Best Places to Travel in March: Spring Break and Beyond Edition
March is one of the most travel-friendly months of the year. Here’s where to go and why the timing is better than you’d expect.
March has a lot going for it as a travel month. Spring break falls here for most schools and universities, which means a built-in window of time that’s specifically designed for getting out in the world. But even beyond spring break, March is a strong month to travel as winter pricing is still in effect for many destinations, the shoulder season hasn’t fully kicked in yet, and a handful of places around the world are doing something in March that they don’t do any other time of year.
The key, as always, is knowing where to go. Some destinations peak in March. Some have a festival or natural event that makes the timing specific and irreplaceable. And some are simply better in March than they are in the summer months when everyone else shows up.
Here’s where to go in March, and what makes each destination worth the trip.
Nothing like a pint of Guinness at a Dublin pub on St. Patrick's Day
Ireland: St. Patrick’s Day, but make it the real thing
If you’re going to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you might as well do it in Ireland. The difference between a St. Patrick’s Day parade at home and St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin or Galway is the difference between watching a game on TV and being in the stadium. The energy is different. The context is different. And the craic—the Irish term for fun, conversation, and general good times—is something you can’t replicate anywhere else.
Dublin’s St. Patrick’s Festival runs for several days around March 17th, with parades, live music, street performances, and city-wide festivities that turns the whole place into a party. Galway, on the west coast, has a more intimate version of the same energy with cobblestone streets, traditional pubs, and a warmth from locals that makes you feel like you’ve been welcomed into something real rather than a tourist production.
But Ireland in March is worth visiting even if you’re not there for St. Patrick’s Day. The countryside is green in a way that earns the “Emerald Isle” nickname. The Cliffs of Moher are dramatic in any weather, and March’s moody skies tend to make them more cinematic.
EF Ultimate Break offers dedicated trips such as Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in Dublin and Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day in Galway built specifically around the holiday, as well as the Grand Tour of Ireland for travelers who want to see more of the country beyond the celebrations. All three run March departures.
Checking out the cherry blossoms in Japan
Japan: cherry blossom season starts here
Late March marks the beginning of cherry blossom season in Japan and it’s one of the most anticipated natural events in the world for good reason. The blossoms typically start in the south and move north, with Tokyo and Kyoto usually hitting peak bloom somewhere between late March and early April depending on the year. Timing varies, but March is when it begins, and catching the early bloom before the full spring rush arrives is its own reward.
Cherry blossom season in Japan is beautiful in a way that photographs don’t fully capture. Parks, temple grounds, and riverbanks fill with pale pink and white blossoms. People gather for hanami—flower-viewing picnics—under the trees. The whole country seems to exhale.
Beyond the blossoms, Japan in March is still in shoulder season with cooler temperatures, manageable crowds, and prices that haven’t yet hit the spring peak.
EF Ultimate Break’s Japan: Tokyo & Beyond covers Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka over nine days, with guided experiences and a Tour Director who knows the country. For a deeper look at the country, Highlights of Japan extends the trip to 14 days across five cities giving you more time to be in the places where the blossoms matter most.
Lush, misty landscapes and learning local weaving in Peru
Peru: dry season is approaching, Machu Picchu is quieter
March sits at the tail end of Peru’s rainy season, which means conditions are improving week by week and the crowds at Machu Picchu haven’t yet built to their summer peak. It’s a good window for travelers who want to experience one of the world’s most extraordinary sites without fighting through a crowd to see it.
Machu Picchu in March is lush and green from the recent rains, with mist rolling through the mountains in the early morning.
Lima and Cusco are worth time on their own. Lima’s food scene is world-class with ceviche, lomo saltado, causa, and more. Cusco’s colonial architecture sits directly on top of Inca stonework and makes the whole city feel like a living archaeological site. The Sacred Valley, between Cusco and Machu Picchu, has Inca ruins, local markets, and landscapes that don’t need any particular weather to be worth seeing.
