The 10 Best Places to Travel in June 2026

Rocky cliffs surrounding shallow turquoise sea in Malta — Craggy limestone cliffs and clear Mediterranean waters hint at why Malta is quietly rising on travelers’ radars.

June means it’s officially summer in the Northern Hemisphere. And vacation planning follows the happy-hour rule (if it’s 5 p.m. somewhere, sneak in a snifter), so use it as an excuse to take the year’s headline trip this month.

Here are 10 festive places around the world to travel to this June, whether you’re hankering to watch live futbol games or dine on newly Michelin-recognized Mediterranean food.

Malta

Beginning on June 7 this year, travelers will be able to take a new direct flight on Delta from New York–JFK to Malta, the island nation just south of Sicily. The Mediterranean country feels like a portal to the Middle Ages thanks to the capital, Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in the 16th century and built of golden limestone, and labyrinthine Mdina, where scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed. If you prefer to avoid crowds, take the ferry to the country’s smaller island Gozo, which has a red-sand beach at Ramla Bay and neolithic temples at the Ġgantija Archaeological Park.

Another new development in 2026: Michelin awarded a Bib Gourmand to Verbena, a family-run restaurant (near the Ta’ Ħaġrat megalithic ruins on the main island) serving Mediterranean fish cakes and hunks of rabbit simmered in wine. Meanwhile, Ion Harbor in Valletta retains its two stars; here you can expect seasonal items like smoked roe, raw caper jam, and dry-aged fish cooked over embers.

Where to stay: Cugó Gran Macina Grand Harbour

Situated in a former fortress built in 1554 by the Knights of Malta, the Cugó Gran Macina offers 21 suites with vaulted ceilings and minimalist designs that allow the stonework to speak for itself. The hotel overlooks the harbor, so hang out in its rooftop pool for views of the boats bobbing in the water.

Guadalajara, Mexico

Aerial view of Guadalajara Cathedral and surrounding plaza, with fountain and people, at dusk — You’ll be able to watch World Cup matches right in Guadalajara’s historic city center.

Guadalajara—famous for tequila, mariachi, and a young, innovative population—is preparing to be a host city for the FIFA World Cup. In June, the city will see four matches, the most of any locale in Mexico, at Estadio Akron. If you didn’t score tickets, you can still participate in the excitement by watching matches at the FIFA Fan Festival in Plaza Liberación in the historic city center. Right next door is Teatro Degollado, where you should catch a folkloric ballet during your free time. While in town, we also recommend a tour of the catacombs in the Gothic-style Expiatorio Temple.

For a high-end dinner involving house-made tortillas, smoke, and lots of corn, head to Xocol. And for a lively bar where you can watch the game, check out Cervecería Chapultepec. Just be prepared for some serious excitement, like the time jumping fans set off earthquake sensors in Mexico City when the country’s team won against Germany in the 2018 World Cup.

Where to stay: Casa Pedro Loza

Casa Pedro Loza is a mansion from 1848, and the decor today feels like Victorian maximalism, with several hanging chandeliers, old portrait gallery walls, and plants overflowing off balconies. The Master Suite has its own private garden to enter the room, a Jacuzzi surrounded by flowers, and a retractable roof.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Marina at Mackinac Island, with Saint Anne's church and the historic Victorian houses at sunset — Mackinac Island remains proudly car-free.

Lilacs have been planted on this island in Lake Huron for more than 200 years. Thanks to the high pH level conferred on local soil by the underlying limestone, they’ve thrived and often reach heights of 18 feet. Today, there are more than 250 varieties on the almost four-square-mile island, all celebrated in a fiesta dating back to just after World War II; in 2026, the Lilac Festival runs from June 5 to 14.

The 10-day event is Mackinac’s biggest bash. It crowns a Lilac Queen to preside over events while offering planting seminars on how to grow your own florals, live music, and a 10-kilometer run. The event peaks with the Lilac Festival Grand Parade on the afternoon of June 14, with horse-drawn wagons.

Stick around for America 250 celebrations on the island, which begin in June and will last all summer. Programming includes American Revolution tours of Fort Mackinac and a historical exhibition at the Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum (plus a vintage baseball game and of course fireworks later in July).

Most people get to Mackinac via boat, and the island is car-free. Grand Hotel staffer Elizabeth Graves recommends spending an evening at the Carousel Arcade on Market Street, which offers corn dogs, popcorn, and other treats—as well as canned cocktails for grown-ups.

Where to stay: Grand Hotel

Arriving at the Grand Hotel is more like stepping into the cover of a classic romance novel than checking in at a hotel. The 388-room grande dame of the island is more than 130 years old.

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Wild Coast, South Africa

Two-story, pale gray building, with two Doric columns at red entrance door and cupola — The Nelson Mandela Museum opened in 2000.

