December - August
Daily cost: US$110 to 170
Suriname
43

Suriname

Wooden Dutch streets in town, canoe-only villages upriver.


Stroll Paramaribo’s wooden inner city, push upriver to Saamaka villages, scramble up the Voltzberg and watch turtles come ashore at Galibi.
The best time for backpacking Suriname is mid-August to November, the long dry season, when monthly rain drops to roughly 70 to 100 mm, forest trails firm up and airfares from Amsterdam ease once Dutch school holidays end. Paramaribo and the interior rainforest follow the same calendar, but the interior gets more rain and runs on river levels, so timing matters more upriver.
  • Long dry season (mid-August to November): Hot, sunny days of 31 to 33°C (88 to 91°F), the year’s lightest rain and the best conditions for Brownsberg, Raleighvallen and Upper Suriname River lodges. Crowds thin out after August.
  • Short rainy season (December to January): Heavy showers return. Dutch-Surinamese families fly home for the holidays, pushing up fares and filling Paramaribo guesthouses.
  • Short dry season (February to mid-April): Drier spells, few visitors and the start of sea turtle nesting at Galibi and Matapica.
  • Long rainy season (mid-April to mid-August): The wettest stretch, with 250 to 300 mm or more in May and June, muddy dirt roads and full rivers, though leatherback nesting peaks.
The risk most people overlook is low water at the end of the dry season: by October and November exposed rocks on Upper Suriname River rapids make boat trips slower and sometimes force detours. Book flights for July, August and December two to three months ahead, and pack a light rain shell in any month.
Best known for:Known for: safety | low cost
Best time to visit: August - March
Daily cost: US$40 to 65
Anguilla
44

Anguilla

Flat, quiet beaches, clear water and grilled crayfish, at Caribbean prices.


Swim and snorkel off squeaky white sand at Shoal Bay East, boat out to the Prickly Pear Cays and eat grilled crayfish at Island Harbour.
The best time for backpacking Anguilla is mid-April to June, when the dry-season sunshine holds, the winter crowds have flown home and room rates fall by roughly 30 to 50 percent. The island is small and flat, so the weather barely changes from one end to the other, though north-facing beaches such as Shoal Bay East can catch big swells in winter while the south coast stays calmer.
  • Peak season (mid-December to mid-April): Dry, breezy and about 75 to 85°F (24 to 29°C). Every hotel and beach bar is open, but this is when prices peak, and Christmas to New Year often comes with minimum stays. March brings Moonsplash, the reggae festival at Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve.
  • Shoulder season (mid-April to July): Hotter, with glassy seas that suit snorkeling at Little Bay and Shoal Bay. Easter brings Festival del Mar in Island Harbour.
  • Summer Festival (late July to mid-August): Anguilla’s carnival and the boat races, the national sport, pack the beaches. If you want to see racing sloops tearing around Sandy Ground, this is the window.
  • Hurricane season (September to November): Humid, with the highest storm risk in September and October. Many hotels and restaurants close for those weeks, and the island goes very quiet.
Book festival-week rooms three to four months ahead, because the island’s small supply of budget rooms sells out first.
Best known for:Known for: safety
Best time to visit: December - August
Daily cost: US$150 to 230
Christmas Island
45

Christmas Island

Watch red crabs cross the roads, then snorkel off the jetty.


Walk boardwalks to a tufa waterfall, snorkel straight off the jetty at Flying Fish Cove and time your visit to the red crab migration.
The best time for backpacking Christmas Island is October to December, when the first wet season rains trigger the red crab migration, the sea is still mostly calm, and flights from Perth carry wildlife lovers instead of holidaymakers. Weather barely varies across the island, but the coast does: Flying Fish Cove on the north shore is sheltered for most of the year, then takes the brunt of northwesterly swells in the wet season.
  • Dry season (May to September): Southeast trade winds, fewer showers and temperatures around 24 to 28°C. Visibility for diving and snorkeling at the Cove and along the drop-offs is at its clearest, and seabird watching is easy. Visitor numbers stay low and rooms are easy to find.
  • Crab migration (October to December): Millions of red crabs march to the sea after the first heavy rains, with spawning tied to the moon’s last quarter. November is the anomaly: an otherwise quiet island where the few guesthouses, rental cars and seats on the twice-weekly flights sell out, and some roads close to protect the crabs.
  • Wet season (January to April): Hot, humid and punctuated by heavy tropical downpours. Northwest swells can shut down boat dives and swimming at the Cove for days, but waterfalls run full and whale sharks are sometimes sighted offshore. Rates and flights are easiest to get now.
Book flights and a vehicle three to six months ahead for migration season, and pack a light rain shell plus closed shoes for walking roads crawling with crabs.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | uniqueness
Best time to visit: May - December
Daily cost: US$160 to 250 [christmas.net.au]
Cocos Islands
46

Cocos Islands

Snorkel reef channels and kite shallow flats on a quiet coral atoll.


Drift over coral and reef sharks at The Rip, fly a kite across the West Island flats and visit the Cocos Malay village on Home Island.
September to December is the best window for backpacking Australia’s Cocos (Keeling) Islands, with the lowest rainfall of the year, calm lagoon water for snorkeling and paddling, and steady trade winds for kitesurfers. The atoll is too small for real regional differences. West Island and Home Island share the same weather, though Home Island’s Cocos Malay calendar, especially Hari Raya, shifts with the Islamic year.
  • Dry season (September to December): Rain is at its lowest and air temperatures stay around 25 to 30°C. Lagoon visibility is usually at its best. Kitesurfers and Australian school-holiday families fill the handful of beds, so book early.
  • Trade wind season (June to August): Southeast trades blow hard and steady, which suits kitesurfing and makes the heat easy to bear. Showers are frequent, choppy days can cancel boat trips to Direction Island, and July holidays push up demand.
  • Wet season (January to May): This is the wettest stretch, with humid heavy downpours peaking around April. Flights and lodging are easiest to get, and the islands feel almost empty.
Most people overlook cyclone season, which runs roughly November to April. Direct hits are rare, but storms can cancel the limited flights from Perth and delay the supply ship, leaving shop shelves thin. Book flights and accommodation together, ideally months ahead, and leave a spare day before any onward connection.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | uniqueness
Best time to visit: June - December
Daily cost: US$140 to 220
Comoros
47

Comoros

Hike an active volcano and hop between islands by boat or small plane.


Climb Mount Karthala’s ash-covered crater rim, watch green turtles nest on Mohéli and wander the coral-stone lanes of Anjouan’s medina at dusk.
The best time for backpacking Comoros is June to September, when the cool, dry trade-wind season brings days of roughly 24 to 28°C, lower humidity and firm trails up Mount Karthala. Rain is heaviest on Karthala’s upper slopes, so the summit stays muddy and cloudy longer than the coast.
  • Cool dry season (June to September): Clear skies, good diving visibility and humpback whales off Mohéli from July. July and August also bring the diaspora home from France for grand mariage weddings, so flights and guesthouses fill and fares climb.
  • Shoulder months (May, October and November): Warm, mostly dry, quieter, with easier bookings.
  • Hot rainy season (December to April): Humid, 30°C or more, with heavy downpours. Cyclones can cancel inter-island boats for days, which is the risk travelers most underestimate.
For July or August, book international flights several months ahead.
Best known for:Known for: uniqueness | scenery | people
Best time to visit: May - November
Daily cost: €40 to €60 [numbeo.com]
Isle of Man
48

Isle of Man

Ride Victorian trams to Laxey and Snaefell, then walk the cliffs.


Ride vintage tramcars and a mountain railway past the Laxey Wheel, then walk cliffs to seal-watching spots and medieval castles across a compact, quiet island.
The best time for backpacking the Isle of Man is May (before the TT) and September, when days are long, highs sit around 14 to 17°C, the heritage railways and castles are open, and beds cost far less than in race weeks.
The island is small, but the hills behind Snaefell (621 meters) pull in cloud, wind and rain, while the southern and western coasts around Castletown and Peel are usually drier and brighter.
  • Spring shoulder (April to mid-May): Cool and fresh, with daffodils and lambs on the hillsides. Steam and electric railways restart around Easter, the coastal paths are quiet and rooms are reasonably priced.
  • TT and summer peak (late May to August): The TT races take over for about two weeks from late May, closing the Mountain Course roads and pushing room rates to double or more. July and August are mild (17 to 19°C) and lively, and Tynwald Day on 5 July brings the open-air parliament ceremony at St John’s.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to October): Often the calmest weather of the year, with thinner crowds. Most attractions close by late October, and Hop-tu-Naa on 31 October is the island’s own Halloween.
  • Winter (November to March): Mild but gray and windy, with many sites, cafés and seasonal trains shut.
The risk travelers underestimate is wind: winter gales regularly cancel Steam Packet ferry sailings, so leave a spare day before any onward connection. For TT fortnight, book ferry and bed nine to twelve months ahead, or come another time.
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €70 to €100
Indonesia
49

Indonesia

Volcano sunrises, Komodo dragons and funeral ceremonies across a vast island chain.


Hop from Borobudur’s stone terraces to Bromo’s crater rim, Komodo’s dragons, Toraja funeral villages and the crater lake of Toba.
The best months for backpacking Indonesia are May, June and September, when Bali, Java and the Nusa Tenggara islands are dry and sunny but the July and August crowds, and room rates that climb roughly 30 to 50 percent, are absent. That pattern covers most of the country. Maluku and parts of central Sulawesi flip it, getting their heaviest rain from May to August, while northern Sumatra’s wettest stretch runs roughly September to December.
  • Rainy season (November to March): Expect hot, sticky mornings and heavy afternoon or overnight downpours, with January and February the wettest months in Java and Bali. Guesthouses discount 20 to 40 percent outside the Christmas to New Year spike, and rice terraces are at their greenest. Some volcano treks close, ferry crossings get rough and rural roads in Flores and Sumatra turn to mud, so this is a season for slower, culture-focused trips.
  • Early dry shoulder (April to June): Rain tapers off, starting in Lombok and Flores, and skies are mostly clear by May while the landscape stays lush. Prices hold close to low-season levels until late June, when Indonesian school holidays begin and domestic travel picks up. Trekking, surfing and island hopping all come into their own.
  • Peak season (July and August): The driest, sunniest weeks across the southern islands, with cool nights in the highlands. European summer holidays push Bali, the Gili Islands and Labuan Bajo to capacity, budget rooms fill days ahead and Komodo boat tours can sell out. The weather is at its most reliable, but you pay more for it and share every viewpoint.
  • Late dry shoulder (September and October): Still dry through most of September, hotter and more humid in October, with the first storms arriving late in the month. Crowds thin fast once European schools restart and rates fall back, so you get peak-season weather at shoulder prices, the best value of the year.
Pack a fleece or light down jacket even for a beach-heavy trip: dawn at Bromo’s viewpoints or on Rinjani’s crater rim can drop close to 5°C in the dry season, and a sarong will not cut it at 4 a.m.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | people | wildlife
Best time to visit: April - October, December
Daily cost: US$20 to 35 [indonesia.travel]
India
50

India

Ganges ghats, Rajasthan forts and a different cuisine every few hundred kilometers.


Book trains early to reach Varanasi’s dawn ghats, Amritsar’s Golden Temple kitchen, the Taj Mahal, boulder-strewn Hampi and Jaisalmer’s living desert fort.
February and March are the best months for backpacking India: dry, sunny weather still covers most of the country, the holiday crowds have gone home, and room rates in Goa and Rajasthan slide back from their winter highs. The country runs on several climates at once, so the Himalaya flips the calendar (Ladakh and Spiti open roughly June to September), and Tamil Nadu takes its heaviest rain in October and November while the rest of the south dries out.
  • Cool season (October to January): Clear skies and 25 to 30°C days across Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala, while Delhi and Varanasi drop to 5 to 8°C at night by January. This is peak season. Goa’s beach shacks reopen through October and November, Diwali and the Pushkar Camel Fair land here, and prices climb steadily toward a late-December peak.
  • Late dry season (February to March): Warm and settled almost everywhere, with the north thawed out and the south not yet sticky. Crowds thin after mid-February and many guesthouses cut rates by 10 to 25 percent. Holi falls in this window, and heat starts building in central India by late March.
  • Hot season (April to mid-June): The plains bake at 40 to 45°C, and places like Hampi or Khajuraho become dawn-only sightseeing. Lowland prices bottom out. The Manali to Leh road usually opens around late May or June.
  • Southwest monsoon (June to September): Rain reaches Kerala around the start of June and covers most of the country by July, with Mumbai and the Western Ghats taking the heaviest downpours. Goa’s beach scene largely shuts and landslides cut Himalayan roads, but Ladakh sits in a rain shadow and hits its best stretch.
One quirk flips the usual logic: May and June, the most punishing months on the plains, are among the busiest of the year in Shimla, Manali, Darjeeling and Ooty, because Indian school holidays send millions of families uphill to escape the heat. Hotel rates there rival December, and mountain roads clog with weekend traffic. For anything between mid-December and early January, I’d book long-distance trains the moment reservations open (about two months ahead), since sleeper and 3AC berths on popular routes sell out within days.
Best known for:Known for: mountains | architecture | food
Best time to visit: July - March
Daily cost: US$20 to 35 [incredibleindia.gov.in]
Mexico
51

Mexico

Aztec ruins, Oaxacan cooking and cenotes, all linked by long bus rides.


