Where to go in March: weather, events and holidays

Best for March: regions that pass every outdoor check

A region is listed when, in March, average highs reach 10°C, there are fewer than 12 days with 1 mm of rain, rainfall is under 80 mm and daylight lasts at least 9 hours. These are the same thresholds we use for packing advice on When to go.

Suit March on the numbers

Cambridge (outdoor-leaning): highs 11.0°C, 33 mm of rain on 8.1 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

Cambridge in March · Theater

Windsor (outdoor-leaning): highs 11.7°C, 39 mm of rain on 8.5 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

Windsor in March

The Jurassic Coast (outdoor-leaning): highs 10.6°C, 58 mm of rain on 8.9 days, 11 h 51 of daylight.

The Jurassic Coast in March · Theatre

York (outdoor-leaning): highs 10.5°C, 41 mm of rain on 9.0 days, 11 h 49 of daylight.

York in March · Theater

Devon (outdoor-leaning): highs 11.2°C, 67 mm of rain on 9.9 days, 11 h 51 of daylight.

Devon in March

Bath (outdoor-leaning): highs 10.9°C, 58 mm of rain on 10.2 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

Bath in March · Theater

Sheffield (outdoor-leaning): highs 10.0°C, 60 mm of rain on 11.1 days, 11 h 49 of daylight.

Sheffield in March

Manchester (outdoor-leaning): highs 10.1°C, 53 mm of rain on 11.8 days, 11 h 49 of daylight.

Manchester in March · Theater

Canterbury & Kent (mixed): highs 11.0°C, 39 mm of rain on 7.4 days, 11 h 51 of daylight.

Canterbury & Kent in March

Brighton & Hove (mixed): highs 10.5°C, 46 mm of rain on 9.0 days, 11 h 51 of daylight.

Brighton & Hove in March

Leeds (mixed): highs 10.5°C, 41 mm of rain on 9.0 days, 11 h 49 of daylight.

Leeds in March

Stratford & Warwickshire (mixed): highs 10.9°C, 40 mm of rain on 9.0 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

Stratford & Warwickshire in March

Oxford (mixed): highs 11.3°C, 43 mm of rain on 9.1 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

Oxford in March · Theater

Norfolk and the Broads (mixed): highs 10.3°C, 46 mm of rain on 9.2 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

Norfolk and the Broads in March

The Cotswolds (mixed): highs 10.7°C, 56 mm of rain on 10.3 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

The Cotswolds in March · Theater

Bristol (mixed): highs 10.8°C, 53 mm of rain on 10.4 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

Bristol in March · Theater

Portsmouth and Southampton (city-leaning): highs 11.5°C, 56 mm of rain on 9.7 days, 11 h 51 of daylight.

Portsmouth and Southampton in March

Salisbury & Stonehenge (city-leaning): highs 10.7°C, 54 mm of rain on 9.7 days, 11 h 51 of daylight.

Salisbury & Stonehenge in March

Birmingham (city-leaning): highs 10.3°C, 51 mm of rain on 9.9 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

Birmingham in March

Nottingham (city-leaning): highs 10.1°C, 46 mm of rain on 10.1 days, 11 h 50 of daylight.

Nottingham in March

Close: one or two checks tripped

Fewer than 2 of the three weather checks (cold, rain days, rainfall) tripped.

Newcastle and Gateshead (mixed): highs average 9.3°C.

highs 9.3°C, 39 mm of rain on 7.8 days, 11 h 49 of daylight

St Andrews and Fife (outdoor-leaning): highs average 9.6°C.

highs 9.6°C, 46 mm of rain on 9.0 days, 11 h 48 of daylight

Edinburgh (mixed): highs average 9.7°C.

highs 9.7°C, 48 mm of rain on 9.8 days, 11 h 48 of daylight

Liverpool (outdoor-leaning): highs average 9.9°C.

highs 9.9°C, 53 mm of rain on 11.3 days, 11 h 49 of daylight

Anglesey: highs average 9.8°C.

highs 9.8°C, 57 mm of rain on 11.2 days, 11 h 50 of daylight

Northern Ireland (outdoor-leaning): 12.6 days with 1 mm or more of rain.

highs 10.5°C, 71 mm of rain on 12.6 days, 11 h 49 of daylight

Cornwall (outdoor-leaning): 12.1 days with 1 mm or more of rain.

highs 10.2°C, 72 mm of rain on 12.1 days, 11 h 51 of daylight

Think twice about, in March

Outdoor-leaning and mixed regions (more than 30% of the sights we tag are outdoors) that trip 2 or more of the three weather checks this month. “Think twice” means plan around the weather, not “do not go”.

