Short answer: For a 2027 honeymoon, choose the Maldives, Bora Bora, Seychelles, Bali or Saint Lucia for beaches and islands; Santorini, the Amalfi Coast, Paris or Kyoto for romantic cities and coastlines; or a Serengeti safari followed by a beach week on Zanzibar. The right pick depends mostly on your wedding month, so match the place to the season below.
A honeymoon is one trip where timing really matters: the same island can be calm and sunny in one month and windy and wet in another. This guide groups ten favorite honeymoon destinations by style and gives the best months for each, based on long-term weather averages from each country’s weather service, plus one or two romantic things to do and a practical note for planning.
Best honeymoon destinations by month
| Destination | Style | Best months |
|---|---|---|
| Maldives | Overwater villas, diving | December to April |
| Bora Bora, French Polynesia | Lagoon and luxury | May to October |
| Seychelles | Granite beaches, nature | April–May and October–November |
| Bali, Indonesia | Culture, rice terraces, beaches | April to October |
| Saint Lucia | Caribbean peaks and rainforest | December to April |
| Santorini, Greece | Sunsets and caldera views | May–June and September–October |
| Amalfi Coast, Italy | Cliff villages, boats, food | May–June and September–early October |
| Paris, France | Classic city romance | April–June and September–October |
| Kyoto, Japan | Temples, gardens, seasons | Late March–early April and November |
| Serengeti and Zanzibar, Tanzania | Safari plus beach | June to October; December to February |
Beaches and islands
Maldives
Why it is on the list: the Maldives is the classic honeymoon: 26 coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, with many resorts on their own island, villas over turquoise lagoons and reefs a few steps from your door.
Best months: December to April, the northeast monsoon, is the dry season, with sunshine, light winds, calm seas and the best visibility for diving on the eastern side of the atolls. It is also the most expensive time. From May to November the southwest monsoon brings more rain, wind and swell. It is hot all year, with highs of about 86–89°F (30–32°C).
Best things to do: snorkel the house reef, take a sunset dhoni cruise, and in season look for manta rays in Baa Atoll or whale sharks in Ari Atoll.
Practical note: every traveler must complete the free Traveller Declaration on the official IMUGA portal within 96 hours before arrival. Choose your atoll with transfers in mind: speedboats reach resorts near the airport in Kaafu Atoll, while farther atolls need a seaplane or domestic flight. See our Maldives travel guide.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Why it is on the list: a green volcanic peak rising from a lagoon of every shade of blue, ringed by small islets where most resorts sit. It is the South Pacific of the postcards, and as far from everyday life as most honeymooners will ever go.
Best months: May to October, the dry season, is the most popular time. According to Météo-France, July averages about 2.4 inches (62 mm) of rain, against about 9.6 inches (245 mm) in January, and highs stay around 84–88°F (29–31°C) all year. Showers are often short even in the dry months.
Best things to do: a lagoon tour by boat to snorkel with rays and reef sharks, then a picnic on a motu (islet) and a sunset from your deck facing Mount Otemanu.
Practical note: you fly in via Tahiti; many couples add a few days on nearby Moorea, which is greener and less expensive. See our Bora Bora travel guide and French Polynesia travel guide.
Seychelles
Why it is on the list: beaches framed by giant pink-gray granite boulders, rainforest-covered mountains and giant tortoises. Seychelles feels wilder than the Maldives, and you can hop between islands.
Best months: April–May and October–November, between the two wind seasons, usually bring calm seas and clear water. May to September is drier but breezier, and December to March is wetter: January is the wettest month, with about 16.8 inches (427 mm) of rain at the international airport, against about 3.1 inches (80 mm) in July. Highs stay around 84–89°F (29–32°C).
Best things to do: cycle to Anse Source d’Argent on La Digue in the late-afternoon light, and walk among the coco de mer palms of the Vallée de Mai on Praslin.
Practical note: all visitors need a Travel Authorisation from the official Seychelles site before flying; the standard version costs €10. Apply only on the official site. See our Mahé travel guide and Seychelles travel guide.
