March is the great pivot of the travel year. The Indian plains are beginning to heat up, the cool-season window is closing, and the smart traveller is starting to look outward and upward. But it is also one of the most rewarding months on the international calendar, because in late March, Japan does the single most beautiful thing in travel: it turns pink. This is the month to plan around the seasons that are peaking elsewhere.
Japan turns pink
The headline of March is the cherry blossoms. From late March, the sakura begin to bloom across Japan's main cities, Tokyo and Kyoto typically peaking around the end of the month into early April, and the whole country gives itself over to hanami, picnicking beneath clouds of pink and white blossom. It is one of the most beautiful and sought-after travel experiences on earth, and the timing is famously brief and unpredictable, so March is the month to be in position for it.
Because the bloom is fleeting and the season is so popular, Japan in late March books out far in advance and prices climb. If catching the sakura is the dream, this is the month, and the planning needs to start early, but few things in travel reward the effort like standing under a canopy of falling blossom in the old imperial capital.
March has one unmissable appointment: late in the month, Japan turns pink for a week or two, and the whole country stops to look. Be there for it.
On the cherry blossom month
Southeast Asia at its best
March is a superb month for Vietnam, which sits in a sweet spot of warm, dry, pleasant weather across much of the country before the real heat and rains of later months. It is arguably one of the best times to travel the length of Vietnam, from the north down to the south, with comfortable conditions for the cities, the bay, and the countryside alike. Much of the rest of dry-season Southeast Asia is still pleasant in early March before the build-up to the hot season.
Closer to the Himalaya, Bhutan enters its lovely spring, clear and increasingly green, and often hosting some of its most beautiful festivals, the spring tshechus, with their masked dances and gathered communities in their finest dress. Spring is one of the most rewarding times to see the dragon kingdom.
India's last comfortable month, and Holi
In India itself, March is the last genuinely comfortable month in much of the country before the summer arrives. The plains are warming but not yet punishing in the first half of the month, the hill stations are waking up, and crucially, Holi, the great festival of colours, falls in March, turning the country into a riot of joyful colour for one unforgettable day. Travelling in India around Holi, played within a hosted, sensible setting, is one of the most vivid experiences the country offers.
- The big one: Japan for the cherry blossoms from late March, the most beautiful and sought-after experience of the month.
- Southeast Asia: Vietnam at its warm, dry best, ideal for travelling the country end to end.
- The Himalaya in spring: Bhutan, clear and green, often with its beautiful spring festivals.
- In India: the last comfortable month in much of the country, and Holi, the festival of colours.
The verdict
March belongs to the cherry blossoms. If you can possibly arrange it, the move is Japan in the back half of the month, an experience that genuinely lives up to its reputation. If Japan is not on the cards, Vietnam offers some of its best weather of the year, and India gives you one last comfortable month plus the colour of Holi before the heat takes over. Whatever you choose, March is a month to act early, because its best experiences, the sakura above all, are time-limited and in high demand.
Some travel months are flexible. March is not. The cherry blossoms come and go in a week, and the best month of the year is the one you booked in advance.
On the OJ Japan cherry blossom trip March is timed to the most beautiful sight in travel, the journey built around catching the sakura at its peak across the parks, temples, and old streets. Because the plains at home are heating up and the cool season is ending, but on the far side of the continent the most exquisite festival on earth is unfolding, and March is your one chance a year to stand inside it.
Frequently asked
Where should I travel in March from India?
March is the spring pivot. The standout is Japan for the cherry blossoms from late March, one of travel's most beautiful experiences. Vietnam is at its warm, dry best, Bhutan enters a lovely spring often with festivals, and India offers its last comfortable month plus Holi. Book Japan early, as the brief blossom season is in very high demand.
Is March a good time to see the cherry blossoms in Japan?
Late March is prime time, when the blossoms typically begin peaking in Tokyo and Kyoto, often continuing into early April. The exact timing shifts each year with the weather and peak bloom lasts only days, so watch the sakura forecast. Because it is the most popular season, flights and accommodation book out months in advance.
Is March too hot to travel in India?
The first half of March is still comfortable in much of India, though the plains are warming and the cool season is ending. It is the last genuinely pleasant month before summer in many regions, and it includes Holi, the festival of colours. By late March the plains heat up noticeably, pushing travellers toward the hills and international destinations.