Events & festivals in April
7 curated experiences happening in April — festivals, natural phenomena, food seasons, sport. We highlight the off-the-beaten-path versions of famous events.
Festivals & Cultural
🇹🇭
Songkran — Thai New Year
Chiang Mai · April 13-15
Country-wide three-day water fight at the height of dry season's hottest week.
Rising
🇳🇱
King's Day (Koningsdag)
Amsterdam · April 27
Entire country dresses in orange for the king's birthday, sells junk on the street (the only day it's legal), and parties on canals.
Mainstream
Nature & Wildlife
🇯🇵
Cherry Blossom (Sakura)
Kyoto · Late March – early April (5-7 day peak)
Japan's national obsession.
Mainstream
🇳🇱
Tulip Bloom at Keukenhof
Lisse · Late March – mid-May (peak: mid-April)
Seven million tulip bulbs across 32 hectares.
Mainstream
🇳🇴
Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
Tromsø · Late September – early April (peak: November–February, dark hours)
Tromsø sits in the auroral oval — the band where Northern Lights are most likely.
Mainstream
🇲🇽
Whale Shark Migration
La Paz · October – mid-April (peak: November-March)
La Paz Bay, Baja Sur — juvenile whale sharks (12m long, gentle, plankton-eating) gather close enough to swim with from a boat tour.
Hidden gem
🇺🇸
Cherry Blossom Festival, DC
Washington DC · Late March – early April
1912 gift from Tokyo: 3,000 trees around the Tidal Basin.
Mainstream