The Best Places to Visit in February, from Ho Chi Minh City to Vienna
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The best places to visit in February demonstrate that, though the month is the shortest of the year, there's more than enough time to travel to a destination ripe for exploration or revisiting, whether you're in the mood to try a Valentine's Day getaway, hit the slopes at home or abroad, chase some winter sun, or celebrate festivals, cultural anniversaries, and the Carnival season. No matter what kind of vacation you have (or even if you do every kind of trip in February), it all just goes to show that nothing beats traveling in the middle of winter to shake off the drag of short days and long nights.
Below are 12 of the best places to visit in February, from storied ski slopes to remote islands. It’s never too early to start cashing in those paid vacation days, after all.
This gallery has been updated since its original publish date. Additional reporting by Mark Ellwood.
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Stowe, Vermont
Stowe has long been a top ski destination for East Coasters, thanks to its mix of high-quality intermediate and black diamond runs. Home to two different mountains, Spruce Peak and Mount Mansfield, a lift connects the two, making it easy for visitors to ski both on the same day. The town itself is also downright adorable, with old-fashioned general stores, steepled churches, and some of the best accommodations in New England. (And a Ben & Jerry’s factory.)
Stay at Topnotch Resort and lean into the winter season by roasting marshmallows at the outdoor fire pits, taking sleigh rides via the equestrian center, or enjoying a massage at the award-winning spa. Newer to the scene—and perfect for ski bunnies—is Tälta Lodge, which opened in 2021 right next to Mount Mansfield’s double black diamond runs. Every aspect of the hotel caters to outdoor adventurers, from the private ski lockers in the hallways to the hot tubs for relaxing muscles after a long ski day.
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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
There's plenty to celebrate in Vietnam this coming year: In 2025, the country will commemorate half a century since the Fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975—and in particular, Ho Chi Minh City (still referred to locally as Saigon) has a calendar filled with events, exhibits, and celebrations to mark half 50 years of national reunification. For all these reasons and more, the city is one of our Best Places to Go in Asia in 2025.
February, however, is an especially apt time to visit. The start of the year is a wonderful opportunity to join the locals in celebrating the annual festival season of the Lunar New Year. Tết Nguyên Đán, also known as Vietnamese New Year, features fireworks, flowers, and many gatherings and celebrations. In 2025, Tết is celebrated on January 29, and the days that follow in early February will surely carry the afterglow of the fête that is Tết. (Just as well that you visit afterwards; most locals, especially those working in the hospitality industry, will not be working over the holidays and many shops and places to eat and stay will be closed or running with smaller-than-usual teams.)
You can experience Tết all over the country, but Ho Chi Minh City in particular has a lot to offer—even outside the new-year festivities—as it is growing to become one of Southeast Asia’s cultural epicenters of commerce, dining, and fashion.
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Costa Rica
Costa Rica is always on our minds, but the country’s dry season (December to April) is probably the best time to visit. Sink into the pura vida lifestyle as you surround yourself with misty waterfalls, deserted beaches, and protected jungles. Cocos Island National Park, the only island in the eastern Pacific with a rainforest, is a world-class diving destination replete with hammerhead sharks, giant manta rays, sea turtles, and dolphins. La Amistad National Park is another unique site, with cloud forests, glacial valleys, and a rare tropical alpine grassland (say that five times fast). It’s also home to Cerro Chirripó, the highest mountain in Costa Rica.
Along with those natural wonders, the hotels and resorts in Costa Rica are an equally compelling reason to visit. Stay at one of the 50 colorful casitas at Nayara Gardens, a family-friendly resort where spacious balconies and outdoor showers afford views of the Arenal Volcano. Or hop next door to Nayara Springs, which earned a spot on our 2022 Gold List. This adults-only hotel has 29 tented rooms, a wine bar, hot spring pools, and a delightful sloth sanctuary.
