Where to go
The full list.
May is the moment for the Mediterranean before summer crowds, the start of Bali's dry season and the Kentucky Derby.
Why May
Seasonal hotels and ferries are open, lemon groves are blooming, and it's warm but less crowded than summer.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~72°F (22°C); sunny
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Family-run 18th-century villa above Positano's beach.
Explore Amalfi Coast →Why May
Lakeside gardens are usually in full azalea and rhododendron bloom, and villa hotels have reopened for the season.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~72°F (22°C); some showers
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
A four-star stay in Cernobbio, a strong base for Lake Como.
Explore Lake Como →Why May
Warm, sunny days with fewer cruise crowds than June–August, and every caldera hotel is open.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~72°F (22°C); dry
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Whitewashed cliffside suites in Oia with caldera-view pools.
Explore Santorini →Why May
Olive groves are green, wildflowers bloom, and it's warm enough for the beach without summer crowds.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~73°F (23°C); dry
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Resort built like a traditional Puglian village near the Adriatic.
Explore Puglia →Why May
Markets are full of spring produce, cherry orchards bloom, and it's ideal cycling weather at the foot of Mont Ventoux.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~73°F (23°C); sunny
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$
Hilltop village hotel spread across restored stone houses.
Hotels in Crillon-le-Brave →Why May
Perfect hiking and cycling weather in the Serra de Tramuntana, with the sea warming up before peak season.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~74°F (23°C); dry
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Mountain-village hotel in Deià with olive groves and orange gardens.
Hotels in Deià →Why May
Fresh spring greenery and clear Mount Fuji views come before the June rainy season. Avoid Golden Week in early May.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~68°F (20°C); mild
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Former imperial summer villa turned ryokan with private onsen baths.
Hotels in Hakone →Why May
Bali's dry season begins around April–May, with rice terraces still lush and fewer crowds than July–August.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~86°F (30°C); drier
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$
Villas above the Ayung River gorge near Ubud.
Explore Bali →Why May
Long, mild days, parks in bloom and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, usually held in late May.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~64°F (18°C); showers
- Crowds · season
- High · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Art Deco Mayfair landmark.
Explore London →Why May
Central Park is in full bloom and the weather is ideal for walking, before summer heat and humidity.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~72°F (22°C); mild
- Crowds · season
- High · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Upper East Side hotel steps from Central Park and the Met.
Explore New York City →Why May
The season opens with warm days, while the Cannes Film Festival (usually mid-May) pushes up prices along the coast.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~70°F (21°C); sunny
- Crowds · season
- High · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Belle Époque palace on the tip of Cap-Ferrat with a famous seawater pool.
Hotels in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat →Why May
Warm spring weather suits Mount Etna hikes and Taormina's ancient Greek theater before summer heat.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~72°F (22°C); dry
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
14th-century convent with gardens overlooking the Ionian Sea.
Hotels in Taormina →Why May
Mild spring weather for port lodge tastings and Douro river cruises, before summer crowds.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~68°F (20°C); some showers
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$
Wine hotel among the port lodges, with Douro and city views.
Explore Porto →Why May
Spring blossoms fill the Prater and palace gardens, and outdoor café season begins.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~68°F (20°C); mild
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$
Grand hotel opposite the State Opera, home of the original Sachertorte.
Explore Vienna →Why May
The dry season begins in May, with green landscapes after the rains and fewer crowds than June–August.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~70°F (21°C); drier
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
The only hotel next to the entrance to Machu Picchu.
Hotels in Machu Picchu →Why May
May falls between monsoons, bringing calm seas, clear water and light winds.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~86°F (30°C); calm
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Treehouse-style villas above Petite Anse bay.
Explore Seychelles →Why May
Drier conditions return to Kauai's north shore in late spring, in a quiet window between spring break and summer.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~79°F (26°C); occasional showers
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Sustainably designed resort overlooking Hanalei Bay.
Explore Kauai →Why May
The Kentucky Derby is held on the first Saturday in May, capping two weeks of the Kentucky Derby Festival.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~75°F (24°C); spring storms
- Crowds · season
- High during Derby · Peak
- Price level
- $$$$
1923 landmark and birthplace of the Hot Brown sandwich.
Hotels in Louisville →Why May
Long daylight, spring green and fewer midges than midsummer make May ideal for the Highlands.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~59°F (15°C); changeable
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$$
Historic estate hotel with three championship golf courses.
Hotels in Auchterarder →Why May
Wildflowers cover the island, the sea is warming, and sites like Knossos are comfortable before summer heat.
- Typical weather
- Highs ~75°F (24°C); dry
- Crowds · season
- Moderate · Shoulder
- Price level
- $$$
A five-star stay in Elounda, a strong base for Crete.
Explore Crete →
This month in sports
- Miami Grand Prix · Apr 30, 2027 – May 2, 2027
- Kentucky Derby · May 1, 2027
- PGA Championship · May 20, 2027 – May 23, 2027
- Canadian Grand Prix · May 21, 2027 – May 23, 2027
- Preakness Stakes · May 23, 2027First Sunday running, three weeks and a day after the Derby, at a partly reopened Pimlico.
- Cape Town Marathon · May 23, 2027First running as a World Marathon Major.
- Roland-Garros (French Open) · May 23, 2027 – Jun 6, 2027 (expected)Qualifying usually begins about a week earlier.
- Indianapolis 500 · May 30, 2027 (expected)Same day as NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600.
- Coca-Cola 600 · May 30, 2027Same day as the Indianapolis 500.