In March, the best places to travel are where the season is turning in your favour. Japan's cherry trees start to flower in the last days of the month. Petra and Marrakech have mild weather before the desert heat arrives.
Mexico City, Havana and Barbados are still in their dry seasons, and central Vietnam and the Kathmandu Valley have dried out and cleared. This guide goes through the world one continent at a time, and notes the places nearby that are worth skipping this month.
Asia: blossom, lanterns and mountain views
Japan
In Japan, the season is followed closely. Cherry blossom forecasts start coming out early in the year and are updated every week. In most years the trees in Tokyo and Kyoto open in the last days of March or early April.
Full bloom usually comes about a week after the first flowers, and one day of heavy rain or strong wind can strip the branches. March is a good month even before the blossom arrives. The first weeks still have plum blossom, the air is clear, and the summer humidity is months away.
Long-term figures from the Japan Meteorological Agency show both cities averaging about 14°C (57 to 58°F) in the afternoon in March and falling to 4 or 5°C (about 40°F) at night. It rains on around ten or eleven days of the month, so pack a jacket and a compact umbrella.
Prices follow the flowers. Early March is moderate. Once the blossom opens, hotels in central Tokyo and Kyoto are among the most expensive and hardest to book in the world, and Japanese school holidays start in the same week. The best-known viewing spots, such as Ueno Park, the Meguro River and Kyoto's Maruyama Park, fill up early on weekends, when office groups lay out tarpaulins for evening parties.
Smaller parks and riversides have the same trees with far fewer people. On 3 March, homes, shops and museums put up tiered doll displays for Hinamatsuri, the doll festival. See the Japan page for more on the country.
Central Vietnam
Further south, the rains that soak central Vietnam from autumn into winter have usually ended by March, and the summer heat has not yet arrived. Da Nang, the airport for the region, averages about 28°C (83°F) by day and 22°C (71°F) at night, with rain on about five days. The sea is pleasant at around 24°C (75°F), though not yet at its summer warmth.
In the evenings, the old town of Hoi An is lit by lanterns. On the night of each full moon, the town turns off its electric lights and candles float on the river. A ticket covers entry to a set number of old houses, temples and assembly halls. You can cycle out through the rice fields to An Bang beach, or take a half-day trip to the ruins of My Son.
Hue, with its imperial citadel and royal tombs, is two to three hours north. The road over the Hai Van Pass is the scenic way there. Da Nang has the longest beaches. More on the country: Vietnam.
Northern Vietnam is less reliable in March. Late winter there often brings a fine drizzle and low cloud that can hide the limestone peaks of Ha Long Bay and keep Hanoi grey for days. If a Ha Long cruise is part of your plans, book a date you can change, and bring a warm layer for Hanoi's damp evenings.
Kathmandu Valley
Spring is one of Nepal's two main travel seasons. In March, Kathmandu, according to Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, averages about 26°C (79°F) in the afternoon and 9°C (48°F) at night, with rain on about four days and nearly eight hours of sun a day.
The three old royal cities of the valley, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, are easy to walk around in this weather. Each charges foreign visitors an entry fee, and the tickets are checked. Bhaktapur is worth staying overnight in, so you can see it after the day visitors leave.
Visit the stupa at Boudhanath at dusk, when local people walk around it, and Pashupatinath on the banks of the Bagmati River. Haze builds up in the afternoons and often hides the Himalaya, so go to viewpoints such as Nagarkot at dawn. Our Kathmandu Valley and Nagarkot tour follows that route.
Rhododendrons start flowering on the lower hills this month. Lower and mid-level treks are in good condition, but the highest passes can still be icy early in March. Holi, the festival of colours, is celebrated in Kathmandu as well as across India.
Elsewhere in the region, two popular places are best avoided this month. In northern Thailand, the burning season, when farmers clear their fields and forest fires spread, usually brings thick smoke and poor air quality to Chiang Mai and the hills from about February to April. The mountain views disappear behind the haze.
Travellers who still go should check air-quality readings every day and choose hotels with air purifiers. Central Vietnam's old towns are a cleaner alternative. Ladakh is still in deep winter. The roads in from Manali and Srinagar are closed by snow, nights in Leh are well below freezing, and many guesthouses have not yet reopened. It is best from about June to September.
