Where to go
Best places to travel in July: six trips worth the summer crowds
July is when everyone travels at once. These are the places that handle it well or are at their best right now, from the Redentore fireworks in Venice to the north shore of Kauai.
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It is a Saturday night in the middle of July and the Giudecca Canal in Venice is crowded with boats lashed together. Families eat dinner on deck, with tablecloths and candles, and keep an eye on the time. At half past eleven the fireworks begin over St Mark's Basin and the whole city looks up at once.
July is peak season almost everywhere, so we have been strict. Each place here either gives you something July alone can offer or stays pleasant despite the crowds: two festivals, two summer-only landscapes and two islands and coasts where you can still find space. Whatever you choose, book early.
Short answer: where should you go in July?
For a festival night, go to Venice for the Redentore or Trondheim for St Olav's Days. Choose Berlin for a city break with lake swimming, Kauai for wild coastline, and Ibiza or the Algarve for sun if you stay away from the busiest resorts.
Best for a festival night: Venice
Best for Nordic summer: Trondheim
Best city break with swimming: Berlin
Best for wild coastline: Kauai
Best for families: the Algarve
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice
The rooftop pool at Hilton Molino Stucky in Venice.
Venice: the Redentore, fireworks on the water
The Festa del Redentore falls on the third weekend of July and marks the end of the plague of 1577. On the Saturday night boats fill the lagoon and a long firework display lights St Mark's Basin. On Sunday a temporary pontoon bridge carries walkers across the water to Palladio's Redentore church on Giudecca.
The rest of July in Venice is hot and busy, so spend the days in Dorsoduro, Cannaregio and on the islands of Burano and Torcello, and save St Mark's Square for after dark.
The catch: spots along the Zattere and Giudecca are claimed early on the Saturday, and hotels sell out. Book months ahead. Read our Venice guide.
Hilton Molino Stucky: the Redentore from Giudecca
This former flour mill stands on Giudecca, the island of the Redentore church, and its roof terrace looks straight across to the fireworks. It has one of the very few rooftop pools in Venice and its own shuttle boat to St Mark's. In July that pool is the reason to stay here.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hilton Molino Stucky
Britannia Hotel
The lobby of Britannia Hotel in Trondheim.
Trondheim: Olsok and St Olav's Days
Olsok, on 29 July, marks the death of King Olav, later Saint Olav, at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030. Trondheim celebrates with St Olav's Days, a festival of concerts in and around Nidaros Cathedral, a medieval market in the archbishop's palace and pilgrims arriving after weeks on foot.
Summer is Trondheim's best season. Cross the Old Town Bridge to Bakklandet, ride the bicycle lift up the hill and eat dinner by the Nidelva river while it stays light late into the evening.
The catch: festival week fills the hotels and the weather in central Norway changes quickly. Pack a warm layer. Read our Trondheim guide.
Britannia Hotel: the city's grand old meeting place
The Britannia sits on Dronningens gate, a couple of blocks from the main square and a short walk from the cathedral. Its Palm Garden is where Trondheim goes to celebrate. After a festival concert you can finish the night in one of its bars without going back outside.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Britannia Hotel
Michelberger Hotel
The terrace at Michelberger Hotel in Berlin.
Berlin: a city break with a lake attached
Summer Berlin is a different city. Berliners swim in the lakes on the edge of town, such as Wannsee and Schlachtensee, drink in beer gardens under chestnut trees and dance at open-air clubs on the Spree.
Hire a bike and follow the canals through Kreuzberg and Neukölln, see the East Side Gallery by the river and take the S-Bahn to a lake for the afternoon. Many museums stay open late one evening a week.
The catch: heat can build, and older buildings rarely have air conditioning. Ask before you book. Read our Berlin guide.
Michelberger Hotel: summer in Friedrichshain
Michelberger is beside Warschauer Strasse station, near the Spree and the Oberbaum Bridge, and its courtyard becomes an outdoor restaurant in summer. From here you walk to the East Side Gallery and the riverside bars, and the S-Bahn takes you out to the lakes. Good value for friends; less so if you need quiet nights.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Michelberger Hotel
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay from above.
