Where to go in April

>- April is the month where the northern hemisphere's shoulder season opens and the tropics start to close. If you want Europe, Japan, Morocco or the Mediterranean, April is one of the best-value windows of the year: mild weather, thinner crowds and lower hotel rates than May through September. If you want wildlife, southern Africa's dry season is beginning and game concentrates around water. If you want heat and beaches, the Caribbean and Mexico are still dry, and Thailand's Gulf islands are in their good window before the southwest monsoon arrives in May.

>- The places to think twice about are the Gulf, inland India, and the lowlands of Cambodia, Laos and central Thailand, where April is often the hottest month of the year. Indonesia and Malaysia are entering their wetter season, and East Africa is in its long rains. None of these are impossible — prices are low and crowds are thin — but they change what you can do in a day.

>- This page is for travellers who can choose their dates and want to know whether April is a good month for a given region, not for travellers locked into a specific week. It assumes a 5–14 day trip, a mid-range budget, and no fixed destination yet.

>- It matters most if you are: booking long-haul flights and want shoulder-season fares; travelling with children and need school-holiday timing; heat-sensitive or travelling with older relatives; or planning a wildlife trip where season drives animal behaviour. If you already have a destination and dates, use the month picker instead.

>- Start with the constraint, not the destination. Decide whether heat, rain, crowds or cost is the thing you cannot tolerate, then filter regions against it. April rewards this order because the trade-offs are unusually clear.

>- Then check three things for any shortlisted place: the typical temperature range, whether April sits at the start or end of its wet season, and whether a major holiday falls in your window. Easter week is the big one in the Mediterranean, Latin America and parts of Asia; it moves each year and can double hotel prices in some cities.

>- Finally, price the flights before you commit to a country. April fares to Europe and Japan are usually well below July, but fares to southern Africa and the Caribbean can be near peak because those are their best months. The flight cost often decides between two otherwise equal options.

>- April is a shoulder month in the northern hemisphere, which usually means accommodation and tours run 10–25% below July and August peaks in Europe and Japan (2026 estimate, check). Southern Africa and the Caribbean are closer to their high season, so expect less discount there. Long-haul return fares from the US or UK to Europe in April commonly land in the USD 500–900 band; to Japan, USD 700–1,200; to southern Africa, USD 900–1,500 (2026 estimate, check).

>- Two weeks is the sweet spot for a long-haul April trip: enough time to absorb jet lag and cover a region without racing. One week works for a single city or a short safari. Anything under five days is not worth the long-haul flight unless you are already in the region.

>- Book flights 2–4 months ahead for the best shoulder-season fares. Accommodation in Easter week should be booked earlier, since some cities sell out.

>- Easter week is the single biggest variable. In a year when Easter falls in early April, Mediterranean and Latin American destinations see a sharp spike in domestic travel, higher hotel rates and fuller restaurants. In a year when it falls in late March, April is calmer. Check the date for your travel year before assuming April is quiet.

>- Cherry blossom timing shifts. Southern and central Japan usually peak in late March to early April, while northern Japan (Tohoku, Hokkaido) peaks later in April. If sakura is the reason for the trip, follow the forecast rather than the calendar.

>- Shoulder season also means shoulder weather: April in the Mediterranean can bring rain and cool evenings, and mountain regions may still have snow at altitude. Pack layers rather than assuming beach weather.

>- If you are set on Southeast Asia, choose the Gulf coast of Thailand or Vietnam's central coast over the Andaman side, and plan around midday heat. If you are set on East Africa, expect muddy roads and some lodges closing for the rains.

>- April sits between the tail of winter and the start of summer in the north. Compared with March, it is warmer and drier in the Mediterranean and Japan, but busier. Compared with May, it is cheaper and quieter, but less reliable for beach weather. If your priority is value and mild temperatures, April usually beats both.

>- In the tropics, the direction reverses: April is the last good month before the heat and rain build, so it is better than May or June for Southeast Asia's lowlands, but worse than January or February.

>- The questions below cover the short answer, who the advice is for, and what an April trip typically costs and takes. Each answer is a direct response; the detail is in the sections above.