After the brutal winter many Americans have gone through, spring can’t come soon enough. But for those looking to avoid spring break crowds or the throngs of people who flock to popular cherry blossom destinations like Kyoto, Japan, and Washington, D.C., we have some ideas for you. After all, spring is a shoulder season, which means great deals and fewer crowds in many destinations. From late-season ski trips to adults-only spring break ideas to other places blooming with color, here are nine under-the-radar spring destinations worth booking a trip to in the coming months.
Copenhagen
While much of southern Europe is heating up — bringing crowds to places like southern Italy, Spain and France — Copenhagen is still nursing cooler temperatures, with average highs between 54 degrees in April and 70 degrees in June. But daylight hours are already increasing, giving you more time to explore with 14-hour days already in April. Those who come now will find fewer people, lower prices and the same great food and design.
The Danish capital is also an unexpected cherry blossom destination: Home to 200 of the fluffy, pink trees, Langelinie Park near The Little Mermaid statue hosts an annual Sakura Festival (April 18 to 19) complete with drum shows, folk dancing and martial arts demonstrations.
It will also be warm enough to enjoy a day at Tivoli Gardens, Europe’s second-oldest amusement park, which opens for the season March 27. Prefer to take it slower? Go for a leisurely canal boat tour or rent a kayak and explore on your own (rentals reopen May 1).
If you do get stuck with an exceptionally cool or rainy day, art lovers can head to Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket, Design Museum Danmark and the underground exhibition space Cisternerne, which started hosting “Marina Abramović: Seven Deaths” on March 14.
TPG tip: Nimb Hotel, an SLH Hotel is a Moorish palace hotel in Tivoli Gardens — all guests receive complimentary access to the park with unlimited rides. Rates start at $589 or 150,000 Hilton Honors points per night in April and May.
Isla Mujeres, Mexico
It may only be a 30-minute boat ride from Cancun, but Isla Mujeres feels worlds away from the spring breakers at Senor Frog’s. The serene island is home to so many adults-only hotels that most families and college kids steer clear of it. And while it feels secluded, it’s quite easy to make your way here, with seamless transfers directly from Cancun International Airport (CUN).
Once you arrive, enjoy the island’s white sand beaches and excellent snorkeling (don’t miss the underwater sculpture park MUSA). Rent a golf cart to explore the inner island, walk along ocean cliffs at Punta Sur and buy some souvenirs at the Women’s Beading Co-op. Hungry? Cultura Cruisers, a biking food tour, will take you to several places, or post up at the beachfront bar Buho’s at Playa Norte.
TPG tip: Almare, a Luxury Collection Resort, Isla Mujeres Cancun, Adult All-Inclusive opened on the island at the end of 2024 as the second adults-only, all-inclusive property in Marriott’s Luxury Collection. Rates start at $707 or 102,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night, inclusive of meals and many activities.
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Bermuda
Another easy-to-get-to beach destination that isn’t a rowdy spring break spot, Bermuda offers a low-key atmosphere popular with golfers. While spring brings heat and humidity to much of the Caribbean, Bermuda, about 600 miles off the coast of North Carolina, remains cooler, with highs in the low 70s. March is the start of its spring shoulder season, meaning cheaper flights and hotels.
Once you get to the island, you can enjoy whale watching (the season is March through April) or snorkeling and diving around some of its famous shipwrecks. Those who prefer to stay on dry land can tee off at any of the island’s seven golf courses or spend a day exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the historic town of St. George’s. By May, the weather gets warm enough to lounge at the island’s famous pink sand beaches, like Horseshoe Bay Beach, Jobson’s Cove and Warwick Long Bay.
And don’t forget to eat a fish sandwich while you’re here — it’s served on raisin bread, which is unexpected but delicious.
TPG tip: When it comes to major points hotel brands, Bermuda has limited options. But that makes it a great destination to use your credit card perks at boutique hotels and smaller brands. Both The Loren and the Rosewood Bermuda belong to American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts, which offers daily breakfast for two, a $100 property credit and guaranteed 4 p.m. checkout to select American Express cardholders who book through the program. Nightly rates start at $935 at both properties.
Palm Springs, California
If you’re looking for an adult spring break, a spa vacation should be on your list. Palm Springs is an ideal spa destination — those mineral-filled “springs” mentioned in the name are real. The best places for a soak include the classic wellness retreat Two Bunch Palms (which also offers day passes) and the newer day spa The Spa at Sec-he, which offers private mineral soaks, float tanks and quartz beds.
Beyond the thermal hot springs, if you’re looking for a full wellness retreat, book a three- or five-night stay at Sensei Porcupine Creek, or for a spectacular hotel spa, we like the one at the Parker Palm Springs. And, of course, you’re also in one of the best destinations for modernist art, architecture and design, plus hiking and biking — it won’t be too hot yet. And don’t forget a trip up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
TPG tip: Use your points at the sprawling La Quinta Resort & Club, which has dozens of pools and hot tubs and a 23,000-square-foot spa. Rates start at $280 or 85,000 Hilton Honors points per night in April, May and June.
