Best holiday destinations in July

July is peak holiday season, but some calendar events are just too good to miss – like witnessing the Highland Games in the Outer Hebrides, or the explosion of Nantes’ art scene onto its cobbled streets. 

Long, sunny days also bring festival season to coastal Canada. Or, time it right for one of the world’s greatest wildlife phenomena in Kenya. 

From the Welsh coast to East Africa, these are our top getaways. We’ve found cheap July holiday options to destinations with fewer tourists, along with our picks for either chasing, or escaping, the peak summer heat.

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Best places to visit in July

• Menorca, Spain 28°C
• Nantes, France 24°C
• Calabria, Italy 30°C
• Rejkyavík, Iceland 13°C
• Hebrides, Scotland 16°C
• Pembrokeshire, Wales 19°C
• Nova Scotia, Canada 22°C
• Kenya, East Africa 28°C

Where to go in Europe in July

Menorca, Spain

July high: 28°C

Package holiday tourists typically flock to its neighbouring islands, meaning Menorca’s white-sand beaches and whitewashed hilltop villages are joyously unspoiled. Unesco designated the entire island a biosphere in 1993, further preserving its limestone gorges and pine-framed bays. 

Menorca’s gentle terrain is perfect for walking and cycling; the Cami de Cavalls coastal path will be lined with wildflowers in July. You can also expect abundant sunshine this month and temperatures around the high twenties. 

Climb El Toro, a 350-metre hill at its centre, for panoramic views over the whole island. It’s barely 30 miles wide, which means that nothing is more than an hour’s drive away.

Find a Menorca holiday with Which? Recommended Provider Jet2Holidays, Hays Travel, Kuoni and Trailfinders.

Where in Europe is cheap in July? 

Nantes, France

July high: 24°C

July is an excellent time to visit the north-western riverside city of Nantes, not least because return last-minute flights start from just £28, when we checked Skyscanner. 

It is also slightly under the radar compared with Paris or Provence, which are typically swarmed by tourists as peak season hits. Plus, the city sees its warmest weather in July, averaging a comfortable 24°C – ideal for enjoying open-air festivals and concerts (many of which are free to attend), or wandering through the Jardin des Plantes, a seven-hectare botanical garden home to over 10,000 plant species. 

And if you’re travelling on a budget, look out for photo opportunities aplenty thanks to Le Voyage à Nantes – a free, city-wide art trail featuring around 120 public installations dotted along the streets, rooftops and river banks.

Where is less busy in Europe in July?

Calabria, Italy

July high: 30°C

Wherever’s hottest in the Med tends to be heaving in July. But that’s not the case for Calabria, also known as ‘the toe of the boot’ – the southwestern coast where Italy ‘kicks’ Sicily.

It’s a vast stretch of romantic mountains and home to some of Italy’s most impressive beaches. Base yourself in Tropea and climb the steps up to the dramatic Santa Maria dell’Isola church, cool off in the richly historic sandstone grottos, and treat yourself to some tartufo – gelato coated in chocolate or cocoa powder, with a fruity or chocolate filling.

Reggio Calabria is just two hours south by train, where you can hop on a 35-minute ferry across to Messina in Sicily. Or stay local and explore lesser-known seaside villages such as Diamante, Le Castella and Amantea, where you’ll find fewer tourists and even better value.

Go to Italy with Which? Recommended Providers Jet2Holidays, Destination2 and Kuoni

Wondering where in Europe has the most tourists? Read our guide to find out more.

Where in Europe isn't too hot in July?

Reykjavík, Iceland

July high: 13°C

July is Iceland’s mildest, sunniest month, offering around 20 hours of daylight. Chances of taking a hot tub soak under the magical, low-lying midnight sun are higher in July. And its geothermal glory, from hot springs to expansive lava fields, are reliably accessible for the month. 

All that means that whether you’re taking day trips from a base in Reykjavík, or driving the ring road, you’ll have plenty of time to see waterfalls, glacier lagoons and clifftop puffin colonies – the latter of which are most active during this month, too.

Go to Reykjavík with Which? Recommended Providers Trailfinders, Destination2 and Hays Travel

Hiring a car abroad? Here’s everything you need to know.

Best UK holiday destinations in July

Pembrokeshire, Wales

July high: 19°C

It’s been described as Cornwall without the crowds, but word’s already out on the Pembrokeshire coast’s show-stopping beauty. July is the best time to take a gamble on the changeable Welsh weather, with daily highs teetering close to 20°C. 

The historic harbour town of Tenby and the tiny city of St Davids rank highly in our survey of the UK’s best seaside towns. Nearby Barafundle Bay is one of Britain’s most beautiful beaches, with its vivid blue waters and dune-backed secluded sands. 

You may even spot puffins making their splay-legged landing at wind-swept Skomer Island (a nesting site between April and July).

Book a Pembrokeshire holiday cottage with Which? Recommended Providers The Landmark Trust, Rural Retreats, National Trust and Classic Cottages.

North Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland

July high:  16°C

The Hebrides come into their own in July, as the grasslands along the coastlines, known as the marchair, burst into technicolour wildflower blooms thanks to longer, sunnier days.

Head to North Uist for some of the Hebrides’ most dramatic landscapes, along with ample opportunities to spot golden eagles, otters and elusive corncrakes. If you’re visiting in late July, look out for the Highland Games, which kick off in the area this year on 18 July.

North Uist sits between Benbecula to the south and Harris/Lewis to the north, and is connected by a causeway to neighbouring isles including Grimsay, Berneray and Baleshare – so it's an ideal base for island-hopping.

Golden hour starts as late as 9pm, with the sun setting after 10pm, perfect for sunset loch-gazing and unhurried strolls under Hebridean sunsets.

Book your Scottish getaway with Which? Recommended Providers The Landmark Trust, Rural Retreats, National Trust and Classic Cottages.

Best long-haul holiday destinations in July

Nova Scotia, Canada

July high: 22°C

Winters in this maritime province are harsh, with Atlantic swells thrashing the coastline. But summers are a different story altogether. Not only do white-sand beaches bask in sunshine, but the calendar is also a whirl of music, art and food festivals, starting with a huge Canada Day celebration on 1 July. 

Make sure to visit Peggy’s Cove and its iconic octagonal lighthouse, perched on a granite outcrop. Brightly coloured clapboard houses and stacked lobster pots only add to the salty charm. It may be high season, but Nova Scotia isn’t as busy – or as pricey – as other parts of Canada at this time of year. 

Go to Nova Scotia with Which? Recommended Providers Audley Travel, Hays Travel and Trailfinders.

Kenya, East Africa

July high: 28°C

Kenya offers plenty of unforgettable experiences, from visiting Masai villages to floating above the savannah in a hot air balloon. But number one has to be safari. Our summer (Africa’s winter) is prime game-viewing season; there are fewer tall grasses for lions to hide behind and less rainfall, meaning animals congregate around water holes. 

Late July to early August brings with it one of the most exciting wildlife events on earth: the Great Migration. More than 1.5 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra make their legendary 1,800-mile round trek, arriving in the Masai Mara National Reserve from the Serengeti in neighbouring Tanzania. The exact date varies; Mother Nature has the final say.

Visit Kenya with Which? Recommended Providers Exodus Adventure Holidays, Audley Travel, Hays Travel, Kuoni and Trailfinders.