The seven best places to travel in June 2023, from Glastonbury to the Great Barrier Reef

Here are the top destinations to keep on your radar before peak summer season kicks in

A summer escape in Sweden. Photo: Johan Willner

School is nearly out and summer is almost here, which means it’s time to start thinking of holidays.

June is a great time to book a getaway as its often the last month before peak summer season in many destinations, allowing travellers to visit before the mass crowds swoop in.

As the month with the longest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, June is also a time for sunshine-filled days in many places around the world, and for seasonal events in other destinations.

Here are some of the best places to visit this month.

Glastonbury, UK

It's festival season in the UK with Glastonbury taking place in the English countryside. Photo: Tim Knowles / The National

The world’s largest greenfield music and performing arts festival takes place every June in 900 acres of countryside in England’s south-west. Running for more than five decades, Glastonbury attracts hundreds of thousands of revellers each year.

For 2023, the festival will kick off on June 21, running until Sunday, June 25 with music from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses and Elton John.

Away from the festival, quirky Glastonbury is filled with independent shops, cafes and bars, and is home to the ruins of the ancient Glastonbury Abbey and Glastonbury Tor, a prominent hill that gives climbers epic views over the Isle of Avalon, Glastonbury and Somerset.

Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka

Surfs up in Arugam Bay in Sri Lanka this month. Unsplash

Sri Lanka’s original surfing playground, Arugam Bay comes into its own every June. While the country’s monsoons soak the teardrop island’s southern and western coastlines, on the east coast it’s a different story.

June in Aragum Bay means sunshine-filled days and epic surfing conditions with waves at their peak. It’s also the best time to go before the country's beaches fill with summertime tourists who typically flock to Sri Lanka during July and August.

Dalarna county, Sweden

Sweden celebrates its annual midsummer festival every June. Photo: Anna Hallams

With winter long gone, Sweden celebrates its annual midsummer festival every June. Coinciding with the longest day of the year, the occasion has long been considered a magical night for Swedes and celebrations include parties at summerhouses, wild flower crowns and dancing around wooden poles.

Midsummer events happen across the country, but Dalarna County in central Sweden is the place to go for the full experience including revellers dressed in traditional folk costumes, dancing, garland-filled parades and maypole raising.

In 2023, the festival falls on Friday, June 23, but celebrations typically take place before, during and after Midsummer Eve.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The annual Great Migration of wildebeest across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is one of the greatest spectacles in the natural world. Getty Images

A bucket-list experience awaits in Tanzania this month as the great migration unfolds in Serengeti National Park. Head to the park’s Western Corridor to see the wonder of nature in all its glory as herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra make their way north in search of food and new breeding grounds.

Daytime brings sunshine and temperatures averaging around a pleasant 25 degrees, although evenings are colder so don’t forget to layer up.

Queensland, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef. Getty Images

In the southern hemisphere, Australia is getting its first taste of winter this month but in Queensland the country is shining, welcoming its dry season and lowest rainfall. It’s also the end of ‘stinger’ season – meaning beach-filled days that are jellyfish free.

This month is the perfect time to swim and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, or to sail the Whitsundays. And since its considered off season for international travellers, it’s the right time to find deals on hotels and flights, and to enjoy a visit that's not filled with tourist-ridden coastlines.

Husavik, Iceland

Small Icelandic harbor, Husavik, has made a name for itself as Europe’s whale watching capital. Photo: Helena Lovincic

Summer has arrived in Iceland this month bringing with it the endless midnight sun, blooming fields of lupin and warmer temperatures. Husavik, on the country’s northern edge, is the place to go for a summertime whale watching experience.

The former fishing port has made a name for itself as Europe’s whale watching capital, and Iceland's summer sun draws huge shoals of plankton – which happens to be the main food for whales – to the waters around the pretty town.

Whales aside, there's plenty to do including visiting the steeple-topped Husavikurkirkja church, which dates back to 1907, and soaking in a geothermal pool – an activity that's something of a national pastime for Icelanders. Just don’t expect to go swimming, the water temperature will still be hovering around a chilly 6 degrees.

Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a large primeval forest in south-western Uganda. Getty Images

Home to more than 400 mountain gorillas, Uganda has made a name for itself as one of the best places in the world to see the great apes in their native habitats.

June is the start of the country’s drier season, which means trails are less likely to be rinsed away and the ground is much more trekkable, so it's a good time to spot these majestic creatures. Days are warm and dry, with only an occasional rain shower. It's also a good time of year for a visit to Lake Victoria if you want to visit before the summer crowds arrive.