The Best European Cities to Visit in June

From wandering the labyrinthine walkways of the Grand Bazaar to marvelling at architectural gems such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, there’s more to see and do in Istanbul than you could cram into a single trip. On our 12-day Turkey adventure, our Local Insider will show you the highlights on a walking tour of the old city and on a food tour of the Kadıköy neighbourhood – you’ll also cruise across the Bosphorus river, between the shores of Europe and Asia. The capital, Ankara, and the Cappadocia region – renowned for its unusual rock formations and underground cities – are also on the agenda, before you arrive in Antalya – one of Turkey’s prime beach destinations. It can get scorchingly hot in the height of summer, but in June, temperatures tend to be more pleasant – typically around 25-30°C.

Athens in June, glowing in sunlight but without the chaos of European summer holiday season, is resplendent. Our eight-day Greek Island odyssey is a tribute to everything we love about Greece – the food, the beaches and, of course, the fascinating history. There’s no better symbol of this than Athens, the starting point of our trip. We’ll take you to the Acropolis, of course, but you’ll also get to explore the lively neighbourhood of Keramikos for a taste of local life, as well as dinner at a traditional taverna. It’s the perfect way to start our Greek adventure, before island-hopping to Milos, Naxos and Santorini.