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Where to go in April

38 of our 95 destinations are at their best in April, across Asia, Middle East, Europe, Africa, North America, Central America & Caribbean, South America and Oceania. The best places to visit in April include Amsterdam, Grand Canyon, Hawaii (Maui), Istanbul, Kathmandu Valley and Kyoto.

Beach trips in April 6

• Bali

  Indonesia · Asia
  $$

  Volcanic island with Hindu temples, terraced rice fields around Ubud, and surf breaks on the Bukit peninsula. Dry season runs April to October.

  Best: April to September

• El Nido

  Philippines · Asia
  $$

  A town on Palawan in the Philippines, surrounded by limestone cliffs and hidden lagoons. Island-hopping boats visit the Bacuit Bay archipelago.

  Best: December to April

• Hawaii (Maui)

  United States · North America
  $$$$

  Sunrise above the clouds at Haleakalā, the winding Road to Hana, and humpback whales offshore from December to April.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Maldives

  Maldives · Asia
  $$$$

  1,192 coral islands in 26 atolls. Manta rays, whale sharks, and some of the clearest water in the Indian Ocean.

  Best: December to April

• St Lucia

  St Lucia · Central America & Caribbean
  $$$$

  An Eastern Caribbean island known for the Pitons, two volcanic spires rising from the sea. There is rainforest inland, and you can bathe at a drive-in volcano near Soufrière.

  Best: December to April

• Tulum

  Mexico · Central America & Caribbean
  $$$

  Maya ruins on a clifftop above the Caribbean, with freshwater cenotes to swim in nearby. Sargassum seaweed tends to peak in summer.

  Best: November to April

City trips in April 10

• Amsterdam

  Netherlands · Europe
  $$$

  A ring of 17th-century canals best seen by bike. The Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum sit side by side on Museumplein.

  Best: April to June, or September

• Buenos Aires

  Argentina · South America
  $

  Parisian boulevards, tango in San Telmo, and late-night parrillas. Dinner rarely starts before 10pm.

  Best: March to May, or September to November

• Lisbon

  Portugal · Europe
  $$

  Seven hills, yellow trams, tiled facades, and fado in Alfama. Day trips to Sintra and the Cascais coast are easy by train.

  Best: April to June, or September and October

• Mexico City

  Mexico · North America
  $

  One of the world's great food cities, with Aztec ruins under the Zócalo, Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul, and Chapultepec's museums.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

• New York City

  United States · North America
  $$$$

  Five boroughs, the Met and MoMA, Broadway, and every cuisine on earth. Walk the High Line and cross the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset.

  Best: April to June, September and October, or December

• Paris

  France · Europe
  $$$

  The Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, and a café on every corner. Walk the Seine quays at dusk and pick one arrondissement to explore properly.

  Best: April to June, or September and October

• Seoul

  South Korea · Asia
  $$

  Joseon palaces next to glass towers, 24-hour markets, and hiking trails inside city limits. Spring and autumn are mild and clear.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Singapore

  Singapore · Asia
  $$$

  A garden city-state with some of the best cheap food anywhere. Hawker centres, Marina Bay and the supertrees are all a short MRT ride apart.

  Best: February to April, or July and August

• Sydney

  Australia · Oceania
  $$$

  The Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk, and ferries to Manly.

  Best: March to May, or September to November

• Tokyo

  Japan · Asia
  $$$

  The world's largest metro area runs like clockwork. Neighbourhoods feel like separate cities, from Shibuya's crossings to quiet Yanaka.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

Culture trips in April 11

• Antigua Guatemala

  Guatemala · Central America & Caribbean
  $

  A colonial city of cobbled streets and ruined churches, ringed by three volcanoes. Its Holy Week processions are among the largest in the Americas.

  Best: November to April

• Cartagena

  Colombia · Central America & Caribbean
  $$

  Bougainvillea-draped balconies inside 11 km of colonial walls, with day trips to the Rosario Islands.

  Best: December to April

• Havana

  Cuba · Central America & Caribbean
  $$

  Crumbling colonial grandeur, 1950s cars, and live son music. Walk the Malecón seawall at sunset.

