10 Great Travel Destinations for May

10 May Travel Destinations

May is widely regarded as the best month of the year to travel. You can still feel the lingering mildness of spring, the fresh green shoots have filled out into lush forests, and there are plenty of long weekends to take advantage of. That’s why, around this time every year, people will tell you it’s practically gospel to burn a vacation day or two just to get away. But you don’t want to waste such a precious once-a-year opportunity on the wrong destination. So today I’ve put together a well-reasoned list of May travel spots. May 2024 may already be behind us, but if you want to plan a proper trip next year, keep your eye on this post!

1. Greece

The Acropolis of Athens, Heraklion in Crete, the beaches of Santorini—these alone are reason enough to choose Greece as your May destination. As Greece’s most popular sights, they’re still ahead of the full peak season, so you can sightsee in relative comfort. That also means you can save on lodging and airfare compared with peak season. Just keep in mind that the weather in Greece at this time can bring the occasional spell of bad weather. May in Greece is also the season for large flower festivals. The timing and the kinds of flowers featured vary from region to region, so I’d recommend looking into the details based on your travel dates.

2. Italy

There’s another May destination best visited before the full peak season arrives: Italy’s Sicily and Tuscany. Sicily, though considered rural by Italian standards, is blanketed in wildflowers every May, letting you take in scenery that’s both beautiful and vast. Various performances are also held in open-air theaters, and small local festivals take place around the region. Tuscany, too, offers picture-perfect landscapes in May thanks to its glorious display of flowers—so if you’d like a glimpse of Italian culture, consider planning a trip there next May.

3. France — The Riviera

The French Riviera is at its liveliest in May. Hugging the Mediterranean coast in the southeast, the Riviera hosts the Cannes Film Festival in May. Over the festival’s 12 days, private yachts linger around the harbor, and local shops and restaurants show off their finest wares. Live music fills the streets, and there’s no shortage of colorful things to see. And that’s not all—not far from the Riviera, Monaco holds the Monte Carlo Formula 1 Grand Prix, the oldest race in Formula 1. Even someone like me, who has little interest in competitions, finds the high-speed thrill of F1 racing genuinely fun!

4. USA — Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park, one of the most beautiful national parks in the United States, is another great May destination. It’s wonderful to visit year-round, really, but the reason I single out May is that there are hardly any peak-season crowds, so you can sightsee at a relaxed pace. The weather is also cool and mild enough to enjoy walking, hiking, and trekking all day long. Yellowstone’s signature sights include its geyser basins, Yellowstone Lake, mud volcanoes, and the Old Faithful Inn. You can also spot wildlife roaming leisurely through the park—so it really does seem like a place worth visiting at least once in your life.

5. Canada — Ottawa

You might not immediately place the name, but Ottawa is in fact a city in Canada—its capital, no less. The reason it makes the May list is that brilliant, multicolored flowers blanket the entire city. In particular, more than a million tulips—the kind you’d commonly see in the Netherlands—come into bloom, drawing over 500,000 visitors each year to see them. In the mild, warm weather it’s also lovely to stroll around Parliament Hill or take in the sights along the Rideau Canal. If you prefer a more relaxed yet romantic trip, give Ottawa, Canada a look for your May travels.

6. The Bahamas

I’ve heard the name plenty while writing travel content, yet the Bahamas still feels somewhat unfamiliar—and it, too, makes my list of May destinations. Located in the Caribbean, the Bahamas is a country with stunning beaches, said to be a dream for scuba divers around the world. The reason May is a good time to visit is that the weather is mild, the chance of encountering a hurricane is low, and humidity is minimal. With no peak-season crowds, you can also enjoy calm, crystal-clear waters. Activities here include scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, relaxing, and island tours.

7. Peru — Machu Picchu

There’s no reason not to choose Peru’s Machu Picchu—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—for your May travels. Since May falls just before Peru’s peak season, you won’t be jostled by crowds. Even so, Machu Picchu is so popular that you’ll need to look into hiking permits and nearby lodging months in advance. May is also when the rainy season ends, so you can sightsee in relatively crisp weather. Is there anything more rewarding than getting to leisurely tour—and photograph—one of the world’s wonders?

8. Morocco — Casablanca

Some may hesitate over Morocco simply because it’s on the African continent, but abroad it’s already counted among the popular May destinations. Casablanca in particular welcomes visitors with pleasantly warm temperatures before the sweltering summer sets in. Its signature attractions include the historic old town, the Old Medina, and the city’s landmark, the Hassan II Mosque. You can also visit the vibrant city of Fez and bustling Marrakech nearby. If you’d like a trip that’s a little different from the rest, set off for Casablanca, Morocco this May.

9. Tanzania

Choose Tanzania for your May travels and you’ll have the chance to witness the great wildebeest migration across the Serengeti. May isn’t quite the end of Tanzania’s rainy season, but the wildlife is on the move so actively during this period that, as they say, the weather is a minor trade-off. A visit to Tanzania also lets you travel from Mount Kilimanjaro all the way to the beaches of Zanzibar, taking in countless sights along the way. Tanzania is likely to be a satisfying destination especially for those with a strong sense of adventure and exploration.

10. Nepal

The last May destination I’ll introduce is Nepal. Since it’s the start of summer, you can explore the Himalayas in relatively warm conditions. It’s also the season before the June rains arrive, so you can expect clear blue skies. If you love mountain trekking or have always been drawn to the Himalayas, I recommend traveling to Nepal in May. You don’t even have to climb a mountain—Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, with its historic temples and rich culture, is reason enough on its own to make the trip.

When I first planned this monthly travel-destination series, I intended to go in order from January through December. But as I ran out of time to invest in the blog, the months slipped by, and since it didn’t feel right to cover winter at this time of year, I ended up writing them as the seasons fit—which is how the order got so jumbled. And with these May destinations, I’m wrapping up the “best countries to travel by month” series. For a while I’ll be focused on parenting again while I think about what kind of content to post next. I hope this was helpful, and I’ll do my best to come back with even better, higher-quality content!