25 Best Places to Travel in September

September is one of my favourite months to travel, and genuinely one of the most underrated. The summer crowds thin out, prices drop, and the weather across most of the world is still very much on your side. Here are 25 places to seriously consider.

The perfect seasonal transition month, September flies under the radar for most travellers. School holidays are over, the August rush has gone, and what you’re left with is warm weather, breathing room, and some of the year’s best value for money. I’ve been taking advantage of it for years.

Best Places to Travel in September

Ibiza, Spain

September in Ibiza is significantly better than July or August in my book. The beaches and restaurants are still open and the weather is still properly warm, but the worst of the crowds have gone and prices have dropped across the board. The clubs are still running, some of the biggest closing parties of the season happen in late September, but the island has a more relaxed character that suits it well.

How to Get There: Direct flights with Ryanair, Iberia and Vueling.

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Where to Stay: Six Senses Ibiza

Iceland

Iceland in September hits a sweet spot: you can still do glacier hiking, waterfall spotting and horseback riding without the midsummer crowds, and if you visit towards the end of the month you have a real chance of seeing the Northern Lights as the nights draw in. The 7-day Iceland itinerary on TDO covers the logistics.

How to Get There: Keflavik International Airport, served by multiple airlines.

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Where to Stay: Hotel Ranga

Egypt

Egypt in September marks the point where the ferocious summer heat begins to ease. By the end of the month, temperatures in Cairo and Upper Egypt are genuinely more manageable, and prices reflect the shoulder season. A Nile River cruise is particularly good in September: the river is calm, the temples are quieter and the light in the late afternoon is spectacular. Look out for Wafaa Al Nil, the September celebration of the Nile with live music, poetry readings and lectures.

How to Get There: Direct flights with EgyptAir and British Airways to Cairo.

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Where to Stay: Pyramisa Suites Hotel Cairo

Oaxaca, Mexico

Oaxaca is one of my absolute favourite cities in the Americas, and September is a genuinely good time to visit: tourist numbers dip, the climate stays comfortable, and the city’s extraordinary food scene, bustling markets, artisan workshops and Monte Albán ruins are all accessible without the peak season queues. The Bahías de Huatulco on the coast is a good extension if you want to combine it with beach time.

How to Get There: Fly from Mexico City with Volaris, VivaAeroBus or Aeromexico.

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Where to Stay: Hotel Siglo XVII Art Gallery

Bath, United Kingdom

Bath in September has a lot going for it. The Jane Austen Festival runs in mid-September and draws visitors from around the world, but the city is worth a visit regardless: the Roman Baths, the Royal Crescent, the independent shops and excellent restaurants make it one of England’s most satisfying city breaks. The theatre scene is strong too, and the weather in early September is usually kind enough to appreciate the Georgian architecture properly.

How to Get There: Closest airport is Bristol International Airport.

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Where to Stay: The Z Hotel Bath

The Cyclades, Greece

September is when the Cyclades are at their most pleasant. The summer meltemi winds disappear, temperatures drop from blistering to lovely, crowds thin out and prices fall. Mykonos and Santorini are still wonderful, but my strong recommendation is to try Sifnos: rugged coves, strikingly pretty whitewashed villages, genuinely good restaurants and far fewer visitors than its more famous neighbours.

How to Get There: Direct flights with Austrian Airlines, Condor and Ryanair to Santorini and Mykonos.

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Where to Stay: Adel Private Suites

American Southwest National Parks, USA

September is one of the best months for the American Southwest National Parks. The summer heat breaks, visitor numbers drop after Labor Day, and the light in the mornings and evenings is magnificent. Zion, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Yellowstone all become significantly more enjoyable once the peak season rush is over. If you can do only one, the Grand Canyon in September morning light is something I think about regularly.

How to Get There: Varies by park.

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Where to Stay: Yavapai Lodge, Grand Canyon

Venice, Italy

Venice in September is a significantly more human experience than the height of summer. Daytime temperatures are in the mid-20s, the city is still very much alive, but the worst of the crowds have thinned. September is also when the Venice Film Festival wraps up, which gives the city a certain energy during the first week of the month. Wander into Dorsoduro or Cannaregio to escape the San Marco crowds, and don’t miss Burano across the lagoon.

How to Get There: Direct flights to Venice Airport with Ryanair, Lufthansa and others.

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Where to Stay: Baglioni Hotel Luna

Bruges, Belgium

Bruges in September has all the charm and none of the July crowds. Hotel prices drop after peak season, the canals and medieval streets are genuinely beautiful in the early autumn light, and the beer bars and restaurants are as good as anywhere in Belgium. September is also the time when many of the Flanders monuments open for reduced or free admission.

