Best Places to Travel in March 2026 — Spring Destinations Worth Booking Now
March is when the travel year actually wakes up. Cherry blossoms in Japan, wildflowers in Spain's Extremadura, the Atacama desert in bloom, and the best week of the year in Marrakech all happen in March — here's how to plan around them.
March is the travel industry's most underpriced month for quality. It falls after the February lull and before the school holiday April surge — a pricing window that captures spring conditions at near-winter prices in much of the world. Japan's cherry blossom season begins. Morocco shifts from cold winter to warm spring almost overnight. New Zealand's South Island is in its last comfortable summer weeks. And Europe's southern coast begins to warm without the tourist infrastructure that arrives in May. Here is how to use it.
Japan: cherry blossom season
The sakura (cherry blossom) season in Japan is one of the most specific and sought-after travel phenomena in the world — and March is when it begins and peaks in Kyushu and western Honshu, reaching Tokyo and Osaka in late March and Kyoto in early April. The Japan Meteorological Corporation publishes annual cherry blossom forecasts from early February, with 10-day accuracy once the 'sakura front' begins to move north. For 2026, the Tokyo peak is forecast for late March — approximately March 24–31. The practical implication: hotels for this window should be booked by October. The three best cherry blossom sites in greater Tokyo: Chidorigafuchi moat (Imperial Palace), Meguro River (the walking path lined with sakura overhanging the canal), and Shinjuku Gyoen (the formal garden with 1,500 trees in 75 varieties). Kyoto's Maruyama Park and the Philosopher's Path peak about a week later.
Editor's tips
- Book the JR Night Bus from Tokyo to Kyoto for the overnight journey between sakura periods — cheaper than Shinkansen and maximises daylight viewing hours
- Chidorigafuchi rowboat rental (¥800/30 minutes) opens the week before peak and sells out daily by 10am
- The Instagram crowds at Meguro River concentrate from 6–9pm — arrive at 5pm for the best light and manageable crowds
Spain: Jerte Valley cherry blossoms
Spain's Extremadura region — specifically the Jerte Valley north of Cáceres — stages one of Europe's most spectacular and least-known spring events: the bloom of 1.3 million wild cherry trees covering the valley hillsides in white. The event is called Cerezos en Flor (cherry trees in bloom) and falls in late February to early March, depending on the year's temperatures. The Jerte Valley is 3.5 hours northwest of Madrid by car and virtually unknown to international visitors — the crowds are Spanish domestic tourists, the prices are deeply reasonable (€60–90/night for rural casas rurales), and the landscape is extraordinary: white tree-covered hillsides, medieval villages, and the Jerte River valley in its most photogenic state. Combine with a day in Cáceres (one of the best-preserved medieval walled cities in Spain) and Trujillo (the birthplace of Francisco Pizarro).
Marrakech: the best single week of the year
March is the single best week of the Moroccan year to visit Marrakech. The winter cold has broken (days reach 18–22°C), the spring tourist season hasn't yet begun, and the Atlas Mountains visible from the city carry their last reliable snow. The medina's souks and Djemaa el-Fna square are walkable at a comfortable pace — the tourist infrastructure is running but not overwhelmed. The Majorelle Garden (Yves Saint Laurent's restored garden in the new city, one of the most beautiful gardens in Africa) has minimal queues. Hotel prices at the best riads are 25–35% below the April–May peak. The Atlas day trip (Ourika Valley, 1 hour south) shows spring wildflowers beginning along the river. Dinner reservations at the medina's better restaurants (Le Tanjia, Nomad, Comptoir Darna) are available without weeks of advance planning.
Four more March destinations
New Zealand's South Island in March is the last week of summer-adjacent weather before the autumn chill arrives in April — Milford Sound still clear and accessible, Queenstown's trails fully open, and Central Otago's wine region in harvest. Prices drop meaningfully from the January–February Australian summer peak. Portugal's Alentejo and Algarve: March wildflowers (cistus, yellow lupins, blue irises) across the cork oak hills of the Alentejo, and the Algarve beginning its beach season at prices 30% below May. Iceland in March: the last month of the aurora season (darkness returning after the winter window) and the first serious mention of spring — waterfalls at exceptional flow from snowmelt, and prices below the June summer peak. Amsterdam: tulip season technically begins in late March at Keukenhof (the bulb flower garden, open late March through mid-May) — 80 acres of tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths.
Editor's tips
- Keukenhof tulip garden (30 minutes from Amsterdam) opens late March and requires advance online tickets — €20 per person, sells out on peak spring weekends
- New Zealand domestic flights from Auckland to Queenstown or Christchurch are cheapest in mid-March (post-school-holiday pricing)
- Portugal's NOS Primavera Sound (Porto) and Lisbon's Lisboa na Rua outdoor events begin in late March — add cultural programming to a spring visit
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Frequently asked questions
Yes — March is one of the best months for intentional travel. Cherry blossoms begin in Japan (Tokyo peak late March), Morocco shifts from cool to warm, New Zealand has its last summer weeks, Extremadura has its cherry blossom event, and most of Europe is transitioning from winter prices to spring conditions.
March is the most rewarding month for intentional travel — destinations are at their most accessible (price and crowd levels), spring conditions are delivering or about to deliver their specific seasonal event (cherry blossom, wildflowers, last aurora, first warmth), and the school holiday calendar hasn't yet intervened. Book Japan in October for March. Book Morocco and Extremadura in January. Book New Zealand in February. The window is real — and the window closes in late March when prices begin their climb toward the Easter holiday peak.
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Camille Laurent
Senior Travel Editor · Based in Lisbon · Bali
Camille has spent the last 9 years living in or reporting from over 60 countries. Former contributor to Condé Nast Traveler and Monocle, she focuses on Southeast Asia, Mediterranean Europe, and the Middle East. Currently based between Lisbon and Bali.
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