The 16 best places to travel in September 2025

Average September temp: 27C/80F

Rome and Venice are consistently packed with hordes of tourists no matter what month you visit, but Florence, their slightly-less-buzzy but just as gorgeous cousin, is a solid location for a September stay away from the bigger crowds. It’s got everything: a big dome (the Duomo), a fancy bridge (the Ponte Vecchio, which is often soundtracked by live musicians), and a lovely palace (the Palazzo Pitti, once home to the infamous Medici clan). Art lovers will be sated too, as Florence is home to the criminally underrated Uffizi Gallery, featuring Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus (the painting of the naked lady with long hair coming out of a massive shell).

Why go now? Fancy catching Florence aglow in even lovelier light than usual? Make sure you’re in the city for Festa della Rificolona on September 7 – it’s a magical lantern festival which predominantly takes place on Basilica and Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, and it’s one of the city’s oldest traditions. 

💡 Insider tip: If you buzz off ancient architectural sites (and who doesn’t!) you can catch a bus to nearby Fiesole in the hills, complete with an ancient Roman theatre and a ruined Etruscan cathedral.

📍 Discover the best things to do in Florence

Average September temp: 25C/77F

Ready to leave your heart in the South of France? Marseille is having a moment right now, and for good reason. I had the chance to spend a few nights there before a cruise, and it was magical; Palais Longchamp is a stunning architectural feat (and perfect for a cheeky photo op), and you can spend your days hopping between contemporary art galleries and museums. The best part? Marseille stays sizzling– in September the weather stays at a soul-warming 25C. You heard us!

Why go now? The Super Moustache Festival in Aix-en-Provence, duh. Names already announced to perform at this music-packed weekend include Santa, Deluxe, Zoufris Maracas and Ko Ko Mo – keep an eye on the Instagram page for more line-up information. 

💡 Insider tip: Grab coffee from an old waterfront café lining the Old Port and fresh baguettes from the market, and when evening comes, discover intimate jazz venues tucked away in alleyways. 

📍 Discover the best things to do in Marseille

Average temp in September: 25C/77F

This small resort town is situated in Cyprus’s south-east corner, and make no mistake: it’s not just for partying. There’s a little bit of something for everyone here; beaches for sunbathing, great food and the citys must-sees, its archaic caves and monastery. With the temperature ranging in the mid 20’s, September is the perfect time to visit this place to avoid the blazing heat and the, err, typical holiday crowd.

Why go now? According to Visit Cyprus, Ayia Napa International Festival is ‘undoubtedly, one of the most famous events of the island’ and it takes place annually in the last week of September. Expect a whole load of Cypriot art, folk music and partying. 

💡 Insider tip: Don’t miss the spectacular views from the Cape Greco National Forest Park.

📍 Discover the best things to do in Paphos

Average temp in September: 24C/75F

Japan’s most romantic city shines brightest in September. The weather is gorgeous, and the hotel prices plummet to make up for the out-of-season demand. How this is out of season, we don’t know, but there’s no need to complain. The autumn colours are staggeringly beautiful, and the end of summer is signified by several festivals and street events. This includes the Seiryu-e Dragon Festival happening on 15 September this year, in which a dancing blue dragon marches into cobbled streets. It is surrounded by men dressed in traditional warrior clothes, and the streets are filled with music and spectacular dancing. What a sight to behold!

Why go now? Kangetsu no Yube is an annual celebration in Kyoto of the full moon, usually at Osawa Pond. Dates for this year are yet to be confirmed, but you can book a boat for the big night once all the deets have been clarified. 

📍 Discover the best things to do in Kyoto

Average temp in September: 21C/71F

The days of Montenegro being a little secret paradise are long gone, and Kotor is every bit as busy as Dubrovnik during summer. September, however, is a blissful time to visit as the crowds thin out and the history and culture of this fascinating little country take centre stage. Perast (just down the road from Kotor) is the pick of the coast, while culture vultures should make a beeline for Cetinje (the royal capital) and the indomitable Mount Lovćen, the final resting place of 19th-century prince-poet Njegoš. 

