The best places to visit in April

The best April holiday destinations

April is a magical month wherever in the world you travel. Festivals, flowers and fine dining are in season across the globe, and a wide range of destinations boast arguably their best weather. So whether you're after a last-minute break or planning ahead for 2025, read on.

Read on to peruse the best April destinations from around the world...

Catch the Northern Lights in Canada

If you really want to get away from it all, then Canada’s Yukon territory is a wild, snowy playground for snowshoeing, dog sledding and cross-country skiing. Its remoteness also means that there’s very little light pollution, making it ideal for spotting the last of the aurora borealis, which is still visible until mid-April.

Just outside Whitehorse (pictured), the Inn on the Lake’s Aurora Sun Cottage has a balcony from which you can watch the spectacle.

Hike the Canary Islands, Spain

If you thought the Canary Islands were only a summer destination, think again. With temperatures hovering between 16°C (61°F) and 22°C (72°F), April is the best time of year to visit for walking holidays.

Head out on a hike through Teide National Park in Tenerife, Jandia Nature Reserve in Fuerteventura or up to Roque Nublo in Gran Canaria. Visiting before the peak summer season means lower prices and fewer crowds too.

Havana good time in Cuba

Weather-wise, April is the best time to visit the island of Cuba, with the 29°C (84°F) temperatures dropping to a milder 19°C (66°F) at night and big storms unlikely. That's perfect if you fancy dancing in the streets at the likes of the International Festival of Dance in Urban Landscapes in Havana.

Taking place 22-28 April there will be public performances, workshops and exhibitions.

Slope off to Chamonix, France

It’s nearing the end of the season in France, but right now is a superb time to visit this legendary winter sports resort. As of 2022 the resort is part of the prestigious Ikon Pass ski pass, which grants instant access to the mountain.

Queues for lifts will be short and the longer days mean you can fit in more time on the slopes. La Sapiniere has one of the best locations for those new to skiing or with young families, as the lift to the nursery slopes is just over the road.

Watch dazzling fireworks across Malta

Set across this popular archipelago in the heart of the Mediterranean, the 22nd edition of the Malta International Fireworks Festival will set the night alight this year. This spring-time sensation is a spectacular way to see in the new season with colourful displays bursting across the sky.

This year’s festivities will take place in the second half of April, when temperatures range between 15°C (59°F) and 19°C (66°F).

See the desert in bloom in Arizona, USA

Deserts aren’t always arid, and the Sonoran Desert in Arizona is home to one of the most biodiverse desert environments on earth. In April it’s in full bloom – expect to see poppies, lupines and owl clover with temperatures averaging 22°C (72°F).

The carpet of flowers will peak in late April and nearby Scottsdale offers great spas, hiking and river rafting too.

Set sail in Antigua

Both in and out of the water it’s party time on this Caribbean island. April begins with the Antigua and Barbuda International Kite Festival, continues with the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta and finishes with the annual Antigua Sailing Week (starting on 27 April and ending on 3 May).

Even if you’re not taking part, the racing yachts and flying kites make for quite a spectacle.

Celebrate at Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand

This is Thailand’s biggest national festival and celebrates the start of the Thai New Year – an important date in the Buddhist calendar. From 13 to 15 April, Thai people take to the streets to douse each other in water, often armed with enormous water pistols.

With one of the biggest Buddha statues in the country, the northern city of Chiang Mai puts on large and extravagant parades with golden statues from the temples carried through the streets.

Float on the fjords in Norway

Stunningly icy during winter and sunny in summer, Norway’s coastline and fjords are beautiful year round. Hurtigruten, Norway’s specialist cruise company, offers a huge range of itineraries taking in key spots, including Trollfjord in the Lofoten islands and Tromso with its Arctic cathedral.

And there's still a chance you might catch the Northern Lights in the early part of the month. Wrap up warm as April temperatures hover around and just above freezing.

(Nearly) crowd-free New York City, New York, USA

Book ahead – avoiding Easter weekend – and flight prices to New York in April can be the most reasonable of the year. The snow and freezing temperatures are a distant memory, bright days see the air warming up to 16°C (61°F) or 17°C (63°F) and when it comes to tourist numbers, it’s as much of a 'low season' as the city ever sees.

There are also lots of fun events including Earth Day activities and the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show in the Bronx.

Party at Coachella, Greater Palm Springs, California, USA

This Californian festival is now almost as famous for leading fashion trends as its music. Taking place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio over two weekends, this year’s headliners will be Lana Del Ray, Tyler the Creator, Doja Cat and No Doubt.

And when the partying gets too much, there are plenty of other options in the area including Two Bunch Palms Spa in Desert Hot Springs, where you can laze in healing mineral waters.

Go diving in Tahiti

April is a wise time to visit French Polynesia – a South Pacific collection of 118 islands including Tahiti and Bora Bora. Temperatures hover around 30°C (86°F), and the month sees some of the clearest visibility for diving too.

