Many of the best places to visit in April are in the US, making for some cheap, convenient getaways. The country comes alive with music festivals, nowhere more so than the legendary Coachella. Further afield, food, comedy, and nationwide water fights dominate the calendar, from Brittany to Bangkok. Here are my picks for the best places to travel in April.
Best places to travel in April in the US
Spring festivals, music, art, and the magic of longer, warmer days. The best places to visit in April in the US are spread coast to coast, top to bottom and there’s something for everyone.
1. Tampa, Florida
- Learn more: Tampa travel guide
- Why visit in April? To embrace the spring party scene.
Tampa has long embraced its reputation as a little rougher around the edges than its glitzier neighbours, like Orlando. Look past the veneer, and you’ll find beautiful beaches, fun nights out, and daytime temperatures in the 70s year round.
Downtown is all about the revitalized Riverwalk along the Hillsborough River to the Garrison Channel. Nearly three miles of boardwalk and parks, markets and attractions, bars and restaurants are framed by stunning contemporary architecture. Start by browsing Heights Market, stop to people watch at Curtis Hixon Park and finish up with drinks at Sparkman Wharf.
Come night, historic and cosmopolitan Ybor City puts on a party. Bars and clubs pop, especially during Spring Break, and the waft of freshly rolled cigars lingers in the air.
2. Islamorada, Florida
- Learn more: Islamorada travel guide
- Why visit in April? Three words: Key Lime Pie.
A midpoint on the string of the Florida Keys, seven square miles and six islands make up the curio of Islamorada. For less-informed travelers, this village is little more than a stop-off en route to the mania of Key West. Stop and look around though and you’ll discover there’s much more to it than the Overseas Highway.
Nature lovers can dip their toes in at Alligator Reef and snorkel with an unfathomable variety of fish. If you prefer your fish on a line, you’ll find some of the world’s best deep-sea fishing right offshore. On land, Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park is a tropical island forest of extraordinary hardwood hammock trees.
From high-end Caribbean Pierre’s to perhaps the nation’s best Key Lime Pie at Blonde Giraffe, food options are plentiful. As you’re in the Conch Republic, dinner really should be conch chowder or fritters. Few do it better than Lorelei, with gorgeous waterfront views to aid digestion.
3. Dallas, Texas
- Learn more: Dallas travel guide
- Why visit in April? To get your art on.
April is Art Month in Dallas. The city celebrates all things cultural, focusing on the cultural diversity of its local artists. Hundreds of fairs, events, exhibitions, and performances transform the Downtown Arts District into a canvas of festivals.
Getting things started is the Dallas Art Fair from April 10th to 13th. Held at the Fashion Industry Gallery, it showcases modern and contemporary exhibitions. The free Dallas Arts District Block Party is a family-friendly carnival with performers, musicians, and street theater. Keep the arts theme going at the Crow Museum of Asian Art and Nasher Sculpture Center.
The Dallas International Film Festival, which kicks off on April 25th, rounds off the month into May. Spread across the city’s many historic cinemas, it holds awards and screenings from over 60 countries.
4. Nashville, Tennessee
- Learn more: Nashville travel guide
- Why visit in April? Immerse yourself in the home of country music.
Home of country music, Nashville dances to its own beat year-round. Spend your days at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and pay tribute to the Man in Black at the Johnny Cash Museum. As the sun sets, tour the honky tonks of Robert’s Western World and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. Round things off in style at the beating heart of country music, Grand Ole Opry.
In case that’s not enough music for you, fabulous concerts regularly rock iconic venues across the city, from the Commodore Grille to The Vinyl Lounge. And no visit is complete without visiting the historic RCA Studio B. Birthplace of the ‘Nashville Sound’, Elvis Presley recorded more than 150 tracks here.
As one of the best places to vacation in April, KAYAK data highlights it as one of the most popular places to visit. Expect pleasant weather and average flight prices of around $354.
5. California
- Why visit in April? Dance in the desert at Coachella Festival.
Continuing the music theme, the eyes and ears of the world will be on Coachella in April. Over two weekends of the 11th-13th and 18th-20th, the Colorado Desert will throb to an eclectic mix of headline acts. The 2025 lineup includes the likes of Lady Gaga, Green Day, Charli XCX and Post Malone.
Very much the place to see and be seen in April, expect huge crowds, high glamor, and even higher prices. For the complete experience, stay at Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs, famed for its Coachella pool parties.
Spend your downtime exploring this hipster city’s gorgeous retro-chic architecture and rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. And when it all gets too much, escape into the wilds of Joshua Tree National Park to find yourself again. See you in the desert!
Best places to travel in April in the rest of the world
Across the rest of the world, April is the best month of the year to visit so many countries, from Australia to Egypt. Warm (but not too hot) weather, crazy celebrations, food festivals, and more make it a magic month to travel.
6. Saint-Quay-Portrieux, France
- Why visit in April? Gorge on seafood at La Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques.
