Where to go in March: the short answer
Go to Portugal, Morocco and Petra in March; add Kyoto, Vietnam and Cape Town if you have the time. March is when the northern hemisphere starts to forgive you: the Mediterranean warms, Japan's blossom approaches, and the desert is still cool enough to walk in.
We chose from the 21 destinations whose month bar marks March 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. March is a transition month, so weather can disagree with the average: Portugal can still be wet, and Kyoto's blossom is both the prize and the crowd.
Five places to go to in March
Portugal (about $120 (≈ €105 / £95) a day, crowds 4 out of 5). Lisbon is mild, the hills are kinder to legs than in July, and the Algarve has none of the July crowds. Rain is still possible, since winters here are mild and wet. Ride the Elevador da Bica instead of queueing for Tram 28.
Morocco (about $85 (≈ €75 / £65) a day, crowds 3 out of 5). March to May is one of the two comfortable windows in Marrakech (the other is October to November). Give the Sahara at Merzouga two nights; the drive is long and worth it. The catch is hassle: touts, and medina lanes where even phone maps struggle.
Petra (about $130 (≈ €115 / £100) a day, crowds 4 out of 5). March to May is warm and clear, the best time to go. Reach the Siq at opening for softer light and fewer people, and start the roughly 800 steps to the Monastery early. Tickets and tours are expensive for the region.
Kyoto (about $170 (≈ €150 / £135) a day, crowds 5 out of 5). Cherry blossom arrives from late March to early April, and Kyoto is then at its busiest and dearest. Go to Fushimi Inari before 7am. Book months ahead, and expect Arashiyama's bamboo grove to be busy by 9am.
Vietnam (about $65 (≈ €60 / £50) a day, crowds 3 out of 5). Warm and dry in the centre and south, which is why Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City work now. Arrive in Hoi An early, before the day-trippers, and rent a bicycle for the rice-field lanes. Weather still swings by region, so plan around one.
Cape Town (about $110 (≈ €100 / £85) a day, crowds 3 out of 5). March closes the dry summer: still warm, and still windy. The Cape Peninsula drive takes a full day, and the Winelands at Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are an easy day trip. Crime needs daily vigilance, and wind can shut the cable car.
March 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | $120 (≈ €105 / £95) | 4 | 5 | Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct |
| Morocco | $85 (≈ €75 / £65) | 3 | 3 | Mar–May & Sep–Nov |
| Petra | $130 (≈ €115 / £100) | 4 | 4 | Mar–May & Sep–Nov |
| Kyoto | $170 (≈ €150 / £135) | 5 | 5 | Mar–May & Oct–Nov |
| Vietnam | $65 (≈ €60 / £50) | 3 | 4 | Feb–Apr & Sep–Nov |
| Cape Town | $110 (≈ €100 / £85) | 3 | 3 | Nov–Apr |
Where March is harder work
Our month bars mark Tokyo, The Maldives, Costa Rica, Rome, Barcelona, Swiss Alps and Seoul as peak season in March, meaning busiest, dearest or hottest. Santorini, Bali, Machu Picchu, Uluwatu, Nusa Penida, Amalfi Coast and Italy and others 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 Morocco, or browse the rest of the month-by-month guides.
March travel: frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest place to go in March?
Of our March picks, Vietnam at about $65 (≈ €60 / £50) a day mid-range per person, against about $170 (≈ €150 / £135) for Kyoto. Flights are excluded, and these are estimates as of October 2026.
Where will I find the fewest crowds in March?
Morocco, Vietnam and Cape Town 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 March peak season anywhere?
Yes. Our bars mark Tokyo, The Maldives, Costa Rica, Rome, Barcelona, Swiss Alps and Seoul as peak in March. 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 March?
No. The picks are spread across hemispheres and altitudes, so check each destination page for its weather notes and live temperature before you pack.