10 incredible places to visit in August around the world

With summer winding down, August might feel like a month of transition, as back-to-school season kicks into high gear and we start preparing for a return to the “real world.” But there’s plenty of places that are still bursting with life during this period. Festivals around the world celebrate everything from the Caribbean diaspora (Toronto) to Elvis Presley (Memphis). And nature continues to put on its summery display, from sunflower blooms in North Dakota to the Grand Canyon’s less-crowded North Rim. Here, 10 destinations where summer goes out with a bang.

Average temp: 80ºF high, 64ºF low

With 180 different languages spoken in the area, Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world. Its province is also home to more than half of Canada’s Black, African, and Caribbean population, including Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Haitians, Dominicans, Bermudans, and Guyanese—so it makes sense that Toronto hosts Caribbean Carnival, North America’s largest festival celebrating Caribbean culture. If you only have time for one event, make it the Grand Parade on August 3. Watch for free anywhere along Lakeshore Boulevard or snag a ticket for a designated viewing area on the Exhibition Place grounds with snacks and drinks.

To explore more of Toronto’s Caribbean influence, head to Eglinton Avenue West, the heart of the city’s Little Jamaica, for jerk chicken at Rap’s Restaurant (open until 6 a.m. on weekends) or patties at Reidies. Be sure to check out the upscale Miss Likklemore’s, where head chef Lonie Murdock’s grandmother’s jerk chicken recipe takes pride of place alongside duck confit with Guyanese curry and Dragon Stout short ribs. There’s also a wildly impressive, 100-bottle-long rum list.

Average temp: 91ºF high, 72ºF low

The King may be long gone, but his memory lives on—especially in Memphis, which hosts its annual Elvis Week at Graceland in August. You’ll need to start booking tickets and hotels early (you can stay onsite at The Guest House at Graceland), as the tribute concerts, tours, and more attract some 35,000 people each year. You can even take a guided excursion down to his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi for a stop at the two-room house where he was born in 1935.

For a more low-key experience, head off-property and pay tribute to The King at the Elvis statue on Beale Street or book a private Elvis walking tour of downtown. It’s August, so Memphis will be hot—stay cool by popping into air-conditioned attractions like the National Civil Rights Museum, the Blues Hall of Fame Museum, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.

Tip: If you want to splash out at Graceland, consider booking the new Inside the Graceland Archives UVIP Tour, which gives you the chance to visit the archives and chat with those working to catalog costumes, photos, and other ephemera from Presley’s life.

Average temp: 83ºF high, 65ºF low

While the temperatures skyrocket in inland cities like Marrakech, Rabat stays cool and breezy—and blissfully uncrowded—thanks to its location along the Atlantic coast. Morocco’s capital is home to some of the country’s most underrated museums and landmarks, from the red sandstone Hassan Tower to the inspiring Museum Mohamed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art. Be sure to make time to visit the newly renovated National Finery Museum (formerly known as the Oudaia Museum), too, which has in its collection some of the oldest-known jewelry in the world. And just before sunset, head to Plage de Rabat for a golden-hour beachfront stroll and photo ops with panoramic views of the water.

Where to stay: Check into one of the newly opened Fairmont La Marina Rabat Salé’s ocean suites for views of the Atlantic, the Bou Regreg River, and Kasbah des Oudaias, a 12th-century walled city. (The suite’s private terrace is the perfect place for enjoying your morning coffee.)

Average temp: 86ºF high, 70ºF low

Think surfing is only for Hawaii and California? Think again. Each August, Virginia Beach hosts the East Coast Surfing Championship, the longest-running continuous surf competition in the world. Even if you’re not much of a surfer, the eight-day event—running August 18–25 this year—is worth planning a trip around to watch pro athletes at their best. Plop down on the sand near the Rudee Inlet jetty anywhere between 1st and 11th Streets to watch the action. If you feel inspired, book a lesson with Seth Broudy’s School of Surf, VB Surf Sessions, or Surf & Adventure Co.

Elsewhere on the water, you have a good chance of spotting bottlenose dolphins this time of year—they’re most visible from April to October. Stroll along Sandbridge Beach at dawn or dusk to catch a glimpse or book a top-rated tour, like the Chesapean Outdoors sunset kayak excursion.

Tip: Be sure to stop by The Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, which is home to the country’s only in-hotel distillery, Tarnished Truth Distilling Company, to sip on their summery canned cocktails.

Average temp: 79ºF high, 60ºF low

Summer in Italy means high-season crowds in cities like Venice and Rome—but under-the-radar gems, like Pesaro, the Italian Capital of Culture for 2024, stay relatively uncrowded. Pesaro sits about three hours by train from both Venice and Florence, and is best known as the birthplace of composer Gioachino Rossini. (Even if you don’t think you know Rossini, you’ve definitely heard his music: His William Tell Overture was The Lone Ranger theme song and has been used in countless ads, movies, and Looney Tunes shorts.) Each summer, locals and visitors celebrate his legacy with the Rossini Opera Festival (August 7-23), which sees performances in venues like the historic Teatro Rossini and the newly renovated Auditorium Scavolini.

While you’re in town, be sure to stop into the Casa Rossini, where he was born in 1792, and the Museo Nazionale Rossini, which features a chronological retelling of the maestro’s life, influences, and major works. Of course, if opera isn’t your genre of choice, there are plenty of other architectural and artistic marvels in the city, including the 15th-century Palazzo Ducale and the elaborate Art Nouveau Villino Ruggeri.