We think this lesser-visited corner of South Africa is absolutely worth a visit. Sandy Cunningham, cofounder of travel-planning company Uncharted, grew up going to the region, which she calls “wild and remote and unbelievably beautiful, and definitely an area for the intrepid explorer.” Hike in the coastal forests of the Cintsa area, surf the coast (but only if you’re a pro; there are major riptides), and tackle the 40-mile coastal hike, Strandloper Trail. In Mthatha, you can visit the Nelson Mandela Museum, which honors the locally born freedom fighter.

There’s an extra reason to go this month because the sardine migration begins, attracting a plethora of spectacle-worthy predators, like dusky sharks and Bryde’s whales. Several operators, including Offshore Africa, can help plan diving trips so you can literally immerse yourself in the action.

Where to stay: Bulungula Eco-Lodge

Bulungula Eco-Lodge is owned and managed by Nqileni village, a Xhosa community, and guests can stay in a traditional cylindrical hut, or rondavel. Local residents have an array of offerings, from drumming lessons to cultural tours.

Menton, France

Urban beach with palm trees next to street lined with pastel historic buildings — Feast on lemon-flavored everything in Menton.

Home to lemons with edible rinds, citrus-flavored meals, and buildings painted like yellow sorbet, Menton is a tribute to the sweet-sour fruit. The mountainous terrain, seaside terroir, and around 300 days of sunshine per year help the region grow the regionally protected lemons, but those attributes also make for a fantastic vacation spot. And we think this year is the year to go.

June is when the sea starts to get warm enough for a swim, so make sure to stop by beaches like Plage des Sablettes, which is framed by the colorful old town. Plus, this month is right before the big summer crowds hit, so take advantage of the quieter streets. The town shares a border with Italy, so you’ll find the neighborly influences in the architecture and food. Try lemon ravioli at the humble Pasta Piemonte, caramelized tomato tart at JR Bistronomie, wood-fired pizza at La Pecoranegra, and seasonal menus highlighting fruit, flowers, leaves, and roots from the gardens at Mirazur.

Where to stay: Hôtel Gabriel

In an area filled with ultra luxe accommodations lining the French Riviera, Hôtel Gabriel feels more playful and at ease. The neoclassical building from 1885, located in the historic center, is splashed with pinks, yellows, and stripes; courtyards are lined by cactus and neon signs; and rooms are bedecked with seashells. Order drinks alfresco on an iron-railing balcony overlooking the town.

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Women dancing in full-length colorful dresses, with floral prints and ruffles at hems, in front of white wall — Come to Albuquerque for family-friendly dance classes and screenings of films that celebrate flamenco culture.

As Route 66 turns 100 this year, Albuquerque is one of the cities putting on major celebrations this summer, including renovations, restorations, new art, and virtual reality.

While you’re in town, don’t miss the Festival Flamenco Albuquerque, the largest such dance fest outside Spain, takes place from June 19 to 27. Flamenco has become a mainstay of this U.S. city, thanks in large part to the Encinias family, whose materfamilias, Clarita, taught classes at a studio from the 1950s. Her daughter Eva became a professor at the University of New Mexico and founded the National Institute of Flamenco here in the early 1980s. Take workshops at the National Institute of Flamenco, or catch more than a dozen different dance companies from around the world in performance, such as the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia.

When it’s time to eat, take a tip from Tabitha Stallworth, sales director of the hotel Arrive Albuquerque. Go to El Modelo Mexican Foods for the secret menu item green chili brisket stuffed sopapilla, and Barelas Coffee House for huevos rancheros, which she describes as “the traditional New Mexico breakfast, made with hand-pressed, scratch-made tortillas.”

Where to stay: Arrive Albuquerque

Opened in 2025, Arrive Albuquerque is a 137-room hotel with quirky style. Look for the oversize exterior mural by local artist Nani Chacon.

Salvador, Brazil

Wide street decorated with colorful flags and three large statues of musicians under heart-shaped arch, with people in foreground — Think of Festa Junina as the second coming of Carnival every year.

This month, Brazil celebrates with almost as much gusto (and as many feathers) as when Lent is about to roll around. That’s because June is a month of celebrations across the country, collectively known as the Festas Juninas. The most famous of them is in Salvador, and it’s called Quadrilhas Juninas, or June quadrilles, which nods to the festival’s descent from the formal 19th-century dance style.

Teams tee up to compete in the Praça da República, in the Periperi neighborhood, with OTT costumes and sets. You’ll also hear traditional music flood the streets, whether forró, which originated here in the northeast of the country, or xote, a localized reimagining of Central European folk music styles.

Constantino Bittencourt, managing director of the Fasana Group hotels, recommends visiting the colorful Casa do Carnaval museum, the house of Jorge Amado (the late modernist writer and frequent Nobel Prize nominee), and Centro Cultural Barroquinha, which is “located in a beautifully restored 18th-century church and is a pioneering, multidisciplinary space for contemporary art and performance,” he says.

