Where to go
The best places to visit in spring, from March to May
Spring is the season for green landscapes, long evenings and cities without queues. Seven places at their best between March and May, plus month-by-month guides for the rest.
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In April and May the hills of the Val d'Orcia are a vivid green, before the summer sun bleaches them gold. Cypresses climb in lines towards the farmhouses and poppies appear along the edges of the wheat fields. This is the Tuscany of the postcards, and it only looks like this for a few weeks.
Spring is the best time to travel across much of Europe and Asia. It is warm enough to walk and eat outdoors without needing a siesta, and hotels have not yet switched to summer rates. Here are seven places at their best in spring. If you are travelling in a particular month, our guides to March, April and May go further.
Short answer: where should you go in spring?
Kyoto is at its finest during cherry blossom in late March and early April. In Europe, Sicily, Tuscany and the Cinque Terre are at their best in April and May, while Dubrovnik and Budapest are most enjoyable before the summer crowds. Spring is also the best season for walking along the Mediterranean.
Best for blossom: Kyoto
Best for hiking: the Cinque Terre
Best for landscapes: Val d'Orcia, Tuscany
Best for tradition: Sicily at Easter
Best for a city break: Budapest and Copenhagen
Kyoto: cherry blossom among the temples
Kyoto has well over a thousand temples and shrines, and in spring many of them are framed in pink. The Philosopher's Path, a canal walk lined with cherry trees between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji, is the most famous. In Maruyama Park, crowds gather in the evening beneath a great weeping cherry lit up after dark.
Blossom usually arrives in late March or early April, slightly after Tokyo. Watch the forecasts and keep a couple of days flexible.
The catch: Kyoto is extremely busy in blossom season. Head out at sunrise to have the temples in peace.
Sicily: Easter and Etna
Easter in Sicily is pure theatre. In Trapani, local men carry heavy wooden sculptures of the Passion through the streets in a procession lasting a full day and night from Good Friday. In 2027 Good Friday falls on 26 March.
In spring the island is green, and Etna often wears snow on its summit while the orange trees blossom on the coast below. Taormina, Syracuse and the baroque towns of Noto and Ragusa are pleasant to explore before the summer heat.
The catch: the sea stays cold until late May. This is a trip for culture and food.
Tuscany: the Val d'Orcia in green
The Val d'Orcia south of Siena is the valley from the postcards: soft hills, cypresses and a farmhouse on every rise. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and greenest from April to early June.
Drive between Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciano, taste pecorino and Brunello, and stop at the Vitaleta chapel, standing alone among its cypresses.
The catch: you need a car. Trains do not reach the villages.
The Cinque Terre: paths between the villages
The five colourful villages of the Cinque Terre cling to the cliffs of the Ligurian coast, linked by paths through vineyard terraces and lemon groves. In spring the trails are dry, the terraces green and the trains not yet packed.
Walk the stretch from Vernazza to Monterosso early in the morning and take the train back. Some trails require the Cinque Terre Card, sold at the trailheads.
The catch: paths close after heavy rain or landslides. Check their status before setting off.
Dubrovnik: the walls before the cruise ships
In summer Dubrovnik can be so crowded that you queue on the city walls. In April and May there is room to breathe. Walk the walls early, while the stone is still cool, and ride the cable car up Mount Srđ for the view over the old town.
Spring is also good for day trips to Lokrum, the island just offshore, and by boat to the Elaphiti Islands.
The catch: cruise ships call in May too. Check the port schedule and save the walls for quieter days.
Budapest: thermal baths and the Danube
Budapest is a spring city. When the first warm days arrive, people fill the banks of the Danube and the ruin bars of the Jewish Quarter open their courtyards again.
Soak at the Széchenyi Baths, where the outdoor pools stay warm all year, and ride the tram along the river in the evening when the parliament is lit up.
The catch: April weather can swing widely. Pack layers.
Gresham Palace: Art Nouveau by the Chain Bridge
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace occupies an Art Nouveau palace at the foot of the Chain Bridge, looking across the Danube to Buda Castle. Most of Pest is within walking distance. For travellers who want the city from its finest address.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Gresham Palace
Copenhagen: cherry trees and Tivoli
In late April the avenue of cherry trees at Bispebjerg Cemetery bursts into bloom, and Copenhageners come with coffee and cameras. Around Easter, Tivoli opens for its summer season and the harbour baths get ready for swimmers.
Spring is the best season for cycling here. Hire a bike and ride from Nyhavn to Christianshavn and on to Refshaleøen, home to street food markets and some of the city's newest restaurants.
The catch: Copenhagen is often windy in spring. Bring a proper jacket.
Spring, month by month
March: Las Fallas in Valencia, cherry blossom in Tokyo and St Patrick's Day in Dublin. See Best places to travel in March.
April: tulips in Amsterdam, mountain trails in Mallorca and the Amalfi Coast waking up. See Best places to travel in April.
May: the Prague Spring, Cannes and Norway's national day in Stavanger. See Best places to travel in May.
Easter moves: Easter is on 28 March in 2027. The week around it brings high prices and full flights, so travel before or after if you can.
Spring travel: your questions answered
Where is the best place to visit in spring?
Kyoto during cherry blossom, and Sicily, Tuscany and the Cinque Terre in April and May. For city breaks, Budapest and Copenhagen are excellent in spring.
Where is warm in Europe in spring?
The Canary Islands are warmest early in spring. From late April, southern Spain, Sicily and Crete are warm enough to spend the whole day outdoors.
When is the cheapest time to travel in spring?
The weeks around Easter are the most expensive. March and early May often bring good prices in southern Europe.
When do the cherry trees blossom in Japan?
Usually from late March to early April in Tokyo and Kyoto. Full bloom lasts about a week.
Is spring a good time for hiking in southern Europe?
Yes. April and May are among the best months for walking in the Cinque Terre, Mallorca and along the Amalfi Coast, before the summer heat.