How to Get There: Closest airport is Brussels, 119km from Bruges.

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Where to Stay: Dukes’ Palace Brugge

Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakech in September is considerably more manageable than the summer months, which can be genuinely brutal. The Oasis Festival, a city-wide electronic music and wellness festival, typically runs in September and is a strong draw for a particular kind of traveller. Beyond the festival, the souks, the Majorelle Garden, the desert routes south and the palm grove at the edge of the city are all worth several days of your time.

How to Get There: Direct flights with Air France and Turkish Airlines to Marrakech Airport.

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Where to Stay: Savoy Le Grand Hotel Marrakech

Munich, Germany

Oktoberfest, obviously. The festival typically runs from mid-September through early October, draws millions of visitors, and is as chaotic and brilliant as advertised. But Munich beyond Oktoberfest is also excellent: Nymphenburg Palace, the Deutsches Museum, the English Garden and the city’s strong independent restaurant scene all justify the visit regardless of the festival.

How to Get There: Direct flights with Lufthansa, British Airways and Air France to Munich Airport.

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Where to Stay: King’s Hotel First Class

Dubai, UAE

September in Dubai is still hot, genuinely very hot, but temperatures are beginning to come down from their summer peak, and the opening weeks of the cooler season see the city come back to life. The indoor attractions (the Burj Khalifa observation deck, Ferrari World, the Dubai Mall and its aquarium) are obviously climate-independent, while the outdoor areas are becoming more manageable by late September.

How to Get There: Emirates and British Airways offer direct flights.

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Where to Stay: Paramount Hotel Dubai

Cappadocia, Turkey

The Turkish summer heat has subsided by September and Cappadocia’s extraordinary landscape of limestone “fairy chimneys,” underground cities and cave hotels becomes a genuinely pleasant place to spend several days. The hot air balloon flights that Cappadocia is famous for run year-round in good weather, and September typically delivers reliable skies. Book your balloon flight well in advance: they sell out.

How to Get There: Direct flights to Kayseri or Nevşehir airports with Turkish Airlines, SunExpress or Pegasus.

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Where to Stay: Avlu Cave House

Tbilisi, Georgia

September is grape harvest season in Georgia, which makes it one of the best possible times to visit. The country is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, and harvest festivals in the vineyards of Kakheti (a few hours east of Tbilisi) are a genuinely extraordinary experience. Tbilisi itself has excellent things to do year-round: the old Tbilisi district, the cable car up to Narikala Fortress, the sulphur baths and the outstanding natural wine restaurant scene.

How to Get There: Flights via Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Qatar to Tbilisi Airport.

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Where to Stay: The Biltmore Tbilisi

Seville, Spain

Seville in August is genuinely difficult, temperatures regularly exceed 40°C and much of the local population leaves the city. September is when it comes back to life. Temperatures drop to the mid-20s, terrace culture resumes in full and the Bienal de Flamenco, the largest flamenco festival in the world, runs in September in even-numbered years. The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, the Real Alcázar and the Barrio Santa Cruz are all within easy walking distance of each other.

How to Get There: Direct flights to Seville Airport.

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Where to Stay: Hotel Sevilla Centre

Gothenburg, Sweden

Gothenburg in September is mild, green and very pleasant before the Scandinavian winter sets in. The city’s parks, Slottsskogen and Keillers Park in particular, are at their best in early autumn. Gothenburg also has one of the better restaurant scenes in Scandinavia and the Feskekörka (Fish Church) market is one of the most distinctive fish markets in the world. Quieter and considerably less expensive than Stockholm.

How to Get There: Gothenburg Landvetter Airport.

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Where to Stay: Elite Park Avenue Hotel

Faro, Portugal

Faro is the gateway to the Algarve and a genuinely pretty city in its own right: Moorish architecture, a lovely old town within ancient walls, and the extraordinary Ria Formosa Nature Park right on the doorstep. The star excursion is the speedboat to Ilha Deserta, a 13-mile deserted island with one restaurant (Estamine) that serves some of the best seafood I have eaten in Portugal. September weather here is very reliable and the summer crowds from the main Algarve resorts have largely gone.

How to Get There: Direct flights to Faro Airport with British Airways, easyJet and others.

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Where to Stay: 3HB Faro

Cusco, Peru

Cusco in September sits at the tail end of Peru’s dry season, with clear skies and temperatures in the low to mid-20s. Use it as a base for Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain, or spend longer in the city itself: the Plaza de Armas, the Qorikancha Sun Temple and the markets around San Pedro are all worth unhurried time. September is drier and easier for hiking than the wet season months.

