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Planning March break 2027 with kids from Toronto or anywhere in Ontario? We live in Mississauga, and March break is the week when a lot of families around us travel at the same time. Here are the dates, my ideas for sun, snow or staying close to home, when to book, and how to pick the trip that works for your family.
When is March break 2027 in Ontario?
March break 2027 runs from Monday 15 March to Friday 19 March 2027 for both the Peel District School Board and the Toronto District School Board, where it is called the mid-winter break. Most kids go back to school on Monday 22 March. With the weekends on each side, that gives you 9 days, from Saturday 13 March to Sunday 21 March 2027.
Several other Ontario boards list the same week, but some schools run a different calendar. In Peel, for example, the 3 schools on the balanced calendar have a longer break. Check your own board’s calendar before you book anything.
Sun, snow or close to home: how do you choose?
When someone asks me where they should travel with their kids, these are the 5 questions I need answered first:
- Where do you live? The world is big.
- How old are your kids? Travelling with a baby is very different from travelling with a school age child.
- What do you like to do: beach, culture, snow or a bit of everything?
- What is your budget for that week?
- Do you want to fly or drive?
Once you have your answers, March break usually comes down to 3 kinds of trips. If you want a beach, a pool and easy days, go for the sun in the Caribbean, Mexico or Florida. If your kids love winter or want to try skiing, go for the snow. If you want a break with no flight, or the budget is tight that week, stay close to home and pick a city or an indoor waterpark within a few hours’ drive.
Where to go for March break with kids: Caribbean and Mexico sun
I love all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, and the 3 countries I recommend are Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean is easy to do from Canada most of the year, and in March it means you get warm weather, a pool, a beach and everything close by while it is still winter at home. If you are still deciding between a resort and a city trip, here is how I choose between Europe and the Caribbean with kids, and why I think you should pick an all inclusive resort for a family vacation.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
In Punta Cana we stayed at the Grand Palladium Punta Cana, it was a short 4 hour flight, and the all inclusive made everything easier: warm weather, slow days, good food, long naps and the kids playing. It ended up being one of the best trips I have ever taken with my kids, and somehow I actually came back rested.
One mistake we made there: we did not book the specialty restaurants as soon as we arrived, and it was hard to get a spot. Book them on day 1. My Punta Cana city guide has more, and my 10 tips for your all inclusive vacation work for every resort in this post.
Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Mexico
The Grand Palladium Riviera Maya is my favourite resort in the Cancun area. I have stayed there many times, and I got married there. It is about 1 hour from Cancun International Airport (longer with traffic), it is huge with a train to take you around, and it has a kids’ club and family pools. Just be prepared for lots of seaweed on the beach.
Where you stay changes the whole trip. Cancun hotels are 20 to 30 minutes from the airport, while Tulum and parts of the Riviera Maya are 1.5 to 2 hours away, so decide if you want a quick transfer or a quieter stay further away. Here is how to pick the best hotel in the Cancun and Riviera Maya area.
Outside the resort, my list of family-friendly day trips includes Isla Mujeres, a swim in a cenote, Xcaret Park, the sea turtles at Akumal Beach and a walk on 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen. I visited Chichen Itza, about 2 hours from Cancun. The full list is in 10 family-friendly things to do in the Cancun area, plus my essential tips for visiting Mexico.
Negril and Montego Bay, Jamaica
I will never say no to a beach trip, especially when it is winter in Canada, and Seven Mile Beach in Negril is one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen. On our family trip to Negril we stayed at Skylark Negril, a boutique hotel that is not an all inclusive, and the kids had a blast. We also spent a day at Beaches Negril with a day pass, which is an easy way to get the all inclusive experience without staying overnight. They only release a limited number of spots, so on a busy week like March break, book it ahead. Here is how the Beaches Negril day pass works.
My tip for Jamaica: you can stay in one area and still visit attractions in others as day trips, but be ready for some driving. Start with my Jamaica travel guide for first-time visitors and my guide to Montego Bay airport with kids.
Nassau, Bahamas
If you prefer a beach trip without an all inclusive, we did Nassau, Bahamas, that way. We flew Air Canada direct from Toronto, booked with Aeroplan points, and stayed at the Courtyard Nassau Downtown/Junkanoo Beach on Marriott Bonvoy points, right by Junkanoo Beach with everything walkable. We took a speedboat to Atlantis Paradise Island for a day pass with the aquarium, beach, pools and water park. Here is our full 3 day Nassau itinerary with a baby.
Excursions and transfers from Caribbean resorts
If you are heading to Mexico, the Dominican Republic or Jamaica for March break, there are great family-friendly day trips outside the resort that work with babies, toddlers and young kids, like Saona Island and Monkeyland from Punta Cana, or Dunn’s River Falls and the Blue Hole from Ocho Rios. My full list is in excursions from Caribbean resorts for families with young kids. Book them early to secure your spot, and you can compare family tours and excursions on Viator.