The Middle East and North Africa: a short spring window
Jordan
Petra involves a lot of walking. The route runs through the narrow Siq gorge to the Treasury, along the colonnaded street, and up about 800 steps to the Monastery. In summer that is hard going. In March, the weather station at nearby Ma'an records afternoons of about 20°C (69°F), nights of about 6°C (44°F), rain on about one day and around eight to nine hours of sun.
After winter rain, wildflowers come up in the wadis. Spring is Petra's busiest season, so enter the Siq at opening time, ahead of the coach groups, and climb to the Monastery in the morning while the path is still in shade. A one-day ticket is not enough. Buy two or three days.
The desert camps at Wadi Rum are cold at night and have very clear skies for stargazing. The Dead Sea is warm enough for a float, and the Roman city of Jerash is an easy half-day from Amman. Our 5-day Jordan itinerary links them all. More on the country: Jordan.
Morocco
Marrakech is a short flight from most European cities. In March it averages about 24°C (75°F) by day and 10°C (51°F) at night, with rain on about five days and around eight hours of sun. The High Atlas mountains still have snow on their peaks and can be seen from the city on clear mornings.
The medina is a maze, and cars cannot reach many of its riads, so ask your riad for directions or a pick-up when you arrive. Book Majorelle Garden tickets online for a time slot to skip the queue. In the souks, prices start high and bargaining is expected.
A day in the Ourika Valley or at Imlil, below Toubkal, gets you into the mountains, and Essaouira on the coast is a calmer place to spend a couple of nights. See the Morocco page for more.
Ramadan affects travel in both countries in early March. Astronomical forecasts reported by The National put its start in early February. The fast is expected to end with Eid al-Fitr on 9 or 10 March, depending on the sighting of the moon.
Until then, many cafés in the medina open only after sunset and some sites close early. Hotels and tourist sites keep serving visitors. Eid itself is a public holiday, and domestic travel is busy for a few days afterwards.
The Americas: high, dry and Caribbean
Mexico City and Oaxaca
March falls near the end of central Mexico's dry season, before the afternoon storms of the wet months begin. Mexico's Servicio Meteorológico Nacional records Mexico City averages of about 26°C (79°F) by day and 11°C (52°F) at night, with rain on about four days and eight to nine hours of sunshine.
The jacaranda trees turn the streets purple at this time of year. The National Museum of Anthropology needs at least half a day. Tickets to Frida Kahlo's Blue House in Coyoacán are sold online for set entry times and sell out days in advance. Teotihuacan, about an hour north by road, is best seen early, before the heat and the crowds build.
Oaxaca, a short flight south, adds colonial streets, mezcal, busy food markets and the hilltop ruins of Monte Albán. Holy Week at the end of the month brings Mexico's domestic holiday crowds, especially to the beaches and colonial towns. More on the country: Mexico.
Havana
Havana is warm and dry in March. It averages about 28°C (83°F) by day and 20°C (69°F) at night, with rain on about five days and the sea around 26°C (79°F). Old Havana's squares are best explored on foot. In the evenings, people gather along the Malecón seafront, and the city's bars play live son music.
The tobacco farms and limestone hills of the Viñales valley make a good two-day trip from the capital. In recent years, though, Cuba has had long power cuts and shortages of fuel, medicine and some foods. Check the current situation before booking, and be ready to change plans.
A casa particular, a licensed room in a family home, is often more reliable for meals and local advice than a state hotel. Bring enough cash in euros or US dollars, and check whether your bank cards will work, as many cards issued in the United States do not. US citizens face their own travel restrictions and should check their government's current rules.
Barbados
For a beach holiday, Barbados is the safest choice in this guide. March is one of its driest months in records kept by the Barbados Meteorological Services, with afternoons around 30°C (85°F), nights around 23°C (74°F), mostly brief showers on about eight days, a sea temperature near 27°C (80°F) and around nine hours of sun a day.
