Vol. 1 · Summer 2026
Independent travel journalism
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Where to travel in September
Every country scored for the month you can actually travel.
When are you free? Click a month, or drag across several
Jan
J
Feb
F
Mar
M
Apr
A
May
M
Jun
J
Jul
J
Aug
A
Sept
S
Oct
O
Nov
N
Dec
D
Beach
Hiking
City
Photography
Budget
Low crowds
Visa-free for my passport
Your passport
United States
Temperature you want
+
ZW
ZM
YE
VN
VE
VA
VU
UZ
UY
FM
MH
MP
VI
GU
AS
PR
US
GS
SH
PN
AI
FK
KY
BM
VG
TC
MS
JE
GG
IM
GB
AE
UA
UG
TM
TR
TN
TT
TO
TG
TL
TH
TZ
TJ
SY
CH
SE
SZ
SR
SS
SD
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TD
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BO
BT
BJ
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AU
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SX
TV
Prime
Good
Mixed
Challenging
214 curated guides · the rest scored from climate normals
Best this month
96
Zambia
Curated
95
Albania
Curated
Warm sea, empty beaches and the mountains still open — the best month.
95
Armenia
Curated
The best month — warm, clear and the wine harvest under way.
95
Austria
Curated
The best month — stable mountain weather and thinner crowds.
95
Croatia
Curated
Warm sea, thinning crowds and harvest inland.
95
France
Curated
The best month — warm sea, harvest season, and the crowds gone.
95
Georgia
Curated
The best month — warm, clear, and the Kakheti wine harvest.
95
Greece
Curated
Warmest sea of the year with the crowds gone.
95
Italy
Curated
Heat easing, sea still warm and the harvest under way.
95
Moldova
Curated
Harvest season — the best time to be in wine country.
95
Montenegro
Curated
Warm sea, thinning crowds and the mountains still open.
95
Namibia
Curated
Warming, with game viewing at its most concentrated.
95
Portugal
Curated
Warm sea, Douro harvest and the crowds gone.
95
Slovakia
Curated
The best month — stable weather, autumn colour and thinner crowds.
95
Slovenia
Curated
Mild, golden and quieter — an excellent month.
95
South Africa
Curated
Superb — dry bush, whales, wildflowers and warming days.
95
Spain
Curated
Heat breaking, sea warm and the harvest under way.
95
Switzerland
Curated
The best month — stable weather, clear air and thinner crowds.
95
Tanzania
Curated
Dry, excellent game viewing and the best mountain weather.
95
Turkey
Curated
Warmest sea of the year with the heat easing.
95
Zimbabwe
Curated
94
Niue
Curated
94
Réunion
Curated
94
Tonga
Curated
93
Cook Islands
Curated
93
Fiji
Curated
93
French Polynesia
Curated
93
Mozambique
Curated
93
Western Sahara
Curated
92
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Curated
Mild, golden and quiet — an excellent month.
92
Bulgaria
Curated
Warm sea, thinning crowds and harvest inland.
92
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Curated
92
Comoros
Curated
92
Cyprus
Curated
Warmest sea of the year with the heat easing.
92
Czech Republic
Curated
Mild, golden, and Moravian wine festivals — an excellent month.
92
Eswatini
Curated
92
Gabon
Curated
92
Hungary
Curated
Mild, golden, and harvest season in Tokaj.
92
Jersey
Curated
92
Mayotte
Curated
92
New Caledonia
Curated
92
North Macedonia
Curated
Warm lake, thinning crowds and harvest — an excellent month.
92
Papua New Guinea
Curated
92
Romania
Curated
Mild, golden and quieter — an excellent month.
92
Samoa
Curated
92
San Marino
Curated
Warm, clear and thinning out.
92
Serbia
Curated
Mild, golden and harvest season — an excellent month.
92
Vanuatu
Curated
91
Guernsey
Curated
91
Solomon Islands
Curated
90
American Samoa
Curated
90
Azerbaijan
Curated
Heat breaking into excellent conditions, with harvest under way.
90
Belgium
Curated
Mild, golden and quieter — the best month.
90
China
Curated
The heat breaks and the skies clear; excellent nationwide.
90
Germany
Curated
Mild and golden; Oktoberfest opens in Munich mid-month.
90
Iceland
Curated
Autumn colour, aurora returning and the crowds gone.
90
Indonesia
Curated
Still dry with crowds thinning — the best balance of the year.
90
Ireland
Curated
Mild, quieter and often the driest month on the west coast.
90
Kazakhstan
Curated
The best month — warm, clear and golden across the country.
90
Morocco
Curated
Heat easing and excellent conditions returning.
90
Netherlands
Curated
Mild, golden and quieter — an excellent month.
90
Norway
Curated
Autumn colour on the plateau and the aurora returning — superb.
90
Pakistan
Curated
Stable, clear mountain weather — the best month overall for the north.
90
Poland
Curated
Mild, golden and quieter — an excellent month.
90
Rwanda
Curated
90
Timor-Leste
Curated
Cetacean season continues; reliable weather for the districts.
