SeasonMapBest time to visit the Balkans
The best time to visit the Balkans is May, June and September, judged across 25 places; November to January are its low season.
Updated September 2026 · Europe · 25 places, each judged for what it is · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
The Balkans month by month
| Month | Season | Why | Best places |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | low season | off-season shutdown · 11°C highs · best Jun–Sep | Split, Zadar, Tirana |
| February | not its best | off-season shutdown · 13°C highs · best Jun–Sep | Tirana, Split, Skopje |
| March | good | before the heat · 16°C highs | Split, Tirana, Zadar |
| April | good | before the heat · 19°C highs · 11 h sun | Split, Tirana, Podgorica |
| May | in season | before the heat · 23°C highs · 11 h sun | Skopje, Belgrade, Niš |
| June | in season | sea warm enough · 29°C highs · 13 h sun | Budva, Ksamil, Makarska |
| July | good | sea warm enough · 31°C highs · 13 h sun | Budva, Sarandë, Dubrovnik |
| August | good | sea warm enough · 31°C highs · 12 h sun | Korčula, Budva, Hvar |
| September | in season | sea warm enough · 27°C highs · 10 h sun | Pristina, Novi Sad, Niš |
| October | good | sea warm enough · the heat has broken · 21°C highs | Split, Tirana, Podgorica |
| November | low season | off-season shutdown · 16°C highs · best Jun–Sep | Split, Tirana, Skopje |
| December | low season | off-season shutdown · 9 h daylight · best Jun–Sep | Split, Tirana, Zadar |
In season: one of the region's three best months, and good in its own right. Low season: one of its three worst, and well below its best. The reasons compare each month with the region's own year and name the seasons on the ground — monsoon, autumn colour, hurricanes — where most of its places share them.
All 25 places in the Balkans
- Banja LukaBosnia and Herzegovinaweather by month →
- BelgradeSerbiaweather by month →
- BudvaMontenegroweather by month →
- DubrovnikCroatiaweather by month →
- HvarCroatiaweather by month →
- KorčulaCroatiaweather by month →
- KotorMontenegroweather by month →
- KsamilAlbaniaweather by month →
- MakarskaCroatiaweather by month →
- MostarBosnia and Herzegovinaweather by month →
- NišSerbiaweather by month →
- Novi SadSerbiaweather by month →
- OhridNorth Macedoniaweather by month →
- Plitvice LakesCroatiaweather by month →
- PodgoricaMontenegroweather by month →
- PristinaKosovoweather by month →
- PulaCroatiaweather by month →
- RovinjCroatiaweather by month →
- SarajevoBosnia and Herzegovinaweather by month →
- SarandëAlbaniaweather by month →
- SkopjeNorth Macedoniaweather by month →
- SplitCroatiaweather by month →
- TiranaAlbaniaweather by month →
- ZadarCroatiaweather by month →
- ZagrebCroatiaweather by month →
The Balkans — FAQ
- When is the best time to visit the Balkans?
- May, June and September. In September: sea warm enough · 27°C highs · 10 h sun.
- When is the low season in the Balkans?
- November to January. In January: off-season shutdown · 11°C highs · best Jun–Sep.
- Which months are in season in the Balkans?
- May, June and September — the months among its best that are also good in their own right.