Average temp: 81ºF high, 58ºF low

North Dakota is so often the 50th state that travelers visit that they’ve even started a “Best for Last Club” to celebrate the trend. August is a great time to finally make the trip, when thousands of sunflowers bloom all over the state, including some near Fargo, the state’s largest city. Drive west from Fargo towards the Mapleton area, where you’ll find gorgeous blooms in nearly every direction. As for souvenirs, keep an eye out in local grocery stores for jars of SunButter, an earthy sunflower seed butter made locally from the state’s bounty.

In recent years, Fargo has seen the rise of a surprisingly excellent culinary scene, with three spots getting called out as semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards. Nikki Ness Berglund and Ryan Nitschke were nominated for outstanding restaurateur for their spots around town including Luna Fargo, an all-day neighborhood cafe and wine bar. Up for outstanding bakery is Nichole’s Fine Pastry—be sure to order the mashed-potato-bolstered pecan sticky buns. And Andrea Baumgardner of BernBaum’s, a Jewish-slash-Icelandic bagel and sandwich shop inside a mid-century modern furniture store, is a semifinalist for best chef in the Midwest.

Average temp: 75ºF high, 45ºF low

Forget everything you might think about going to Grand Canyon National Park in the summer: sweltering temperatures, bumper-to-bumper traffic jams, the need to elbow other tourists out of the way at viewpoints. While that may be true of the South Rim, the North Rim (open May 15 to November 30) is only visited by one-tenth of park goers, and its elevation of over 8,000 feet means that the weather remains blissfully pleasant year-round. Make your homebase at Grand Canyon Lodge, which was built in 1937 from native Kaibab limestone and timber, or rough it a bit at the North Rim Campground.

For one of the best views of the canyon, be sure to take the 0.5-mile paved trail from the North Rim Visitor Center to Bright Angel Point. To get an even more up-close-and-personal look at one of the country’s greatest wonders, book a mule trip with Canyon Trail Rides. They offer a one-hour ride through the Kaibab Forest and along the rim, a three-hour ride down to Supai Tunnel along the North Kaibab Trail, and a three-hour ride to Uncle Jim’s Point along the Ken Patrick Trail.

Average temp: 60ºF high, 46ºF low

Sydney may be all about the beaches and natural beauty, but Aussie creative types have always had a soft spot for quirkier, cultured Melbourne, with its excellent cafés, cozy pubs, and world-class museums. It’s also arguably the theater capital of the Southern Hemisphere, and there may be no better time to grab a ticket than when the mercury drops. Start your dramatic journey at Arts Centre Melbourne, which is best known for its skyline-defining, 531-foot-tall spire. This August, the center will host productions of A Streetcar Named Desire (July 9–August 17) and King Lear (July 25–August 11).

Just around the corner, beyond the spectacular National Gallery of Victoria, sits the Southbank Theatre, where the acclaimed Melbourne Theatre Company will be presenting two Pulitzer Prize–winning plays by groundbreaking American playwrights: Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog (August 23–September 21) and Sanaz Toossi’s English (July 29–August 24), about four Iranians studying for an English exam. While you’re in town, be sure to see what’s on at the Malthouse Theatre, in a converted 1880s brewery, or the many Broadway-style theaters of the East End Theatre District.

Average temp: 85ºF high, 66ºF low

Summer in LA is full of events that bring cinephiles out of darkened theaters and into the perma-gorgeous SoCal wilds. The Hollywood Bowl, for instance, is teaming up with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Singin’ in the Rain in concert (August 27) and the Gustavo Dudamel–conducted Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience (August 30-31). Over in Glendale, the Alex Film Society screens its Classic Films Under the Stars series in Brand Park, while The Ford amphitheater, up in the Hollywood Hills, is presenting a mini-festival of Studio Ghibli animated films from August 23-25. And all around town, the Street Food Cinema program brings together live music and food trucks with screenings of films like Mad Max: Fury Road (August 3) in Will Rogers State Historic Park and Clueless (August 10) at Grand Hope Park. Hot tip: There are season passes available for $199, which let you attend more than 30 events throughout the season, every Saturday from April to October.

Average temp: 76ºF high, 59ºF low

Switzerland’s largest city has boasted an outdoor bathing culture since back in the Roman days, when this place was called Turicum. Today, Zürich is filled with badis, or open-air pools. There’s seemingly one for every kind of traveler: The Art Nouveau Frauenbad Stadthausquai, which is women-only during the day; the Männerbad Schanzengraben, a men’s-only facility on the Schanzengraben Canal; the Seebad Utoquai, which has a sauna and 1890s wooden bathhouse; the Seebad Enge, from which you can take in views across Lake Zürich; and the Strandbad Mythenquai, a sandy beach perfect for sunbathing. And that’s just scratching the surface.

If you’re trying to decide which badi to choose, check out the city’s handy guide (German only), which provides real-time info on water temps and how many people are at each pool. And be sure to pack your own towels and sunscreen.

Once you dry off, there’s plenty to do in this under-explored city, including the Löwenbräukunst, a contemporary art museum in a converted brewery, and even a Fondue Tram, which is exactly what you think it is.