10 beautiful places to visit in April
April is a time of spring cleaning, new beginnings and fresh starts. It’s also the perfect time to travel somewhere you’ve never been before. Check out our top ideas for the best places to visit for April holidays around the world...
1. The stunning Swiss Alps
As winter turns to spring in the Swiss Alps, the impossibly pretty countryside starts to slowly transform from a sweeping cape of endless white into a lovely contrasting landscape of still snowy peaks crowning the green meadows and blue lakes in the valleys.
With ski season coming to a close and hiking season just beginning, it’s a great time to visit to experience all of Alpine culture, with the region’s traditional towns and villages basking in sunshine. To enjoy the best of the spring scenery, you can take a ride on the famous Bernina Railway, and admire spectacular views from its huge panoramic windows as you climb high into the mountains.
BOOK IT Stay by iconic Lake Como for seven nights and enjoy a cruise to Bellagio and a journey to St. Moritz on the Bernina Railway.
2. Gourmet Puglia
Puglia, on the south-eastern tip of Italy, is famous for its incredible food, with warm focaccia, fragrant olive oil, and delicious wines produced in sunkissed farms and vineyards. In the city of Bari, you can try the region's famous orecchiette pasta, hand-made in the streets of the old town. And you'll also want to try of pasticciotti, a sweet pastry filled with cream which is a local speciality in Lecce.
There's more to Puglia than just food, however. There's a fascinating archaeological history to uncover here, from the quirky trulli houses with coned roofs in Alberobello to the Roman amphitheatre in Lecce. You can also discover ancient caves and rock churches in Sassi di Matera, just a short drive away, and April's mild temperatures create the perfect conditions for exploring.
BOOK IT Travel through Puglia on a fantastic foodie tour with trips to olive farms, bakeries and Masserie - traditional stone farmhouses. There's also a cookery masterclass where you'll learn how to make orecchiette pasta.
3. Romantic Venice
Bursting with dazzling Renaissance architecture and criss-crossed by canals that hum with history, Venice is an immersive destination like no other. Whether you plan to soak up the sights, sounds and smells of the bustling Rialto market, raise your eyes up to the lofty ceiling of St Mark’s Basilica, or examine the intricate gilded artworks in the Doge’s Palace, you’ll be treated to a visual feast all over this stunning city on water.
As a European centre of culture and commerce for hundreds of years, this iconic city has appeared in countless works of art and literature, and it’s impossible not to feel that when you wander around its mesmerising alleys, piazzas and waterways. You can discover Venice’s story out on its lagoon islands too, like Murano, where the locals have made colourful glass for centuries, or Burano, famous for its lacemaking.
BOOK IT Join a special cruise to Venice with the company of Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, who'll give a private Q&A session about his life and host an onboard cooking demonstration.
4. Idyllic Norfolk
The Norfolk Broads have long been treasured as one of England’s most magnificent rural landscapes - their sleepy, reed-lined waterways and ancient windmills immediately conjure up images of lazy afternoons and classic English holidays. Dotted around the wide open scenery here are countless peaceful villages, where time seems to have stood still. But look closer and you’ll find that Norfolk has a buzzing foodie scene, with chefs making the most of its farming heritage.
Thanks to the quality of the local produce – think tasty lamb and just-caught seafood – many of Norfolk’s pubs serve wonderful food alongside the region’s legendary local ales. Two of our favourites are The Lifeboat Inn, surrounded by marshes in the seaside village of Thornham, and The Rose & Crown, next to Snettisham’s village cricket pitch.
BOOK IT Join the acclaimed historian Lucy Worsley for a visit to Sandringham, the Royal Family’s Norfolk retreat, plus enjoy wonderful scenic journeys by rail and paddle steamer on a trip next April.
5. The wild Yorkshire Dales
The rugged, heather-clad hills of the Yorkshire Dales, along with the beauty of its national parks, its charming medieval villages and the grand estates that are dotted across its landscapes, make this region one of the most quintessentially English corners of the UK. It's also home to many of the country's most impressive gardens, both old and new, which will be in colourful bloom in April.
It’s also a real treat for lovers of English literature, with the Dales having provided inspiration to many great writers throughout the centuries. You can explore the world of Wuthering Heights and the Brontë sisters at Haworth, a small town on the edge of the moors which was the family's home and served as inspiration for many of the fictional locations in their novels.
