30 Places to Travel This Spring
GettyOman
The Sultanate of Oman bursts into bloom every March, as the Damask roses that cover Jebel Akhdar (also known as the Green Mountain) begin to flower. Around 90 farms here specialize in the pink shrubs, which are so prized by perfume manufacturers around the world that they’re harvested by hand at dawn. Surround yourself with the heady blossoms and hunker down in a suite at the clifftop Alila Jabal Akhdar. Where better to watch the sunset than from its aptly named Rose Lounge, with views out across the mountains and gorges?
GettySan Diego, CA
Sunny San Diego has long drawn visitors with its taquerias and beaches—it's home to some of the best in the state. And with 12 to 13 hours of spring daylight, you’ll have plenty of time to explore. Locals won’t miss slow-cooked lamb tacos at Aqui es Texcoco, or Tacos El Gordo De Tijuana, a south-of-the border transplant. To work off your meal, descend into caves at La Jolla Cove, where waves have carved pathways into sandstone cliffs, or explore the immense Balboa Park.
GettyMaldives
There’s a reason this island cluster in the Indian Ocean has become a honeymoon mainstay: it offers year-round temperatures hovering in the low 80s, and rarely suffers from rain outside monsoon season in November. The best weather, though, is from January through March, when the water is at its calmest and the sky a permanent sapphire-blue.
GettyCartagena, Colombia
March is one of the hottest, driest months in Cartagena, but it’s the ideal climate for a trip to this oceanfront colonial-era hub, which offers a handy two-fer as both city break and beach getaway. Squint slightly on a bougainvillea-wreathed street in the UNESCO-protected Old Town, and it’s like stepping onto the pages of a magic realist novel from Colombia’s own Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Then head for Getsemani, a once-rundown neighborhood a short ride beyond the city walls for a thriving street art scene and some of the city’s best nightlife. The Miami-like resort district of Bocagrande is the easiest place to decompress by the pool.
GettyCrete, Greece
Of all the Greek islands, Crete is one of the most distinctive—not only because it’s the largest, but also because it has its own unmistakable culture. Trek the roughly 10-mile Samaria Gorge in southwest Crete, where local operators provide tours, and don’t miss traditional villages like Spili, one of the most beautiful spots situated south of Rethymno. Visit in late spring to avoid crowds and too-hot temperatures.
GettyPhoenix, AZ
It was 1947 when the Cleveland Indians and New York Giants first decamped to Arizona for pre-season warm-ups in spring, kicking off a tradition that now brings 15 MLB teams to take up temporary residence in the Phoenix-Tempe area. Most hotels offer affordable packages that bundle rooms with tickets to the games of your choice.
GettyCopenhagen, Denmark
Come to Copenhagen in March—when spring begins to fight back against the chilly Nordic winter—and you can find a table at top restaurants more easily than in peak summer season. (Noma reopens at the end of February, but we’re also partial to Kødbyens Fiskebar, Bæst, and Geranium.) As an added bonus, spring offers the chance to chow down on one of Denmark’s national obsessions: black licorice. The "Liquorice Festival" (March 24-25 this year) is a two-day celebration of the sweet-salty treat that Danes consume in huge amounts.
GettyDubai, UAE
March brings postcard-perfect weather and two destination festivals to Dubai this year. Travelers can explore the Dubai Food Festival (February 22-March 10), which includes offerings like Dubai Restaurant Week, Beach Canteen, and Taste of Dubai, with past performances by Billy Ocean and Boney M. There's also Fatafeat Kitchen, a family-friendly interactive cooking demo and tasting session. And let’s not forget about the Dubai International Kite Fest (March 9-10) coloring the sky for two days only with kite creations from around the world.
GettyGalápagos Islands, Ecuador
Yes, the archipelago will enjoy tropical weather in March—expect heavy, if brief, downpours—but water temperatures and sunny days are at their peak. Twenty percent of the marine life here is found nowhere else in the world: head to Camaño Islet, Santa Cruz Island for the chance to see marine iguanas hunting for food under water, or El Arco, Darwin Island, which is renowned for shark-spotting. On land, it’s turtle-hatching season, and by the end of March, you should also witness the return of the islands’ famed waved albatross (pictured), which fly back from Peru.
GettyGlasgow, Scotland
Edinburgh may be the Scottish capital, but Glasgow is the country's de facto capital of culture. Here, you'll find the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, National Theatre of Scotland, and multiple world-renowned museums and galleries like Kelvingrove. Visit in March, April, or May, when temps hover in the 60s and summer tourists haven't yet hit the city.