Seafood lovers will flock to France’s picturesque northwest coast in April for a celebration of all things scallop. The communes of Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Erquy and Paimpol around the Bay of Saint-Brieuc are known as the scallop capital of Brittany. And with good reason—offshore lie huge scallop banks served by a flotilla of 238 trawlers.
On the weekend of April 26th and 27th, La Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques will take place this year in Saint-Quay-Portrieux. (Coquille Saint-Jacques being the poetic French name for a scallop.) It kicks off on Saturday morning when the Knights of the Scallop parade through Saint-Quay-Portrieux’s streets and port. From then on it’s an eatathon of sublime scallop menus washed down with bottomless fine wines—this is France, after all.
Expect the typical festival stalwarts: live music and street entertainment. More interestingly, take a boat to watch the fishermen at work, join a tasting event, and pick up some scallop-shaped jewelry as a memento.
7. Melbourne, Australia
- Learn more: Melbourne travel guide
- Why visit in April? To laugh until it hurts.
April is early fall in Melbourne, when the days are bright but the sun doesn’t swelter. It’s my favorite time to visit. While March is the main events month, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival keeps visitors laughing until April 20th. Held in tens of venues across the city, there’s something for every funny bone from family-friendly to adults only.
There’s no better way to recover from a late night of comedy than to head outdoors. Kickstart your day with a cup of black gold. Melbourne is the coffee capital of Australia and few places roast a better brew than Monk Bodhi Dharma in St Kilda. Sip while you stroll the charming palm-fringed St Kilda Foreshore, reminiscent of Venice Beach with its counter-culture vibe.
For a little more exertion, hop on the metro rail to Lilydale. Rent a bike and cycle the scenic 30-mile loop of the Warburton Rail Trail. Traversing the lovely Yarra River Valley, it passes local villages and bucolic landscapes against a backdrop of the mountainous Yarra Ranges National Park.
8. Bangkok, Thailand
- Learn more: Bangkok travel guide
- Why visit in April? Songkran: the wettest, most fun New Year celebration on earth.
Manic, unfettered, futuristic, ancient, and overwhelming—there are many reasons why Bangkok is one of my favorite metropolises. In April, Thailand’s pulsing capital cranks things up with its unrivaled Songkran New Year celebrations.
Songkran, the water festival, starts on April 13th annually but always lasts until at least the 15th. In smaller communities, the festival maintains its religious and familial routes. But in Bangkok it’s dominated by three days of drink-fueled, super-soaked mayhem flooding the city streets. It’s a cliche, but the biggest and best water fight is on Khao San Road, the infamous backpacker strip.
Don your bathing costume and flip-flops and arm yourself with your watering-squirting weapon of choice. Be warned: there’s no way to avoid a soaking. On my last visit, I watched a local unload a giant Super-Soaker over a group of unsuspecting police officers. Their response? To dunk him into a huge barrel of ice water.
9. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
- Learn more: San Miguel de Allende travel guide
- Why visit in April? The perfect light.
As the dry season ends, most visitors make Puerto Vallarta or Cancun, both highlighted in KAYAK’s data picks. If you’d like to go somewhere more unique, try the UNESCO World Heritage Site San Miguel de Allende.
April 13th to 20th in 2025 sees the Semana Santa Easter Processions, Mexico’s most sacred festival where Catholics reenact the Passion of the Christ. As the celebrations end and the crowds thin, the city’s immaculate colonial architecture shines in beatific light.
Romantic and ancient, it’s among the best places to visit in April for couples. There’s an embarrassment of extraordinary sites to explore. The wedding cake towers of Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel; the nearby Santuario de Atotonilco, Mexico’s Sistine Chapel and an icon for independence.
Perfectly intermixed with all this history, you’ll find a cosmopolitan side to San Miguel de Allende, rare in such towns. Catch rooftop sundowners at La Azotea, fine dine at Áperi, and round out your night with the mezcal menu at La Mezcalería.
10. The Nile, Egypt
- Learn more: Cairo travel guide
- Why visit in April? Last chance to cruise the Luxor.
Follow in the wake of Agatha Christie, minus the murder of course, with a cruise down the Nile in April. With spring in full bloom, long sunny days and balmy evenings on deck are guaranteed. There’s no better time to drift its currents and watch local life unfold against some of the world’s most historic backdrops.
Choose your vessel wisely – sailboats and paddle steamers are most common. A traditional felucca wooden sailboat is a serene, sustainable, and ridiculously romantic way to travel. Your route is via Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, and on to Aswan over five magical days. April is the last chance before the season changes and the mercury rises to uncomfortable levels.
Warm places to visit in April
You don’t have to travel far to find warm places to visit in April. Central and South America are blessed with long, hot sunny days, empty beaches and chilled out towns. Just don’t forget to pack your beach gear.
11. Mulegé, Mexico
- Why visit in April? To spread out on Baja’s most beautiful beach.