EF Ultimate Break’s Peru & Machu Picchu Adventure covers Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu over 10 days, with a Tour Director, guided experiences, and local knowledge that turns a sightseeing trip into something that actually sticks.
Floating through markets and trekking around temples in Thailand
Thailand: last chance before the heat arrives
March is one of the final good months to visit Thailand before the hot season kicks in and it’s also when the Songkran Festival (Thai New Year) starts to approach, with the full celebration landing in mid-April. If you want Thailand at its most vibrant without the extreme heat of April and May, March is your window.
The beaches are still excellent. Bangkok is buzzing. Chiang Mai’s temples and night markets are best explored in cooler temperatures, and March delivers that. The food is as good as it ever is, which is to say: very, very good.
The country has a depth to it—culturally, historically, culinarily—that rewards travelers who go beyond the beach. The temples of Chiang Mai, the floating markets outside Bangkok, the islands of the south—each region feels distinct, and March gives you comfortable conditions to move between them.
EF Ultimate Break’s Thailand Getaway covers Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and the islands over 11 days. For travelers who want to extend the experience into the wider region, Highlights of Southeast Asia adds Cambodia and Vietnam to the mix.
Drinking freddo cappuccino in the Plaka neighborhood of Athens, Greece
Greece: beat the summer crowds to the islands
Most people think of Greece as a summer destination, and most people are wrong—or at least, they’re missing out on what Greece is like before the summer crowds arrive. March in Greece is cool and quiet, with temperatures in the 50s–60s°F in Athens and the islands. The major sites like the Acropolis, Santorini’s caldera, and the ruins of Delphi are significantly less crowded than they’ll be in July and August.
Athens in March is a city that rewards slow exploration. The Acropolis without a crowd is a different experience than the Acropolis with one. The Plaka neighborhood, the ancient Agora, and the National Archaeological Museum are all more accessible, more personal, and more enjoyable when you’re not navigating through tour groups at every turn.
The Greek Islands in March are quieter and cooler, but many are open and worth visiting. Santorini’s iconic caldera views don’t require sunshine to be spectacular, and the island’s famous blue-domed churches look just as good against a dramatic March sky as they do in summer. For travelers who want the full island experience, the shoulder season is genuinely the move.
EF Ultimate Break’s The Greek Islands trip covers Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, and more over 11 days. And for travelers who want to stack the ancient world into a single trip, Ancient Wonders: Cairo, Athens & Rome combines Greece with Egypt and Italy for a full-on history-buff adventure.
The bottom line on March travel
March is one of the most travel-friendly months of the year. Spring break gives you the time, shoulder-season pricing gives you the budget room, and the destinations that shine in March are worth vacay-ing to. Whether you’re chasing cherry blossoms in Japan, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland, or getting to Machu Picchu before the summer rush, March has a reason for every traveler.
EF Ultimate Break runs departures year-round, with a Tour Director, handpicked accommodations, guided experiences, and 24/7 support on every trip. You can start with just $99 down and use an interest-free payment plan to spread the cost over time. Browse all trips at efultimatebreak.com and find the one that makes March the month you actually go.
Key takeaways
March is one of the strongest travel months of the year—spring break timing, shoulder-season prices, and several destinations that are at their best.
Ireland in March means St. Patrick’s Day the way it’s supposed to be celebrated—in Dublin or Galway, with the real thing.
Late March marks the start of cherry blossom season in Japan, one of the most anticipated natural events in the world.
Peru in March sits at the tail end of rainy season, with improving conditions, lush landscapes, and a quieter Machu Picchu than you’d find in summer.
Thailand in March is warm without being brutal. The last comfortable window before the hot season.
Greece in March means the Acropolis, Santorini, and the islands without the summer crowds.
All EF Ultimate Break trips include a Tour Director, handpicked accommodations, key guided experiences, and 24/7 support—with interest-free payment plans starting at just $99 down.
