Shoulder season. By now, you’ve likely heard this unusual phrase referenced in the media and by travel agents, or perhaps it popped up while you were searching for cheap dates to travel. In most cases, shoulder season is the time of year between a destination’s peak season, when it receives the most visitors, and its offseason, when the fewest guests arrive. Shoulder seasons can last a few months or even just a few weeks.
As travelers try to stretch their trip budgets further, more people can work remotely and destinations experience higher temperatures beyond the summer months, shoulder season travel has risen in popularity over the last few years.
High-interest destinations in Europe, Asia and Africa have seen visitors increase during the nonpeak seasons, and travel agents have noticed more clients interested in traveling during less busy times of year.
“We’ve seen a dramatic shift toward the shoulder season over the last several years, particularly in places like Italy where the increased demand has reshaped how and when people chose to travel,” says Carly Moss, travel expert at Black Tomato. “When travel picked back up [post coronavirus pandemic], we’ve noticed our clients were increasingly drawn to the allure of experiencing destinations with more intimacy and authenticity that come with fewer crowds.”
“I also think there’s consumer fatigue around the rising room rates,” adds Henley Vazquez, co-founder of Fora travel agency, “and for those who are willing to skip the summer splashiness of insta-sharing your July jaunts around Europe, there’s a lot more ability to stretch a dollar (or euro).”
Searching for shoulder season
When exactly shoulder season falls can depend on where you are — it’s not strictly between high and low seasons for a specific place. Some destinations might have shoulder seasons between two peak seasons, like a mountain spot that welcomes hikers in summer and skiers in winter.
However, Fora’s Vazquez points out that shoulder season can also happen around major events.
“The funny thing that happened this summer in Paris was a sort of fake shoulder season right before and after the Olympics,” Vazquez says. “Many travelers avoided the city due to concerns about Olympic-related headaches, but I went in early July before the games started and it was a magical time to be there — so much excitement about the upcoming event, but hotels had plenty of space and lower rates. So don’t assume shoulder season refers to a specific time period.”
Opening up new opportunities in popular destinations
Italy, which has been seeing record crowds in summer and has many places dealing with overtourism, is an ideal shoulder season destination. For example, Calabria makes a great fall destination thanks to a longer beach season and cooler temperatures that are more amenable to hiking and cycling than the full summer heat.
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No wonder operators are reporting major growth for Italy visits in spring and fall.
“In Italy, we saw a 20% increase in departures this April compared to last year and an 18% bump in September-October bookings compared to the same time period last year,” says Jessica Trammell, the vice president of marketing for EF Go Ahead Tours, a tour operator for guided group trips.
“In the fall, our clients can enjoy a truffle hunting experience in Piedmont or get a behind-the-scenes peek at the production of Serralunga d’Alba’s iconic Barolo Chinato wines during the prime harvest season,” Moss says, explaining the allure. “Spring is also an ideal time to visit popular spots like the Amalfi Coast to enjoy the stunning beaches in peace and sailing through the Mediterranean Sea to the idyllic Capri.”
Case in point: Kate Ginsbern, who lives in New York City, traveled with her fiancee in September to the Dolomites in Italy to hike during cooler weather and with fewer crowds. However, in a sign of these shoulder periods becoming increasingly popular, Ginsbern says many trails were more crowded than they had anticipated.
“There’s a famous hike called Tre Cime. We read on various forums that in high season, you need to get there by 8 a.m. to get a parking spot, and in September, you need to get there by 9 a.m. to be safe,” she says. “We arrived at 8:10 a.m. and were told that the parking lot had filled up at 7:15 a.m.!”
As more travelers discover the allure of shoulder season, Ginsbern’s experience is bound to become more commonplace. Still, that doesn’t mean undiscovered regions aren’t there to explore.
Shoulder season safaris
Safari trips can be excellent alternatives for shoulder season travel, too. Often, you can still see plenty of wildlife and enjoy enviable weather that’s neither too hot nor rainy.
But in many African safari destinations, shoulder season can be brief.
In Botswana, the shoulder season lasts from February to early May and from the end of October to November. Often, you can even enjoy yourself at the beginning of the wet season, when it may rain occasionally but the land is still dry enough to see animals.
Namibia is the hottest and wettest in summer (November to March), while peak travel months are May to September when the weather cools down, and it does not tend to rain. Still, October and April are cheaper times for a safari there, yet there is still good weather and plenty of wildlife to spot.
Don’t forget about fall
Sometimes, travel-worthy weather events occur during shoulder season, creating another reason to visit. Moss says that Japan is one of Black Tomato’s most popular fall destinations.
“We typically recommend clients to avoid summers when visiting Japan as it’s quite hot and humid during those months,” she says. “Spring is perfect for its gorgeous cherry blossom season and is especially popular with families during school breaks. We tend to receive greater interest amongst couples and honeymooners for the fall, which offers beautiful Momiji foliage and cooler temperatures to enjoy immersive experiences in the outdoors.”
Kansai, Japan, where both Osaka and Kyoto are located, is ideal during shoulder season and remains beautiful when temperatures drop as winter approaches.
If there isn’t a naturally occurring event during shoulder season, a destination might host festivals or special events to attract visitors. For example, Barbados holds its annual Food & Rum Festival at the end of October, and the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival occurs every October throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Next year, Vienna is celebrating Johann Strauss’ 200th birthday, with major events occurring on Fledermaus Day on April 5, 2025, and Strauss’ birthday on Oct. 25, 2025, when the city typically isn’t crowded with international visitors.
Vienna has already been gaining ground during the fall and spring shoulder seasons, though, with the window from September to December showing strong growth. According to the city’s tourism board, Vienna saw a 20% increase in visitors from September to November of 2023 compared to a year earlier. Vazquez, who reports that Vienna has surged in popularity with Fora clients recently, says spring and fall shoulder season bookings increased by about 225% in 2024 compared to 2023.
Another popular shoulder season destination is Greece — specifically, the Athens Riviera — which recently gained several new luxury hotels that are open year-round instead of closing for winter, as many hotels used to do. Between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1, Fora experienced a growth of almost 450% in terms of dollars spent on bookings, comparing 2023 to 2024, when looking at the recently renovated Four Seasons Astir Palace, the new One&Only Aesthesis, The Margi and Cape Sounio Grecotel.
While there are several obvious perks to visiting a destination when there are fewer travelers — easier-to-get reservations and bookings, calmer environments to explore, lower prices — a less obvious one is more authentic, local experiences, with residents more willing to interact with travelers.
“It’s about slowing down and savoring the local culture, connecting more deeply with the place,” Moss says. “Shoulder season offers a rare window to experience destinations at their most authentic state.”
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