FIELD JOURNAL · 7 min read
When to travel: a month-by-month guide
Timing moves the price of a journey more than almost any other decision you make. Here is the broad shape of the year across the places we plan most.
January to March
Excellent in the Maldives, on Kenya's coast, and in Bali's drier spells. Wildlife viewing in Kenya is good and the calving season in the southern Serengeti peaks in February.
Japan is cold and quiet until cherry blossom demand starts building in late March, and prices climb with it.
April and May
The long rains in East Africa bring the lowest coastal and safari rates of the year. Some camps close; the ones that stay open are excellent value.
Europe is quiet and pleasant before the summer surcharge lands. This is the best window for the Amalfi Coast if you dislike crowds.
June to August
Peak season almost everywhere: the Mara migration, the Mediterranean, US family travel and Japanese summer festivals.
Book four to six months ahead or shift a week either side of school holidays. That single shift is often a 20 to 30 per cent difference.
September and October
Our favourite window almost everywhere. Great wildlife, warm Mediterranean water, thinner crowds, and prices already easing from the summer peak.
Japan in October is superb: mild, clear, and before the autumn leaf surge.
November and December
Short rains in Kenya bring genuine value until roughly 18 December, when everything from Diani to Orlando reprices sharply for two weeks.
If you must travel over the holidays, book early and accept the number. If you can travel in the first ten days of December, you get the same trip for far less.
Flexible dates are the cheapest upgrade there is. Tell us your month and we will tell you the better week.