November 14, 2024

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Where to Go in April: The Best Places to Travel

8 min read

Flowers in full bloom, festive celebrations, and mild temperatures make April a lovely time to visit many parts of the globe. The best deals usually appear starting one week after Easter (which falls on April 20 in 2025). To understand what makes a trip WOW, read these recent reviews from our travelers and these FAQs. ...

The post Where to Go in April: The Best Places to Travel appeared first on Wendy Perrin.

Flowers in full bloom, festive celebrations, and mild temperatures make April a lovely time to visit many parts of the globe. The best deals usually appear starting one week after Easter (which falls on April 20 in 2025).

To understand what makes a trip WOW, read these recent reviews from our travelers and these FAQs. And don’t miss the rest of our “Where to Go When” series on the best destinations for every month of the year.

Riviera Maya, Mexico

empty Beach at Caribbean sea in Playa del Carmen, Mexico with footprints

Playa del Carmen in April: lovely weather without the crowds. Photo: Shutterstock

Starting a week after Easter Sunday and running through May, rates are low, resorts aren’t too crowded, and the weather is pleasant (mid to high 80s) with little rain.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Mexico. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to the Riviera Maya

Hawaii

Makena, Maui beach Hawaii

If you’re going to Maui in April, plan around spring break. Photo: Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) / Tor Johnson

April means an optimal combination of great weather and relatively low prices in the islands. (Just make sure to avoid the crush of visitors and higher rates that Spring Break brings.)
Read reviews of WOW trips to Hawaii. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below.

Start a trip to Hawaii

Belize

Tiny island with coconut trees and boat in Belize

Charter a private boat to explore the cayes off Belize’s coast. Photo: Shutterstock

In April, the trade winds are fresh, rains are rare, there are barely any bugs, and high season is winding down. Explore world-class coral reefs, visit uncrowded Mayan ruins, learn to scuba dive (as Wendy’s son did), fish for 100-pound tarpon (which kept her husband busy), laze beside sparkling Caribbean waters—or charter your own private yacht.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Belize. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Belize

Paris

The Eiffel Tower with the river Seine in the front.

Early spring is the smart traveler’s pick for Paris. Photo: Shutterstock

Discover the first hints of spring in Paris while strolling through the Tuileries or pausing a moment under the blossoming trees by Notre Dame Cathedral; in April, the weather is usually mild and the city is bedecked in blossoms. You’ll beat the tourist crowds before they arrive later in the spring and likely catch some excellent art exhibits, too.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Paris. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Paris

Southern Spain: Seville and Andalusia

City Of Cazorla And Yedra Castle - Cazorla, Jaen, Andalusia, Spain, Europe

Andalusia’s villages host many fiestas in April, Europe. Photo: Shutterstock

Come April, the temperatures throughout Andalusia are pleasant, the aroma of orange blossoms is in the air, the light is beautiful, and there are fiestas (and bullfights) all over the region, including all the events during Easter Week.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Spain. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Spain

Morocco

camel trek through the Sahara Desert, Morocco.

Wendy and family on a camel trek through the Sahara Desert, Morocco.

Contrywide, the weather is comfortable in April. Temperature extremes are common in the desert, but at this time of year days are warm and nights are just chilly rather than unbearably cold.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Morocco. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Morocco

Peru

Lupins bloom above the ancient Inca ruins of Choquequirao in the Andes, Peru

Lupins bloom above the ancient Inca ruins of Choquequirao in the Andes, Peru. Photo: Adriana Von Hagen

April sees the best mix of weather both inland and on Peru’s coast; it’s sunny and warm in Lima, and dry and temperate in the Andes. Since the rainy season has just ended, the air is clear, and the fields are green and lush, dotted with the yellow, pink, and mauve hues of quinoa, amaranth, lupines, and potatoes ready to harvest.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Peru. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Peru

The Netherlands

tulips and windmill at Keukenhof Gardens in the Netherlands

Spring is tulip time in the Netherlands. Photo: Keukenhof Gardens

April is bright and pleasant, and it’s prime time for Tulipmania, when the Keukenhof — one of the world’s largest flower gardens — is full of blooms. King’s Day (on April 27 in 2023) is the biggest street party of the year in Amsterdam; it’s very busy, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the Dutch joie de vivre (you can also enjoy the parades and festivities in a more rural setting). By traveling in April, you’ll also miss the public holidays in May that bring out large crowds.
Read reviews of WOW trips to the Netherlands. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to the Netherlands

Crete

The island of Spinalonga, Crete, Greece. Photo: Blue Palace Resort and Spa

Spinalonga Island lies just off the coast of Crete. Photo: Blue Palace Resort and Spa

Renowned for its rich local culture, Crete is a wonderful place to visit in April when Greek Orthodox Easter falls during that month (as it does in 2025). Experience renowned Cretan hospitality throughout the festive celebrations, which are distinctive to Greece’s most southern (and thus warmest) island. There are also beautiful wildflowers in April, fewer crowds, and lower hotel rates than you’ll find later in spring.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Greece. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Crete

Istanbul

gardens and flowers around a pond at Dolmabahce Palace Istanbul Turkey

All of Istanbul—including the Dolmabahce Palace—is in bloom in April.

