At a glance
- The Mediterranean can be magical in August, but the key to doing it well is sailing on small ships that can reach off-the-beaten-path ports
- Within Europe, the Baltic Sea can offer a welcome contrast to the heat of the Mediterranean
- August is an excellent time for wildlife spotting in destinations in North America, the South Pacific and Australia
- This is a good month to seek out natural spectacles, ranging from the Northern Lights in the Alaskan Arctic to the Staircase to the Moon in Western Australia
Why trust us?
World of Cruising, along with our sister publication, Cruise Trade News, has one of the UK’s most experienced teams of cruise journalists and contributors. Our experts have racked up hundreds of nights at sea with most cruise lines. Most weeks, one of our writers will be at sea or on a river. Here, that expertise informs our list of the five best cruise destinations to help you choose where to sail this August.
Is August a good month for a cruise?
Yes, end-of-the-summer magic abounds, and plenty of destinations are at their absolute best, from castaway islands in the South Pacific to shining shores in the Aegean.
That said, because it’s high season in so many key cruising destinations, it’s more important than ever to choose your itinerary wisely. The last thing you want is to invest time and money in a cruise only to find yourself sweltering in the heat and having to resort to tourist traps because all the good restaurants in port are booked up.
Here’s a carefully curated list of five incredible places to sail, plus if-you-know-you-know information on cruise lines, climate and more, to help you plan a voyage that’s truly worth it.
Best August cruise for summer heat: Off-the-beaten-track Greece
Why here, why now: You might be thinking, really, Greece in August? Doesn’t half of Europe flock here? And you’re absolutely right, certain hotspots are tourist magnets.
That’s why the savvy move is to book a small ship cruise that can access destinations that megaships can’t reach and air travellers often overlook.
Don’t get us wrong, it’s often quite good fun to have one or two marquee ports mixed in, such as Mykonos and Santorini, for the sheer energy of the bustling streets. But in the heat, you’ll want to spend most of your time in hillsides taverns, lounging by turquoise waters, or leisurely wandering among ancient ruins, without being jostled for space.
Take the serene, spiritual island of Patmos, for example. You might spend your days exploring the mystical Cave of the Apocalypse, where Saint John is said to have received the Book of Revelation, before sampling the vintages at a local winery.
In Milos, the true jewel of the Cyclades, your time ashore might be dedicated to strolling whitewashed streets or lying lizard-like on beaches amongst otherworldly rock formations.
Monemvasia, meanwhile, is a window into the past, with relics of Byzantine, Ottoman and Venetian heritage to uncover, alongside olives and wine that have drawn visitors for centuries.
Weather: Expect sizzling heat and blue skies. Temperatures hover between the high 20s and low 30s, though heatwaves can make the mercury soar. Sea temperatures are very pleasant.
Top stops: Syros, Nafplion, Naxos, Milos, Folegandros, Kavala, Volos, Argostoli, Gythion, Monemvasia and Patmos in Greece.
Who to sail with:Windstar Cruises is a luxury small-ship line with a fleet of yacht-like vessels that can access ports closed to larger ships. It offers itineraries dedicated to Greece and its islands, often calling at seldom-sailed spots. Along your journey, you’ll be seen to by an ever-attentive crew, with a staff-to-guest ratio of 1:1.5.
Azamara is another excellent choice for experiencing a different side to Greece, thanks to its intimate boutique ships. The line prides itself on immersive shore excursions that take you beyond the typical tourist attractions.
Price: Windstar Cruises offers seven-day itineraries in August from approximately £4,000 if you book well in advance. Azamara Cruises starts at around £2,200 for a nine-day sailing. Both exclude flights.
Best August cruise to escape the heat: The Baltic Sea
Why here, why now: The Med in August can be magical. But parts can also be blisteringly hot, not to mention overcrowded.
Some travellers are better suited to the Baltic Sea, where temperatures rarely rise above the mid-20s. Plus, even in peak season, you don’t get the overwhelming crowds of southern European hotspots.
