February travel doesn’t have to revolve around romance—although Valentine’s Day is the ideal excuse to whisk your beloved off on a surprise trip or treat yourself to a solo jaunt, putting the money you save on chocolates and flowers toward something far better. Winter sports enthusiasts have countless options, from upstate New York to the mountains of north Italy. Then again, why not use this month’s festival on one of the world’s hardest-to-reach islands as a reason to finally plan a much-discussed trip to the middle of the Pacific Ocean?
Here are the 10 best places to travel in February.
The Super Bowl arrives in the Bay Area in February.
Photo by Nick Starichenko/Shutterstock
1. The Bay Area, California
February is great for: the ultimate 60th birthday bash.
Happy 60th birthday to the Super Bowl, which will celebrate that milestone on February 8 at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. (It’s already made headlines for its choice of superstar Bad Bunny for the half-time show.)
It’s the perfect excuse to make a long-deferred trip to the area, which is seeing major energy via attractions like Panorama Park on Yerba Buena island. The park opened in summer 2024.
The Oakland Museum has also been snagging widespread plaudits for the exciting shows staged since its major renovation in 2021; this month’s exhibitions include Good Fire: Tending Native Lands and Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain, both focusing on diverse local narratives.
Where to stay: Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay
- Book now: ritzcarlton.com
Head west for some ocean breezes at this family-friendly outpost of the luxe chain, which sits on a classic Northern California bluff of the namesake bay, with glorious views of the Pacific.
Insider tip
Load up before the game with some gourmet suggestions from travel expert Mary Cropper from Black Tomato. “The South Bay has all the interesting food, so you can have a bit of everything,” she notes of the vibrant immigrant enclaves there. Her picks: Adega or Petiscos in San Jose’s Little Portugal neighborhood for bacalao and more or Falafel Stop in Sunnyvale for quick, fast, delicious Middle Eastern food.
Catch Winter Olympics events in Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and across the Dolomites.
Photo by A. Emson/Shutterstock
2. Northern Italy
February is great for: an Olympic return.
The first time Italy hosted the Olympics was in 1956, during the country’s dolce vita era, when the world’s top sports stars descended on the glamorous slopes around Cortina d’Ampezzo. (Team USA’s Tenley Albright was a standout, scoring gold in figure skating.) Seventy years later, the games have returned, this time spread out across the Dolomites and shared with the city of Milan.
The event kicks off on February 6, with the opening ceremony at San Siro Stadium, and runs until February 22. In Milan, catch ice hockey at the PalaItalia Santa Giulia arena, or head to the Mediolanum Forum stadium for figure skating and short-track speed skating. The town of Cortina d’Ampezzo is hosting contests like women’s skiing at the world-famous Olympia delle Tofane slope. The curling competition will be held in a sentimental spot: the Cortina Olympic Ice Stadium, where the 1956 opening ceremonies took place. (The Olympics website has a detailed, full schedule rundown.)
Where to stay: Vico Milano
- Book now: vicomilano.com
In Navigli—the historic, canal-quilted nabe in Milan—this family-run, seven-suite hotel is a design-forward charmer. Have a snifter at the tiny on-site bar, which serves wines from its sister property Castello di Vicarello in Tuscany.
Insider tip
Neri Baccheschi Berti, owner of Vico Milano, says the best way to warm up for the games is to visit the free Triennale × Milano Cortina 2026 art installation. “You can see the official torches up close, plus a series of art posters created by contemporary Italian artists—including Olimpia Zagnoli,” he says. “It’s very visual, very Milan, and an easy stop on a winter afternoon.”
Explore Lake Placid’s Winter Olympics history.
Photo by Sandra Foyt/Shutterstock
3. Lake Placid, New York
February is great for: celebrating the Games closer to home.
Another former Olympic host city is this charming upstate New York town, where the games took place twice: first in 1932 and then in 1980; the latter included the “Miracle on Ice” game, a hockey competition between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War, which resulted in an upset victory for Team USA.
