Virginia Beach - Things to Do in Virginia Beach in March

Things to Do in Virginia Beach in March

March weather, activities, events & insider tips

Good time to visit Low Season · Budget Friendly

March Weather in Virginia Beach

Long-run averages for March

58°F (15°C) High Temp
44°F (7°C) Low Temp
3.7 inches (94 mm) Rainfall
68% Humidity
6 Sunny-Day UV
⚠ Nor'easters can strike the Virginia Beach coast through March, bringing sustained winds of 50 to 65 km/h (30 to 40 mph), heavy rain, and coastal flooding along the Oceanfront and low-lying areas near Rudee Inlet. These storms form with little lead time. They can disrupt outdoor plans for two to three consecutive days. ⚠ Ocean water temperatures around 7 to 10°C (45 to 50°F) pose a genuine cold-water immersion risk. Wading, swimming, or falling in without a wetsuit can trigger cold shock response and rapid loss of motor control. Treat the Atlantic with respect in March. ⚠ Wind chill along the open Boardwalk and on boat excursions can drop the perceived temperature well below the actual air reading, sometimes by 8 to 10°C (15 to 18°F). Dress for wind exposure, not just air temperature, near the water.

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Is March Right for You?

Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking

Advantages
  • + The Shamrock Marathon and Half Marathon pulls tens of thousands of runners to the Boardwalk in mid-March. The whole Oceanfront strip becomes a party. Live music stages pop up everywhere. A post-race festival hits the Convention Center. The energy wakes the town from its winter sleep. Even non-runners should come. The spectator scene along Atlantic Avenue justifies the trip alone.
  • + Shoulder-season pricing slashes accommodation rates far below summer levels. Oceanfront hotels that charge premium rates in July suddenly offer deals. A long weekend becomes affordable. Restaurants along Shore Drive and the Oceanfront have no waits. The Virginia Aquarium feels pleasantly empty. March delivers the coast without the crowds.
  • + March temperatures in Virginia Beach sit around 15°C (58°F) during daylight hours. This is near good for hiking First Landing State Park. Cycling the Boardwalk feels pleasant now. By June, the same activities become endurance tests under punishing humidity. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge offers dry, firm trails. Migratory birds arrive in serious numbers. The season rewards early visitors.
  • + Humpback whales linger off Virginia Beach through March. They finish winter feeding before heading north. Boat trips run from Rudee Inlet all month. Sighting rates stay strong before April pushes them toward New England. Few East Coast metro areas offer humpback sightings without a long drive. This is one of them.
Considerations
  • − The ocean stays too cold for March swimming. Water temperatures hover at 7 to 10°C (45 to 50°F). This cold demands a wetsuit. Casual swimmers risk danger. If your Virginia Beach fantasy involves sand lounging and surf wading, March will fail you. The beach works fine for walking. The water belongs to wetsuit owners only.
  • − Nor'easters threaten through March. When one climbs the coast, expect sustained winds of 50 to 65 km/h (30 to 40 mph). Heavy rain follows. Coastal flooding sometimes hits the Oceanfront. These storms can destroy two or three days of a short trip with minimal warning. Check extended forecasts before booking. Build flexibility into your itinerary. Indoor backup plans save trips.
  • − Many seasonal Boardwalk and Rudee Inlet operations stay closed in March. Others run limited hours. Some kayak outfitters, jet ski rentals, and smaller seafood shacks wait until April or May. The Oceanfront strip feels shuttered compared to summer. Weekday evenings show this most clearly.

