May is perhaps the best month for travel, in that sweet spot on the calendar for gorgeous weather almost everywhere globally. So the best places to visit in May run the gamut: quaint colonial towns, archeological sites, tulip fields, isolated yet magnificent islands, and a national capital gearing up to celebrate WorldPride. No matter the hemisphere or corner of the world in which you find yourself, May is the ideal time to travel because the temperatures and weather conditions are ideal. Plus, the crowds are not as huge as they would be as in the peak summer seasons because everyone’s still at school or at work. But if you can squeeze in some well-deserved PTO into your schedule, May will reward you with some fantastic travel experiences. Who needs spring break or a summer vacation when you’ve got a May Stay? (OK, to be fair, “May Stays” are not yet an official thing. But if we do them often enough, it’ll catch on, right?)
Below is a short selection of the best places to visit in May. (And if you want to get ahead of the game, starting planning your trips around the best places to visit in June and July, too.)
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
