Happy Layover

Where to go in March

24 of the 57 places we track are at their best in March. The cheapest of them to fly to right now: Kathmandu from ₹10,298, Maldives from ₹11,053 and Muscat from ₹11,065. Busy times to fly out of India that month: Eid al-Fitr, Holi and Good Friday weekend.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

At their best in March

Places with their best weather in March, cheapest first where our scanner has a fare from India that month.

KathmanduNepal 22° / 10° some rainPeak Spring: rhododendrons in bloom and Everest expedition season, with some haze in the valley. From ₹10,298 from Delhi, one-way MaldivesMaldives 29° / 27° some rainPeak Dry season: sunny, calm seas and the clearest water for snorkelling and diving. Also the most expensive; Christmas... From ₹11,053 from Mumbai, one-way MuscatOman 30° / 22° dryShoulder Cool season, 25-30°C: ideal for the wadis, the Hajar mountains and the Wahiba Sands. From ₹11,065 from Bangalore, one-way ColomboSri Lanka 31° / 24° rainy spellsShoulder Dry, sunny season on the west and south coasts (Colombo, Galle, Mirissa). Whale watching off Mirissa runs roughly... From ₹11,452 from Hyderabad, one-way Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates 30° / 19° dryPeak Winter: sunny and 24-30°C, the best time for the Corniche, Saadiyat beaches and desert trips. From ₹12,727 from Bangalore, one-way Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam 35° / 25° dryShoulder Dry season: sunny with little rain. March and April get very hot, up to 35°C. From ₹13,033 from Bangalore, one-way SingaporeSingapore 30° / 25° wetShoulder February to April are the driest, sunniest months, still around 31-32°C. From ₹13,070 from Chennai, one-way HanoiVietnam 26° / 19° some rainPeak Spring: warm and pleasant, with light drizzle in March. From ₹13,621 from Bangalore, one-way DubaiUnited Arab Emirates 28° / 19° dryPeak Winter: sunny and 24-30°C, perfect for beaches, desert safaris and eating outdoors. Peak season. From ₹14,593 from Bangalore, one-way PhuketThailand 32° / 26° some rainShoulder Dry season: calm, clear Andaman Sea, ideal for beaches and island trips. The Similan Islands are open from... From ₹14,777 from Bangalore, one-way DohaQatar 27° / 18° dryPeak Winter: 22-28°C and sunny, the best time for the Corniche, the souqs and desert trips. From ₹15,956 from Delhi, one-way TaipeiTaiwan 21° / 15° wetShoulder From ₹36,897 from Chennai, return PerthAustralia 30° / 18° mostly dryShoulder From ₹55,984 from Hyderabad, return TokyoJapan 14° / 5° rainy spellsPeak Cherry blossom season: Tokyo usually blooms from late March to early April. Beautiful, and the busiest, priciest... From ₹57,090 from Delhi, return OsakaJapan 14° / 6° rainy spellsPeak Cherry blossom season, usually late March to early April; Kyoto, 30 minutes away, is at its most crowded. From ₹64,603 from Delhi, return Cape TownSouth Africa 26° / 16° mostly dryPeak Summer: dry, sunny and 26-27°C, the peak season for beaches, the Winelands and Table Mountain. The southeasterly... From ₹71,562 from Delhi, return MelbourneAustralia 24° / 14° mostly dryShoulder The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, usually in March, fills the city. From ₹76,704 from Delhi, return SydneyAustralia 25° / 18° rainy spellsShoulder From ₹80,548 from Mumbai, return DallasUnited States 21° / 10° rainy spellsShoulder From ₹85,837 from Bangalore, return AucklandNew Zealand 22° / 16° some rainShoulder Summer: 23-25°C, long days, beaches and the Waiheke ferry. Late December to January is New Zealand's holiday peak. From ₹90,866 from Hyderabad, return Los AngelesUnited States 18° / 10° some rainShoulder Mild winter (19-21°C) with occasional rain, and shorter theme-park queues outside the holidays. From ₹1,03,948 from Bangalore, return KrabiThailand 30° / 25° rainy spellsShoulder Dry season: calm Andaman Sea, ideal for Railay, the Phi Phi and Hong islands, and four-island boat trips. See the month-by-month guide Da NangVietnam 27° / 20° mostly dryShoulder Dry, sunny and warm: the best time for the beaches, Hoi An and the Hai Van Pass. See the month-by-month guide Phu QuocVietnam 29° / 27° some rainPeak Dry season: calm seas, clear water and west-coast sunsets. The best time for the beaches and snorkelling trips. See the month-by-month guide

Think twice in March

Rain, storms, heat or closures that month. Often cheaper, but pack for it.

