Since June is an extremely popular month for vacations in the US and Canada, it can make for some interesting situations since nearly all Europeans wait until July and August for a long summer retreat. This means that many places have excellent weather and yet are not nearly as crowded as they’ll be the following month.
This also means that hotel prices are often lower, and planes are cheaper and less crowded, so a June trip can be the best of all worlds if you’ve got the time off. We’ve listed 22 cities from all over the world, so hopefully one or more are within your reach.
With each city you’ll notice a Backpacker Index price, which is calculated for typical backpacker expenses in over 110 cities around the world. You’ll probably end up spending more each day, but it’s still a quick way to compare which cities are much cheaper than others.
The Americas
In North America June is obviously the start of summer, but most of the north isn’t really cheap enough to make this list. In South America it’s winter in most places, so only the Tropical cities are worth a look for a good-weather bargain at this time of year.
The Caribbean
If you are looking mainly to relax in the sun rather than explore a city then the Caribbean is ideal in the month of June. The weather is pretty much perfect even as hotels drop rates to low season prices. Mexico around Cancun is particularly cheap but Jamaica and the Dominican Republic also offer amazing prices. For those who want maximum value and especially people who like to drink by the pool or on the beach, the all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean have astonishingly low prices in June.
If you prefer to mix culture with good weather and reasonable prices then consider the rest of the list below.
Cartagena, Colombia
- June avg high: 87F/31C
- June avg low: 79F/26C
- June avg precip: 4.2″/10.5cm
It’s true that it can be a bit rainy in Cartagena in June, but it’s the tropical type of rain that comes and goes quickly, so it’s unlikely to become a problem for most people. Hotels in this beach town are still in their off-season prices as well, as the summer demand doesn’t really pick up until July. The winter is probably the best time to visit, but it’s really quite nice all year round, and still very cheap as well.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$38.67
Mexico City, Mexico
- June avg high: 76F/24C
- June avg low: 54F/12C
- June avg precip: 5.3″/13.3cm
Here’s another one that does get a bit of rain during June, but its altitude keeps temperatures in Mexico City much lower than most people would guess for this time of year. People who might not be able to afford a trip to Europe should consider this as an interesting alternative. Flights from the US and Canada tend to be cheap, the city center area is very nice in many places, and prices are very low compared to almost anywhere else.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$28.92
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- June avg high: 81F/27C
- June avg low: 64F/18C
- June avg precip: 2.0″/5.0cm
Rio de Janeiro is just barely inside the Tropics, so it’s pretty much the South American equivalent of Miami. This means that its summer (December through February) can be steamy and a bit wet, but it’s nearly perfect during the rest of the year. An overvalued currency has made the city a bit more expensive recently, but it’s still quite a bargain compared to most other resort areas, and it’s a stunningly beautiful setting as well.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$52.38
Europe
When June rolls in it’s still quite cold in the north of Europe, and incredibly expensive as well. The bargains with good weather are therefore toward the south this month. June is actually a perfect month to get some sun because peak season doesn’t start until July and yet the weather is perfect already. Check our list of Europe’s least expensive beach destinations for some options.
Sofia, Bulgaria
- June avg high: 74F/23C
- June avg low: 54F/12C
- June avg precip: 3.0″/7.5cm
Travelers looking for places to relax for a while and keep their expenses low on a European trip can’t do much better than Sofia in June. The weather is pleasant day and night, and rain isn’t much of a problem. As a tourist destination this city still has some work to do to convince most people that it’s worth the trek, but the low, low prices are a good start so people are starting to take notice.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$24.76
Krakow, Poland
- June avg high: 72F/22C
- June avg low: 57F/14C
- June avg precip: 3.3″/8.3cm
It’s hard to emphasize enough what a bargain Krakow is compared to most of the rest of Europe. June has very nice weather, though you’ll still need a jacket for the evenings. The draw here is the lovely town center with its historic cathedrals and castles, plus a huge array of hostels and budget hotels that make shopping around very easy. This is the new hot destination for British stag and hen parties, and one look at the beer prices makes it easy to see why.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$24.66
Budapest, Hungary
- June avg high: 76F/24C
- June avg low: 57F/14C
- June avg precip: 2.7″/6.8cm
Many parts of Europe become stifling in July and August, and some of them have little air conditioning to help deal with it. This makes a place like Budapest ideal during June, when daytime temperatures are still warm but not steamy. Prices here are easing up in recent years, but still this is a classic and beautiful European city that remains a fantastic bargain for most people.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$31.31