Cross Mexico City’s Zócalo, eat your way through Oaxaca, climb Maya temples at Palenque, swim cenotes near Valladolid and ride the Copper Canyon train.
The best time for backpacking Mexico is November and February to April, when the dry season brings clear skies, warm days and hostel prices that haven’t yet hit holiday highs. Regions split sharply: the Yucatán and Pacific beaches stay hot all year and sit in hurricane territory from June to November, while highland cities like Mexico City, Oaxaca and San Cristóbal de las Casas stay mild by day and chilly at night, with summer rain arriving mostly as afternoon storms.
  • Peak dry season (mid-December to early January): Dry, sunny and packed. Mexican families and North American snowbirds fill the coasts, and beach hostels in Tulum, Playa del Carmen and Puerto Escondido can charge 30 to 50 percent more than in November. Highland nights in San Cristóbal drop close to freezing.
  • Shoulder dry season (November, February to April): The best window. Humidity is low, Pacific seas are calm, gray whales calve in Baja’s lagoons from about January to March, and monarch butterflies cluster in Michoacán’s forests into March. Semana Santa, the week before Easter, breaks the pattern: domestic travel surges, buses sell out and beaches overflow.
  • Hot season (May to early June): The Yucatán and the inland south bake, with Mérida regularly passing 38°C (100°F). Crowds thin, prices drop, and sargassum seaweed starts washing up on Caribbean beaches.
  • Rainy season (mid-June to October): Afternoon downpours in the center and south, deep green hills and few foreign visitors. July is the anomaly: Mexican school holidays fill beach towns and intercity buses just as the rain settles in. September is the quietest and riskiest month, with hurricane activity peaking on both coasts.
Around Semana Santa or Christmas, I’d book long-distance ADO buses and beach beds at least two weeks ahead, and in any season I’d pack a warm fleece for highland nights.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | backpackers | architecture
Best time to visit: February - June, August, October - November
Daily cost: US$35 to 55
Türkiye
52

Türkiye

Balloons over Cappadocia, Roman ruins and coastal trails, linked by comfy buses.


Walk Ephesus’s marble street, visit Istanbul’s Süleymaniye Mosque, watch sunrise at Mount Nemrut, and hike the Lycian Way above Kabak.
May, June, September and October are the best months for backpacking Türkiye: daytime temperatures sit around 20 to 28°C across most of the country, the south coast sea is warm enough to swim, and guesthouses charge well below their July and August rates. Region changes the picture a lot. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts stay mild enough for winter walking, while Cappadocia and the eastern plateau around Kars and Erzurum get real snow and sub-zero nights from December to March, and the Black Sea coast is wet in every season.
  • Spring shoulder (April to June): Tulips across Istanbul’s parks in April, wildflowers on the Lycian Way, and sea water warming from about 18°C in May to around 24°C by late June. Crowds build slowly, and prices climb from mid-June when Turkish school holidays begin. Best for hiking, Cappadocia and city sightseeing.
  • Summer peak (July and August): 35 to 40°C in Antalya, Pamukkale and the interior, with Istanbul humid at around 30°C. Beach towns such as Kaş and Bodrum are packed and rooms cost the most of the year. This is the narrow window for the high country: climbing Mount Ararat (permit required) and walking between the Kaçkar Mountains’ summer pasture villages work mainly in July and August.
  • Autumn shoulder (September and October): Sea still near its summer peak in September (around 26°C), cooling air, and grape harvest in Cappadocia and the Aegean hills. Crowds and prices ease after mid-September.
  • Winter (November to March): Istanbul is rainy at 5 to 10°C, the coast stays mild at 12 to 17°C but many beach pensions and boat tours shut, snow covers Cappadocia, and ski season runs at Palandöken and Uludağ. Lowest prices of the year outside ski resorts and New Year in Istanbul.
Check the dates of Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı before you book, since they move about 11 days earlier each year and buses and coastal rooms sell out nationwide. Around those holidays I’d buy intercity bus tickets at least three or four days ahead.
Best known for:Known for: people | backpackers | beach life
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: €30 to €50
Sri Lanka
53

Sri Lanka

Rock fortress, hill-country tea trains and rice and curry across a small island.


Climb Sigiriya, watch drummers at Kandy’s tooth temple, walk Galle Fort’s ramparts, hike Adam’s Peak at night and ride the train to Ella.
The best time for backpacking Sri Lanka is February and March, when the south coast, Colombo and the hill country are dry and sunny, the east is drying out, and the late-December price spike has faded. The catch is geography: two monsoons hit opposite sides of the island at different times, so while the southwest is wet, the east coast around Arugam Bay and Trincomalee is usually at its driest, and the reverse.
  • Southwest dry season (December to March): Sunny beaches from Hikkaduwa to Tangalle, clear mornings in Ella and Nuwara Eliya, and calm seas for whale trips off Mirissa. This is peak season, with the year’s highest room rates on the south coast (often 20 to 40 percent above low season) and the most crowded trains. The northeast monsoon keeps the east and north damp until about February.
  • Hot shoulder (April): Humid days and afternoon thunderstorms as the first inter-monsoon builds. Crowds thin, prices begin to slide, and the east coast season gets going.
  • Southwest monsoon (May to September): Heavy rain and rough seas on the west and south coasts, cloud over the hills, and discounts there. The east coast, Jaffna and the Cultural Triangle stay mostly dry and enjoy their own high season, with east coast prices rising to match.
  • Inter-monsoon (October to November): Storms almost island-wide, flooding risk, very few travelers and bargain rates.
I’d pack a light rain shell and a fleece in any month: somewhere on the island it will be raining, and Nuwara Eliya drops to around 10°C at night.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | backpackers | low cost
Best time to visit: July - September, December - April
Daily cost: US$25 to 40 [srilanka.travel]
Italy
54

Italy

Walk Roman ruins and Dolomite loops, then eat lunch standing at the bar.


Wander the Roman Forum, circle the Tre Cime in the Dolomites, explore Pompeii and the cave-house district of Matera, and see Venice at dawn.
The best months for backpacking Italy are late May, June and September, when days are warm, the sea is swimmable and hostel beds cost noticeably less than in July and August.
Region matters more than the calendar suggests. Sicily, Puglia and Sardinia stay beach-warm into October, while the Dolomites run on a separate clock: hiking huts open from roughly mid-June to late September, and ski season covers December to April.
  • Spring shoulder (March to May): Highs climb from about 15°C to 25°C, with showers that taper off by May. Crowds are moderate except around Easter and the April 25 and May 1 holidays, when Italians travel too and prices jump. Coastal ferries and seasonal guesthouses reopen around Easter. The sea stays too cold for most swimmers until late May.
  • Summer peak (June to August): Hot and mostly dry, with inland cities like Florence and Rome often at 32 to 35°C by July. Beaches, islands and the Amalfi Coast are packed, and rooms there can double in price compared with spring. Many city businesses close for a week or two around Ferragosto (August 15). Mountains and islands are at their best.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to October): The sea is at its warmest in September, heat eases, and grape and truffle season starts. Coastal resorts begin closing from late October, and rain picks up as the month goes on.
  • Winter low season (November to February): Cool and damp, with fog in the Po Valley and mild sun in Sicily. Museums are quieter, dorm beds cheapest, and much of the coast is shut. Christmas week and Venice Carnival are the exceptions, with high-season prices.
I’d book beds two to three months ahead for Easter week and anything coastal in July or August, and in spring or autumn I’d pack a light rain shell rather than an umbrella, which is useless on windy ferry decks.
Best known for:Known for: architecture | food | scenery
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €60 to €95 [italia.it]
Ecuador
55

Ecuador

Volcano lakes, cloud forest and Galápagos wildlife in a compact country.


Walk the Quilotoa Loop, snorkel with turtles on Isabela, hike toward Cotopaxi’s refuge and drink in Mindo’s hummingbirds and Cuenca’s cobbled center.
The best months for backpacking Ecuador are May and September to November, when Andean mornings run mostly dry, crowds thin out and Galápagos cruises discount empty berths. Timing shifts by region: the highlands, the Pacific coast, the Amazon and the Galápagos each run their own weather calendar, often in opposite directions.
  • Andean dry season and peak (June to August): Sunny, windy days and cold nights around Quito and Cuenca, with the clearest volcano views of the year. North American and European holidays overlap with Sierra school breaks, so hostels fill and Galápagos cruises book out. The coast turns grey and cool, though humpback whales gather offshore.
  • Shoulder months (May, September to November): Rain tapers or returns only as afternoon showers in the highlands, prices drop to their lowest and you rarely need to book more than a few days ahead.
  • Wet and warm season (December to April): Afternoon downpours in the Andes, peaking in March and April, with landslides on mountain roads. The coast is hot and sunny between storms, and the Galápagos has calm seas and warm snorkeling water. February or March brings the anomaly: Carnival packs beach towns and buses solid despite the rain, and prices spike for that long weekend.
I’d always pack a light down jacket and a proper rain shell, whatever the month, because a single day can take you from the frosty Andean páramo to sticky lowland heat.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | backpackers | scenery
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: US$25 to 40 [ecuador.travel]
Spain
56

Spain

Eat at crowded pintxo bars, then walk Moorish palaces and gorges.


Book Alhambra slots in Granada, see Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, walk the Córdoba mosque’s columns and hike the Cares Gorge in the Picos de Europa.
The best months for backpacking Spain are May, June, September and October, when daytime highs sit around 20 to 28°C across most of the country, the sea is warm or warming, and hostel prices run well below the July and August peak. Timing shifts by region. The green north (Galicia, Asturias, the Basque Country) is driest and most reliable in July and August, while Andalusia and the interior around Madrid are far better in spring and autumn. The Canary Islands stay mild all year, so winter is their busy season.
  • Spring (April to June): Andalusia hits 22 to 28°C, Madrid warms from showery to hot, and the north stays green and damp. Crowds and prices are moderate, apart from Semana Santa week, when beds in Seville, Málaga and Granada can double. The Mediterranean only becomes comfortable for swimming in late June.
  • Summer peak (July to August): Inland highs of 35 to 40°C are normal, and Seville and Córdoba regularly pass 40°C. Coasts and islands are packed, and dorms in Barcelona, Ibiza or San Sebastián often cost €45 to 80. It’s the best time for the Pyrenees, the Picos de Europa and northern beaches. Many family-run bars and shops in Madrid close for part of August.
  • Autumn (September to October): The sea is at its warmest in September, the heat breaks inland, and prices fall once Spanish school holidays end. Rain returns to the north and northwest from late October.
  • Winter (November to March): The cheapest stretch, with dorms from €15 to 25. Madrid nights drop near freezing, Andalusia sees sunny 15 to 18°C days, and Sierra Nevada and the Pyrenees run ski seasons. Some beach-town hostels and Balearic hotels close outright.
The risk travelers underestimate is midday summer heat inland: sightseeing in Seville or Córdoba between 2 and 6 p.m. in July can cause heat exhaustion, so plan mornings and evenings and rest when locals do.
If your dates touch Semana Santa, I’d book beds in Andalusia at least two months ahead, and in any season I pack a warm layer, because nights inland drop 12 to 15°C below daytime highs.
Best known for:Known for: architecture | beach life | mountains
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €50 to €80
Kosovo
57

Kosovo

Cross Ottoman lanes and canyon roads in a young, compact country.


Wander Prizren’s old town, drive into Rugova Canyon, see frescoes at Visoki Dečani and swim at the Mirusha waterfalls.
The best time for backpacking Kosovo is June and September, when days sit around 22 to 28°C, mountain trails are clear of snow, and beds cost their normal rate instead of diaspora-season prices. Regional differences are real. Prizren and the south run a few degrees warmer, while the Rugova Gorge above Peja and the Sharr Mountains around Brezovica hold snow well into May.
  • Spring shoulder (April to June): Mild and green with frequent showers early on, few visitors and low prices. Towns are at their best, and high trails open from mid-June.
  • Summer peak (July to August): Lowland highs of 30 to 33°C. The diaspora returns from Germany and Switzerland, so border queues grow, weddings fill weekends and room rates climb.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to November): Warm, then crisp. Crowds thin, prices fall, and rain returns by November.
  • Winter (December to March): Freezing nights and regular snow. This is the season for skiing at Brezovica and the cheapest rooms of the year, but the high trekking routes are shut.
I’d book Prizren beds early for summer. I would also pack a fleece even in July, because Rugova evenings can drop to around 10°C.
Best known for:Known for: people | food | low cost
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: €25 to €40
Malaysia
58

Malaysia

Penang street food, rainforest and Borneo’s mountain, split by two monsoons.


Eat through George Town’s old streets, walk Taman Negara’s canopy, snorkel the Perhentians, climb Mount Kinabalu and cruise the Kinabatangan River for monkeys.
May to September is the best window for backpacking Malaysia, with the east coast islands open and Borneo at its driest, and May and June are the best of it, before school-holiday crowds and the haze risk of late summer. The country runs on two opposite calendars. The northeast monsoon soaks the east coast and Borneo from November to February, while Penang and Langkawi on the west coast are at their driest then.
  • Northeast monsoon (November to February): Heavy rain and rough seas on the east coast, where most Perhentian and Redang resorts and ferries shut down. Sarawak has its wettest weeks. The west coast turns sunny, so Langkawi and Penang fill up and charge peak rates around Christmas and Chinese New Year.
  • Inter-monsoon (March to April): Hot and sticky, with afternoon thunderstorms across the country. East coast islands reopen through March, crowds stay light and room deals are easy to find.
  • Southwest monsoon (May to September): The driest stretch for the east coast, Sabah and Sarawak, with calm, clear water for diving. Expect busy islands during school holidays and July to August, plus occasional smoke haze from Indonesian fires from August.
  • Inter-monsoon (October): Thunderstorms peak on the west coast, the east coast winds down and prices dip.
Surfing at Cherating only works with the northeast monsoon swell, roughly November to February. I’d pack a light rain shell and quick-dry clothes in any month, and book Mount Kinabalu permits months ahead for May to August.
Best known for:Known for: low cost | safety | wildlife
Best time to visit: March - September, December
Daily cost: US$25 to 40
Portugal
59

Portugal

Ride tram-hilled Lisbon, port-wine terraces and Atlantic sea caves.


