March kicks off the best season for travel—an uncrowded time when spring is in the air and outdoor adventures are everywhere. Here at Backroads, we love our early spring trips, which showcase the best of far-flung destinations like Bhutan and the Galápagos along with at-their-best US destinations like Joshua Tree National Park.
Top Places to Go in March
Come with us as we take you around the world for the best of March active travel.
Bhutan
March is a great time of year for hiking, with clear blue skies and comfortably cool temperatures just right for epic Bhutan adventures like visiting Tiger’s Nest cliff-hanging monastery, biking rural valleys, rafting through the Himalayan wilderness and just generally soaking in the sacred spirit of the Land of the Thunder Dragon. Backroads Trip Leaders open doors normally closed to foreigners, giving you deeply immersive experiences like stops at off-the-beaten-path temples and the chance to talk with monks.
Learn more about Backroads’ Bhutan trips
Santa Barbara and California’s Central Coast
In Santa Barbara, March is a time for locals and visitors-in-the-know, a season when the weather is mild and the rainy season is wrapping up. On a March trip, sip Central Coast wines in Los Olivos, pedal vineyard-lined rural country roads, hike the Santa Ynez mountains and kayak the coast, keeping an eye out for the seals and dolphins—and if you’re lucky, a migrating gray whale—that are common at this time of year. To maximize your chances at wildlife sightings, choose one of our trips that takes you to the Channel Islands, sometimes called North America’s Galápagos.
Learn more about Backroads’ Santa Barbara and Central Coast trips
Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s verdant jungles and rain forests rely on the country’s tropical rain, but you can make the most of the country’s dry season with a March trip. It’s an ideal time to bike in the shadow of Arenal Volcano then soak in natural hot springs. Hike in the cloud forest, stopping for a coffee tasting at a local farm. Try your hand at tortilla making on a visit to a local home. Or take a surfing lesson and do yoga on the beach on the Nicoya Peninsula. Bonus: This drier time of year coaxes animals to lakes and rivers, making this a great time of year to see Costa Rica’s famous wildlife.
Learn more about Backroads’ Costa Rica trips
Ecuador
March is the time to go big in Ecuador, and there’s no way to go bigger in this South American country than with a single trip that includes the Andes, Amazon and the Galápagos. Or, take your time and focus just on the Galápagos Islands, going beyond the archipelago’s tourist sites. Wherever you go, you’ll benefit from the season, which brings big waterfalls and wildlife in the country’s interior and warm, calm seas in the islands.
Learn more about Backroads’ Ecuador trips
Palm Springs & Joshua Tree
Like two jewels in the desert, Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park sparkle in March. The days are warm but not punishing, the mood is festive, and if you’re lucky, you’ll arrive just in time to witness the desert in bloom. In Palm Springs, folks flock to the pool and the art scene sizzles. In nearby Joshua Tree National Park, the strange desert is a wonder of Joshua tree flowers and otherworldly rock formations.
Learn more about Backroads’ Palm Springs & Joshua Tree trips
