Where it's hot in April

Top 10 destinations in April

1. 1.Chiang Mai, Thailand

   37°couples

   Songkran, the Thai New Year, falls on 13-15 April and centres on the old city moat. Average 36°C, so the water is welcome. This is also burning season in the surrounding hills: air quality is often poor through the first half of the month, which matters for anyone sensitive to smoke. The festival is worth planning around; the wider trip is not, in this month specifically.

2. 2.Muscat, Oman

   34°luxury

   34°C and dry, with humidity still moderate on the coast. By July the average is 42°C. April is the final workable month for the corniche, the Muttrah souq and the Daymaniyat Islands dive sites. Ramadan timing shifts each year and can affect opening hours; check the dates before booking.

3. 3.Cancun, Mexico

   30°diving

   30°C with about 4 rain days for the month and sea temperatures near 27°C. Spring-break crowds have thinned by mid-April. Reef visibility on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is at annual highs, and the cenotes inland are at low turbidity. From May onwards rain days rise sharply.

4. 4.Havana, Cuba

   30°couples

   29°C, low rainfall, and the trade winds still moderating afternoon heat. From May onwards humidity climbs steeply. Casas particulares fill quickly for this window; booking a month ahead is usually enough.

5. 5.Sevilla, Spain

   24°culture

   24°C and dry, with the Feria de Abril usually falling two weeks after Easter. Orange blossom is out across the centre. Semana Santa week is a separate spike in prices and crowds; the two weeks between Easter and the Feria are a quieter and cheaper window with the same weather.

6. 6.Kyoto, Japan

   20°culture

   20°C. Tokyo's peak bloom typically ends in the first week of April, but Kyoto's mountain temples at Ohara and Kurama hold blossom into the middle of the month. Golden Week begins on 29 April and pushes prices sharply; the two weeks before it are the value window.

7. 7.Athens, Greece

   21°solo

   20°C, walkable across the centre. Acropolis crowds are manageable before 09:00. Ferry services to the Saronic islands run at reduced frequency but are sufficient for a two-night trip. Hydra and Aegina cost a fraction of the June rate.

8. 8.Cape Town, South Africa

   24°families

   23°C with the wind dropping from its summer levels. Wine harvest continues through April in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Boulders Beach is quieter than in December. Time difference from the UK is one hour, so the long flight carries no jet lag.

9. 9.Seoul, South Korea

   19°solo

   17°C with the Yeouido Blossom Festival in the first half of the month. Bukhansan National Park is 40 minutes from central Seoul on the subway and holds blossoms at ridge height. A mid-layer is enough for the mornings; a heavy coat is not needed.

10. 10.Marrakech, Morocco

    26°couples

    26°C in the city, with the rose harvest opening in the Dades and Roses Valley south of the High Atlas. Easter brings a price spike; the week after is one of the better-value points in the Moroccan calendar. The High Atlas peaks retain snow, which shows well from the Palmeraie.

April picks by traveller type

• Cancun

  30°C with about 4 rain days and calm sea temperatures near 27°C. The resort zone has shallow, protected water suited to younger swimmers. Chichen Itza is a two-hour drive; a full-day trip is manageable if it starts early. Spring-break volume drops off after the first week.

• Cape Town

  23°C in autumn light. Boulders Beach penguins, the cable car up Table Mountain and the Two Oceans Aquarium fill several days on their own. Time difference from the UK is one hour, so no jet lag. The Winelands are 45 minutes out and set up for family-scale visits.

• Sydney

  23°C in autumn with clearer skies than summer. Manly and Bondi are comfortable rather than hot. Taronga Zoo, Wildlife Sydney and the Blue Mountains day trip give a workable week. Time difference from the UK is 9 to 10 hours, so plan the first two days for jet lag.

April by region

Average temperatures by destination

Readings come from the last ten years of daily weather data, so they reflect the climate as it is now, not as it was decades ago. Data: Visual Crossing global historical archive. How we compute this

What to pack for April

April covers a wide range. Chiang Mai and Bangkok require light cotton or linen and sun protection at 35 to 36°C. The Mediterranean at 19 to 24°C needs one layer for the evening. Tokyo, Kyoto and Seoul at 17 to 20°C need a mid-layer for the morning. Amsterdam at 14°C needs a shell and warmer layers. High SPF is advisable south of the Mediterranean. A compact umbrella covers the northern European rain days.

Where to avoid in April

Karachi and the Pakistani lowlands are pushing 40°C with rising humidity, uncomfortable for sightseeing. The Amazon basin is at its rainy-season peak with flooded access roads and heavy mosquito pressure. Bangladesh and eastern India suffer pre-monsoon haze that reduces visibility. Iceland and northern Norway remain snowbound and dark outside the capital, so nature-focused itineraries are premature by four to six weeks. Northern Thailand records agricultural burning through the first half of the month with degraded air quality.

Frequently asked

Where is hot in April for a beach holiday?

Cancun averages 30°C with sea temperatures near 27°C and about 4 rain days for the month. The Maldives averages 31°C with sea 29°C. Barbados averages 31°C. Phuket averages 34°C but the Andaman coast is transitioning toward the southwest monsoon in mid-May, so early April is the more reliable half. Punta Cana averages 29°C with only about 3 rain days.

Is April a good time to visit Japan?

Tokyo's cherry blossom typically peaks in the first week of April, and Kyoto's higher-elevation temples hold blossom into the second week. Average 19 to 20°C. Golden Week begins on 29 April and pushes prices for accommodation and Shinkansen tickets; the two weeks before Golden Week are the value window. Book two to three months ahead for the blossom dates.

Which European cities are best in April?

Seville at 24°C, with the Feria de Abril usually two weeks after Easter. Athens at 20°C with wildflowers on the archaeological sites. Lisbon and Rome at 19°C, walkable across the centre. Amsterdam at 14°C for the tulip season at Keukenhof. All of these cities are notably cheaper than in June, particularly outside Easter week.

What is the weather like in April in Southeast Asia?

Southeast Asia is hot across the region. Bangkok averages 35°C, Chiang Mai 36°C during Songkran on 13-15 April, Hanoi 29°C. The Gulf of Thailand is dry; the Andaman coast records its best diving visibility of the year before the southwest monsoon arrives in mid-May. Northern Thailand records agricultural burning through the first half of the month.

Which April destinations are the most reliably dry?

In the 19 to 27°C warm band, the tightest year-to-year swings over the last ten years of daily data are Puerto Vallarta (27°C, close to 0 rain days, swings of only ±3°) and San Pedro de Atacama in Chile (23°C, under 1 rain day, ±4°). These are the destinations where the average is closest to what a traveller actually experiences. Gorée Island in Senegal (26°C, near 0 rain days) and Tafraoute in southern Morocco (25°C, under 1 rain day) are also dry, but April temperatures there swing by ±7 to ±8° from year to year.