Top Places to Travel: September 2025

With summer crowds thinning, September is a prime month for thoughtful travel. From cultural festivals and wellness-focused sailings to wildlife safaris and design-driven escapes, here are the ten top destinations to travel to in September 2025.

September marks the start of the dry season in Indonesia’s Spice Islands, bringing warm weather, low humidity, and minimal rainfall. The Spice Islands itinerary, onboard Aqua Expeditions, from September 20 to October 2, 2025, highlights three of the country’s most prized destinations: the Spice Islands, West Papua, and Raja Ampat. Starting in Ambon, guests will explore the Banda Islands’ colonial past, including 17th-century Fort Belgica—a reminder of a time when these islands were considered so valuable, the Dutch traded Manhattan for Banda Run. The itinerary continues to the Koon archipelago, home to renowned snorkeling and diving sites with chances to spot hammerhead and leopard sharks.

There will be time to discover the magnificent One Thousand Temples – rocks that have been eroded by the ocean and rain leaving behind steep spires of limestone. In Raja Ampat, travelers will encounter karst islands and lagoon systems surrounded by some of the world’s most biodiverse waters, before heading to West Papua to see Kitikiti Waterfall and explore Triton Bay, a diver’s paradise with over 1,000 marine species. Between excursions and exploring, guests can unwind with sunrise yoga, spa treatments or sunset cocktails on the deck.

With dry weather and long daylight hours, French Polynesia is ideal in September. Paul Gauguin Cruises will reintroduce its Yoga & Wellness program aboard the newly refurbished m/s Paul Gauguin during the September 27 Society Islands & Tuamotus itinerary. The 10-night sailing will be guided by Dr. Sarah Rothman, a licensed naturopathic doctor, and Tammy Gibson, an elite yoga instructor, celebrated for her expertise in transformational movement. Gibson’s perspective is informed by her impressive performing arts background: she’s been a featured dancer in Broadway’s Fosse and has performed alongside icons like Beyoncé and Dolly Parton. Guests can expect early morning yoga and Pilates on deck, workshops on spinal alignment and Gyrokinesis, and sessions focused on natural approaches to wellness, including detoxification, aging well, and adrenal balance.

September is peak safari season in Botswana, especially in the Okavango Delta. As the dry season peaks, wildlife gathers around the Delta’s remaining water sources, making animal sightings both frequent and dramatic. It’s a time when the bush feels most alive, and accessible wildlife is abundant, creating a magical sense of space and stillness.

For a top stay, check into andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge, located in a private concession adjacent to Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta with exclusive traversing rights over a vast 22,500 hectares (55,600 acres). Each of the 12 suites boasts private plunge pools, a personal bar and SWAROVSKI OPTIK EL Range 10×42 binoculars, as well as public areas for viewing, interactive kitchens, massage rooms and a gym. With game drives and walking safaris led by expert guides, Sandibe offers intimate access to one of Africa’s richest ecosystems, where lions, leopards and elephants roam.

Dublin in September offers a winning blend of milder weather and a lively cultural calendar. The city’s vibrant atmosphere is complemented by the onset of autumn, providing a picturesque backdrop for exploration.

From September 25 to October 12, 2025, the Dublin Theatre Festival will showcase a range of performances by Irish and international talent in everything from classic to contemporary productions. While the 2025 program has yet to be announced, last year’s program consisted of over 30 productions across the three weeks, including a dozen brand-new Irish premieres.

The Westbury, centrally located near Grafton Street, is a longtime supporter of the arts and an ideal base for theatergoers. Renovated in 2023, the hotel features 176 rooms and 29 suites, and is within walking distance of top theaters, museums, and the iconic Abbey Theatre. After a night out at the festival or a show at the Abbey, guests can return to the hotel and enjoy a nightcap at The Coral Room, with more than 30 bottles of single malts, small-batch, and well-aged whiskeys on offer.

September is a great time to visit London as the summer crowds start to ease, and milder weather makes it ideal for walking through parks, exploring neighborhoods, and enjoying outdoor markets or riverside strolls. It’s also a time when the city hums with energy, and cultural life returns to full swing as theaters, galleries, and festivals gear up for autumn.

One of the most-anticipated shows is Marie Antoinette: Style, a new exhibition at the V&A (starting September 20) that explores the captivating world of the last queen of France, an enduring symbol of opulence and scandal. A sure-fire way to get into the exhibition is to book the exclusive V&A package at The Kensington hotel, including overnight accommodation, breakfast and two tickets guaranteed, even if the show is sold out.

Swimming in the Aegean come September is one of the great travel pleasures in life, and an added bonus (especially for budding photographers) are the vineyards that are in harvest during this time, and the continued spectacular sunsets. The island villages feel more relaxed again, too, offering a local, unhurried pace. A top stay is NOŪS Santorini, part of DONKEY Hotels & Resorts and members of Design Hotels. The hotel is a rare haven of sophistication and tranquility less than 10 minutes from the island’s capital, Fira. The island’s largest resort consists of 119 rooms, bungalows, and suites scattered along the clifftop in different tiers (to maximize the views of the Aegean) and clustered in distinct “neighborhoods.” The property features Santorini’s largest pool, measuring 164 feet, at its center, along with two restaurants, a vitamin bar, a wine cellar and a spa.

