Best Places to Travel in February 2027

February 2027 packs an unusual amount into ten days. Lunar New Year falls on Saturday, February 6 [1]. Carnival peaks around Fat Tuesday on February 9, with Ash Wednesday on February 10 [2]. Then comes a weekend where three things land at once: Valentine's Day on Sunday, February 14, Super Bowl LXI that same evening in Inglewood, California [3], and Presidents' Day on Monday, February 15 [4], a three-day weekend for millions of people and the start of a winter school break in many districts. The rest of the month, by contrast, is one of the quietest of the winter, between the holiday rush and spring break.

So the best February trip depends on what you want. If you want the party, plan around Carnival and accept that it costs more. If you want winter sun or snow, avoid the Presidents' Day weekend and go either side of it. And if you want a cheap trip, February is one of the best months of the year for city hotels. A note on the numbers below: they are rough planning ranges, not quotes. The nightly figure is for a well-reviewed mid-range room, and the daily figure is food and local transport per person. Flights are left out because they depend on your home airport. Carnival-week lodging is the exception to every rule, so we flag it separately.

Carnival 2027: the real dates. Carnival is tied to Easter, which falls on March 28 in 2027, so it lands relatively early this year. Every major celebration peaks in the same week, so pick one. Book lodging early, because Carnival-week rates can be several times the normal price and many places require minimum stays.

1. New Orleans: Mardi Gras on Tuesday, February 9. The Carnival season in New Orleans starts on Twelfth Night, January 6, and builds to Mardi Gras Day on Tuesday, February 9, 2027 [2], with parades rolling most nights in the final two weeks. The parades are free. The cost is the room: expect parade weekends and the final five days to carry peak rates and multi-night minimums. To keep it affordable, go for the earlier parade weekends in late January or the first weekend of February, stay outside the French Quarter, and check the official parade schedule, which is published closer to the season. Rough planning range outside the final week: $150 to $280 a night, plus $50 to $90 a day. Pitfall: during the final week, street closures can make driving almost impossible, so plan to walk and use the streetcar.

2. Rio de Janeiro: the Sambadrome, February 5 to 9. Rio's Carnival is the largest in the world. In 2027, the Série Ouro schools parade at the Sambadrome on Friday and Saturday, February 5 and 6, the twelve top-tier Special Group schools parade over three nights from Sunday, February 7 to Tuesday, February 9, and the Champions' Parade follows on Saturday, February 13 [5]. Grandstand tickets went on sale in August and the cheapest sectors sell out early, but the free street parties, called blocos, are where most of Rio celebrates. Expect lodging during Carnival to cost several times the usual rate, often with minimum stays of four or five nights. Rough planning range outside Carnival week: $90 to $180 a night, plus $35 to $60 a day. Pitfalls: US citizens now need an e-visa for Brazil, so check the requirements well ahead [6]; and keep valuables to a minimum in the crowds.

3. Venice: Carnevale ends Tuesday, February 9. The city's official site lists Carnevale di Venezia 2027 from January 23 to February 9 [7], and it closes on Martedì Grasso. The masks, costumes, and evening events are concentrated on the weekends, especially the final one, and that is when Venice is most crowded and most expensive. For a cheaper and calmer version, go midweek earlier in the program, or stay on the mainland in Mestre and take the short train ride in. Rough planning range: $120 to $250 a night outside the final weekend, plus $45 to $75 a day. Pitfall: Venice charges an access fee for day-trippers on certain peak dates, so check the city's current rules if you will not be staying overnight in the historic center.

4. Trinidad: Carnival Monday and Tuesday, February 8 and 9. Trinidad's Carnival is the original Caribbean Carnival, and its two main days fall on Monday, February 8 and Tuesday, February 9, 2027 [8]. The season starts after Christmas with fetes and calypso and steelpan competitions, and peaks with J'ouvert in the early hours of Monday and the masquerade bands on the streets of Port of Spain. Joining a band costs extra and costumes sell out early, but you can watch the parade for free. Rough planning range for Carnival week: $150 to $300 a night, plus $50 to $90 a day, with most guesthouses booked months ahead. Pitfall: if you want a quieter beach week, the sister island of Tobago is a short flight or ferry away.

Winter sun: the case for going either side of Presidents' Day. February is high season for warm-weather destinations, so the trick is picking the right week rather than hunting for an off-season. The two weekends before Presidents' Day and the last week of February are usually calmer than the holiday weekend itself.

5. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: whale season on the Pacific. Humpback whales winter in Banderas Bay, and the official whale-watching season typically runs from early December to late March, with January and February often the best months to see them [9]. Puerto Vallarta's old town, the Zona Romántica, is walkable and has plenty of mid-range hotels, and the beaches to the south are reachable by water taxi. Rough planning range: $100 to $200 a night, plus $35 to $60 a day. Pitfall: Presidents' Day week is busy with US and Canadian visitors, so go earlier in the month if you can.

