Where to Go: April 2026

For those locked in seemingly endless winter, warmer temperatures may feel woefully far, but spring is just around the corner, bringing with it a flurry of events, from major art openings in Paris to the ideal time to night-dive with bioluminescence off Panama’s Caribbean coast. Here’s where to go in April.

Even for year-round art trove Paris, April packs some notable heavy hitters. The Musée d’Art Moderne highlights photographer and reporter Lee Miller (starting April 10) in an exhibition that spans Miller’s entire career, including her years as a war photographer during World War II (recently featured in the biopic Lee, directed by Kate Winslet). Another luminary is on inspired view at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, which celebrates the centenary of Alexander Calder’s arrival in Paris with a large survey of his works, including a staging of the artist’s Cirque Calder performances (the show starts on April 15). And Belle Epoque gem, Le Grand Palais is hosting Art Paris (April 9 – 12), the annual contemporary art show; this year, nearly 1,000 artists from 170 galleries from over 25 countries are expected. And if you’re in Paris on April 12 and in need of an art break, head to the Arc de Triomphe to cheer on the start of the Paris Marathon. It’s Europe’s largest with some 60,000 participants expected. Insider Tip: The first Sunday of every month, the Champs Élysées is pedestrian-only, a great time to get that dead-center Arc de Triomphe shot from the middle of the avenue without worrying about traffic.

• Staying in Style: In walking distance to the Champs-Elysées (where the marathon kicks off), is La Réserve Paris, the flagship of the La Réserve collection housed discretely in a beautifully restored 19th-century building. The 2,150 square-foot Grand Palais Suite comes with original fireplaces and Napoleon III antiques, as well as views of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Grand Palais. La Réserve Paris offers an array of exclusive culture experiences, including free VIP complimentary access to Le Louvre, skip-the-line access at Musée d’Orsay, and guided tours of Paris’ fabled puces, the large antiques and flea markets north of the city center.

For divers, April offers a special night-time spectacle in the clear Caribbean waters surrounding the archipelago of Bocas del Toro, which has been called the “Galapagos of the Caribbean.” At night, the waters come alive with tiny organisms known as dinoflagellates, a glorious spectacle called bioluminescence. While bioluminescence occurs year-round, the clear nights in April make it the ideal time to witness this mesmerizing display.

• Staying in Style: At Nayara Bocas del Toro, the adults-only, private-island luxury retreat, adventure meets luxury in a host of immersive experiences, including a bioluminescence tour during which a seasoned captain guides guests on a voyage to hidden corners, ensuring prime viewing. Other wildlife activities include visits to a starfish sanctuary, a sea turtle nesting ground, and a bat cave at Bahia Honda (whose bay is often studded with dolphins). Don’t Miss: the recently opened Colibrí Spa Treehouse, whose menu makes rich use of local traditions and ingredients—Sea Whispers is a purifying ritual with seaweed wrap, massage, and detox facial, and Sacred Cacao, is a holistic ritual that celebrates Bocas del Toro’s 100% pure cacao.

The season kicks off with the annual Daffodil Festival (April 23-26), this year celebrating its 50th edition. Family friendly, with a flower-themed hat pageant, a children’s bike- and “Daffy Dog” parades, as well as the iconic antique car parade and Sconset tailgate picnic, the festival will be a particularly welcome return of bright colors after this grey-cold winter. Still months before the crowds descend on the New England island for summer breaks, it’s the perfect time for exploring in town and beyond. Don’t miss: “The Wider World & Scrimshaw,” at the Nantucket Whaling Museum (April 20 – November 1), a show about the carving traditions that emerged along whaling routes in the Pacific, including setting scrimshaw (the folk art made by whalers on the body parts of whales) and carved decorative arts made by Indigenous communities from across Oceania, the Pacific, and the Arctic. The Nantucket Whaling Museum will be the first venue to host this traveling exhibition.

