Just because July in the Northern Hemisphere is the peak of summer and prime school holiday time, don’t assume the traditional beach getaway or cabin rental is the way to go.
Why not see the Greek filming locations where The Odyssey was shot? Or catch World Pride in one of the world’s most progressive cities? Then again, it’s also a fine time to see horse racing and archery at a confab in Mongolia.
You deserve a vacation this month; here are 10 places that are well worth visiting in July.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This year’s World Pride parade will be taking place on boats in the canals of Amsterdam.
Photo by Wut_Moppie/Shutterstock
Think of World Pride as akin to the LGBTQ+ Olympics, where cities bid to host the global celebration and draw folks together under the rainbow banner. It has taken place sporadically since it was established in Rome in 2000, with the most recent held last year in Washington, D.C. But it’s more than fitting that a city synonymous with sexual freedom and tolerance like Amsterdam should be handed the host baton for 2026, with the kickoff on July 25 for a two-week celebration.
The Pride March will open the event, winding from Amstelveld to Vondelpark. A boat parade will follow the next weekend, as well as street parties in more than a dozen locations around the city. There’s also a world-class music festival on the weekend of July 31, with club nights and parties. For updated details on headlining DJs and performers, check World Pride Amsterdam.
Related: LGBTQ Travel Guide
Where to stay: Rosewood Amsterdam
The hit-and-miss luxury chain scored a bull’s-eye with the Rosewood Amsterdam last year, a reboot of the onetime Palace of Justice whose main building dates back to the 1660s. The painstaking, decade-long restoration resulted in a 134-room property where the walls are festooned with artworks that nod to its history. Don’t miss the tiny distillery, Provo, hidden in a small room off the main bar that makes the hotel’s own jenever.
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Many safari countries in Africa get crowds of tourists at this time of year, but the Okavango Delta in Botswana retains a low-volume ecotourism model, allowing travelers to see wildlife via small boats.
Photo by Ed Wingate/Unsplash
It’s widely known that the Northern Hemisphere’s summer is a smart time to go on safari, as the wintry conditions in the savanna mean that greenery is sparse and so animals are easier to spot. That’s not the case here, the world’s largest inland delta; in fact, the water level here is at its highest now during the supposedly dry season, mostly because the rainfall that deluges Angola’s highlands in summer takes so long to meander down to pool on the plains.
The reason to visit this region in July, though, is that you can explore without revving up the noisy 4x4. There’s an otherworldly magic to gliding over the waters in a traditional mokoro (canoe) in near-silence, eyeballing unfamiliar insects and flowers up close, and seeing animals unaware of your presence nearby. River safari enthusiast and Afar contributor Alexandra Owens recommends travelers go to Moremi Game Reserve, on the eastern side of the Delta, “for some of the most pristine land.”
Where to stay: Tawana
Located at the southeastern tip of the Delta, Tawana is a conservation-minded camp and the only one with access to the lesser-visited Moremi Game Reserve, thanks to a partnership with the chief of the local Batawana tribe that helped create the reserve. Get exclusive views of wildlife from one of eight rooms that are raised off the ground so wildlife can pass beneath, unhindered.
Toronto, Canada
July will see heated FIFA matches and ideal weather in Toronto.
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The World Cup descends on North America this summer, with games dotted around host cities in all three countries—and by July, the tension will be heating up as the knockout stages progress. Toronto is set to field one of the Round-of-32 knockouts on July 2 at the lakeshore Toronto Stadium (aka BMO Field), a fitting honor as it’s home to one of only three Canadian teams in the MLS.
You don’t have to shell out for tickets to that game to enjoy World Cup Fever here this month. The city has created an all-day Fan Festival zone at Fort York, which runs for the entirety of the tournament up to July 19. It will feature food trucks, DJs, and most crucially, huge screens where you can watch matches live from across the continent. Also expect breezy summer weather with the typical highs in the upper 70s this month.
Related: The Perfect 4 Days in Toronto, According to Locals
Where to stay: Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Four Seasons began in this Canadian city, and while today’s Four Seasons Hotel Toronto may not be the original site where the world-famous hotel chain was born, it’s still a perfect bolt-hole in tony Yorkville. The hotel sits in a soaring 55-story tower, and its outpost of Daniel Boulud’s namesake café, serving French classics with Canadian twists, is a buzzy hub for the ‘hood.
Related: These Are the 20 Best Luxury and Boutique Hotels in Toronto
The Peloponnese, Greece
Plays and epics inspired by Homer’s The Odyssey were performed in ancient theaters, like the one still present in Epidaurus, which you can visit today.
