The top 10 places to visit in February 2026

February may be the shortest month, but you can still pack some serious travel into it this coming year. The hardest part will be deciding where to go.

Whether you need a restful break after the holiday season or an exhilarating adventure to kick-start your year, there’s a perfect destination just waiting for you. Here are some of our favorite places to go in February.

1. St Lucia

Best for beaches 

Advertisement

Among Caribbean destinations vying for the “most romantic” crown, St Lucia has a couple of particularly enviable attributes: a roster of outstanding upmarket resorts that overlook gorgeous white-sand beaches lapped by the turquoise, bath-warm Caribbean, and a long heritage of cacao plantations fueling a passion for chocolate that’s been reignited in recent years. February, when the air is coolest and clearest, is the time to fall in love with (or, indeed, in) its most sensuous pleasures.

Planning tip: Independence Day celebrations on February 22 include parades and local festivities – be prepared to party.

2. Montréal, Canada

Best for the food scene 

February in Montréal is cold, but the city is tailored to its climate and so is its eating scene. To inhale the extra calories you’ll need to function in these icy temperatures, try the classics: Montréal bagels and smoked-meat sandwiches – and (of course) poutine. Yet Montréal is more diverse than ever, and its culinary offerings are similarly varied. Expect to taste Korean fried chicken, Haitian griot (fried pork chunks), Syrian kibbeh and more.

Planning tip: If you happen to catch the tail end of the month, check out Montréal en Lumière, a festival of lights, culture and food launched in 2000 to showcase all the city has to offer in winter. 

3. Mendoza, Argentina

Best for wine lovers

This is the most intoxicating time to visit the heart of Argentine wine country. Vineyards dominate here – every hillside is scored with vines – and in hot, sunny February, they’ll be healthily heavy with fruit in anticipation of the March harvest. A festive atmosphere reigns, with every bodega (of which there are close to 900) open for tours, tastings and celebrations. The leafy, plaza-dotted city of Mendoza makes a good base.

Planning tip: To truly earn your hours at the vineyard, spend a morning or two hiking or rafting in Atuel Canyon, one of the oldest formations in the Andes. Just pack a layer or two if you're hiking, as it can get a bit chilly at 800m above sea level. 

4. Singapore

Best for street food 

Advertisement

Warmth is guaranteed year-round in Singapore, with average temperatures a fairly consistent 27°C (81°F). February, however, is one of the driest months, and if you come after Lunar New Year (a national holiday), things aren’t wildly busy. Perhaps the chief reason to visit, though, is to eat. Hawker centers serve up phenomenal food in cheap, canteen-like settings, while top-end eateries are getting ever better. Seek out chili crab, spicy rendang (a slow-cooked Indonesian meat dish) curry and a range of Nonya dishes, unique to the region.

Planning tip: If you're in town at the end of the month, go to the city's annual Chingay Parade to watch more than 4000 performers dance, sing and float through town in celebration of the city's culture and traditions. 

5. Wyoming, USA

Best for skiing

When snow cloaks the Cowboy State, special things happen. Skiers and boarders will love the Teton Mountains resort of Jackson Hole, nicknamed “The Big One” on account of its steep, thrilling terrain and great powder (driest and deepest in January and February). Further north, quite different thrills await in Yellowstone National Park. Heaving in summer, Yellowstone empties in winter. Park roads close, and the only ways to explore are via snowcoach, snowmobile, cross-country skis or snowshoes. Geysers and hot springs steam in the icy air, and animals congregate at the thermal areas for warmth.

Planning tip: Kings and Queens of Corbet's is an incredible event at Jackson Hole, showcasing some of the world's best Olympians, X-Games pros and Freeride champs in skiing and snowboarding. Prepare to be wowed (and then hit the after party). 

6. Madeira, Portugal

Best for an island vacation 

Madeira is an island without climatic extremes, but with plenty of topographical ones. Adrift in the Atlantic, closer to Morocco than to its Portuguese motherland, there’s barely any flatland to be found – every inch seems dramatically ruptured – and the sun shines all year round. Suffice it to say, in February, when most of Europe shivers, Madeira can bask in temperatures of up to 20°C (68°F). Even if it rains, there are so many microclimates to which you can travel and find better weather. The mild winter is ideal for strolling the island’s network of levadas (old irrigation channels) or relaxing with a poncha (sugarcane-spirit cocktail) in an ocean-view bar. Madeira promises numerous activities, too, from trail running to mountain biking and canyoning.

Planning tip: February kicks off Carnival in Madeira. Don't miss out on two weeks packed with parades, parties and – best of all – costumes. 

7. Tanzania

Best for a safari 

February is a great time to explore northern Tanzania, as herds of wildebeest cross the plains and zebras munch their way across the short grass of the southern Serengeti, stocking up on calories before giving birth, usually in early to mid-February. This short dry season also offers excellent birding, and some reserves such as Selous and Ruaha are relatively quiet, with lower rates at lodges. Make time for Olduvai Gorge – the famed “Cradle of Mankind” known for finds of early hominid remains – and the wildlife-dense Ngorongoro Crater.

8. Cambodia

Best for historic sites

Relax on the golden beaches of Sihanoukville, visit the floating villages of Tonlé Sap and allow a few days to wander the monuments of Angkor: the weather is dry and wonderful across Cambodia in February. Warmer than the early dry season (October to January) but not yet sweltering, this might be the best month for exploring the vast, UNESCO-listed Angkor complex.

Planning tip: Start in Siem Reap, granting Angkor the time it deserves. Then cruise on Tonlé Sap Lake. Head south for the haunting museums of Phnom Penh before beach time in Kep or Sihanoukville. 

9. United Arab Emirates

Best for sun 

The UAE awaits discovery in this relatively comfortable month, when daytime temperatures linger around the 24°C mark (75°F). Don’t just limit yourself to the resort strands of Dubai: seek out sandy stretches such as Black Palace Beach, Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali or Dibba in Fujairah. And cool off with some culture: explore the old center and forts of oasis city Al Ain; 10 millennia of history at the expansive Mleiha Archaeological Site; and the world-class museums and galleries of Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, including the magnificent, dome-covered Louvre.

10. Manitoba, Canada 

Best for a polar bear safari

Seeing polar bears from a distance is one thing. Seeing them approach your tundra vehicle is quite another. It often happens during polar-bear season in Churchill, a small Manitoba town on the southern edge of the Arctic that’s known as the polar bear capital of the world – and for good reason, since Canada is home to 60% of the world’s population. Starting in August each year, the bears leave the sea ice and roam Hudson Bay’s three eco-zones: subarctic tundra, boreal forest and Arctic marine. If caught wandering into town, they land themselves in polar-bear jail, where they are tagged and relocated. The bears aren’t the only attraction, though. Churchill is also home to the largest beluga migration on earth when, from June to September, the bright white whales show up in western Hudson Bay. It’s also possible to see the northern lights up to 300 nights a year here; February to March is the best time.

Planning tip: As the largest land predators, polar bears are dangerous. Guided tours in polar rovers are the only way to see them safely.