Summer Escapes from Dubai: Cool Places to Go from June to August

Every year around April my phone starts ringing with the same question: where can we go in July that is not 45°C? I have lived in Dubai for more than a decade and I have spent most of those summers escaping it, so I have strong opinions. The good news is that the UAE is surrounded by cool places within a few hours. The bad news is that everyone else in the UAE wants to go to them in the same eight weeks.

How hot it is at home, and how cool it is a short flight away

From June to August, Dubai averages daytime highs of 40 to 43°C with humidity that makes evenings feel worse. Here is how my favourite summer escapes compare in July, with direct or one-stop flying times from DXB and typical summer package prices per person twin share including flights.

The prices are what our clients actually paid last summer for mid-range to good hotels. They are higher than our "from" prices, which apply to quieter months.

Georgia and Azerbaijan: the closest cool air

For most UAE residents, the Caucasus is the answer. It is close, many nationalities resident in the UAE can enter easily (rules vary, and we confirm current requirements for your passport), halal food is easy to find and the mountains are properly green in summer.

The trap is Tbilisi itself. In July the capital reaches 31 to 34°C, so do not plan five nights in the city. Our Tbilisi and Kazbegi trip spends two nights in town and the rest at altitude, where Kazbegi sits at around 1,700 metres with mornings of 12°C and views of Mount Kazbek from your breakfast table. Bring a fleece; clients never believe me until they need it.

A practical tip for families: Georgian mountain roads are slow, so the three-hour drive from Tbilisi to Kazbegi along the Georgian Military Road deserves a full morning with stops at Ananuri fortress and the Gudauri viewpoint. Summer is also high season for Gulf visitors in Georgia, so popular guesthouses fill by May. If you want a quieter, cheaper version of the Caucasus, late June is still green and fares are lower.

Azerbaijan works the same way. Baku is warm and breezy by the Caspian, around 30°C, but Gabala in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus is cooler, with forests, a cable car and lakes. The Baku and Gabala escape is four nights and fits a long weekend if you take two days off.

Switzerland and the Dolomites: Alpine summers at a price

If budget allows, the Alps in July and August are hard to beat: lakes warm enough to swim in, 25°C afternoons, wildflower meadows and trains that run to the minute. Our Swiss lakes luxury holiday moves between Lucerne, Interlaken and Montreux with lake-view rooms and a rail pass. Switzerland is expensive on the ground, so the pass matters: it covers trains, boats and many mountain lifts that would otherwise cost AED 300 to 500 per person per day.

The Dolomites in northern Italy are the quieter alternative. Fly into Venice or Milan, drive two to three hours into the mountains and base yourself in a valley town. It suits walkers and couples more than young families, and it is noticeably cheaper than Switzerland for similar scenery. Remember both need a Schengen visa for many UAE residents, and July appointments are often fully booked by May. Apply as early as the consulate allows, which for many is up to six months before travel, and we confirm the current document list for your nationality before you book a slot.

One honest trade-off: Alpine weather changes fast. A 25°C afternoon in Interlaken can turn into a thunderstorm by 4pm, and high passes can see snow even in August. Plan mountain excursions for the morning and keep one flexible day in each base.

Further afield: Kenya, Sri Lanka, Bali and a word on Hokkaido

Kenya's dry season

Most people do not think of Africa as a summer escape, but the Masai Mara at 1,500 metres has 25°C days, chilly nights and, from July to October, the Great Migration crossing from the Serengeti. Our Masai Mara safari uses a tented camp near the river crossings. Book migration dates early, as camp tents near the Mara River sell out a year ahead. Expect around AED 10,500 to 14,000 per person for five nights in peak season, and pack warm layers for the early morning game drives, when open vehicles feel close to 8°C.

Sri Lanka's east coast

The south-west coast is in monsoon from May to September, but the east coast around Trincomalee and Arugam Bay is dry, calm and sunny. It is not cool, around 32°C, but the sea breeze and lack of humidity make it far more comfortable than Dubai.

Bali in the dry season

June to August is Bali's best weather: dry, sunny and 29 to 30°C with cool evenings in Ubud. The flight is longer, about nine hours, so give it at least seven nights. Our Ubud and Uluwatu holiday splits the week between the rice terraces and the cliffs.

Hokkaido, briefly

Japan's northern island stays around 25°C in summer while Tokyo is steaming. It is a long journey, one stop and 13 to 15 hours, so I only suggest it as part of a Japan trip of ten days or more.

When to book for July and August

For travel in July and August, book by March. That is not a sales line; it is what the numbers show every year. By April, the best family rooms in Kazbegi and the lake-view rooms in Lucerne are gone, and fares from Dubai climb week by week.

• January to March: best choice of hotels, flight prices still close to normal.
• April to May: still possible, expect to pay 15 to 25 percent more and compromise on hotels.
• Deposits: most of our summer packages are held with a deposit, so booking in February does not mean paying in full in February.
• June onwards: last-minute summer deals do exist, but mostly on longer routes or in less popular weeks.

Avoiding the school holiday fare spikes

UAE schools usually break up in early July and return in late August. Fares spike in two places: the first weekend out, and the last ten days of August coming back into Dubai, when every family returns at once. Return flights in that final week can cost double a mid-August return.

• If you do not have school-age children, travel in June or the first half of September. Prices fall by 30 to 40 percent and the mountains are just as beautiful.
• If you do, leave midweek, two or three days after the term ends, and come back around 15 to 20 August.
• Consider an open-jaw ticket, for example into Venice and out of Zurich, which often costs the same as a return and saves a day of backtracking.
• Check our current deals from April onwards, when hotels release unsold summer rooms.

Choosing your summer escape

If you want cool air with minimum travel time, choose Georgia or Azerbaijan. If you want the classic Alpine summer and can spend more, choose Switzerland. If you want something unforgettable, Kenya in August is my personal favourite. Look at the packages linked above for current prices per person twin share, or tell us your dates and budget and I will build the route and book it before the March rush.