Wander Alfama and Sintra’s fog-wrapped palace, taste wine in the Douro, paddle the grottoes at Lagos and cross the crater lakes of the Azores.
The best months for backpacking Portugal are late May, June and September, when days are dry and warm at 22 to 28°C and hostel prices sit well below the August peak. The north (Porto, the Minho, Peneda-Gerês) is greener and far wetter, with showers possible into June, while the Algarve stays dry and mild enough for winter walking, and the Alentejo interior and Douro Valley regularly pass 35°C in high summer.
  • Spring (March to May): Lisbon climbs from 18 to 24°C, the south dries out first and the north keeps its showers. Crowds are moderate and prices are mid-range, with most coastal businesses reopened by April.
  • Summer (June to August): Hot and almost rainless. July and August bring Portuguese and European holidaymakers, full beach towns and dorm rates roughly double winter levels. Every beach bar, ferry and surf school is running.
  • Autumn (September to October): Dry and warm through September, with crowds thinning after the first week and rain returning by late October.
  • Winter (November to February): Highs of 12 to 17°C, Atlantic storms and frequent rain in Porto and Lisbon, the cheapest beds (€15 to 25 a night), and many Algarve guesthouses and beach restaurants closed.
The risk people ignore is indoor cold: most older buildings here have no central heating, so a mild January day can still mean a 12°C dorm at night.

For July and August I would lock in Algarve and Lisbon beds at least two months ahead; the rest of the year, booking a few days out works fine.
Best known for:Known for: safety | people | architecture
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: €45 to €70 [visitportugal.com]
Costa Rica
60

Costa Rica

Cloud forest, jungle trails and turtle beaches packed into a small country.


Hike misty Monteverde, wade through Corcovado’s rainforest, watch green turtles nest at Tortuguero and swim in the sky-blue Río Celeste.
The best months for backpacking Costa Rica are May, June and November, when mornings are usually dry, forests are deep green, hostel rates sit 10 to 25 percent below the December to April peak, and you share trails with far fewer people. Region matters as much as the calendar. The Pacific side and Central Valley follow the classic dry and rainy split, while the Caribbean coast (Puerto Viejo, Cahuita, Tortuguero) stays damp most of the year and gets its sunniest weeks in September and October, exactly when the Pacific is soaked.
  • Dry season (December to April): Clear skies, brown and dusty Guanacaste, gusty winds in the north. Beaches, buses and dorms fill up, especially over Christmas and Semana Santa, and prices hit their yearly high.
  • Early green season (May to August): Sunny mornings, afternoon downpours, lower prices. A drier spell called the “veranillo” often arrives in July, along with North American and European holiday crowds.
  • Peak rains (September and October): The Pacific coast, Osa Peninsula and mountains get their heaviest rain, and some Osa lodges shut. The Caribbean side is at its best.
  • Transition (November): Rain fades from north to south, waterfalls run full and the peak crowds have not arrived yet.
The risk people underestimate is landslides: in the wettest months, Route 32 to the Caribbean and the mountain roads to Monteverde can close for hours or days, so leave a buffer day before any flight. I’d pack a light rain shell in every season and book December to April beds two to three weeks ahead.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | wildlife | backpackers
Best time to visit: November - August
Daily cost: US$45 to 65 [visitcostarica.com]
Panama
61

Panama

Canal ships, old-town Panama City and San Blas islands.


Watch freighters pass the Miraflores Locks, stroll Casco Viejo, sleep on Guna Yala islands, visit Bocas del Toro’s beaches and climb Volcán Barú.
The best time for backpacking Panama is mid-December to April, when the Pacific side is dry and sunny, though that is also when hostels fill and beach prices climb roughly 20 to 30 percent. The Caribbean coast runs on its own schedule: Bocas del Toro and Guna Yala can get rain in any month, and their calmer, drier spells often fall in February to March and again in September to October.
  • Peak dry season (mid-December to April): Panama City, the Azuero Peninsula and the Pacific islands see almost no rain and highs of 31 to 34°C, while Boquete gets gusty winds and fine mist. Prime time for highland hiking, Carnival and island hopping, but beach towns book out around Christmas, Carnival and Semana Santa.
  • Early rainy season (May to July): Mornings usually stay clear, with afternoon downpours lasting an hour or two. Rates soften, crowds thin and the hills turn green. Pacific swells build for surfers at Santa Catalina.
  • Deep rainy season (August to November): Longer, heavier rain on the Pacific side, peaking in October and November, with muddy trails and the odd road washout. In return you get humpback whales off the Pearl Islands and Coiba, plus the lowest prices of the year.
In the dry season, I’d lock in beds for any Carnival or Easter weekend before anything else; in the rainy months, a light rain jacket and a dry bag for your phone matter more than any reservation.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | backpackers | architecture
Best time to visit: November - August
Daily cost: US$40 to 60 [visitpanama.com]
Taiwan
62

Taiwan

Marble gorges, mountain tea towns and night markets, all within easy reach.


Walk Taroko Gorge, climb Jiufen’s lantern stairs, eat beef soup in Tainan, watch the Alishan sunrise and snack through Taipei’s Raohe Night Market.
The best time for backpacking Taiwan is October and November, with March and April close behind, when days sit around 20 to 28°C, typhoons are mostly done or not yet started, and hostel rates stay at normal levels outside public holidays. Region matters a lot here. In winter the north and northeast (Taipei, Keelung, Yilan) sit under drizzly monsoon skies while Kaohsiung and Kenting stay dry and sunny, and the central mountains above 2,500 meters get properly cold.
  • Autumn (October to November): Dry, clear and warm, with typhoon risk fading after mid-October. This is prime time for high-mountain hiking, east-coast cycling and island hopping, and prices stay flat except over the National Day long weekend.
  • Winter (December to February): Around 12 to 19°C and damp in Taipei, mild and sunny in the south. Lunar New Year sells out trains and pushes room rates up for about a week, and many family-run shops close.
  • Spring (March to April): Mountain blossoms, 20 to 27°C and occasional fog, at shoulder prices. Tomb Sweeping Day in early April brings a busy long weekend.
  • Plum rain and typhoon season (May to September): Heavy May and June rains give way to 32 to 35°C humidity and typhoons that can cancel ferries and close mountain roads for days. July and August school holidays raise beach prices, while cities stay good value.
Buy train tickets for holiday weekends the moment sales open, roughly four weeks ahead, and carry a light rain shell in every month.
Best known for:Known for: mountains | safety | backpackers
Best time to visit: July - April
Daily cost: US$35 to 60 [eng.taiwan.net.tw]
Georgia
63

Georgia

Stone towers, cave cities and clay-jar wine, reached by long mountain roads.


Bounce by shared van from Tbilisi’s sulfur baths to Gergeti church, Ushguli’s medieval towers, the cave city of Vardzia and David Gareja’s desert monasteries.
September and October are the best months for backpacking Georgia: Tbilisi cools to the mid-20s °C, mountain trails are still open, the grape harvest is on in Kakheti, and summer crowds and beach prices have faded. Region matters more than the calendar here, because the high Caucasus (Svaneti, Kazbegi, Tusheti) runs on a short June to September hiking window, while Tbilisi and the wine country stay pleasant into November and Batumi on the Black Sea turns wet in autumn.
  • Spring (April to May): Tbilisi sits at 15 to 25°C, Kakheti turns green and room prices stay low. Showers are frequent, high passes still carry snow, and the Tusheti road stays shut until June. Best for cities, monasteries and wine cellars.
  • Summer (June to August): Peak season. The Mestia to Ushguli trek, Kazbegi hikes and Tusheti all open, and Batumi’s beaches fill with regional holidaymakers. Tbilisi regularly tops 33°C, and coastal rooms can cost double their spring rate.
  • Autumn (September to November): Harvest season, clear mountain views, golden forests and prices sliding back down. Tusheti guesthouses close by early October, and November turns cold and drizzly.
  • Winter (December to March): Grey and 0 to 8°C in Tbilisi, with the cheapest rooms of the year and ski season at Gudauri, Bakuriani and Tetnuldi in Svaneti. Snow can close the Jvari Pass to Kazbegi for a day or more.
For a summer or September trip, I would book mountain guesthouses a week or two ahead, leave Tbilisi flexible, and pack a warm fleece, since nights above 2,000 meters drop to single digits.
Best known for:Known for: safety | mountains | uniqueness
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: US$25 to 40
Albania
64

Albania

Walk from Valbona to Theth, then ride a ferry through limestone walls.


Cross a mountain pass on foot, ride the Komani Lake ferry, then wander Roman ruins at Butrint and the slate-roofed lanes of Gjirokastër.
The best time for backpacking Albania is September to early October, with late May and June close behind, because the sea is warm, the mountain trails are open and beds on the Riviera cost far less than in August. Region matters a lot here. The northern Accursed Mountains hold snow into late May and shut down by mid-October, while the south around Sarandë and Gjirokastër stays mild enough for sightseeing most of the year.
  • Winter (November to March): The wettest stretch, with coastal highs of 12 to 16°C, frost in Tirana at night and snow up north. Most beach hotels close, but Berat, Gjirokastër and Tirana stay open, empty and at their cheapest.
  • Spring (April to June): Highs climb from about 18°C to 30°C, rivers run full and wildflowers cover the hills. Prices stay low until late June, when the coast starts filling.
  • Peak summer (July to August): Coastal heat of 32 to 35°C, Ksamil and Dhërmi packed with Italian, Kosovar and diaspora families, and Riviera rates up by 50 to 100 percent.
  • Autumn (September to October): Sea around 22 to 25°C, crowds thin quickly and the hills turn gold. Rain returns in late October.
The Valbona to Theth crossing is only realistic from mid-June to late September, when the pass is snow-free and the Koman Lake ferry connects. Outside July and August, I’d always pack a proper rain shell.
Best known for:Known for: food | low cost | safety
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €30 to €45 [albania.al]
Cuba
65

Cuba

Cobbled colonial towns, tobacco valleys and live son music.


Wander Old Havana’s plazas, ride through Viñales tobacco country, dance in Trinidad and head east to Santiago and Baracoa, where buses are slow.
The best time for backpacking Cuba is December to April, when the dry season brings sunny days around 25 to 28°C, low humidity and very little hurricane risk, though Christmas, New Year and Easter push casa particular prices up by roughly 20 to 40%. Regionally, Havana and the west catch winter cold fronts that can drop nights to 15°C, Santiago and the east stay several degrees hotter all year, and Baracoa on the northeast coast gets rain in every month.
  • Peak dry season (mid-December to March): Clear skies, calm seas for diving off María la Gorda, and comfortable hiking in Viñales and the Escambray. Casas in Havana and Trinidad fill early and run US$30 to 50 a night instead of US$20 to 35.
  • Shoulder months (April, May and November): Heat builds in April and the first heavy showers arrive in May, while November dries out. Crowds thin and room rates soften.
  • Wet summer (June to August): Highs of 31 to 33°C, sticky humidity and short afternoon downpours. Cuban school holidays fill beaches like Varadero and Guardalavaca, and Santiago’s carnival runs in July.
  • Hurricane peak (September and October): The highest storm risk, the lowest prices and some hotels and tours shut for maintenance.
For one night only, December 24, the Parrandas in Remedios turn the town into a fireworks battle between rival neighborhoods. I’d book Christmas and New Year beds weeks ahead and pack a fleece, because the Viazul bus air conditioning runs arctic.
Best known for:Known for: people | uniqueness | low cost
Best time to visit: November - August
Daily cost: US$35 to 55
Zimbabwe
66

Zimbabwe

Victoria Falls, balanced boulders and walking safaris among elephants.


Walk the rainforest trail at Victoria Falls, climb the stone walls of Great Zimbabwe and track elephants on foot in Mana Pools.
The best time for backpacking Zimbabwe is May and September, when skies are dry, the bush is thin enough to spot game easily, and lodge rates sit just outside the July and August peak. Region matters too: the Zambezi Valley (Mana Pools, Kariba) and Victoria Falls run 5 to 10°C hotter than the highveld around Harare and Bulawayo, while the Eastern Highlands catch the most rain and mist.
  • Rainy season (November to March): Hot, humid days and heavy afternoon thunderstorms. The bush turns green and lodges cut rates by roughly 20 to 40 percent, but most of Mana Pools closes and dirt roads in Hwange and Gonarezhou turn to mud. Excellent for birders.
  • Shoulder season (April to May): Rains taper off and Victoria Falls reaches peak flow, with spray that can hide the view. Low-season prices hold into May and crowds stay thin.
  • Cool dry season (June to August): Sunny days of 22 to 26°C and nights near freezing in Hwange and Matobo. July and August bring South African and European holidaymakers, so camps fill and top rates apply.
  • Hot dry season (September to October): Bare bush, animals packed around waterholes, and October heat above 38°C in the valley. Low water makes Zambezi rafting its wildest.
I’d pack a real fleece and a beanie for a winter trip, because open-vehicle game drives at dawn in June are properly cold.
Best known for:Known for: wildlife | scenery | people
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: US$35 to 60 [zimbabwetourism.net]
Fiji
67

Fiji

Island-hopping lodges, village visits and clear reefs, with boats dictating the plan.


