Where should you travel in March 2027?

Quick picks for March 2027

• Warm and sunny: Palawan and Cebu, New Zealand's South Island, Sydney.

• Cities: Tokyo, Seville, Valencia, Rome.

• Festivals: Sydney Mardi Gras parade (6 March), Las Fallas (15 to 19 March), Semana Santa (21 to 28 March), Easter in Rome (28 March), cherry blossom in Tokyo (late March).

• Budget: Turkey, after the bayram.

• Skip: Chiang Mai and northern Thailand (smoke), Bali on 8 March, Java in Lebaran week.

Warm and sunny

1. Palawan and Cebu, the Philippines. PAGASA calls March to May the hot dry season. Manila highs reach about 33 to 34°C (91 to 93°F), and the seas around El Nido and Coron are calm. The catch is Holy Week, 25 to 27 March 2027 for the main holidays, when Filipinos travel and beach towns fill; go in the first half of the month. See best time to visit the Philippines and our Palawan itinerary.

2. New Zealand's South Island. March keeps summer's settled weather, warm lakes and long days, with the school holidays over. This is the month we spent there: Milford Sound on 4 March 2023, Queenstown, Wanaka from 7 to 9 March, Fox Glacier from 10 to 12 March and Arthur's Pass on 13 March. The catch: nights cool quickly at altitude, and Easter (28 March) brings a busy week. See best time to visit New Zealand, how many days in Wanaka and the Milford Sound cruise guide.

3. Sydney, Australia. Autumn starts, with highs easing from about 25°C (77°F). The organisers list the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade on Saturday 6 March 2027 along Oxford Street. The catch: hotels near Oxford Street book up early for parade weekend. See best time to visit Australia.

Cities and festivals

4. Tokyo and the Japanese Alps. The Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991 to 2020 normals put Tokyo's first bloom on 24 March and full bloom on 31 March; recent springs have run earlier (2026: 19 and 28 March). The first 2027 forecast usually comes in mid-December. Tokyo is about 5 to 14°C (41 to 57°F) in March. The catch is price and crowds in the last week of March, so book rooms early with free cancellation. Our cherry blossom guide has the dates by city. We were in Tokyo from 18 to 22 March 2023, then Hakone, Matsumoto and Takayama (Takayama guide).

5. Valencia, Spain. Las Fallas 2027 runs at full strength from 15 to 19 March, ending with the Cremà on the night of Friday 19 March, when the monuments are burned. The daily 2pm mascletà in Plaza del Ayuntamiento starts on 1 March. The catch: those five days are Valencia's most expensive and noisiest. See our Las Fallas guide. We were in Valencia in July 2022.

6. Seville and Andalusia, Spain. Semana Santa runs from Palm Sunday, 21 March, to Easter Sunday, 28 March, with the Madrugá in Seville in the early hours of Good Friday. Seville averages about 22°C (72°F) in March. Watch processions quietly, do not cross through a procession's path, and keep the flash off. The catch is Holy Week hotel prices, and rain can cancel processions. See our Semana Santa guide and Andalusia by train. We were in Seville in August 2022.

7. Rome, Italy. Holy Week in Rome runs from 21 March to Easter Monday, 29 March. Tickets for the papal liturgies in St Peter's are free from the Prefecture of the Papal Household, and the Urbi et Orbi blessing at noon on Easter Sunday needs none. Rome is around 17°C (63°F) in March. The catch: the Vatican Museums close on Easter Sunday and Monday. See our Easter in Rome guide. Rome was not on our route.

Budget picks

8. Istanbul and western Turkey. March to early April is one of Turkey's quietest windows, and prices are still at winter levels. Istanbul highs are about 12°C (54°F) in March. Ramadan ends around 8 March, and Ramazan Bayramı (Eid al-Fitr) is Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March 2027 by the Diyanet calendar, with a half day from 13:00 on the 8th. The holiday itself is pleasant in the city, but intercity buses and domestic flights are at their busiest that week. Go after about 14 March. See our Eid al-Fitr in Turkey guide and best time to visit Turkey. We were in Turkey in October and November 2023.

9. Ho Chi Minh City. Still dry, about 24 to 35°C (75 to 95°F), and with Tết over, prices return to normal. A good starting point for a south-to-north Vietnam trip that reaches Hoi An in April. See how many days in Ho Chi Minh City.

Where to avoid in March

• Chiang Mai and northern Thailand. March falls in the February to April haze-risk window; see our burning season guide. The Andaman beaches still work.

• Bali on Monday 8 March. Nyepi, the Day of Silence, closes the island from 06:00 on 8 March to 06:00 on 9 March; in 2026 the airport suspended every regular flight. Stay in your hotel, keep lights low and do not go out. See our Nyepi guide.

• Java and the Bali ferries in Lebaran week. Idul Fitri is 10 and 11 March, with collective leave on 9, 12 and 15 March; the mudik exodus fills trains, ferries and flights (Lebaran guide).

• Hanoi, if you want sun. Still about 18 to 24°C (64 to 75°F) and often grey. April is better.

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