• Staying in Style: Reopening in April is the Wauwinet, the White Elephant Resorts’ iconic Relais & Châteaux property that sits amid some of Nantucket’s most glorious landscapes on the eastern end of the island. And this year, the Wauwinet turns 150! (2026 also marks 30 years that the restaurant has been consecutively recognized with the prestigious Wine Spectator Grand Award). Special Offer: A dedicated “DAFFY package” during the Daffodil Festival weekend includes a picnic lunch for two and a daffodil-themed welcome amenity.

This years’ Watches and Wonders festival (April 1-20) is bigger and brighter than ever before, thanks to the return of celebrity favorite Audemars Piguet (after a six-year hiatus), along with other top brands, and an ever-growing Carré des Horlogers, a dedicated space for artisan and smaller watch-making brands that features more than twenty exhibitors this year. Also new: a partnership with the Montreux Jazz Festival means exciting programs of nightly performances and workshops, and a new Watchmaking Village at the Pont de la Machine.

• Staying in Style: Just three miles from downtown Geneva, La Réserve Genève is the perfect stay to stay, sitting in a 10-acre park on the lake’s right bank with views of the Jura mountains. After the show, guests can immerse themselves in the world of Swiss mechanical watchmaking through the hotel’s ‘Make Your Own Swiss Watch’ experience, under the expert eye of a master-watchmaker. Newsflash: Opened in 2025, Villa Cologny is a five-bedroom retreat with panoramic views of the lake and the surrounding Jura mountains, as well as a dedicated games room, fitness room, and indoor pool. Sports aficionados will be thrilled by the proximity of the Golf Club de Genève, a private club with an 18-hole championship course, built by Robert Trent Jones Sr.

To the jaded, Vienna’s Easter Markets are just an attempt to recreate holiday magic, but these specialized markets are, in fact, already in their 36th year, and there’s something uniquely charming and traditional about them (after all, the decorating of Easter eggs in Austria dates back to the 13th century). Warmer temperatures make browsing the markets a pleasure — the one at the Freyung displays a tower of around 40,000 painted eggs, and the one at Schönbrunn Palace has some 60 stalls and runs even longer this year (through April 19). Classical music aficionados should not miss the Vienna Symphony Orchestra’s performance Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 2 (April 25 and 26) at the Musikverein, the gilded venue of the New Year’s concert. And balletomanes are keeping a close eye on the Vienna State Ballet, now under the artistic direction of prima-ballerina Alessandra Ferri (one of the few female directors of an international dance company). In April, the troupe performs Giselle (try to catch up-and-comer Madison Young), and a mixed bill with pieces by Justin Peck and Twyla Tharp.

• Staying in Style: In walking distance to the State Opera House and the Musikverein, the Almanac Vienna is a boutique hotel that firmly places itself at the intersection of the city’s art scene, with interiors featuring an all-Austrian art collection curated in partnership with the city’s legendary Galerie bei der Albertina Zetter. This year, look for enhanced perks, including complimentary entry to contemporary art trove Belvedere 21 (when staying in a premium room) and to the Upper and Lower Belvedere (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), when staying in the Vienna Art Suite, itself featuring original works by such artists as Joannis Avramidis, Jakob Gasteiger and Markus Prachensky. Romantics, meanwhile, can book a night at Almanac Spa, with exclusive access to the entire spa floor, featuring a private pool, sauna, steam room, and dedicated elevator to treatment rooms.

When it comes to Spring Break destinations for the whole family, few places beat Costa Rica, especially in April, at the cusp of when the dry season switches to the emerald-green wet season. And anyone who has ever planned a trip with children of different ages knows the trick is to find that destination magic: a place that is relatively easy to reach and with loads to keep everyone entertained. Enter Nayara Resorts, three fully carbon neutral resorts in the Costa Rican Rainforest, offering 17 special-designed, locally immersive experiences, including everything from nighttime frog tours and expert-guided wildlife education to coffee classes and excursions to the nearby Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. All rooms at Nayara Gardens and sister resort Nayara Springs have been completely overhauled, including the Rainforest Pool Villas and Spring Villas, as well as the Arenal Pool Casitas (now with individual plunge pools). Everything is connected via footpaths leading through luscious rainforest, and more than seven dining venues offer choices for even the pickiest of eaters.