The Best Spring Break Destinations of 2024
Spring has finally arrived. The iciness of winter has melted away, the days are getting longer, and the flowers are beginning to bloom. If you wish to make the most of it by taking a vacation, here are the best spring break destinations of 2024.
Lisse, The Netherlands
The Netherlands is the largest producer of tulips in the world, and if you've ever looked up pictures of Lisse online, you'll have seen photo after photo of tulip fields. One of the best places to see them is Keukenhof Gardens on the Castle Keukenhof estate. It's filled with many varieties of spring flowers, and you can choose to wander through it yourself, hire a bike, or take a guided tour. The Park is separated into sections, and there is a petting zoo, a play area, and several restaurants. The nearby Castle Keukenhof is open for tours, and its grounds play host to the ButtonPop Festival in March each year. Before you book your trip and arrange your travel insurance, check the Keukenhof website to see when the gardens are in full bloom. The Museum De Zwarte Tulp (Museum of the Black Tulip) is a beautiful place to learn about the history of tulips and flower cultivation. Lisse is also home to a truly spectacular flower show called Bloemencorso Bollenstreek (Flower Parade of Bulb Region).
Okinawa, Japan
Okinawa is beautiful in the springtime, and since there are so many events held in the different towns and cities, it was too difficult to pick just one. In Japan, spring is cherry blossom season, where people take part in hanami (looking at flowers). Festivals take place all across this island, the most popular ones being the Motobu Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival, the Nago Cherry Blossom Festival, and the Nakijin Cherry Blossom Festival. While the events tend to happen in late January or early February, just before spring begins, it's worth taking a trip to Okinawa a little earlier in the year to see them. If you don't want to travel until spring is in full swing, you could go to the Ryukyu Kaiensai Fireworks Festival at Ginowan Tropical Beach. It is held in April every year and features thousands of fireworks. Another popular festival is the Naha Hari Festival, which takes place in May. You can watch the haryusen (dragon boat) races at Nahashin Port, as well as music and dance performances.
Bucharest, Romania
When people imagine beautiful places to travel to in the springtime, Romania may not be the first thing to pop into their heads. If you plan your next visit to Bucharest in the spring, when there are fewer travellers and the weather is just starting to warm up, you won't be disappointed. Experience Romanian culture without the crowds at the National Museum of Art of Romania, the Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant. At the beginning of spring, these museums host their own Mărțișor Fairs, where you'll be able to see the work of local artists and craftspeople. Many people in Romania celebrate Orthodox Easter which usually takes place on a Sunday in April or May. Painting hardboiled eggs is an old Easter tradition, and if you head to one of the markets in the city centre, you'll see many intricately decorated ones. While you're there, pop into a restaurant to try some traditional Easter foods, such as Drob de Miel (a dish similar to haggis) and Pască (a sweet brioche-type bread made with curd cheese). If you're planning to visit in late spring, you might want to attend the Bucharest International Folklore Festival in June.
Ayacucho, Peru
Even if you aren't religious, Ayacucho's festivities during Semana Santa (Holy Week) are a sight to behold. Semana Santa has gradually drawn in more and more tourists over the years, and now many people plan their trips to Peru around it. Semana Santa begins on the eve of the Friday of Sorrows and ends on Easter Sunday. For ten days there are processions, live music, traditional dances, and biblical re-enactments. Visitors can also expect to see Morochucos (cowboys), ceramic art, flower carpets, craft markets, food stalls, and concerts around the city. At dawn on Easter Sunday, a large wooden float adorned with candles and topped with the resurrected figure of Jesus is carried to the cathedral while the bells of Ayacucho's 33 churches ring out. They day usually ends with an exciting fireworks display.
Washington, D.C., U.S.A
Ask anyone, and they'll tell you that spring is one of the best times of the year to visit the capital on America’s East Coast. If you visit in March and April, you'll get to enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival, where you'll get to see more than 300 cherry trees bloom in East Potomac Park. For the best view of the trees in peak bloom, take a ride on a peddle boat on the Tidal Basin. From the park, you can easily walk to the Jefferson Memorial and it's only 30-minute walk to the National Mall. The festival lasts for several weeks and there are parades, musical performances, family-friendly events, and fireworks all around the city. If you time your trip right and you're lucky enough to get a ticket, you may be able to go on a White House Garden Tour. Also in March is the ShamrockFest, an event that celebrates St Patrick's Day with live music and traditional Irish dance performances.
Hội An, Vietnam
Hội An's dry season is from February to August. It can get very hot during the later part of the dry season, so spring is the perfect time to go. Coincide your trip with one of the Hội An Lantern Festivals. They take place during each full moon (on the 14th day of every lunar month), so you can attend this event during any spring month. Ahead of the festival, you'll see lanterns strung up along the streets of Hội An Ancient Town. The festival takes place during the evening, when lanterns illuminate the whole town. There are lantern-making workshops for visitors to take part in, and there is lots of music, dancing, and traditional Vietnamese food, but the highlight for most visitors are the lanterns floating on the Hoai River. While you're there, you should consider visiting the neighbouring villages, such as Kim Bồng (a woodworking village), Phuoc Kieu (a bronze casting village), and Thanh Ha (a pottery village).
