Where should you travel in February 2027?

Quick picks for February 2027

• Warm and sunny: Palawan (El Nido and Coron), Krabi and Ao Nang, New Zealand's South Island, Sydney.

• Cities: Bangkok for Chinese New Year, Venice to the end of Carnival, Istanbul in Ramadan.

• Festivals: Setsubun (3 February), Sapporo Snow Festival (4 to 11 February), Lunar New Year (6 February), Venice Carnival (to 9 February).

• Budget: Istanbul and Ho Chi Minh City outside Tết week.

• Skip: Vietnam and Korea during the holiday week, tropical north Queensland, Bali, and Chiang Mai later in the month if smoke bothers you.

Warm and sunny

1. Palawan, the Philippines. PAGASA's cool dry season runs to February. Puerto Princesa averages 25 to 35 mm of rain in January and February and Manila about 20 mm, and the seas are calm for El Nido's island-hopping tours and Coron's wreck dives. February sits between New Year and Holy Week, so it is quieter than either. The catch: boats and rooms in El Nido are limited, so book the town first. See our El Nido and Coron dry season guide and El Nido guide. We were in El Nido and Coron in November 2022.

2. Krabi, Ao Nang and the Andaman coast, Thailand. February is one of the best months for the Andaman side, with highs about 25 to 34°C (77 to 93°F) and almost no rain, and it is the first good month for the Gulf islands. Chinese New Year adds visitors around 6 February. The catch is in the north: the haze-risk window that Thailand's Pollution Control Department identifies runs from February to April, so a February trip should end on the coast, not start there. Our Thailand in December and January article covers the earlier peak; we were in Ao Nang in mid-January 2023.

3. New Zealand's South Island. Late February is the start of what we consider New Zealand's best window: summer weather, warm lakes, long evenings, and the domestic school-holiday rush over. Queenstown highs are similar to January, around 21 to 23°C (70 to 73°F). The catch is that it is still high season for international visitors, so campervans and Milford Sound cruises need booking. We arrived in Christchurch on 23 February 2023 and were at Lake Pukaki on 25 and 26 February. See best time to visit New Zealand, our 23-day road trip and Lake Pukaki guide.

4. Sydney, Australia. Still summer, with highs around 26°C (79°F). The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival runs through February to its parade on Saturday 6 March 2027, according to the organisers. The catch is heat and humidity on some days, and Sydney is the expensive end of this list. We spent 2 days in Sydney in February 2023. See best time to visit Australia.

Cities and festivals

5. Sapporo, Japan. The organisers list the Sapporo Snow Festival from Thursday 4 to Thursday 11 February 2027 at Odori Park, Susukino and Tsudome, free to enter. It overlaps the Lunar New Year weekend, which brings extra visitors from across East Asia, so hotels are the hard part. Combine it with Setsubun on 3 February, when temples hold bean-throwing events (Setsubun guide). Read our Sapporo Snow Festival guide. Hokkaido was not on our route.

6. Bangkok, Thailand. Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, and Yaowarat Road in Chinatown is the place to see it, centred on the eve and the first day. It is not a Thai public holiday, so transport and banks run normally. The catch: the Yaowarat street festival was cancelled in 2026 during the mourning period for Queen Sirikit, and the 2027 programme had not been announced when we checked. See our Chinese New Year in Bangkok guide. We spent 10 days in Bangkok across December 2022 and January 2023.

7. Venice, Italy. Carnival runs to Tuesday 9 February 2027, so the first week of February is the final, busiest stretch. February highs are about 9°C (48°F). The catch is crowds and prices on the last weekend. See our Venice Carnival guide.

Budget picks

8. Istanbul, Turkey. February is low season, and in 2027 it is also Ramadan: the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) calendar runs it from about Monday 8 February to Monday 8 March. For visitors very little changes: sights, trams and tourist restaurants run normally, and the evenings around iftar are lively. Be discreet about eating and drinking in public in conservative neighbourhoods during the day, and dress modestly in mosques, which stay open outside prayer times. The catch is cold, wet weather. See our Ramadan in Istanbul guide. We spent 15 days in Istanbul in October 2023.

9. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, either side of Tết. February is the driest month, about 23 to 33°C (73 to 91°F) with around 5 mm of rain. The catch is the holiday itself: the government's Tết break runs 4 to 10 February 2027, family restaurants close for several days and intercity transport sells out. Go before 1 February or after about 12 February. See our Tết guide and best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City. We were in Saigon in May 2023.

Morocco is also cheap in February, but Ramadan changes the daytime pace there more than in Istanbul; see visiting Morocco during Ramadan before you book.

Where to avoid in February

• Vietnam and Korea in holiday week. Vietnam's Tết holiday is 4 to 10 February and Korea's Seollal holiday is 6 to 9 February (Seollal itself is Sunday 7 February in Korea, a day after China and Vietnam). Transport sells out and family businesses close. Our Lunar New Year guide and Seollal guide list what closes.

• Cairns and the Daintree. February is the heart of the wet season; the Bureau of Meteorology's average for Cairns in February is about 436 mm. We were there from 11 to 16 February 2023, and it is the leg of our winter route we would move.

• Bali. Still the wettest stretch of the year.

• Chiang Mai later in the month, if you are sensitive to smoke. See our burning season guide.

• Cappadocia, unless you want snow: highs around 4°C and balloon flights cancelled more often.

Frequently asked questions