The best places to travel in February offer everything from winter adventures and wildlife viewing to cultural experiences and active escapes. Explore five of our favorites and discover why February is an exceptional time to visit each one.
Lapland
By February, Lapland is deep in its spectacular Arctic winter, but returning daylight means more time to explore its snow-covered forests, frozen lakes and sweeping fells. Nights are still dark enough for the northern lights, while abundant snow sets the stage for classic winter adventures. Experience it all on Backroads’ Finland & Sweden Northern Lights Snow Adventure Tour, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing through Lapland, dogsledding with a team of huskies and discovering Sámi culture and the region’s deep connection to reindeer and the land. Warm up with Swedish fika and a traditional Finnish sauna, spend the night at Sweden’s extraordinary Icehotel and settle into a glass-roofed cabin with the Arctic sky overhead. It’s winter at its most immersive—and February is an ideal time to experience it.
Vietnam
Cooler temperatures in the north and warm, drier days farther south make February an especially inviting time to visit Vietnam. A single journey can take you from bustling cities to tranquil rice paddies and tropical landscapes. On Backroads’ Vietnam & Cambodia Bike Tour, pedal from the lively streets of Hanoi into the countryside, then continue south to historic Huế and colorful Hội An. Along the way, discover Vietnam’s rich culture and celebrated cuisine before crossing into Cambodia and ending among the extraordinary temples of Angkor. With comfortable conditions for active exploration and an incredible variety of landscapes and cultural treasures, February offers a rewarding window into this fascinating corner of Southeast Asia.
Death Valley
Winter reveals a different side of Death Valley, when low-angled light illuminates its colorful canyons and badlands, distant peaks may be capped with snow and, in the right conditions, the season’s first wildflowers can begin to emerge at lower elevations. It’s also an ideal time to discover this land of extremes on foot. On Backroads’ Death Valley Hiking & Walking Tour, venture through the sculpted walls of Mosaic Canyon, hike amid the golden formations of Golden Canyon and Red Cathedral and wander the rippling Mesquite Sand Dunes. After dark, look up: Death Valley is the country’s largest Dark Sky National Park. There’s history here for Backroads too—our very first trip took place in Death Valley more than four decades ago.
Bhutan
As winter begins to loosen its grip on the Himalayas, February offers a quieter window into Bhutan’s extraordinary landscapes and deeply rooted Buddhist culture. It’s also the season of Punakha Tshechu, a colorful religious festival held in February (sometimes into March) at the magnificent Punakha Dzong. Backroads’ Bhutan Hiking & Walking Tour follows ancient village paths and Buddhist pilgrimage trails through forest and farmland, with opportunities to meet local guides and monks and receive a blessing at a secluded monastery. Hike beneath snowcapped Himalayan peaks, explore the Punakha Valley and make the unforgettable climb to Tiger’s Nest, perched high on a cliff above the Paro Valley. It’s an immersive journey into a kingdom where spirituality, tradition and the natural world remain profoundly intertwined.
Yellowstone National Park
February brings rare solitude to Yellowstone, one of the least-visited times of year in a park transformed by deep snow and steaming geothermal features. Wildlife takes center stage too—bison trek through the snow, while wolves, coyotes and foxes hunt across winter-white meadows. Explore this winter wonderland on Backroads’ Yellowstone & Tetons Snow Adventure Tour, snowshoeing through serene forests and traveling by snowcoach into the heart of the park, where geysers, fumaroles and bubbling mud pots create an otherworldly contrast against the snowy landscape. Continue south to Grand Teton National Park for more winter exploration beneath the snowcapped Teton Range. It’s a side of two iconic national parks that relatively few visitors ever get to experience.
Lee Schwartz is a lifelong Backroads traveler turned Marketing Writer, with countless trips around the world inspiring her love of travel writing. For this story, she dug into what makes a destination truly worth visiting in February—from seasonal traditions and wildlife to winter-only adventures and the pleasure of having an ordinarily crowded place a little more to yourself.
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