Kauai: the north shore when the sea calms
Kauai is the greenest of the Hawaiian islands, and in summer the surf on its north shore settles down. That makes July a good month for paddling and snorkelling in Hanalei Bay and for boat trips along the Na Pali cliffs, which can only be reached from the water or on foot.
Walk the first section of the Kalalau Trail, drive up to the lookouts over Waimea Canyon and keep a day for the beaches at Poipu on the south side.
The catch: the trip from Europe is long and costly, and Haena State Park, gateway to the trail, requires advance reservations. Plan at least ten days. Read our Kauai guide.
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay: the bay below your balcony
1 Hotel Hanalei Bay sits on the bluff at Princeville, looking across Hanalei Bay to the mountains. In summer it is the best base for the north shore, with Na Pali and the beaches at Haena a short drive away. Rates are high, but the view from the rooms is the point.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
Six Senses Ibiza
The pool at Six Senses Ibiza.
Ibiza: the quiet north
Ibiza in July is more than the clubs of Sant Antoni and Playa d'en Bossa. The north of the island has small coves with pine trees down to the water, the Las Dalias hippy market and villages where nothing hurries.
Stay in the north, eat fish at Cala de Sant Vicent and drive into Ibiza Town in the evening to walk the walls of Dalt Vila, the old town listed by UNESCO.
The catch: July is high season and everything costs more. Hire a car early and book the popular beach restaurants. Read our Ibiza guide.
Six Senses Ibiza: a cove at the top of the island
Six Senses Ibiza looks over Xarraca Bay on the northern tip of the island, with terraced rooms facing the sea and gardens that supply the kitchens. This is Ibiza for people who want to sleep well and swim early. It is expensive and half an hour by car from Ibiza Town.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Six Senses Ibiza
Martinhal Sagres
Martinhal Sagres in the Algarve.
The Algarve: the wild south-west for families
The Algarve is reliable sun in July, and the coast towards Sagres has cliff-backed beaches and surf. The Atlantic keeps the water fresher than the Mediterranean, which many families welcome at the height of summer.
Take a boat from Lagos or Portimão to the sea caves at Benagil, walk the Seven Hanging Valleys clifftop trail and spend an evening in the old town of Lagos.
The catch: the central Algarve around Albufeira is crowded and built up. Head west or east for quieter beaches. Read our Algarve guide.
Martinhal Sagres: at the edge of the continent
Martinhal Sagres is close to the beach at Sagres, the south-western tip of mainland Europe, and is designed for families, with a kids' club, several pools and roomy villas. The beaches around it are among the least developed in the Algarve. It is often windy and the sea is cool, so it suits families who prefer nature to warm water.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Martinhal Sagres
Good to know before you book
Book early: July is high season across Europe. Flights, hotels and hire cars should be settled well ahead.
Check the Redentore date: it is the third weekend of July, so confirm the year you travel and book before spring.
Plan around the heat: in southern cities, use mornings and evenings for walking and spend midday indoors or in the water.
Reserve entry where needed: on Kauai and at several sites in southern Europe, entry or parking must be booked ahead.
July travel: frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to travel in July?
Venice and Trondheim for festivals, Berlin for a city break with lake swimming, Kauai for wild coastline, and Ibiza or the Algarve for sun away from the busiest resorts.
When is the Redentore in Venice?
The Festa del Redentore takes place on the third weekend of July. The fireworks are on the Saturday night, and on Sunday a pontoon bridge leads to the Redentore church on Giudecca.
What is Olsok in Norway?
Olsok, on 29 July, commemorates Saint Olav, who died at Stiklestad in 1030. Trondheim marks it with St Olav's Days, a festival of concerts, markets and pilgrims.
Where can you travel in July without huge crowds?
Northern Ibiza, the western Algarve and central Norway are calmer than the best-known resorts. In cities, go out early and late.
Is July a good time to visit Kauai?
Yes for the north shore, where the sea is calmer in summer. The journey is long, so allow at least ten days.