The Best Worldwide Attractions To Visit During Springtime

With the world desperate to escape the confines of pandemic-era living, 2021 saw plenty of people dip their toes in the water in terms of resuming travel, and 2022 appears destined to continue building upon that rebound momentum.

More and more countries have begun to open their borders, even those that have remained completely closed for the past two years, with some even dropping their COVID-era restrictions altogether.

Travelers who missed out on their 2020 vacations, but who weren't quite ready to venture abroad last year, will be eyeing opportunities to finally take those bucket-list trips. As the year progresses, we're also bound to see a resurgence of both domestic and international visitors keen to experience the world's renowned landmarks and cultural sites.

If you're going to put all that effort into planning an epic post-pandemic trip, you'll want to be sure you're booking for an optimal time of year at your destination, when it's most likely to yield up the very best visitor experience.

A recent study by Next Vacay discovered that tourists have the best chance of seeing the following iconic attractions in their full glory during springtime. These top 10 world-renowned sites are scattered around the globe, ranging from such familiar spots as Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon to exotic locations like Singapore, Beijing and India.

Spring is the ideal season in which to experience Istanbul's ancient, yet modern Grand Bazaar. Temperatures between March and May aren't too high (typically measuring in the 60s and 70s, according to U.S. News), crowds are typically smaller and accommodations in the city are fairly affordable.

The impressive Grand Bazaar itself is one of the world's largest and oldest covered markets, on which construction was first begun in 1455. Today, it consists of 61 covered streets and more than 4,000 shops, and spans almost 101,000 square feet of Istanbul's historic city center. Next Vacay advises history enthusiasts and avid shoppers to experience this centuries-old attraction between March and June to avoid claustrophobic crowding and stifling heat that can occur during the summer season.

The famed and often frenzied Las Vegas Strip never sleeps, but both summers and winters (think over-the-top New Year's celebrations) see an especially huge influx of visitors. Next Vacay reports that the area hosts around 42 million visitors each year.

Avoid having to trek between Sin City's hotels, casinos and attractions amid the desert roasting summertime temperatures of well over 100 degrees, by visiting during the spring, when temperatures hover in the 70s and 80s. You'll find more room availability at top hotels, enjoy more personal space on the casino floors and generally avoid peak-period human congestion.

The Chicago Loop's Millennium Park, whose most recognizable feature is probably the iconic Cloud Gate (a.k.a. "The Bean"), is a public park filled with lots of green space and tranquil gardens, interactive fountains, skating rinks, public art, tranquil gardens, al-fresco dining and free events. The 24.5-acre with over a dozen individual features and attractions get around 25 million visitors each year. It's known as the "front lawn" of downtown Chicago, but, if you want to see it while it's green, and it's not too hot or crowded out, the park is best visited in spring.

Situated in the heart of Beijing, The Forbidden City is an imperial palace complex and a UNESCO World Heritage site containing the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world. The walled complex, which spans 178 acres was constructed between 1406 and 1420, and served as the Chinese imperial palace and Emperor's winter residence for the next five centuries.

As the season that offers the most activities for tourists, along with flowers blossoming around the grounds, spring is the ideal time for a visit. Beijing's best weather conditions exist between late March and early June, and since the entire attraction is outdoors, tourists will appreciate the breezes and warm temperatures while exploring the vast complex. Weekend visits, however, should be avoided if you hope to avoid busy crowds.

Many of us are familiar with the signature sight of Singapore's towering "Supertrees", an iconic part of the Asian city-state's major horticultural attraction, the Gardens by the Bay. But those enormous vertical gardens are only one part of the 250-acre nature park and artistic gardening showpiece, which gives guests an entirely new perspective on countless aspects of the plant kingdom. It's an ideal destination to celebrate the spirit of springtime, with most of its sections being completely outdoors; including the Supertree Observatory or OCBC Skyway, which offer incredible panoramic views over the park. There are also award-winning cooled conservatories, including the kaleidoscopic Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest, which boasts one of the tallest indoor waterfalls on Earth and a lush mountain that nourishes some of the world's most exotic plant species.

Another set of the world's most famous outdoor parks and gardens, those on the expansive grounds of the French Palace of Versailles, are also best experienced in spring, when the weather is fine and flowers are in bloom. Taken in its entirety, the UNESCO World Heritage site, spans nearly 2,000 acres, so a visit may well take more than a single day. From April to June, crowds are generally smaller than in the high summer season. While there is an entrance fee to view the gardens in springtime, the many magnificent fountains are running and Baroque music is playing, making it well worth the expense. The former royal residence is roughly a 40-minute drive or train ride away from Paris, so you can easily include a visit to Versailles as part of a larger bucket-list itinerary.

Spring is also the best season in which to experience the Great Wall of China, when the weather is mild. Warm afternoons, with cooler mornings and evenings (and less chance of rain than during the summer months), make walking portions of this UNESCO World Heritage site much more pleasant and manageable. The mountain views are also especially breathtaking at this time of year, as new green growth and flower blossoms carpet the landscape. Officially the world's longest manmade structure, the Great Wall stretches some 13,000 miles across what was once the northern border of Imperial China. Beijing is one of the main gateways for accessing this cultural wonder, and the four most-recommended sections of the wall are within a couple of hours' journey from the capital: Simatai, Jiankou, Mutianyu and Badaling.

India's magnificent marble mausoleum, a structure that's famous as both a national landmark and an enduring monument to love, is best experienced in springtime. The grounds' gardens are also particularly beautiful in spring, with sprawling lawns, verdant trees and a kaleidoscope of flowers in bloom. While temperatures will be quite warm by this time of year, summers are extremely hot (highs averaging over 100°F), as well as rainy and wet, especially once the monsoon season arrives (July through September). In winter, temperatures and weather conditions are more pleasant, but hotel pricing and tourist volume are substantially higher. Peak crowds descend in December and January, with plenty of people who are bound to get in the way of your perfect photo.

While it's one of the most the country's popular tourist spots year-round, the spring months offer the best weather conditions in which to enjoy Kenting National Park. With a climate that's classified as "tropical monsoon", summers here are hot and humid, and receive the largest amount of rainfall, especially in the month of August. The park's varied topography includes white-sand beaches, coral sea cliffs and reefs, limestone caves, mountains, foothills, plains, and a vast lake, along with some unique sand rivers and waterfalls. Encompassing a combined 129 square miles of land and sea, Taiwan's oldest national park is a nature lover's dream, boasting a rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity within its boundaries, and providing an important stopover point for migratory birds.