Grossarltal, Austria
While most skiers wrap up their season by early March, die-hards can look to certain destinations that still have snow in April. Open through April 11, the Grossarltal-Dorfgastein ski resort in Austria’s Salzburg region offers 45 miles of runs, six gondolas, six chairlifts and four T-bar practice lifts, making it ideal for families and beginners. Spring deals include 30% off packages and free ski passes for children under 15. Most horse-drawn sleigh rides run through April 15.
Related: Skiing is cheaper in Europe than in the US — here’s how to use your points and miles to make it even more affordable
If you come after the ski season has ended, you can spend time at Hotel Taurenhof’s extensive wellness areas open to the public, complete with indoor and outdoor heated pools, saunas and treatment rooms. Nearby in Werfen is the Eisrisenwelt ice cave, which opens for the season May 1, and the 900-year-old Hohenwerfen Castle, which reopens in April. As the snow fully melts further into May and June, wildflowers bloom and hiking and biking trails open.
TPG tip: Book your stay at Das Edelweiss Salzburg Mountain Resort, a modern ski-in, ski-out Alpine lodge at the base of the Panoramabahn Grossarltal valley station, with its own ski rental and storage facilities. Kids will love the indoor play areas and the indoor pool with waterslides, and adults can enjoy the massive five-floor wellness area. As a Legend member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, guests can earn I Prefer Hotel Rewards points. Nightly rates start at $337 in April.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
If you love flowers but not crowds, consider the Smoky Mountains in springtime. While there are no cherry blossoms, the national park becomes blanketed with flame azaleas, trillium, wild geranium, blue phlox, trout lilies, lady slipper orchids and other wildflowers. There’s even an annual wildflower pilgrimage to the park; April 22 to 25 are the dates for the 76th annual event, if you want to learn all about the flora of the Smokies in springtime.
Spring also brings rushing waterfalls back to the park, and there are historic log buildings and Appalachian culture to explore year-round.
TPG tip: The 168-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Pigeon Forge Resort opened last May, just a few minutes away from Pigeon Forge’s attractions, with an indoor and outdoor pool. Rates start from $212 or 58,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Seychelles
If you aren’t willing to compromise on less-than-ideal beach weather early in the season, the Seychelles is your best bet. April and May bring fewer crowds and highs in the upper 80s, with low humidity. Aside from bluebird beach days, there are also calm conditions for snorkeling and diving, providing high visibility for spotting eagle rays and green sea turtles.
When it’s time to peel yourself off that beach lounger, visit the market stalls at Beau Vallon, explore the capital of Victoria, hike at Morne Seychellois National Park or head to Curieuse island to see its giant land tortoises.
TPG tip: Mango House Seychelles on Mahe is part of Hilton’s LXR Hotels & Resorts luxury group. Rates start at $640 or 120,000 Hilton Honors points per night in April, May and June. Or, for something more secluded, there’s the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island with 50 beachfront villas. Rates start at $1,407 or 150,000 Hilton Honors points per night in April, May and June.
Zambia
Zambia is already an under-the-radar safari spot, trailing countries like South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania in popularity because it’s a bit more difficult to reach.
Coming in the spring shoulder season (ideally May or June), as the rainy season ends, means even fewer people — but plenty of wildlife. If you do put in the effort, you’ll be rewarded with lush green landscapes, excellent views of a gushing Victoria Falls and sightings of elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes and rare bird species along the Luangwa and Zambezi rivers.
TPG tip: If you need a night or two in Lusaka on arrival or departure, Hyatt just took over The Pamodzi Hotel and is currently transforming it into a Hyatt Regency. It’s open during renovation and, as of yet, not participating in World of Hyatt, but keep checking back (nightly rates start at $120). For a safari, consider the new Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River, which opens in April with 12 tents and a presidential villa. Located in Kafue National Park, the camp has Land Cruisers and boats for exploring by land and water. Rooms start at $5,468 per night.
Montgomery, Alabama
This Alabama city is overflowing with history and culture — and springtime brings ideal weather for outdoor pursuits. The comprehensive and evocative Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Museum and Memorial is a great starting point, setting the tone for discovering the city’s African American past and present. Be sure to also book a tour of the historic Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. was the pastor from 1954 to 1960, and visit the Rosa Parks Museum, which details Montgomery’s 1955 bus boycotts at the site of Parks’ arrest.
Visit the Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park to stroll its 175 acres of grassy meadows, woods and ponds; the park is also home to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, which runs every spring and summer, and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, which has an outdoor sculpture garden. For more active outdoor adventures, head to Montgomery Whitewater for everything from aerial ropes courses to running and biking trails to, yes, white water rafting, kayaking and tubing on an artificial recirculating river.
Country music lovers should stop by The Hank Williams Museum, an ode to the legendary Alabama musician. True enthusiasts can even pay their respects at the singer’s gravesite nearby.
TPG tip: The Equal Justice Initiative opened its own hotel and conference center at the end of last year. Elevation Convening Center & Hotel (rates from $188 per night) is part of the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program and has 99 rooms, a restaurant showcasing Black Southern cuisine and a 2,500-square-foot library. Or, check out the Trilogy Hotel Montgomery, Autograph Collection that occupies three preserved buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Look for details like a Gee’s Bend quilt and a textural wood wall that references the stained-glass window inside Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. Rates start at $164 or 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
