Travel in February can be a great time to pack up and explore because of the generally low numbers of tourists. There are many places around the world that have prime weather during this time of year. Whether you are still hoping to take in the last of winter or maybe even get a taste of warm weather, the world is your oyster this month. It’s the perfect time to whisk your Valentine off for a little travel romance. From festivals to snowcapped mountains and tropical beaches, this list of best places to travel in February won’t let you down!
Best Places to Travel in February in the USA
New Orleans, Louisiana
A great place to visit in February is New Orleans. Known for it’s delicious food, incredible French architecture, music, and of course Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras, in english “Fat Tuesday”, is the last day before lent to eat all the fatty foods before fasting begins. This year, Mardi Gras falls on March 1st.
Leading up to this time, the streets of New Orleans are completely filled with people, parades, food, and anything else you can imagine. Although these parades and festivals can be enjoyed from balconies, tickets for seating are available for very cheap pricing as well. Hotel: Bourbon Orleans Hotel (8.8)
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Aspen, Colorado
One of the most beautiful and upscale ski areas in the U.S. is Aspen, Colorado. With four incredible ski resorts, you’ll have plenty of terrain to explore. There are also fun ski events like Ski for the Pass and the Nordic Bonfire Dinner that take place in February. If you’re all about après ski, check out Chair 9 – The Little Nell.
Aside from the winter sports, the town of Aspen itself is a great place to walk around for shopping, restaurants and fun nightlife. Catch the Aspen Laugh Festival in February when famous comedians come into town and put on nightly shows. After a long day on the slopes, it’s always fun to end with a laugh! Hotel: St. Regis Aspen Resort
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Florida Keys
One of the best places to visit in February is the Florida Keys. The Keys have some of the warmest beaches in the world in February for a romantic trip with your valentine. Aside from laying out and enjoying the warm weather, you can take a bike tour around the island or swim with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center.
Visit the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, go shopping in the historic district of Old Town Key West and make sure to watch the sunset from Mallory Square. No visit would be complete without dining on fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants or indulging in key lime pie!
The oversees Highway to the Florida Keys is one of the best road trips in the United States. Divers should consider a stay in Key Largo to charter a boat to explore the coral reefs. Hotel: H2O Suites Hotel (9.4) or The Capitana Key West (9.3)
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Idaho
Idaho is definitely a go to state for adventure lovers. In fact, it is one of the best places to enjoy winter outdoor fun. Sun Valley resort draws skiers from all over the world with 2,000+ acres of skiable terrain. You’ll also find snow tubing, snowmobiling, fat tire mountain biking, snowshoeing and tons of cross country skiing too!
Afterwards, experience one of the state’s many natural hot springs. In February, you should definitely check out the McCall Winter Carnival with incredible Ice Sculpture competition and the American Dog Derby, the oldest All American dog sled race in Ashton, Idaho. Hotel: Knob Hill Inn
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Best Places to Visit in February in Europe
Venice, Italy
Venice is always a great, romantic destination any time of year. It’s unlike any other city in the world with its gondola filled canals, beautiful palaces and traditional Italian food. Take a Tour of Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Basilica. Another great thing to do is a day trip to Murano, Burano and Torcello Islands.
Although February may not be the most warm time of year to visit Italy, the Carnivale di Venezia will give you a great excuse to visit this breathtaking city. The carnival begins on February 12th and ends March 1st. Celebrations are all over the city with elaborate masks and costumes, making for Venice Instagram photos of a lifetime. Hotel: Belmond Hotel Cipriani (9.4) or Novecento Boutique Hotel (9.3)
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Lapland, Finland
Although typically the coldest month of the year, Lapland will be covered in snow and have mostly clear skies during this time. The main attraction here is the Aurora Borealis also known as the northern lights. The best time to witness this phenomenon is in the winter. Since February has the highest likelihood of clear skies, your chances will be at a high!
Aside from this incredible sight, Lapland has tons more to offer such as cross country skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, dog sledding, and even reindeer safaris! Take advantage of time outside in this spectacular location, but definitely bundle up because temperatures will be well below freezing. Hotel: Pyha Igloos (9.2) or Beana Laponia (9.7)
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Austrian Alps
An incredible winter wonderland vacation is the perfect way to end the winter season. The Alps are one of the best places in the world for skiers and snowboarders. There is nothing but 360 degrees of snowcapped mountains. Grabbing a pair of snowshoes and hiking during the day or even at night underneath the stars is a great activity as well.
If the action becomes a little too much, one of the best spas in the world is located in the Austrian Alps. Aqua Dome is the name and it is both a hotel and a spa. The views are absolutely breathtaking but be careful because you may never want to leave this romantic getaway! Hotel: Aqua Dome – Tirol Therme Langenfeld
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Best Places to Visit in February Around the World
Cape Town, South Africa
It’s finally time to go back to Cape Town, South Africa, one of the best warm places in February with so much to see and do. One of most famous sights is Table Mountain. You can either hike or take a cable car to the top and see magnificent views of the landscapes surrounding Cape Town.