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Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is sunny and warm most of the year, but the New Mexico capital still gets its fair share of snowy weather—that snow looks extra beautiful against the adobe buildings and rock formations though. The best snow conditions of the year typically occur in February, beckoning travelers to the 87 trails at Ski Santa Fe. Back in town, places like the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Museum of International Folk Art provide culture away from the nippy weather. And if you get really cold, there’s nothing like the state’s supply of green chile to warm you from the inside out.
Readers’ Choice Award favorite Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi has a tangible warmth to it, with gaslit kiva fireplaces and hand-carved four-poster beds adorning the rooms. The downtown Adobe hotel is just a block from the Plaza, but the grilled elk tenderloin and achiote chile-roasted duck breast at the in-house Anasazi Restaurant might tempt you to stay put for the evening.
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Switzerland
Believe it or not, Switzerland is not an expensive place to ski, and what better time to sample the best European slopes than in February? Lift prices often beat those in Colorado and Utah, plus many Swiss towns let kids ski for free, on top of offering other great ski deals. Plus, the most affordable flights from the United States to Switzerland are typically found in February and the surrounding months.
If you're not much of a skiier, you might skip St. Moritz and Zermatt and instead enjoy the city scenes of Zurich or Geneva. The latter is one of our Best Places to Go in Europe for 2025 for an exciting summer of glitzy sailing ahead, as well as luxurious hotel openings throughout the year. But the wintertime is a fabulous season in Switzerland life too: Crowds are minimal and cafes still have cozy spots outside offering blankets and heat lamps and the famous Swiss Glühwein to warm you up.
In Zurich, stay at the Baur au Lac, a luxurious grand villa (and Readers' Choice Awards favorite) overlooking the Alps and Lake Zurich, founded in 1844; in Geneva, check into The Woodward, a Hot List 2022 honoree and high-end Swiss lakeside spot that offers heritage chic with a zingy contemporary twist.
- Villa Palladio Jaipur
Jaipur, India
The Jaipur Literature Festival—one of the largest literary festivals in the world—is a five-day extravaganza (January 30–February 3, 2025) drawing heavy-hitting arty types to Rajasthan’s Pink City for lectures, debates, and readings. This year’s roster features dozens of speakers, ranging from award-winning novelists to literary critics and art historians.
Another compelling reason to visit Jaipur this year: Villa Palladio Jaipur, a Hot List 2023 winner. The boutique hotel is a riotous ode to Rajasthani craftsmanship and color (especially hot red), featuring delicious details like hand-painted walls and bubbling fountains. Hole up in one of the nine dollhouse-like rooms and soak up views of the lesser Aravallis—all followed by Tibetan spa treatments and homemade Indian dinners.
- Le Méridien Hotels
Maldives
A chain of 26 atolls and more than 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean, the Republic of Maldives is one of the most sought-after tropical destinations in the world. It’s also one of the best places to visit in February, when temps remain in the low 80s with little risk of rain—superb conditions for snorkeling and diving. If you’re a scuba or underwater expert, good news: Manta rays are easier to spot this month, as they cluster to feed on the surfeit of plankton near the atolls, and it’s also the start of whale shark season, another plankton-feeding animal that can grow up to 40 feet in length.
Hole up at Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, which opened in 2022 in the Raa Atoll. The Hot List-winning property offers true luxury and relaxation: Think perfect white beaches, endless palm trees, and thick jungle vegetation. The 80 villas (all with pools) are divided between overwater villas and beach villas, and guests can enjoy on-site restaurants and bars, as well as a spa tucked away deep in the jungle.
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Vienna
Vienna always a good idea, especially because it's often considered the most liveable city in Europe—so it stands to reason that it's a great place to visit as well. As an honoree on our Bright Ideas in Travel list for 2024, Vienna is notable for its commitment to environmental sustainability; this year, the city opened its first green hydrogen production facility, producing up to 1,300 kilograms of green hydrogen daily—enough to power about 60 of its public buses.
Additionally, Vienna is one of our Best Places to Go in Europe in 2025 for its wave of new hotels (the recently opened Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna and the forthcoming Mandarin Oriental Vienna are highlights) and seasonal, zero-kilometer dining scene. Plus, the Michelin Guide Austria will be relaunched in January 2025; it'll be a great companion with which to navigate the fascinating Viennese food scene.