As well as mild summers, you’ll encounter medieval capitals that offer a fascinating mix of Scandi cool, post-Soviet history and a distinctively Baltic identity.
In Tallinn, the temperate weather is ideal for sightseeing in the UNESCO-listed Old Town, strolling fairytale-esque streets lined with sugar-pink houses and shops selling intricate marzipan figures. The biannual Birgritta Festival, staged in the ruins of a medieval convent, is a wonderful way to experience the city’s classical music.
A summer’s day in Helsinki, meanwhile, might see you emerging pink-cheeked after a sauna session, ready for a bracing sea swim. Or you might spend your time ashore cycling to one of the 300 nearby islands, stopping en route for pulla (the Finnish take on a cardamom bun).
Select itineraries also take you to Gdańsk, known as the Amber Capital of the World, thanks to its centuries-old amber trade, with the gem often called ‘Baltic Gold’. An August stop here means exploring bohemian neighbourhoods with celebrated craft breweries and visiting museums that reveal the city’s role in World War II.
Weather: Daytime temperatures usually hover in the high teens to low 20s, though a heatwave can push them far higher.
Top stops: Helsinki, Finland; Tallinn, Estonia; Stockholm (Nyäshman) and Visby, Gotland, Sweden; Copenhagen and Skagen, Denmark; Riga and Liepāja, Latvia; Gdańsk (Gdynia), Poland; and Klaipėda, Lithuania.
Who to sail with:Norwegian Cruise Line offers premium amenities at reasonable prices, with large ships that provide plenty of choice for different types of travellers. Silversea, meanwhile, delivers an ultra-luxury experience with a strong emphasis on curated shore excursions. While sailing the Baltic Sea, that might mean listening to a classical concert in a 14th-century Latvian castle or exploring the folklore of Lithuania’s Hill of Witches.
Price: A weeklong cruise of the Baltic Sea with NCL will start at around £1,100. A Silversea cruise of the same length will begin at around £6,200. Both exclude international airfare.
Best August cruise for a tropical escape: French Polynesia
Why here, why now: French Polynesia sits in the South Pacific, roughly halfway between California and Australia, and is often hailed as a year-round destination. While you’d be hard-pressed to find a bad month to visit it, August is among the best: bright and balmy, with lower humidity and rainfall than later in the year.
A cruise here means hopping between palm-fringed islands, each with its own identity yet simultaneously distinctly Polynesian. As well as engaging with Mā’ohi traditions, sea and shore beckon with hard-to-fathom beauty. Picture snorkelling amongst coral gardens or simply lounging on white sands while turquoise waters lap at the shoreline.
On the islands themselves, you’ll find landscapes laden with vanilla, coconut, banana, pineapple and breadfruit. The jungle greens of the interiors are rivalled only by the luminous blues and teals of the sea.
Weather: Temperatures tend to sit in the high 20s, and there’s less rainfall and humidity than other times of the year. That said, precise conditions depend on where you sail. These are, after all, far-flung islands with different microclimates. The Marquesas are hotter, for instance, than the Society Islands because they’re closer to the Equator.
Top stops: Tahiti (Pape’ete), Huahine, Taha’a, Bora Bora and Moorea in the Society Islands; Fakarava and Rangiroa in Tuamotu; Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Ua Pou and Tahuata on the Marquesas Islands.
Who to sail with:Paul Gauguin offers a luxurious, intimate way to explore French Polynesia. Guests are treated to exclusive access to a private islet within Taha’a’s dreamy lagoon, complete with a floating bar. This is also a wise choice for families thanks to the Moana Explorer Program, which partners with a marine education and conservation foundation to deliver once-in-a-lifetime experiences to children and teens aged six to 15.
Meanwhile, Aranui has been sailing French Polynesia for more than 40 years. It offers the comforts of a modern cruise ship to visitors while also playing an essential role in the region. It acts as a cargo carrier, delivering much-needed supplies to tiny communities on remote islands. Nearly all crew members hail from French Polynesia itself, ensuring the line is authentically local.