Swim into the Sawa-i-Lau caves, stay in Navala’s thatched village and dive with bull sharks off Pacific Harbour while watching the cost of each boat hop.
May to October is the best time to go backpacking in Fiji: it’s the dry season, with highs around 26 to 29°C, lower humidity and the lowest cyclone risk, and May, September and October avoid school-holiday crowds and prices. The west (Nadi, the Mamanucas, the Yasawas) sits in a rain shadow and stays drier all year, while Suva, Taveuni and Kadavu get far more rain every month.
  • Wet season (November to April): Hot and humid at 30 to 32°C, with heavy downpours and cyclone risk peaking January to March. Islands are quiet and rooms are discounted, but storms can cancel boat transfers.
  • Christmas holidays (mid-December to mid-January): Australian and New Zealand families fill resorts, and rates climb despite the rain.
  • Dry peak (June to August): Cooler nights, steady trade winds, booked-out dorms and the year’s highest prices.
  • Dry shoulder (May, September and October): Calm seas and fewer people. Manta rays feed in the channel near Drawaqa Island in the Yasawas roughly May to October.
Book Yasawa island hops a few weeks ahead for July, and pack a light fleece for breezy dry-season evenings.
Best known for:Known for: people | beach life | safety
Best time to visit: May - October, December
Daily cost: US$55 to 90
Belize
68

Belize

Reef diving, Maya caves and jungle ruins in an English-speaking country.


Snorkel with sharks and rays at Hol Chan, wade into Maya burial caves, dive the Great Blue Hole and climb the Caracol pyramid.
The best time for backpacking Belize is late November to April, when the dry season brings sunny days around 27 to 30°C, calm seas for the barrier reef and dirt roads that stay passable, though mid-December to Easter is also when beds and tours cost the most. Rainfall rises sharply as you head south: the north and the cayes get roughly 1,300 to 1,500 mm a year, while Toledo can top 4,000 mm, so the far south stays muddier for longer.
  • Peak dry season (mid-December to Easter): Dry, breezy and warm, with clear water for snorkeling and diving. Caye Caulker and San Pedro fill up, and Christmas and Holy Week sell out weeks ahead. Expect top prices for dorms, private rooms and reef trips.
  • Hot shoulder (late April to May): The hottest stretch, 32 to 35°C inland, with smoky haze from field burning. Crowds thin fast after Easter and room rates start to slide.
  • Green season (June to August): Mostly short, heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain, lush jungle and noticeably cheaper lodges. Mosquitoes and sandflies get busy.
  • Hurricane peak (September to October): The wettest months with the highest storm risk. Some caye and Placencia businesses close for weeks, and floods can cancel cave tours and cut southern roads.
Pack a light rain shell in any month, and if your dates touch Christmas or Holy Week, reserve island beds at least a month ahead.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | scenery | wildlife
Best time to visit: November - August
Daily cost: US$50 to 80
Croatia
69

Croatia

Pair terraced waterfall lakes with Roman ruins and island coasts.


Follow boardwalks at Plitvice, sleep inside Diocletian’s Palace in Split, walk the Dubrovnik walls and ferry out to quiet Vis.
The best time for backpacking Croatia is June and September, when the Adriatic sits around 22 to 24°C, coastal highs stay in the mid to high 20s, and island hostel prices run roughly 20 to 40 percent below the July and August peak. The coast and islands run on a strict tourist calendar that shuts down hard in winter, while Zagreb and the inland north get cold, sometimes snowy winters and a much milder summer spike.
  • Peak summer (July to August): Highs of 30 to 33°C in Split and Dubrovnik, the warmest sea of the year and the fullest ferry timetables. Dorms on Hvar or in Dubrovnik often cost €35 to 60, and ferries sell out.
  • Early shoulder (May to June): Warm days, a cool but swimmable sea by June, long evenings and moderate prices. Almost everything is open by late May.
  • Late shoulder (September to October): The sea stays warm well into September, crowds thin fast and prices fall, while Istria’s truffle and wine season starts. Island bars and some hostels close by mid-October.
  • Low season (November to April): Mild but rainy and windy on the coast, cold inland. Dorms drop to €12 to 20, ferry schedules shrink and many island businesses lock up until Easter.
I’d book island hostels and the Split catamarans two to three weeks ahead for June or September, and pack a light windproof layer, because an evening bura off the mountains drops the coastal temperature fast.
Best known for:Known for: backpackers | safety | beach life
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: €50 to €80 [croatia.hr]
Bosnia and Herzegovina
70

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Cross rebuilt Ottoman bridges and swim below waterfalls.


Watch divers leap from Mostar’s bridge, wander Sarajevo’s old bazaar, and cool off at the Pliva, Štrbački Buk and Kravica waterfalls.
The best time for backpacking Bosnia and Herzegovina is June or September, when days run in the mid-20s °C, rivers are good for rafting and swimming, and beds cost less than in July and August. The country splits into two climates: Herzegovina, around Mostar and Trebinje, is hot and Mediterranean, while Sarajevo and the central mountains get real snow from December to March.
  • Spring (April to May): Sarajevo highs of 15 to 22°C, frequent showers and rivers at full spring flow. Prices stay low, but trails above 1,500 meters still hold snow.
  • Summer (June to August): Sarajevo reaches 25 to 30°C, and Mostar regularly passes 35°C. July and August bring tour buses to the Old Bridge and higher dorm prices, though every mountain hut and village road is open.
  • Autumn (September to October): Settled weather, warm rivers into September and grape harvest in Herzegovina. Crowds thin out after mid-September.
  • Winter (November to March): Sarajevo hovers near freezing and traps smog on still days. Jahorina and Bjelašnica ski resorts open in December with some of Europe’s cheapest lift passes, while many rural guesthouses close.
Book Sarajevo beds weeks ahead for Film Festival week in mid-August, and pack a fleece for the mountains, where summer nights can drop to around 10°C.
Best known for:Known for: uniqueness | low cost | scenery
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €30 to €45
Hungary
71

Hungary

Soak in thermal baths, taste cellar wines and cross the puszta.


Warm up at Budapest’s Széchenyi baths, climb Castle Hill, drink red wine in Eger’s cellars, and see Balaton’s Tihany and the Hortobágy plains.
September and October are the best months for backpacking Hungary: days sit around 15 to 25°C, the summer crowds have gone, hostel prices drop back to off-peak rates, and the wine regions are harvesting. Regional differences are modest in a country this flat and compact, but Lake Balaton runs on a strict June to August season, and the Great Plain around Szeged gets the hottest, driest summers.
  • Spring (April to May): Mild, 15 to 23°C, though May and June are the rainiest stretch thanks to short thunderstorms. Shoulder prices, light crowds, and Budapest’s café terraces fill up again.
  • Summer (June to August): Hot, 26 to 30°C, with heatwaves above 35°C most years. Peak crowds and prices in Budapest and at Balaton, where ferries, beach clubs and lakeside campsites all run full schedules. Festival season.
  • Autumn (September to October): Warm, then crisp. The northern hills turn gold, Eger and Tokaj hold harvest events, and dorm beds return to shoulder rates.
  • Winter (November to March): Cold and gray, often below freezing at night, and most Balaton resorts shut. The cheapest season, and the outdoor thermal pools are at their best.
For a narrow window, aim for mid to late June, when the Tisza mayfly bloom fills the river for only a few days. Pack a swimsuit whatever the season, since the baths need it in January as much as Balaton does in July.
Best known for:Known for: backpackers | architecture | safety
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: €40 to €60
Tajikistan
72

Tajikistan

Pamir Highway passes, turquoise lakes and Persian-speaking homestays.


Follow the Wakhan Valley beside Afghanistan, hike the Seven Lakes, stop at Iskanderkul, cross high Karakul Lake and browse Khujand’s covered bazaar.
September and the first half of October are the best months for backpacking Tajikistan: the Pamir Highway and Fann Mountains are still open, the 40°C lowland heat has broken, and the summer wave of cyclists and 4x4 tours has thinned. Timing splits by altitude. Dushanbe, Khujand and the Zarafshan valley are pleasant in spring and autumn, while the Pamirs and high trekking routes only really work from July to early October.
  • Winter (December to February): Dushanbe sits around 0 to 10°C with rain and snow, Murghab can drop below -30°C. Most Pamir guesthouses close, the northern Khaburabot pass road shuts, and city hotels discount quietly.
  • Spring (March to May): Blossom and green hills in the lowlands, Navruz on March 21, frequent rain. Passes and trails stay snowbound until late May or June.
  • Summer (June to August): Peak season. The lowlands bake at 35 to 40°C, Khorog and Karakul guesthouses fill, and shared 4x4 prices peak.
  • Autumn (September to November): Clear skies, harvest markets, fewer travelers. Snow starts closing high passes from late October.
The risk people underestimate is early summer snowmelt: rivers run high and landslides can cut the Pamir Highway for a day or more, so build two buffer days into any Pamir route. Pack a real warm layer even in August, because nights above 3,500 meters regularly dip below zero.
Best known for:Known for: mountains | people | uniqueness
Best time to visit: May, July - October
Daily cost: US$25 to 40 [pamirs.org]
Timor-Leste
73

Timor-Leste

Pre-dawn peak climbs, empty reef walls and highland rice-and-cassava dinners.


Climb Mount Ramelau before sunrise, dive off Atauro Island, cross to sacred Jaco Island and put up with slow roads in the wet season.
The best months for backpacking Timor-Leste are June and October to November, when the dry season keeps roads passable, seas are calm and clear, and tourist numbers stay tiny all year so prices barely move. The country splits in two. The north coast (Dili, Baucau, Atauro) follows a single dry season from about May to November, while the south coast (Suai, Viqueque) catches a second wet spell from roughly May to July.
  • Wet season (December to April): Hot, humid, heavy downpours. Landslides and flooded rivers cut mountain and south-coast roads, and dengue risk peaks.
  • Early dry season (May to June): Green hills, clear skies in the north, excellent diving visibility.
  • Peak dry season (July to September): Driest and windiest, with cold nights in the highlands and pricier flights during Australian school holidays.
  • Whale season (October to November): Hot, calm seas and migrating blue whales in the strait between Dili and Atauro, the narrow window for boat trips to see them.
Pack a fleece if you plan to climb Mount Ramelau, since the summit drops close to freezing before dawn.
Best known for:Known for: uniqueness | low cost | scenery
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: US$35 to 60 [timorleste.tl]
Ireland
74

Ireland

Trace Atlantic cliffs, monastic ruins and pubs with live music.


Take a boat to Skellig Michael, walk the Burren’s limestone, stand at the cliff-edge fort of Inis Mór and drive Slea Head.
The best months for backpacking Ireland are May, June and September, when you get the steadiest weather of the year, hostel beds priced below the July and August peak, and walking trails you share with sheep more than tour groups. The west coast (Kerry, Connemara, Donegal) gets roughly twice the rain of Dublin and the east, and many rural hostels, island ferries and boat trips there run only from around Easter to October, while Dublin, Cork and Galway city work year-round.
  • Summer peak (July to August): Highs of 18 to 20°C, still with regular showers. School holidays and European visitors fill everything, Dublin dorms climb to roughly €40 to 60, and tour coaches stack up at the Cliffs of Moher. Book beds weeks ahead.
  • Shoulder season (April to June, September to October): Highs of 12 to 17°C, changeable skies, thinner crowds and fairer prices. Boats to Skellig Michael, the 6th-century monastery on a sea rock off Kerry, run only from mid-May to late September, and rough swell cancels a good share of sailings.
  • Winter (November to March): Highs of 8 to 10°C, gales on the Atlantic side and dark afternoons. Dorms drop to around €18 to 30, many rural places shut, and city pubs with live sessions carry the season.
I’d book Skellig seats as soon as your dates are fixed and build in a spare day for cancellations. Pack a hooded waterproof shell instead of an umbrella, because coastal wind wrecks umbrellas in minutes.
Best known for:Known for: safety | people | scenery
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €65 to €100 [ireland.com]
Slovenia
75

Slovenia

Sleep in mountain huts, then swim in Alpine lakes and rivers.


Hike between Julian Alps huts, descend into Škocjan Caves, swim Lake Bohinj, follow the turquoise Soča and finish in Piran on the coast.
June and September are the best months for backpacking Slovenia. You get warm, mostly settled weather and open mountain huts, and beds are cheaper and easier to find than in August. Region matters a lot for a country this small. The Julian Alps around Bovec and Bohinj get far more rain and hold snow longer, the Adriatic coast at Piran stays milder and drier, and Ljubljana can sit under winter fog that the surrounding hills escape.
  • Peak summer (July to August): Ljubljana highs of 27 to 30°C, afternoon thunderstorms in the Alps and sea temperatures around 24 to 26°C. Bled and Vintgar Gorge are packed, and Ljubljana dorms run roughly €25 to 45. This is prime time for high Triglav routes and swimming.
  • Shoulder (June and September): highs of 20 to 26°C and long days, and high huts open from late June. Crowds thin fast after early September. You hike the same trails as in August for less money.
  • Transition months (April, May, October, November): changeable and often wet, especially in the Soča Valley in autumn. Vršič Pass can stay shut into May, and most high huts close by early October. Dorms cost around €20 to 30.
  • Winter (December to March): inland highs near 0 to 5°C and snow in the mountains. Ski areas such as Kranjska Gora and Vogel are running, but most hiking and coastal life is on pause.
I’d book July and August beds at Bled and Bohinj at least a month ahead. Pack a proper rain shell in any month, because Alpine storms here build fast.
Best known for:Known for: safety | mountains | scenery
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: €50 to €75
United States
76

United States

Canyons, geysers and big cities, best reached by road trip.


