Don’t wait for late-arriving Easter to fire the starting gun for spring: April 1 is a good excuse to slough off the doldrums of winter and start exploring again. Why not try to squeeze in an extra trip this month before the summer rush, making the most of still-affordable shoulder season rates in many destinations?
Whether you want to experience Easter in a new way or see the world’s most precious rose crop bloom in the unlikeliest of locales—or even pitch in on a fully legal streetside water fight—these are the 11 best places to travel this April.
1. Venice, Italy
Venice comprises 118 small islands, separated by canals and linked by bridges.
April is great for: seeing the city celebrate itself.
San Marco is more than just the name of Venice’s most famous square and church. It’s the name of the city’s patron saint. San Marco’s feast day, April 25, is also a local public holiday. There will be a boat race between gondoliers who compete while still punting passengers, and a regatta that runs between the island of Sant’Elena and the Punta della Dogana.
The festivities don’t end there. On that same April day, Venetians commemorate the tragic love story of Tancredi and the doge’s daughter, as charted in Rossini’s opera Tancredi. Couples of all sorts exchange bocolo, or a red rosebud.
Where to stay: Violino d’Oro
Tuscan hotelier Sara Maestrelli just expanded the footprint of her chainlet of boutique hotels to this new 32-room property close to San Marco. It’s carved out of three properties she’s painstakingly combined.
Insider tip
This month, says Maestrelli, do as the Venetians do and embrace this month’s tradition of gite fuori porta, or exploring the farther flung corners of the lagoon. She recommends taking a lace-making class at Martina Vidal Atelier in Burano: “Visitors can take part in needle lace courses to learn those intricate stitches.”
Cultivating damask roses is a time-honored practice in Oman’s Al Hajar Mountains.
Courtesy of IssaSK Photography
2. Oman
April is great for: waking up and smelling the roses—somewhere new.
This Gulf State is renowned for its damask roses. These flowers, highly prized among the world’s perfumers, are grown in one place, mostly: the Al Hajar mountain range. They transform the landscape, turning the arid countryside into a carpet of bright pink blooms. Beyond the rose harvesting, head to the abandoned village of Wadi Bani Habib for an atmospheric glimpse of the area’s past.
Where to stay: Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort
The best perch within easy reach of the rose fields is this five-star hotel, which sits dramatically on the rim of a vast canyon, more than 6,500 feet above sea level.
Insider tip
Follow the advice of Maher Al Riyami (known as the Mountain Insider by the resort), and head to the villages of Al Aqr and Al Ain. “The roses are abundant, set against stunning mountain backdrops. High-quality souvenir rosewater is available at Attar Al Jabal and other local outlets in Al Jabal Al Akhdar,” he says.
UNESCO has designated two U.S. cities as a City of Gastronomy—Tuscon is one of them.
Photo by Ste Lane/Shutterstock
3. Tucson, Arizona
April is great for: all things agave.
Tucson was the first stateside city to become a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy, an accolade that nods to its more than four millennia of food culture that merges the tastes of many different groups, including Native American and modern Mexican.
Come experience one aspect of its food culture at the four-day Agave Heritage Festival this month, running from April 10 to 13. It’s an exploration and celebration of agave, a succulent that flourishes in desert environments like the Sonoran. This event celebrates the plant through seminars and tastings, showing visitors that agave is used to make far more than tequila. One good example is the floral spirit raicilla.
Where to stay: Hotel Congress
Stay at this hotel built in 1919, and experience the city’s history firsthand: The Tap Room here is the first bar that opened in Tucson after Prohibition, and the reason there’s no longer a third floor is thanks to a fire in the 1930s that both wrecked that level and led to the capture of the Dillinger Gang, who was staying there.
Insider tip
If you’re a big fan of starry skies, check out the new Tuscon Astro Trail that was unveiled January 2025. Its stops include five observatories, a planetarium, and a space museum, two state parks, and Saguaro National Park (which was certified as the newest Urban Night Sky Place in late 2023).
Songkran marks the beginning of the hot, rainy season, when everyone needs to cool down.
Photo by teera.noisakran/Shutterstock
4. Bangkok, Thailand
April is great for: a street fight with a twist.
Songkran is Thailand’s New Year festival, but think of it as a joyous chance to have a water fight without reprimands. From April 13 to 15, the capital transforms into a massive free-for-all, where people appear with everything from water guns to hoses, dousing each other in water to mark the turn of the year.
