If we had to choose one month to travel for the rest of our lives, it would be May. In Europe it’s summer without the queues, the heat or the prices. In the Andes the rains have stopped and the mountains are still green. In southern Africa the dry season is beginning, and in the far north the days are so long you’ll forget what time it is. The only real problem with May is choosing.
So we’ve done it for you. Every tour below has May 2027 departures and prices live from the tour pages, and we’ve been honest about the drawbacks and about the places we’d avoid this month.
The quick answer
- If we could only pick one: Machu Picchu. May is the start of the dry season, the trail is green and the July crowds haven’t arrived. Inca Trail Express does it in a week.
- For the Adriatic before summer: Croatia by catamaran, Albania or the Balkans overland.
- For wildlife: the Galápagos or Botswana as the dry season begins.
- For endless light: Iceland’s Ring Road or Norway’s fjords under your own steam.
- Where we’d skip: Sri Lanka’s south-west coast, South East Asia’s beaches, East Africa’s rains and China in its May Day holiday.
The May shortlist
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South America | ||||||
| Inca Trail Express: Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu – 7 Days | 7 | £705 pp | High | Max 16 | No | Our pick for May |
| Machu Picchu & the Galapagos on Land: Cusco to Quito – 15 Days | 15 | £3,995 pp | Medium | Not stated | No | Machu Picchu plus the Galápagos |
| Europe before the crowds | ||||||
| Explore Croatia: Dubrovnik, Hvar, Vis & Split – 7 Days | 7 | £1,995 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Croatia’s islands by catamaran |
| Highlights of Albania: Tirana to Kruja – 11 Days | 11 | £1,560 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | Albania, thoroughly |
| Dubrovnik to Athens: Balkans Overland via Albania & Ohrid – 15 Days | 15 | £2,775 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Five Balkan countries overland |
| Self-Guided Walking in the Cinque Terre & Portofino – 7 Days | 7 | £869 pp | Medium | Not stated | No | The Cinque Terre on foot |
| Portuguese Coastal Camino: Porto to Santiago – 10 Days | 10 | £1,695 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | The Camino by the sea |
| Wildlife and long days | ||||||
| Essential Botswana: Okavango, Chobe & Victoria Falls – 9 Days | 9 | £795 pp | Medium | Max 22 | No | Botswana for 18 to 35s |
| Iceland Discovery: Ring Road & Snaefellsnes – 8 Days | 8 | £2,995 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Iceland’s whole Ring Road |
| Norway: Hike, Bike & Kayak the Fjords – 7 Days | 7 | £2,595 pp | Medium | Max 4 | No | Fjords by bike and kayak |
| Asia | ||||||
| The Silk Road of Uzbekistan – 11 Days | 11 | £1,875 pp | Moderate | Max 16 | No | The Silk Road, before summer |
| Self-Guided Walk the Nakasendo Trail – 11 Days | 11 | £3,789 pp | Moderate to challenging | Not stated | No | Japan after Golden Week |
| China Experience: Beijing to Hong Kong via the Yangtze – 19 Days | 19 | £2,826 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | China in depth |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
If we could only pick one: Machu Picchu
Inca Trail Express: Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu
Inca Trail Express: Cusco, Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu – 7 Days
- 7 days
- From £705 per person
- Max 16 people
- Starts and ends in Cusco, Peru
- Physical rating: high
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Our argument for May is simple. The Andean rainy season has ended, so the trail is drier and the views are clearer, but the hillsides are still green from the rains, and the peak crowds of June to August are a few weeks away. This seven-day trip gives you a day to acclimatise in the Sacred Valley, then four days on the classic Inca Trail with porters, local guides and three nights camping, arriving through the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu. There’s a quieter Quarry Trail option, too.
Why May: the best balance of weather, scenery and crowds all year. The honest drawback: the trek is long, steep and high, nights at altitude are cold, and Inca Trail permits are limited and sell out months ahead. If you want May, book in the winter.