Drive between the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone’s steaming pools and Yosemite’s granite walls, with New York and New Orleans for music, food and street life.
The best months for backpacking the United States are May and September, when most of the lower 48 states sit between roughly 15 and 27°C, school is in session, and hostel and motel rates run well below their July and August peak. Region changes everything here: the desert Southwest, Florida and Hawaii are at their best from November to April, while the Rockies, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska only fully open up from late June to September.
  • Spring (March to May): Weather swings hard. Snow lingers in the mountains and the Northeast into April, while Texas, the Southeast and the Southwest warm up fast. Tornado season on the Great Plains runs from about April to June. March spring break fills Florida beaches and Arizona campgrounds, but cities stay at shoulder prices. This is prime time for Zion, Arches and Joshua Tree. High mountain roads such as Tioga Pass through Yosemite often stay closed until late May or June.
  • Summer (June to August): Peak season. Expect 30 to 35°C with heavy humidity in the East and South, and 40°C and up in Phoenix and Las Vegas, while San Francisco sits under cool fog. Prices are the highest of the year, and several big parks, Arches and Rocky Mountain among them, have used timed entry reservations in summer. It is the season for Alaska, Glacier and the high Sierra and Cascades. Atlantic hurricane season starts on June 1.
  • Fall (September to November): Crowds fall off after Labor Day, the first Monday in September. Days stay warm, nights turn crisp, and foliage moves south from New England in late September to the Appalachians by late October. Hurricane risk on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts peaks from August to October, and snow begins closing high roads from mid-October.
  • Winter (December to February): The northern half freezes, with Chicago and Minneapolis below 0°C for weeks at a time, while ski towns in Colorado, Utah and the Sierra hit their high season. Southern California, southern Arizona, Florida and Hawaii are warm, busy and priced accordingly. Yellowstone’s interior roads close to private cars, with access by snowcoach or snowmobile from mid-December to mid-March.
One window is tight: Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road is usually open end to end only from late June or early July to mid-October, so a Montana trip lives or dies on those dates. For summer national park trips, I would book campsites on Recreation.gov the day they release, typically six months ahead, and keep a few first-come sites or national forest campgrounds as backup.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | mountains | safety
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: US$80 to 130
France
77

France

Mix Alpine cable cars, Roman bridges and tidal abbeys.


Ride up Aiguille du Midi, hike to Calanques inlets, cross the tidal flats at Mont Saint-Michel and walk Carcassonne’s walls after dark.
The best months for backpacking France are May, June and September, when daytime highs sit around 18 to 25°C (64 to 77°F) across most of the country, hostel prices run well below July and August, and the French themselves are still at work. Region matters: the Mediterranean coast and Corsica stay warm enough to swim into early October, the Alps and Pyrenees only open their high trails from mid-June, and Paris works year-round if you can live with gray skies from November to March.
  • Spring shoulder (April to June): April swings between sun and cold showers, then May and June settle into mild, long-light weather. Prices stay moderate, but long holiday weekends in May fill trains and rural guesthouses fast. The hills turn green and markets fill with asparagus and strawberries.
  • Summer peak (July to August): Paris reaches 25 to 30°C and Provence regularly tops 30°C, with recent heatwaves above 35°C. French families pour onto the coasts, dorm beds in Paris and Nice climb to €40 to 60, and beach towns book out weeks ahead. In exchange, every mountain refuge, ferry and seasonal bus is running.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to October): Summer warmth hangs on in the south while crowds thin sharply after schools restart. Wine regions are at their busiest with the harvest. By late October, many campsites and beach-town hostels shut until Easter.
  • Winter (November to March): Expect 3 to 8°C, drizzle and early sunsets in the north, with 10 to 14°C and more sun on the Riviera. City rooms are at their cheapest, but ski resorts in the Alps charge their highest rates of the year.
I’d book long-distance trains for May and September as soon as you have dates, since the cheap fares vanish first, and I’d pack a light rain shell even for June.
Best known for:Known for: architecture | mountains | beach life
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €60 to €100 [france.fr]
North Macedonia
78

North Macedonia

Combine lake-side monasteries with canyons and Ottoman bazaars.


Walk Ohrid’s old town and St. Naum’s springs, kayak Matka Canyon, stroll Bitola’s pedestrian street and visit the crater-set town of Kratovo.
The best months for backpacking North Macedonia are May, June and September, when lowland days run 22 to 28°C, hostels have space and Ohrid hasn’t yet switched to summer pricing. Region matters: Skopje and the Vardar valley bake in July and August, while Ohrid, Prespa and the Mavrovo highlands stay several degrees cooler.
  • Spring (April to June): Mild, green and sometimes showery, with thin crowds and off-season rates. Trails above 2,000 meters hold snow into late May.
  • Summer (July and August): Skopje regularly tops 35°C, Ohrid fills up and lakeside rooms can double in price. This is the only stretch when Lake Ohrid is warm enough for long swims.
  • Autumn (September and October): Warm, dry and quiet, with the best hiking light of the year.
  • Winter (November to March): Cold and smoggy in Skopje, snowy for skiing in Mavrovo and Popova Šapka; many Ohrid guesthouses close.
Book Ohrid for August at least a month ahead, and pack a fleece for mountain evenings even in midsummer.
Best known for:Known for: safety | architecture | low cost
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €30 to €45 [macedonia-timeless.com]
Armenia
79

Armenia

Cliffside monasteries, Ararat views and lavash from clay ovens.


Ride the Tatev cable car, clap inside carved Geghard, descend into Khor Virap’s pit, climb Noravank’s staircase and wander the mossy monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin.
September and October are the best months for backpacking Armenia: Yerevan sits at a comfortable 20 to 28°C, the summer diaspora crowds have flown home, guesthouse rates ease off, and the grape harvest fills village courtyards. Altitude matters more than region here, since the Ararat Valley around Yerevan bakes in summer while Lake Sevan, Gyumri and the Syunik highlands, at roughly 1,500 to 2,000 meters, stay cooler and turn wintry weeks earlier.
  • Spring (April to May): Yerevan warms to 15 to 25°C, apricot orchards blossom in the Ararat Valley and the hills go briefly green. Expect regular showers (May is among the wettest months), moderate prices and thin crowds. Mount Aragats and the high passes are still under snow.
  • Summer (June to August): Dry and hot, with July and August afternoons in Yerevan often hitting 35°C or more. This is peak season, with visiting diaspora families filling rooms at Sevan and Dilijan and prices noticeably higher. It is the only window for the Aragats summit and the highest trails.
  • Autumn (September to October): Warm days, crisp nights, harvest time and gold-and-red forests around Dilijan. Crowds and prices drop after mid-September.
  • Winter (November to March): Yerevan hovers around freezing, the highlands fall well below, and snow can close mountain roads. Prices hit their lowest and Tsaghkadzor opens for skiing.
In autumn, pack a warm fleece: a 25°C afternoon at Noravank can turn into a near-freezing night at Tatev or Sevan.
Best known for:Known for: low cost | safety | mountains
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: US$30 to 45
Laos
80

Laos

Mekong river towns, waterfalls and a cave you cross by boat.


Climb Phousi in Luang Prabang, swim at Kuang Si Falls, ride through Kong Lor Cave, see the Plain of Jars and bike the 4,000 Islands.
November to January is the best time for backpacking Laos, with dry skies, daytime highs around 25 to 30°C, green hills left over from the rains, and every road and boat route open. The northern mountains run much colder than the Mekong lowlands, so Phonsavan can feel wintry while Si Phan Don in the far south stays warm enough for a hammock and a swim.
  • Cool dry season (November to February): Sunny, low humidity, and chilly highland nights. This is peak season. Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng fill up, and room rates run roughly 20 to 40 percent above rainy-season levels. It is the best window for trekking around Luang Namtha, the Plain of Jars and the Thakhek Loop.
  • Hot season (March to May): Highs of 35 to 40°C in Vientiane and the south, low rivers and dusty roads. Crowds thin out except around Lao New Year in mid-April.
  • Rainy season (June to October): Rain usually comes in heavy afternoon bursts. Paddies turn bright green, Bolaven Plateau waterfalls run at full force, and prices drop. Dirt roads turn to mud, and landslides can close mountain routes for hours or days.
The risk most travelers underrate is the burning season, from roughly late February to April. Farmers clear fields with fire, smoke settles over Luang Prabang and Nong Khiaw, air quality often reaches hazardous levels, and the karst views vanish. Anyone with asthma should head south in those weeks.
For late December, book Luang Prabang beds two to three weeks ahead, and pack a warm layer for overnight buses.
Best known for:Known for: backpackers | low cost | food
Best time to visit: July - February
Daily cost: US$20 to 30
Montenegro
81

Montenegro

Climb from Kotor’s bay to canyons and glacial lakes.


Walk Kotor’s fortress steps, hike Durmitor’s peaks, cross the deep Tara Canyon bridge and take a boat among the water lilies of Lake Skadar.
The best months for backpacking Montenegro are late May to June and September to early October, when the sea is swimmable, dorm beds cost roughly half the August rate and Kotor’s old town lanes are walkable again. The coast and the mountains run on different clocks: Budva and the Bay of Kotor stay mild but very wet in winter, while Žabljak and Kolašin sit under snow from about December to March and only open fully for high hiking from late June.
  • Peak summer (July to August): Coastal highs of 29 to 32°C, sea around 25°C, and Podgorica often tops 35°C. Dorms run €20 to 35, beaches are packed and coastal buses sell out. Durmitor and the Tara canyon are at their best, a good 10°C cooler.
  • Shoulder (May to June, September to October): Days of 20 to 27°C, sea warm enough for most from June through October, dorms around €12 to 20. This is the window for combining beaches, Tara rafting and mountain trails on one trip.
  • Early spring (April): Mild, showery and quiet. Seasonal hostels reopen late in the month and rivers run high with snowmelt.
  • Low season (November to March): Coastal days of 8 to 15°C and heavy rain. Many beach bars and seasonal hostels close, beds drop to €10 to 15, and ski runs open at Kolašin and Savin Kuk.
I’d pack a real rain shell for any trip outside summer, and book Kotor or Budva beds two to three weeks ahead for July and August; the rest of the year, a day or two out is plenty.
Best known for:Known for: safety | low cost | scenery
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €35 to €55
Austria
82

Austria

Hike Alpine ridges, then drive the hairpins of the Grossglockner.


Take the high road up Grossglockner, wander Hallstatt after the day buses leave, and tour Vienna’s palaces, the Wachau vineyards and an ice cave.
June and September are the best months for backpacking Austria: mountain trails and huts are open, valley highs sit around 20 to 25°C, and you dodge the July and August crowds and peak hostel rates. The country splits in two climatically, with Vienna, Burgenland and the Danube valley running warmer and drier than the Alps of Tyrol, Salzburg and Vorarlberg, where snow can block high passes well into June.
  • Summer (June to August): Warm valleys with occasional 30°C heat waves in Vienna, plus near-daily afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains. High cable cars, alpine huts and the Grossglockner High Alpine Road all run. July and August bring European school holidays, full lakeside campsites in Carinthia and the Salzkammergut, and the year’s highest dorm prices.
  • Autumn (September to October): Settled, clear weather, the grape harvest, cattle drives down from the high pastures and noticeably lower prices after mid-September. Most staffed huts shut in late September or early October.
  • Shoulder (November, April and May): Grey, damp and changeable. Many ski-resort hotels and lifts close between seasons, but city beds are at their cheapest.
  • Winter (December to March): City highs of roughly 0 to 5°C, reliable snow in the Alps and peak ski-resort rates over Christmas and February holidays. Christmas markets run from mid-November to December 24.
Hut-to-hut trekking only really works from late June to mid-September, when staffed huts open and passes are snow-free. Reserve Alpenverein hut bunks weeks ahead for weekends and pack a proper waterproof shell even in August.
Best known for:Known for: mountains | safety | scenery
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €60 to €90 [austria.info]
Mongolia
83

Mongolia

Gobi dunes, a deep northern lake and ger stays across huge distances.


Crawl up the Khongoryn Els dunes, camp beside Khövsgöl Lake, visit working monasteries and trek toward the glaciers of Altai Tavan Bogd.
The best time for backpacking Mongolia is June and September, when the steppe is warm enough to camp, ger camps are open, and you miss both the Naadam crowds and the heavy rains of late July and August. The Gobi runs hotter and drier, so May and September suit it better than midsummer, while Khövsgöl in the north and the Altai in the far west have a short window, roughly mid-June to mid-September, before frost and snow take over.
  • Summer peak (late June to August): Days of 20 to 30°C on the central steppe and 35°C or more in the Gobi. Most of the year’s rain falls in July and August, often as afternoon storms that turn dirt tracks to mud and push rivers over fords. Every ger camp, tour company and domestic flight is running, and shared jeep tours from Ulaanbaatar are easiest to join. Naadam week in mid-July can roughly double room rates in the capital.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to early October): Dry, clear skies, larch forests turning yellow and nights below freezing by late September. Groups thin out and some operators discount, but camps start closing from mid-September. The Golden Eagle Festival in Bayan-Ölgii, held over the first weekend of October, is the one big event you can only catch in this narrow window.
  • Winter (November to March): Ulaanbaatar sinks to -30°C at night and fills with coal smoke from the ger districts. Nearly all countryside camps close, prices hit their lowest, and the draws are Tsagaan Sar, dog sledding near Terelj and the frozen surface of Khövsgöl.
  • Spring (April to May): A windy, dusty thaw with snow flurries into May, few travelers and camps reopening from mid-May.
I’d book anything overlapping Naadam two to three months ahead, and I’d pack a proper down jacket even for July, since steppe nights can drop close to freezing.
Best known for:Known for: uniqueness | safety | low cost
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: US$30 to 60 [mongolia.travel]
Serbia
84

Serbia

Eat grilled meat, then hike river canyons and visit monasteries.


