Top 10 Great Countries to Travel in July to Beat the Heat

Top 10 great countries to travel in July

I was born in summer, but I don’t much like the season. I’m very sensitive to heat, I sweat a lot, and air-conditioning gives me a headache. So in summer I often end up more sluggish than in any other season. Still, I think the activities you can only enjoy because it’s summer are pretty appealing. Pool villas, glittering beaches where you can enjoy water sports, cool mountain valleys — places you can only visit in summer end up being all the more precious as destinations. So before summer kicks into full gear, I’ve put this together: my Top 10 great countries to travel in July to beat the heat! I hope it helps with your plans — let’s begin.

※ This ranking reflects the writer’s personal opinion and bears no relation to any official ranking.

1. Germany — Baden-Baden

The first on my list of great countries to travel in July is Baden-Baden, Germany. Also called “the summer capital of Europe,” Baden-Baden offers heat that’s never unpleasant, warm sunshine, and clear skies every July. The streets are lined with deep-green trees and summer flowers, and live music awaits travelers like you almost every night. Baden-Baden’s signature spots include the Roman-style bathhouse Friedrichsbad, built in 1877; the Lichtentaler Allee arboretum where you can stroll along the Oos River; Lichtenthal Abbey; the Museum of 19th-Century Art; and the Merkur mountain railway.

2. Spain — Pamplona

I also recommend Spain as a great July destination. In Pamplona, in the festival-loving country of Spain, the running of the bulls is held every year from July 7 to 14 during the San Fermín festival. This festival, which dates all the way back to 1591, involves bulls charging through a roughly half-mile (about 875-meter) stretch of the city, chasing the men and women watching along the route. It sounds extremely dangerous, but with ambulances and safety crews on standby, it’s said to be less risky than you’d think. Visit Pamplona in July and you can also enjoy lively folk music, morning Mass at the Chapel of San Fermín, and the procession honoring Saint Firminus. In truth, Spain is well known as a country you simply must visit before you die, July or not.

3. Estonia — Tallinn

A country that may be relatively unfamiliar, Tallinn in Estonia, also makes the list of great July destinations. Every July, an Estonian folk art and crafts event takes place. I recommend it to anyone who wants a glimpse of medieval European culture and history. At the festival, you can take part in live music, a medieval market, traditional costumes, parades, and more. The Tallinn International Organ Festival — Estonia’s oldest music festival — is also held then. A trip to Tallinn, with its beautiful city, the lively Baltic Sea, and romantic music — why not set off there this July?

4. Italy — Lucca

Plenty of people know Italy well, but few know the city of Lucca. Lucca, which you’ll find heading west from Florence, is said to host delightful festivals all summer long. The Lucca festival, which first began in 1998 and has been beloved ever since, gathers world-famous musicians for live performances in Piazza Napoleone. Travel to Lucca, Italy, this July and you can also catch the Puccini Festival. Beyond its most famous opera performances, there are symphony concerts you can watch at an open-air theater. It strikes me again that orchestral performances are quite mainstream in Europe.

5. France — Provence

When you think of Provence, many of you probably picture endless fields of lavender. In fact, Provence produces 80% of the world’s lavender. But you can’t enjoy that purple wave year-round — which is exactly why France’s Provence has to make the list of great July destinations. There are many lavender fields here, but the most famous among them are Valensole and Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon.

6. Finland — Helsinki

Helsinki, Finland — which gained fame through a hit travel-variety TV show — is also one of the great countries to travel in July. Finland is practically a winter wonderland, but in summer the sun stays up for nearly 19 hours, which has the advantage of letting you pack a lot into your trip. The streets are filled with non-stop jazz and live music, and you can enjoy more than 20 free jazz concerts. If metal is more your taste than jazz, try the Tuska Open Air Metal Festival held in July. It takes place in Alppipuisto Park, where you can dance outdoors or enjoy a picnic.

7. United States — Boston, Massachusetts

Every July 4th, Boston hosts one of the biggest celebrations in the United States — Boston Harborfest, which commemorates American independence. It draws some three million visitors a year, an overwhelming scale, with cruise rides, historical reenactments, tours of 18th-century tall-ship replicas, and tales of Paul Revere. During the event you can catch a Boston Pops Orchestra performance, and at night there are dazzling fireworks. Since it celebrates Independence Day, it offers the advantage of a glimpse into American culture and history. Other events to enjoy in Boston include the Chinatown Street Festival, Red Sox games, the Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival, and the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company!

8. Canada — Quebec

Quebec, Canada, is honestly a beautiful place to visit anytime, but there’s a reason I recommend it as a great July destination. If the U.S. Independence Day celebration is the most famous in America, the Montreal International Jazz Festival is the largest festival of its kind in the world, held in Canada. It draws around two million visitors every year, with some 3,000 artists putting on beautiful performances. Beyond that, you can enjoy free shows across all kinds of genres — reggae, blues, rock, pop, and electronic. From the first week of July through mid-month, Montréal Complètement Cirque also takes place. Most of the acrobats’ incredible feats can be enjoyed for free, so I can’t think of a more appealing thing to do.

9. Brazil — Pantanal

Some of you might wonder why Brazil makes a list of great July destinations, but anyone who truly knows how to travel won’t hesitate over a trip to South America. The reason Brazil’s Pantanal is a great place to visit in July is that you can observe wild jaguars — something we rarely get to see around us. In the Pantanal, the world’s largest flooded grassland, you might, with a bit of luck, spot jaguars gathered in groups, jaguars mating, and jaguars playing with their cubs.

10. Japan — Mt. Fuji

Japan, recently in the spotlight as an affordable and welcoming destination, is also one of the great countries to travel in July. Mt. Fuji in particular boasts the clearest, most beautiful scenery around this time, and you can take in all sorts of wildflowers. For anyone who loves walking, hiking, or mountain climbing, it’s one mountain you absolutely have to visit — the climb can take anywhere from 4 to 10 hours. Japanese summers are famous for being hot and humid, so if Mt. Fuji is worth recommending despite that, I can hardly imagine how much it must be worth!

If I could, I’d have loved to feature an Asian country among the great July destinations. But most of Asia hits its rainy season in summer, and with typhoons and flooding to contend with, I found I couldn’t really recommend it. Japan’s Mt. Fuji is at least an accessible, easygoing destination, but I wouldn’t go so far as to recommend it wholeheartedly. On clear days the humidity seems relatively low, but when it rains, Japan’s humidity shoots up like crazy. In any case, as I mentioned above, this ranking reflects my subjective opinion, so I’d recommend using it only as a reference when planning your trip!