Plan around the weather

Glasgow (mixed, 45% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.8°C; 13.8 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 97 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Glasgow All March figures

Islay and Jura (character unknown, 67% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.3°C; 16.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 102 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Islay and Jura All March figures

Isle of Arran (character unknown, 50% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.4°C; 16.2 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 119 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Isle of Arran All March figures

Isle of Bute (character unknown, 83% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.4°C; 16.2 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 119 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Isle of Bute All March figures

Mull and Iona (character unknown, 33% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.3°C; 17.4 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 137 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Mull and Iona All March figures

The Lake District (mixed, 41% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.7°C; 14.1 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 115 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in the Lake District All March figures

The Outer Hebrides (outdoor-leaning, 73% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.5°C; 17.9 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 105 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in the Outer Hebrides All March figures

The Peak District (outdoor-leaning, 74% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.2°C; 13.4 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 100 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in the Peak District All March figures

Cardiff (mixed, 36% of tagged sights outdoors): 12.3 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 85 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Cardiff All March figures

North Coast 500 (outdoor-leaning, 60% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 8.1°C; 13.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in North Coast 500 All March figures

Stirling and the Trossachs (outdoor-leaning, 64% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.9°C; 12.8 days with 1 mm or more of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Stirling and the Trossachs All March figures

The Scottish Highlands (mixed, 39% of tagged sights outdoors): highs average 9.5°C; 12.5 days with 1 mm or more of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in the Scottish Highlands All March figures

Wales (mixed, 38% of tagged sights outdoors): 12.3 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 85 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Wales All March figures

City-led places with plenty indoors when the weather turns

These trip the weather checks in March, but most of the sights we tag are indoors, so the day depends less on the forecast.

Orkney: highs average 8.0°C; 16.9 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 87 mm of rain. 71% of 14 tagged sights are indoors.

March in numbers

Warmest highs: Windsor 11.7°C, Portsmouth and Southampton 11.5°C, Cardiff 11.3°C. Coolest: Orkney (8.0°C).
Lowest rainfall: Cambridge 33 mm, Canterbury & Kent 39 mm, Newcastle and Gateshead 39 mm.
Most sunshine hours: The Jurassic Coast 141 h, Anglesey 132 h, Norfolk and the Broads 130 h.
Longest days (calculated from latitude): Cornwall 11 h 51, The Jurassic Coast 11 h 51, Devon 11 h 51.