Book a private transfer from the airport to the resort too. A shared transfer stops at every hotel on the way, and kids are usually tired after a flight. You can book a private airport transfer with Kiwitaxi.
Florida for March break with kids: Orlando and Miami
I lived and worked in Florida for a year. For Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, my recommendation is a hotel outside the parks, because it is much cheaper. If you want a break from the parks, visit the Kennedy Space Center, and if you have more time, the Everglades National Park, Miami Beach and the scenic drive to Key West for the original key lime pie. You can search Orlando hotels outside the parks on Hotels.com, and here is my 5 day family itinerary for Orlando.
When we were in Fort Lauderdale visiting family, we spent a day exploring Miami, Florida, on a bus city tour, and it ended up being a great option for us. Miami can get hot, so the air-conditioned bus was a lifesaver, and our Babyzen YOYO folded easily on board. Check for events before you go, because road closures and parking can take a big part of your day. Here is our Miami day trip with kids.
For any trip to the US, Mexico or the Caribbean, an eSIM gives you data as soon as you land without roaming fees, so you can use your maps as soon as you land. You can get an eSIM from Airalo before you leave.
Snow: a ski or winter March break in Ontario
I will be honest, I prefer indoor or summer activities, but if your kids love the snow, you do not have to go far. Blue Mountain, Ontario, is about 2 hours from Toronto, and in winter it means skiing, tubing and skating. The village is walkable and stroller-friendly, and once you park you can walk everywhere. Book directly on the Blue Mountain website for condo-style suites in the village, or stay in Collingwood for more space if you are a big group.
Other families go for the ski and snowboard lessons for kids, and Blue Mountain Village usually plans March break events with live entertainment and family activities, so check their March break page for the 2027 schedule. My family guide to Blue Mountain Village has the village, parking and the things to do beyond it. If you are still deciding between a snow trip and something completely different, read safari or skiing with kids.
Close to home: March break in Ontario and Quebec without a flight
Not every March break needs a passport. A drive and a couple of nights away still feel like a trip, with no airport and no flight to book.
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is about a 1.5 hour drive from Toronto, and I have visited countless times. In March, the indoor attractions do the work. Clifton Hill has the Niagara SkyWheel, fun houses and interactive games, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks, and the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark has slides, wave pools and areas for younger kids. The SkyWheel gondolas are fully enclosed and climate-controlled, which helps on a cold day. Other families love Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, where the indoor waterpark comes with your stay.
Hotels and ticketed activities in Niagara sell out quickly over March break, so you can search Niagara Falls hotels on Booking.com now. My tips for visiting Niagara Falls have more.
Toronto, Ontario
If you live outside the city, Toronto itself makes a good March break city trip, with museums, the CN Tower and plenty to do indoors. Here is my Toronto city guide.
Montreal, Quebec
I did a quick 24 hour winter trip to Montreal to see family. It was cold and short, and still worth it. Montreal in winter is a city trip, so plan indoor stops: the Montreal Biodôme is a kids’ favourite, and the Montreal Science Centre is another indoor stop. My things to do in Montreal post is written for summer, but the indoor ideas in it work in March too.
When should you book March break 2027, and what does it cost to wait?
Travelling outside peak weeks means lower costs and fewer people, and March break is the opposite of that. Because Peel, the TDSB and several other boards all break on the same week, the same flights, hotels and activities are wanted by a lot of families at once. Here is what waiting can cost you:
- The hotel you wanted. Hotels and ticketed activities in places like Niagara sell out quickly over March break.
- Points bookings. We booked Nassau on Aeroplan and Marriott Bonvoy points, so if you plan to use points, check availability for the March break week now.
- Limited spots, like the Beaches Negril day pass, which I would not count on as a walk-in during a busy week.
- Passport time. A child’s Canadian passport is valid for 5 years and cannot be renewed, so check every passport in the family now rather than in February.
A simple plan: decide on sun, snow or close to home this fall, set price alerts for your dates, and book once the price and the hotel work for you. Once you are booked, book the excursions and the airport transfer early, email the resort a few days before you arrive with your room requests, and book the specialty restaurants as soon as you check in. For everything else before you fly, here is my checklist before every international trip with kids.
What to pack for a March break beach trip
For a beach trip with kids, I pack sunglasses (more than 1 pair in case one gets lost), sunscreen, sunburn relief, mosquito repellent, beach hats, sand toys, swim vests and a waterproof phone pouch. One tip for Canadian parents: sand toys are hard to find in stores in winter, so buy them in the summer. Most essentials are expensive at the resort, so pack what you need, and bring cash for tips.
The things I actually use are in my Amazon store: my packing essentials list and my electronic must-haves for travel list.
If you are planning March break 2027, my pre-travel checklist is the list I run before every trip, and it is free. You can get it here.
Planning March break with your kids? Send me a message on Instagram and tell me where you are thinking of going.