There’s a perfect tour for every time of year, finds Katie McGonagle
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Remember when the shops only stocked strawberries in July, hot cross buns at Easter, and mince pies in the run-up to Christmas?
Now that we can get our hands on whatever we want whenever we want it, it’s easy to forget the significance of seasons – but when it comes to booking a holiday, time of year is all-important.
Whether it’s avoiding hurricanes and hail, or arriving to see flowers in first bloom or autumn leaves in all their fiery glory, timing a trip just right can turn a good holiday into a great one. Not only that, but knowing where to go when helps extend bookings beyond summer to attract those customers who don’t want to travel when the sun – and prices – are at their peak.
Here, we look at a few escorted tours which show off their destination at its very best.
Spring
This is the season when the natural world quite literally springs into life, so it’s ideal for garden or nature-themed tours in the UK – think Chelsea Flower Show or stately homes – or the continent, where Shearings has added a tour to see the Garden of Europe at its most colourful.
Commercial director Caroline Brown says: “Spring is the perfect time to try one of our horticultural breaks to the beautiful gardens in Holland and Belgium, taking in the world-famous Keukenhof and the Floralia Brussels flower exhibition. The gardens are in full bloom at this time of year.” The five-day Keukenhof & Floralia tour starts at £379.
Japan’s famous cherry blossoms are also at their blooming best, with their brief flowering starting in Tokyo in late March. That’s the time chosen by Cosmos Tours & Cruises for its new Tale of Two Cities – Tokyo & Kyoto, departing March 30 and starting at £2,525. Riviera Travel’s Japan – Land of the Rising Sun is also at its most popular when the country is covered with a swathe of pink petals, while Travel Indochina has added an ex-Kyoto departure to cope with demand for this season.
Spring is also the ideal time to get active without sweltering summer temperatures or to enjoy the lack of crowds in popular destinations. In the latter category, the rural regions visited on Inghams’ Explorer Holidays in Italy such as its Best of Puglia tour are far more pleasant without hordes of tourists getting in the way of a good view (from £995 for a week departing April 11).
Exodus concentrates its walking and cycling tours around the shoulder seasons. Walking in Madeira, for example, runs from February until May in pleasant 15-20C temperatures, while Intrepid Travel’s 10-day South Morocco Discovery takes guests from Mount Toubkal to popular spots Ait Benhaddou and Essaouira.
Head of UK trade sales Spencer Neal says: “Spring is an ideal time to visit Morocco, when temperatures in the cities are manageable and fragrant orange blossoms appear on the trees and are sold in the souks. It’s also the perfect time to visit the Atlas Mountains when weather conditions are good and the snow has melted, giving way to colourful spring flowers.” 
Image credit: Japan National Tourism Organisation
Summer
British summers aren’t the most reliable, but if clients are keen to stick to home shores, June to August will at least give them a shot at good weather.
It’s essential for Newmarket’s Wimbledon breaks (two or three days, from £155) to catch the action as it happens, while for Ffestiniog Travel’s 16-day Hebridean & Orcadian Odyssey, venturing to the farthest reaches of the British Isles is far more enjoyable when the sun is shining, hence its June 29 departure (from £2,995).
Alaska might be better known for ice and Eskimos, but its short summer season actually offers toasty temperatures and more active wildlife. Grand American Adventures’ Alaskan Highlights spots whales and sea otters in Kenai Fjords National Park, and searches for grizzly bears, caribou and Dall sheep around Denali.
Funway’s Alaska Discovery adds a seven-day cruise through the Inside Passage to adventures on land, while singles specialist Solos has added 11-night tour Awesome Alaska for 2015, departing August 23.
Animals are at their most active elsewhere too: Exodus product manager Tom Harari recommends making the most of the Amazon’s drier summer weather, which offers easier walking conditions and means wildlife come closer to the water’s edge.
Arguably even more impressive, Travel 2 product manager Michael Creighton suggests going on safari to witness wildlife at its most spectacular. He says: “Summer is the best time to join a tour of Kenya.
In August, the wildebeest migration takes place in the Masai Mara, which brings a high concentration of game to the plains, so the wildebeest crossings offer clients some of the finest game viewing in Africa.”