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Best Activities in March

Top things to do during your visit

Virginia Beach in March sits at the hinge between winter and spring, a transitional week-by-week warming that strips away the cold gray of February without yet delivering the thick, salt-heavy humidity of summer. Average highs hover around 58°F and lows dip to 44°F, which means mornings along the oceanfront carry a raw, briny chill. The kind that reddens your ears and makes the first sip of coffee from a boardwalk café taste sharper. By afternoon, the sun breaks through often enough to warm the sand, and you can walk the three-mile boardwalk in a light jacket with the wind pushing at your back. Rainfall holds near 3.7 inches for the month, arriving mostly as passing showers that blow in from the Chesapeake Bay and clear within an hour, leaving the pavement glossy and the air smelling of wet concrete and ocean spray. March is the quiet shoulder season in Virginia Beach, and that quiet is its own reward. The summer crowds have not arrived, hotel rates along Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Avenue drop well below peak pricing, and restaurant reservations that require a week's lead time in July are yours for the asking. Locals reclaim the beach in March. You'll see surfers in wetsuits paddling out near the Oceanfront's jetties at dawn, retirees walking the shoreline at First Landing State Park where the loblolly pines meet the dunes, and fishermen casting from the Lesner Bridge as the water temperature inches upward. The boardwalk itself, that long concrete ribbon anchored by the towering King Neptune statue at 31st Street, feels unhurried in a way that reveals details you would never notice in August: the mosaic benches, the sound of your own footsteps, the occasional osprey wheeling overhead scanning the shallows for early-season fish. Virginia Beach in this shoulder month belongs to the people who live here, and stepping into that rhythm is one of the best reasons to visit before the calendar turns to summer. The restaurants along the resort strip and in the Vibe Creative District a few blocks inland are fully open, and March is an excellent month to eat well in Virginia Beach without competing for tables. Shore Drive's seafood houses serve the tail end of oyster season. The cold-water bivalves from nearby Lynnhaven River are at their briniest and firmest before spawning begins in warmer months. The nightlife scene along Atlantic Avenue is muted compared to summer but far from dormant. Bars with ocean-facing patios stay open, and the lack of crowds means bartenders have time to talk.

Buried Beneath the Boardwalk: Neptune Ghouls and Ghost Tours

Buried Beneath the Boardwalk: Neptune Ghouls and Ghost Tours

walking_tour
★ 4.5 96 reviews from $26

Takes you along the Virginia Beach oceanfront after dark, threading through the side streets and shadowed stretches behind the boardwalk where the resort town's unsettling history lives just out of sight. Your guide narrates documented hauntings, shipwreck legends, and the darker chapters of the coastal city's past while the sound of waves crashing beyond the dunes provides a constant, low backdrop. The March evening air, cool and damp off the Atlantic, hovering in the mid-40s, adds a physical edge to the experience. Every gust carries the smell of salt and seaweed as you stand in spots where, according to local accounts, apparitions have been reported for decades.

1.5 to 2 hours Budget Early evening, as close to dusk as the schedule allows
A walking tour that reframes the familiar boardwalk as something eerie and layered, revealing Virginia Beach's haunted maritime past through documented accounts rather than Hollywood theatrics.
Insider tip: Book the earliest available evening slot. The sky still holds a thin band of fading light at the start, which makes the transition into full darkness along the boardwalk more dramatic than starting in pitch black.
This month: March evenings are noticeably cooler along the oceanfront than daytime temperatures suggest. Dress for low-to-mid 40s with wind chill near the water, and bring a layer you can zip up.
Private Vacation Photoshoot with Photographer in Virginia Beach

Private Vacation Photoshoot with Photographer in Virginia Beach

other
★ 4.6 10 reviews from $140

Pairs you with a local photographer who knows precisely where the light falls along Virginia Beach's oceanfront, dune lines, and back-bay marshes at every hour of the day. Sessions develop at locations chosen to match the quality of light and the look you want: the wide, pale sand near Croatan Beach for an open, airy feel, or the weathered fishing pier pilings for something grittier and more textured. In March, the beach is yours. No crowds photobombing the frame, no umbrellas cluttering the background, just clean sand stretching to the waterline and the Atlantic doing what it does, rolling in, catching the light, pulling back.

