Where to travel in May

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May has good weather across much of the world before the summer crowds. Japan is quieter once Golden Week ends in early May.

1. South Korea

Green, warm and sunny before the June rains; good for Seoul, Busan and Jeju.

Key sights

• Gyeongbokgung and Bukchon: Seoul's grand palace and the hanok lanes beside it.
• Lotus Lantern Festival: Lantern parade for Buddha's Birthday, usually in May.
• Seoraksan: Green peaks, the cable car and Sinheungsa temple on the east coast.

→ See the suggested day-by-day itinerary

2. Japan after Golden Week

Fresh green landscapes, fewer crowds and mild weather before the rainy season in June.

Key sights

• Shirakawa-go: Thatched gassho-zukuri farmhouses among green rice fields.
• Takayama: Old merchant streets, morning markets and sake breweries.
• Hakone: Lake Ashi, Owakudani and onsen with views of Mount Fuji.

→ See the suggested day-by-day itinerary

3. Bali, Indonesia

The dry season starts; lower prices than July and August.

Key sights

• Tegallalang and Jatiluwih: Bali's famous green rice terraces.
• Mount Batur: Pre-dawn hike for sunrise over the caldera lake.
• Uluwatu: Clifftop temple with a Kecak fire dance at sunset.

4. Italy and Croatia

Warm, long days and fewer crowds than mid-summer.

Key sights

• Rome: The Colosseum, the Vatican Museums and the Pantheon.
• Florence and Tuscany: Renaissance art, then Siena and the hill towns.
• Dubrovnik: Walk the old city walls above the Adriatic.
• Plitvice Lakes: Boardwalks over terraced lakes and waterfalls.

→ See the suggested day-by-day itinerary

5. Central Asia (Uzbekistan)

Spring weather for the Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara before summer heat.

Key sights

• Registan, Samarkand: Three tiled madrasas around one great square.
• Bukhara: Old city of domed bazaars and the Kalon Minaret.
• Khiva: Walled inner town of mud-brick mosques and minarets.

Weather to plan around

Southern China and Hong Kong become hot and wet from May; Japan's rainy season starts in June in most regions.

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