6. Tenerife, Spain: Europe's winter sun. The Canary Islands sit off the coast of Africa, so February brings mild, sunny days at a time when the rest of Europe is cold. Tenerife pairs beach towns on the south coast with Teide National Park, Spain's highest peak, and the historic town of La Laguna in the north. Santa Cruz de Tenerife holds one of Spain's biggest Carnivals, and in 2027 its street celebrations have been moved later than usual, to February 19 to 28 [10]. Rough planning range: $90 to $170 a night, plus $35 to $60 a day. Pitfall: the north and south of the island have very different weather, so base yourself on the sunnier south coast if beach days are the goal.

Snow: ski and winter festivals. February has the best snow of the season in much of North America. The challenge is cost, which peaks on Presidents' Day weekend.

7. Salt Lake City and the Wasatch: the fly-in ski trip. For a February ski trip, Salt Lake City is hard to beat. Visit Salt Lake says nine resorts are within an hour's drive of the airport [11], so a group flying in from different cities can be on the snow the day they land. Base yourself in Salt Lake City instead of a slopeside village to cut lodging costs, buy lift tickets online in advance, and ski midweek. Rough planning range for a city-based stay: $110 to $200 a night, plus $50 to $80 a day before lift tickets. Pitfall: Presidents' Day weekend is one of the busiest of the season, and canyon traffic on powder days can be slow, so leave early.

8. Quebec City: Carnaval de Québec, February 5 to 14. Quebec City's Winter Carnival, one of the largest winter festivals in the world, runs from February 5 to 14, 2027 [12], with night parades, an ice palace, and outdoor events across the city. The walled old town looks its best under snow. Rough planning range: $110 to $210 a night, plus $40 to $70 a day. Pitfalls: it is properly cold, so pack serious layers; and the final weekend overlaps with Valentine's and Presidents' Day, so book that weekend early or go midweek.

Cheap February: the city break. Outside of Carnival, the ski weeks, and the beach high season, February is one of the cheapest months of the year for city hotels.

9. New York City: the low season, with deals. January and February are traditionally New York's slowest months for hotels, which makes this the cheapest time of year for a city break there. Most years, the city's winter Restaurant Week and Broadway Week run in late January and early February, with fixed-price menus and two-for-one theater tickets; in 2026 the winter Restaurant Week ran from January 20 to February 12 [13]. Check the 2027 dates when they are announced. Rough planning range: $150 to $280 a night, plus $50 to $90 a day. Pitfall: Presidents' Day week is busier, and a winter storm can disrupt flights, so leave a buffer day.

10. Medellín, Colombia: spring weather in winter. Medellín's nickname, the City of Eternal Spring, comes from its mild climate, and December to March is the drier stretch of the year. It is one of the best-value cities in the Americas for food and lodging, with good flight links from Florida and other US hubs. Stay in El Poblado or Laureles, ride the Metrocable up the hillsides, and take a day trip to Guatapé. Rough planning range: $50 to $110 a night, plus $25 to $45 a day. Pitfall: read the US State Department advisory for Colombia [14], use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps, and be cautious with new acquaintances, especially on dating apps.

Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day: the same weekend. In 2027, Valentine's Day is a Sunday inside the Presidents' Day long weekend, and the Super Bowl is that evening. That means couples, families on winter break, and Super Bowl parties all compete for the same rooms and restaurant tables. If you want a romantic trip, consider celebrating a weekend early, February 5 to 7, or a weekend late, February 19 to 21, when prices and crowds ease. If you do go on the holiday weekend, book early, choose a place that is not a family ski or beach magnet, and reserve the Valentine's dinner when you book the room.

The February 2027 calendar, in one place. Saturday, February 6: Lunar New Year. Friday, February 5 to Sunday, February 14: Carnaval de Québec. Friday, February 5 to Tuesday, February 9: Rio's Sambadrome parades. Monday, February 8 and Tuesday, February 9: Trinidad Carnival. Tuesday, February 9: Mardi Gras, and the end of Carnival in Venice. Wednesday, February 10: Ash Wednesday. Saturday, February 13: Rio's Champions' Parade. Sunday, February 14: Valentine's Day and Super Bowl LXI. Monday, February 15: Presidents' Day. February 19 to 28: street Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

February is a good month for a group trip, if you plan around the long weekend. For many people, Presidents' Day is the only three-day weekend between New Year's and Memorial Day, which makes it the natural date for a group ski trip or a friends' beach weekend. That is also why it is expensive. If your group can take a day off, shifting the trip by even two days can save more than any discount code. Start the planning in the fall, especially for ski trips and Carnival, when lodging for groups disappears first. And if your group is already talking about spring break, February is the month to lock that in too. Put your shortlist in a Jettova room and let everyone vote on the place and the dates; the room keeps a running cost estimate so everyone sees roughly what the trip will cost, and each person books their own flight from their own city.

Ready to plan your February trip? Open the Jettova trip planner, enter your home city, your dates, and your budget, and it drafts a day-by-day plan with estimated costs and real booking links, so you can compare a ski week in Utah with whale season in Puerto Vallarta before you spend a dollar.