90
United Kingdom
Curated
Warm, quieter and midge-free — arguably the best month of all.
90
Uzbekistan
Curated
Heat breaking, melon season at its peak, skies clear.
90
Vatican City
Curated
Heat easing and crowds thinning — an excellent month.
90
Wallis and Futuna
Curated
88
Christmas Island
Curated
88
Gibraltar
Curated
88
Iran
Curated
Heat easing and excellent conditions returning.
88
Isle of Man
Curated
88
Nauru
Curated
88
Pitcairn Islands
Curated
88
São Tomé and Príncipe
Curated
88
Syria
Curated
Heat easing and excellent conditions returning.
88
Tunisia
Curated
88
Tuvalu
Curated
88
Ukraine
Curated
Mild, golden and harvest season.
88
United States
Curated
The best month: settled weather, open parks, vanished crowds.
86
Norfolk Island
Curated
86
Tokelau
Curated
85
Afghanistan
Curated
The heat breaks into clear, dry, stable weather.
85
French Guiana
Curated
The driest month.
85
Kyrgyzstan
Curated
Clear and golden early; camps begin folding by month's end.
85
Mongolia
Curated
Clear, cool and golden — the best light of the year.
85
North Korea
Curated
Rain ends, air clears; National Day on 9 September.
85
Tajikistan
Curated
Clear and golden; the last dependable weeks on the plateau.
85
Turkmenistan
Curated
Heat breaking into clear, warm, dry weather.
82
Canada
Curated
Golden larches, elk rut, thin crowds — the connoisseur’s month.
82
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Curated
82
Seychelles
Curated
82
Suriname
Curated
Dry and dependable — interior at its most accessible.
80
Denmark
Curated
Mild and golden — the last comfortable coastal weeks.
80
Finland
Curated
Ruska autumn colour in Lapland and the aurora returning.
80
Guyana
Curated
Prime season: dry trails, concentrated wildlife, every route open.
80
Peru
Curated
Dry weather holds, crowds thin — excellent trekking month.
80
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Curated
78
Belarus
Curated
Mild and golden, with the bison rut in the forest.
78
Brazil
Curated
Wildlife still superb; interior heat and burning-season haze can build.
78
Estonia
Curated
Mild and golden, with the bog colours at their most spectacular.
78
Russia
Curated
Golden autumn, cooling fast in the north.
75
Aruba
Curated
Least wind and the warmest sea.
75
Bolivia
Curated
Still dry, warming, crowds gone — a sweet spot.
75
Curaçao
Curated
The quietest month on the island.
75
Ecuador
Curated
Dry season holds; crowds thin noticeably.
75
Greenland
Curated
Autumn colour, first aurora, prices easing.
75
Latvia
Curated
Mild and golden as the forest colour begins.
75
Lithuania
Curated
Mild and golden as the autumn colour begins.
75
Malaysia
Curated
Still good, though regional haze can affect the west coast in bad years.
75
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Curated
Crisp, quiet and still open.
75
South Korea
Curated
Heat breaking, though Chuseok closes much of the country for days.
75
Sweden
Curated
Autumn colour in Lapland and the aurora returning.
74
Ethiopia
Curated
74
Faroe Islands
Curated
74
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Curated
72
Israel
Curated
Heat easing, though the autumn holidays close things repeatedly.
70
Åland Islands
Curated
70
Bermuda
Curated
Beautiful, and the highest storm risk of the year.
70
Bhutan
Curated
Monsoon withdrawing and the air clearing late in the month.
70
New Zealand
Curated
70
Paraguay
Curated
Spring warmth; last comfortable window for the deep Chaco.
70
Republic of the Congo
Curated
70
Singapore
Curated
Formula 1 weekend — the most expensive hotel week of the year.
70
Sri Lanka
Curated
Last dependable east-coast month before the turn.
70
Uganda
Curated
70
Vietnam
Curated
Rice harvest turns Mù Cang Chải and Sa Pa gold — the photographer's month in the north.
66
Eritrea
Curated
66
Palau
Curated
65
Argentina
Curated
Spring stirring; Península Valdés whale season peaks; jacarandas soon after in the capital.
65
Brunei
Curated
Regional haze can reduce visibility in bad fire years.
65
Chile
Curated
Spring and Fiestas Patrias; blossom in the central valleys.
65
Colombia
Curated
Rain returns gradually; early September still fine; whale watching peaks (Aug–Sep).
65
India
Curated
Monsoon withdrawing; the Western Ghats at their greenest.
65
Laos
Curated
Rain easing, rivers high, countryside at its most vivid.
65
Nepal
Curated
Monsoon withdrawing late; the air clears and the peaks reappear.
65
Taiwan
Curated
Typhoons still possible but the heat begins to break.
63
Trinidad and Tobago
Curated
Petit carême — a genuine mini dry season and a smart, quiet window.
60
Hong Kong
Curated
Still warm with typhoons possible, but improving late.
60
Japan
Curated
Typhoon season's tail, but the last fortnight often turns clear and mild.
60
Macau
Curated
Improving late in the month as the heat breaks.
