Best places to travel in February: ten ideas, grouped by season

How we chose, and what this list does not cover

We looked for one of three things: a dated event or natural season from an official tourism or government source, a climate average from a named meteorological service, or both. Ten picks sit across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean so the list is not tied to one region.

The list does not try to cover every region, and it gives no prices. Climate averages describe long-run typical conditions, not any single week, and event dates for 2027 can change, so confirm them on the organiser's own site before booking.

Sapporo, Japan: snow festival month

The Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991 to 2020 normals for Sapporo give a February mean daily maximum of 0.4 C, a mean minimum of minus 6.2 C and 91.9 mm of precipitation. That is a properly cold winter city, and it is the setting for the annual Sapporo Snow Festival.

The festival's official site lists the 2025 edition as running February 4 to 11 across Odori, Tsudome and Susukino, and it had not published 2027 dates on the page we read in October 2026, so check it before planning. The trade-off is the cold: pack accordingly and expect icy pavements. See Sapporo for stays.

Tromso, Norway: aurora season

Visit Norway, the national tourist board, says the northern lights can be seen from as early as late August until late March, that spring and autumn are the most active periods, and that they can also be seen from November through February. February therefore sits inside the season, though not at the busiest point of it.

The board also notes that Tromso is very busy in winter and recommends autumn for a quieter visit. The trade-offs are cold, short daylight and weather that can hide the sky, so allow several nights rather than one. The Tromso page lists stays.

Tenerife, Spain: mild February sun in Europe

AEMET's 1981 to 2010 normals for Tenerife Sur airport give a February mean daily maximum of 22.0 C and a minimum of 15.0 C, with 20 mm of rain. It is an easy way to swap a cold European February for T-shirt weather by day.

The island is not uniformly warm: AEMET's Izana station at 2,369 m records a February mean maximum of 8.0 C, with 67 mm of rain. The trade-off is that evenings and the mountains are cooler than the coast. See Tenerife.

Venice, Italy: carnival season

The official Venice Carnival website lists the 2027 carnival as running from January 23 to February 9, 2027. February is therefore the closing stretch of the carnival.

We have no sourced crowd figures, but an event of this kind concentrates demand in a few weeks, so compare availability early and check the programme on the official site, which publishes it closer to the date. We did not find a Venice climate table to quote. See Venice.

Phuket, Thailand: dry, hot beach weather

NOAA's file of World Meteorological Organization 1991 to 2020 normals for Phuket lists a February mean daily maximum of 34.0 C and a minimum of 25.4 C, with 24.0 mm of rain. That is drier than January, which shows 49.9 mm in the same table.

The trade-off is heat: 34 C by day suits the beach more than temple visits at midday. For other Thai destinations see the Thailand page.

Singapore: the drier half of the monsoon

Singapore's Meteorological Service puts the northeast monsoon between December and early March and says its drier phase runs from late January to early March. Its 1991 to 2020 Changi figures show a February mean daily maximum of 31.5 C, a minimum of 24.6 C and 105.1 mm of rain, against 221.6 mm in January.

So February is noticeably less wet than the weeks before it, though 105 mm is still a good deal of rain across the month. See Singapore for city stays.

Marrakech, Morocco: warm days, cold nights

NOAA's WMO 1991 to 2020 normals for Marrakech list a February mean daily maximum of 20.7 C and a mean minimum of 7.6 C, with 25.7 mm of rain. Days are comfortable for walking the old city, while nights feel like early spring in northern Europe.

The figures match NOAA's WMO 1991 to 2020 normals file for Marrakech. The trade-off is the daily swing of about 13 degrees, so bring layers. See Marrakech.

Hurghada, Egypt: Red Sea sun with almost no rain

NOAA's WMO 1991 to 2020 normals for Hurghada airport show a February mean daily maximum of 23.5 C and a minimum of 12.4 C, with 0.5 mm of rain. It is a warm-by-day, cool-by-night place with very little rain.

The trade-off is cool nights, and the table does not cover wind or sea temperature. Read the official travel advice from your own government for the region before booking. See Hurghada.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: Caribbean warmth outside storm season

NOAA's WMO 1991 to 2020 normals for Punta Cana airport give a February mean daily maximum of 29.0 C and minimum of 21.2 C, with 62.8 mm of rain, slightly drier than January's 84.7 mm. The US National Hurricane Center says the Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, so February lies outside it.

The trade-off is that showers still occur, and a month outside the official season is not a promise of settled weather. See the Punta Cana page.

Mombasa, Kenya: the hot coast in a dry month

The German weather service DWD's table for Mombasa airport (Port Reitz) lists a February mean daily maximum of 33.7 C, a mean minimum of 22.5 C and 14.0 mm of rain, lower than January's 33.9 mm. These are 1961 to 1990 means, older than the 1991 to 2020 normals used elsewhere on this page, and we found no official 1991 to 2020 table for the station, so treat them as a guide.

February is a hot, fairly dry beach month on this coast. The trade-off is intense midday heat, and the table gives no humidity or sea figures. See Mombasa.

February climate figures at a glance

This table collects the February numbers quoted above for the places where we have a station average. Venice and Tromso are chosen for events and aurora, so they carry no climate row.

Each row is one station for one period, and the sources differ in how they were compiled, as noted in the footer. Look at the nights as well as the days: a 13-degree swing in Marrakech and a 22 C Tenerife afternoon feel very different at 9 pm.

Entry rules and health requirements differ by nationality and change over time, so check each destination's official immigration and health pages before booking. This page gives no entry advice.

For a stay of a week or more, a kitchen and a washing machine make cold-weather and hot-weather trips easier alike: wet snow gear dries, and fruit and drinks stay cool. The packing list and the guide on choosing an aparthotel are good starting points, and the table of country figures below shows our listings in each country.