Walk Belgrade’s fortress above the rivers, see vultures over Uvac Canyon, visit Studenica’s marble church and the strange earth pillars of Devil’s Town.
The best time for backpacking Serbia is late May to June and September to early October, when daytime highs sit around 20 to 27°C, hostels charge normal rates and the summer festival crowds either haven’t arrived or have gone home. The north, around Belgrade and Novi Sad on the flat Pannonian plain, runs hotter in summer and grayer in winter. The southwestern mountains (Zlatibor, Tara, Kopaonik) stay several degrees cooler all year and hold reliable snow from December.
  • Spring (April to May): Mild days of 15 to 24°C, passing showers and green hills across Šumadija. Few foreign visitors and regular prices. Hiking picks up in May, though higher trails can still be muddy.
  • Summer (June to August): Peak season. Belgrade regularly hits 30°C and heatwaves push past 35°C. Festival weeks such as the Guča trumpet festival in August send bed prices sharply up, yet the river clubs, lake beaches and mountain parks are at their liveliest.
  • Autumn (September to October): Settled, warm weather, grape harvests in Fruška Gora and Župa, and room rates back to normal. The most comfortable stretch for mixing cities with hikes.
  • Winter (November to March): Cold, often foggy, with nights below freezing. Cities are cheap and quiet, while Kopaonik ski resort fills up and charges its highest rates.
Book beds around Guča at least a month ahead for festival week, and pack a warm layer even in June for evenings up on Tara.
Best known for:Known for: safety | uniqueness | low cost
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: €30 to €45
Togo
85

Togo

Mud tower houses, fetish markets and forested hills along a thin country.


Visit the clay tower homes of Koutammakou, browse Lomé’s fetish market, hike near Kpalimé and swim at Akloa Falls.
The best time for backpacking Togo is November to February, when rain stops nationwide, northern dirt roads are passable and prices hold steady. Region matters: the coast around Lomé gets two rainy seasons, while the savanna north of Kara gets one long one, May to October.
  • Dry season (November to February): Highs of 30 to 33°C, harmattan dust from December, cool northern nights. Prime time for Koutammakou and Fazao-Malfakassa.
  • Hot season (March to April): The north bakes near 38 to 40°C; the coast turns sticky.
  • Main rains (May to July): Heaviest on the coast in June, tracks turn to mud, few visitors, Kpalimé’s hills at their greenest.
  • Coastal lull and second rains (August to October): The coast dries briefly in August, then showers return. August is oddly busy, as diaspora families fly home.
Pack a buff for harmattan dust and a light rain shell for anything after April.
Best known for:Known for: uniqueness | low cost | scenery
Best time to visit: July - August, November - April
Daily cost: €20 to €35
United Kingdom
86

United Kingdom

Hike Highland ridges and lakeland fells, then end in a pub.


Walk Edinburgh’s old closes, tour Skye’s black ridges, hike the Lake District and Hadrian’s Wall, and see the basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway.
The best time for backpacking the United Kingdom is May, June and September, when days are long, the weather is at its most settled and hostel prices sit below the July and August school-holiday peak.
Regional differences are big for such a compact country. Southern England warms first and stays mildest, the west coast of Scotland and Wales gets far more rain than the east, and the Highlands and islands run a shorter season, with many remote B&Bs, cafés and ferry timetables scaling back from late October to around Easter.
  • Summer peak (July to August): Highs of 20 to 25°C in London and 17 to 20°C in Scotland, with heatwaves possible and rain never ruled out. English and Welsh schools are on holiday, so Cornwall, the Lake District and Skye fill up and dorm prices hit their yearly high. Biting midges plague the western Highlands. Everything is open and running on full timetables.
  • Shoulder season (April to June, September to early October): Highs of 12 to 20°C, long evenings and fewer coach tours. This is prime hiking weather for the long-distance trails, and prices drop noticeably outside Easter and the bank holiday weekends.
  • Low season (late October to March): Highs of 5 to 10°C, wind, frequent rain and snow on Scottish mountains. City hostels are at their cheapest and museums, pubs and theaters carry on as normal, while rural Scotland goes quiet and some seasonal attractions close. The anomaly is mid-February half-term: for one week, family attractions, ski slopes in the Cairngorms and countryside cottages get surprisingly busy in the dead of winter.
I’d book Edinburgh beds for August or New Year several months out, and pack a proper hooded waterproof shell in every season; umbrellas don’t survive a coastal gust.
Best known for:Known for: architecture | scenery | people
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €65 to €95 [visitbritain.com]
Malta
87

Malta

Pack temples, a baroque capital and sea caves into a few islands.


Enter St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, see the Ġgantija temples on Gozo, take a boat into the Blue Grotto and walk the Dingli Cliffs.
Late May, June, September and early October are the best months for backpacking Malta: daytime highs of 24 to 30°C, a sea warm enough to swim (20 to 26°C), and dorm prices well below the August spike. Malta and Gozo share the same weather, but Gozo stays quieter year-round, and Comino’s boats run a thinner schedule from November to March.
  • Peak summer (July to August): 31 to 34°C, almost no rain, packed beaches and the highest prices, with hostel dorms around €30 to 50. Best for swimming, night diving and nightlife.
  • Shoulder (April to June, September to October): warm and mostly dry, with fewer crowds and dorms at €20 to 35. The best time for coastal hiking, diving and island-hopping.
  • Winter (November to March): 10 to 18°C with most of the year’s rain. Rooms are cheapest (dorms from €15), and some beach kiosks and boat trips shut down.
Village festas, with brass bands, street processions and fireworks, run almost every weekend from June to September. Book August beds two months ahead, and pack a rain shell for winter.
Best known for:Known for: safety | architecture | beach life
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €45 to €70 [visitmalta.com]
Sweden
88

Sweden

Camp freely, paddle granite islands and hike beyond the Arctic Circle.


See the Vasa warship in Stockholm, walk Visby’s medieval wall, hike Abisko, climb Skuleberget on the High Coast and paddle the Bohuslän skerries.
The best time for backpacking Sweden is late May through mid-September, when days are long (with round-the-clock light in Lapland around midsummer), hostels and mountain huts are open, and September trims both crowds and room rates. Region matters a lot here: Skåne and Stockholm warm up weeks before Lapland, where trails stay snowbound into June and the aurora season runs roughly from September to March.
  • Summer (June to August): Highs of 20 to 25°C in the south and 15 to 18°C in Lapland, with midnight sun above the Arctic Circle until mid-July. This is peak season for the archipelago, Gotland and the Kungsleden, with dorm beds around 350 to 500 SEK (US$33 to 48). Oddly, July is when Stockholm empties of locals: Swedes leave for their summer cottages, some city restaurants close for weeks, and business hotels cut their rates.
  • Shoulder (May and September): Around 10 to 18°C, thinner crowds and lower prices. May brings blossom and long evenings; September brings autumn color on the fells and the first auroras, while some ferries and summer cafés run reduced timetables.
  • Dark season (October to November): Grey, wet and 0 to 10°C, with short days and little snow. The cheapest stretch, with many seasonal sights shut.
  • Winter (December to April): Around -5 to 2°C in Stockholm and -15 to -30°C in Kiruna. Aurora, dog sledding and skiing up north; ski resorts fill during the February school breaks.
I’d book STF mountain huts and any Lapland winter lodging months ahead, and pack a proper head net if you plan to hike the north in July, when mosquitoes peak.
Best known for:Known for: people | safety | mountains
Best time to visit: February, May - October
Daily cost: €60 to €90 [visitsweden.com]
Vanuatu
89

Vanuatu

Erupting volcano rims, sunken liners and custom fees for every trail.


Stand on Mount Yasur’s rim at night, dive the President Coolidge, swim at Champagne Beach and pay village fees while keeping a buffer day for flights.
The best time to backpack Vanuatu is May, June and October, when the dry season brings lower humidity, calmer weather and no cyclone risk, without the school-holiday crowds and peak prices of July to September. The north (Espiritu Santo, the Banks Islands) stays hotter and wetter year-round, while Tanna and the southern islands get cool nights from June to August.
  • Wet and cyclone season (November to April): Highs of 29 to 31°C, heavy downpours and real cyclone risk, peaking from January to March. Few visitors and some resort discounts on Efate, but dirt roads on Tanna and Santo turn to mud.
  • Shoulder months (May and October): Mostly dry, highs around 27°C, warm sea and fair prices. This is the best balance in the country.
  • Cool dry season (June to September): Highs of 24 to 26°C, steady southeast trade winds and choppier crossings. Australian and New Zealand families fill Port Vila during school holidays, so rooms cost more and sell out.
Travelers often underestimate how a single storm can ground domestic flights and inter-island ships for days. Keep 2 to 3 buffer days before your international departure, and pack a fleece for windy nights on the rim of Mount Yasur.
Best known for:Known for: safety | beach life | scenery
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: US$55 to 85 [vanuatu.travel]
Angola
90

Angola

Highland cliffs, huge waterfalls and Namib dunes, with Portuguese and patience required.


Take long roads from Lubango's Tundavala Gap to Kalandula Falls, black boulders at Pungo Andongo and Iona's desert dunes, with few other foreigners around.
May, June and September are the best months to backpack Angola. The rains have stopped, roads are drivable, skies are clearer than in midwinter, and you avoid the July and August spike in flight prices from Lisbon. Conditions vary by region. The Luanda and Namibe coast stays mild and dry for about half the year under the gray “cacimbo” haze. The central highlands around Huambo and Lubango get cold nights from June to August, and the far north (Uíge, Cabinda) stays wet longer than anywhere else.
  • Early dry season (May to June): Rains taper off through May, Luanda highs sit around 26 to 28°C (79 to 82°F), and Kalandula Falls still runs heavy from the wet months. There are few foreign visitors, prices are normal, and dirt roads in Malanje and the south dry out.
  • Cacimbo peak (July to August): Coastal skies turn overcast, highs drop to 22 to 24°C (72 to 75°F), and highland nights in Lubango can fall to 5°C (41°F) or below. Diaspora holidays push up airfares, and Lubango’s Festas da Nossa Senhora do Monte fill rooms in mid-August.
  • Late dry season (September to mid-October): The haze thins and temperatures climb. Wildlife in Kissama (Quiçama) National Park gathers near water, and prices ease after August.
  • Rainy season (mid-October to April): Expect hot, humid weather, with coastal highs of 30°C (86°F) and up. Luanda’s heaviest rain falls in March and April, with a smaller burst in November. The highlands get afternoon storms almost daily, and malaria risk peaks.
The risk people overlook is road damage. A single storm can wash out sections of unpaved routes and trigger rockfall on the Serra da Leba switchbacks, turning a 3-hour leg into an overnight stop. Pack a fleece and a warm layer even in the dry season, because mornings at Tundavala and in Huambo are colder than most travelers expect.
Best known for:Known for: people | beach life | low cost
Best time to visit: May - September
Daily cost: US$35 to 70 [numbeo.com]
Maldives
91

Maldives

Local-island guesthouses, manta rays and reef snorkeling, with Friday ferry gaps.


Visit Malé’s coral-stone mosque and fish market, snorkel with mantas at Hanifaru Bay, see whale sharks off Dhigurah and dive with tiger sharks at Fuvahmulah.
January to April is the best time for backpacking the Maldives, with the northeast monsoon bringing dry, sunny days and flat, clear water, though guesthouse rates and crowds peak too. The northern atolls run driest in these months, while the far south around Addu gets rain spread more evenly through the year.
  • Dry season (January to April): Sunshine, light winds and reef visibility often beyond 30 meters. Prices sit at their annual high.
  • Southwest monsoon (May to September): Squalls, choppy crossings and discounts of roughly 20 to 40 percent. Surf season runs strongest now. Mantas mass in Hanifaru Bay, Baa Atoll, mostly from July to September.
  • Shoulder (October to November): Unsettled weather that gradually clears, quiet islands, fair rates.
  • Holiday peak (December): Drier, but Christmas and New Year send prices soaring.
Pack a light rain shell any month, and keep a buffer day before your flight, since ferries and speedboats bend to the weather.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | wildlife | safety
Best time to visit: August, October - April
Daily cost: US$70 to 110
Slovakia
92

Slovakia

Catch regional trains to Tatra peaks, gorge ladders and castles.


Hike the High Tatras, climb ladders through Slovak Paradise, visit Spiš Castle and the mining town of Banská Štiavnica and walk Bardejov’s square.
September is the best month for backpacking Slovakia: every mountain trail is still open, lowland days sit around 18 to 23°C, and summer crowds and bed prices drop once Slovak schools restart. Timing matters most in the mountains. In the High Tatras, trails above the mountain huts close from 1 November to 15 June, so the classic ridge hikes only work for about four and a half months, while Bratislava and the Little Carpathian wine villages stay pleasant from May into October.
  • Peak summer (July to August): Lowland highs of 26 to 32°C with heatwaves past 35°C, afternoon thunderstorms in the Tatras, sold-out huts and packed paths around Štrbské Pleso. Festivals and every trail are on, at the year’s highest prices.
  • Shoulder (mid-June and September to October): The same open trails with far fewer people, cooler hiking weather and cheaper beds. October adds golden larches and the first snow up high.
  • Spring (March to mid-June): Mild and often wet, with snow on high trails into June. Cities, caves and spa towns work; the alpine Tatras stay off limits.
  • Winter (November to February): Short gray days, around 0°C in Bratislava and far colder in the mountains. Ski resorts like Jasná fill up while many castles and rural sights close.
Book Tatras mountain huts (chaty) several weeks ahead for summer weekends, and pack a rain shell even in September.
Best known for:Known for: safety | backpackers | architecture
Best time to visit: June - October
Daily cost: €45 to €65 [slovakia.travel]
American Samoa
93

American Samoa

Steep green islands run by village chiefs, with almost no tourists.