Underwater explorers can expect to see around a thousand species of fish as well as manta rays, sharks, whales and sea turtles.

See cherry blossom in Washington DC, USA

Between 20 March and 14 April, Washington DC celebrates the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The biggest concentration of blooms is around the National Mall and the Tidal Basin, between the Potomac river and Washington channel (pictured).

Thanks to the numbered and lettered grid of streets, DC is a walkable city, so it's easy to see the blossoms on a self-guided stroll.

Find flower power in the Netherlands

Southwest Holland’s annual Bloemencorso, aka flower parade, takes place on 20 April. Starting at 9.30am, it meanders through the towns of Noordwijk, Voorhout, Sassenheim, Lisse, Hillegom, Bennebroeck and Heemstede to the city of Haarlem, arriving there around 9.30pm.

In past years fabulous creations have included cars, carriages, windmills and clogs shaped with tulips and hyacinths.

Cruise along the Nile, Egypt

Egypt’s high season runs between October and February, so visiting at the start of the shoulder season is the best time to take in the top sights. April sees temperatures of 16°C (61°F) to 29°C (84°F), making it one of the last bearable months for many visitors before the summer heat sweeps in.

Head out on a long river cruise along the Nile from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan with a gentle breeze keeping you cool.

See love birds on the Galapagos

It’s the end of the rainy season in this beautiful archipelago off the coast of Ecuador and nature lovers will find plenty to see. Visibility for diving in the warm waters is clear at this time of year and there’s a high chance of seeing hatching green sea turtles and iguanas.

Love is in the air for the waved albatross too. These monogamous birds (pictured) come back to the islands to mate and you can catch them doing their courtship dance on Espanola Island.

Surf’s up in Costa Rica

In April conditions are perfect for surfers at Osa Peninsula on the Pacific coast, with small, fun waves making it ideal for beginners. It’s also the last month of the dry season and specialist surf schools such as Kalon offer great package deals.

Plus, if you’re in the country on 11 April, it’s the Dia de Juan Santamaria festival, a national holiday honouring one of the country's national heroes.

Go walking in Wales, UK

Pull on your hiking boots and head to the Chepstow Walking Festival which takes place 2-7 April in Monmouthshire. Famous for its castle (pictured), Chepstow is surrounded by rolling countryside ideal for ramblers.

Plus, it’s a great starting point for something longer – the Wales Coast Path follows all 870 miles (1,400km) of the coastline and starts (or ends, if you’d prefer) in Chepstow.

Fall in love with Yosemite National Park, California, USA

Thanks to the winter snowmelt, the waterfalls of Yosemite National Park are at their best around now. Yosemite Falls is one of the tallest in North America at just over 2,400 feet (732m) so it’s a stunning – not to mention loud – spectacle.

In the surrounding foothills you’ll also find wild hyacinth and lupines.

Admire blossom at Hiroshima Castle, Japan

Right in the heart of Hiroshima sits its castle – originally built in the 16th century and reconstructed after the Second World War. It’s a picturesque spot to enjoy Japan’s blossom season, with 450 trees in the surrounding grounds.

Hiroshima is in full bloom by the first of the month, so don't miss taking a trip to the very top of the castle for pinky-purply panoramic views.

Be charmed by Paris, France

Frank Sinatra wasn't wrong – a visit to the French capital at this time of year is a charming experience. Aside from the biggies – the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and dinner at Bouillon Julien – head to the Musee d'Orsay for an exhibition and an immersive experience both focusing on the Impressionists, or whizz around on the big wheels and rides of the Foire du Trone funfair, which has been taking place in Paris since the 12th century.

The month kicks off with the Paris Marathon, and the busy season is still two months away.

See tulips and more in Istanbul, Turkey

The Netherlands is known for its spring flowers, but originally tulips were brought there from Turkey during the 16th century. The bulb remains one of Istanbul’s symbols and every year throughout April the city celebrates its Tulip Festival with around 30 million flowers on show.

One of the best places to see them is in Emirgan Park near the Bosphorus in Sariyer.

Avoid the crowds in Cinque Terre, Italy

Among the most postcard-worthy spots in all Italy – and arguably the world – the five chocolate-box villages of Cinque Terre perched on the coast of the Italian Riviera practically disappear beneath hordes of visitors come mid-summer. It's easy to see the appeal, and the colourful houses, tumbling vineyards and enticing trattorias ensure the villages are never completely empty.

But for a balance between crisp spring weather and a relative lack of crowds, April is an excellent bet.

Go spring skiing in British Columbia, Canada

Oddly enough, spring can be a great time to partake in winter sports. The many ski resorts of British Columbia often stay open through the first two weeks of April and even well into May, offering sunny skiing at lower prices down relatively empty slopes.

The exception to this rule is the Easter weekend, when shoulder season suspends completely for a few days in favour of sprawling holiday crowds.

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