Bali, Indonesia
Why it is on the list: Bali gives you more than a beach: temples, rice terraces, spa culture, great food and villas with private pools, often for less than the Indian Ocean or the South Pacific.
Best months: April to October, the dry season, with highs of about 85–88°F (29–31°C). May, June and September are less crowded than July and August. From about November to March, afternoon downpours are frequent but the island is green and quieter.
Best things to do: split your stay between the jungle and rice terraces around Ubud and a beach base in the south, and watch the sunset from a clifftop temple.
Practical note: Bali’s provincial government charges a tourism levy of IDR 150,000 per person, paid once per trip on the official Love Bali website or app. Cover shoulders and knees, with a sarong, when visiting temples. See our Bali travel guide and Indonesia travel guide.
Saint Lucia
Why it is on the list: the twin volcanic spires of the Pitons, a UNESCO World Heritage site, rise straight out of the Caribbean, with rainforest, waterfalls and hillside resorts with open-air rooms looking at them. For US couples it is a much shorter flight than the Indian Ocean.
Best months: December to April, the dry season, is the sunniest and busiest time. May, June and November are good-value shoulder months. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, and the wettest months are late summer and autumn.
Best things to do: snorkel below the Pitons, soak in the volcanic mud baths near Soufrière, and take a sunset catamaran along the west coast.
Practical note: Saint Lucia has an online immigration form you can fill in before arrival and show as a QR code with your passport. See our Saint Lucia travel guide.
Romantic cities and coastlines
Santorini, Greece
Why it is on the list: white villages on the rim of a flooded volcano, about 300 m (1,000 ft) above the sea, with the most famous sunsets in the Mediterranean. Cliff-top hotels with private plunge pools were practically designed for honeymooners.
Best months: May–June and September–October. Average highs are about 74°F (23°C) in May and 80°F (27°C) in September, against about 85°F (30°C) in July and August, according to the Hellenic National Meteorological Service. The sea is warm enough for swimming from June to October.
Best things to do: walk the caldera path from Fira to Oia, then take a sunset sailing trip around the caldera instead of joining the crowd at the castle in Oia.
Practical note: for quieter nights with the same views, stay in Imerovigli or Firostefani. Greece adds a climate resilience fee per room per night, from €2 to €15 from April to October depending on the type of accommodation. See our Santorini travel guide and Greece travel guide.
The Amalfi Coast, Italy
Why it is on the list: pastel villages stacked on cliffs above a deep blue sea, lemon groves, long lunches and boat days. Positano, Amalfi and hilltop Ravello, with its gardens, make one of Europe’s most romantic coastlines.
Best months: May–June and September to early October, with a warm sea, long days and fewer crowds than July and August. Average highs run from about 75°F (24°C) in May. Many hotels and boats close from November to March.
Best things to do: hire a private boat for a day along the coast or across to Capri, and hike the Path of the Gods above Positano early in the morning.
Practical note: arrive by ferry rather than by car if you can; the coast road is narrow and parking is scarce. Allow 5–7 days to include Capri and a boat day. See our Amalfi Coast travel guide and Italy travel guide.
Paris, France
Why it is on the list: no city does romance with less effort. Walks along the Seine at sunset, café terraces, great museums and long dinners, and Paris pairs easily with a second stop, from the Amalfi Coast to Santorini.
Best months: April to June and September to October. Average highs are about 68°F (20°C) in May, 74°F (23°C) in June and 71°F (22°C) in September, according to Météo-France. July and August are busy and can be hot.
Best things to do: go up the Eiffel Tower in the evening, when it sparkles on the hour, and visit the newly restored Notre-Dame, which reopened in December 2024.
Practical note: book timed tickets for the big sights well ahead from April to October. At the Louvre, visitors from outside the European Economic Area have paid €32 since 14 January 2026. See our Paris travel guide and France travel guide.
