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🌷 WHEN TO GO

Where to go on holiday in April

Spring arrives across Europe in April, with cities like Rome, Paris and Lisbon before the summer crowds. It's also a good month for Japan, Jordan and the Caribbean.

Where to go on holiday in April: 43 guides

Sunset over a wide lake, with vineyards in the foreground
🇵🇹 PORTUGAL

Alentejo

Cork oaks, whitewashed hill towns and long, empty Atlantic beaches.

Road trip✈️ 3h7 to 10 nights££

BEST TIMEAPR–JUN, SEP

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A small palm-covered island across clear turquoise water
🇧🇿 BELIZE

Ambergris Caye

Golf carts, reef snorkelling and nurse sharks off a laid-back Caribbean island.

Beach✈️ 11h7 to 10 nights£££

BEST TIMEFEB–APR

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Boats moored on a canal at dusk, with lit-up buildings along the water
🇳🇱 NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam

Canal boats, bike rides and pancakes, with a direct train from London.

City break✈️ 1h3 to 4 nights£££

BEST TIMEAPR–AUG

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A tree-lined path leading to the domed Texas State Capitol
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES

Austin

Spring-fed pools, barbecue and a million bats at sunset.

City break✈️ 11h4 to 6 nights££

BEST TIMEAPR–MAY, OCT–NOV

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Looking down on a sandy cove below a steep green headland, with waves rolling in
🇮🇩 INDONESIA

Bali

Temples, rice terraces, monkeys and warm sea, at very good value.

Beach✈️ 17h10 to 14 nights£

BEST TIMEAPR–SEP

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A catamaran on calm blue sea, framed by a tree on the shore
🇧🇧 BARBADOS

Barbados

Calm Caribbean beaches, swimming with turtles and fish fries on a Friday night.

Beach✈️ 9h10 to 14 nights£££

BEST TIMEDEC–APR

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A young orangutan lying on its back, looking up
🇲🇾 MALAYSIA

Borneo

Orangutans, pygmy elephants and rainforest river cruises, with islands to finish.

Nature & hiking✈️ 15h10 to 14 nights££

BEST TIMEMAR–AUG

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Families paddling in a turquoise lagoon by a white sand beach with palm trees
🇲🇽 MEXICO

Cancún

Caribbean beaches, Maya pyramids and swimming in underground caves.

Beach✈️ 11h10 to 14 nights££

BEST TIMEDEC–APR

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Fishing boats on turquoise water off a long white beach
🇨🇻 CAPE VERDE

Cape Verde

Year-round sunshine, wide sandy beaches and lemon sharks in the shallows off West Africa.

Beach✈️ 6h7 nights££

BEST TIMEMAR–JUN, NOV

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A beach at sunset, with dark clouds and small islands offshore
🇨🇷 COSTA RICA

Costa Rica

Sloths, volcanoes, zip lines through the rainforest and two coasts of beaches.

Nature & hiking✈️ 12h12 to 14 nights££

BEST TIMEDEC–APR

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Palm trees framing a quiet beach and bright blue sea
🇩🇲 DOMINICA

Dominica

Waterfalls, hot springs and resident sperm whales on the Caribbean's wildest island.

Nature & hiking✈️ 9h7 to 10 nights£££

BEST TIMEFEB–APR

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A river looping around a red rock bend deep in a canyon
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES

Grand Canyon

A mile-deep canyon, sunsets that turn the rock red and Route 66 nearby.

Nature & hiking✈️ 11h2 to 3 nights££

BEST TIMEAPR–MAY, SEP–OCT

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Palm trees framing a small jetty and waves on a sandy beach
🇬🇩 GRENADA

Grenada

Spice farms, chocolate estates and a long white beach on the Caribbean's Spice Isle.

Beach✈️ 10h7 to 10 nights£££

BEST TIMEJAN–APR

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Wooden boats on the river at sunset, with a rower in a conical hat
🇻🇳 VIETNAM

Hoi An

Lantern-lit streets, basket boats and a beach just down the road.

Beach✈️ 13h7 to 10 nights£

BEST TIMEFEB–APR

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Patterned rugs in front of the Treasury, carved into pink rock at Petra
🇯🇴 JORDAN

Jordan

Petra's rose-red city, a night under the stars in Wadi Rum and floating in the Dead Sea.

Adventure✈️ 6h7 to 8 nights££

BEST TIMEAPR–MAY, OCT–NOV

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A white Japanese castle tower behind cherry blossom
🇯🇵 JAPAN

Kanazawa

Samurai streets, gold-leaf ice cream and one of Japan's most beautiful gardens.

Culture & history✈️ 13h2 to 3 nights££

BEST TIMEAPR–MAY, OCT–NOV

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A red tram passing yellow arcades on a cobbled square
🇵🇹 PORTUGAL

Lisbon

Yellow trams, custard tarts and beaches a train ride away, with no time difference.

City break✈️ 3h4 to 6 nights££

BEST TIMEAPR–JUN, SEP–OCT

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Tall palm trees and gardens outside the Beverly Hills Hotel
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES

Los Angeles

Disneyland, movie studios and miles of beaches in the sunshine.

City break✈️ 12h7 to 10 nights£££

BEST TIMEAPR, JUL–OCT

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Red cliffs above a seaside town and black volcanic rocks
🇵🇹 PORTUGAL

Madeira

Spring weather all year, toboggans down the streets and cliff walks along old water channels.

Nature & hiking✈️ 4h7 nights££

BEST TIMEAPR–JUN, SEP–OCT

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Sun loungers on white sand under palm trees by a thatched villa
🇲🇻 MALDIVES

Maldives

Overwater villas, white sand and reefs full of turtles right off the beach.

Beach✈️ 12h7 to 10 nights£££

BEST TIMEDEC–APR

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A village of colourful wooden houses above a turquoise cove with small boats
🇲🇹 MALTA

Malta

Sunny, English-speaking islands with clear water, old forts and Popeye's village.

Beach✈️ 4h7 nights££

BEST TIMEAPR–JUN, SEP–OCT

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A pavilion with a green tiled roof reflected in a still pool, with palm trees
🇲🇦 MOROCCO

Marrakech

Snake charmers, rooftop pools and the Atlas Mountains on the horizon, a short flight from the UK.

Culture & history✈️ 4h4 to 5 nights£

BEST TIMEMAR–MAY, OCT–NOV

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The old cave town of Matera lit up at dusk, with a church tower in front
🇮🇹 ITALY

Matera

Whole neighbourhoods of cave houses carved into a gorge, glowing with lights at night.

Culture & history✈️ 3h2 to 3 nights££

BEST TIMEAPR–MAY, SEP–OCT

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Showing 24 of 43 guides

Also good in April

Not quite at their best, but still a good time to go.

Where to go on holiday in April: common questions

Where is warm for Easter?

Malta, Cyprus (Paphos), Madeira, Cape Verde and Marrakech are all warm enough for T-shirts. Further away, Mauritius, Barbados and Mexico are in their dry season.

Is April a good time for a city break?

It's one of the best. Rome, Paris, Lisbon, Porto, Valencia, Amsterdam and New York are pleasantly warm, the queues are shorter than in summer, and the days are long enough for a lot of walking.

Is April good for Japan?

Yes. The start of April is often still cherry blossom season in Tokyo, and it's lovely in Kanazawa too. Avoid the last few days of April into early May, which is Golden Week, when Japan itself goes on holiday.

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