From down below, there will sometimes be a cloud cover over just the top of the mountain, giving it the appearance of a table cloth which is a pretty spectacular sight! The views around the Cape of Good Hope are also something worth seeing.
In terms of adventure, visit Boulders Beach and see thousands of African penguins surrounding you, so cute! If you’re a surfer, South Africa has some of the best beaches in the world to either watch or take part in the action. Hotel: Cape Grace (9.1)
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Cabo San Lucas
If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation spot with plenty of activities to keep you busy, Cabo San Lucas is the place for you. With its stunning beaches and vibrant nightlife, there’s something for everyone in this Mexican paradise.
The beaches in Cabo are beautiful, definitely go to Medano and Lover’s Beach, but there is so much more to do in this corner of Mexico than sunbathe. Adventurers will have a blast on an ATV tour or a 4 Hour Snorkel Cruise on the Sea of Cortez where you’ll see the famous Cabo Arch. Hike up Mt. Solamar or the Pedregal for amazing views and an awesome workout.
At the end of an active day, visit the downtown area for shopping and a great meal. Then check out what the nightlife has to offer. Hotel: One&Only Palmilla (9.2) or Viceroy Los Cabos (9.3)
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Sri Lanka
Tourism is back in Sri Lanka and February is a good month to visit because monsoon season has just ended and tourist season has not yet begun.
Sri Lanka is a great place to explore the outdoors and get up close and personal with the wildlife. Elephants can be seen all over the country, but your best chance to see elephants roaming free is at Uda Walawe National Park. In Yala National Park, you will likely be able to come across leopards as the highest population of leopards reside here.
Blue whales swim very close to land during the months of January through April, so if you are near the southern tip of Sri Lanka, keep an eye out! Aside from wildlife, Sri Lanka is famous for tea. You can visit a tea empire in Nuwara Eliya and take home some samples, yum! Hotel: Heritance Kandalama
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These are the ten best places to travel in February. Take in the last of winter or head to the sunny beaches for a great trip no matter where you end up. These locations were handpicked to give you the best February travel experiences possible. If you need some more inspiration, check out the best places to travel in January or March.
Our Favorite Travel Items
Other Amazing Places to Visit in February:
- TRAVEL: The Best Places to Travel in March
- BAHAMAS: Swimming with Pigs in Exuma & 10 Other Epic Things to Do
- CUBA: What I Loved and Hated About Visiting Cuba
- THAILAND: 2 Days in Phuket Itinerary
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17 Comments
Kim Cook
January 24, 2020 at 6:46 pmBeautiful and amazing choices. The Florida Keys and Aspen spoke to me as well as Iceland. I have several friends who absolutely loved it there!
Jenifer
January 24, 2020 at 8:36 pmAll of those are great. Iceland was one of our favorite trips ever. Hope you get to see it sometime soon.
Jessica
January 24, 2020 at 6:41 amCant go wrong with any of these places, especially Finland. Those Northern Lights are just breathtaking.
Jessica
Kelli
January 21, 2020 at 8:12 pmYou always have the best blog post ever! Your writing, your photos, I love it all!!!
Jenifer
January 21, 2020 at 11:26 pmThank you so much!
Rosemary Davis
January 20, 2020 at 2:40 pmJennifer these are all amazing choices! I can say that I have visited several and can agree that they are awesome!
Your photos are out of this world!!! I so enjoy reading your post for the pictures as much as the information,
Thanks for sharing!
Rosemary
Jenifer
January 20, 2020 at 8:17 pmThank you so much!
Meirose
January 19, 2020 at 6:27 pmThese are amazing places Jenifer! Lapland has been on my radar! Good to know February is the best month to go. Wow! so many to choose from. Thank you for sharing your wonderful knowledge of world travel. By the way, awesome photos!
Jenifer
January 19, 2020 at 7:07 pmLapland has the clearest weather in February so your chance of seeing northern lights is higher. I agree, there are so many great places to go in February!
Jyoti
January 18, 2020 at 9:23 amThese are really some amazing places to visit in February! Nice compilation! Wonderful Post! Have a great day!
Allurerage
Rampdiary
Jenifer
January 21, 2020 at 11:31 pmSo glad you like it. There are definitely some exciting places on the February list.
Heike Yates
January 17, 2020 at 1:11 pmJennifer, these are some awesome places and some or still on my list to visit. Cap Town is on it next year and good to know that February might be a good time to go. We love to travel too 🙂
Jenifer
January 17, 2020 at 11:44 pmCape Town is a lovely 72F in February and it’s typically the least expensive month to fly there. A total win-win!
Simone
January 16, 2020 at 7:52 pmA friend of mine just recently saw the northern lights in Norway, it must be truly spectacular to see those amazing lights. I would love to visit the Florida Keys though to escape the cold weather here lol.
xx Simone
Jenifer
January 16, 2020 at 9:06 pmHow lucky for your friend! I think a lot of people are looking to escape the cold in February 😉
Jennifer
January 16, 2020 at 1:27 pmI’d love to go someplace warm next month for my birthday but I’m not sure it will happen.
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
Jenifer
January 16, 2020 at 4:40 pmHope you get a Happy Birthday somewhere great!