Why go now? There isn’t really a better time of year to take in the glorious Montonegrin’s rugged valleys and Bjelasica Mountain by horseback than September. 

📍 Discover the best places to visit in Montenegro

Average temp in September: 22C/72F

A relatively new international airport and an improved network of roads across the country make travelling to and around this underrated kingdom much easier – so get in there before everyone else does. This entirely landlocked country provides excellent mountain hikes, opportunities for rafting, zip-lining and mountain biking adventures, plus there’s plenty of wildlife – especially rhinos. Visit in September for springtime flowers and to get there before the sticky summer rainy season begins in October.

Why go now? Known as Umhlanga, this annual Swazi tradition is where women and girls gather reeds for repairs to the windbreaks of Queen Mother’s Village (Ludzidzini Royal Village in Lobamba), and to ‘celebrate their contribution to the nation’s unity’, crowds come together to dance in their honour afterwards. 

Average temp in September: 14C/58F

The jaw-to-the-floor wilderness of British Columbia is best seen in burnt amber. Fly into the outdoorsy city of Vancouver to acclimatise, with walking trails, parks and coastal hikes close to food trucks and buzzing neighbourhoods such as ex-warehouse district Yaletown and historic Gastown (Vancouver Island is also nearby for some of the best autumn colours). Then to really feel a sense of escape, head out to the majestic forested mountains and glaciers in Northern British Columbia. Don’t miss the famous Vancouver International Film Festival while you’re there. 

Why go now? Head to Stanley Park for a laugh – it’s Vancouver’s Great Outdoors Comedy Festival from September 12-14, 2025. 

💡 Insider tip: If nature with wild swimming, local wine and a bit more proximity to civilisation is more your jam, try the Okanagan Valley. 

📍 Discover the best things to do in Vancouver

Average temp in September: 14C/57F

From beer halls to underground jazz clubs and museums, the Bavarian capital has a lot going for it at any time of year – but the real party starts in September. More than six million people visit Munich to drink about two million gallons of beer every year for Oktoberfest, which arrives early in Germany, and you can attend it in Theresienwiese. Over the years, the start of the folk festival has crept forward, and now the mass enjoyment of traditional German cuisine, wiener dog races, lederhosen and polka music lasts from mid-September to early October. 

Why go now? Oktoberfest will be celebrating its 190th anniversary from September 20, so don your lederhosen and grab a stein (or several). 

📍 Discover the best things to do in Munich

Average temp in September: 30C/86F

Sure, Cartagena and Medellin have been filling up your Insta feed for years now, but the south of the country is still under the radar. And with its notorious local cartel bosses in jail, Cali is becoming Colombia’s next big thing. Known for its smoking-hot dancing, Cali has more than 200 registered salsa schools. In September, the annual Festival Mundial de Salsa is held here, so visit for free shows, live music and spontaneous dancing in its cobbled streets as the best international salsa talent congregates in technicolour costumes to shake a collective tail feather.

Why go now? Cali is hot in September, so why not take a hiking tour to Pelongo Waterfalls. Just make sure to drink plenty of water.  

📍 Discover the best restaurants in Colombia

Average temp in September: 15C/60F

This good-looking, underrated northern French city has a lot going for it. Beyond its cobbled streets, Flemish houses and art nouveau buildings, Lille also has some impressively sculpted modern architecture, such as the Lille Métropole Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art and the elliptical Stade Pierre-Mauroy. 

Why go now? While design buffs might want to hold out for the WDC street festival in December, everyone else should visit in September for Europe’s biggest flea market, Braderie de Lille, which has developed into a massive street party. It’s been going since 1127, and you know what they say: practice makes perfect. This year it will take place on September 6-7. 

💡 Insider tip: We’d recommend leaving some room in your suitcase. 

📍 Discover the best things to do in France