Honeymoon Destinations: Where to Go and When

For a honeymoon, choose the season first, then the destination: most of the islands and countries popular with newlyweds have a good and a poor time of year. If you marry in spring or summer, look at Mauritius, Bali, French Polynesia, the Seychelles (April-May) or Greece and Italy in June. If your honeymoon falls between November and April, aim instead for the Maldives, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico or the Caribbean. Budget, entry requirements and booking are covered in our guide to planning your honeymoon.

This guide matches your wedding dates with the best periods we established for each destination from official climate normals (see our methodology). It then helps you choose by couple style, budget and length of stay, and prepare the paperwork.

Table: which honeymoon destination, and when?

The periods below are the months our « when to go » pages classify as favourable. Click a destination for the month-by-month detail, with temperatures, rain and crowds.

Destination	Best period	To avoid or less certain	Which couple?
Mauritius	April to December (ideal September to mid-December)	January to March (humid heat, cyclone risk)	Beach, lagoon, couples’ hotels, hiking
Seychelles	April-May and October-November (shoulder seasons)	No real season to avoid; stronger wind in July-August	Beaches, snorkelling, island-hopping
Maldives	January to April	June to November: more rain and wind	Relaxing, diving, overwater villas
French Polynesia	May to October (« cool » season)	December to March: hot, rainy season	Lagoons, island cruise, long stay
Bali	April to October (ideal May to September)	December to March: rainy season	Rice terraces, temples, beaches, good value
Japan	Late March to mid-May, late September to late November	June-July (rainy season), very hot midsummer	Culture, food, ryokan and onsen
Thailand	November to February	March to May (intense heat), September-October (rain)	Tour plus beaches, controlled budget
Costa Rica	December to April	September-October: wettest months	Nature, volcanoes, wildlife, Pacific beaches
Mexico	December to April	September-October: rain and cyclone risk	Yucatan, Maya sites, Caribbean beaches
Dominican Republic	December to April	August to October: hurricane season	All-inclusive, Punta Cana beaches
Zanzibar	June to October, January-February	April-May: long rains	Beach, can be combined with a safari
Sri Lanka	December to March (south-west); April to September (east coast)	Depends on the coast: check the monsoon	Cultural tour, tea, beaches
Greece	Mid-April to June, September to mid-October	July-August: heat and crowds	Islands, sea, sunsets
Italy	April to June, September-October	July-August: heat and crowds in the cities	Art cities, coasts, lakes, food
Guadeloupe / Martinique	December to April (dry season)	August to October: hurricane season	Beaches, hiking

Choosing by your wedding month

Most often the wedding date is set before the destination. Here are the most consistent options by departure month, assuming you leave within days of the wedding. For each month, our « where to go » section gives more options.

Departure month	Favourable destinations	More ideas
January	Maldives, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico, Sri Lanka (south-west), Zanzibar, the Caribbean	Where to go in January
February	Maldives, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Zanzibar	Where to go in February
March	Maldives, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Seychelles; Italy for an early spring	Where to go in March
April	Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Bali, French Polynesia, Japan, Greece, Italy, Costa Rica	Where to go in April
May	Seychelles, Mauritius, Bali, French Polynesia, Japan (early May), Greece, Italy	Where to go in May
June	Mauritius, Bali, French Polynesia, Seychelles, Zanzibar, Greece, Italy, Croatia	Where to go in June
July	Bali, French Polynesia, Mauritius, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka (east coast)	Where to go in July
August	Bali, French Polynesia, Mauritius, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka (east coast)	Where to go in August
September	Seychelles, Mauritius, Bali, French Polynesia, Zanzibar, Greece, Italy	Where to go in September
October	Seychelles, Mauritius, French Polynesia, Bali, Japan (late October), Greece, Italy	Where to go in October
November	Seychelles, Mauritius, Thailand, Japan (maples), Reunion Island	Where to go in November
December	Mauritius, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico, Dominican Republic, the Caribbean	Where to go in December

Two remarks. First, « favourable » does not mean « rain-free »: in the tropics a late-afternoon shower is common even in the dry season. Second, the best periods are also the most in demand: in Mauritius at year end or the Maldives in February, prices rise and hotels fill early.