Snorkel the lagoon at Ofu Beach, climb the ladders of Mount Alava above Pago Pago and fit your days around village customs.
The best time to visit American Samoa is June to September, when southeast trade winds cut the humidity, rain eases and cyclone risk is close to zero, while prices barely move because the territory never draws real tourist crowds. Regional differences come down to two things: Pago Pago Harbor on Tutuila stays wet year-round under Rainmaker Mountain, and the Manu’a Islands depend on sea and sky, since boats and small planes cancel in rough weather.
  • Dry season (June to September): Highs of 28 to 30°C, fewer downpours and the best hiking in the National Park. Humpback whales arrive from about July. Honolulu flights fill with diaspora families.
  • Shoulder (May and October): Warm, occasional showers, easier fares and empty trails.
  • Wet and cyclone season (November to April): Hot, sticky, heavy afternoon rain, cyclone risk peaking January to March. Christmas fares spike.
Seats on the twice-weekly Honolulu flight sell out first, so lock that in before booking a room.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | safety | scenery
Best time to visit: April - December
Daily cost: US$90 to 140
Curaçao
94

Curaçao

Dutch-colored harbor town and snorkeling coves on a dry island.


Cross Willemstad’s floating bridge, watch waves crash at Shete Boka, snorkel turtle-filled coves and climb the island’s highest hill before the heat arrives.
May and June are the best months for backpacking Curaçao, with dry, breezy weather, thin crowds after the North American winter rush and room rates well below peak levels. The island is small, so the weather barely changes by region, though the windward north coast and Christoffel National Park in the west catch more wind and passing showers than the sheltered southern beaches.
  • Peak season (mid-December to mid-April): Highs of 28 to 31°C, a steady breeze and cruise ships lining up in Willemstad. Rooms cost the most, and beaches like Grote Knip fill by late morning.
  • Shoulder season (mid-April to June): Dry, windy and quiet, with rates often 20 to 30 percent lower than in winter.
  • Summer (July to September): Dutch school holidays pack the beaches in July and August. September turns hot and still, which gives divers the calmest water.
  • Rainy season (October to early December): Short, heavy showers and the lowest prices of the year. Curaçao sits south of the main hurricane track.
Book beds for Carnival weeks two to three months ahead.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | safety | people
Best time to visit: November - August
Daily cost: US$70 to 110 [curacao.com]
Faroe Islands
95

Faroe Islands

Hike grass-roofed villages, waterfalls and puffin cliffs in Atlantic weather.


Watch Múlafossur drop into the sea, find puffins on Mykines, walk to Kallur Lighthouse and visit the turf-roofed farms of Kirkjubøur and Saksun.
The best time to go backpacking in the Faroe Islands is May, June and September, when trails are snow-free, daylight runs long and hostels have beds left, while July and August bring the mildest weather but the tightest bookings and highest prices. Region matters mostly for access: Mykines and the northern islands (Kalsoy, Kunoy, Viðoy) depend on ferries, helicopters and clear weather, so their window is narrower than Tórshavn’s.
  • Peak summer (July to August): 10 to 13°C, fog and drizzle common, full ferries, dorm beds around DKK 350 to 500 (US$50 to 72). Puffins on Mykines, festivals, every trail open.
  • Shoulder (May to June, September): 7 to 12°C, up to 20 hours of light in June, calmer trails, slightly lower rates.
  • Winter (October to April): 3 to 6°C, gales, 5 to 7 hours of daylight in December, few visitors, reduced ferry and bus schedules, some guesthouses shut.
Late July is the anomaly: Ólavsøka on 28 and 29 July packs Tórshavn, so book beds months ahead and pack a waterproof shell regardless of month.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | uniqueness | safety
Best time to visit: May - September
Daily cost: €95 to €140 [visitfaroeislands.com]
New Caledonia
96

New Caledonia

Barrier reef, kauri forest and Kanak culture at French prices.


Wade into Oro Bay on the Isle of Pines, look for the kagu in Blue River park and visit Nouméa’s Tjibaou Cultural Center, with a budget for island costs.
The best time to go backpacking in New Caledonia is September to November, when rain is at its lowest, the lagoon is warming up and local school-holiday crowds haven’t arrived. Region matters: the windward east coast of Grande Terre gets far more rain than the drier west coast, while the Loyalty Islands run slightly warmer than Nouméa.
  • Hot, wet season (December to March): 28 to 32°C, sticky humidity, heavy downpours and cyclone risk. Local summer holidays pack the islands until late January and prices rise. Warmest water for diving.
  • Transition (April to May): Rain eases, 23 to 28°C, few visitors, fair prices.
  • Cool season (June to August): 18 to 24°C days, chilly mountain nights, strong trade winds. Prime hiking, plus humpback whales from mid-July.
  • Dry season (September to November): Sunny, calmer, quiet. Excellent for nearly everything.
Cyclone season officially runs November to April, and floods can cut low-water crossings on east coast roads and cancel ferries and small flights for days. Book Isle of Pines and Loyalty Islands flights early for December and January, and pack a fleece for winter nights.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | scenery | safety
Best time to visit: March - November
Daily cost: €70 to €110
Germany
97

Germany

Link Gothic cathedrals, Rhine castles and sandstone towers by train.


Climb Cologne Cathedral, wander Rhine villages, drink smoked beer in Bamberg and hike the Elbe sandstone towers and the Königssee.
The best time for backpacking Germany is late May through June and September, when afternoons sit around 18 to 24°C, beer gardens and mountain huts are open, and hostel prices stay below the July and August school-holiday peak. Regions run on slightly different clocks: the Bavarian Alps lag the lowlands by several weeks, with high trails often snowbound until mid-June, while the North Sea and Baltic coasts stay cooler and windier than Munich or Freiburg in every month.
  • Spring (April to May): Changeable weather, from 12°C hail showers to 20°C beer-garden afternoons in the same week. Crowds stay moderate except over Easter and the May public-holiday long weekends, when trains and dorms fill. Rhine and Elbe boat services restart, and the Black Forest and Saxon Switzerland are green and quiet.
  • Summer (June to August): Highs of 22 to 28°C, with heat waves above 30°C and sharp evening thunderstorms. School holidays are staggered by state, so from July the coasts, lakes and Alps are busy and dorms in Berlin or Munich climb to roughly €30 to 45. Long evenings, lake swimming and open-air everything.
  • Autumn (September to October): Settled, mellow weather that cools from about 20°C to 12°C, grape harvests along the Mosel and Rhine, and thinner crowds outside Munich, where Oktoberfest can push a dorm bed past €80. Alpine huts close in early to mid October.
  • Winter (November to March): Grey, damp and 0 to 6°C, with barely eight hours of daylight in the north. Christmas markets fill late November to December 23; January and February bring the year’s lowest prices, skiing around Garmisch, and shuttered Baltic resorts.
One window is short and specific: white asparagus season, roughly mid-April until June 24, when every menu from Schwetzingen to Beelitz serves Spargel with hollandaise. If Oktoberfest or a Christmas market city falls in your dates, book beds three to four months ahead, and pack a waterproof shell whatever the month.
Best known for:Known for: architecture | safety | mountains
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €55 to €85 [germany.travel]
Nicaragua
98

Nicaragua

Board down a volcano, then rest in colonial courtyards.


Slide down Cerro Negro on a plywood board, climb Ometepe’s twin volcanoes, tour Granada’s ochre streets and swim through Somoto Canyon.
The best time for backpacking Nicaragua is late November through February, when the Pacific side is dry, the landscape is still partly green and daytime highs sit around 29 to 32°C instead of the brutal heat of spring. The Caribbean coast runs on its own clock: the Corn Islands see showers most of the year, with the steadiest sunshine from about February to April.
  • Dry season (November to April): Clear skies, dusty roads and strong offshore winds on the southern Pacific beaches from December to March. Prices peak over Christmas and New Year. Prime time for climbing Concepción on Ometepe and sandboarding Cerro Negro, though March and April push León toward 36 to 38°C.
  • Early wet season (May to June): Afternoon storms turn the hills green within weeks while mornings stay mostly clear. Crowds thin and many guesthouses cut rates by 10 to 30 percent.
  • Late wet season (July to October): A drier spell, the “canícula”, often arrives mid-July to mid-August. September and October then bring the heaviest rain, washed-out dirt roads and hurricane risk in the Caribbean. Big south swells draw experienced surfers, and olive ridley turtles nest at La Flor.
The odd one out is Semana Santa, the week before Easter: Nicaraguans flood every beach, buses overflow and coastal rooms sell out, so book that week well ahead. For the wet months I’d pack a light rain shell and quick-dry clothes over an umbrella, since the storms blow in sideways.
Best known for:Known for: low cost | wildlife
Best time to visit: June - August, November - April
Daily cost: US$30 to 45 [visitanicaragua.com]
Belgium
99

Belgium

Hop between medieval canal towns, guildhall squares and war memorials.


Climb the Bruges belfry, see the Ghent Altarpiece, stand at Ypres for the evening Last Post and walk through the Han caves.
June and September are the best months for backpacking Belgium: daytime highs of roughly 18 to 22°C, long evenings, and dorm beds that cost less than in July and August, when school holidays fill Bruges and the coast. Regional differences are small but real. The Ardennes in the southeast runs a few degrees colder and wetter than Brussels or Flanders, with snow possible in winter, while the North Sea coast lives for summer and goes quiet from October.
  • Shoulder season (May, June and September): Mild, changeable weather, manageable crowds outside long weekends, dorm beds around €25 to 40. Best for train city-hopping, cycling in Flanders and hiking the Ardennes.
  • Summer peak (July and August): Warmest (highs 22 to 25°C, occasional heatwaves above 30°C), busiest and priciest, with a festival nearly every weekend and the coast full.
  • Spring and autumn edges (March, April and October): Cool, showery and cheaper, with bluebells in April and copper forests in the Ardennes in October.
  • Winter (November to February): Gray and damp at 2 to 7°C, around eight hours of daylight in December, low prices except near Christmas markets. Ardennes kayak rentals and many outdoor sights close.
The risk people overlook is summer closures: many family restaurants and small shops shut for two to three weeks of annual holiday in July or August, so check before crossing town for a specific brasserie. In any month I would pack a compact umbrella and a waterproof shell, since rain falls on roughly 12 to 16 days a month all year.
Best known for:Known for: safety | architecture | food
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €60 to €95 [visitflanders.com]
Estonia
100

Estonia

Skip the capital’s crowds for bogs, forests and island castles.


Walk Tallinn’s medieval lanes, then boardwalk across Lahemaa’s bogs, canoe the floods of Soomaa and visit Saaremaa’s castle and the Tartu museum.
June and September are the best months for backpacking Estonia: June gives you 18-hour days and Midsummer bonfires before peak July prices, while September keeps mild 12 to 18°C days with thinner crowds and cheaper beds. The islands and west coast warm up later in spring but stay milder into autumn, and the hilly southeast around Otepää holds the most reliable snow.
  • Winter (December to March): -3 to -8°C, short days, low prices; skiing around Otepää, while many island guesthouses close.
  • Spring (April to May): 3 to 17°C, muddy trails, quiet and cheap; in Soomaa National Park the “fifth season” floods (usually late March to April) let you canoe through flooded forest.
  • Summer (June to August): 18 to 23°C highs, white nights, festivals, full ferries and the year’s highest dorm prices; July and August are also the wettest months.
  • Autumn (September to November): crisp then gray and rainy, prices falling fast, seasonal island cafes shutting.
Pack a rain shell in every month, summer included.
Best known for:Known for: safety | architecture | low cost
Best time to visit: May - October
Daily cost: €45 to €70
Cook Islands
101

Cook Islands

A small island ring road, a volcanic spine hike and a turquoise lagoon.


Cross Rarotonga to Te Rua Manga, browse the Saturday market in Avarua and snorkel Aitutaki’s lagoon, using hostels and the island bus.
The best time for backpacking the Cook Islands is May, June, September and October, when the dry season brings highs of 25 to 26°C, low humidity and cheaper flights than the New Zealand school holidays. Rarotonga and Aitutaki follow the same pattern. The remote Northern Group atolls stay hot and sticky all year.
  • Wet season (November to April): Highs near 29°C, heavy afternoon downpours and cyclone risk, worst January to March. Quiet and cheaper outside Christmas.
  • Dry shoulder (May to June, September to October): Sunny, breezy days, calm lagoons and the best value. Prime time for Rarotonga’s Cross-Island Track.
  • Peak dry (July to August): Coolest nights (around 18°C) and the busiest weeks, as New Zealand and Australian families arrive. Te Maeva Nui festival fills Avarua in late July and early August, and humpback whales pass the reef from July to October.
Pack a light fleece for dry-season evenings, and book July flights from Auckland months ahead.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | safety
Best time to visit: May - October, December
Daily cost: US$55 to 85
French Polynesia
102

French Polynesia

Family pensions, shark-filled passes and lagoons across far-apart islands.


