12 incredible places to travel in March around the world

Average temp: 71ºF high, 55ºF low

March is one of the rainiest months on Maui, and while that may not be conducive to sunbathing, it does mean that the island is at its lushest. That comes in handy if you’re here to see Maui’s dramatic waterfalls, which flow most spectacularly this time of year.

To pack the most into your itinerary, drive the 64-mile Hana Highway, which has 620 (sometimes stress-inducing) curves that connect rainforests, swimming holes, and beaches. Along the way, you can see beautiful cascades at the Garden of Eden Arboretum & Botanical Garden (mile marker 10) and Pua’a Ka’a State Park (mile marker 22), where you can swim in the chilly pools beneath the falls. Beyond the iconic road’s southernmost stretches, you can also find waterfalls in Haleakala National Park. The most impressive is the 400-foot-tall Waimoku Falls, which can be accessed via the four-mile, out-and-back Pipiwai Trail.

Average temp: 49ºF high, 33ºF low

The Bavarian capital will forever be synonymous with Oktoberfest, but it’s not the only beer festival to hit Munich’s cultural calendar each year. Come March, the city celebrates Starkbierzeit, or “strong beer season,” which traces its roots to the 16th century, when Paulaner monks began brewing heartier beers—nicknamed “liquid bread”—to get them through the Lenten fasting season. Running from March 14 to April 6 this year, the festival will be held at Paulaner Nockherberg, where you can schedule a brewery tour, book a three-course dinner with the master brewer, or simply relax with a 10-sample beer tasting.

Elsewhere around town, you can try Starkbierzeit at classic beer halls like Löwenbräukeller and Augustiner-Keller and continue your ale-themed vacation with a stay at Jugend- and Familienhotel Augustin. Located just across from the Oktoberfest grounds, it’s a sleek hotel with stylish bunk rooms and Augustiner Bräu bottles artfully integrated into its decor.

Average temp: 57ºF high, 36ºF low

Celebrate Women’s History Month with a visit to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the stomping grounds of Harriet Tubman, who was not only an abolitionist and Underground Railroad “conductor” but also an activist for women’s suffrage and a Union Army spy. With its crab shacks and wildlife-filled marshes, this area marks the start of the 125-mile Tubman Byway, which winds through Delaware and into Philadelphia and includes 40-plus points of interest. The showstopper is the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, which opened in 2017 and includes exhibits about the people she rescued from enslavement and bronze statues depicting both quiet and heroic moments from her life.

Elsewhere, you can pay your respects at the site of her birth or drop by the Bucktown General Store, now a reservations-required museum, where in 1835 the shopkeeper threw an iron weight at a teenage Tubman’s head that left her with seizures and headaches for the rest of her life. To see her at her most triumphant, be sure to stop by the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center for a photo of the instantly iconic “Take My Hand” mural by Dorchester County artist Michael Rosato.

Average temp: 88ºF high, 72ºF low

Dominica feels very different from its neighbors in the Caribbean, thanks to its volcanic peaks and black-sand beaches. It’s also one of the few places where you can see sperm whales year round, and the island nation recently announced it’s establishing the planet’s first marine reserve dedicated to protecting these school-bus-sized creatures. For now, join a whale-watching tour with Waitukubuli Adventure Tour Co., a family-owned outfitter that also offers experiences like snorkeling over bubbling underwater geothermal springs, hiking to the Eastern Caribbean’s tallest waterfall, or visiting with the Indigenous Kalinago community.

March also kicks off sea turtle season, when you can spot leatherbacks, hawksbills, and green turtles coming ashore nightly to lay eggs in the sand. At Rosalie Bay Eco Resort & Spa, turtles often show up right outside your front door and you can go on educational turtle walks, aid in conservation efforts, and join in scheduled, assisted hatchling releases.

Average temp: 70ºF high, 50ºF low

Savannah is one of the best spots in the country to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The most colorful part of the festivities is the Greening of the Fountain in Forsyth Park, which transforms the 19th-century landmark and its four spouting triton figures with emerald-hued dye. The city also hosts a parade that winds through its many historic squares. Tip: You can watch the parade from your balcony or the front porch of the Foley House Inn on Chippewa Square.

Savannah Tours and Tales also hosts a 90-minute, Irish-themed walking tour, with stops at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and Colonial Park Cemetery. During your visit, you’ll of course want to stop by one of the many Celtic-tinged watering holes, including O’Connell’s Irish Pub, which is decked out with Irish sports memorabilia year round, and McDonough’s Restaurant & Lounge, a favorite karaoke spot for locals. May we suggest some U2?

Average temp: 63ºF high, 52ºF low

If you want to see Italy’s largest island at its most festive, visit mid-March for the Feast of Saint Joseph. Depending on which town you choose as your home base, you’ll find locals partying in their own unique ways: lighting a giant bonfire (the vampa) in Palermo, marching through the streets in colorful processions in Santa Croce Camerina and Gangi, or setting up makeshift tables with uniquely shaped loaves of bread and other items that are then offered to the poor in villages across the island.

Like many festivals across Italy, the Feast of St. Joseph is associated with a number of unique dishes, including pasta with sardines topped with St. Joseph’s “sawdust” (toasted breadcrumbs), maccu (a fava bean soup), and sfince (fried dough filled with sweetened ricotta cream). The latter you can find at spots like Pasticceria Costa and Pasticceria Cappello in Palermo.

Average temp: 63ºF high, 50ºF low

If you’re the kind of person who can’t get enough of the fall, relive the magic by heading south of the equator, where March marks autumn’s start. Tasmania has historically been nicknamed the Apple Isle, and the Huon Valley, located about a half hour’s drive south of Hobart, is an agricultural hotspot known for growing some of the crispest, sweetest apples around. You can enjoy the valley’s treasures at U-pick orchards or cideries Willie Smith’s Apple Shed Huon Valley, Frank’s Cider House and Cafe, and Pagan Cider.

While here, plan a meal at The Kiln, a new restaurant in Ranelagh; its wide-ranging menu includes dishes like Korean fried chicken, pork belly quiche, and lamb spanakopita, and the owners recently unveiled a new B&B, the Clifton Homestead next door.