Machu Picchu & the Galápagos on Land: Cusco to Quito
Machu Picchu & the Galapagos on Land: Cusco to Quito – 15 Days
- 15 days
- From £3,995 per person
- Cusco, Peru to Quito, Ecuador
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in March, May, July, August, September, October, November
If four days of camping isn’t your idea of a holiday, this 15-day tour reaches Machu Picchu by train, then flies you to the Galápagos to stay on land on Santa Cruz and Isabela, with a day trip to a smaller island. May is the changeover between the islands’ warm and cool seasons, with calm-ish seas and plenty of wildlife on show. You’ll see giant tortoises, sea lions and pelicans long before you’ve finished your first coffee.
Why May: dry season in Peru and a good month in the islands. The honest drawback: most meals are not included, and the Galápagos park fee and transit card are extra. See our Machu Picchu and Galápagos guide.
Europe before the crowds
Explore Croatia: Dubrovnik, Hvar, Vis & Split
Explore Croatia: Dubrovnik, Hvar, Vis & Split – 7 Days
- 7 days
- From £1,995 per person
- Max 12 people
- Dubrovnik, Croatia to Split, Croatia
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, May, June, July, August, September, October
In August, Dubrovnik’s walls feel like the Tube at rush hour. In May you can walk them early in the morning with room to spare, which is exactly what this trip does. Seven days by catamaran in a group of up to 12: Dubrovnik, a harbour walk and time to swim on Hvar, the once-closed military island of Vis with a full-day boat trip to the Blue Cave and the cove of Stiniva, and Diocletian’s Palace in Split.
Why May: warm days, quiet islands and long evenings. The honest drawback: the sea is still bracing in May, and accommodation includes a hostel night and private apartments.
Highlights of Albania: Tirana to Kruja
Highlights of Albania: Tirana to Kruja – 11 Days
- 11 days
- From £1,560 per person
- Max 16 people
- Tirana, Albania to Kruja, Albania
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October
Albania is the Mediterranean country most people still haven’t been to, and May is the month to fix that. Eleven days in a group of up to 16: Tirana and the Mount Dajti cable car, Lake Ohrid, the castle at Gjirokastra and lunch with a local family, the ancient city of Butrint, the Riviera, the white Ottoman houses of Berat and a last night in Kruja.
Why May: green mountains, warm days and empty ruins. The honest drawback: some long drives, and only two lunches included, which in Albania is a reason to eat out, not a complaint.
For the full sweep, Dubrovnik to Athens (15 days) travels overland through Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Greece by bus and train, from the Bay of Kotor to Lake Ohrid, Matka Canyon and Mount Olympus. See our Balkans tours guide.
Self-Guided Walking in the Cinque Terre & Portofino
Self-Guided Walking in the Cinque Terre & Portofino – 7 Days
- 7 days
- From £869 per person
- Starts and ends in Sestri Levante, Italy
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, May, June, July, August, September, October
The Cinque Terre in May is what the Cinque Terre in August is supposed to be. Seven days from one hotel near the beach in Sestri Levante, with breakfast and dinner daily and a navigation app: terraced paths between the coloured villages, Corniglia and Manarola, a boat to Palmaria Island, the coast path to Portovenere and a final walk to Portofino.
Why May: walking weather before the summer heat and crowds. The honest drawback: it’s self-guided, local trains, buses and boats are paid as you go, and the local tourist tax is extra.
And the Portuguese Coastal Camino (10 days) is as good in May as in April, with longer days and warmer sea air, from the Atlantic coast to Santiago de Compostela.
Wildlife and long days
Essential Botswana: Okavango, Chobe & Victoria Falls
Essential Botswana: Okavango, Chobe & Victoria Falls – 9 Days
- 9 days
- From £795 per person
- Max 22 people
- Johannesburg, South Africa to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
May is the start of the dry season in Botswana, when the bush thins, the animals gather near water and the nights get crisp. This nine-day overland camping trip is for travellers aged 18 to 35, with a cook and a group leader: the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, a mokoro trip and two nights in a bush camp in the Okavango Delta, a sundowner among the baobabs, a game drive in Chobe and Victoria Falls to finish.
Why May: the dry season begins and Victoria Falls is still in full flow after the rains. The honest drawback: it’s camping, the bush camp facilities are basic, and it’s strictly 18 to 35. See our Botswana safari guide for the grown-up options.