As well as great wildlife, summer is also a time for great scenery. Cosmos Tours & Cruises’ new Iceland & Greenland itinerary visits these destinations at their greenest and most photogenic, with long daylight hours offering maximum photo-taking time.
Alternatively, Travel Indochina suggests snappers try its Cambodia Revealed tour during the summer ‘green season’, when the moat around Angkor Wat is full, the Mekong River is at its highest and best for cruising, and key sites are less crowded.
Autumn
New England is rightly famed for its autumn leaf peeping, and provided clients are prepared to bump elbows with others during the busiest season, they’ll be rewarded with fiery colours at every turn.
There are as many ways to tour this region as there are willing travellers: do it in comfort with New England based operator Collette’s nine-day Colours of New England tour out of Boston, driving the Kancagamus Highway, staying in boaty Boothbay Harbor in Maine, and visiting seafront town Kennebunkport (from £2,449).
Or hike the Appalachian Trail for a closer view of the colourful fall foliage with Grand American Adventures’ new Extraordinary Adventures range, either camping or going from hut to hut (10 days, from £1,369).
Of course New England doesn’t hold the monopoly on rich autumnal hues: across the border in Canada, Thomas Cook Tours’ new Wonders of Newfoundland is just as vibrant – visit Deer Lake, cruise the calm waters of Western Brook Pond and experience old-world charm in St John’s (11 days, from £3,389).
The banks of the Rhine and the Moselle are equally vivid on Shearings’ new Colours of Autumn river cruise (from £879 for nine days departing in September and October), while the stunning region of Jiuzhaigou in China’s Sichuan province – beautiful at any time of year – comes alive even more as its blazing colours are reflected in the pools’ impossibly clear waters. China Links Travel offers this as an add-on from £549.
As well as turning leaves to prettier shades, nature also works its magic on the harvest. Back Roads Touring invites guests to help bring in the olive crop on its Harvest in Tuscany trip, where guests meet producers of cheese, wine and balsamic vinegar, and have a go at making traditional Tuscan dishes (from £1,036 for seven days in November).
Winter
Winter travellers face a dilemma: escape to sunnier climes or dig out the thermals and go for guaranteed snow?On the sunny side, Trafalgar’s Florida Sunshine Trail combines a Vitamin D boost with cultural highlights, visiting America’s oldest city St Augustine, learning about Key Lime Pie in Key West, and soaking up Cuban hospitality in Miami’s Little Havana (from £2,575 for 10 nights).
Central America’s weather is dry and hot, which is why Journey Latin America’s six-country Alcion tour is one of its most popular at this time (from £2,718 for 21 days). This is also an ideal season to explore the depths of southern Patagonia, when temperatures are mild and the scenery no less spectacular on 21 day tour Nandu.
At the other extreme, those who prefer to pack their winter woollies are well catered for. Festive options include Europe’s Christmas markets – Leger Holidays has a new Austrian Lake District and Salzburg market tour, from £509; and seeing Santa in Lapland – Newmarket Holidays even does day tours, starting at £499 for adults and £449 for excitable youngsters.
Europe’s unbridled elegance is on show in everything from wintry waltzes at Vienna’s lavish balls (Back Roads Touring visits the Flower and Coffeehouse Owners balls on a five-day tour departing February 3), to travelling by train through pristine landscapes on Ffestiniog Travel’s Snow on the Alps – Switzerland by Rail.
Those who want to get out in the white stuff can enjoy soft activity tours such as the Winter Slovakia Family Holiday with The Family Adventure Company to try skiing, dog sledding and snowshoeing, with time to throw snowballs or build a snowman in between; or Explore’s new Winter Iceland Family Adventure for fun husky safaris and humpback whale-spotting.
Those willing to go the distance for an even more impressive winter wonderland won’t find any better than the world-famous Harbin Snow and Ice Festival in China, a real bucket-list contender for its breathtaking ice sculptures. Wendy Wu Tours offers an eight-day trip to experience the festival then fly to Shanghai to spend Chinese New Year with Wendy Wu herself on an exclusive dragon boat cruise on the Hangpu River (from £2,290 departing February 20, 2015, or February 2, 2016).