  • Bangkok 33° / 25°, some rainHot season: highs of 33-35°C with heavy humidity; April is the hottest month.
  • Kuala Lumpur 31° / 24°, very wetThe inter-monsoon months are KL's wettest: heavy late-afternoon thunderstorms, usually short.
  • Bali 29° / 26°, wetWet season: hot and humid with heavy downpours, mostly in the afternoon and night. From December to March currents wash rubbish onto the west-coast beaches.
  • Chiang Mai 32° / 17°, dryBurning season: smoke from crop and forest fires often gives Chiang Mai some of the worst air in the world, worst in March and April.
  • Athens 16° / 7°, some rainOff season: mild (13-15°C) with rain, and many island hotels close from November to April.
  • San Francisco 16° / 8°, rainy spellsRainy season: mild (13-16°C), and the hills turn green.
  • Seattle 11° / 3°, rainy spellsGrey, drizzly season from October to April, with short days. The rain is rarely heavy but comes often.
  • Vancouver 9° / 3°, wetRainy season: grey and wet from October to March, but mild (5-10°C).
  • Mauritius 28° / 24°, wetCyclone season peaks from January to March: heavy rain, rough seas and occasional airport closures.
  • Seychelles 28° / 26°, rainy spellsNorthwest trade winds: hot, humid and the wettest months (January most of all), still with sunny spells. The islands sit north of the cyclone belt.
  • Nairobi 28° / 16°, some rainLong rains (April is wettest): muddy park roads, some lodges close, and the lowest prices.

Busy times to fly out of India in March

  • 10 Mar · expectedEid al-FitrFamilies travel between India and the Gulf around Eid (expected 10 Mar), so Gulf fares rise.
  • 22–23 MarHoliHoli (22-23 Mar) and Good Friday (26 Mar) fall in the same week, a favourite week for short trips abroad, so fares rise.
  • 26–28 MarGood Friday weekendGood Friday (26 Mar) makes a long weekend in India, just after Holi.

Festivals and holidays abroad

  • 8 Feb – 9 Mar · expectedRamadanExpected 8 Feb to 9 Mar (moon sighting decides). Be discreet about eating and drinking in public by day; evenings come alive with iftars and late-opening malls, and hotels are often cheaper.
  • 1–4 MarMobile World CongressBarcelona's biggest trade show: hotel prices multiply for the whole week.
  • 6–15 MarNyepi and Eid breakNyepi (8 Mar), Eid (10-11 Mar) and joint leave days make a national break of about ten days: flights and hotels fill with domestic travellers.
  • 8 MarNyepi, Bali shuts downBali's Day of Silence: the island, including the airport, shuts for 24 hours from 6 am, with no flights, and visitors must stay inside their hotels. Ogoh-ogoh parades fill the streets the night before.
  • 9–12 Mar · expectedEid al-FitrThe end of Ramadan (expected 9 or 10 Mar): a few days of public holidays, with busier hotels, flights and malls.
  • 18 Mar – 9 MayKeukenhof tulipsThe Keukenhof gardens are open from 18 Mar to 9 May; the tulips usually peak in mid-April.
  • 24 Mar – 5 Apr · expectedCherry blossom (expected)In an average year Tokyo's cherry trees open around 24 Mar and reach full bloom around 31 Mar. The 2027 forecast comes out in early spring.
  • 26–29 MarEasterGood Friday to Easter Monday: a long weekend across much of Europe and Australia, with Holy Week crowds in Rome; some shops and sights close on the day.
  • 27 Mar – 9 Apr · expectedCherry blossom (expected)In an average year Osaka's cherry trees open around 27 Mar and reach full bloom around 4 Apr. The 2027 forecast comes out in early spring.