Have you made your travel plans for the new year? Sometimes deciding where to go when is the most difficult part of planning a trip. Not only is it difficult because our bucket lists are so long, but also because we need to consider weather, holidays, and costs.

To research weather patterns for a destination, I like to use Weather Spark. For local holidays and events, I'm just using Google search. To research average flight costs, I'm using Google Flights Explore. I highly recommend researching these three topics whenever you are decided on where and when to travel.

Cover Photo by Greg Stonebraker

January Destination: Thailand (Southeast Asia)

Weather: January is dry season for most of Southeast Asia. With comfortable temperatures, this is a great time to explore. Here’s the climate summary and average temperatures for Chiang Mai.

Holidays/Events: Bor Sang Umbrella Festival takes place during the 3rd week of January just outside of Chiang Mai. 

Flight cost from Seattle: Flights are also a bit lower in January. They are at a peak in December and start creeping up again in February.

February Destination: Galapagos Islands

Weather: While February is part of the hot, humid, and rainy season, it’s also when the seas are the calmer and better for snorkeling.

Holidays/Events: There are plenty of celebrations in Ecuador during February. February 12th marks the Discovery of the Amazon River celebrations and February 27th remembers the Battle of Tarqui. Carnival is celebrated at the end of the month (four days leading up to Ash Wednesday), which will increase crowds and prices.

Flights: You’ll need to fly into Quito or Guayaquil before taking a guided tour of the Galapagos. The good news is that flight prices have a nice dip in February that start rising come March.

March Destination: Japan

Weather: Japan has extreme weather - hot summers and cold winters. Spring or fall trips make a more comfortable visit. Here are temperature averages in Tokyo.

Special events or holidays: Cherry blossoms bloom in late March or early April. If you want to avoid the crowds and increased prices, book your trip for early March. If you want to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom, go for late March and cross your fingers! The dates are unpredictable.

Flights: Flight prices from Seattle to Tokyo are fairly stagnant for much of the year, but the lowest prices are January through early March.

April Destination: Nepal

Weather: Spring is the best time to visit Nepal. The weather is comfortable and the flowers are blooming. Here is the climate summary for Kathmandu.

Holidays/Events: Climbers make their attempts at an Everest summit around mid-May, so by doing the 14 day trek to base camp, you can meet some. Nepali New Year, Bisket Jatra, is celebrated during mid-April, so you can celebrate with the locals.

Flights: Surprisingly, flights in the spring are reasonable. Most flights leaving from Seattle had 2 stops, but by leaving out of Vancouver, there were more options with 1 stop, at more affordable prices.

May Destination: Peru

Weather: If you’re planning to visit Machu Picchu, temperatures don’t vary much throughout the year. What you need to pay more attention to is rainfall. May is the start of the dry season, so your weather should be good. Here is the climate summary for Cusco, the closest city to the Machu Picchu excursion.

Holidays/Events: The beginning of the month has Labor Day (May 1st) and the Festival of the Cross (May 2nd and 3rd). 

Flights: While flights are the cheapest in February, the Inca Trail closes down during this wet season.

June Destination: St. Petersburg, Russia

Weather: Summer temperatures in St. Petersburg are very comfortable, averaging highs in the 60s and 70s. 

Holidays/Events: From about the second week in June until early July, St. Petersburg celebrates the nearly 24 hours of daylight (White Nights) with extra cultural events like opera and ballet. It's best to book accommodations early if you plan to be there during White Nights. 

Flights: While flight prices rise in July, if you fly in June you can squeak in at a lower cost.

July Destination: European Alps

Weather: No matter if you choose the Alps in Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, or Slovenia, you'll have comfortable temperatures (bring layers for visiting peaks) for hiking along green grass. Huts will be scattered along trails for food and drink. Gondolas give your feet a rest. 

Flights: Flights to Europe are rarely cheap in July, but keep your eyes peeled for good deals and book early. Especially if you are flexible about which part of the Alps you want to visit, you could really luck out. 

August Destination: South Africa

Weather: Why not visit the south hemisphere for a change in weather? Temperatures are mild in much of South Africa, so even the end of their winter is comfortably in the 50s and 60s in Cape Town. 

Holidays/Events: If you visit in the end of August or early September, you may get some spring blooms. 

Flights: The higher prices in June and July start to drop off in mid August and September. Take advantage of these price dips.

September Destination: Greek Islands

Weather: Enjoy temperatures in the 70s and 80s. What you really need to watch out for in the Greek Islands is wind, as this greatly affects travel by ferry. In September, you will still be able to enjoy the summer weather without the windstorms that come in October. 

Holidays/Events: While July and August can be oppressively packed, September and even early October let the crowds part with all the benefits of nice weather. Things shut down in mid to late October as is gets colder and windier. 

Flights: Be flexible about where you fly into. Athens may get you your best deal, but sometimes flying right to your first island works out cheaper. 

October Destination: New York City

Weather: Summers are hot and muggy and winters are freezing. NYC is beautiful in October. Strolling through Central Park in the fall colors is a must. You can still get some warm, sunny days, but by late October you'll want a warm coat. 

Holidays/Events: The NYC Marathon, Halloween, and the World Series all take place at the end of the month, bringing even more excitement and fun into the city. 

Flights: Flights get expensive by Thanksgiving. And summer is also popular. You can usually find a nice little dip in October. 

November Destination: New Zealand

Weather: As spring turns to summer, you can enjoy comfortable hiking weather in New Zealand in November. Here are the temperatures in Auckland.

Holidays/Events: Summer break starts in December so by slipping in before then, you won't have to worry as much about things getting booked up.

Flights: Stick to the beginning of November if you want the best flight deals.

December Destination: Iceland

Weather: Bundle up to embrace the cold weather and inevitable snow for this December Destination.

Holidays/Events: Your chances of seeing the Aurora are very high in the winter, and it will glow off of the snow. Christmas traditions in Iceland are fun with a new Yule Lad visiting each day, each with their own personalities (starting 13 days before Christmas Eve). 

Flights: Flying anywhere in December isn't super cheap, but you can still find great deals if you look, especially with IcelandAir. (I don't have an image for flight prices because as of my writing December is too far out and not showing yet.)

Where and when do you plan to travel this year?