Photo by Frank van Hulst/Unsplash
Want to make your immersion in The Odyssey last longer than the few hours of Christopher Nolan’s latest, out on July 17? We don’t blame you—and the cast, including Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron—certainly made the most of filming the ancient Greek epic right in the Peloponnese.
The mountainous peninsula in southern Greece is often overlooked in favor of the Cyclades and other islands, which is both a shame and a convenience, as you’ll likely risk running into far fewer crowds than a trip to Santorini in peak season. You can explore Epidaurus, home to the remarkable sanctuary of the god of medicine Asklepios (no word whether he made the cut of the movie, sadly) or Nafplio, the capital of the nation in the 19th century. You can also eat better than almost anywhere in the country, since this fertile countryside has a stellar reputation for fresh produce, olive oil, and vanilla pine honey.
Where to stay: Korona
The four-star, 10-room Korona is a charming hideaway owned by boutique hotelier Kalia Konstantinidou, whose Empiria empire is famous for its splashy properties on Paros and more. This property, however, is on the outdoorsy, more low-key Mani peninsula in the village of Neo Oitylo in a turreted building that echoes the traditional, defensive-driven architecture here.
Related: How to Get off the Tourist Trail in Greece
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence was founded in 1636, but it’s throwing big celebrations for the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence in 1776.
Photo by Wangkun Jia/Shutterstock
Rhode Islanders were the original New England rebels, the first to chafe under British rule long before any tea was tossed into Boston Harbor; in 1772, the HMS Gaspee ran aground here and was promptly torched by angry locals. Commemorate their feistiness with a trip for Independence Day, and learn more about how Rhode Island played a pivotal role in the Revolution. This year’s commemorations will be even more splashy, in a nod to America’s 250th anniversary. Waterfire, Providence’s local public art nonprofit, will do a full lighting of all the braziers along the rivers downtown from sunset to midnight, plus pop-up performances, boat rides, and complimentary food and drinks.
Stroll the streets of this city to see superb colonial and Victorian architecture, or enjoy cutting-edge contemporary culture at RISD Museum, which forms part of the arts school founded originally to make it easier for women to study creative fields. Arnaldo Almonte, managing director of the Graduate hotel, says you should take home a bottle of Dave’s Coffee Milk Syrup, the official state drink. “It’s exactly what it sounds like: coffee-flavored syrup mixed with cold milk,” he explains. Don’t want to check a bag? Sub out a Coffee Milk–scented candle at Craftland or the Landing.
Where to stay: Graduate by Hilton Providence
There are more than 35 of the aptly named Graduate hotels dotted around U.S. college towns—funky, affordable boutique accommodations aimed squarely at students and anyone visiting them. This 294-room Graduate by Hilton Providence is a reboot of the 1920s-built Biltmore Hotel and retained the original sign when it reopened in 2019.
Jutland, Denmark
Denmark’s northern coast was one of Afar’s best places to go in 2025, and it holds it own American Independence Day celebrations.
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Oddly enough, Jutland in Denmark celebrates the U.S. Independence Day holiday on July 4th. Much as we do stateside, locals there celebrate with a fireworks display and speeches from prominent public figures from both countries (including King Frederik X). The tradition comes from the legacy of a Dane emigrant named Max Henius, who corralled his friends to buy land and gift it to the crown in order to fête the links between his original and adopted countries.
If you attend, you’ll be right by the fishing village of Klitmøller, aka Cold Hawai‘i, where a meteorological anomaly creates superb surfing at more than 30 designated spots along Denmark’s northwest shoreline. Plus, “Klitmøller’s sauna club is located right on the beach with a stunning view of the ocean,” says Kasper Egelund, CEO of the Vipp hotel, who recommends the Danish ritual of sauna and cold-water swimming.
Where to stay: Vipp Cold Hawaii
The Danish design brand Vipp is expanding a network of chic, one-room guesthouses around the country, including this cottage on a 2.5-acre plot in Thy National Park.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
July is a rare window for balmy climate in Mongolia, with temperatures in the mid-70s for much of this month.
Photo by Lucy.Brown/Shutterstock
For centuries, Mongolians have been competing in the Naadam Festival, known locally as eriin gurvan naadam (three games of men), which runs from July 11 to 15. The largest events take place in the first three days. The competition tests skills in three categories once crucial to wartime success: wrestling, horse racing, and archery. Come here to see athletes demonstrate their triple prowess in the National Stadium. The festival kicks off with a colorful, energetic opening ceremony filled with songs, dancing, and a horse parade.
