July is the height of the Nordic summer. It's the perfect time to venture out into the lush mountains, forests and lakes, and enjoy kayaking, hiking and even swimming. It is also a popular month for self-drives through Finland's lakes, Norway's fjords or Iceland's ring road given the great driving conditions and warm weather.
Geirangerfjord, Norway
This is one of the most popular months for hiking throughout Scandinavia. While the fjords of Norway in the south and west offer plenty of hiking trails beside pretty fjord-side villages as well as an abundance of cruise and rail options, the north offers an altogether more wilderness feel, with less tourists and more outdoors to explore to yourself. Elsewhere in Iceland, this is the most popular month for travelling the famous ring road, with the dramatic fjords of the west, stunning black sand beaches of the south, wild geological formations and bubbling mud pools of the north and stunning glaciers of the east.
Summer icebergs in Greenland
With its mild summer weather, this is Greenland's time to shine. Explore the world renowned beauty of Ilulisaat and the giant glaciers and abundant wildlife with the everlasting glow of the Midnight Sun. For bird enthusiasts, a trip to the Faroe Islands or Svalbard is a must, with puffins and other seabirds flocking there in their numbers; the latter archipelago also notable for the unique chance to spot walrus', arctic fox or even the elusive polar bear.