The west coast has the calmest water and the most expensive hotels, and you can swim with turtles there. The south coast, around St Lawrence Gap and Oistins, is livelier and cheaper, and Oistins holds a fish fry on Friday nights. The Atlantic east coast at Bathsheba has surf and dramatic rocks, but swimming there is dangerous because of strong currents, so stay in the sheltered rock pools.
Many beachfront hotels quote rates without the service charge and taxes, so check the full price before you book. Easter falls on 28 March this year, and demand for flights and hotels on the island rises in the last week of the month.
Cancún is the Caribbean destination to avoid in March. American college spring break falls this month, and Cancún, along with Panama City Beach and South Padre Island in the United States, fills with student groups. Hotel rates rise and parties take over some beaches. If you are booked in anyway, stay somewhere quieter, such as Isla Mujeres or Puerto Morelos.
Europe: Holy Week comes early
Because Easter is early this year, Spain's Semana Santa runs from Palm Sunday, 21 March, to Easter Sunday, 28 March 2027. In Seville, religious brotherhoods carry heavy floats with statues through the streets day and night, followed by penitents in pointed hoods. Some processions last more than twelve hours.
Hotels in the old town sell out months in advance, many streets close, and getting around the centre takes patience. In India, Holi falls on 22 March, with the Holika Dahan bonfires on the evening of 21 March. Mathura and Vrindavan hold the most famous celebrations. Jaipur's are large but easier for first-timers to handle.
Joining the continents up
Few travellers will visit more than one continent in a March trip, but the regions here link together well inside themselves.
Japan
In Japan, the shinkansen runs from Tokyo to Kyoto, and Osaka is only about 15 minutes further by bullet train. That makes Osaka's Kansai Airport a convenient way to fly home without going back to Tokyo. A Japan Rail Pass now costs more than it used to, so for a simple Tokyo to Kyoto trip and back, single tickets often work out cheaper. Compare the two before you buy.
Vietnam and Nepal
In Vietnam, Da Nang's airport has domestic flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and international routes across Asia. Hoi An is about 45 minutes away by road, and Hue two to three hours.
Nepal's domestic flights from Kathmandu to Pokhara take under an hour, while the bus takes most of a day on a winding road. Chitwan National Park, where you can look for rhinos from a jeep or a canoe, is a half-day drive south of the capital.
Jordan and Morocco
Jordan is small enough to drive. Amman to Petra takes about three hours on the Desert Highway, and longer on the slower, more scenic King's Highway. Wadi Rum is under two hours south of Petra, and Aqaba's airport is close by if you would rather not drive back north. In Morocco, trains link Marrakech with Casablanca, Rabat and Fes, and buses reach Essaouira on the coast in about three hours.
Mexico and the Caribbean
In the Caribbean and Mexico, distances are bigger. Mexico City to Oaxaca is about an hour by air or six to seven hours by first-class bus. Havana to Viñales is roughly three hours by road, and shared taxis called colectivos cover the route.
Barbados has direct flights from London and from several North American cities, which makes it easy to reach on its own. Because the islands are not well connected to each other, it is usually simpler to choose one island than to try to hop between them.
A week in Japan, and five days in Jordan
For a week in Japan, stay in Tokyo near a Yamanote Line station such as Shinjuku, Shibuya or Ueno. The loop line makes every district easy to reach.
- On the first morning, visit Senso-ji in Asakusa before the tour groups arrive, and spend the evening in Shinjuku's lanes of small bars.
- Day two covers Meiji Shrine, Harajuku and Shibuya. If the blossom is out, finish at Ueno Park or along the Meguro River, where the trees are lit after dark. Take it slowly, because jet lag tends to hit hardest on the second day.
- On day three, take a day trip to Kamakura, about an hour away by train, to see its Great Buddha, or go to Hakone for lake views and, on a clear day, Mount Fuji.
- On day four, take the Nozomi shinkansen to Kyoto. The trip takes a little over two hours, and seats should be reserved in blossom season. Use the luggage-forwarding service at your hotel so you are not dragging suitcases through crowded stations. In Kyoto, stay near the station for convenience or in Higashiyama for atmosphere, and walk down from Kiyomizu-dera to Gion in the afternoon.
- Day five starts at Fushimi Inari at dawn, when the paths through the torii gates are nearly empty and the shrine is open all night. Spend the afternoon on the Philosopher's Path.
