🏯Asia
Japan in December: Last Leaves, Winter Lights, First Snow and the New Year Closures
What December really looks like in Tokyo, Kyoto and the snowy north. Catch the last leaves, see the lights and plan around the New Year closures.
🍂 Now planning: November and beyond
Know when to go.Love every day of the trip.
Weather, crowds and prices for every month in 24 countries. Pick your country, find your month, travel happier.
Japan
📅 Start with the month
When are you travelling?
Tap your month: see where the weather, crowds and prices line up.
❄️JanuaryWinter sun and snowTop: Thailand, Dubai & the UAE🎭FebruaryCarnival and quiet sitesTop: Thailand, Egypt🌸MarchBlossom season startsTop: Morocco, Vietnam🌷AprilSpring in full bloomTop: Greece, Portugal🌼MayWarm days, light crowdsTop: Portugal, Hawaii☀️JuneLong, bright daysTop: Greece, France🏖️JulyPeak summerTop: Tanzania & Zanzibar, Bali🌊AugustBeaches and big tripsTop: Brazil, Bali🍇SeptemberThe golden shoulderTop: Greece, Iceland🍁OctoberAutumn colourTop: Morocco, Türkiye🍂NovemberQuiet and good valueTop: Japan, Thailand🎄DecemberFestive lights and winter sunTop: Thailand, Dubai & the UAE
10/10#1JapanThe best month: peak colour, dry air, a fraction of spring's crowds. Book Kyoto by August.Open the Japan guide →
9/10#2ThailandCool, dry season returns; Andaman calm; lantern festivals usually this month.Open the Thailand guide →
9/10#3EgyptThe best all-round month: warm, dry and ahead of the peakOpen the Egypt guide →
9/10#4Dubai & the UAEThe best balance: warm days, warm sea and the season fully openOpen the Dubai & the UAE guide →
9/10#5MexicoDay of the Dead, the return of dry skies and the first good beach weeks.Open the Mexico guide →
9/10#6ArgentinaThe best all-round month: Patagonia open, jacarandas in bloom, wildlife everywhere.Open the Argentina guide →🚫 When NOT to go
Where to think twice in November
The lowest-scoring countries this month in our guides, the reason, and the better months.
3/10🚫CanadaSkip if you want colour, hiking, coastal drives, reliable skiing or light.Go in September or June instead →
4/10🚫FranceSkip if you want sun, sea, mountains or long days for outdoor sightseeing.Go in June or September instead →
4/10🚫IcelandShort days and storms make road trips hard. Good for value, hot pools and the aurora.Go in September or May instead →
5/10🚫ItalySkip if you want sun, the coast or the mountains; it is the wettest month and daylight is short.Go in May or September instead →🧰 Free trip timing tools
Not sure when to go? Take a quick check.
Tap a few answers, get a clear month and the reason why. Free, no sign-up.
📅Best Month FinderPick a country and your priorities; get the three months that suit you best.⏱️ About 1 minute👆 Tap only✅ Clear answerStart the tool →🌀Is This a Bad Month to Go?Pick a country and a month. See if it is a month to skip, what goes wrong, and the better month next to it.Start →🧭What Kind of Traveller Are You?Seven quick taps pick your travel type, then show the countries and months where it shines.Start →👫Who Should Come on This Trip?Kids, partner, parents, one friend, a group or just you? Eight taps pick the right company and the best months for it.Start →🎚️Crowd vs Weather SliderSlide between fewer crowds and better weather and watch the best month move.Start →🍃Shoulder Season DetectorFind the months just before and after the peak: good weather, fewer people.Start →🎯Which Month Is Your Month?A short quiz that matches your travel style to a month in your chosen country.Start →🌊Beach Water Temperature PickerSet the sea temperature you like; see which countries reach it in your month.Start →✈️Two-Country ComboFind the months when two countries are both in good shape.Start →🏷️Price CalendarA twelve-month view of price pressure, from cheapest to most expensive months.Start →
🌍 24 countries, month by month
Pick your country
Every guide rates all twelve months for weather, crowds and prices, region by region. Here is when each one shines.