If you’re brave enough to join in, head to the backpacker hub of Khao San Road for the liveliest scene, or LGBTQ+-friendly Silom Road for another epicenter of epic water battles.
Where to stay: 137 Pillars Suites Bangkok
There are four styles of suite, each named after periods in Thai royal history, at this 34-room hotel, which sits atop a skyscraper. Opt for a Sukhothai suite with a large freestanding bath with panoramic views.
Insider tip
Take a break from the soaking with pad thai at restaurant hotel Baan Ploen Chi. “On Saturdays and Sundays you can catch a traditional puppet show there performed by a local youth group,” says 137 Pillars Suites general manager Nida Wongphanlert.
Wear something old, or black, if you dare join in on wine-making festivities.
Photo by lhmfoto/Shutterstock
5. Santiago, Chile
April is great for: winetasting at the source.
If you’re partial to a glass of Chilean cabernet sauvignon, why not make a pilgrimage to see it made? The Fiesta de la Vendimia del Valle del Maipo, now held annually in a town near Santiago, is a celebration of the vendimia or grape harvest; this year it’s held April 25 to 27.
Expect everything from tastings—not just classic cab sav, but also typical varietals like carmenère –as well as folk performances and, of course, grape stomping. Even better, it’s low season in Chile so travelers can find attractive deals on flights and hotels.
Where to stay: The Singular Santiago
Base yourself in Santiago proper at this 62-room city center hotel in the historic, boho-skewing Lastarria district.
Insider tip
Go have dinner at one of the wineries, says concierge Martin Torres. The Viu Manent has been family-owned for almost a century and sells wine under the Vinos Viu label. At its restaurant, Rayuela, “the wine-marinated beef is a must-try.”
At the beach, try a few Puerto Rican specialties.
Photos by Michelle Heimerman
6. San Juan, Puerto Rico
April is great for: Easter and eating.
Come to Puerto Rico to celebrate Easter this year, and you’ll be immersed in an island-wide event throughout Semana Santa, a weeklong celebration leading up to the holiday. One tradition to follow: the practice of visiting seven iglesias (churches) during that week. Doing so gives you an easy opportunity to explore the capital on foot. The week’s parades stop at each of them, but you can walk the route on your own.
Come to Puerto Rico a little earlier, and you can catch the inaugural Puerto Rico Wine & Food Festival, slated for April 3–6, 2025.
Where to stay: Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
One of only a clutch of the Reserve properties worldwide, this one sits on a 1,400-acre estate that was once the fiefdom of Laurance Rockefeller. Book a treatment at the Spa Botanico, which focuses on therapies using traditional techniques and ingredients of the archipelago.
Insider tip
Chief concierge Omar Ramos, unsurprisingly, suggests toting home a bottle of rum, one of Puerto Rico’s finest exports. He recommends Bohique. “It’s an artisanal rum found deep in the mountains of Jayuya and perfect for savoring the essence of Puerto Rico.”
Most people in Greece identify as Orthodox Christians.
Courtesy of Toposphere Media/Unsplash
7. Athens, Greece
April is great for: experiencing an alternative Easter.
This year, both Catholic and Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations fall on the same day, April 20. Spend Good Friday evening immersed in the Epitaphios, a solemn, candle-lit procession around the streets of the Plaka district. Then stay up late on Saturday night for the resurrection service. At this midnight mass, priests proclaim “Christ is risen,” triggering a set of celebratory fireworks. The best place to see them illuminating the sky over the Acropolis is from Lycabettus Hill.
Where to stay: Hotel Grande Bretagne
The 150-year-old grande dame of hotels in the city is aptly named. Come and idle on the brand-new rooftop bar for superb views across Athens.
Insider tip
Chief concierge Apostolos Papayiannakis recommends Dopios as a buzzy new spot to try modern riffs on classic Greek dishes. “Try the braised octopus with Santorini fava or the grilled calamari with bourdeto sauce,” he says. Save room for a nightcap at craft cocktail bar Clumsies around the corner. It’s won awards across the world.
The Jane Austen Centre in Bath hosts the largest Jane Austen festival in the world.
Photo by Jeremy Richards/Shutterstock
8. Bath, England
April is great for: cosplaying Regency life beyond Bridgerton.
Jane Austen was born 250 years ago. That makes 2025 the perfect excuse to celebrate one of the most-read authors in the English language. From April 7 to 12, ardent Austenites can explore her life and writings through a five-day festival that includes the chance to visit local villages, like Lacock, which have been featured in movie adaptations of Austen’s work.