Choosing by couple style

Beach and relaxation: Indian and Pacific oceans

For a stay built around the lagoon, the three classics remain the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles. The Maldives are the most « everything on site »: one hotel per island, few visits possible, many water activities. Mauritius offers more variety (hiking, markets, several coasts) and a wide range of hotels. The Seychelles suit a combination of two or three islands (Mahe, Praslin, La Digue). French Polynesia is the most remote: expect a long day of travel and a large time difference, which justifies a stay of at least two weeks.

Culture and discovery: Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka

If you prefer to move around, Japan combines cities, temples, gardens and nights in a ryokan, and is easy to visit by train. Thailand lets you link a tour of the north with a few beach days, on a more flexible budget. Sri Lanka is compact: ancient sites, tea plantations and beaches are a few hours’ drive apart. For these destinations, avoid overloading the itinerary: two or three stops in ten days are enough.

Nature and gentle adventure: Costa Rica, Bali, Zanzibar

Costa Rica attracts couples who want to walk, watch wildlife and finish on a Pacific beach. Bali mixes rice terraces, temples and villas with pools, and combines easily with the neighbouring islands. Zanzibar can be added to a safari in mainland Tanzania: it is one of the easiest « bush and beach » combinations to organise.

Shorter trips, less jet lag: Mediterranean and Caribbean

If you only have a week, the Mediterranean avoids the fatigue of long-haul travel for travellers based in Europe (from North America, expect a transatlantic flight): Greece for islands, Italy for art cities, the Amalfi Coast or the lakes, Croatia or Malta for the sea. Guadeloupe and Martinique offer tropical beaches. A cruise is another option if you want to see several ports without repacking.

Combining two destinations

A combination lets you pair discovery and rest, provided both stops are in good season at the same time and linked by a simple flight. A few consistent pairings:

Combination	Shared favourable period	Logic
Sri Lanka + Maldives	January to March	Cultural tour then lagoon; short flights between Colombo and Male
Tanzania + Zanzibar	June to October, January-February	Safari then beach
Bali + neighbouring islands	April to October	Rice terraces and temples, then quieter beaches
Mauritius + Reunion Island	May to November	Hiking on Reunion, relaxing on Mauritius
Thailand (north + Andaman islands)	November to February	Chiang Mai temples, then Phuket or Krabi
Costa Rica (volcanoes + Pacific)	December to April	Forest and wildlife, then Guanacaste beaches

Avoid adding a third country on less than two weeks: each change of stop costs half a day, sometimes a whole day.

Common mistakes

• Choosing the destination without looking at the season: the Maldives in July, Thailand in October or French Polynesia in February mean more rain, which matters on a beach-focused stay.
• Leaving the day after the wedding on an overnight flight: fatigue builds up. One or two days of rest before departure, or a short first stop, make the start of the trip more pleasant.
• Overloading the itinerary: a honeymoon is not a sightseeing checklist. Keep free days.
• Forgetting school holidays: during school-holiday periods, family destinations fill up and prices rise.
• Neglecting cancellation terms: a lot can change between booking and departure. Read them before paying.
• Booking under a married name without up-to-date documents: boarding can be refused if the name on the ticket does not match the document presented.

How long should you go for?

Duration	Suitable destinations	Why
4 to 7 days	Greece, Italy, Croatia, Malta, Madeira, Canary Islands	Shorter flights for travellers based in Europe, little or no time difference
8 to 12 days	Mauritius, Seychelles, the Caribbean, Thailand, Bali, Mexico, Costa Rica	Time to recover from the flight and enjoy one or two stops
12 to 15 days and more	French Polynesia, Japan with a tour, Maldives + Sri Lanka, Tanzania + Zanzibar	Long journeys, large time difference or a two-country combination

A simple rule of thumb: for a destination more than ten hours’ flight away, subtract at least two days from your « useful » stay for the outbound trip, the return and fatigue. On a one-week trip, that leaves little time on site.

