March is the month the northern hemisphere turns. Japan's first cherry blossom opens in the south, the Mediterranean and the Middle East become comfortable for walking again, and the ski season delivers its best value of the year as school holidays end. In the tropics, March is the last dry month in much of Southeast Asia before the heat builds. The best place to visit in March 2028 is Jordan, where Petra and Wadi Rum sit in the narrow window between winter cold and summer heat.
| Destination | Typical March conditions | Why it works in March 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan (Petra and Wadi Rum) | 18-24C days, cold nights | The best walking weather of the year |
| Japan (Kyushu and Tokyo) | 10-16C | First cherry blossom opens from late March |
| Morocco | 20-25C | Spring in the south before the heat |
| Egypt | 22-28C | Comfortable for Luxor and Aswan |
| Andalusia, Spain | 17-22C | Orange blossom and empty Alhambra slots |
| Sri Lanka (south and west) | 28-31C | Dry season on the beaches that matter |
| The Alps | Spring snow, long days | Season's best value once half-term ends |
| Rajasthan, India | 25-32C | Holi around 11 March; last comfortable month |
What makes March 2028 different
Three things to time around. Holi falls around 11 March 2028 in northern India, and the celebrations in Mathura and Vrindavan begin over a week earlier than the main day - if you want the festival rather than a hotel's sanitised version, that is where and when. Japan's cherry blossom usually opens in Kyushu and Tokyo in the last week of March, but the forecast moves by a week or more each year and is only published in the preceding weeks; book refundable accommodation and treat the dates as a range, not a promise. And European ski prices fall off a cliff once half-term ends - mid-March to early April has long days, soft afternoon snow and the lowest lift and lodging prices of the season, at the cost of less reliable cover below about 1,800m.
1. Jordan: Petra and Wadi Rum
March is the best month in Jordan and it is not close. Daytime temperatures sit in the low twenties, which matters enormously when the Petra site involves several hours of walking and climbing, and the desert nights are cold enough for a proper fire in Wadi Rum without being punishing. The Jordan Trail through-hiking season runs March to May. Book Petra for two days rather than one - the Monastery and the High Place of Sacrifice both need a half-day of their own.
2. Japan: Kyushu, Tokyo and Kyoto
The sakura front moves north through Japan over about six weeks, typically reaching Kyushu and Tokyo in the last days of March and Kyoto a few days later. Late March is therefore a gamble that pays if you are flexible and fails if you booked a fixed week a year ahead. The safer plan is to go for Japan in March and treat blossom as a bonus: the weather is mild, the shoulder rates are lower than April's, and Kyushu in particular is uncrowded.
3. Morocco
Marrakech in March is what people imagine Marrakech to be - low twenties, clear, and comfortable enough to walk the medina in the afternoon. The Atlas is still snow-capped, which makes the Toubkal foothills and the Ourika valley spectacular, and the desert south around Merzouga is warm by day and cold at night rather than dangerously hot. Ramadan in 2028 ends in late February, so March is clear of it.
4. Egypt
Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel are at their most workable in March: low-to-mid twenties, very little rain, and long usable mornings. Nile cruises run at full schedule. The Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza makes Cairo worth a full two days rather than a stopover. Avoid the khamsin wind season that starts to bite from April, which brings dust and sharp temperature spikes.
5. Andalusia, Spain
Seville, Cordoba and Granada in March are mild, green and free of the summer heat that makes them unbearable in July. Alhambra tickets, which sell out months ahead in high season, are usually still available a few weeks out. Semana Santa falls in April in 2028, so March is the quiet month before Andalusia's biggest week. The orange trees in Seville are in blossom, which is a genuine and under-advertised reason to go now.
6. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's two monsoons mean there is always a right coast. In March it is the south and west - Mirissa, Unawatuna, Bentota - which are dry, calm and good for whale watching off Mirissa, where blue whale sightings peak between December and April. The hill country around Ella and Nuwara Eliya is comfortable, and the Cultural Triangle sites are hot but manageable with an early start.
7. The Alps
Spring skiing is a genuinely different sport from midwinter skiing and, for many people, a better one: long daylight, warm afternoons, terraces, and prices that drop by a third or more once European half-term weeks finish. The cost is reliability - below about 1,800m, March cover is increasingly patchy. Choose high resorts, north-facing terrain or a glacier, and ski the mornings.
8. Rajasthan, India
March is the last comfortable month in Rajasthan before the pre-monsoon heat, with days in the high twenties. Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur are all workable, and the forts that are punishing in May are pleasant now. Holi around 11 March is the reason many people come; the celebrations around Mathura and Vrindavan start earlier and are far larger than anything in the tourist cities.
How to plan a March 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 February 2028, April 2028, or compare with March 2027. The whole year is in our seasonal guides.
March 2028 travel FAQ
Where should I travel in March 2028?
Jordan for Petra and Wadi Rum in the best weather of the year, Japan for the first cherry blossom, Morocco and Egypt for comfortable spring heat, Andalusia before the crowds, and the Alps for the cheapest good skiing of the season.
When is cherry blossom in Japan in 2028?
Typically the last week of March in Kyushu and Tokyo, with Kyoto a few days later and Tohoku and Hokkaido through April and early May. The exact dates move by a week or more each year and forecasts are only published a few weeks ahead, so book refundable accommodation.
Is March a good month to ski?
For value, yes - it is the cheapest good month of the season once European half-term weeks end, with long days and soft afternoon snow. For reliability below about 1,800m it is the weakest month, so pick a high resort or a glacier.
Where is warm in March 2028?
Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, southern India, Sri Lanka's south and west coasts, Thailand, the Caribbean and the Canary Islands. Southern Europe is mild rather than hot - pleasant for sightseeing, too cool for most people to swim.
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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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