10 Vacations That Need to Be Booked NOW for Next Summer

Alaska is the ultimate summer goal for travelers of all stripes, from cruisers to campers. While May and August shoulder seasons are slower to book, travelers wanting to visit during the peak months of June and July should book early to ensure the best availability of cruise cabins. Travelers bound for wilderness lodges have even more incentive to book early—the lodges are often small and attract repeat business that usually books for the following year during their stay

Summer travelers to Tahiti should book early for one reason: Heiva. The annual Heiva I Tahiti festival, which dates back to the 19^th century, celebrates Polynesian culture with dance, song, and sport. Traditional sports like wrestling, stone lifting, tree climbing, canoe, horse races, and dance competitions make Tahiti one of the most exciting places every July. The festival attracts visitors from around the world, but hotels also fill up during July with competitors coming from French Polynesia and its Pacific neighbors to participate in the festivities, so book early for Heiva to avoid disappointment.

The best time to visit Kenya is during the Great Migration, or the dry season from July through October when animals congregate around water sources and make safari viewing the easiest. The Great Migration for safari animals in Kenya is also the Great Migration for safari enthusiasts, many of whom in the know will book well ahead of time to have their pick of tents in the luxe safari camps in the Masai Mara National Reserve.

With long, warm days and clear, cool evenings, British Columbia is paradise every summer. That fact is also a poorly-kept secret, for Canadians and visitors from around the world flock to BC each summer to get out on the ocean or up a mountain. Visitors bound for Tofino, on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, or Northern BC’s Discovery Islands should book especially early, for the resorts there can fill months in advance. In Vancouver, cruise traffic reaches its zenith in the summer months, and the city’s hotels, restaurants, and day tours fill with tourists, and rooms can be difficult to find.

National parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Glacier have been perennial favorites for summer travelers for generations (the National Park Service recently celebrated its centennial year), and the lodging options have certainly come a long way since they did when the first ones opened around the turn of the last century. That said, everything from wilderness lodges and the best campsites in the park to the host of options near park entrances can book up quickly, particularly at the “banner” parks in cooler weather climes that draw adventurers away from the summer heat.

While the Galapagos are a year-round destination with two distinct seasons that both have their benefits, the cooler summer months can be popular with families and large groups, which necessitates booking ahead. The size of the vessels that can cruise in the protected waters is limited by statute, so only smaller expedition-style ships are permitted. Visitors to the Galapagos in the summer months may find hiking more comfortable in milder weather, and marine mammals are especially out in force, although a wetsuit may be necessary in the colder water.

It can feel like everybody goes to the French Riviera in the summer (if they’re French). A national debate rises between dedicated Juilletistes (who go in July) and Aoutiens (who go in August), but in either month, the beaches of communities like Nice, Cannes, and St. Tropez will be packed with revelers sipping champagne and partying into the wee hours before rising early for café complet with citrus and jasmine blossoms for company. Travelers who aren’t anchoring their own yacht in the harbor will want to book ahead.

With pleasant, mild winter weather and Australia and New Zealand school breaks, Fiji is a popular spot in the northern summer. There’s also less humidity and fewer insects, so it’s a prime time to visit, which means it’s a prime time to book ahead—particularly for larger groups wanting to book a villa or residence at one of the country’s many private island resorts. Internal flights to outer islands can also book quickly during peak periods, so be sure to arrange those at the time of booking instead of waiting.

The Highlands of Scotland have been a favorite summer retreat for Britons for years—in recent years, they’ve been joined by international visitors drawn to the still coolness of mountain lakes and salmon-stocked streams. Visitors wanting to book homestays in castles or self-catering rentals, in particular, should book ahead, as they’ll be competing with annual visitors for space. Accommodations are even more dear after the grouse season starts on “The Glorious Twelfth” of August.

Greece is a long-standing summer holiday destination for Northern Europe, and many of the top resorts actually have seasonal winter closures, so summer is about the only time to visit. The tourist draws of Santorini, Mykonos, and Corfu are among the most popular, and many of the seaside inns and rentals are quite intimate in scale, so early bookings are a must to ensure that sea-view accommodation with a terrace, perfect for enjoying an iced coffee in the heat of the afternoon with views of the golden sunlight sparkling across the Mediterranean.