1 to 1.5 hours Moderate Golden hour, roughly one hour before sunset
The empty March beach gives you the kind of unobstructed, golden-hour oceanfront backdrop that is physically impossible to get during Virginia Beach's packed summer months.
Insider tip: Request a session timed for the hour before sunset. In March, the sun drops at an angle that throws long, warm light across the sand without the harsh overhead glare of summer, and the dune grasses glow amber.
Virginia Beach True Crime Tour

Virginia Beach True Crime Tour

guided_experience
★ 3.2 4 reviews from $19

Walks you through the real locations tied to documented criminal cases in Virginia Beach and the surrounding Hampton Roads area, moving beyond ghost stories into the grittier, factual record of what happened and where. The route covers sites connected to notorious local cases, with your guide providing court records, newspaper archives, and investigative detail rather than embellishment. The pacing is deliberate. You stand at actual locations and absorb the geography of each case, which gives the stories a weight that reading about them never delivers.

1.5 to 2 hours Budget Late afternoon or early evening
A forensic, fact-driven walking experience that uses Virginia Beach's real streets and buildings as the primary source material, not campfire-style exaggeration.
Insider tip: Wear comfortable, flat-soled shoes. The route covers uneven sidewalks and stretches of pavement in older neighborhoods that can be slick if one of March's passing showers rolls through mid-tour.
Scavenger Hunt in Virginia Beach by 3Quest Challenge

Scavenger Hunt in Virginia Beach by 3Quest Challenge

other
★ 3.0 3 reviews from $10

Turns the resort district into a self-guided puzzle, sending you through the boardwalk area and surrounding streets with clues that force you to notice architectural details, public art, historical markers, and odd corners that even repeat visitors overlook. You move at your own pace, phone in hand, solving location-based challenges that require you to physically stand in front of the answer. No armchair guessing. The format works well in March, when the boardwalk's relative emptiness lets you linger at each clue site without dodging foot traffic.

1.5 to 2.5 hours Budget Late morning to early afternoon, when daylight is strongest and temperatures peak
A low-cost, self-paced way to explore Virginia Beach's oceanfront that rewards curiosity and observation over speed, revealing details most visitors walk past for years.
Insider tip: Start near the north end of the boardwalk and work south. The wind in March typically blows from the northeast, and having it at your back rather than in your face makes the outdoor stretches far more comfortable.
Limousine Transportation....Round Trip Pick-Up and Drop-Off Special.

Limousine Transportation....Round Trip Pick-Up and Drop-Off Special.

other
★ 5.0 1 reviews from $384

Provides private car service to and from Virginia Beach, handling the logistics of arrival and departure so you can skip the airport shuttle lines and parking-garage circling that eat into a short trip. The service covers round-trip ground transportation with a professional driver, which is useful if you are flying into Norfolk International Airport, a roughly twenty-minute ride to the oceanfront, and want to arrive without navigating an unfamiliar city. The vehicle is clean, quiet, and climate-controlled. A sharp contrast to stepping out of a terminal into March's cool, gusty coastal air.

Variable, depending on pickup and drop-off distance Expensive Coordinate with flight arrival and departure times
Eliminates the friction of rental cars and rideshare increase pricing for travelers whose Virginia Beach trip is short enough that owning the car logistics is not worth the hassle.
Insider tip: Confirm your pickup location and timing at least 24 hours in advance, if your flight arrives late. Norfolk International is a smaller airport, and ground transportation options thin out considerably after the last evening departures.
Astonishing Scavenger Hunt: Surf, Sand and Sculptures!

Astonishing Scavenger Hunt: Surf, Sand and Sculptures!

other
★ 3.0 2 reviews from $12

Sends you along Virginia Beach's oceanfront on a themed hunt built around the public art installations, sculptural landmarks, and quirky coastal details that line the boardwalk and its surrounding streets. The route passes the massive King Neptune bronze at 31st Street, weaves through the series of smaller sculptures and murals scattered along the boardwalk's southern stretch, and sends you into pockets of the resort area where the art is easy to miss if you are just walking straight through. Each challenge requires you to observe closely: reading plaques, studying angles, counting details. It turns a casual stroll into something more active and engaged.

