Where to go right now.

Canals, bikes and Golden-Age art. Tulip spring is the postcard moment.

Gaudí, tapas and a city beach — best either side of the August crush.

Two continents, grand mosques and endless mezze. Spring and fall are warm but not roasting.

Tiled hills, miradouros and grilled sardines. Europe's sunniest capital.

Honky-tonks, hot chicken and live sets nightly. Mild shoulder months between the extremes.

Skyline, slices and a show. Spring blossoms and crisp fall beat the swampy summer.

Cafés, museums and the river. Loveliest in spring bloom and golden autumn.

Spires, beer halls and a fairytale castle. Spring and early fall are the sweet spot.

Ruins, carbonara and fountains. Shoulder seasons dodge the heat and the crush.

Caldera sunsets and blue domes. Bookend the summer to skip the cruise crowds.

Imperial palaces, cake and classical music. Mild shoulder months, magic at Christmas.

Rice terraces, reef breaks and temples. Time it to the dry season.

Steak, tango and late nights. A shoulder-season steal in the south.

Table Mountain, penguins and the winelands. Southern summer is dry, long and golden.

Hygge, harbours and New Nordic tables. Long, bright summers are the payoff.

Inca stonework and the gateway to Machu Picchu. The dry season is trekking prime time.

A castle on a crag and August's festival roar. Summer light and (relative) warmth.

Geisha districts, moss gardens and a thousand shrines. Blossom and maple steal the show.

World-class kitchens and Pacific cliffs. Summer burns off the famous coastal gloom.

High-altitude food capital — markets, murals and mezcal, all year mild.

Bungee, alpine lakes and pinot. A southern-summer adventure hub — or a winter ski town.

Waterfalls, lava fields and endless light. A summer adventure base.

Copacabana, samba and the big mountain. Southern summer brings the heat and the party.

Palaces, BBQ and 24-hour neon. Crisp spring and fall sidestep the monsoon and the freeze.

Hawker centres, gardens and a flawless transit hub. Hot and humid year-round.

Harbour, surf beaches and bottomless brunch. A southern-summer city.

Neon, temples and the world's best food — prettiest in blossom and maple seasons.

Sea-to-sky scenery and a dense food scene. Dry summers between rainforest months.

Stone Town alleys and turquoise shallows. The long dry season is the beach window.

Pyramids, the Nile and a brand-new mega-museum. Cool winter months are the window.

Megamalls, dune drives and a manmade skyline. Winter is the only sane time to go.

Souks, riads and rooftop mint tea. Spring and fall sit between cold nights and furnace summers.

Temples, tuk-tuks and the planet's best street food. Beat the heat and the rains.

Walled old town, Caribbean color and salsa nights. The dry season is the window.

Lakeside chaos, egg coffee and pho on plastic stools. Cool, dry winters are the window.

Peak tram views, dim sum and dense island energy. Autumn is clear, cool and dry.

Overwater villas and house-reef snorkeling. The calendar makes the trip — or breaks it.

Limestone bays, longtails and full-moon energy. The dry season is the whole game.

Cenotes, ruins on the sand and beach clubs. Dry winter dodges the heat and seaweed.