When to go where: a month-by-month guide for 2026

The single question we hear most is simply when. The honest answer is that almost everywhere has a window where it shows you its best face – and another where it tests your patience. Here is how we think about the calendar.

Spring (March to May)

Japan’s cherry blossom gets the headlines, and deservedly so, but book early – the bloom lasts barely a week and the whole country moves for it. This is also the sweet spot for the Mediterranean before the summer crowds, and for trekking in Nepal before the monsoon.

Summer (June to August)

Head north or head high. The Alps are glorious, Iceland never gets dark, and the East African plains fill with the Great Migration. Avoid Southeast Asia unless you genuinely enjoy humidity with a side of afternoon downpour.

Shoulder season is the secret

If you can travel in late September or October, do. Prices soften, the light turns golden, and you get places almost to yourself. It is, quietly, when most of our team takes their own holidays.