Where to travel in June: even more light, or the southern winter

Towards even more light

Around the June solstice in Iceland the sun sets only shortly before midnight, and never for long; there's no real darkness at all. That changes the rhythm of a trip: you can visit waterfalls and the black-sand beaches near Vík late in the evening, when the tour buses have gone and the light is soft and golden. In June purple lupins usually bloom in the meadows and verges of the south coast, and from roughly May to August puffins nest on the sea cliffs.

One important caveat: the Highland roads and famous trails such as the Laugavegur usually open only in late June or July, depending on the snow. For early June, plan the coast and the western peninsulas and save the Highlands for later. And even in June Iceland is often cool and windy – a warm layer is needed every day.

In Norway June is when the fjords are at their most dramatic: snowmelt pours in waterfalls into the Sognefjord and Nærøyfjord, and the Bergen Railway crosses a high plateau still edged with snow. Further north, beyond the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't set at all in Lofoten from roughly late May to mid-July. The most popular fjord spots, such as Flåm, can be busy with cruise passengers by day, so stay overnight and walk in the morning or evening.

In June you can choose: summer without night in the north, or a dry, bright winter in the south.

Into the southern winter

In the southern hemisphere the seasons are reversed, and our summer is their winter. But in the tropics and at altitude, winter often means dry rather than cold: clear skies, less rain and the best conditions for travelling.

In Peru's Andes June falls in the dry season. Days around Cusco and the Sacred Valley are sunny, the sky often a deep blue, the hills already turning gold. Nights up high are genuinely cold, though, and accommodation and treks to Machu Picchu are in highest demand – Inca Trail permits are often worth securing several months ahead. On 24 June Cusco holds Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, recalling the Inca winter-solstice ceremony. It's remarkable, but the city is packed those days, so either plan around it deliberately or avoid it. Either way, give the first days at altitude to acclimatisation, and talk to a doctor before you go.

In Botswana June brings one of nature's most interesting paradoxes: at the height of the dry season, floodwater arrives in the Okavango Delta, carried from rains in the Angolan highlands months before. The delta swells, and animals move in from the dried-out surrounding plains towards the water. You travel by vehicle, light aircraft and mokoro – a traditional dugout poled through the channels. June mornings and evenings can be cold, especially in an open vehicle, and places in small camps are often taken a year ahead in season.

One practical difference between the two is worth knowing. Peru means a long flight and a time difference of several hours, so a trip of under two weeks feels rushed. Botswana is far away too, but it sits almost in our own time zone: after the flight there's barely any jet lag, and even ten days can be a full journey.

Closer to home: Montenegro's mountains

If you don't want to go long-haul in June, Montenegro is one of the best choices nearby. In Durmitor National Park the high roads open in June, and the trails above the Black Lake and Žabljak are usually clear of snow, though some can linger on the highest ground in early June. Rafting in the Tara Canyon is usually lively now, with plenty of water left from spring. And to finish, a few days on the Bay of Kotor, before the heat and crowds of July and August.