April 2028 is unusually neatly arranged: Easter Sunday falls on 16 April, right in the middle of the month, and 2028 is one of the rare years when Western and Orthodox Easter fall on the same date. Songkran, Thailand's water festival, runs 13 to 15 April. Japan's cherry blossom front moves north through the whole month. The best place to visit in April 2028 is Japan, where the blossom, the weather and the shoulder-season crowds line up better than anywhere else.
| Destination | Typical April conditions | Why it works in April 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (Kyoto to Tohoku) | 13-19C | Cherry blossom moves north all month |
| The Netherlands | 10-15C | Keukenhof tulips; King's Day on 27 April |
| Greece and the Aegean | 18-23C | Warm, green and empty before the season |
| Thailand | 33-36C, very hot | Songkran on 13-15 April |
| Namibia | 25-30C, dry | Post-rain green, before the winter cold |
| Portugal | 18-22C | Reliable spring, low prices, long days |
| Utah and Arizona | 18-26C | Desert parks before the summer heat |
| Seville, Spain | 20-26C | Semana Santa in Easter week, Feria after |
What makes April 2028 different
Easter Sunday is 16 April 2028, and Western and Orthodox Easter coincide that year, which is not the usual arrangement. Practically, that means the whole of Catholic and Orthodox Europe is on holiday in the same week - Greece, Spain, Italy and Poland all price and fill accordingly, and Seville's Semana Santa processions run in the days before the 16th. Songkran runs 13 to 15 April in Thailand, extending informally either side; it is the country's biggest domestic travel week and the water-throwing is genuinely city-wide, so arrive prepared or avoid it. King's Day in the Netherlands is 27 April, when Amsterdam becomes a single orange street party and hotel rates triple. Keukenhof's tulip season runs from late March to mid-May, peaking in the middle two weeks of April.
1. Japan: Kyoto, Tohoku and the north
By early April the blossom has usually reached Kyoto and Tokyo, and it moves north through Kanazawa, Tohoku and finally Hokkaido over the following four to six weeks. That progression is what makes April more reliable than late March - if you are willing to move north, you can chase the front rather than gamble on one city. Golden Week begins at the end of the month, so the last days of April start to see domestic travel spike.
2. The Netherlands
Keukenhof opens from late March to mid-May and peaks in the middle two weeks of April, when the bulb fields between Lisse and Noordwijk are worth more than the garden itself - hire a bike and ride them. King's Day on 27 April turns Amsterdam into a national street party, which is either the reason to go or the reason to avoid the city that week. Utrecht and Haarlem make calmer bases with fast trains in.
3. Greece and the Aegean
April is Greece before Greece gets busy: the islands are green rather than parched, wildflowers are out, and the archaeological sites are pleasant instead of punishing. The sea is still cold for most people, so this is a walking and eating trip rather than a swimming one. Orthodox Easter falls on 16 April in 2028, which is the biggest holiday of the Greek year - villages fill, ferries book out, and the food is the best it will be all year.
4. Thailand
April is Thailand's hottest month, routinely mid-thirties with high humidity, and Songkran on 13-15 April is a nationwide water fight that shuts normal life down. If that is what you want, Chiang Mai is the classic place to be. If it is not, this is the month to be on an island with a sea breeze rather than in Bangkok, and the Gulf coast - Ko Samui, Ko Tao - is now in its better window as the Andaman side turns.
5. Namibia
April is the short window after the summer rains and before the winter cold: the desert is unusually green, the light is clean, and the nights have not yet dropped near freezing as they do from June. Game viewing at Etosha is less concentrated than in the dry season because water is still widely available, so this is the month for landscape rather than maximum wildlife density - Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and the Fish River Canyon at their most photogenic.
6. Portugal
Lisbon and Porto in April are reliably in the high teens to low twenties with long days and low prices, and the Algarve is warm enough to enjoy without the July crush. The Douro valley is green and the terraces are at their best before the summer haze. Portugal is also one of the few western European countries where Easter week does not dominate the calendar, so the 16th passes with less disruption than in Spain or Italy.
7. Utah and Arizona
April is the right month for the desert parks: Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands and the Grand Canyon are in the high teens to mid-twenties by day, which is the difference between a good hike and a dangerous one. Bryce sits above 2,400m and can still see snow. Shuttle systems at Zion start their full schedule in spring, and the timed-entry and permit systems for Angels Landing need booking before you arrive.
8. Seville and Andalusia
Semana Santa runs in the week before Easter Sunday on 16 April, and Seville's processions are the largest in Spain - hundreds of thousands of people, streets closed for days, and hotel rates at their annual peak. The Feria de Abril follows roughly two weeks later. If you want Andalusia without either, the first week of April is mild, green and comparatively quiet.
How to plan a April 2028 trip
Two habits do most of the work on a month-specific trip. First, book the thing that sells out before the thing that does not: permits, festival accommodation and internal transport go long before flights and hotels do, and a trip is usually shaped by whichever of those you miss. Second, check the date-driven items above against their official sources a few weeks before you travel - festival dates, park shuttle schedules and ferry timetables all move, and a page written a year in advance is a starting point, not a guarantee.
Looking either side of this month? See March 2028, May 2028, or compare with April 2027. The whole year is in our seasonal guides.
April 2028 travel FAQ
When is Easter 2028?
Easter Sunday is 16 April 2028, and 2028 is one of the uncommon years when Western and Orthodox Easter fall on the same date. Expect the whole of Catholic and Orthodox Europe to be travelling in the same week, with Greece, Spain and Italy at their busiest.
Where should I travel in April 2028?
Japan for cherry blossom moving north, the Netherlands for tulips and King's Day, Greece and Portugal for warm empty spring, Namibia after the rains, and Utah and Arizona for the desert parks before the summer heat.
When is Songkran 2028?
13 to 15 April 2028, with celebrations extending informally either side. It is Thailand's biggest domestic travel period and the water-throwing is city-wide, particularly in Chiang Mai.
Is April a good time to visit Japan?
It is the best month for cherry blossom because the front moves north all month, so a flexible itinerary can follow it from Kyoto to Tohoku. It is also peak season for domestic travel, and Golden Week begins in the last days of April, so book well ahead.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
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