Where to travel in June — cool Hokkaido, dry-season beaches, early-summer Europe and North America

How to choose a June trip

In June, many places nearby, including Japan and Taiwan, enter their rainy season. You can head for mild Hokkaido, go to a dry-season beach, or pick early-summer Europe or North America, with long, dry days.

This article uses the 'best time to go' in each city guide and the June normals (average high, average low and rainfall) stored in our guides. Normals are averages over many years, so they don't tell you this year's weather, and the source agency and period differ by city. Bali uses 1961–1990, an older period, so treat it as a rough figure. Check the forecast before you go.

Temperatures are in °C and rainfall in mm. The sources are listed below.

• Japan Meteorological Agency, 1991–2020: Sapporo, Hakodate, Kagoshima and Fukuoka stations
• Central Weather Administration (CWA), Taiwan, 1991–2020: Taipei station
• NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: Seattle (Seattle–Tacoma International Airport station), Las Vegas (McCarran, now Harry Reid, International Airport station)
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), 1991–2020: Vancouver (Vancouver International Airport station)
• MeteoSwiss (Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology), 1991–2020: Interlaken station
• IPMA (Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere), 1991–2020: Lisbon (Lisboa / Instituto Geofísico station)
• WMO World Weather Information Service, 1991–2020: Da Nang (Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration), Hong Kong (Hong Kong Observatory)
• WMO World Weather Information Service, 1961–1990: Bali (Denpasar; Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics, BMKG)

A mild early summer — Sapporo and Hakodate

Sapporo is pleasantly mild in June-August, a good summer escape. The June normals are a high of 21.8°C, a low of 13.4°C and 60.4 mm of precipitation (JMA, 1991–2020). The Mt Moiwa observatory, reached by ropeway, is one of the best night views, but service may stop in bad weather. Otaru is 30-40 minutes away by JR, an easy day trip.

Hakodate's cool June-September months are best for walking. June has a high of 20.4°C, a low of 12.6°C and 79.8 mm of precipitation (JMA, 1991–2020). The Mt. Hakodate night view is busiest around sunset, so go up a little early.

• Sapporo travel guide →
• Hakodate travel guide →
• Otaru day trip from Sapporo →

Dry-season beaches — Bali and Da Nang

Bali's April-October dry season brings the most sunny days. The June normals are a high of 31.4°C, a low of 23.5°C and 53 mm of rain (WMO/BMKG, 1961–1990, Denpasar). They come from an older period, so treat them as rough figures.

In Da Nang, June-August is hot but fairly dry, good for the beach. June has a high of 34.9°C, a low of 26.3°C and 68 mm of rain (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020). Even within Vietnam, rainy seasons differ by region; see the article below for Southeast Asia by region.

• Bali travel guide →
• Da Nang travel guide →
• Traveling Southeast Asia in the rainy season →

Early-summer Europe — Lisbon and Interlaken

In June, Lisbon celebrates the Santo António festivities, and the city fills with the smell of grilled sardines. The June normals are a high of 26.1°C, a low of 16.8°C and 14.1 mm of rain (IPMA, 1991–2020). Summer afternoons bring strong sun, so carry water and sunscreen and save uphill walks for mornings and evenings.

Interlaken is best for combining hiking with mountain railways in June-September. June has a high of 22.4°C, a low of 12.1°C and 126.9 mm of precipitation (MeteoSwiss, 1991–2020). The Schynige Platte cogwheel railway runs only from late May to late October. Some mountain transport closes for maintenance between seasons in spring and autumn, so check official information.

• Lisbon travel guide →
• Interlaken travel guide →
• Choosing cities for a first Europe trip →

The dry North American west coast — Vancouver and Seattle

Vancouver is warm and dry in June-September, the best time for the outdoors. The June normals are a high of 19.6°C, a low of 11.9°C and 51.1 mm of precipitation (ECCC, 1991–2020, Vancouver International Airport).

Seattle is also sunniest and driest in June-September. June has a high of 21.7°C, a low of 11.7°C and 36.8 mm of precipitation (NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020, Seattle–Tacoma International Airport). Mount Rainier National Park, about 2-3 hours by car, has summer wildflower meadows. Check official information on entry and road closures.

• Vancouver travel guide →
• Seattle travel guide →

Think twice in June — rainy seasons and heat

Much of Japan enters its rainy season. According to our guides, it runs in June in Tokyo, from mid-June to July in Osaka and Fukuoka, in June-July in Kyoto, and from June to early July in Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Hiroshima. The June rainfall normals are 570 mm in Kagoshima and 249.6 mm in Fukuoka (JMA, 1991–2020). Okinawa's rainy season runs from mid-May to June, and in Ishigaki it ends around early June, but typhoons often approach from late June.

Greater China is wet too. Taipei's May-June plum rains give it a June rainfall normal of 345 mm (CWA, 1991–2020). Hong Kong's May-September season is hot, humid and typhoon-prone, with 491.5 mm in June (WMO/Hong Kong Observatory, 1991–2020). Shanghai's rainy season also runs from June to early July.

Southeast Asia varies by region. Bangkok's June-October wet season brings afternoon downpours, Manila faces typhoons and flooding in June-October, and from June to October the southwest monsoon brings waves to Boracay's White Beach. See the Southeast Asia rainy-season article above for details.

Check heat and chill too. Las Vegas is extremely hot at midday in June-August, with a June average high of 37.4°C (NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020). Tashkent's 'chillya', the 40 hottest days, runs from around 20 June to early August, so avoid midday walks. San Francisco often has fog and chilly days in June-August, so bring a jacket.

• Fukuoka travel guide →
• Kagoshima travel guide →
• Taipei travel guide →
• Hong Kong travel guide →
• Manila travel guide →

At a glance — June by city

A quick June summary. Figures are 'high/low temperature and rainfall'; sources and periods differ, so the comparison is rough.

• A mild early summer: Sapporo 21.8/13.4°C, 60.4 mm; Hakodate 20.4/12.6°C, 79.8 mm (both JMA, 1991–2020)
• Dry-season beaches: Bali 31.4/23.5°C, 53 mm (WMO/BMKG, 1961–1990); Da Nang 34.9/26.3°C, 68 mm (WMO/Viet Nam MHA, 1991–2020)
• Early-summer Europe: Lisbon 26.1/16.8°C, 14.1 mm (IPMA, 1991–2020; Santo António festivities); Interlaken 22.4/12.1°C, 126.9 mm (MeteoSwiss, 1991–2020)
• The dry North American west coast: Vancouver 19.6/11.9°C, 51.1 mm (ECCC, 1991–2020); Seattle 21.7/11.7°C, 36.8 mm (NOAA NCEI, 1991–2020)
• Rainy seasons: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and much of Japan; Okinawa, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok, Manila, Boracay
• Heat or chill: Las Vegas and Tashkent (heat), San Francisco (fog and chilly days)

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