Where to Go and When: Honeymoon Destinations by Season

The honeymoon question most couples start with is "where?", but the better first question is "when?" - because the month you travel rules some destinations in and others out. UK weddings cluster between May and September, which is exactly when several classic honeymoon spots are at their wettest or most expensive. This guide is organised by season, with flight times from the UK as a rough guide to how far you'd be going.

For a sense of budget, Bridebook's figures put average honeymoon spend at around £4,600 in 2025 - see honeymoon budgeting for how to set your own number.

Roughly how far is it?

• Short-haul (up to about 4 hours): most of Europe, the Canary Islands, Morocco.
• Mid-haul (about 5 to 9 hours): the Middle East, Egypt, the east coast of North America, the Caribbean, Cape Verde.
• Long-haul (10 hours or more): the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, southern Africa, Japan, the west coast of North America, Australia and New Zealand.

After a long wedding run-up, a long-haul flight the day after the wedding can feel brutal - one of the good reasons to consider a short minimoon now and a bigger trip later (see delaying your honeymoon).

If you're travelling in summer (June to August)

• Mediterranean Europe - Italy, Greece, Croatia, Portugal, southern Spain - is reliably hot and sunny, but it's peak season: the highest prices, the busiest beaches, and heat that can be punishing in July and August inland. Islands, coastlines, and early June or late August dates help.
• Indian Ocean, selectively. Mauritius is in its cooler, drier winter, which suits a honeymoon well. Bali is in its dry season. Sri Lanka's east coast is at its best, while the more famous south and west coasts are in monsoon season.
• Further north - Scandinavia, Iceland, the Scottish islands, or Canada - for long light evenings, landscapes, and no heatwave.
• Safari - East Africa's dry season, including the Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania, generally runs from around July to October.

Watch out for: the Maldives' wetter monsoon months (roughly May to October - still warm, often cheaper, but with more rain and rougher seas), and the Caribbean's hurricane season, which officially runs from June to November and peaks from around August to October.

If you're travelling in autumn (September to November)

• The Mediterranean in September and early October is arguably at its best: the sea is at its warmest, the crowds have thinned, and prices start to fall.
• The Canary Islands stay warm year-round, about four hours away.
• The Middle East and North Africa - Dubai, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco - become comfortable from around October or November, after the extreme summer heat.
• Japan in November for autumn colours, or New England and Canada in late September and October.
• Southern Africa's dry season makes September and October good for safari in places like Kruger.

If you're travelling in winter (December to February)

Winter weddings have the honeymoon advantage: this is high season for some of the world's best warm-weather destinations.

• The Caribbean is in its dry season from roughly December to April.
• The Maldives is at its best, with dry, calm conditions - also its most expensive time.
• Thailand's Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi) and Sri Lanka's south and west coasts are in their dry seasons.
• The Gulf - Dubai and Oman - is warm rather than scorching.
• India - Kerala and Goa - is dry and pleasantly warm.
• Australia and New Zealand are in their summer, though the distance makes a two-week trip feel short.
• Or go the other way: a ski trip, or the Northern Lights in Lapland, Norway, or Iceland.

If you're travelling in spring (March to May)

• Japan for cherry blossom, usually late March to early April - book very early, because it's the country's busiest season.
• The Caribbean and the Maldives are still in their dry season through to around April.
• Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt are comfortably warm before the summer heat.
• Southern Europe from late April and May - Portugal, Spain, the Greek islands, Sicily - with warm days and spring flowers, before summer prices kick in.

Before you book: entry rules and admin

• Travelling to Europe: UK passport holders can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully running since April 2026, so the first time you enter you'll register your fingerprints and photo at the border - allow extra time. The separate ETIAS travel authorisation hasn't launched yet and has no confirmed start date; check before you go.
• Passport validity: many countries want your passport valid for some months beyond your travel dates, and the Schengen area has its own rules on how old a passport can be. Check the requirements for your destination on the government's foreign travel advice pages.
• Visas and authorisations: the USA needs an ESTA, and many other long-haul destinations have their own e-visa or authorisation system. Apply on the passport you'll actually travel on - see passports and name-change timing, especially if you're changing your name.
• Health: some destinations need vaccinations or anti-malarials. See a travel nurse or clinic six to eight weeks before you go.
• Travel insurance: buy it as soon as you book, so you're covered if something happens before you travel.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's travel advice (gov.uk) is the place to check entry requirements, safety, and health information for every country - and it changes, so check again shortly before you fly.

What I'd actually do

Decide on the feeling first - beach and do nothing, city and food, adventure, or a mix - then use your travel month to narrow the list. A brilliant destination in the wrong season is a worse honeymoon than a good one at its best.