BOOK IT Visit the home of the Brontë sisters, ride on classic steam trains, traverse the Pennine Bridleway on foot and explore the charming market town of Skipton on this Yorkshire adventure.
6. Heavenly Slovenia
Head to Slovenia if you want to experience some of Europe's greenest natural landscapes as well as enchanting towns and cities and a unique culinary scene. The natural beauty of this central European gem is hard to beat, from the snowcapped Julian Alps to the UNESCO-protected Skocjan Caves. Then, of course, there's the iconic Lake Bled, set against the backdrop of the Julian Alps and with the tiny Bled Island in the middle.
Slovenia has also developed a reputation for delicious food and wine, with each of the country's regions showcasing different delicate flavours. The Vipava Valley wine region is a favourite, with rich fertile soils producing fragrant dry whites. On the Istrian peninsula, you'll find fertile ground for truffle-hunting and plenty of mouthwatering dishes made using this valuable ingredient.
BOOK IT Tick Ljubljana, Lake Bled and the Triglav National Park off your bucket list and join a truffle-hunting excursion in Istria on a foodie tour of Slovenia.
7. The majestic Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands are one of the UK’s last true wildernesses, a fantastical landscape of gleaming lochs, thick forest and sky-high peaks, dotted with castles, country homes and pretty little villages. In fact, it’s mostly unspoilt by modern industry, apart from the odd railway line carving its way through the greenery – including the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct.
They’re a great spot for outdoor activities like fishing and the hotels here – like the handsome country house Ardanaiseig – can even lend you a boat to take out on the loch and see what you catch. Springtime hikes here are glorious too, when birdsong can be heard among the trees, and you might even spot a Mountain Hare darting across the moorland.
BOOK IT Experience all the magic of the Scottish Highlands from the comfort aboard the Lord of the Glens, a luxurious, yacht-style boat, featuring exquisite dining, opulent cabins and panoramic windows.
8. Colourful Holland
Holland is a paradise for garden-lovers – there are the iconic tulip fields that stretch for miles in a blaze of colour, and the vast Keukenhof Gardens just outside Amsterdam, one of Europe’s most famous public parks. Visiting in April, when the first blooms are starting to appear, is an unforgettable treat, with both its cities and countryside filled with floral delights.
Balance time wandering through delightfully colourful gardens and peaceful historic villages with time exploring Amsterdam, one of Europe's most vibrant and fascinating cities, with its iconic canals and exceptional art museums.
BOOK IT Cruise around Holland with Good Housekeeping in April 2024 and visit the Keukenhof Gardens with TV presenter Adam Frost, who will give an exclusive talk and answer your questions.
9. Beautiful Bordeaux
With breathtaking scenery and glorious weather almost all year round, the Atlantic coast of France is a delight to visit. Home to medieval landmarks and magnificent vineyards, this region also packs a punch when it comes to delicious flavours, with some of France's most mouthwatering cuisine found along the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde rivers.
On a trip to Bordeaux you can meet the makers of exquisite wines - from the wonderful merlot produced in Pauillac, and wines from Cadillac, Saint-Émilion, and the Sauternes dessert wines of Château De Myrat - sample fine caviar in Libourne, macarons in Saint-Émilion and taste oysters fresh from the Médoc salt marshes in Cussac-Fort-Médoc.
BOOK IT Taste your way around Bordeaux with trips to historic vineyards, beautiful chateaux and local farmers' markets with top chef Monica Galetti.
10. Incredible Azores
The Azores are a wonderfully green volcanic archipelago in the Atlantic. These nine Portuguese islands are just a four-hour flight from the UK and are home to spectacular natural landscapes and opportunities for wildlife spotting, with several species of whale and dolphin making their home in these waters. April is a particularly good month for whale-watching, with sightings of the majestic Blue whale at their peak.
You'll enjoy a variety of fascinating and otherworldly landscapes on the Azores, like the Caldeira do Santo Cristo, a volcanic crater where you can take a dip in a lagoon formed by a natural sea wall of volcanic rock and the Gruta das Torres on Pico, a vast underground lava cave.
BOOK IT Discover Faial, São Jorge, and the Pico Islands on guided tours and hike to Caldeira do Santo Cristo on this immersive Azores tour.
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