Istanbul, Turkey
- June avg high: 79F/26C
- June avg low: 61F/16C
- June avg precip: 1.0″/2.5cm
June is still going to be extremely crowded in Istanbul, but it’ll be far more tolerable than July or August, so this is a good time to come. Prices have been heading up here lately, especially for hotels and hostels, so finding bargains is much more challenging than it was just a few years back. Still, this is a fascinating and photogenic city with plenty to offer the budget traveler, so it might be wise to schedule a trip soon, before prices rise much more. The rest of Turkey is generally quite a bit cheaper, thankfully.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$40.56
Prague, Czech Republic
- June avg high: 72F/22C
- June avg low: 54F/12C
- June avg precip: 2.9″/7.3cm
Speaking of prices going up, Prague has been raising things and having its currency head north at the same time, so this is nowhere near the bargain that it famously was a decade or so ago. June is an ideal time to come, weather-wise, since many cheaper places have no air-con. Crowds seem to be perpetually crazy here so the key is to try to take side streets and minimize your time in the main squares. It does get worse in July and August, so June is a good compromise with nice weather.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$40.85
Antalya, Turkey
- June avg high: 89F/32C
- June avg low: 66F/19C
- June avg precip: 0.4″/1.0cm
Due to a limited number of actual hostels in Antalya, the city came up as a bit more expensive than Istanbul in the Backpacker Index. In reality, you can get a private room at a nice 2-star hotel in the historic center for sometimes less than a dorm bed. This city is a fantastic bargain, and the weather in June is wonderful, at least until the end when the July heat starts kicking in a bit early. The entire Mediterranean coast of Turkey is the place to be this time of year, just before it fills up during its two hottest months. It’s not technically in Europe, but it very much feels like it is.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$34.72
Lisbon, Portugal
- June avg high: 77F/25C
- June avg low: 61F/16C
- June avg precip: 0.7″/1.8cm
The temperatures in Lisbon during June are pretty much perfect for climbing up and down its seven hills without making a mess of yourself. It’s hard to make a case for flying a long way to visit Portugal alone, although there’s actually plenty to see and do, plus the wonderful Algarve region in the south, so this is usually an add-on to some trips of Spain. If you are on the fence, definitely take the leap and you won’t regret it.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$58.27
Athens, Greece
- June avg high: 88F/31C
- June avg low: 65F/18C
- June avg precip: 0.4″/1cm
The end of June can begin to get sweltering, and you probably don’t even want to think about coming during July or August, so this would be a good one about now, especially as a 3-day stop on the way to a Greek Island for the balance of a trip. This isn’t exactly a cheap city, but it’s very much worth seeing at least once in your life, with some of the world’s finest sights. It’s also much less untidy than it was before the Olympics, so its former reputation no longer really fits.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$63.33
Dubrovnik, Croatia
- June avg high: 77F/25C
- June avg low: 66F/19C
- June avg precip: 1.9″/4.8cm
It’s true that Dubrovnik isn’t really considered cheap, especially compared to most other cities on this page, but it really is good value compared to most other beach resorts in the Mediterranean area. Accommodations within the City Walls can be extremely expensive, but there are plenty of options just a bit outside and those are still convenient enough for most people. The weather during June is just about perfect, night and day, as well.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$69.89
Madrid, Spain
- June avg high: 80F/27C
- June avg low: 59F/15C
- June avg precip: 1.0″/2.5cm
As the prices rise the further down this list we go in Europe, Madrid is another that’s not terribly cheap by most standards, but compared to most of the rest of Europe it’s very good value, and June is pretty much the perfect time to visit. Days get warm this month, but still rarely that insane type of oppressive heat that can feel even worse in this mostly-concrete city. With no sea breeze to help out you may feel a bit uncomfortable during the middle of the day, but since everything is closed it’s a good time to take a nap back in your room anyway.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$64.27
Barcelona, Spain
- June avg high: 76F/24C
- June avg low: 60F/16C
- June avg precip: 1.7″/4.3cm
The daytime temperatures in June for Barcelona are still very reasonable, and the ocean breezes can actually make it feel cool in the mornings and evenings. As a beach city this place does stay very busy all summer long, so June is a nice compromise before things get too crazy. It’s another that may not be super cheap, but it’s very reasonable compared to the rest of Western Europe, and definitely worth a visit at least once in your life for the unusual architecture alone.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$68.67
Africa
June is obviously winter in South Africa, and it’s blazing hot in most of the middle of the continent and over in Egypt, so you don’t have many great choices this month here.