Head to the Olympic Museum there for a spectacular assortment of memorabilia—don’t miss the Team USA uniforms through the years, which range from bold (specifically, we’re talking about you, Ralph Lauren 2014) to ruggedly chic, as well as the wall full of vintage posters nearby.
Then make the most of the winter sports facilities deeded to the town by those games. Pump up your adrenaline levels at the Lake Placid Bobsled Experience to try the Olympic track firsthand, hitting speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, or try the Olympic Jumping Complex with its Skyflyer Zip Line, which claims to simulate the feeling of ski jumping.
Where to stay: Mirror Lake Inn
- Book now: mirrorlakeinn.com
This lakeside getaway, with its cozy fireplaces and overstuffed sofas, is the plushest crashpad in town. But most compellingly, it’s co-owned and run by locally raised Olympic legend and two-time medalist Andrew Weibrecht and his family.
Insider tip
Weibrecht himself recommends Lisa G’s after a day on the slopes, a locals-heavy joint for casual food and drinks. Order the wings, whatever you eat, he says. “If you’re feeling brave, try the extra hot, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
The British Virgin Islands embraces local cuisine with year-round events celebrating home-cooked island food.
Photo by Todamo/Shutterstock
4. British Virgin Islands
February is great for: indulging in some home-cooked Caribbean cuisine.
This British Overseas Territory launched its namesake Food Fête as a month-long celebration of the culinary traditions here—like johnny cakes and spiny lobster—in November. Since then, it’s expanded to become a year-round event, including everything from a local Restaurant Week to a Lobsterfest on Anegada. This month, there are not one but two foodie events.
Taste of Virgin Gorda is held on February 28, once again at the Nail Bay Sugar Works Ruins, with live entertainment and food from an assortment of top-tier local restaurants. On Friday and Saturday nights starting February 14, you can also experience Jost Lime & Dine, an alfresco casual dinner series with food from the quieter island’s local restaurants and home cooks.
Where to stay: Rosewood Little Dix Bay
- Book now: rosewoodhotels.com
Laurence D. Rockefeller first opened this Rosewood-operated resort as one of the Caribbean’s first resource-minded luxe properties in 1964 with a low-density approach to development that protected shorelines and indigenous vegetation, spanning a vast plot of 500 acres.
Insider tip
Take home a literal taste of the BVIs, suggests hotel managing director Katya Herting, with a bottle of rum from Callwood distillery. “It has been producing small-batch rum for generations and is known as one of the oldest working distilleries in the Caribbean,” she says.
The 52nd annual cross-country skiing challenge, the Birkie, returns in Hayward, Wisconsin.
Photo by Bryan Neuswanger/Shutterstock
5. Hayward, Wisconsin
February is great for: cross-country skiing’s top challenge.
This month, the Wisconsin Northwoods are home to what claims to be “the greatest show on snow,” a massive cross-country ski contest where more than 10,000 participate each year. This is the 52nd annual Slumberland American Birkebeiner, and it takes place in Hayward from February 18 to 22—but call it the Birkie as the locals do. (It’s named after a famous Norwegian event, the Birkebeinerrennet, which commemorates the heroism of a group of 13th-century soldiers.)
There’s a 31-mile skate route and a 34-mile classic route; both are particularly challenging given the area’s rocky terrain. Last year saw a stunning upset, as the North American dominance of the event was upended by Gérard Agnellet, a Frenchman who finished more than a minute ahead of his closest American rival. Watch this year to see if America can reassert its power.
Where to stay: Spider Lake Lodge
- Book now: spiderlakelodge.com
This 100-year-old lodge started out as a rustic fishing camp, but it’s now a luxe, all-inclusive resort with eight suites and three standalone cabins. Book Ted’s Treehouse for extra privacy and glorious views from the floor-to-ceiling windows looking across the namesake lake.