GettyMorocco
The Maghreb on Africa’s northwestern coast is the region in and around the Atlas Mountains, encompassing swathes of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya. The best time to explore this area is in April, with balmy and crisp temperatures hovering in the 70s. Head to Marrakech for the bustling Bab Doukkala market, the enormous Koutoubia Mosque, or just the chance to wander down one of the city’s 3,000 or so alleyways. For a more adult-aimed trip, head instead to Tangier (pictured), a louche, old-fashioned hideaway where the Rolling Stones and Paul Bowles once came to misbehave in private.
GettyBuenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires is popular as a winter sunspot for Northern Hemisphere types, but the muggy Porteño summer can make exploring the city unappealing. Come instead as fall begins in April, with the foliage gently turning and daytime temperatures consistently in the 60s and 70s (bring a light sweater for the cooler evenings). The city’s annual answer to Tribeca Film Festival, BAFICI, turns the city into a hub of Spanish language indie cinema from April 11-22, while Nuestros Caballos (April 4-8) offers the chance to experience Argentina’s horse-made culture first-hand.
GettyTokyo, Japan
Splurge on a long-haul trip to Tokyo, where thousands of cherry trees, or sakura, burst into bloom each spring and mark the end of winter. (April 1 is the start of the academic and financial years in Japan.) There’s a ritual to enjoying the blossoms, known as hanami (literally, ‘looking at flowers’): To make like a local, pick up a seasonal bento box from a supermarket and head to a park for an al fresco lunch under the branches. Ueno Park is popular, but often overcrowded, so try Shinjuku Gyoen as an alternate.
GettyAmalfi Coast, Italy
The Amalfi Coast is postcard-pretty Italy, rimmed by the "road of 1,000 bends" that connects small villages via a landscape of olive groves and lemon trees. But seeing as crowds can clog that tiny two-lane road come summertime, spring is a much smarter option. Even better, it’s also when the flowers, whose heady scent is so synonymous with this Italian hideaway, burst into bloom: Jasmine and orange decorate the balconies and the trellises bolted to the cliffs. As a base for exploring, substitute quieter, less glitzy Praiano for the better known Positano.
GettyNew York City, NY
Every April since 2002 (when Robert De Niro helped co-found this movie fest), the Tribeca Film Festival has brought a roster of intriguing indie films and a glut of A-list stars to downtown Manhattan in the spring. Unlike many of Manhattan’s glittering events, the Tribeca fest is open to the public (this year from April 18-29), with options ranging from $12 single tickets to a $1,250 all-access pass.
GettyAmsterdam, The Netherlands
The annual King’s Day (or Koningsdag) celebrations sweep the Netherlands on the last Saturday in April each year. (It’s the official, rather than actual, birthday of the monarch—currently, King Willem-Alexander.) Festivities start with street parties the evening before, and continue the next day with huge flea markets selling trinkets and food. Just be sure to pack some oranje clothes if you want to fit in: The Dutch festoon themselves in their national color for the day. Even better? April marks peak tulip season, so expect riots of color.
GettyLouisville, KY
You don’t have to love horse racing to take a vacation to Louisville. The Kentucky Derby extends a full week before the actual two minutes of nail-biting competition on the first Saturday in May, with food and wine tastings, dance and music performances on the racetrack, and even the opportunity to watch the contenders train at dawn in the days leading up to the big race.
GettyThe South of France
The world’s glitterati descends on Cannes for the film festival this time every year, when the parties are glamorous and the weather is near perfect. Join the A-list at Chez Tétou (famous for its €100 bouillabaisse) and La Colombe d’Or in nearby Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a gallery/restaurant dotted with paintings by Picasso, Matisse, and co.—once traded by the then-impoverished artists in exchange for food. Alternatively, escape the crowds with a jaunt to Île Sainte-Marguerite, just a 15-minute boat ride out into the Mediterranean. This island is so gloriously isolated; despite its proximity to the Croisette, it was where the real-life inspiration for The Man in the Iron Mask was once quarantined.
GettyGlacier Bay, Alaska
Spring is feeding season for whales that throng this more than three-million-acre national park just outside Juneau: The gray whales arrive first in late April, followed by minkes, orcas, and humpbacks in May. It’s also peak breeding time for harbor seals—all the more important given their overall numbers have tumbled by 75 percent in the past decade.