⭐ Featured free tool
💞Honeymoon Month Finder
Answer a few questions; get country-and-month pairs for a honeymoon.
- Free, no sign-up
- Tap-only questions
- Built on our 24 country guides
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📰 Travel stories and timing tips
Fresh from the journal
🧘Wellness Travel
The Best Hot Springs to Visit in October
October's cooler air and thinning crowds make it the best month for hot springs travel. Here's where to…
🍜Food Travel
Mushroom Picking in Poland in September: Where, When and the Rules
Mushroom picking in Poland in September is a national tradition hiding in plain sight. Here's where to go,…
🦒Wildlife Travel
Monarch Butterfly Migration in September: Where to See It
The monarch butterfly migration in September peaks on a calendar — but the big days follow the weather.…
🎁 Free download
Get the free 12-Month Map
The whole year for one country on a single page: the best months, the shoulder weeks and the ones to skip. Choose your country and we send the link to your inbox.
- 24 countries to choose from
- Weather, crowds and prices in one view
- Print it or keep it on your phone
📘 Guides and bundles
Plan the whole trip around the right month
Printable guides of about 100 pages per country, plus six timing tools for any trip. Digital download · All sales final
⭐ The complete kitThe Complete Travel Timing SystemAll 24 When to Go country guides and the 6 timing tools in one download.$127See what is inside →
⏱️The Smart Timing Bundle6 timing tools for any trip$37
🏛️The Europe Bundle6 country guides$47
🏯The Asia & Pacific Bundle6 country guides$47
🐪The Sun, Souks & Safari Bundle6 country guides$47
🌎The Americas Bundle6 country guides$47🧰 The six timing tools
The Trip Timing PlannerPrintable Planner$17
When to BookEbook Guide$19
When NOT to GoEbook Guide$17
The Shoulder Season PlaybookEbook Guide$19
Travelling With Children: The Timing GuideEbook Guide$19
The Packing by Season SystemPrintable$9Digital download · All sales final
🎒 Ideas by travel style
Travel your way
🌿Nature Travel🚗Road Trips💞Romantic Travel⛷️Ski Resorts🎒Solo Travel🎉Festival Travel💸Budget Travel🧘Wellness Travel🍜Food Travel🏛️Heritage Travel🦒Wildlife Travel🏖️Beach Travel🎨Cultural Trips🏙️City Breaks✨Luxury Travel🥾Hiking Travel👨👩👧Family Travel🏝️Island Travel🧗Adventure Travel
🧭 Free quiz · 7 taps
Not sure which trip is yours? Let us pick it for you.
Tell us your perfect day, who you travel with and the photo you would frame. We pick your travel type and the countries and months where it shines.
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💡 Before you book
Smart travel tips
💸Budget Travel
What to Book First When Planning a Trip
Most travellers book a trip in the wrong order and pay for it in locked dates and missed…
✨Luxury Travel
Watch Travel Case: The Ultimate Guide to Protecting Your Timepieces Anywhere
A watch travel case keeps your timepieces safe and stylish while traveling. Learn about types, benefits, brands, and…
🐪Africa
How to Get to Zanzibar: Flights, Ferries, and Other Travel Tips
Many travelers dream of going to Zanzibar, the exotic spice island off the coast of Tanzania. It has…
💡 How our guides work
Four things decide a good month
☀️Weather you can plan aroundTypical temperatures, rain and sea conditions for every month, region by region.
👥Crowds, honestlyWhen the busy weeks and school holidays hit, and the quieter windows either side.
💸Prices by seasonWhich months push costs up and which ones give you the same trip for less.
🎉Festivals in the right monthThe events usually held each month, so you can chase them or avoid them.