How to Get There: Multiple airlines to Cusco International Airport.

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Where to Stay: Casa Andina Premium Cusco

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo in September sees the summer heat begin to ease and the city settle into one of its most pleasant seasons. The crowds at major sites like the Tokyo Skytree and Tokyo Disneyland thin out from the August peak, and the Meguro Kumin Matsuri festival in mid-September brings traditional culture, street food and live music together in one of the city’s great neighbourhood celebrations.

How to Get There: Fly to Haneda Airport with Singapore Airlines, Etihad and others.

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Where to Stay: Mitsui Garden Hotel Roppongi Tokyo Premier

Corsica, France

Corsica in September is outstanding. The water is still warm enough to swim, the beaches are a fraction as busy as in August, prices drop noticeably, and the island’s extraordinary 1,000km coastline is best explored on a boat when you’re not fighting for space. The Polyphonic Song Festival, celebrating the island’s unique musical tradition, runs in September and is worth timing your visit around.

How to Get There: Flights to Ajaccio Napoléon Bonaparte Airport with Air Corsica, easyJet and Volotea.

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Where to Stay: Hotel La Santa

New Zealand

September is the beginning of spring in New Zealand, which makes it one of the quieter and more interesting times to visit. Ski resorts are still operating in the South Island through early September, while the North Island is warming up nicely. Lake Tekapo is spectacular in late winter light, and a Rotorua tour covering the natural hot springs and Maori culture is genuinely excellent. Prices are lower than the peak December to February summer season.

How to Get There: Direct flights to Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown.

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Where to Stay: JUCY Snooze Queenstown

Montréal, Canada

September in Montréal is wonderful: temperatures in the low 20s, the leaves just beginning to turn at the month’s end, and a city that feels genuinely alive after the summer. The Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montréal is one of the most beautiful interiors in North America, the Montréal Botanical Gardens are spectacular in early autumn, and the city’s food scene, Franco-Quebecois meets global city, is one of the best in Canada.

How to Get There: Direct flights with Air Canada, British Airways and Delta.

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Where to Stay: LHotel

Athens Riviera, Greece

September is when the Athens Riviera really comes into its own. The string of coastal towns and beaches that run south from Athens along the Attica peninsula, Glyfada, Vouliagmeni, Varkiza, offer warm water, beach clubs, excellent seafood restaurants and access to Athens in under an hour, with none of the island-hopping logistics. The water is still warm enough to swim in September, crowds have thinned considerably from August, and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, perched on a clifftop at the tip of the peninsula, is one of the most dramatic ancient sites in Greece. A car makes the most of it, but buses run regularly from central Athens.

How to Get There: Fly to Athens International Airport, then drive or take the coastal bus south.

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Where to Stay: Conrad Athens The Ilisian

Peruvian Amazon

September sits in the dry season in the Peruvian Amazon, which is the best time for wildlife sightings: lower water levels concentrate animals around remaining water sources, trails are passable, and river travel is at its most straightforward. The Amazon covers roughly 60 per cent of Peru’s territory and teems with biodiversity that you simply cannot find anywhere else on earth. River cruises are the most immersive way to explore: a number of new options launched in 2024 and 2025, including Abercrombie and Kent’s Pure Amazon riverboat, making the region more accessible to independent travellers than it has ever been.

How to Get There: Fly to Iquitos in the northern Amazon (no road access; fly in from Lima) or to Puerto Maldonado in the south.

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Where to Stay: Casa Andina Premium Cusco (as a base, then an Amazon river cruise or lodge)

Bentonville, Arkansas

Bentonville is one of those places that surprises everyone who makes it there. September weather is ideal for the mountain biking trails that have made the city a destination in its own right, and the FORMAT Festival at the end of the month brings music, art and technology together in a genuinely excellent event. The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by the Walton family, is one of the finest art museums in the American South.

How to Get There: Fly to Fayetteville Airport, 13km from Bentonville.

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Where to Stay: 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville

Practical Tips for September Travel

September is genuinely one of the best months to travel for anyone with flexibility. European destinations are in shoulder season with prices lower and crowds thinner than summer; destinations in the Southern Hemisphere are beginning to come into spring; the American Southwest has its best hiking weather after Labor Day. The one to watch is weather: September can be unpredictable at either end of the Mediterranean, and hurricane season is still active in the Caribbean. Check conditions for wherever you are going.

Best Places to Visit in September: Map

September Holiday Destinations: More Inspo

• The Best Places to Travel to in August 
• The Best Places to Travel to in October

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