Price: Expect to pay fares from around £3,500 for a seven-night cruise with Paul Gauguin. With Aranui, you'll pay around £3,500 for 11 nights. Both exclude flights.
Best August cruise for nature: Alaska
Why here, why now: This is about as far from a fly and flip holiday as you can get, with the Last Frontier offering a remarkable diversity of wildlife, flora and natural phenomena to discover in August.
Landscapes are lush, with fireweed blazing magenta and purple across meadows and glacial valleys. Whale watching is at its peak, with humpbacks feeding in large numbers in the Inside Passage.
Salmon runs are another seasonal spectacle worth seeking out, and they go hand-in-hand with spotting black and brown bears, which feast at riverbanks ahead of Fat Bear Week in September.
August is also one of the prime months to see glacier calving: when chunks of ice break off and crash into the sea in a dramatic display of nature’s power.
Towards the end of August, the Northern Lights are sometimes visible, especially if you include a cruisetour inland to Fairbanks, which sits in the auroral oval. Sightings aren’t guaranteed, but they are certainly possible with a bit of luck.
Weather: Alaska is vast, meaning its climate varies dramatically. However, as a rule of thumb, most cruise ports hover in the mid to high teens in August. The exception is the Alaskan Arctic, which often dips into single figures.
Top stops:Anchorage (Whittier or Seward), Ketchikan, Juneau, Hubbard Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Skagway, Kodiak, Wrangell, Valdez, Dutch Harbor and Nome.
Who to sail with:Holland America Line has been operating in Alaska for over 75 years and offers hundreds of departures in August alone. Their Glacier Guarantee is particularly appealing if that ranks high on your list of must-dos.
Princess Cruises also has a great selection of Alaska cruises and cruisetours, many combined with stops in British Columbia. It’s a particularly strong choice for families thanks to its sleek, state-of-the-art ships.
Price: Holland America offers week-long itineraries from under £820. Princess offers sailings for under £550 for a week. Both exclude international airfare.
Best August cruise for a bucket-list adventure: The Kimberley Coast
Why here, why now: Set on the edge of the Indian Ocean and Timor Sea, the Kimberley is a remote corner of Western Australia known for its thundering waterfalls and jaw-dropping gorges. Cruise along its coast and you’ll witness sights very few ever see, from the rich marine life of remote reefs to the unspoiled flora of castaway islands.
Highlights include local farms harvesting lustrous South Sea pearls, twin waterfalls plunging 100 metres and The Horizontal Falls, which David Attenborough described as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world”.
Beyond the immense natural beauty, a wealth of cultural exploration awaits, including ancient rock art dating back some 17,000 years. Gwion Gwion figures rank among the earliest known cave paintings, while Wandjina is a highly revered spiritual being for the Worrora, Ngarinyin and Wunumbal peoples.
August is one of the best times to explore the natural and cultural treasures of the Kimberley Coast, in large part due to the pleasant weather. But more than that, what draws visitors is the Staircase to the Moon. This is a phenomenon where lunar light reflects over tidal flats to create the shimmering illusion of a stairway leading up to the full moon. It occurs for a few nights each month from March to October and is well worth planning your trip around.
Weather: August is the middle of the dry season, which falls from May to October. Expect minimal rainfall, ample sunshine and temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s. The sea itself is around 23-25C.
Top stops: Broome (where many cruises begin or end), Lacepede Islands, Talbot Bay, Montgomery Reef, Prince Regent River (King Cascade), Prince Frederick Harbour, King George River and Falls, Vansittart Bay, Hunter River and Kuri Bay.
Who to sail with: Seabourn is a great option for ultra-luxury. The godparents of Seabourn Pursuit are the Wunambal Gaambera, Aboriginal Traditional Owners from the Kimberley region. The ship is equipped with a fleet of 24 Zodiacs.
Price: Seabourn’s fares start at around £8,500, excluding flights.
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