Where to go in May
May is when the Mediterranean wakes up: 23C, four rainy days and no summer crowds yet. In the same month the dry safari season opens in southern Africa and Japan turns its deepest green.
Countries in high season in May
Greece
The best-balanced month: 23C, four rainy days and an island season that has just opened.
What to expect: Ancient sites are shadeless but cool, so Athens and Delphi work as full walking days. The sea is still fresh and island ferries are less frequent than in summer.
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Spain
The best month for Andalusia: 23C, before the summer heat sets in.
What to expect: Seville and Granada are walkable all day. Feria and holy-week dates lock up parts of the calendar, so palace and museum tickets need booking ahead.
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Japan
21C and fourteen rainy days: the blossom crowds have gone and the rainy season has not begun.
What to expect: Golden Week fills domestic transport in the first days and then clears, leaving one of the calmest stretches of the year. The moss gardens of Kyoto are at their brightest.
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Morocco
27C and three rainy days, with coast and mountains both comfortable.
What to expect: Essaouira is windy and cool while the interior heats up. Sahara trips now need a midday break.
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Zambia
The rains are over and the dry safari season opens: 29C and almost no rain at all.
What to expect: Victoria Falls is at its most powerful flow and the spray soaks some viewpoints. Night drives feel cold.
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Portugal
22C and eight rainy days: Lisbon and Porto before the summer crowds.
What to expect: Walking the hill cities is easy while the Atlantic stays cold. The Douro vineyards are at their brightest green.
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Temperature and rainfall figures are multi-year averages for the cities in our catalogue. This is an editorial suggestion, not a weather or availability guarantee.
Cruises this month
The Aegean and the Adriatic are fully open. The sea is calm and prices sit below the summer peak: the best-balanced month of the season.
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