Where to stay: Fasano Salvador

The onetime HQ of the A Tarde newspaper, this 11-story art deco building now has a rooftop pool and 70 rooms. Fasano Salvador’s Gero restaurant serves an appealing fusion menu that mixes Italian classics with Bahian specialties like baked cocada, a dessert made from grated coconut and sugar.

Hobart, Tasmania

City viewed from water of harbor with several small boats — Hobart is Tasmania’s capital and most populous city.

Multimillionaire art collector David Walsh turbocharged tourism to his native Tasmania when he opened the Museum of Old and New Art, a 10,000-square-foot, custom-built museum in 2011.

As a follow-up, Walsh helped fund the eccentric but appealing festival Dark Mofo in 2013 showcasing the arts scene and the superb produce that characterizes the island. Today, the festival is one of Tasmania’s biggest events and is still one of the most fun times to visit. This year it takes place June 11 to 22, with the signature grand finale, the Nude Solstice Swim at sunrise on the last day. Just remember: It’s midwinter there, so brace yourself before taking the plunge.

If you’re looking for a keepsake, tourism consultant Julie Earle-Levine recommends the Tasmanian Scent, made by local perfumer Craig Andrade, and available at his shop Raconteur. It includes signature local trees like Huon and King Billy pine, plus an unmistakable scent, she says, “in a nod to Tasmania’s agricultural heritage: apple.”

Where to stay: The Tasman

The Tasman is one of several new upscale accommodations to arrive in the island’s once low-key capital. The four-year-old waterfront hotel has 152 rooms arranged around several buildings bolted together, including an art deco one from the 1940s and a neo-Georgian 1840s structure.

Cape Breton Island, Canada

Coastal road with water (at left) and forested hills — Cape Breton Island’s connection with Scotland goes back more than two centuries.

It’s year 13 of KitchenFest! (or Féis a’ Chidsin! in Gaelic). This Nova Scotian island’s celebration of its Gaelic culture is the closest thing you can get to a trip to Scotland without crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

Visit from June 26 through July 4, and you can join in square dancing or a céilidh (social gathering), all to the soundtrack of bagpipes and fiddles. There are pub nights at local venues like the Red Shoe Pub, with live music, as well as cultural demonstrations. You might pick up a few words of Gaelic as you listen to stories and songs during a milling frolic, the traditional confab where locals would gather to work on fabrics and pass the time, campfire-style.

Take home a piece of the Cape Breton tartan, in the form of a blanket or scarf, says Kendall Clancy, general manager of the Cabot Cape Breton hotel. The green and yellow colorway was devised by local artist Elizabeth Grant in the 1950s in yet another nod to the Scottish roots of so many locals.

Where to stay: Cabot Cape Breton

Golf was invented in Scotland, so naturally Cabot Cape Breton has three spectacular courses: Cabot Links on the oceanfront, Cabot Cliffs with its rolling fairways, and the Nest, a par-3, 10-hole short course right at the highest point of the property. (It’s also the best bet for a rollicking family night out under stadium lights, perhaps with a beer or two.)

Nashville, Tennessee

Neon lights on city street with cars at night — All the major country music stars come to play in Nashville in June.

Take your pick this month in Music City, where the calendar’s jam-packed with events that tout Nashville’s chart-topping credentials. The CMA Fest is a four-day celebration (June 4–7) of the genre synonymous with this city, featuring artists such as Tim McGraw and Shaboozey.

While in town, go to the 12South neighborhood, which “perfectly encapsulates Nashville’s evolution,” says Ben Thiele, general manager at the Noelle hotel. Head to spots such as the Henry (leisurely brunching), Edley’s (classic Southern barbecue), and Jeni’s (small-batch ice cream). Finish with a snifter at the East Nashville outpost of New York’s award-hogging cocktail bar Attaboy. “There’s no menu,” says Thiele. “Just tell the bartenders what you like and let them work their magic.”

Plus, don’t miss Nashville Pride on June 27.

Where to stay: Noelle

Originally, this was the art deco–era Noel Place, an early Music City hotel in downtown. Noelle was reborn in 2017 as a 222-room boutique hotel. Check out the Keep Shop boutique on site, which stocks pieces by local artists and designers.

This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on March 18, 2026, with current information. Danielle Hallock contributed to the reporting of this article.

Mark Ellwood

British-born, New York–based Mark Ellwood has lived out of a suitcase for most of his life. He is editor-at-large for luxury bible Robb Report and columnist for Bloomberg Luxury. Past stories have led him to hang out with China’s trendsetters in Chengdu and learn fireside raps from cowboy poets in Wyoming.