1.5 to 2 hours Budget Midday, when the light is even and the sculptures are easiest to examine in detail
A structured reason to slow down and look at the public art collection that Virginia Beach has installed along its oceanfront, much of which even regular visitors never examine closely.
Insider tip: Bring a light windbreaker with a hood. Several clue locations sit right on the exposed boardwalk where March wind off the ocean can be persistent, and ducking into a doorway every few minutes breaks your momentum.

Where to Stay in Virginia Beach in March

Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for March travellers.

★★★ Mid-Range

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Virginia Beach (Oceanfront), VA

8.2 Very good · 102 reviews
From $94 / night
Check Prices on Trip.com →

Public Holidays in March

Dates that affect opening hours, transport and crowds

Good Friday

A public holiday in these regions only: US-CT, US-DE, US-HI, US-IN, US-KY, US-LA, US-NC, US-ND, US-NJ, US-TN.

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Essential Tips

Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid

Insider Knowledge
The Shore Drive corridor along the Chesapeake Bay side of Virginia Beach is where locals eat and drink year-round. Most tourists never leave the Oceanfront strip long enough to find it. The stretch between Chick's Beach and the Lesner Bridge has a concentration of seafood spots and waterfront bars that have been feeding Virginia Beach residents for decades. Steinhilber's, open since 1939 on the Lynnhaven River, serves the kind of crab imperial that reminds you this is still Chesapeake Bay country, not just an Atlantic beach town. The vibe is completely different from the Oceanfront. Quieter. Older. Salt-weathered in a way that feels earned. If you are in town for Shamrock Marathon weekend, book your accommodation at least six weeks ahead. The Oceanfront hotels fill up fast and prices jump. Staying a few blocks inland on Pacific Avenue or in the Hilltop area puts you within easy reach of the start line at a fraction of the cost. The free Shamrock Trolley shuttles runners and spectators along the Oceanfront corridor. You do not need to park near the start. First Landing State Park opens at sunrise. The first hour of light in March is when the bald cypress swamp trail is at its most atmospheric. The mist sits low over the water. The Spanish moss catches the early light. You might see a great blue heron standing motionless in the shallows. By 10 AM the dog walkers and joggers arrive and the spell breaks. Go early. March wind direction matters more than temperature for your daily planning. When the wind blows from the northeast, the Oceanfront gets hammered with cold, damp air straight off the Atlantic and the Boardwalk becomes unpleasant. On those days, head to the Chesapeake Bay side, which is sheltered by the peninsula. When the wind swings southwest, the Oceanfront warms up fast and the Boardwalk is good for a long walk. Locals check wind direction before temperature.
Avoid These Mistakes
Packing for the beach and expecting to swim. The Atlantic off Virginia Beach in March is around 7 to 10°C (45 to 50°F). That is cold enough to trigger a gasp reflex if you wade in past your knees. The beach is spectacular for walking, running, and watching the waves. The water is for surfers in full wetsuits only. Travelers who arrive expecting the summer Virginia Beach experience leave frustrated. Staying exclusively at the Oceanfront and never crossing the city to the bay side. Virginia Beach is much larger than the resort strip. The Chesapeake Bay shore, the Pungo agricultural district in the south, and Sandbridge's quieter residential beach all have distinct personalities that most tourists miss entirely. The city is roughly 50 km (31 miles) from north to south. Rent a car. Otherwise you will only see a fraction of it. Underestimating the wind. March visitors dress for the forecast temperature but forget that a 15°C (58°F) day with a 30 km/h (19 mph) wind off the ocean feels like 8°C (46°F) on the Boardwalk. Every year Shamrock Marathon runners show up in shorts and regret it by mile three. Layer up. Bring wind protection. Plan to adjust throughout the day.

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