On top of all that, 2025 is a banner year for the city that claims the classical composer Johann Strauss as one of its own. To celebrate his double centenary—and two centuries of his iconic waltzes and polkas—there will be major events throughout the year at Vienna's Musikverein, Konzerthaus, and State Opera. February is also the peak of the city's phenomenal ball season as well, so get your tickets now and prepare to dance the night away.
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Telluride, Colorado
Easily one of the best ski towns in the U.S., this Colorado city rises above the pack with its gorgeous location, casual crowds, and ski experiences that are refreshingly free of artifice. Telluride has a whopping 148 trails of varying lengths and difficulties, as well as sublime winter sports like heli-skiing and snowbiking. For extra bragging rights, enjoy a four-course tasting menu at Alpino Vino, the highest restaurant in the country at 11,966 feet.
When it comes time to rest your head, the location of Dunton Town House truly can’t be beat, sitting on a pretty street adjacent to Telluride's main drag and gondola. The property could easily be mistaken for an Alpine chalet, with its hand-carved antiques, in-room fireplaces, and faux-fur throws. Plus, the B&B can only house ten people at a time, further cementing that home away from home feeling.
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Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs relishes its reputation as a chic enclave of mid-century design all year, but never more so than in February during Modernism Week. The event takes place from February 13 to 23 in 2025, featuring more than 350 events ranging from home tours to architecture lectures. (Tickets for every event tend to sell out quickly, so book as early as possible.) You can also visit the 200-acre Sunnylands complex, with its haute modern pink-roofed mansion built by the late media magnate Walter Annenberg and his wife. To explore houses that are usually off-limits, join one of the self-driven Signature Home tours, where visitors will see houses built in a variety of modernist styles.
Book a stay at Casa Cody, a 30-room hotel tucked away in the desert like a secret garden. It‘s the oldest operating hotel in Palm Springs, with velvet furnishings and wood-beamed cottages providing a nice contrast to the stark modernism you’ll be immersed in all week. Take a leisurely stroll around the bougainvillea-draped pathways, or take in the views of the San Jacinto Mountains as you enjoy breakfast made from the on-site garden.
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Coastal Mississippi
New Orleans may be synonymous with Mardi Gras, but the coastal region of neighboring Mississippi embraces the season with equal gusto and a fraction of the crowds. Krewes host parades, including an assortment of more than 100 floats that glide around Biloxi on Fat Tuesday. This year, Fat Tuesday falls on March 4, 2025, but you’ll want to visit a week or so before—in late February—to enjoy all the parties leading up to it. Duck into the city’s Mardi Gras Museum to see costumes, beads, and photographs documenting three centuries of celebration.
There’s also a kids’ parade in Pascagoula, and balls throughout the month—black tie and gowns required. And best of all, most bakeries in the region will also offer a King Cake, a pastry iced in the same shades and served in slices (whoever finds the plastic baby in their piece must provide the cake next year). Try a classic recipe from the Mockingbird Café in Bay St. Louis, or Melissa’s in Gulfport.
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Tuscany, Italy
Bypass the summer crowds with a winter visit to Tuscany—one of the best places to travel in February. Start out by spending a few days in Florence: Book supper at the Massimo Bottura-run restaurant inside Gucci’s trippy flagship in the city center, Gucci Garden; and explore the Uffizi and Accademia galleries virtually tourist-free. Then head to the coastal, Belle Epoque-era town of Viareggio—a little over 50 miles west of Florence—to celebrate Carnival.
While a major celebration in all of Italy, the Tuscan approach to Carnival is different from Venice’s iconic masked balls. Famous for building some of the world’s superyachts, Viareggio’s celebrations (February 8–March 4, 2025) include papier-mâché floats that are bitingly satirical, and the rest of Italy watches to see what current events will be targeted most mercilessly each year. Finish off the trip with a stay at the 5-star COMO Castello del Nero, a converted 12th-century estate in the Chianti region that’s been repurposed by the ultra-luxe Singaporean hotel chain.