Best countries to visit in August 2023

August is peak travel season in the Northern Hemisphere, with kids streaming out of school. For families, we recommend multi activity holidays in places such as Montenegro’s Lake Skadar National Park, Croatia, Greece or rural Spain. Expertly organised itineraries include activities as varied as canyoning, white water rafting, whale watching and zip lining.

There’s a running theme for our August holiday ideas that kids (and teachers) will be very familiar with: escape. Escape the crowded cities and get into the mountains where it’s cooler. If you want the coast, small ship cruises are the way to go. And while Spain and Greece are always popular, activity centres give parents the chance to relax and throw themselves into the fun as well. Read our guide to find out more about the best places to go on holiday in August.

August is a popular month for small ship cruises, with sunny weather and calm seas in Europe and North America. Explore the idyllic Dalmatian Coast in Croatia or board a luxury gulet in Turkey. Stylish, comfortable, romantic and relaxing, there are few better ways to travel. And because passenger numbers are limited, you can get to places the bigger ships can’t reach.

Scotland is always busy in August, when the weather is at its warmest and driest. But take a railway tour, and you’ll find there are still parts of the Highlands that are remote and wild. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania can easily be combined on a fascinating small group tour. Even in August, they’re relatively quiet compared to other parts of Europe.