Iceland Discovery: Ring Road & Snaefellsnes
Iceland Discovery: Ring Road & Snaefellsnes – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £2,995 per person
- Max 12 people
- Starts and ends in Reykjavik, Iceland
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, May, June, July, August, September, October
May in Iceland means close to 20 hours of daylight by the end of the month and roads that are fully open again after winter. Eight days all the way round the Ring Road in a group of up to 12: the Golden Circle, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, the black sands of Reynisfjara, a boat among the icebergs of Jökulsárlón, the East Fjords, Lake Mývatn, Dettifoss and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Why May: long days, open roads and fewer coaches than summer. The honest drawback: no northern lights, long drives, and you may need an eye mask to sleep.
Norway: Hike, Bike & Kayak the Fjords
Norway: Hike, Bike & Kayak the Fjords – 7 Days
- 7 days
- From £2,595 per person
- Max 4 people
- Starts and ends in Bergen, Norway
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, July, August
Late May is when western Norway’s waterfalls are at their loudest, fed by the snowmelt. This seven-day active trip, in a group of no more than four, rides the Loen Skylift, cycles round the glacial lake of Lovatnet, hikes the Briksdal Glacier Trail, takes the Flåm Railway up and cycles back down, then kayaks the Nærøyfjord for a full day.
Why May: roaring waterfalls and quiet fjords. The honest drawback: cabins with shared facilities, most meals are your own, and there’s no support vehicle on the rides.
Asia
The Silk Road of Uzbekistan (11 days) is still lovely in May, with Khiva, three nights in Bukhara, a desert camp evening and Samarkand’s Registan, though by the end of the month it’s getting hot, so go early. In Japan, Golden Week ends on 5 May, and the weeks after are some of the quietest and greenest of the year, perfect for the self-guided Nakasendo Trail (11 days). And China Experience (19 days) covers Beijing, Xi’an, the pandas, the Yangtze and Yangshuo, but avoid departures that fall in the May Day holiday at the start of the month, when it feels as though all of China is on the move.
Where we’d skip in May
Sri Lanka’s south and west coasts. The south-west monsoon usually arrives in May. The east coast is just coming into season, so a Sri Lanka trip is possible, but not the classic one.
Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia’s beaches. The heat is still on and the rains are starting. Not a disaster, but there are better months.
Kenya and Tanzania. May is usually still in the long rains. Wait for the dry season from June.
India’s plains. Too hot. Save Rajasthan for the winter.
The start of the month in China and Japan. China’s May Day holiday and the end of Japan’s Golden Week bring huge domestic crowds. Start your trip from mid-May.
Tips for May travel
Book the permits early. Inca Trail permits are limited and the best May dates go months ahead.
Mind the bank holidays. The UK has two in May, and half term is at the end of the month, so prices rise around them.
Check what’s extra. Park fees, tourist taxes and some transport are paid locally on several of these trips, so check each tour page and read the FCDO travel advice for every country on your route.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to go in May?
Our pick is Machu Picchu, at the start of the dry season. Croatia, Albania, the Cinque Terre, the Galápagos, Botswana, Iceland and Norway are all excellent in May too.
Is May a good time to hike the Inca Trail?
Yes, it’s one of the best months: the rains have ended and the scenery is green. Permits are limited, so book well ahead. See Inca Trail Express.
Where in Europe is best in May?
Southern Europe at its best: Croatia, Albania and the Balkans, the Cinque Terre, Portugal and Spain, with warm days and far fewer crowds than summer.
Is May a good time for a safari?
In Botswana, yes, as the dry season begins. In Kenya and Tanzania, May is usually still in the long rains, so we’d wait until June.
Can I see the northern lights in May?
No. The nights in Iceland and Scandinavia are far too light. May is for waterfalls and very long days instead.
Where should I avoid in May?
Sri Lanka’s south-west coast, South East Asia’s beaches, East Africa and India’s plains, plus China and Japan in the first few days of the month.
Ready for May?
Tell us whether you want mountains, islands or wildlife, and a Travelisto specialist will find the right May departure before the permits and the best dates go.
Keep planning
- All escorted tours
- Machu Picchu tours compared
- Croatia tours compared
- Albania tours compared
- Where to go in April 2027
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
