Simien Mountains National Park
Photograph: Shutterstock
Photograph: Shutterstock

The best places to visit in February 2024

Leave wintery reality behind with a trip to one of these marvelous destinations

Contributor: Liv Kelly
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Sure, the second month of the calendar year gets a bad rap, but dismissing travel during February and you’re really missing out. While the gluttony of December and the high hopes of January are fading, it doesn’t mean you can’t pack that suitcase and hit the road and explore temples, bask on beaches or feast on some truly daring delicacies. 

We’ve compiled a list of the best places to travel in February, covering everything from natural wonders to gems of the ancient world. Already been a long year? Check out our roundup of the very places to travel in February. 

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At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines and check out our latest travel guides written by local experts.

Best places to visit in February

There’s never really a bad time to visit South Australia’s capital—the climate Down Under is generally as agreeable as its inhabitants—but if you can get to Adelaide in February, you’ll experience one of the world’s best fringe festivals. It’s second only to Edinburgh in size and scope, with over 7,000 artists contributing to over 1,000 events spread across hundreds of venues throughout the city. It runs from mid-February to mid-March.

🎪Discover the best things to do in Adelaide

Given Oaxaca is the food capital of Mexico and the metropolitan heart of a state steeped in fascinating indigenous history, it’d be an understatement to say that the city has a lot to offer. February is when temperatures finally start to warm, and the balminess in the air makes for perfect conditions to wander these colour-filled streets. Día de las Candelaria or ‘candlemas’ marks the end of the Mexican Christmas season, so make sure to arrive by February 2, grab some tamales, and get stuck into the celebrations.

🎊Discover the best things to do in Oaxaca

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3. Cape Verde

Sprinkled a few hundred kilometres off the west coast of Africa, Cape Verde is easy to miss. In fact, when explorers in the Middle Ages stumbled across the ten islands, they found not a soul, so it ended up being populated rather than colonised. Now it makes for a spectacular winter sun escape. Once you’ve had your fill of cocktails on the beach, head inland to explore the incredible volcanic landscapes.

4. Chitwan National Park, Nepal

Sprawling across the south-central region of Nepal, Chitwan National Park doubles as a World Heritage Site and is positively rammed with extraordinary wildlife. The king of this particular jungle is the Bengal tiger, and while you’re far from guaranteed to spot one (there are only 100 or so), it is one of the most likely places in the world you can. Other mammals include leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs, rhinos and even the odd elephant or two.

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5. Laos

Laos has a hard time being noticed, with its three neighbours (ThailandCambodia and Vietnam) relentlessly clamouring for your attention. But that’s precisely why we love it. Laos is modest, quiet and unassuming—just like the people living there. But once you peek behind the curtain of unaffectedness, you’ll discover a place of almost unimaginable beauty and depth. February is a perfect time to visit what is, in many ways, an ideal country.

6. Garden Route, South Africa

Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Well, we’re delighted to confirm it is. Especially in February, when the skies are blue and the temperatures balmy. Stretching approximately 300km west to east from Whitsand to Storms River along the southern coastline of South Africa, the Garden Route makes for one of the world’s best mini-road trips. So named for its incredible biodiversity, the region is packed with perfect beaches, pretty towns, azure lakes and lots and lots of greenery.

🍃Discover the most beautiful places in South Africa

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Budapest is lovely, and you should totally visit. Generally speaking, this is a highly walkable city, with its grand, tree-lined avenues—as wide as motorways but without the traffic—but it’s perhaps best known for its ruin bars and thermal baths. The former will make hipsters feel like they’ve died and gone to heaven, and the latter are perfect for the winter months—nothing cleanses the sins of the night before like a dip in the thermal springs. It’s like your head is in a freezer with the rest of your body being in a... well, bath.

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Could there be a better ‘up yours’ to February than carting yourself off to the Caribbean? No. The answer is "No." It is the best time to visit: Sea temperatures are at a ludicrously pleasant 26C/79F, and the outside air peaks at a perfectly manageable 29C/84F. As for where to visit specifically, it is hard to go wrong in CubaJamaicaSt Lucia, Dominica and Antigua. Or, for that matter, the Grenadines, Aruba, the British Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.

🏝️Discover the best things to do in Jamaica

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9. Myanmar

The door to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) was firmly shut for several decades due to political strife, but in recent years it’s become very much ajar, and you should snap up the opportunity to slip in and have a look around before the rest of the world cottons on. Unmissable sights include Bagan (an enormous ancient Buddhist complex, best seen from a hot air balloon at sunrise), Mount Popa and Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Much of Myanmar’s top attractions are outdoors (or at least best viewed from the outside), and February offers the perfect weather for exploring.

10. Ethiopia

Ethiopia is an absolute wonderland for bucket list enthusiasts, and balmy February temperatures present an ideal time to see what it’s all about and to remind yourself that there’s far more to this country than painful moments in its history. Take the Simien Mountains, for example, a trekking paradise if ever there was one. And then there’s Lake Tana, dotted with islets and ancient monasteries. Ever seen an active volcano? Erta Ale awaits. And don’t even get us started on the wildlife. 

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11. Venezuela

This South American jewel has plenty going for it, but the main draw is Angel Falls, which thunder off a 979m ledge, making them the world’s highest. The wider Parque Nacional Canaima, where they can be found, is a treasure trove of other natural wonders. And that’s just the start. Rain is rare in February, while temperatures in the mid-20s/70s are not.

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