Kyoto, Japan
Why it is on the list: Japan’s old imperial capital has temples, moss gardens, wooden tea-house streets and some of the world’s finest food. Staying in a traditional ryokan, with a private bath and a kaiseki dinner, is a honeymoon in itself.
Best months: late March to early April for cherry blossoms, and November for fall colors. The Japan Meteorological Agency’s normal dates for Kyoto’s cherry trees are first flowers around 26 March and full bloom around 4 April. Avoid the rainy season, normally from about early June to mid-July.
Best things to do: walk Fushimi Inari’s tunnels of red gates at dawn, and stroll Gion and the Shirakawa canal at dusk.
Practical note: since 1 March 2026, Kyoto’s accommodation tax depends on the room rate, rising to ¥10,000 per person per night for the most expensive rooms. Book cherry-blossom and fall-color dates early. See our Kyoto travel guide and Japan travel guide.
Safari and beach
Serengeti and Zanzibar, Tanzania
Why it is on the list: few honeymoons combine as much as this one: a few days watching lions and the great herds in Serengeti National Park, then a short flight to the white beaches of Zanzibar. Tanzania National Parks calls the Serengeti home to the world’s last remaining large mammal migration.
Best months: the Serengeti is good all year, but the herds move. From about December to April they graze the southern plains around Ndutu, where the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority describes the calving season; from about July to October they cross the Mara River in the north. Zanzibar is best from June to October and December to February; March to May is the long rainy season.
Best things to do: a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the plains, a game drive into the Ngorongoro Crater, and a sunset dhow cruise from Stone Town or Nungwi.
Practical note: US passport holders need a multiple-entry e-visa (US$100) from the official Tanzania immigration portal, which covers Zanzibar too. Zanzibar also requires all visitors to buy its state insurance, US$44 per adult. See our Tanzania travel guide.
How to choose
- Wedding in winter (December to February): the Maldives, Saint Lucia, Zanzibar and the Serengeti calving season.
- Wedding in spring (March to May): Kyoto’s cherry blossoms, Paris, Santorini or the Amalfi Coast in May, the Maldives until April, Seychelles in April and May.
- Wedding in summer (June to August): Bora Bora, Bali, a Serengeti safari with Zanzibar, or Europe in June.
- Wedding in autumn (September to November): Santorini, the Amalfi Coast and Paris in September, Kyoto in November, Seychelles in October and November.
Plan your honeymoon
Our free trip planner builds a day-by-day honeymoon plan for your dates and budget from our guides, including two-stop trips such as Paris and Santorini or the Serengeti and Zanzibar. To check the usual weather on your exact dates, open the Destination weather tool, and see Travel costs by country to compare budgets.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most romantic honeymoon destination?
For pure seclusion, the Maldives and Bora Bora, where many resorts sit on their own islands and villas stand over the lagoon. For romance with sightseeing, Santorini, the Amalfi Coast, Paris and Kyoto. For something unforgettable and different, a Serengeti safari followed by Zanzibar’s beaches.
When is the best time to honeymoon in the Maldives?
December to April, the dry northeast monsoon season, brings the most sunshine, the calmest seas and the best diving visibility on the eastern reefs. It is also the most expensive time. May to November is wetter and windier but often cheaper.
Where should we honeymoon in summer?
Bora Bora and Bali are in their dry seasons from about May or April to October, and the Serengeti’s Mara River crossings usually happen from about July to October, with Zanzibar dry from June to October. In Europe, June is warm without the July and August crowds.
How long should a honeymoon be?
Most couples take one to two weeks. For long-haul trips to the Maldives, French Polynesia, Seychelles or Tanzania, ten days or more makes the travel time worthwhile. For a safari and beach combination, plan on three or four nights of safari and five or more on the beach.
Which honeymoon destinations are closest to the US?
Saint Lucia and the rest of the Caribbean are the shortest flights from the East Coast, with Saint Lucia best from December to April. Europe, for Paris, Santorini or the Amalfi Coast, is an overnight flight. Bora Bora is reached via Tahiti, a long flight from the West Coast.