Choosing the ideal honeymoon spot can start to seem overwhelming—it feels like the more you look the harder it is to choose. (But, let’s be real, it’s a pretty great problem to have in the scheme of things.) You have several ways to narrow down all those choices, depending on when you’re traveling and what your priorities are. Typically, great weather and optimal sightseeing opportunities go hand in hand during a destination’s high season—which also means high room rates and more crowds (so reserve early!). During its low season, seasonal businesses—restaurants, attractions and island ferries, for example—will often shut down or close for renovations. And once you know when you’re going, you can start crossing off locations in the middle of their hurricane or rainy seasons, or their absolute hottest or coldest months, and then searching for spots in peak season.
If high season perks are exactly what you’re after on your honeymoon, we’ll tell you where to go to find the best weather—or if you have your heart set on a specific destination, what to expect during the month you plan to go. It’s important to note that you’ll want to consider more than just when to go for the best weather—there are be some places you should actively avoid during certain months, due to bad and even dangerous weather, like locations in the Carribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico during Atlantic hurricane season.
Not surprisingly, a destination’s high season usually coincides with its best weather, but it can also be determined solely by demand. High season in Hawaii and the Caribbean, where the weather doesn’t change that dramatically, runs from January to April simply because people from colder climates flock to sunny beaches to flee the winter chill. Conversely, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is packed in the summer despite the soaring temps because kids are out of school.
The Best Weather by Month
First, check out this a month-by-month guide to find out where and when to enjoy amazing weather. Get more details about a destination’s year-round weather from a travel guidebook, a quick internet search, or by calling its tourism board. Right before you go, check the forecast to help you pack.
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
Remember, this is a guide to when different destinations traditionally experience the most ideal weather of the year. The months immediately preceding and succeeding a destination’s prime time are often called “shoulder” seasons, and usually have good weather (and lower hotel rates) as well. Other destinations, such as the Caribbean and Hawaii, are temperate year-round, but particularly incredible at the times listed below.
January and February
Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bali, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Florida Keys, USA (ski destinations)
March
Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, the Florida Keys, USA (ski destinations, Southeast, Southwest)
April
Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Italy, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, the Florida Keys, USA
May
Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Seychelles, Spain, Thailand, the Florida Keys, USA
June
Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central & South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Spain, Thailand, USA (Alaska, Northeast)
July and August
Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central & South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Ireland, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Seychelles, Thailand, USA (Alaska, Northeast)
September
Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Central & South Africa, Czech Republic, Fiji, France, French Polynesia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Spain, Thailand, USA
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
October
Australia, Bali, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Central & South Africa, Egypt, Fiji, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Seychelles, Spain, USA
November
Australia, Bahamas, Bali, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Central & South Africa, Egypt, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Seychelles, Spain, USA (ski destinations, Southeast, Southwest)
December
Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bali, Belize, Brazil, Canada (ski destinations), Caribbean, Central & South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Florida Keys, USA (ski destinations)
The Best Weather by Destination
Of course you can head to Paris in February if that’s where your heart lies—we’d never stop you. Just remember, your dream destination won’t be so dreamy in the dead of winter, the heat of summer, or its hurricane or rainy season. Below, some of the most popular honeymoon destinations, plus the most and least desirable times to go.
Bahamas
- Best months: November to April
- Worst months: It’s hottest (up to 89 degrees on average) and rainiest from June to October
Bermuda
- Best months: May to October
- Worst month: January and February
Caribbean
- Best months: Technically, December to May, when the area is coolest and enjoys the most wind, but average temperatures year-round hover between 78 and 88 degrees
- Worst months: “Official” hurricane season runs from June to November; the worst months are August, September and October (islands near South America—Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago—are outside the hurricane danger zone)
Note: High-altitude and coastal spots are cooled by trade winds year-round (a good salve during the hotter and more humid summer months).
Europe
- Best months: May through September or October
- Worst months: December to February
Florida
- Best months: March, April, October and November
- Worst months: May to September (Florida is often hit by Atlantic hurricanes that come in from the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.)
Click here to preview your posts with PRO themes ››
Note: The Florida Keys typically experience temperate, Caribbean-like weather year-round.
Hawaii
- Best months: March to July, October and November Worst months: Far from horrible, December and January are coolest (average afternoon temperature is 75 degrees); August and September are hottest (average 92 degrees). The wettest months are from November to March. Note: In general, every island’s northern shore gets more rain than the southern, especially on Kauai and the Big Island.
Las Vegas
- Best months: March, April, October, November
- Worst months: June to September
Note: July and August are scorchers here, but at least it’s a “dry” heat (humidity is very low year-round).
Mexico
- Best months: October to May
- Worst months: Rainy season runs June through September, but usually only involves a short daily dousing. It;s also hotter during the summer months.
Note: Coastal playgrounds and low-lying sections of the country are hotter than higher-altitude destinations such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, and the heartland “Silver Cities.”
Southeast Asia
- Best months: November to February
- Worst months: Hottest between April and May; rainy from June to September
South Pacific, French Polynesia
- Best months: May to October
- Worst months: December to February (hot, humid, and rainy); Tahiti lies well outside the Pacific cyclone zone and while Fiji does not, it’s rarely hit during the highest-risk months of January and February
Find other honeymoon tips here.
Not sure where to begin with your wedding planning? Take our Style Quiz and we’ll pull together a custom wedding vision and vendors to match, just for you. After that, create a free, personalized wedding website to keep your guests informed (and excited!) about your plans, and a time-saving Guest List Manager to organize your attendees. Even better? You can sync your Guest List Manager and wedding website to update everything at once.