- Day six begins early in Arashiyama's bamboo grove, followed by an afternoon in Nara, under an hour away, for Todai-ji and the deer park.
- On day seven, have breakfast at Nishiki Market, then head to Kansai Airport.
A Jordan trip works well in five days. On the first night, sleep in Amman and visit Jerash. On day two, drive the King's Highway south to Wadi Musa. Spend day three inside Petra, sleep at a Wadi Rum camp on day four, and finish at the Dead Sea on day five before flying out of Amman.
The AI Trip Planner will adjust either route to your budget, and to the blossom dates once the forecasts are out.
Booking ahead
Japan in blossom season is the hardest trip to book this month. Hotels in Kyoto and central Tokyo fill four to six months ahead, so reserve refundable rooms early and adjust once the forecasts are published. Seville for Holy Week and Barbados at Easter need a similar lead time.
For Petra and Marrakech, two to three months ahead is usually enough, although the best riads and Wadi Rum camps go sooner. Mexico City, Hoi An, Havana and Kathmandu can generally be booked a month or two ahead, except during Holy Week, when Mexicans travel in large numbers.
Visas and entry, by region
Japan, Mexico and Barbados let many nationalities visit for short stays without a visa. Jordan offers visas on arrival to many travellers. The Jordan Pass, bought online before you arrive, includes the Petra entry fee and covers the visa fee for eligible visitors who stay at least three nights.
This usually costs less than paying for the visa and the Petra ticket separately. Vietnam issues e-visas through its official portal at evisa.gov.vn. Nepal offers visas on arrival at Kathmandu airport and an online form through its Department of Immigration. See our Nepal visa guide for details.
Most visitors to Cuba need a tourist visa or tourist card before they arrive. Morocco lets many nationalities in visa-free. Rules change, so check the official government source for every country on your route. The visa section covers more destinations.
Staying well
Mexico City sits at about 2,240 metres and Kathmandu at around 1,400 metres. Both can have poor air quality, and some visitors to Mexico City feel short of breath for the first day or two. Take it easy at first, and carry any inhaler you use.
Dengue occurs in the Caribbean, Mexico and Vietnam, so wear repellent during the day as well as at dusk. Drink bottled or filtered water in Nepal, Morocco, Mexico, Cuba and Vietnam. At Petra, the main risks are heat on the long climbs and slippery stone steps, so carry water and wear shoes with good grip.
Cuban pharmacies are often short of basic medicines, so bring a full first-aid kit. See a travel clinic at least six weeks before you go.
Keeping costs down
In Japan, the first half of March has lower hotel rates than the blossom peak, and parks outside the famous names have the same trees. In Barbados, rum shops and the Oistins fish fry cost far less than hotel restaurants, and the island's buses cover most of the coast cheaply.
In Mexico City, the Metrobús and metro are much cheaper than taxis for crossing the city in the daytime. In Hoi An, a bicycle borrowed or hired from your hotel is the cheapest way to reach the beach and the rice fields.
Packing for four climates
- Japan: For Tokyo and Kyoto, with afternoons around 14°C and frequent rain, bring a warm jacket, an umbrella and comfortable walking shoes. Pack socks without holes, as you will take your shoes off at temples.
- Jordan: Petra's nights fall to about 6°C and Wadi Rum's desert is colder still, so take a fleece and a warm hat as well as shoes with good grip for the stone steps.
- Kathmandu and Mexico City: Kathmandu and Mexico City both have warm afternoons in the mid 20s and nights near 10°C, so layers work best.
- The warm places: Barbados, Havana and Hoi An need summer clothes, swimwear, a hat and reef-safe sunscreen.
- Temples and old quarters: Bring clothes that cover your shoulders and knees for temples in Nepal and Vietnam and for the old quarters of Marrakech.
- Holi: If you plan to join Holi, pack old clothes you can throw away afterwards.
How we checked this
The climate figures are long-term averages from national weather services, mostly their 1991 to 2020 normals. Event dates come from the organisers or official calendars, and entry rules from government portals; we checked them all in November 2026. You can read more about how we research our guides.
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