  Best: December to April

• Istanbul

  Türkiye · Europe
  $$

  Straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus. Byzantine and Ottoman landmarks, the Grand Bazaar, and ferries that double as sightseeing cruises.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Kyoto

  Japan · Asia
  $$$

  Japan's old imperial capital: 1,600 temples, moss gardens, and wooden machiya lanes in Gion. Go for cherry blossom in early April or maple season in November.

  Best: March and April, or October and November

• Marrakech

  Morocco · Africa
  $

  The Jemaa el-Fnaa square comes alive after dark. Stay in a riad inside the medina and take a day trip to the Atlas Mountains.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

• Petra

  Jordan · Middle East
  $$

  A city carved into rose-red rock by the Nabataeans around 300 BC. Walk the Siq to the Treasury, then climb 800 steps to the Monastery.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

• Prague

  Czechia · Europe
  $$

  A largely intact medieval centre, the Charles Bridge, and a hilltop castle complex. December brings the Old Town Square Christmas market.

  Best: April and May, September and October, or December

• Rome

  Italy · Europe
  $$$

  Nearly 3,000 years of history stacked in one city: the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Vatican Museums, and carbonara in Trastevere.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Samarkand

  Uzbekistan · Asia
  $

  A Silk Road city founded more than 2,500 years ago. The Registan's three tiled madrasas and the turquoise tombs of Shah-i-Zinda are among Central Asia's great sights.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Seville

  Spain · Europe
  $$

  Andalusia's capital of flamenco and Moorish palaces. The Real Alcázar and the cathedral's Giralda tower are the must-sees; avoid July heat.

  Best: March to May, or October and November

Nature trips in April 5

• Galápagos Islands

  Ecuador · South America
  $$$$

  Giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies that don't fear people. Most visitors explore by small-ship cruise.

  Best: December to June

• Grand Canyon

  United States · North America
  $$

  A canyon 446 km long and up to 1.8 km deep. The South Rim is open year-round; the North Rim from mid-May to mid-October.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

• Ha Long Bay

  Vietnam · Asia
  $

  Some 1,600 limestone islands rise out of emerald water. Overnight junk cruises and kayaking through sea caves are the classic way in.

  Best: March to May, or September to November

• Iguazú Falls

  Argentina / Brazil · South America
  $$

  275 waterfalls along a 2.7 km horseshoe. The Argentine side gets you close; the Brazilian side gives the panorama.

  Best: March to May, or August to October

• Zhangjiajie

  China · Asia
  $$

  Thousands of quartz-sandstone pillars wrapped in mist in Wulingyuan. Take the Bailong elevator up and walk the ridgelines.

  Best: April and May, or September and October

Adventure trips in April 6

• Cappadocia

  Türkiye · Europe
  $$

  Hundreds of hot-air balloons lift off at dawn over valleys of fairy chimneys. Stay in a cave hotel in Göreme and hike the Rose Valley.

  Best: April to June, or September and October

• Costa Rica (Arenal)

  Costa Rica · Central America & Caribbean
  $$

  A cone-shaped volcano above rainforest, with hanging bridges, zip lines and hot springs. Pair with Monteverde's cloud forest.

  Best: December to April

• Kathmandu Valley

  Nepal · Asia
  $

  Starting point for the Everest and Annapurna treks, with seven UNESCO monument zones including Boudhanath and Bhaktapur's Durbar Square.

  Best: March and April, or October and November

• Machu Picchu

  Peru · South America
  $$

  The 15th-century Inca citadel on a ridge above the Urubamba. Hike the four-day Inca Trail (permits sell out) or train from Cusco.

  Best: April to October

• Victoria Falls

  Zambia / Zimbabwe · Africa
  $$$

  A 1.7 km-wide curtain of water called Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders. Peak flow is Mar–May; low water brings Zambezi white-water rafting.

  Best: March to June, or August and September

• Wadi Rum

  Jordan · Middle East
  $$

  A protected desert of red sand and sandstone mountains in southern Jordan, where T. E. Lawrence travelled and The Martian was filmed. Jeep tours by day, Bedouin camps and dark skies by night.

  Best: March to May, or September to November