March averages by region. Rain days count days with 1 mm or more.
Region	High °C	Low °C	Rain mm	Rain days	Sun hours	Daylight
Anglesey	9.8	4.5	57	11.2	132	11 h 50
Bath	10.9	3.5	58	10.2	129	11 h 50
Birmingham	10.3	2.9	51	9.9	118	11 h 50
Brighton & Hove	10.5	3.6	46	9.0	n/a	11 h 51
Bristol	10.8	3.7	53	10.4	123	11 h 50
Cambridge	11.0	3.1	33	8.1	118	11 h 50
Canterbury & Kent	11.0	3.6	39	7.4	123	11 h 51
Cardiff	11.3	3.9	85	12.3	117	11 h 50
Cornwall	10.2	5.4	72	12.1	125	11 h 51
Devon	11.2	5.0	67	9.9	128	11 h 51
Edinburgh	9.7	2.9	48	9.8	117	11 h 48
Glasgow	9.8	3.2	97	13.8	104	11 h 48
Islay and Jura	9.3	3.3	102	16.7	n/a	11 h 48
Isle of Arran	9.4	3.3	119	16.2	102	11 h 48
Isle of Bute	9.4	3.3	119	16.2	102	11 h 48
Leeds	10.5	2.5	41	9.0	114	11 h 49
Liverpool	9.9	3.9	53	11.3	n/a	11 h 49
Manchester	10.1	2.4	53	11.8	104	11 h 49
Mull and Iona	9.3	3.4	137	17.4	95	11 h 48
Newcastle and Gateshead	9.3	3.5	39	7.8	124	11 h 49
Norfolk and the Broads	10.3	3.0	46	9.2	130	11 h 50
North Coast 500	8.1	2.3	57	13.7	115	11 h 47
Northern Ireland	10.5	3.1	71	12.6	98	11 h 49
Nottingham	10.1	3.0	46	10.1	116	11 h 50
Orkney	8.0	2.7	87	16.9	102	11 h 46
Oxford	11.3	3.6	43	9.1	118	11 h 50
Portsmouth and Southampton	11.5	4.3	56	9.7	125	11 h 51
Salisbury & Stonehenge	10.7	2.9	54	9.7	124	11 h 51
Sheffield	10.0	3.4	60	11.1	121	11 h 49
St Andrews and Fife	9.6	2.1	46	9.0	129	11 h 48
Stirling and the Trossachs	9.9	2.9	74	12.8	100	11 h 48
Stratford & Warwickshire	10.9	2.8	40	9.0	116	11 h 50
The Cotswolds	10.7	2.6	56	10.3	115	11 h 50
The Jurassic Coast	10.6	5.2	58	8.9	141	11 h 51
The Lake District	9.7	2.8	115	14.1	n/a	11 h 49
The Outer Hebrides	8.5	3.2	105	17.9	108	11 h 47
The Peak District	8.2	1.8	100	13.4	105	11 h 50
The Scottish Highlands	9.5	2.4	53	12.5	110	11 h 47
Wales	11.3	3.9	85	12.3	117	11 h 50
Windsor	11.7	4.1	39	8.5	124	11 h 50
York	10.5	2.5	41	9.0	114	11 h 49

Met Office 1991-2020 averages, one station per region (see sources). Daylight is calculated for the 15th at the region’s latitude.

Dated events in March

Only events with dates confirmed on the organizer’s page, up to 4 per place. Always check the organizer before you travel.

Cambridge

Cambridge FestivalMar 10, 2027 – Mar 25, 2027 · Venues across Cambridge · source: University of Cambridge (official site)

Glasgow

Glasgow International Comedy FestivalMar 10, 2027 – Mar 28, 2027 · Venues across Glasgow · source: Glasgow International Comedy Festival (official site)

London

Wildlife Photographer of the YearOct 16, 2026 – Jul 11, 2027 · Natural History Museum · source: Natural History Museum (official site)
Vanessa Bell & Duncan Grant: Inside BloomsburyNov 12, 2026 – Apr 11, 2027 · Tate Britain · source: Tate (official What's on page)
Monet: Painting TimeFeb 25, 2027 – Jun 27, 2027 · Tate Modern · source: Tate (official What's on page)
Punk to PopMar 13, 2027 · V&A South Kensington · source: V&A (official What's on page)

2 more in London

Oxford

Oxford Literary FestivalMar 13, 2027 – Mar 21, 2027 · Venues across Oxford · source: Oxford Literary Festival (official site)

Bank holidays (public holidays) in March

England and Wales

Fri, Mar 26, 2027: Good Friday
Mon, Mar 29, 2027: Easter Monday

Scotland

Fri, Mar 26, 2027: Good Friday

Northern Ireland

Wed, Mar 17, 2027: St Patrick’s Day
Fri, Mar 26, 2027: Good Friday
Mon, Mar 29, 2027: Easter Monday
Fri, Mar 17, 2028: St Patrick’s Day

From GOV.UK, next two years from this build. Many people travel on bank holiday weekends; we hold no sourced figure for how that changes crowds or prices, so check transport and rooms early.

More for March

UK in spring: festivals, blossom and bank holidays (March to May)
Easter and bank holiday weekends (March to August)
Rainy-day ideas by region
Month-by-month weather and packing for every region
When to visit London
Compare two destinations

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Editorial note. We do not rank destinations or claim a month is “best” overall. We state no crowd or price levels because no source we fetched gives them. London has no Met Office station in our data yet.

Sources

Station notes: some stations sit near, not in, the town (for example Church Fenton for York, Woodford for Manchester). Daylight is calculated, not a Met Office figure.