Best Places to Visit in August: Dry, Mild and Not Overcrowded

The best places to visit in August are the cities where summer stays comfortable and the sky stays mostly dry: Porto (77.9°F with only 3 rainy days), Marseille (82.4°F, 3 rainy days), Berlin (75.7°F), Vienna and Seattle on the temperate side, and Denver or Toronto if you prefer North America. For cooler air and long festival evenings, Edinburgh and Copenhagen work, with a rain jacket in the bag.

August is the month most people are free to travel, which is exactly why it needs thought. Around the world it is also peak season for Atlantic hurricanes, Asian monsoon and typhoon rains, and desert heat above 100°F. Dubai averages 109.2°F (42.9°C) and Mumbai logs 18.8 in (478 mm) of rain. So rather than chase the busiest postcards, we used 20 years of WeatherApex data to find places that are pleasant in August and then flagged the ones to leave for another month.

Best places to visit in August: ten picks compared

Averages for the month, with Celsius in brackets and rain shown in inches and millimetres.

A fast way to read this: Porto, Marseille, Seattle, Denver and Johannesburg all log 6 rainy days or fewer, which is the clearest sign of a reliably dry August. Edinburgh, Copenhagen and Toronto trade a few more showers for cooler air.

What August looks like around the world

Northern Hemisphere cities are at the height of summer, and the choice is between hot and comfortable. The tropics are in their wet or storm season in many places, southern Asia is in monsoon, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with the most active weeks usually from mid-August into October. The Southern Hemisphere is in winter, so Johannesburg is dry and sunny while Sydney (63.9°F (17.7°C)) and Melbourne (57.7°F (14.3°C)) are cool. Those seasons are reversed, which makes August a strong month for dry-season Africa and a weak one for a southern beach.

Northern Europe: cool, cultured and a little damp

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the August city with a built-in reason to go. The Fringe and the other festivals usually take over the Old Town through most of the month. The weather is mild at best: 63.5°F (17.5°C) for the high, 53.1°F (11.7°C) for the low, 14 rainy days and 80% humidity. Expect a mix of sun and showers every day, plus a lot of people on the Royal Mile. Book rooms very early, and bring a waterproof. For the rest of the country, read the best month to visit Scotland.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen averages 68.7°F (20.4°C) with a low of 58.5°F (14.7°C) and 13 rainy days. It is pleasant, not hot, which suits a city built around bikes and harbour-side walking. The sea is cool, though the harbour swimming areas are popular on warm days. This is the right place if you want comfort and do not need guaranteed sun.

Berlin

Berlin is the driest of the three, with 2.1 in (53 mm) of rain over 10 days and 11.0 hours of sun per day. Highs reach 75.7°F (24.3°C). August is a great month for lakes, beer gardens and the city's open-air culture, and the heat is manageable. It is also a good month to avoid the Mediterranean crush, which matters more than people expect when the hotel is booked for a week.

Vienna

Vienna is a little warmer, at 79.2°F (26.2°C), with 10 rainy days and 66% humidity. Cafes and gardens carry the city through the afternoon, and evenings cool to 61.7°F (16.5°C). Some locals leave town in August and a few venues take a break, but the major museums and the river stay open.

Atlantic and Mediterranean coast

Porto

Porto has one of the driest Augusts on this list: 0.7 in (18 mm) of rain, 3 rainy days and 77.9°F (25.5°C) highs. Evenings drop to 62.4°F (16.9°C), which is cool enough for a jacket on the riverbank. The nearby Atlantic is brisk rather than warm. It is easier to enjoy in August than Lisbon, where hills and heat can wear you down.

Marseille

Marseille is the hottest of the beach-friendly options, with highs of 82.4°F (28.0°C) and lows of 68.2°F (20.1°C), and still only 3 rainy days and 12.8 hours of sun. The calanques and the harbour are made for August. The catch is that many French holiday-makers head to the coast in this month, so expect busy sand and busy restaurants. Go early and book ahead.

North America and southern Africa

Seattle

Seattle in August is dry and warm: 75.7°F (24.3°C), 5 rainy days and 1.1 in (28 mm) of rain. It is the best month for ferries, parks and mountain day trips. Wildfire smoke can drift in during some summers, so keep the plans flexible.

Denver

Denver is hot in the afternoon (85.8°F (29.9°C)) and cool at night (58.8°F (14.9°C)), with only 47% humidity. That dryness is a relief after a humid east-coast summer. Thunderstorms are common on summer afternoons in the Rockies, but the data shows only 6 rainy days. It is a good launch point for mountain trips.

Toronto

Toronto gives you a big-city summer with 77.5°F (25.3°C) highs, 64.0°F (17.8°C) lows and 9 rainy days. Humidity is 72%, which is warm but less oppressive than the US Southeast. Patios, the lakefront and day trips toward Niagara all work in this month.