What budget should you plan?

The budget depends mainly on three items: flights, accommodation and the level of service (half board, all-inclusive, excursions). The gaps between destinations are large: in the Maldives and Polynesia, accommodation and inter-island transfers weigh heavily; in Thailand, Bali or Sri Lanka, a comfortable hotel costs far less. Our country pages give an indicative daily range for each destination.

• Travel in the shoulder season: April-May or October-November in the Seychelles, May-June or September in the Mediterranean. The weather stays good and prices often fall.
• Book flights early if you are aiming at a school-holiday period.
• Mix accommodation: a few nights in a high-end hotel, the rest somewhere simpler.
• Mention your honeymoon when booking: some hotels offer a gesture or a perk, but it is never guaranteed; read the conditions.

For concrete ideas on a tight budget, see our guide to a cheap honeymoon.

Book yourself or use a professional?

Both are defensible. Booking flights and hotels yourselves gives more freedom and lets you compare each service. It is simple for a stay in one place (Mauritius, Greece, the Canary Islands) or a well-served country (Japan, Thailand).

A package or organised trip from a licensed agency becomes worthwhile for complex itineraries: a multi-country combination, seaplane transfers in the Maldives, island-hopping in Polynesia. If something goes wrong (a cancelled flight, an unavailable hotel), a single party is responsible for all the services in the package. In every case, compare what is actually included: transfers, meals, local taxes, excursions and change conditions.

• Simple stay, one hotel: booking direct is usually enough.
• Two well-connected stops: either way, depending on how much time you have to organise.
• Three or more stops, inter-island transfers: a package simplifies handling the unexpected.

When to book

Ideally allow six to nine months before departure for a long-haul trip in high season (year end, February, July-August), and two to four months for the Mediterranean outside summer. Book flights first, then hotels, then excursions. If the wedding date is not yet fixed, favour changeable or refundable fares, even if slightly more expensive.

Entry requirements, health and insurance

• Passport: most long-haul destinations require one, often with a minimum validity after your return. Check each country’s rules in the UK government’s foreign travel advice (GOV.UK) or, for US citizens, on travel.state.gov.
• Name on the ticket: it must match the passport you will use exactly. If you plan to change your name after the wedding, book under the name on the document you will present.
• Visas and electronic authorisations: some destinations require an online step before departure. Check the country’s official entry requirements a few weeks before.
• Health: recommended vaccines, preventive treatment and mosquitoes (dengue, malaria depending on the area) vary by destination; book an appointment with your doctor or a travel clinic well before departure.
• Insurance: check what your bank card covers (medical costs, cancellation, baggage) and top up if needed, especially for an expensive stay booked long in advance.

Honeymoon: questions to ask before choosing

• When are you leaving? The month sets the possible destinations (see the table above).
• How many days? Beyond 6 hours of flying, allow at least 10 days to absorb the journey and the time difference.
• What pace? Relaxation on an island, discovery on a tour, or both combined.
• What budget? Flights, accommodation and meals weigh the most; the season makes prices vary a lot.
• Entry requirements: valid passport, any visa, in the name on the tickets.

The mini-honeymoon: go short, then go further

If time off or budget is short right after the wedding, a « mini-honeymoon » of a few days close to home lets you leave at once; the big trip can wait for the right season in your chosen destination. Ideas on a controlled budget: cheap honeymoon.

Frequently asked questions

Our sources

• Our « when to go » pages for each destination, based on the normals of national weather services (details on each page and in our methodology).
• Entry requirements: the UK government’s foreign travel advice (GOV.UK) and the U.S. Department of State country pages (travel.state.gov), to be checked before departure.
• Our methodology

Updated November 2026.