Where to go in April: the short answer
Go to Seoul, Turkey and Portugal in April; add Croatia, Scotland and Bali if you have the time. April is Europe's first proper travelling month and the start of Bali's drier half of the year. It is also when cherry blossom reaches Seoul.
We chose from the 32 destinations whose month bar marks April as a sweet spot (the best balance of weather, crowds and price), then spread the picks across regions. Prices are our own mid-range estimates per person per day, flights excluded, as of October 2026. April is Easter month in much of Europe, so prices and crowds can spike on the holiday dates even when the weather is mild.
Five places to go to in April
Seoul (about $120 (≈ €105 / £95) a day, crowds 3 out of 5). Cherry blossom lands in April, the city's first peak month. Gyeongbokgung opens early, and hanbok rental gets free entry. The catch is air quality, which dips in spring, and hotel prices around the blossom weeks.
Turkey (about $100 (≈ €90 / £80) a day, crowds 4 out of 5). Spring is among the best months: mild and clear. Take a Bosphorus ferry for the Istanbul skyline, and book Cappadocia balloon flights with a spare day, because they need calm weather. Touts and taxi disputes are the usual annoyances.
Portugal (about $120 (≈ €105 / £95) a day, crowds 4 out of 5). Lisbon, Porto and the Douro by train, with the Algarve before its beaches fill. Rain can still come. Eat pastel de nata in the morning, and ride the Elevador da Bica to avoid the Tram 28 queue.
Croatia (about $140 (≈ €125 / £110) a day, crowds 4 out of 5). Walk Dubrovnik's walls early, before the cruise-ship crowds, which build through summer. April is for walking and old towns, not swimming: sea warmth does not peak until August. Plitvice is best in the early morning.
Scotland (about $170 (≈ €150 / £135) a day, crowds 3 out of 5). Cool and changeable: rain can come in any month, so layers matter more than the date. April avoids the midges, which are worst from June to August at dusk. The A82 through Glencoe is a great drive; stop at the lay-bys.
Bali (about $90 (≈ €80 / £70) a day, crowds 4 out of 5). The dry season, roughly April to October, begins, and the crowds have not yet built. Ride to the quieter terraces north of Ubud before 9am. Traffic around Canggu, Seminyak and Ubud is heavy, and scooters are the main injury risk.
April at a glance
The table sets the 6 picks side by side. Crowd and safety scores are our own estimates on a 1 to 5 scale, where 5 for crowds means overtourism at peak and 5 for safety means the lowest risk.
| Destination | Mid-range per day | Crowds (1 to 5) | Safety (1 to 5) | All best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seoul | $120 (≈ €105 / £95) | 3 | 5 | Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct |
| Turkey | $100 (≈ €90 / £80) | 4 | 3 | Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct |
| Portugal | $120 (≈ €105 / £95) | 4 | 5 | Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct |
| Croatia | $140 (≈ €125 / £110) | 4 | 5 | May–Jun & Sep |
| Scotland | $170 (≈ €150 / £135) | 3 | 5 | May–Sep |
| Bali | $90 (≈ €80 / £70) | 4 | 4 | Apr–Jun & Sep |
Where April is harder work
Our month bars mark Tokyo, Costa Rica, Egypt, Tulum, Patagonia, Lofoten and Singapore as peak season in April, meaning busiest, dearest or hottest. Swiss Alps, Banff, The Dolomites, Angkor Wat, Rajasthan, Thailand and East Africa safari sit in the off-peak band: quieter, but check weather and closures before you commit.
Safety scores for every place are on its destination page, with links to the UK FCDO, US State Department, Smartraveller, Japan MOFA and South Korea 0404 pages. We do not quote levels because they change; read the agencies before you book. To see two picks side by side, compare Portugal and Croatia, or browse the rest of the month-by-month guides.
April travel: frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest place to go in April?
Of our April picks, Bali at about $90 (≈ €80 / £70) a day mid-range per person, against about $170 (≈ €150 / £135) for Scotland. Flights are excluded, and these are estimates as of October 2026.
Where will I find the fewest crowds in April?
Seoul and Scotland score lowest for crowds among our picks, at 3 out of 5. Scores are our estimate of how busy each place gets at its peak, so a sweet-spot month is usually quieter than the number suggests.
Is April peak season anywhere?
Yes. Our bars mark Tokyo, Costa Rica, Egypt, Tulum, Patagonia, Lofoten and Singapore as peak in April. Book 4 to 6 months ahead for peak months and 2 to 3 months ahead for sweet-spot months.
Is the weather the same in all these places in April?
No. The picks are spread across hemispheres and altitudes, so check each destination page for its weather notes and live temperature before you pack.