The Best Places to Visit in April
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The best places to visit in April are all about making the most of springtime. It's when we emerge from the bracing chill of winter and April is just the right time for seeing tulips in Istanbul, or the cherry blossoms in Osaka, and witnessing the “bud burst” season of France's Champagne region. Furthermore, this is prime shoulder season—the window right before the manic crowds of summer descend on Portugal and Puerto Rico. And here in the US, National Park Week provides the perfect excuse to appreciate the great outdoors. Read on for a list of the best places to visit in April, greatly inspired by the Best Places to Go in 2025. And with all this talk of nature and the outdoors, it should go without saying: Don't forget to pack your allergy meds, if you need them.)
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
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Osaka, Japan
As one of our Best Places to Go in Asia in 2025, we'd be remiss not to mention that April is perhaps the best time to visit Osaka, Japan, this year. First of all, the city's wave of exciting new luxury hotel openings are finally peaking in April: the super sleek Waldorf Astoria Osaka will open in the Grand Green Osaka (a new leafy park that cut its own ribbons last fall), while the plush Patina Osaka—the brand's first urban property—will open its doors opposite the historic Osaka Castle and adjacent to Naniwanomiya-ato Park (making it a perfect place to bed down if you're in town to catch the spring cherry blossom season). For a moodier moment at the castle complex, visit at night when the main tower and the gardens are lit up, creating a majestic scene to behold.
With these urban hospitality openings, it seems fitting that, from April to October 2025, Osaka will play host to the World Expo, themed around the creation of sustainable societies. For the occasion, Osaka created an island in Osaka Bay called Yumeshima, where a new metro station is being built, improving accessibility to the fair. With Japan’s famously efficient public transport system, it’ll be easy to see, do, and eat as much as you can in Osaka and, itinerary permitting, beyond.
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Marrakech, Morocco
Getting to Marrakech is easier than ever: Last October, United Airlines inaugurated a new route from Newark to Marrakech, making this perennial-favorite destination all the more accessible.
But there are many benefits to visiting Morocco in the spring, specifically: milder temperatures, thinner crowds, and a mix of ancient and modern wonders that make it an excellent introduction to the Arab world. Marrakech is an especially accessible city, thanks to relatively inexpensive flights and friendly locals—not to mention a wealth of cultural attractions. Check out the city’s Old World spice markets before touring the Museum of Contemporary African Art Al Maaden.
Another reason to visit Marrakech? La Mamounia, a.k.a. one of the best hotels in the entire world. Every inch of the palatial property drips with luxury, from the liveried guards at the entrance to the Olympic-sized pool with Champagne service. It’s the ultimate representation of Marrakech’s old-meets-new aesthetic, with modern cuisine and amenities offered just steps away from the ancient medina.
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Carlsbad, California
Every year from March to May, ranunculus flowers take over 50 acres of The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, with peak bloom occurring in April. This year, visitors can expect a full calendar of floral-themed activities, ranging from flower crown workshops to tea parties in the garden.
When you’re not busy filling your camera roll with florals, rest up in peak luxury at the Park Hyatt Aviara, a Hot List and Readers’ Choice Award winner. The 200-acre coastal resort attracts visitors with an 18-hole golf course, expansive spa, and both family-friendly and adults-only pool areas. The 327 spacious guest rooms underwent a massive redesign (book a coastal view room for balconies overlooking the Pacific), and the relatively new Ember & Rye restaurant is already one of the hottest spots in town for steak and seafood.
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Champagne, France
As its name suggests, Champagne-Ardenne is the birthplace of bubbly and one of the most beautiful regions in France. Springtime is known as “bud burst” season, when new buds appear in vineyards across Champagne and growers restart the vine-growing processes. Off the farm, travelers can enjoy mild weather perfect for horseback riding and winery picnics.
To soak up as much of the region as possible, treat yourself (and five of your friends) to a private sailing onboard Coquelicot, A Belmond Boat, Champagne, the newest luxury river barge in Belmond’s Les Bateaux collection. The vessel offers week-long itineraries in some of the most exquisite accommodations imaginable—think an open kitchen on the main deck and gold soaking tubs in the bathrooms—and, of course, a Champagne bar. Belmond has also partnered with Maison Ruinart (France’s oldest Champagne house) to give guests private tours of the historic vineyards and lunch cooked by a chef in residence.
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St. Lucia
The winter doldrums may be gone by the time April rolls around, but that doesn’t make the thought of a tropical escape any less appealing—especially one in the Caribbean. There are places in the region to suit every type of traveler, but we generally love St. Lucia this time of year. Not only does the island welcome perfect weather in April (i.e. warm and dry), but it also sees a dip in tourist numbers between the winter and summer holidays.