Johannesburg

Johannesburg is the Southern Hemisphere pick. It has 1 rainy day, 0.3 in (8 mm) of rain, 10.5 hours of sun and 41% humidity. Highs rise to 68.2°F (20.1°C) while lows are still a chilly 42.1°F (5.6°C), so you need a coat at night. August also falls in the dry-season window many visitors use for wildlife trips.

If you must go to southern Europe

Plenty of people have fixed August holidays and a heart set on Italy, Spain or Greece. That is workable, but be realistic. Rome averages 88.9°F (31.6°C), Madrid 91.0°F (32.8°C), Athens 91.6°F (33.1°C) and Seville 97.3°F (36.3°C), and the sun is strongest in the middle of the day. Seville is the one we would leave for another month. Barcelona is gentler at 82.4°F (28.0°C) with a sea to jump into, and Istanbul sits at 84.0°F (28.9°C) with only 3 rainy days. If you go to any of them, split the day: early start, long lunch indoors, late afternoon out again. Cities with a lot of walking, such as Rome and Athens, feel very different at 9 am and at 3 pm.

Cooler options for August

If heat is your main worry, go north. Stockholm averages 68.7°F (20.4°C) and Helsinki 67.8°F (19.9°C), Oslo 67.5°F (19.7°C), and Reykjavik only 56.1°F (13.4°C). They are comfortable for hiking and city walks, but each logs 13 to 15 rainy days, so plan for jackets. Bergen is wetter still, with 8.6 in (218 mm) in the month. Further west, Dublin (65.7°F (18.7°C)) is similarly mild and showery. These places suit travellers who would rather carry a coat than sweat.

First half or second half of the month

The averages treat August as one block, but the month has a shape. The first two weeks are usually the most intense for school-holiday crowds in much of Europe, and the heat on the Mediterranean is at its steadiest. The last ten days often feel a little gentler and a little emptier, and some cities begin to wake up again after the break. If your dates are flexible, we would lean toward late August for Vienna, Berlin and Copenhagen, and toward the middle of the month for Edinburgh, since the main festivals usually run through the heart of August. For Seattle, Denver and Johannesburg the difference is small.

Where we would skip in August

• Deserts: Dubai (109.2°F), Phoenix (104.0°F), Las Vegas (101.3°F) and Cairo (99.5°F) are too hot for comfortable sightseeing.
• Indian monsoon: Mumbai has 30 rainy days and 18.8 in (478 mm) of rain, Kolkata 29 rainy days and 13.8 in (351 mm).
• Southeast and East Asia: Manila (12.2 in (310 mm)), Hong Kong (12.9 in (328 mm)) and Seoul (10.1 in (257 mm)) are wet, and typhoons usually peak around this time.
• Hurricane coast: Orlando has 24 rainy days, Miami 22 and Cancun 21, with humidity of 78% or more in each.
• Costa Rica and Mexico City: San Jose logs 28 rainy days and 15.2 in (386 mm) of rain, and Mexico City 25 rainy days. Wait for the drier months if you can.

Crowds and pricing in August

Even the best places to visit in August get busy, and the weather is only half the decision. A dry week in Porto is worth little if every terrace is full. School holidays across Europe and North America push demand up. Coastal France, Spain and Italy are at their most crowded, and many small businesses in French and Italian towns close for part of the month. Edinburgh and big-name beaches fill up first. Cities such as Berlin, Vienna and Copenhagen hold up better because locals are often away. We do not have fare data, so check current prices, and book anything popular as early as you can.

How to pick from the best places to visit in August, by goal

• Dry weather: Porto, Marseille, Johannesburg and Seattle.
• Cool temperatures: Edinburgh and Copenhagen, both below 70°F on average.
• Beach days: Marseille is the warmest option, and Porto is the quieter one.
• Cities and culture: Berlin, Vienna and Edinburgh.
• Families: Toronto, Denver and Copenhagen have easy transport and comfortable days.

If you are still undecided, our trip planner can match a week to a climate. And if your dates are flexible, September often has the same places with fewer queues.

What to pack

Pack by region. For Edinburgh and Copenhagen: a waterproof jacket, a sweater and shoes that handle wet pavement. For Porto, Marseille and Vienna: breathable clothes, sun protection and one layer for the evening. For Denver and Johannesburg: sunscreen for the day and a warm layer for the night, because the temperature swing is large. A refillable water bottle helps everywhere.

Data note

We built this list of the best places to visit in August from monthly averages, so every number above is a typical value. All numbers come from WeatherApex averages for 2006 to 2025. They describe typical August weather, not tomorrow's forecast. A heatwave or an unusually wet week can break any of them, particularly in places like Edinburgh where the weather changes by the hour. Use the table to shortlist, then check forecasts a week before departure. You can also check official climate information from World Weather Information Service of the WMO.