Insider tip
Spider Lake Lodge owner Carolyn Wollan says no one should leave without a meal at Tamarack Farms Winery. “It’s owned and operated by ‘Famous Dave’ Anderson, who founded the first Famous Dave’s near Hayward back in 1994,” she says. “It’s the region’s go-to spot for pizza, wine, and, of course, barbecue.”
Rapa Nui celebrates its cultural heritage each February with the Tapati Rapa Nui festival.
Photo by Paul Szigety/Shutterstock
6. Rapa Nui, Chile
February is great for: a cultural immersion in one of Polynesia’s most mysterious islands.
The barely 63-square-mile island holds a mythical place in pop culture thanks to the moai sculptures scattered across its landscape; thye are a local expression of a widespread tradition in Polynesian culture. Visit during the first two weeks of February to truly immerse yourself in what makes Rapa Nui so distinctive via the Tapati Rapa Nui festival from February 1 to 4.
It was launched in the late 1960s to bolster a sense of cultural identity among the locals and strengthen their connection to Indigenous traditions. Now there’s a roster of events. Expect artistic performances each evening on the waterfront of Hanga Vare Vare and a localized riff on a triathlon, combining canoe rowing, running with a bunch of bananas, and swimming across a lake on reed rafts.
Where to stay: Explora Rapa Nui
- Book now: explora.com
The low-slung modernist building has 30 sleek rooms—think raw concrete walls—and a plethora of thoughtful touches, from the breakfast butter pats imprinted with moai stencils to the toiletries, scented with the tiny pineapple that grows widely here.
Insider tip
Tasha Williams from Quasar Expeditions, which runs regular tours to the island, tells her travelers to pick up a mangai, the traditional Rapa Nui hook amulet. “These pieces, mostly crafted from volcanic rock or wood, are believed to symbolize prosperity, abundance, protection, and good fortune,” she says. Top caliber ones are best browsed at Mercado Artesanal.
Mardi Gras parades bring out elaborate crawfish costumes and festive floats in Alabama.
Photo by G Allen Penton/Shutterstock
7. Alabama
February is great for: Mardi Gras and meaningful moments in Black History Month.
When Epiphany comes on January 6, Gulf-area residents in and around Mobile don’t recycle their tree, but instead swap out the decorations: Santa and co. get replaced by purple, green, and gold baubles. These Mardi Gras trees sit in most home’s windows up to Fat Tuesday (this year, on February 17).
Mobile has the oldest Mardi Gras celebrations stateside, with over 40 societies participating in the parade. The major local standout is Joe Cain Day, on the Sunday before Mardi Gras, a commemoration of the man credited with reviving the celebrations here after the Civil War.
Further north in the state, Birmingham is an Afar pick for Where to Go 2026 for its emerging food scene, including award-winning oysters. Or head to Montgomery this month, where Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) founder Bryan Stevenson continues his work to create a cluster of world-famous Civil Rights landmarks downtown.
Where to stay: Elevation Convening Center and Hotel
- Book now: elevationhotel.com
The latest addition to EJI’s portfolio is this 99-room hotel, which opened in October 2025. It’s close to the six-acre hilltop site of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and offers a free shuttle service to the other EJI locations around town.
Insider tip
Valerie Smedley owns Tours of Montgomery and says the gift shop at the Rosa Parks Museum is the best place for thoughtful souvenirs. Additionally, Smedley recommends heading to Martha’s Place Buffet, which she says is a “Black-owned, meat-and-three” spot about 15 minutes from downtown. The namesake owner learned to cook from Georgia Gilmore, the Civil Rights pioneer whose “Club from Nowhere” sold plates of food to raise money for the movement in the city.
Catch the northern lights at peak visibility this winter.
Photo by Maris Grunskis/Shutterstock
8. Oulu, Finland
February is great for: cross-country skiing and a rare phenomenon.