That weather will come in handy if you want to take advantage of St. Lucia’s outdoor activities, like hiking the Pitons, boating on Marigot Bay, and snorkeling off Anse Chastanet. But depending on where you stay, you might find it hard to leave your home base. St. Lucia has some of the best resorts in the Caribbean: Book a stay at Ladera Resort for rustic suites and private plunge pools, Sugar Beach for next-level spa treatments, or Jade Mountain for the best views on the island.
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Portugal
If you have yet to experience the magic that is Portugal, April would be the perfect time to finally book that trip. Aside from escaping the huge summer crowds, you’ll typically find milder weather (around the mid-60s) and less expensive hotel rates during this time than in the impending high season. The relative lack of tourists in Lisbon will be particularly lovely, letting you fully appreciate the city’s iconic pastries and tiled architecture.
You can choose your own adventure from there, but we highly suggest renting a car and venturing northeast into the Douro Valley—one of Europe’s oldest and most beautiful wine regions. Make Six Senses your home base, a wellness retreat that has been impressing visitors with sleek decor and holistic spa treatments since it opened a decade ago. The resort offers tastings in the wine library, but you should definitely make day trips to some of the region’s local wineries. The Portuguese hospitality titans known as the Douro Boys have several outposts, with Quinta do Vallado and Quinta do Crasto standing out.
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Istanbul
Think Holland is the best place to see tulips in the spring? Think again. Istanbul has held its international tulip festival every April since 2006, a celebration in which up to 30 million flowers bloom in the city’s parks, gardens, and even traffic roundabouts. Over 500,000 tulips are planted in Sultanahmet Square alone, creating a stunning, colorful carpet below the Blue Mosque. You can also catch special concerts and photography exhibitions during the festival.
Even if you don’t make tulips the focus of your trip, Istanbul has a slew of fresh hotels and cultural attractions that make it an incredibly exciting destination to visit right now. Tour many of Istanbul’s new and restored attractions along the Beyoglu Culture Road, a two-hour walking trail that goes past the Taksim Mosque, Istanbul Cinema Museum, and Galata Tower—just to name a few. Then bed down in the Bosphorus-facing Mandarin Oriental in Kurucesme, which has hammams, riverfront restaurants, and a water ferry that will take you anywhere in the city.
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Olympic National Park, Washington
One of the best stretches of April is National Park Week, when the National Parks Foundation helps operate a week-long series of programs and events aimed at drawing attention to America’s most impressive natural wonders. It kicks off on April 19 with a day of free entry to parks nationwide, so there’s really no better way to celebrate than by planning a trip to Olympic National Park—a site that truly comes alive in April.
Springtime is the best season for wildlife viewing in the park, too, when you can spot bobcats, deer, and elk from the many hiking trails. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a black bear fresh out of hibernation. Grey whales also migrate past Olympic’s coastline in May and April—if you book a stay at the oceanfront Kalaloch Lodge, you might be able to see them directly from the hotel’s beach.
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- Shaun Ritchie/Kibale Lodge
Uganda
For safari lovers—and would-be safari lovers—Uganda is the place to be this year, earning its spot on our list of this year's Best Places to Go in the world, because of a flurry of openings that make its landscapes all the more exciting and easy to appreciate.
In the heart of Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park—home to more than half the world’s mountain gorilla population—Gorilla Forest Camp will re-open in April with a gorgeous new design after a complete rebuild. Neighboring Silverback Lodge will also be reborn in early 2025, offering 12 sumptuously furnished “nests” by award-winning Hesse Kleinloog, the South African design studio. Meanwhile, in Murchison Falls National Park, safari company Wildplaces Africa is opening a new camp, Kulu Ora, on a remote new concession on the banks of the Nile in the spring.
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Puerto Rico
Over the past few years, Puerto Rico has emerged as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, and the attendees of the inaugural Puerto Rico Wine and Food Festival in 2025 will be able to experience exactly why the island is home to all things delicioso. From April 3 through 6, host chef Mario Pagán will bring together culinary cronies from across the island (and some visiting VIPs) to La Concha Resort for four days that will include a beachside barbecue, cooking demos, and tastings. This culinary cause—plus a series of exciting new openings on the west side of the island, putting a spotlight on the often overlooking corners of Puerto Rico—make this the place to be. (Only natural: it's a shining star of our list of the Best Places to Go in the United States in 2025).