Fez, Morocco
- June avg high: 82F/28C
- June avg low: 59F/15C
- June avg precip: 1.0″/2.5cm
Much like nearby Marrakech, Fez sounds to many people like a place that would be in the heart of a forbidding desert, but Morocco is just south of Spain, and the Atlas Mountains keep most of the heat on the other side, so this country is fairly pleasant even in June. Most visits tend to come as part of a trip to Spain, and those who make it past the hard-to-recommend border city of Tangier will find a fascinating culture and very appealing prices.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$30.36
Asia
The cheap destinations in Southeast Asia will be celebrating the start of the drenching rainy season in June, so it’s not really an ideal time to visit if you have a choice. Still, there are some good options to consider.
Nha Trang, Vietnam
- June avg high: 89F/32C
- June avg low: 80F/27C
- June avg precip: 1.7″/4.3cm
The exception to the Southeast Asia rainy season pattern, this beach town on Vietnam’s southern coast avoids nearly all the wet during summer, so it’s especially appealing for Australians and such who are escaping their own winter down under. This is not Vietnam’s best cultural experience, but the beaches are very nice, the nightlife is surprisingly good, and it’s extremely cheap once you get there.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$16.44
Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
- June avg high: 85F/29C
- June avg low: 77F/25C
- June avg precip: 2.8″/7.0cm
Bali is near the equator so temperatures are similar all year long, but fortunately June is not part of the rainy season so this is one of the best times of the year to go. Rain never seems to be too far away, but of course the island is well adapted to the quick downfalls, so things get right back to normal again. Those who only research on big travel sites might think Bali is very expensive for hotels, but there are still many cheap and cheerful guesthouses in all the main tourist areas, so just showing up might save you quite a bit compared to reserving online in advance.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$26.24
Beijing, China
- June avg high: 86F/30C
- June avg low: 66F/19C
- June avg precip: 3.0″/7.5cm
Beijing can get really sweltering, steamy, and smoggy during summer, but June is a decent compromise before things start getting too bad. Of course this is one of the world’s most important cities, past and present, and it’s loaded with interesting things to see and do. Hotels and food are very good bargains here, and things are even cheaper in pretty much all of China, so this is a good time for a tour of multiple cities if you can pull it off.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$28.20
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- June avg high: 91F/33C
- June avg low: 75F/24C
- June avg precip: 4.9″/12.3cm
Another city very close to the equator, Kuala Lumpur is hot every day of the year. And while there will be some noticeable rain during June, this is actually the driest month on average. An impressive and modern city, KL is built to drain off the wet stuff very fast, so it rarely impacts a visit. It’s not as cheap as the rest of Southeast Asia, but when you get to Kuala Lumpur you realize why, as things are much nicer than they are in most of the region, and more cosmopolitan as well.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$33.49
Middle East
A bit surprisingly, much of the Middle East still has very reasonable temperatures in June.
Amman, Jordan
- June avg high: 87F/31C
- June avg low: 64F/18C
- June avg precip: 0.0″/0.0cm
Quite cheap by international standards, Amman is usually used mostly as a launching point for trips to Wadi Rum and Petra nearby, but the city itself does impress many visitors. The weather in June is still quite nice, at least in the first half of the month, and the threat of rain is literally zero. It might not be worth flying a long distance just to visit Jordan, but this region is quite worth a visit so connecting a few nearby countries is worth a look.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$27.41
Beirut, Lebanon
- June avg high: 80F/27C
- June avg low: 69F/21C
- June avg precip: 0.1″/0.3cm
Similar to Amman, Beirut is actually quite pleasant during June with no rainfall at all. Prices here aren’t as low as they are in Jordan, but this city has plenty to see that might make it worthwhile on a visit to the region. There has been a long history of turmoil here and that has certainly hampered tourism. Nearly everyone who actually makes the trip seems to find it fulfilling, so it’s a good choice for the bold among us.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$34.82
Tel Aviv, Israel
- June avg high: 82F/28C
- June avg low: 69F/21C
- June avg precip: 0.0″/0.0cm
Carrying on with the theme of places that aren’t as hot in June as you might expect them to be, Tel Aviv has its nice beaches to keep things even nicer than the inland cities as well. This is not a particularly cheap city compared to most on this list, but June is one of the best weather months here, again with no rain at all, so if you are thinking about an Israel trip you might as well do it this time of year.
2013 Backpackers Index: US$56.14
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