This year, this Finnish city just 100 miles south of the Arctic Circle is one of Europe’s two Capitals of Culture (the other is Trenčín, in Slovakia). It’s a welcome spotlight on this college town, best known hitherto for hosting the Air Guitar World Championships each August. This month has a series of events, including a thought-provoking series of seminars, Always been here, at the Oulu Art Museum.
Head to these Arctic-adjacent latitudes for a chance to see the northern lights, too. They should remain at peak visibility this winter, as the solar maximum (cycle 25, to be exact) continues—just remember the best sightings often require very late nights. Tack on some terrific cross-country skiing for an unexpectedly jam-packed trip to this isolated locale.
Where to stay: Lapland Hotels Oulu
- Book now: laplandhotels.com
The first phase of this renovated hotel reopened in May 2025, but the big bonus came in January, with the addition of almost 100 more rooms. Some accommodations have that only-in-Finland amenity: a private sauna where you can embrace the löyly (steam) ritual, the practice named after the Finnish term for the steam that rises from hot coals when water is added.
Insider tip
Try the hotel’s restaurant, Oulu Kitchen & Bar, for a taste of the region via a five-course surprise menu that will likely feature classic ingredients like reindeer and lingonberries.
Head to Penang Island to explore colorful shophouses in George Town.
Photo by Denis Costille/Shutterstock
9. Penang Island, Malaysia
February is great for: an adventure in Malaysia’s eclectic culture via a lesser-known corner of the country.
Squeeze in a trip to this island off Malaysia’s west coast at the tail end of the dry season this month, and you’ll be able to explore sites like George Town, which UNESCO recognized as a World Heritage site in 2008 for its ornate Chinese temples and so-called shophouses, the slender, mixed-use building painted bright colors that are a visual shorthand for the island. The food culture of Malaysia reflects the eclecticism of its populace—and breakfast here scored another UNESCO nod in 2024, this time for Intangible Cultural Heritage. At almost any spot, you can try dishes like eggy, anchovy-spiked coconut rice or nasi lemak and roti canai, a flatbread dunked in a spicy curry.
Where to stay: Soori Penang
- Book now: sooripenang.com
Architect Soo K. Chan grew up in the shophouses of George Town, so he was a natural choice to transform 15 of them into a boutique hotel, which opened last month. He preserved historic features like lattice shutters while upgrading the interiors into one- to three-bedroom suites.
Insider tip
Chan says the huge Hokkien clanhouse, Khoo Kongsi, “holds a special place in my memory,” and says a visit to the compound “offers a vivid window into communal life” there. Otherwise, head to the Dhammikarama Burmese Temple. “It always brings me a sense of deep calm,” he says. “Its layered roofs, carved timber details, and centuries-old Buddhist symbolism create an atmosphere of quiet reflection.”
Discover contemporary African art at Cape Town’s Zeitz MOCAA.
Photo by City of Cape Town (L); photo by Wianelle Briers (R)
10. Cape Town, South Africa
February is great for: a celebration of African art.
It’s the 13th edition of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, which brings exhibitors from 20 countries to showcase work for three days, February 20 to 22. The entire city embraces the arts at this time, with local galleries offering late-night openings and homegrown auctioneer Aspire hosting sales at its Cape Town location. All that, and you have the chance to check out Zeitz MOCAA, the splashy reimagining of an old grain silo in the city into a cutting-edge art and hospitality complex, funded by the V&A Waterfront.
Where to stay: Art House Collection
- Book now: arthouse-collection.com
Art collector Elana Brundyn runs Art House Collection, which has an assortment of chic accommodation options around town. Try the two-bedroom Bantry Bay spot decorated with an impressive assortment of local artwork, courtesy of collector Véronique Savigné.
Insider tip
Brundyn suggests picking up a funky souvenir at BR.& (pronounced Brand), a new store in St. George’s Mall, saying: “It’s more than a shop—it’s a collaborative studio.” There, you can buy textiles, woven products, ceramics, and scents from local creatives.
