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Where to go in March

44 of our 95 destinations are at their best in March, across Asia, Middle East, Europe, Africa, North America, Central America & Caribbean, South America and Oceania. The best places to visit in March include Galle, Kathmandu Valley, Kyoto, Rovaniemi, Tasmania and Abu Dhabi.

Beach trips in March 5

• 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

• Goa

  India · Asia
  $

  India's smallest state, with long sandy beaches, whitewashed Portuguese churches and seafood curries. The north is lively; the south is quieter.

  Best: November to March

• 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 March 9

• Abu Dhabi

  United Arab Emirates · Middle East
  $$$$

  The UAE's capital pairs the white marble Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with Louvre Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat Island. Winter brings warm beach days and the Formula 1 finale.

  Best: November to March

• 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

• Cape Town

  South Africa · Africa
  $$

  Table Mountain above the city, penguins at Boulders Beach, and the Stellenbosch and Franschhoek winelands an hour away.

  Best: November to March

• Dubai

  United Arab Emirates · Middle East
  $$$$

  Record-setting towers, gold and spice souks along the Creek, and dune desert 45 minutes out of town. Summers pass 40°C, so go in winter.

  Best: November to March

• 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

• Rio de Janeiro

  Brazil · South America
  $$

  Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Sugarloaf by cable car, and Carnival in February or March.

  Best: May, September, or December to March

• 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 March 15

• AlUla

  Saudi Arabia · Middle East
  $$$$

  A desert valley in northwest Saudi Arabia with Hegra, the country's first UNESCO site: over 100 Nabataean tombs cut into sandstone. The mirrored Maraya concert hall stands among the canyons.

  Best: October to March

• 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

• Cairo & Giza

  Egypt · Africa
  $

  The last standing wonder of the ancient world sits at the edge of a city of 22 million. Pair the pyramids with the Grand Egyptian Museum.

  Best: October to March

• 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

• Galle

  Sri Lanka · Asia
  $$

  A fort town on Sri Lanka's south coast, begun by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch in the 17th century, with cafés and boutique hotels inside its ramparts. Beaches and whale watching at Mirissa are close by.

  Best: December to March

• Havana

  Cuba · Central America & Caribbean
  $$

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

  Best: December to April

• Jaipur

  India · Asia
  $

  Rajasthan's Pink City: Amber Fort above the lake, the Hawa Mahal's honeycomb facade, and textile and gem bazaars in the old walled city.

  Best: October to March

• 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

• Luxor

  Egypt · Africa
  $$

  Ancient Thebes, on the Nile in southern Egypt. See Karnak and Luxor temples on the east bank and the Valley of the Kings on the west. Winter is the comfortable season.

  Best: October to March

• 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

• Oaxaca

  Mexico · North America
  $

  Seven moles, mezcal distilleries, and Zapotec ruins at Monte Albán. Día de Muertos (Oct 31–Nov 2) is the most vivid time to visit.

  Best: October to March

• 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

• 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

• Siem Reap

  Cambodia · Asia
  $

  Gateway to Angkor, the largest religious monument on earth. Buy a multi-day pass and see Angkor Wat at sunrise and Ta Prohm in the jungle.

  Best: November to March

• Udaipur

  India · Asia
  $$

  Rajasthan's City of Lakes, with the white Lake Palace floating on Lake Pichola and the huge City Palace above it. Evening boat rides show it at its best.

  Best: October to March

Nature trips in March 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

• 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

• Lofoten Islands

  Norway · Europe
  $$$$

  An Arctic archipelago in Norway, where jagged peaks rise straight from the sea and red fishing cabins line the harbours. It has the midnight sun in summer and northern lights in winter.

  Best: February and March, or June to August

• Tasmania

  Australia · Oceania
  $$$

  Australia's island state, with Cradle Mountain, the curve of Wineglass Bay and MONA, a daring art museum in Hobart. Summer is best for hiking.

  Best: December to March

Adventure trips in March 10

• 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

• Patagonia (Torres del Paine)

  Chile · South America
  $$$

  Granite spires, glaciers and turquoise lakes at the bottom of the continent. The W Trek takes four to five days.

  Best: November to March

• Queenstown

  New Zealand · Oceania
  $$$

  Birthplace of commercial bungee jumping, with ski fields in winter and Milford Sound a day trip away.

  Best: June to August, or December to March

• Reykjavík

  Iceland · Europe
  $$$$

  Base for the Golden Circle, glacier hikes and whale watching. Summer brings midnight sun; September to March brings aurora season.

  Best: February and March, or June to October

• Rovaniemi

  Finland · Europe
  $$$$

  The capital of Finnish Lapland, just south of the Arctic Circle. Winter brings husky and reindeer sledding, northern lights and the Santa Claus Village.

  Best: December to March

• Salar de Uyuni

  Bolivia · South America
  $

  The world's largest salt flat, 10,000 km² of white crust high in the Bolivian Andes. In the wet season it becomes a giant mirror; in the dry season, 4x4s cross it.

  Best: January to March, or May to October

• Swiss Alps

  Switzerland · Europe
  $$$$

  Interlaken, Grindelwald and Zermatt put the Eiger, Jungfrau and Matterhorn within train reach. Ski in winter, hike in summer.

  Best: January to March, or June to September

• 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