There’s also been a cultural renaissance in the capital over the past few years, says Jalsa Urubshurow of Nomadic Expeditions, including the 2022-opened Chinggis Khaan Museum. The exhibits will give a more nuanced view of a ruler whose name has become a byword for marauding in the west.
“It’s a tribute to our national hero, not just as a warrior, but as a visionary leader and unifier,” Urubshurow explains. “The immersive exhibits blend artifacts with storytelling that teaches visitors the global legacy of the Mongol Empire.”
Where to stay: Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar
The decade-old, 290-room Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar is within walking distance of many major sites, including the Gandan Monastery. Its casual restaurant Naadam Bar (named after the festival) is a great place to try Mongolian food like khuushuur, which are empanada-style pastries filled with beef.
Related: It’s Now Easier Than Ever to Fly to One of Asia’s Most Beautiful and Remote Destinations
Medora, North Dakota
The Theodore Roosevelt National Park—and new presidential library—is for people who love nature as much as the beloved former U.S. president did.
Photo by Zack Frank/Shutterstock
On Independence Day, the latest in America’s circuit of presidential centers will debut: the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. The center will be located in the heart of the Badlands, which the NYC-born future 26th president explored, and which he credited with helping prepare him for life in the White House. The almost 10,000-square-foot facility sits right across from his namesake national park and was designed by Nordic architects Snøhetta, a firm renowned for witty, unusual buildings. This is no exception, as the low-slung, grass-topped structure is intended to blend into the butte on which it sits instead of sticking out from the landscape.
The center has a dual focus: lionizing Roosevelt’s life, of course, via a detailed exhibition, but also conservation. It’s a term he popularized through efforts like establishing the U.S. Forest Service in 1905. He was so committed to those efforts that both the National Park Service and the Theodore Roosevelt Association claim that his initiatives helped protect some 230 million acres of public land from development.
Where to stay: Rough Riders Hotel
If you don’t want to pitch a tent in the national park at its somewhat primitive campgrounds, Cottonwood and Juniper, the most convenient perch to explore the library and surroundings is the Rough Riders Hotel, named after Teddy’s volunteer cavalry. Make sure to book a room in the historic wing, with Victoriana-styled rooms carved out of an old boarding house.
Related: These Gateway Towns Might Be Cooler Than the National Parks Next Door
After all, who wouldn’t want to spend time in Tuscany right now?
Courtesy of Zuoranyi/Unsplash
Lucca, Italy
The Tuscan town of Lucca is often overlooked in favor of better-known spots like Siena—which makes Lucca an ideal destination to dodge hordes of visitors in midsummer. Even better, come this month and you can join in the Summer Festival, which has been filling the warm air with music since the late 1990s.
Most performances take place in the Piazza Napoleone through July 29, and it’s attracted major names in the past. This year is no different: John Legend, David Byrne, and erstwhile Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and his band are all part of the lineup for 2026.
Don’t miss a chance to taste some sublime focaccia. “[Most tourists] miss Forno F. Casali, a nondescript little bakery hidden on a side street,” says Georges Midleje, regional managing director for Shaner Properties in Italy. “The patient line of locals tells you something special is being done here.” Try either the traditional, salty version drizzled with olive oil or the innovative corn version.
Where to stay: Grand Universe Lucca
The 55-room Grand Universe Lucca is a converted palazzo in the center of the medieval town. Here you’ll find nicely priced rooms starting in the mid-$300s for a single in peak season, which is far less than many comparable hotels nearby.
Related: How to Visit Tuscany Without the Crowds
Crested Butte’s wildflower festival is a 10-day celebration.
Photo by kelsey_sevens/Shutterstock
Crested Butte, Colorado
About a four-hour drive south of Denver in the western Rockies, this town bursts into bloom once the snow recedes, and it remains one of the most glorious wildflower-spotting sites through summertime. Locals celebrate that with the wildflower festival this month from July 10 to 19.
There are workshops on everything from botany to photography, as well as hikes and tours at all levels. You can also use some of the festival’s resources for self-guided hikes around the countryside here, which will be blanketed in waves of purple and yellow thanks to the sunflowers (look for mule’s ear), lupines, and columbine (nicknamed granny’s bonnet).
Heather Driggs, general manager of the Grand Lodge hotel, suggests lunch at Breadery, with its house-made sourdough pizzas, as well as a snifter or two in the evening at the Dogwood, which offers craft cocktails in an old miner’s cabin.
Where to stay: The Grand Lodge
The ski slope–adjacent Grand Lodge is equally appealing beyond the winter season because it’s close to hiking trails. Expect simple, large rooms with kitchenettes and on-site amenities like an indoor-outdoor pool.
This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on April 1, 2026, with current information.