New this season, NOŪS debuted a trio of three-day wellness programs. The Total Detox Journey features a body wrap and facial focused on toning and nourishing the skin with the power of Santorini Grape Extract, which is rich in polyphenols, resveratrol, and other beneficial compounds. The Total Relaxing Experience includes a signature massage complemented by a lavender oil application designed to soothe inner energies and realign the spirit. Lastly, the Total Beauty Booster pampers guests from head to toe, offering a comprehensive treatment that leaves them feeling fully refreshed and rejuvenated.

Geneva sails into the spotlight this September as it hosts the first-ever Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix from September 20–21, 2025, bringing adrenaline-pumping racing and Swiss Olympians, including gold medalist Matt Gotrel and Olympian Maud Jayet, to the scenic shores of Lake Geneva. The high-speed, stadium-style racing unfolds against a stunning alpine backdrop, promising a thrilling weekend for sailing fans and first-timers alike.

For the best mix of proximity and exclusivity, check into La Réserve Genève, a retreat on the right bank of the lake and just three miles from downtown. The hotel’s lakefront location is central to its appeal, especially with the 4,000-square-foot La Villa du Lac – designed by yacht designer Rémi Tessier – boasting a private dock, panoramic water views, and Mont Blanc as a backdrop. Whether guests arrive by boat or simply admire the regatta from the shore, the property’s blend of alpine scenery, family-friendly amenities, and luxurious wellness offerings makes it the ultimate home base for a weekend of world-class sailing.

With writers such as Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Burns, Scotland boasts a rich literary tradition. Honoring this heritage, The Fife Arms in Braemar will host the fourth annual Braemar Literary Festival from September 26–28, 2025. In collaboration with The Queen’s Reading Room (a charity founded by Her Majesty The Queen to champion literacy and a love of reading), the festival celebrates literature, storytelling, and the creative arts in the heart of the Cairngorms. The 2025 program will bring together an exciting lineup of acclaimed authors, poets, thinkers, and performers—including acclaimed author and actor Sir Stephen Fry, prolific and best-loved author Sir Alexander McCall Smith, bestselling writer Monica Ali, and the author and screenwriter of global sensation One Day, David Nicholls. Food writer and critic Tom Parker Bowles also returns alongside restaurant critic and columnist Giles Coren.

Host hotel and co-founder The Fife Arms is a spectacular setting: a reimagined 19th-century Victorian coaching inn showcasing museum-quality art and exquisite Scottish craftsmanship. A dedicated festival package includes a two-night hotel stay and complimentary tickets with priority seating for all lectures and events, as well as exclusive invitations to the opening night reception and a a special festival launch dinner curated by guest chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen.

The Harvest Season festivities hit full swing in Napa Valley in September, offering more than 100 harvest celebrations that offer visitors the chance to pick and stomp grapes, uncork prized vintages, and participate in the work that powers the region’s wine production. Wineries such as CHANDON and Trefethen Vineyards provide hands-on experiences like grape harvesting. While at Bouchaine, guests can make grape-juice-dyed T-shirts. Visitors can even enroll in multi-day fall harvest “camps” at Schramsberg and Davies Vineyards.

For a more black-tie experience, V. Sattui is throwing their annual harvest ball that includes a dining experience dreamed up by in-house Michelin-starred chef, Stefano Masanti. Don’t miss the 11th anniversary of Calistoga’s Harvest Table on September 7, featuring a 1,000-foot-long table with cuisine from 12 local restaurants, wine from 14 top wineries, and extended hours for local shops.

At the center of it all, Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley stands out as the premier place to stay. Set within a working vineyard in Calistoga, the resort offers immersive Harvest Season programming, including curated wine and culinary events, expert-led tastings, and vineyard experiences just steps from guests’ rooms. A highlight this year is the resort’s Harvest Happy Hour at Elusa Winery, where guests can dive into the art and science of winemaking, enjoy the sunset over the vines, and deepen their appreciation for Calistoga AVA wines—all with a 10% discount on bottles and glasses.

Design takes center stage in Zurich in September as the largest design event in Switzerland, Zurich Design Weeks, returns from September 4–14, 2025, featuring cutting-edge exhibitions, workshops, and innovations from global and local creatives. A key highlight is the Design Biennale Zürich, running September 5-14, and celebrating its fifth anniversary with a decided milestone: its 100th project. The Biennale’s curators, who are also founding members of Zurich Design Weeks, bring ten visionary installations to life in the Old Botanical Garden UZH, transforming it into an interactive space for exchange and exploration.

A fitting home base is La Réserve Eden au Lac, a reimagined Belle Époque palace on the shores of Lake Zurich, redesigned by Philippe Starck with refined nautical elements and artistic flourishes, including stained-glass windows by his daughter, Ara Starck. Within walking distance is Kunsthaus Zurich, Switzerland’s largest art museum and home to one of Europe’s most extensive art collections, including masterpieces by such renowned artists as Monet and Van Gogh. In a nod to La Réserve’s emphasis on design and art, hotel guests enjoy complimentary admission on a first-come-first-served basis.