Drift through Fakarava’s south pass, hike Moorea’s ridges and visit Raiatea’s marae, staying with host families and keeping the island count low.
The best time to go backpacking in French Polynesia is May, September or October, when the dry season brings sunshine and calmer seas but the July and August holiday crowds and price spikes are either not yet here or already gone. The Society Islands and Tuamotus follow this pattern closely, the Austral Islands run noticeably cooler in winter, and the Marquesas keep a less predictable rain calendar of their own.
  • Wet season (November to March): Hot, humid, 30 to 31°C, with heavy downpours and the year’s cyclone risk. Fewer visitors, softer pension rates outside the Christmas holidays.
  • Shoulder (April to May): Rain tapering off, greener islands, quieter lagoons, decent availability.
  • Dry peak (June to August): Around 27 to 28°C, low humidity, the Heiva festival, top prices.
  • Late dry (September to October): Settled weather, humpback whales, thinning crowds.
The overlooked risk is the “maraamu”, a strong southeast trade wind from June to August that can cancel lagoon tours and turn ferry crossings rough. If you travel in July or August, book Air Tahiti flights and family pensions three to four months ahead.
Best known for:Known for: beach life | safety
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €75 to €120 [tahititourisme.com]
Aruba
103

Aruba

A dry, cactus-studded island with calm beaches and a mural town.


Explore Arikok’s desert trails and caves, ride a 4x4 to Conchi’s natural pool, view murals in San Nicolas and relax on Eagle Beach.
The best time to go backpacking in Aruba is January to April, when trade winds keep the heat in check, rain is close to zero and Carnival fills the streets, though bed prices run highest. The island sits south of the main hurricane belt, so seasons shift less than elsewhere in the Caribbean. The windward north and east coasts stay rough all year, while the Eagle Beach and Palm Beach side stays calm.
  • Peak season (mid-December to mid-April): Highs around 29°C (84°F), a steady breeze, the busiest beaches and top rates. Carnival parades in Oranjestad and San Nicolas peak in the weeks before Ash Wednesday.
  • Windy summer (May to August): Strong trade winds, highs near 31°C (88°F) and low-season rates. June and July are prime windsurfing months at Fisherman’s Huts.
  • Hot, short wet season (September to November): The weakest wind, highs up to 32°C (90°F), brief showers mostly in October and November, the calmest water for diving and the fewest visitors.
Book Carnival and Christmas-week beds two to three months ahead, since the cheaper guesthouses fill first.
Best known for:Known for: safety | beach life
Best time to visit: December - August
Daily cost: US$90 to 150
Latvia
104

Latvia

Wander Art Nouveau streets, market hangars and quiet Baltic bogs.


Browse Riga’s zeppelin-hangar market, walk Alberta iela, see Kuldīga’s wide waterfall, visit Turaida Castle and cross the Ķemeri bog boardwalk.
The best time for backpacking Latvia is late May to mid-June and September, when highs sit around 15 to 22°C, days are long and Riga hostels cost less than in the July rush. Riga and the Jūrmala coast feel the summer peak hardest; Gauja National Park and the Latgale lakes stay calm all year.
  • Summer (June to August): Highs of 20 to 25°C, near-white nights in June, beach season in Jūrmala and Liepāja, and the year’s top dorm prices (roughly €18 to 30 in Riga). July and August are the wettest months, mostly as thunderstorms.
  • Autumn (September to November): Gold forests, then grey drizzle and 0 to 7°C by November, when many seaside guesthouses and canoe rentals close.
  • Winter (December to March): Usually −2 to −7°C, snow inland, the lowest room rates.
  • Spring (April to May): Slush gives way to blossom and returning birds.
On 23 and 24 June the whole country stops for Jāņi: shops shut, buses thin out and rural rooms sell out weeks ahead, so book early and carry mosquito repellent for bog walks.
Best known for:Known for: safety | low cost
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €40 to €60 [latvia.travel]
Réunion
105

Réunion

Volcano craters and helicopter-supplied villages inside giant green cirques.


Hike the Piton de la Fournaise, overnight in Mafate’s gîtes, climb Piton des Neiges before dawn and browse Saint-Paul’s weekend market.
The best time for backpacking Réunion is May to October, when the cool dry season brings clear trail mornings, no cyclone risk and lower fares outside July and August. Region matters: the windward east coast and Plaine des Palmistes get rain year-round, while the leeward west around Saint-Gilles stays sunny even in summer.
  • Hot season (December to March): 30 to 33°C on the coast, heavy afternoon downpours and a cyclone risk that peaks January to March. Trails in Mafate and Cilaos can close for days after storms. December and January are unexpectedly packed because local school holidays and families flying in from mainland France push fares up.
  • Shoulder months (April and November): humidity fading or building, green cirques, moderate prices.
  • Cool dry season (May to October): 24 to 27°C on the coast and near-freezing nights on Piton des Neiges. This is prime hiking time, with whales from June. July and August bring peak prices, and September offers the best mix of dry weather and lower prices.
Book mountain gîtes such as Caverne Dufour weeks ahead and pack a warm down layer.
Best known for:Known for: scenery | safety
Best time to visit: April - November
Daily cost: €55 to €90 [en.reunion.fr]
Barbados
106

Barbados

Fish fries, rum, surf breaks and shipwrecks to snorkel.


Eat grilled flying fish at Oistins, descend into Harrison’s Cave, surf Bathsheba’s Atlantic waves and snorkel Carlisle Bay’s wrecks and turtles.
The best months for backpacking Barbados are May and mid-November to mid-December, when the weather is mostly dry, beaches are quieter and room rates run well below the Christmas-to-Easter peak. The sheltered west coast has calm water almost year-round, while the Atlantic-facing east coast around Bathsheba gets heavy surf, stronger wind and more passing showers in every season.
  • Peak dry season (mid-December to mid-April): Sunny, breezy, highs around 28 to 30°C and the lowest humidity. Cruise passengers, full hotels and the year’s highest prices.
  • Shoulder (May, and mid-November to mid-December): Mostly dry, thinner crowds and noticeably cheaper rooms.
  • Wet season (June to mid-November): Hot and humid with short, heavy downpours and hurricane risk peaking August to October. Lowest prices, though some west coast restaurants close in September. Crop Over climaxes with Grand Kadooment on the first Monday of August.
If you’re coming for Crop Over, book your room by spring, because south coast guesthouses fill first.
Best known for:Known for: safety | beach life
Best time to visit: August, November - May
Daily cost: US$75 to 120
Denmark
107

Denmark

Cycle flat coasts, chalk cliffs and design museums.


Stand where two seas meet at Grenen, descend the chalk cliffs of Møns Klint and visit Hamlet’s castle and the art museums of Louisiana and Aarhus.
The best time for backpacking Denmark is late May to mid-June and early September, when days are long, highs reach 15 to 21°C, and hostel prices sit below their July peak. The country is small and flat, so regional differences come down mostly to wind and rain. The west coast of Jutland takes North Sea weather head-on, while Copenhagen, Zealand and Bornholm tend to stay a little drier and sunnier.
  • Peak summer (late June to mid-August): Highs of 19 to 23°C, up to 17.5 hours of daylight, festivals and harbor swimming. Danes take their own holidays in July, so beaches, campsites and island ferries fill up, and Copenhagen dorm beds often top DKK 400 (US$60).
  • Shoulder season (May, early June, September): Highs of 14 to 19°C, thinner crowds and everything open, including Tivoli. This is the best balance of price and weather.
  • Spring and autumn (April, October): Cool, with highs of 8 to 13°C and frequent October rain. Beds are cheaper, and some seasonal attractions are still opening or already closing.
  • Winter (November to March): Around 0 to 5°C under grey skies. Prices are at their lowest outside Christmas.
Wind is the main planning risk. Autumn and winter storms can delay or cancel ferries to Bornholm, Ærø and Fanø, so leave a buffer day. I’d pack a proper windproof rain shell in every season, because Danish showers tend to arrive sideways.
Best known for:Known for: safety
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €65 to €100
French Guiana
108

French Guiana

Rocket launches, convict ruins and nesting turtles in a euro-priced rainforest.


Visit the Îles du Salut penal islands, tour the space center in Kourou, sleep in the Kaw marshes and watch leatherbacks nest.
September and October are the best months for backpacking French Guiana: the long dry season brings the most sunshine, the calmest seas and low post-holiday fares. The coast from Cayenne to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni dries out first, while the interior around Saül stays damper, and by November low rivers can slow pirogue trips on the upper Maroni.
  • Long dry season (August to November): highs of 31 to 33°C, brief showers, firm forest trails and few visitors once mid-August passes.
  • Short rainy season (December to February): regular downpours, Carnival weekends in Cayenne and Christmas fare spikes from Paris.
  • Little March summer (March): an unreliable dry spell of a week or two.
  • Main rainy season (April to July): the wettest stretch, worst in May and June, with muddy tracks and choppy crossings. Leatherback turtles nest at night on Awala-Yalimapo beach, mostly April to July.
Pack a light rain shell in every month, and book July and August flights early.
Best known for:Known for: safety
Best time to visit: April, August - January
Daily cost: €60 to €100
Guernsey
109

Guernsey

Walk a tiny island’s cliff paths, coves and occupation relics.


Follow the south coast path past Petit Bôt Bay, tour Castle Cornet and Victor Hugo’s house, and explore the German Underground Hospital.
The best months for backpacking Guernsey are June and September, when highs sit around 18 to 19°C, the cliff paths are dry and room rates stay below the late-July and August peak. The island is too small for real regional climate differences, but the south coast cliffs give shelter from westerlies while the flat west coast takes the full force of the wind.
  • Summer peak (June to August): Highs of 18 to 20°C, long evenings, school-holiday crowds and the year’s highest prices from late July. Campsites, Herm boats and beach kiosks all run fully.
  • Shoulder (April, May, September and October): Highs of 13 to 18°C, quiet paths and softer rates. September has the warmest sea.
  • Winter (November to March): Highs of 8 to 11°C, gales, closed campsites and thin Herm and Sark sailings, but the lowest rates.
Sea fog is the main travel risk. In spring and early summer it can ground flights at Guernsey Airport for hours, so leave a buffer day before onward connections and pack a windproof layer whatever the month.
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €85 to €120
Jersey
110

Jersey

Cross tidal flats to castles, tunnels and a Neolithic tomb.


Visit Mont Orgueil and the German Occupation tunnels, duck into the La Hougue Bie tomb, and watch the sunset at Corbière Lighthouse.
The best time to go backpacking in Jersey is May, June and September, when highs run 16 to 20°C, the cliff paths are dry and rooms cost less than in the late July and August school-holiday rush. The south and east coasts around St Aubin and Gorey are far more sheltered than the cliff-lined north or the wind-exposed surf beach of St Ouen’s Bay in the west, so save exposed walks for calm days.
  • Summer peak (July to August): Highs of 20 to 22°C, the warmest sea of the year, full campsites and the highest prices.
  • Shoulder (April to June, September to October): Mild, often sunny, with heritage sites open and far fewer visitors.
  • Winter (November to March): Highs of 8 to 11°C, gales and rain. Many beach kiosks and campsites close, but rates hit their lowest.
Spring and early summer sea fog is the risk people ignore. It can ground flights at Jersey Airport for hours, and winter gales cancel ferries. Book flexible tickets and leave a buffer day before onward connections.
Best time to visit: March - October
Daily cost: €70 to €100
Liechtenstein
111

Liechtenstein

Spend days hiking ledge trails above the Rhine valley.


Walk the cabled Fürstensteig, take the chairlift above Malbun, visit Vaduz’s art museum and taste the Prince’s Pinot Noir below the castle.
September and early October are the best months for backpacking Liechtenstein: stable weather, mountain huts still open, summer day-trippers gone and rooms easier to book. The Rhine valley around Vaduz and Schaan (about 450 meters) stays mild and walkable most of the year. The uplands around Malbun and Steg (1,300 to 1,600 meters) switch between ski area and hiking country.
  • Summer (June to August): Valley highs of 22 to 26°C, frequent afternoon thunderstorms, coach groups in Vaduz at midday and peak room prices. High huts such as the Pfälzerhütte open from around mid-June.
  • Autumn shoulder (September to October): Clear days, yellowing larches and cattle coming down from the alpine pastures, at lower rates than summer.
  • Winter (December to March): Grey valley at 0 to 5°C, skiing in Malbun, high trails closed. School-holiday weeks cost the most.
  • Spring (April to May): Blossoming valley, snow above 1,500 meters into late May, huts shut, cheapest beds.
Pack a warm layer year-round, since Malbun runs about 7°C cooler than Vaduz.
Best known for:Known for: safety
Best time to visit: April - October
Daily cost: €75 to €110
Mayotte
112

Mayotte

A huge coral lagoon with turtles, whales and volcanic hikes.


Snorkel with green turtles at N’Gouja, climb Mont Choungui, walk the crater lake on Petite-Terre and boat to the Îlot de Sable Blanc.
The best time for backpacking Mayotte is May to early October, the dry “kusini” season, when southeast trade winds keep days around 26 to 29°C, trails firm up and crowds stay thin outside July and August. Rain hits the northern hills and the interior around Mount Bénara harder than Petite-Terre and the southeast, so coastal stays in the drier east are the safer bet in shoulder months.
  • Wet season (December to March): hot (30 to 32°C), humid, with heavy thunderstorms and the island’s cyclone window. Very few visitors and softer guesthouse rates, but muddy trails and murky water after big storms.
  • Shoulder (April and November): shorter showers, warm sea, low prices and empty beaches.
  • Dry season (May to October): clear skies, nights near 20°C, humpback whales from July to October. July and August school holidays push airfares to their yearly high and fill villages with wedding guests.
Book July and August flights and rental cars three to four months ahead, and pack a light rain shell whatever the month.
Best known for:Known for: safety
Best time to visit: April - December
Daily cost: €65 to €100 [mayotte-tourisme.com]

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