21 Best Winter Destinations

When the nights draw in and the temperature drops, it’s tempting to hunker down until spring. But winter is one of the most rewarding times to travel: crowds thin, prices soften, and the season itself becomes the main attraction, from snow-dusted villages and glowing northern lights to frozen canals and cozy markets scented with mulled wine. At this point in the year, the question isn’t whether you need a getaway – it’s where.

Whether you’re chasing powder, wildlife or a warm-weather reset, the southern hemisphere’s summer and the tropics’ dry season mean there’s plenty of sunshine to be found, too. Maybe you’ve been eyeing flights for months, or maybe you are just trying to squeeze in a break before the year ends. Here’s where you should travel this winter.

Planning further ahead? Find out where to go in January, February and March.

For more trip ideas, check out Lonely Planet’s guidebook Where to Go When.

Advertisement

1. Chūbu, Japan

Winter dusts central Honshū’s temples, castles and wooden houses with snow, and crowds thin out once the New Year holidays end. Watch snow monkeys soak in hot springs near Yudanaka, wander the thatched hamlets of Shirakawa-go, and try snow crab in Kanazawa. An onsen and a warm cup of sake are never far away.

2. Kerala, India

After the excess of the holidays, January is well suited to a reset in Kerala. Book a yoga retreat, drift through the backwaters on a rice barge or houseboat, or head to the Western Ghats for cool air and tea plantations. Varkala and Kovalam have grown into resort towns, but quieter stretches of sand remain if you look.

3. Valais, Switzerland

Skip the glitzy resorts and head for the Goms valley, where snow sports go at a slower pace. You’ll find about 80km of marked winter hiking trails, snowshoe routes and over 100km of cross-country skiing, plus fatbiking, sledging and ice-skating. The Matterhorn Gotthard Railway links the fairy-tale villages along the valley.

4. Gisborne, New Zealand

Gisborne claims to be the first city in the world to see the sunrise, and January is midsummer here, with long, dry, sunny days. Follow the Tupapa Heritage Trail to learn about Māori culture, taste chardonnay at boutique wineries, learn to surf at Waikanae Beach, or meet friendly stingrays near Tatapouri.

5. Laos

January is dry and relatively cool, the best moment to see Laos’s temples, islands and mountains. Base yourself in Luang Prabang, then explore the wildlife-rich north, the mysterious stone jars of the Plain of Jars and the laidback Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands) on the Mekong, home to Irrawaddy dolphins. Pack a warm layer for chilly nights in the mountains.

6. The Gambia

Travel upriver into West Africa during The Gambia’s coolest, driest month. Along the Gambia River you’ll find sobering colonial history, including Fort James on Kunta Kinteh Island, and wildlife: more than 500 bird species, plus hippos, crocodiles, baboons and red colobus monkeys. Most large vessels stop at Kuntaur, so switch to a local boat to go further.

7. St Helena

Advertisement

This remote British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic sees few visitors, but whale sharks gather here from December to March, making January ideal for swimming alongside the world’s biggest fish. On land, meet Jonathan the giant tortoise, climb the 699 steps of Jacob’s Ladder, and visit Longwood House, where Napoleon spent his final years in exile.

8. Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia

January is high summer at the bottom of the world, with near-constant daylight and the warm days hovering around freezing. Penguin colonies are at their loudest, seal pups appear on South Georgia, and whale sightings increase toward the month’s end. Most cruises leave from Ushuaia, Argentina, and cross the Drake Passage, which can be rough or surprisingly calm.

9. Madeira, Portugal

While much of Europe shivers, Madeira can reach 20°C (68°F) in February. The mild weather is ideal for walking the island’s levadas (old irrigation channels), sipping poncha (a rum cocktail) at an ocean-view bar, taking the cable car up to Monte Palace Tropical Gardens or having afternoon tea at Reid’s Palace. Visit around Carnival for parades in Funchal.