On my first road trip down Baja’s Highway 1, tiny Mulegé appeared as a sanctuary on a long, dusty journey. On the Gulf of California, set in a narrow arroyo of the Río Mulegé, its old-world feel speaks to Baja’s particular appeal. And its easy access by road makes it a cheap place to travel in April.
Its palm and mangrove forests are an oasis in the desert terrain. At its heart, a scattering of hotels surround the ancient town square. Nearby: the beaches.
Head straight for Bahía Concepción, in my view Baja’s most astounding beach. An unfettered paradise, unspoiled by development, unrepentant in its barren beauty. Dotted among its many bays you’ll find palapas in varying states of repair to shelter from the sun. There are camper parks if you need facilities, but why bother when there’s so much space to spread out? I stayed a full week. Nearby Loreto is the nearest airport, but this really is road trip country.
12. Placencia, Belize
- Learn more: Placencia travel guide
- Why visit in April? To go on a jaguar safari.
A spring favorite among Americans in the know, Placencia sits on the far southern tip of a narrow Belizean peninsula. Nicknamed ‘the cay you can drive to’, the 27-mile highway that connects it to the mainland is testimony to its tourist appeal.
Behind, the jungle. Rich in Mayan ruins and stories with main draws at Lubaantun, Nim Li Punit and Xunantunich. While there, don’t miss the chance to go jaguar spotting at the world’s first jaguar sanctuary, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Twitchers will want to keep an eye on the sky for the 500-plus bird species that call Placencia home.
In front, the beaches. Miles and miles of impossibly white sand, seas that seem to glow and the kind of aquatic setting diving and snorkeling were invented for.
13. Cartagena, Colombia
- Learn more: Cartagena travel guide
- Why visit in April? For the best blend of beach and city escape.
Cartagena is proof positive that you can have it all—a magical city of history and culture and postcard-worthy beaches. April is on the cusp between the dry and wet seasons. Average temperatures sit in the mid 80s and it’s typically dry most of the month, so expect long, bright days.
The power capital of the 16th century Spanish Empire, the city is an embarrassment of historical riches. The impassive Castillo San Felipe de Barajas and the gruesome Palacio de la Inquisición. Old Town streets of colorful casas converted into boutiques and bars, galleries and cafés.
When the heat builds, Cartagena’s beaches are close by. None is more convenient than glitzy Bocagrande, the Miami Beach of Colombia. Playa El Laguito in the Castillegrand neighborhood is a bit more chilled. From here you can take a boat to the beaches of Isla de la Tierra Bomba or beyond to Isa Barú, where the beaches are idyllic but the crowds less so.
Data-backed picks from KAYAK
If seasonal events aren’t on your wish list, why not consider one of the below destinations? These destinations are based on KAYAK flight and hotel data, taking into account budget, weather, and popularity (so you can avoid the crowds). For personalized recommendations based on your location and chosen destination check out the Best Time to Travel tool.
Best places to travel in April FAQs
In April, I look to South America for the best country to visit. Holding on to the end of dry season, temperatures are mild enough for exploring but warm enough to enjoy the many beaches. I love Ecuador in particular, with the Galapagos Islands never looking better than when drenched in April sun.
It’s hard to look past California as the best place to visit in April in the US. With Coachella bringing the music and San Diego the beach vibes, there’s lots going on and the sun is usually shining.
The warmest places to visit in April in the US mainland are on the coasts. California and in particular the quirky towns of the Florida keys bask in regular bikini and board shorts weather.
Discover more great places to travel
The following information refers to the destinations listed in the table.
Recommendation ranking within table:
Our recommendation ranking of where to go is calculated based on average flight prices, average hotel prices, popularity, average temperature, and average precipitation. Flight prices, hotel prices, popularity, and precipitation constitute inverse factors, the less the better. Average temperature optimal values are taken as the median for the destination, and a difference is calculated for the month from this reference point. The smaller the difference the more desirable the city is to visit in this month. This temperature factor is weighed double as much as popularity and precipitation.
From the ranked destination lists, destination exclusions may have been applied in cases of insufficient data or according to the official travel advisory at the time when the data analysis was conducted.
Flight and hotel prices:
Average prices are estimated from KAYAK internal data from the search period ‘2024/10/03 to 2025/01/03’ for the travel period ‘2025/03/03 to 2025/04/30.’ Flight prices include economy class return trips for one traveller, and hotel prices represent the nightly rates for a standard double room for hotels with three stars or below. Price insights may vary depending on the exact departure airport and over time as travel dates are approaching.
Popularity:
Monthly crowd estimates for each destination are determined by internal flight and hotel search data. This incorporates the latest historical insights from the past year collected on ‘2024-01-15’. For each destination, this popularity estimate is pulled for the particular month to gauge where it might not be too crowded.
Weather (average monthly temperature and precipitation):
Weather data is pulled from a third-party site, Weatherbase, and has not been verified by KAYAK. Monthly average temperature and precipitation data is based on historical insights from the past 102 years. Weatherbase data is updated in real-time from the US Census Bureau and other databases worldwide.
