Get ready to infuse the long winter months with color, carnivals, and adventure. Chosen by our editors, this year's best winter trips span the globe and transcend the season. Find your favorite, then share your winter trip plans with fellow travelers.
Harbin Ice Festival, China
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Hibernating is not an option in the frosted reaches of northeast China, where brisk Siberian winds keep the average winter temperatures in Harbin barely above zero degrees Fahrenheit. Hardy local artisans in the Russian-influenced "Ice City" celebrate the season by sculpting ice blocks chopped from the Songhua River into colossal crystalline pyramids and palaces, whimsical dragons and fairies, and frozen slides worthy of a water park. The monthlong Harbin Ice and Snow Festival (beginning January 5), showcases the frosty craftsmanship of local carvers and international teams and includes a Snow Sculpture Expo at Sun Island recreational area and the Ice Lantern Garden Party at Zhaolin Park. Daylight activities include figure skating, ice boxing competitions, and, for the daring, a polar plunge into an ice-free section of the frigid Songhua. After dark, bundle up to see the festival’s illuminated ice displays dazzle neon bright against the night sky. Harbin is accessible via train or plane from Beijing or Shanghai.
Yellowstone National Park, Montana
Mid-December to early March, Yellowstone is a winter wonderland best explored on foot, cross-country skis, or snowshoes. The park stays open year-round, but in winter most roads are closed to wheeled vehicles. "Lodging and Learning" packages offered by Yellowstone National Park Lodges and the Yellowstone Association Institute make it easy to stay and play in the park. Enter through the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana (closest airport is 85 miles away in Bozeman), and travel by snow coach to either the Old Faithful Snow Lodge or Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. Naturalist-guided winter programs offer wildlife expeditions (view bison, elk, bighorn sheep, pronghorn, coyotes, and wolves), cross-country-ski day treks to Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon, and Winter Wolf Discovery, a firsthand look at the reintroduction of wolves to the park. Packages include lodging, in-park transportation, some meals, and unlimited ice skating. Stay safe (and warm) by wearing insulated boots and layered winter gear. Winter temperatures can range from 20 to 30 degrees below zero F to the balmy 30s, with heavy snows possible daily.
Chena River State Recreation Area, Alaska
The packed winter trails crisscrossing Chena State Recreation Area’s 397 square miles of forests and alpine tundra are open for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, snowmachining, and winter mountain biking (try the Colorado Creek Trail for a three- to four-hour ride). Located only 26 miles east of Fairbanks, Chena River puts Alaskan adventure within easy reach via scenic (and plowed) Chena Hot Springs Road. On February 16 the final leg of the thousand-mile Yukon Quest international sled dog race runs through the recreation area along portions of the old Chena Hot Springs Winter Trail. Cheer on the mushers and teams, then stay at nearby Chena Hot Springs Resort to soak in the Hot Springs Rock Lake (adults 18-plus only) and view the northern lights via the 13-passenger Snow Coach tour. There’s also a special aurora wake-up call service for instant alerts when the celestial light show is clearly visible, as well as a heated Aurorium log cabin (open 24/7 to guests) where you can hunker down with a mug of hot cocoa to watch the night sky through expansive, northeast-facing windows.
Mesoamerican Reef, Belize
Central America’s Mesoamerican Reef system stretches more than 600 miles along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. It’s half the size of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef yet easier to access, with some sections of the underwater reef platform beginning within a few hundred yards of shore. Belize’s three coral atolls—Glover's Reef (36 miles from the mainland), Lighthouse Reef (home to the rare red-footed booby), and Turneffe Islands (the largest and closest at only 25 miles off the coast)—offer exceptional beginner-to-expert sea kayaking and snorkeling along shallow reefs, plus secluded white-sand beaches and unspoiled nature reserves. Belize: Reefs, Rain Forests, and Ruins, a National Geographic Adventures small-group expedition, includes safari-style beach camping on Lighthouse Reef atoll and snorkeling along the perimeter of the Great Blue Hole, the nearly thousand-foot-wide sinkhole first explored by Jacques Cousteau in the 1970s. Or book a private villa at all-inclusive and off-the-grid Turneffe Island Resort, a private island located at the southern tip of Turneffe Atoll.
Toronto, Canada
When temperatures dip below freezing, residents in Canada’s largest city head downtown and below ground to 17 miles of weatherproof walkways. Toronto’s extensive PATH network offers slush-, ice-, and snow-free pedestrian access to parking garages, stores, subway stops, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues. During the Winterlicious foodie festival (January 25 to February 7), nosh your way through Toronto’s diverse neighborhoods, including Little India, home to the Gerrard India Bazaar, North America’s largest South Asian marketplace. Winterlicious culinary events include affordable prix fixe menus at more than a hundred of the city’s top restaurants. Book online reservations early to snag a table at participating hot spots like Trevor Kitchen and Bar. Work up an appetite with an afternoon skate (rentals available) outside city hall at Nathan Phillips Square or at Natrel Rink at Harbourfront Centre. In 2013 Ontario’s provincial Family Day celebration coincides with Presidents' Day in the U.S. Spend the holiday weekend (February 15 to 18) at the new Four Seasons Hotel Toronto (opened October 2012) in fashionable Bloor-Yorkville to visit the nearby Royal Ontario Museum’s family-friendly, hands-on galleries.
