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Where to go in May / Switzerland in May / Eastern Switzerland & Graubünden / May

Switzerland · Mountains

Eastern Switzerland & Graubünden
in May.

Illustration of Landwasser Viaduct near Filisur from the forested hillside viewpoint
Landwasser Viaduct, GraubündenDestination view, not month-specific.

Is May a good time?

Temperature unit

Mild days.
Similar overnight stays to April.

May averages 65°F afternoons, with about 14 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.

Afternoons
65°F
Rain days
14
Visitor demand
31%of February peak

Historical Ostschweiz regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers St. Moritz, Davos and St. Gallen; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

6.5/10 · scores & priorities

This weather score measures sightseeing comfort. Snow and ski conditions need a separate check.

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#1 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather6.8/10Good
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostExpensivefor Europe; Switzerland-wide price level

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your May

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 65°F (18°C): light layers; nights around 46°F (8°C): a warm coat. Bring rain gear: about 14 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 15 hours of daylight.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 15 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 05:48Sunset 20:4946°F65°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 05:48 and sets about 20:49 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 46°F (8°C); afternoons reach about 65°F (18°C). Expect rain on about 14 days in a typical May.

Typical afternoon
65°F (18°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
46°F (8°C)
average daily minimum
Daylight
15h 01m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late May?

Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 62°F on the 1st, versus 69°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 48% to 42% between those dates.

Early May 1 May

62°F

Typical afternoon high

48% historical wet-day frequency

Mid May 15 May

65°F

Typical afternoon high

45% historical wet-day frequency

Late May 31 May

69°F

Typical afternoon high

42% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Public holidays · 2027: 6 May Ascension Day; 17 May Pentecost Monday.

Daily calendar & holiday datesMay 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

May 2027 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
162°262°
362°463°563°663°764°864°964°
1064°1164°1264°1365°1465°1565°1665°
1765°1865°1965°2065°2166°2266°2367°
2467°2567°2668°2768°2869°2969°3069°
3169°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons warm from about 63°F (17°C) in the first week to 68°F (20°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 40–49%.

School-holiday dates for May 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 6 May Ascension Day; 17 May Pentecost Monday. Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, Greece 29%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Low season. May averages 31% of February's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to April.

Overnight stays across Ostschweiz do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

A little below usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Switzerland as a whole
Well above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 171 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

Year-to-year variation

How much does May vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 59°F (15°C) and 70°F (21°C); in 9 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 65°F (18°C). Rain days ranged from 9 to 21; half the years had 10–16.

Rain days in each May

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 9 rain days920112012: 10 rain days102013: 21 rain days212014: 14 rain days142015: 16 rain days162016: 14 rain days142017: 10 rain days102018: 14 rain days142019: 14 rain days142020: 9 rain days92021: 19 rain days192022: 13 rain days132023: 15 rain days152024: 17 rain days172025: 14 rain days142025
Rain days
14
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 18 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
4 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no May in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
17 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MayHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201170°F9
201267°F10
201360°F21
201463°F14
201565°F16
201664°F14
201767°F10
201869°F14
201959°F14
202066°F9
202160°F19
202270°F13
202366°F15
202465°F17
202565°F14

Checked against 25 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

April, May
or June?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs February peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsAprMayJun
Afternoons59°F65°F74°F
Rain days101413
Overnight demand28%31%51%

April: Cooler afternoons and fewer rain days than May. April guide →

June: Warmer afternoons than May. More overnight demand. June guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with May Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. May stays as your reference.

June to September have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

May or April?

Overnight stays are 28% of the busiest month.

National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest a little below usual. No measured regional room rate is available.

Read the April guide →
May compared with another month
Typical conditionsMayApril
Afternoons65°F59°F
Nights46°F38°F
Rain days1410
Visitor seasonLow seasonLow season
Overall / 106.56.4
Month rank#1#3
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January3.9#1140°F26°F123.9Busy season
February3.7#1244°F27°F84.6Peak season
March5.0#952°F32°F105.7Busy season
April6.4#359°F38°F106.5Low season
May6.5#165°F46°F146.8Low season
June6.4#274°F54°F137.8Moderate season
July5.8#776°F56°F148.1Busy season
August5.7#876°F55°F128.0Peak season
September6.3#468°F49°F107.8Moderate season
October6.0#560°F42°F106.5Moderate season
November5.9#649°F34°F104.9Low season
December4.6#1042°F28°F144.2Moderate season

Near here

Nearby places in May

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better May weather than Eastern Switzerland & Graubünden

Eastern Switzerland & Graubünden's weather ranks 23 of 28 mountain regions this month. These mountain regions outside Switzerland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Eastern Switzerland & Graubünden.

All of Switzerland in May · Everywhere in May

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's low season, 31% of the busiest month and 47% below its average month. That means about 18,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 69% of them from Switzerland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 2,400 more: 13 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Urban, 0–100)69
How our weather was checked25 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 2°F (0.9°C), night lows within 1°F (0.6°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day14
Busiest month hereFebruary · 47
Visitors as share of people present1.4%
Rank among Europe's regions this month50th percentile
Domestic share of nights69%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights13
Visitor share if every platform night were extra1.6%
National hotel-price seasonSwitzerland historical 2024–2025 index: About usual (−1% vs its average month). Not a local room quote.
Population used1.3 million
Statistical regionCH05 · Ostschweiz

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.