The Jane Austen Centre, housed in its own Regency townhouse, is an immersive chance to time warp back to what life—food, fashion, society—was like here during her era.
Where to stay: The Gainsborough Bath Spa
This 99-room luxury property has its own private water reserve, drawn from the same spring that fed the ancient Roman baths, and a two-story basement spa.
Insider tip
Take a tour with Jane Austen Tours, says Theresa McDermott, CEO of Bath-based ECT Travel. “It offers a new walking tour called ‘The Language of Fans’ where you can learn how fans were used to send hidden messages, especially around romance. Women could express themselves in the Regency era through subtle fan gestures,” she says.
Oklahoma City is on Afar’s Where to Go in 2025 list.
Photos by Charles O. Cecil/Alamy (left); Kit Leong/Shutterstock (right)
9. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
April is great for: a meaningful marathon.
As temps in April usually hover in the upper 60s at this Where to Go 2025 pick, come and experience two major, contrasting events on the same weekend. From April 25 to 27, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon takes place, as 25,000 people run and walk through the city in tribute to the lives lost in the bombing 30 years ago. That same weekend, the Festival of the Arts in Bicentennial Park takes place, with musical performances and local artists selling their wares.
Where to stay: Okana Resort & Indoor Waterpark
This brand-new, 404-room resort opened in March and has its own 4.5-acre adventure lagoon complete with sandy beaches. Located next to the First Americans Museum, it also offers a chance to immerse yourself in Chickasaw Nation culture through art exhibitions and programming.
Insider tip
“I’m a big college football fan, so an Oklahoma Sooner souvenir is a must for me,” says Melissa Roberts, the resort’s official Director of Fun, when suggesting the best mementos. Consider, too, a box of Oklahoma pecans. The trees are native to the area and thrive in the region’s climate, producing some of the country’s best pecans.
Enjoy the race energy—without the crowds—on a visit to Lexington in April.
Photo by ehrlif/Shutterstock
10. Lexington, Kentucky
April is great for: prequalifying horse races and top-tier bourbons.
Heading to Kentucky in April to catch some qualifying races at Keeneland will be less fraught than May, as fewer visitors mean a much more local vibe.
In the run-up to the Kentucky Derby, check out the Bluegrass Race on April 5, and Lexington a week later, which is one of the last qualifiers. And make time to visit one of the 14 distilleries in and around the city. The Woodford Reserve made headlines when it appointed Elizabeth McCall as master distiller (the first woman to hold that role) two years ago.
Where to stay: The Manchester
The star attraction of this two-year-old boutique hotel: the Lost Palm, its indoor-outdoor rooftop bar with a retro, tiki-driven menu and a vibe that’s South Florida Palm Royale.
Insider tip
The Manchester’s food and beverage director, Garrett Coats, sends all his whiskey-loving visitors to the Paddock Bourbon Club. “It has easily the best and most thorough bourbon selection in town,” he raves. “I’ve never had a guest come back to the hotel that wasn’t blown away.”
While you’re in St. Petersburg, check out art works like the Truth sculpture in Vinoy Park.
Photo by Del Harper/Shutterstock
11. St. Pete-Clearwater, Florida
April is great for: bagpipes, watercolors, and wailing the blues.
This month, St. Petersburg’s Vinoy Park is home to two major visit-worthy events. First up, there’s the 50th Annual Mainsail Art Festival April 5–6: 260 juried exhibitors in a range of disciplines, from digital art to watercolor, showcase their work for sale. Then the Tampa Bay Blues Festival will take over the same spot, from April 11 to 13, with a three-day event and a roster that includes JJ Grey & Mofro, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, and Tab Benoit.
On April 5, you can also detour to nearby Dunedin for an unlikely addition to the calendar: the Dunedin Highland Games & Festival, which celebrates the city’s close connections with Scotland.
Where to stay: Sandpearl Resort
This 253-room resort underwent a gut renovation before reopening barely a year ago, and every room has a private balcony with views over Clearwater, Mandalay Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Insider tip
Chris Artrip is the chef and partner at local staple the Black Pearl, and he recommends hitting up Wild Child in St. Pete. “Everything is tasty, but I usually get the Korean fried chicken sandwich paired with some bubbles.”
This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on February 7, 2025, with current information.
