February is the month of contrasts. With the Italian Alps still riding their post-Olympic high, it’s Carnival season in Rio, almond-blossom season in Mallorca, and one of the few months you can ski Japanese powder and the Swiss Alps in the same week. Four very different trips below, each with what’s new, where to eat and drink, and how to play it over a long weekend or a full week.
Italy — Olympic Dolomites and a Quieter Cortina
| Trip types | Skiing & snow · City break · Food & wine · Romance |
| Weather | -10°C to 5°C (14°F to 41°F) in the mountains; 0°C to 10°C (32°F to 50°F) in Milan |
| Best for | Skiers, design-and-food city travelers, couples |
| Getting there | US via Milan (~9–10h to MXP); Europe by short flight or rail |
Why go: After the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina and Milan, the Dolomites are in the spotlight and the skiing is at its best. The smart move is late February into March, when the slopes empty out, prices ease, and you can finally get a table in Cortina without a three-week lead time.
Good to know: The Olympic legacy hotels — the refurbished Cristallo in Cortina and Milan’s reopened Bulgari Hotel among them — sit at peak February pricing, so book the shoulder days for value.
What’s new & trending: Milan’s Bulgari Hotel reopened after a refresh and remains the city’s most fashionable address, while Cortina’s upgraded Olympic infrastructure has made the Dolomites easier to reach than ever.
Eat & drink: In Milan, do a Brera aperitivo crawl and dinner at one of the city’s modern-Italian tables; in Cortina, lunch on the mountain at a Dolomite rifugio is the whole point.
Plan it: 1–3 days — a Milan design-and-food city break (Duomo, Fondazione Prada, aperitivo). A week — add four nights skiing the Dolomites from Cortina.
Recommended hotel in Cortina: Cristallo, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa (5-star)
Recommended hotel in Milan: Bulgari Hotel Milano (5-star, behind a private garden by the Botanical Garden)
Brazil — Rio at Carnival’s Maximum Volume
| Trip types | Festival · Beach & sun · City break · Nightlife |
| Weather | 22°C to 32°C (72°F to 90°F), humid with afternoon storms |
| Best for | Festival-goers, beach lovers, first-time Rio travelers |
| Getting there | US ~9–10h direct from the East Coast; Europe ~11h from Lisbon/Madrid |
Why go: February is Rio at maximum theatrical volume. The Sambadrome parades are the headline, but the bloco street parties scattered across the city are arguably the better experience for first-timers — free, spontaneous, and everywhere.
Good to know: The Copacabana Palace was named #11 on the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 and Best Hotel in South America, and it overlooks the actual Carnival route along Avenida Atlântica.
What’s new & trending: Rio’s Centro and Santa Teresa keep gaining galleries and rooftop bars, giving the city a year-round cultural pull beyond the beaches and Carnival.
Eat & drink: Book a long lunch at hillside Aprazível in Santa Teresa for the view, and chase a beachfront caipirinha at a Copacabana kiosk as the bloco passes.
Plan it: 1–3 days — Carnival core (a Sambadrome night, a daytime bloco, Sugarloaf at sunset). A week — add Ilha Grande or Búzios to decompress on the beach.
Recommended hotel in Rio: Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel (5-star)
Mexico — Yucatán Sun and a Walkable Capital
| Trip types | Beach & sun · City break · Food & drink · Family · Culture |
| Weather | 22°C to 28°C (72°F to 82°F) in the Yucatán; 8°C to 23°C (46°F to 73°F) in Mexico City |
| Best for | Sun-seekers, food travelers, families |
| Getting there | US ~2–4h direct to Cancún/CDMX; Europe ~11–12h to Cancún or Mexico City |
Why go: February is Mexico’s winter-tourism peak with virtually no rain. Pair the warm Yucatán coast with Mexico City’s cool, perfect walking weather and you get beach and big-city culture in one trip.
Good to know: Chablé Yucatán, set around a cenote in a restored hacienda, was named Best Hotel in North America by the World’s 50 Best 2025.
What’s new & trending: Mexico City keeps climbing as a global food capital, with Roma and Condesa the neighborhoods drawing the design-and-dining crowd.
Eat & drink: In Mexico City, plan a night around Pujol or Quintonil (both global top-tables) and a nightcap at Handshake Speakeasy, named the world’s No.2 bar in 2025.
Plan it: 1–3 days — a Mexico City culture-and-food break (Anthropology Museum, Coyoacán, mezcal bars). A week — add four nights on the Riviera Maya.
Recommended hotel in the Yucatán: Chablé Yucatán (5-star, restored hacienda around a cenote)
Recommended hotel in Mexico City: Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel (5-star, Polanco)
South Korea — Seoul Before the Blossom
| Trip types | City break · Food & drink · Culture · Shopping |
| Weather | -5°C to 5°C (23°F to 41°F) in Seoul |
| Best for | City travelers, art and food lovers, K-culture fans |
| Getting there | US ~14h direct from the West Coast; Europe ~11h direct from major hubs |
Why go: February is genuinely cold but Seoul is at its most atmospheric — the first plum and forsythia blossoms appear in the south by mid-month, and the gallery scene is in full post-New-Year swing.
Good to know: The Lunar New Year (Seollal) falls in February, briefly closing many businesses but leaving a city that feels properly local rather than tourist-focused.
What’s new & trending: The Josun Palace in Gangnam has become the city’s most discreet luxury stay, while the Hannam-dong and Seongsu districts keep minting new concept stores and cafés.
Eat & drink: Book Mosu, chef Sung Anh’s three-Michelin-starred modern-Korean tasting menu, then cap the night at Zest, one of Asia’s very best sustainability-minded cocktail bars.
Plan it: 1–3 days — a Seoul art-shopping-food long weekend (Leeum, Seongsu, a Mosu dinner). A week — add Busan or the DMZ.
Recommended hotel in Seoul: Josun Palace, A Luxury Collection Hotel (5-star)
Editor’s pick · New & noteworthy
Mexico City, Mexico
While the Yucatán handles February’s beach duty, the capital is where the energy is. The Roma and Condesa neighborhoods stack tree-lined cafés, mezcal bars and design shops within walking distance, and the food scene anchors any of the world’s best-restaurant lists through Pujol and Quintonil. February’s cool, dry, walkable afternoons (13–23°C) make it the ideal month to wander between Frida Kahlo’s Coyoacán and the Anthropology Museum, then end the night at Handshake Speakeasy, recently named the world’s second-best bar.
February asks you to choose your season. Northern Europe is at its coldest but most peaceful (Iceland’s aurora is at its strongest, or visit beautiful Copenhagen); the Caribbean and Central America are warmest and busiest; the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bali are all at peak dry season. Plan early — February books fast.
Happening in February 2026
Annual festivals and ticketed events live this month, refreshed daily.
- Sapporo Snow Festival — Hokkaido, Japan Early February
- Rio Carnival — Rio de Janeiro Week before Lent
- Venice Carnival — Venice, Italy Two weeks before Lent
- Mardi Gras — New Orleans Tuesday before Lent
Looking a little further ahead? Here are ideas for March, from sakura to desert season, plus where to go in April if you want Holy Week and spring gardens.
