When to book each part of your honeymoon

Part 1

The timeline at a glance

Most honeymoon planning goes wrong in one of two ways: booking the stay too late for peak season, or remembering a visa when it’s too late to get one. This timeline counts back from the day you leave.

Part 2

9–12 months out: choose the place and the month

Start with the month, not the place. Your wedding date fixes when you can travel, and every destination has months that are wonderful and months that are a washout. Monsoons, hurricane seasons and winter closures don’t move for weddings.

Our best-time heatmap shows every destination for every month at once, and each month page ranks the places at their best. If your heart is set on somewhere out of season on your dates, consider a short trip now and the dream destination later.

Part 3

3–6 months out: book the stay

The rooms couples want most are the scarcest: overwater villas, suites with the view, the six-tent safari camp, the cave suite on the caldera. They’re the first to go in peak weeks. Booking three to six months ahead gets you the choice; booking later gets you what’s left.

• Book a refundable rate early if one is available, then keep an eye on prices. If the rate drops, rebook.
• Read the cancellation terms and note the last free-cancellation date in your calendar.
• Mention the honeymoon in the booking. It’s when upgrades and treats are planned.

Part 4

Book earlier for these peak seasons

Peak months follow school holidays, festivals and the best weather. These are the peak months for the most sought-after honeymoon places, next to the months with the best weather. They aren’t always the same.

Where the best-weather months extend beyond peak, those shoulder weeks are your best value: the same sunsets for less, with fewer people.

Part 5

Booking windows by type of trip

Some trips sell out much earlier than others. As a rough guide to how early the best options go:

If you’re past these windows, don’t panic: book a refundable rate at a good second choice now and keep checking the first. Cancellations do appear, often four to eight weeks before arrival, when other guests’ free-cancellation deadlines pass.

Part 6

About 2 months out: book flights

For most routes, about two months ahead is a good balance between choice and price; for Christmas, New Year and school holidays, go earlier. Long-haul fares with good connections sell out first.

• Book in the names on your passports, letter for letter. Just married and changing your name? Read our name change guide first.
• Choose seats together when you book; on some fares that’s the only time it’s free.
• Check the last leg: seaplanes, island hops and bush flights often have their own booking and luggage limits.

Part 7

Visas: how much time you need

Visas are the deadline people forget. As a rule: an embassy or consulate visa needs about eight weeks; an e-visa or electronic travel authorisation (eTA) about three; visa on arrival needs only the fee and a printed onward ticket.

How it works out across our 83 destinations for four common passports:

From the Passport Index dataset. Always confirm with the official government source before booking.

Travelling on two different passports? The visa checker shows both of you side by side.

Part 8

Health and insurance

35 of our destinations are tropical or safari trips, where a travel clinic visit six to eight weeks before you go is worth it: some vaccines need a course of doses, and malaria tablets start before you travel.

Buy travel insurance on the day you make your first non-refundable payment, not just before you fly. Cancellation cover protects you from that moment. Our insurance guide covers what to check.

Part 9

3–4 weeks out: book the big moments

The once-in-a-lifetime experiences have limited places: a handful of balloon baskets, one sandbank, a few tables at sunset. Book them three to four weeks ahead (earlier in peak season), and plan them for the middle of the trip, so a cancellation for weather can be rescheduled.

Part 10

The last week

• Confirm airport transfers, seaplanes and the first night’s hotel.
• Tell your banks you’re travelling and check your cards’ foreign fees.
• Download boarding passes, bookings and an offline map.
• Photograph your passports and marriage certificate; keep copies apart from the originals.
• Pack two days before, not the night before. Our packing list fits the destination and month.

For a dated version of all this, put your destination and dates into the timeline below. It can be added to your calendar.