Where are the best places to travel in September?

Munich: Oktoberfest season on the Theresienwiese

Munich suits September because the Oktoberfest begins in the second half of the month. The festival's own website, read in October 2026, gives the 2027 dates as 18 September to 3 October on the Theresienwiese and describes it as the 192nd edition. The same page looks back on the 2026 festival as already finished, so check the organiser for the year you plan to travel.

The weather is autumnal. The WMO lists an average September high of 18.8 degrees Celsius and a low of 8.9 at the Munich station, with 86.3 mm of rain over 9.6 days (1971 to 2000 normals). That high is several degrees below the August figure of 23.0, so bring layers for the evenings. The trade-off is demand: festival weeks are busy, so look at Munich stays well ahead.

Berlin: a quieter month with a marathon date

Berlin works in September for walking and museum days in mild weather. The marathon organiser's website, read in October 2026, gives 26 September 2027 for the next edition, which it names the GENERALI BERLIN-MARATHON after a change of title sponsor. The 2026 race has already been run, with results posted on the same site.

At the Berlin station the WMO lists an average September high of 18.8 degrees Celsius and a low of 10.6, with 45.1 mm of rain over 7.8 days (1971 to 2000 normals). Rainfall is lower than in the summer months at the same station, where August records 58.2 mm. Nights are noticeably cooler than the days, so a light jacket helps. See Berlin for stays, and book early if your dates match a major race weekend.

Toronto: warm days and the wettest month of the year

Toronto in September offers comfortable temperatures after the humid peak of summer. The WMO lists an average high of 20.7 degrees Celsius and a low of 13.2 at the Toronto Pearson station, against 25.3 in August (1971 to 2000 normals). Shorts weather is mostly behind you, but it is not yet cold.

The catch is precipitation. The same station records 83.4 mm over 10.6 days in September, the highest monthly total of the year in that table, which is listed by the WMO as precipitation rather than rainfall. Pack a waterproof layer and plan indoor options. Browse Toronto stays if you want a base for a city break.

Porto: warm days before the Atlantic rains

Porto is a September pick for travellers who want an Atlantic city while it is still warm and relatively dry. The WMO lists an average September high of 24.0 degrees Celsius and a low of 13.9, with 64.2 mm of rain over 8 days (1961 to 1990 normals). In October the same station records 131.4 mm over 14 days, about double the September total.

These are old normals for one station, so use them as the pattern rather than a forecast. The pattern says September is the last comfortable month before the wetter season builds. See Porto for stays.

Budapest: mild days and little rain

Budapest is a good September city for sightseeing on foot. The WMO lists an average high of 22.1 degrees Celsius and a low of 11.8 at the Budapest station, with 45.0 mm of rain over 5 days (1981 to 2010 normals, listed as precipitation). By comparison, July averages a high of 27.9.

September rainfall is lower than in each month from May to August at the same station, and its 5 rain days are the fewest of any pick in the table below. The trade-off is that the weather turns quickly: the October high at the same station is 16.1 degrees. See Budapest stays, and a kitchen can help on a longer stay.

Valencia: hot sea-season days, with the first heavy rain

Valencia keeps its summer warmth into September. The WMO lists an average high of 27.9 degrees Celsius and a low of 19.1 at the Valencia station, with 69.6 mm of rain over 6.9 days (1981 to 2010 normals). August is only slightly hotter, at 30.2.

The trade-off is rain. August records 20.2 mm at the same station, so September has more than three times as much, and October is higher again at 77.0 mm. Keep plans flexible and check the Spanish weather agency's forecast as your dates approach. See Valencia stays.

Naples: still warm, with rain increasing into October

Naples is a September choice for a warm city and day trips. The WMO lists an average high of 26.6 degrees Celsius and a low of 16.0 at the Napoli station, with 88.9 mm of rain over 6.1 days (1971 to 2000 normals). August records only 35.5 mm.

Rain rises sharply after the summer: October is listed at 135.5 mm, so a September trip sits just before the wetter months. The figures are for one station and decades old. See Naples for stays.

Cairns: dry-season weather in the southern hemisphere

Cairns follows the southern hemisphere's calendar, so September falls in the drier part of the year. The Bureau of Meteorology figures on the WMO site list an average September high of 28.4 degrees Celsius and a low of 18.8, with 34.8 mm of rain over 7.1 days (1981 to 2010 normals). By contrast, January records 378.7 mm.

The driest month in that table is August at 28.9 mm, so September is among the drier months rather than the single driest. Rain climbs towards the wet season, with November at 108.4 mm. The trade-off is that rain is already building, so pack for showers. See Cairns stays, and check the official sources for marine conditions before water activities.

September climate at a glance

The table collects the September figures quoted above. All come from the WMO World Weather Information Service pages for each station, and the normals period differs by station, so compare patterns rather than exact numbers. Toronto and Budapest are listed by the WMO as precipitation rather than rainfall.

How we chose, and the limits of this list

We looked for places where September has a verifiable reason to go: a dated event on an organiser's page, or a climate figure from a national weather service reported through the WMO. We balanced the list across city breaks in central and southern Europe, a North American city and a southern hemisphere dry-season destination. We did not use traveller votes and we did not rank the places. The list leaves out many good destinations and says nothing about prices or availability.

Normals are averages over long periods, several of them decades old, and each is for a single station. Event dates come from organiser pages read in October 2026 and can change, so confirm them before you book. Our when to book guide explains timing, and the table of our own aparthotel figures for these countries is below.