GettySicily
Head to southern Italy before the sweltering days of summer so you can spend time exploring rather than simply baking on the beach. In Sicily’s historic towns—Syracuse, Noto, Taormina—you can get happily lost in millennia-old narrow streets that seem to go on forever, opening up into plazas built around Baroque cathedrals. Or drive up Mount Etna without a traffic jam of tour buses.
GettyNepal
The date of Buddha’s birthday, much like that of Queen Elizabeth II, can vary. In Nepal (Buddha’s actual birthplace), it’s celebrated on the full moon day in May, priming the country for a month-long celebration. Celebrate it at sites like the holy Boudhanath, one of the country’s largest stupas, domed temples, or the main door of the Monkey Temple, Swayambhunath, which is only open for his birthday.
GettyColumbia, SC
Columbia is not only affordable, but easy to get around. Hotel Trundle will be Columbia's first true downtown, independent boutique hotel, and is slated to open in March 2018. Plus, the locally owned and operated hotel will feature 41 rooms across three historic buildings. Additional March events in Columbia, SC include: Chamber Music on Main at Columbia Museum of Art (March 6); March Harvest Dinner at City Roots farm (March 12); Columbia’s independent craft beer celebration, Soda City Suds Week (March 17-24); and St. Pat’s in Five Points (March 17).
GettyPhiladelphia, PA
Until recently, travelers to Philadelphia were more likely to visit the Liberty Bell or the Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art than they were to check out a buzzy new restaurant or gallery. But times have changed: Restaurateurs Michael Solomonov, Jose Garces, and Greg Vernick have revitalized the city’s dining scene; and in neighborhoods like Fishtown, Northern Liberties, and West Philadelphia, galleries and other creative ventures are proliferating. This historic city has a whole new feel—and we keep going back.
GettyMonaco
The world's smallest country is definitely worth a visit, and the best time to go is before the Grand Prix, when you’ll find lovely springtime temps, lively markets and food halls (we’re partial to Le Marché de la Condamine), and smaller crowds. Be sure to stroll Fontvieille Harbour at dusk.
GettySavannah, GA
Savannah is famous for its antebellum architecture, historic cobblestone squares, and Spanish moss that drapes the town in a verdant, storybook haze. Pepper in the hip designers, buzzing coffee shops, mind-blowing farm-to-table restaurants, and avant-garde art scene, and you’ll see why it’s one of the best old-meets-new destinations to visit in the spring.
GettyChengdu, China
Often called the gateway to the country's wild west, Chengdu is something like the San Francisco of China—a comparatively lush and relaxed city of 14 million that prides itself on its cuisine (super-spicy) and its proximity to nature (pandas are a big deal here). Chengdu's weather is best in spring, when the parks are in bloom, and Hainan Airlines flies direct from Los Angeles and New York.
GettyMauritius
Mauritius is one of the only African nations to predominantly practice Hinduism, and the Holi Festival (March 1-2) represents an opportunity for Mauritians and travelers alike to participate in the signature throwing of colored powder. Two weeks later is the 50th Anniversary of Independence (March 12). This golden jubilee will be a historic occasion celebrated by a variety of exhibitions and festivals, while the colorful Mauritius flag is displayed in shops, homes, schools and government buildings all over the island.
GettyPark City, UT
Spring shoulder season deals abound in Park City, which means you’ve got more money to spend on eating and drinking (don’t miss Handle, High West Distillery & Saloon, and Shades of Pale). In between all that skiing, also make time for music (Park City Live) and books (Atticus Coffee, Books & Teahouse).
GettySão Paulo, Brazil
With less humidity, sunny days, and average temperatures hovering in the mid-60s and 70s, the South American fall (starting in March) is the ideal time to visit São Paulo. Visitors can check out the destination’s newest five-star hotel (opened in May 2017): Palácio Tangará, an Oetker Collection masterpiece. Nestled amidst 27-acres of parkland designed by landscaper Roberto Burle Marx, about 30 minutes from the city center, Palácio Tangará offers an escape for business and leisure travelers.
GettySydney, Australia
Australia’s biggest city is an ideal getaway no matter the season, but Australia’s fall (our spring) is one of our favorites. Dine al fresco, swim like a Sydneysider in rock pools, explore the city’s vibrant arts and culture calendar, and make time for Manly, Australia’s answer to Montauk.