60
Maldives
Curated
Wettest stretch and the cheapest weeks of the year.
60
Oman
Curated
Heat easing as the khareef ends in Salalah.
58
Egypt
Curated
Heat beginning to ease, still very hot in the south.
58
Venezuela
Curated
Wet across the south; coast stays workable.
55
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Curated
Bonaire at its quietest; skip the northern islands.
55
Cambodia
Curated
Wettest month; rural roads flood and some remote temples become hard to reach.
55
Falkland Islands
Curated
Penguins return to the colonies.
55
Honduras
Curated
Hurricane-season peak approaches; watch forecasts.
55
Panama
Curated
Bocas del Toro’s driest, flattest window — dive it now.
55
Uruguay
Curated
Spring opens; whale season from La Paloma east.
50
Thailand
Curated
Peak Andaman monsoon with rough seas; flood risk in the centre and north.
48
Costa Rica
Curated
Pacific at its wettest — but the Caribbean coast at its sunny best.
46
Ghana
Curated
46
Guam
Curated
46
Northern Mariana Islands
Curated
45
El Salvador
Curated
Wettest month; flash-flood risk on rural roads.
45
Mexico
Curated
Peak hurricane exposure and heaviest rain — weakest month for the coasts.
45
Myanmar
Curated
Rain easing; landscape green, roads still poor.
45
Nicaragua
Curated
Wettest stretch; Caribbean storm watch.
45
Saudi Arabia
Curated
Still very hot, easing at the end of the month.
44
Côte d'Ivoire
Curated
44
Niger
Curated
44
Senegal
Curated
44
Togo
Curated
42
Guatemala
Curated
Wettest month; volcano treks frequently clouded out.
42
Nigeria
Curated
42
Qatar
Curated
Still very hot, easing at the end of the month.
42
United Arab Emirates
Curated
Still very hot, easing late in the month.
40
Bangladesh
Curated
Rain easing but water levels still high.
40
Equatorial Guinea
Curated
40
Gambia
Curated
40
Guinea
Curated
40
Iraq
Curated
Still extremely hot, easing at the end of the month.
40
Philippines
Curated
Typhoon season at full strength on the eastern seaboard.
40
Yemen
Curated
Winds easing late in the month, but Socotra is still closed.
38
Barbados
Curated
Wettest month; Barbados sits south of most storm tracks but not outside them.
38
Grenada
Curated
Wettest month; storm risk is low at 12°N but Beryl (2024) proved it is not zero.
38
Haiti
Curated
Peak hurricane risk on the climatological record.
36
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Curated
36
Guinea-Bissau
Curated
35
Belize
Curated
Hurricane-season peak; some island businesses shut.
35
Dominican Republic
Curated
Wettest, riskiest month — core hurricane season.
35
Jamaica
Curated
Statistical hurricane peak; some hotels close for maintenance.
35
Saint Lucia
Curated
Hurricane peak; some hotels close.
35
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Curated
Hurricane peak; services thin across the smaller islands.
34
Chad
Curated
34
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Curated
Hurricane peak; a number of hotels close for the quietest weeks.
34
Sierra Leone
Curated
32
Cuba
Curated
Hurricane peak — Cuba takes landfalls seriously and so should plans.
30
Antigua and Barbuda
Curated
Statistical hurricane peak — closures common, insurance essential.
30
Bahamas
Curated
Peak hurricane month — widespread lodge closures on the out islands.
30
Cayman Islands
Curated
Peak risk and some closures.
30
Guadeloupe
Curated
The wettest month, and the riskiest.
30
Martinique
Curated
Wettest month, highest risk.
30
Montserrat
Curated
Peak risk and unreliable transport.
30
Puerto Rico
Curated
The peak of the hurricane season.
28
Djibouti
Curated
28
Dominica
Curated
Peak hurricane exposure — Maria (2017) made the island’s vulnerability brutally clear.
26
Central African Republic
Curated
26
Somalia
Curated
25
Anguilla
Curated
Peak storm risk and near-total closure.
25
British Virgin Islands
Curated
Peak risk; much of the fleet is laid up.
25
Saint Barthélemy
Curated
The island effectively shuts.
25
Saint Martin
Curated
The peak of the season, and the month Irma landed.
25
Sint Maarten
Curated
Peak risk and widespread closures.
25
Turks and Caicos Islands
Curated
Peak risk and widespread closures.
25
United States Virgin Islands
Curated
Peak risk; closures on Saint John.
24
South Sudan
Curated
0
Antarctica
Curated
No access — season closed.
0
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Curated
No access — season closed.
0
Sudan
Curated
Scores suspended — active conflict.
95
Algeria
Climate estimate
95
Andorra
Climate estimate
95
Angola
Climate estimate
95
Australia
Climate estimate
95
Botswana
Climate estimate
95
Burundi
Climate estimate
95
Cabo Verde
Climate estimate
95
Jordan
Climate estimate
95
Kenya
Climate estimate
95
Lebanon
Climate estimate
95
Libya
Climate estimate
95
Madagascar
Climate estimate