Where to go in April

Peak tulip season and King's Day — Amsterdam at its most photogenic and festive, but very busy.

Istanbul at its most beautiful — tulip festival, mild weather, the city in full colour.

Sant Jordi Day (23 April) turns the city into a giant outdoor bookshop — genuinely unmissable.

Excellent timing: island open, prices reasonable, nearly no summer crowds yet.

Near-perfect conditions: warm and dry, Jardin Majorelle at its best, before the summer heat arrives.

Sweet spot: perfect spring weather with tourism still manageable.

The sweet spot before summer: warm, green, and not yet overrun.

Cherry blossom peak — Seoul's most magical 2 weeks and its most visited.

Golden Sydney autumn — 22°C, crowds easing, coastal walk perfection before winter prices drop in.

Spring at its best — 19°C, wisteria on the cliffsides, and still 40% below summer prices.

Transitional month — noticeably drier, warm, and genuinely underrated.

Vienna awakens — outdoor café culture returns and the city starts to breathe.

The shoulder opens — warm, manageable crowds, and 120mm rain receding.

The transition month — rains easing, heat dropping, city at a more authentic pace.

Shoulder season at its best — wine harvest colour, comfortable temperatures, and 40% off peak.

London's great value window — warm enough for parks, light until 8pm, before summer prices hit.

Songkran water festival (13–15 April) is one of Southeast Asia's great cultural experiences.

Spring in full bloom — Petřín cherry blossoms and Easter markets, with prices still below summer.

Paris awakens — outdoor cafés fill again, parks green, tourism building.

Songkran water festival and the last of the dry season — festive, transitional, and good value.

Hottest dry-season month — Semana Santa brings the year's most dramatic Holy Week ceremonies.

Hot, dry, and busy — peak beach season at An Bang, but Easter crowds fill the Ancient Town.

The last shoulder month before the heat becomes limiting — good deals, manageable temperatures, fewer people.

Peak cherry blossom — objectively spectacular, but the most expensive and crowded month in Japan.

Spring thaw, puffins arriving, no more aurora — quiet between two very different Icelands.

New York's loveliest spring — cherry blossom in Central Park, comfortable afternoons.

Transitional month — good weather still dominant but rains beginning, prices dropping.

The dry season transition — rain drops by 40% from March and the first clear days of the year arrive.

Peak first wet season — 152mm of rain and heavy cloud, but rock-bottom prices all month.

Peak cherry blossom and peak tourism — the most visited month of the year.

Hot, wet, and low-key — Singapore's quietest month works well for those who prioritise value and space.

Hot, still dry, spring break fading — prices hold high but the party crowd begins to thin.