10. Tanzania

February brings a great synchronized birth event, when wildebeest calve on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and up to half a million young arrive. Predators move in, and zebras graze alongside. Add Olduvai Gorge and Ngorongoro Crater, or try quieter southern reserves like Selous and Ruaha, which often have lower lodge rates.

11. St Lucia

February is the coolest, clearest time to visit this romantic Caribbean island. Stay at an upscale resort near the Pitons, then visit cacao plantations for chocolate tours, tastings and cooking classes. Independence Day celebrations on February 22 add parades and parties.

12. Cambodia

In February, skies are clear and temperatures hover around 27°C (81°F), pleasant for long days among the Temples of Angkor. There’s still enough water in Tonlé Sap Lake to visit floating villages that actually float. After Siem Reap, head south to Phnom Penh’s haunting museums, and finish with beach time in Kep or Sihanoukville.

13. South India

Cool, dry February is prime wildlife-watching season in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Periyar shelters roughly 2,000 elephants and about 40 tigers, while Nagarhole is home to a rare black panther. Mix reserves with cultural stops: Kochi’s Chinese fishing nets, the palaces and spice stalls of Mysuru, and the 14th-century temples of Hampi.

14. Arctic Sweden

In December, the sun never rises in Jukkasjärvi, a perfect backdrop for the aurora borealis. Sleep in a bed made of ice at the original Icehotel, then go husky sledding or snowmobiling, or meet reindeer and learn about Sámi culture. For some of the world’s best northern lights viewing, continue to Abisko National Park and climb Mt Nuolja.

15. Sierra Leone

December’s warm, dry days suit both beach lounging and exploring. Sierra Leone’s white-sand beaches are as lovely as ever, and birdlife is dazzling. In Freetown, see the 500-year-old Cotton Tree and the nearby Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary, then head east to Tiwai Island for monkeys, chimps and maybe pygmy hippos. Check your government’s travel advice before booking.

16. East Gippsland, Australia

Victoria’s far southeast is a wildlife wonderland of rainforest, lakes, beaches and eucalypt forest, and a good place to lend a hand to a recovering landscape. Join a koala research project, help with beach cleanups, collect recovery survey data and look out for kangaroos, echidnas and lyrebirds. Farm gates open for pick-your-own produce from December.

17. Black Forest, Germany

December is the most fairy-tale month in Germany’s most romantic region. Wander Freiburg’s medieval center, scented with Glühwein (mulled wine) and gingerbread, and browse its Christmas market. Take a train to Hinterzarten for the Ravennaschlucht market, set in a gorge beneath a viaduct, then ride the cable car up Schauinsland for winter hiking and views.

18. Northumberland, England

The Northumberland coast has a low, delicate light, huge skies and empty sands that suit winter. Walk all or part of the 62-mile (100km) Coast Path past castles like Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh, warm up in a Craster pub, and stay up late for some of England’s darkest skies, where the Milky Way is sometimes visible. Gray seals also pup on the Farne Islands in winter.

19. Slovenia

Slovenia can’t rival the big Alpine names, but that’s part of its appeal: the resorts, such as Kranjska Gora, Krvavec and Vogel, are smaller and quieter, and the country excels at multiactivity winter breaks. Combine skiing with snowshoeing, ice climbing or night tobogganing, then photograph a frosty Lake Bled. Postojna Cave’s Living Nativity runs December 25–30.

20. Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico stretches Christmas across around 60 days, from American Thanksgiving in late November to mid-January. Expect late-night parrandas (carol singing in the streets), feasts of lechón (roasted pork) and arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), and pranks on Día de los Inocentes (December 28). Wander the bright alleys of Old San Juan, hike in El Yunque, then kayak Bioluminescent Bay after dark.

21. Bangladesh

December is the best time to visit one of the world’s most densely populated and least-visited countries: the rains have stopped, days are bright, and nights are cool. Explore Dhaka by rickshaw, cruise the Sundarbans looking for Bengal tigers and Ganges dolphins, visit the 8th-century Somapura Mahavihara, and sip tea in the hills near Srimangal. A permit is needed for the Chittagong Hill Tracts.