During the annual tulip festival in April, the city is awash in millions (literally) of colorful blooms. The weather is temperate, perfect for visiting the outdoor ancient sites that can be scorching in summer — and the tourist hordes have not yet arrived. Since it’s shoulder season, there are deals to be had at hotels.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Istanbul. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Istanbul

Mediterranean Cruises

Seabourn Ovation cruise ship

Seabourn Ovation anchored off Montenegro.

April is the perfect month to enjoy the brilliant blue skies in the Mediterranean, when the sunny days start to outnumber the cold and cloudy ones of winter. Cruise ships have just repositioned to the region, so you can explore iconic ports such as Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Rome, and Venice without the crowds and heat of summertime. And fares are lower, since this is considered the off-season.
Read reviews of WOW Mediterranean cruises here and here. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a cruise trip in the Mediterranean

Maldives

overwater bungalow at Joali resort in the maldives

The cantilevered hammocks at JOALI Maldives’ villas. Photo: Ryan Damm

European vacationers drive up prices from Christmas through Easter, but for the few weeks after this period, you’ll find a sweet spot of lower hotel rates and ideal weather: Temperatures are consistently in the high 80s year-round, but in late April there is almost no rain or wind, so the water is calm for snorkeling and diving.
Read reviews of WOW trips to the Maldives. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to the Maldives

Namibia

Namib Desert, Namibia

Namibia’s Namib Desert extends right up to the Atlantic Ocean. Photo: Shutterstock

Starting in mid-April, the temperatures are mild night and day, the occasional rains tease the desert wildflowers into bloom, and the animals are fat and happy. (Brook took her own family on a fun-filled trip to Namibia in April.)
Read reviews of WOW trips to Namibia. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Namibia

Laos

Luang Prabang, Laos - 26 November 2016: Buddhist monk and the details of architecture of Buddhist temple Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wat Xieng Thong Buddhist temple in Luang Prabang, Laos. Photo: Shutterstock

Songkran, the Lao New Year, is celebrated in mid-April with a whole week of parades, street markets, and concerts. Tradition holds that revelers douse one another with water in order to wash away the past year’s sins; unlike in Thailand, where you might well be ambushed outside your hotel in the morning, in Laos the locals usually ask before splashing you. (See photos of Brook’s experience in Laos over New Year.)
Read reviews of WOW trips to Laos. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Laos

Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic

Cityscape views of one of Europe's most beautiful town- Vienna. Peoples on streets, urban life in Vienna Austria

Rub shoulders with locals, not tourists, in Vienna in April. Photo: Shutterstock

April means mild weather, springtime flowers, and no bus-tour crowds in Central Europe. In Budapest, the Spring Fair runs all month long with folk music, dancing, and concerts. Crowded summertime destinations, such as Lake Balaton in Hungary and the Wachau Valley in Austria, are relatively tranquil. In the Czech Republic, all the countryside castles are just reopening from their winter dormancy.
Read reviews of WOW trips to Central Europe. To get your own WOW trip and VIP treatment, use the black button below. 

Start a trip to Central Europe

Other Smart Options This Month

Click on any of the destinations below to find out why April is a good time to go.

North America and Caribbean

California: Yosemite National Park

Mexico City

St. Barts

Utah’s national parks

Central and South America

Bolivia

Brazil: Rio de Janeiro

Colombia: Bogota

Costa Rica: Pacific and Central regions

Ecuador: Galapagos family travel

Patagonia

Peru: Machu Picchu

Europe

Croatia (second half of the month)

England: Castles, Manor Houses, and Gardens

European Canal Barge Cruises: deals and tulips

Germany: Bavaria

Greece: Athens

Ireland: Killarney and County Kerry

Italy: Amalfi Coast, Florence, Lake Como villas, Puglia, Rome, and Sicily

Portugal

Romania (second half of April)

Scotland: wildflowers and deals

Spain: Madrid

Asia and Pacific

Asia Cruises

China: big cities and small villages, and Yunnan Province

India: trekking and tiger viewing

Indonesia: Bali without crowds

Myanmar

Nepal

New Zealand, including Bay of Islands and Queenstown hiking and cycling

The Philippines

Seychelles

Vietnam: north and central regions

Africa and Middle East

Israel and Jerusalem (after Easter and Passover)

South Africa: Cape Town and Winelands

Zambia (second half of the month)


Be a smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. Read real travelers’ reviews, then use the black CONTACT buttons on Wendy’s WOW List to reach out to the right local fixer for your trip.

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This article has been archived by Slow Travel News for your research. The original version from Wendy Perrin can be found here.

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