The best destination for winter travel depends entirely on the traveler. Some travelers dream of experiencing Europe's fairytale Christmas markets while others trade the cold weather for long warm days and tropical weather. 

That's why we've put together a guide that covers the best journeys for every type of traveler. Discover our top picks for The Northern Lights, Luxury Ski Adventures, Christmas Markets, Winter Festivals, and Warm Sunny Escapes. Our guide shares insider tips on making the most of each of these trips, from the best times to visit to hidden gem experiences you won't find by asking ChatGPT. 

The Best Of: Christmas Markets

One of the most charming ways to experience the spirit of Christmas is to wander along a cobblestone street where festive stalls, twinkling lights, freshly baked gingerbread and holiday cheer greet everyone who visit. The charm of Europe's traditional Christmas markets can be found across the continent, where local traditions come to life in the form of handmade ornaments, mulled wine, live music and so much more. 

With nearly every European nation participating in the centuries-old tradition, it can be overwhelming to try and find your perfect Christmas market experience. That's why we've chosen our top picks for the most mesmerizing and memorable Christmas markets in Europe. 

Our top pick: Croatia Slovenia Austria And Germanys Enchanting Christmas Markets.

• What makes it our number 1 choice: Traveling through Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Germany means you're not just visiting one Christmas market, you're experiencing the full sweep of Central European holiday tradition across four distinct cultures. Each city adds its own chapter to the Christmas story, making this one of the most complete and memorable holiday journeys available anywhere.

• Where to go for an authentic Bavarian Christmas: Stay in Munich's Old Town where the city's many Christmas markets and festivities are within walking distance. Attend Tollwood Winter Festival at Theresienwiese, the grounds where Oktoberfest takes place. Tollwood Festival is an alternative Christmas market less frequented by tourists where circus acts, live music, and art installations greet visitors. 
  
  
• The best times to plan your visit: Early to mid December is the best time to visit for the most holiday spirit. Across these countries, most Christmas markets open during the last week of November and close down on December 22 or 23, ahead of Christmas day. 

A close second: Paris And Reims Christmas Markets

• What makes it a close second: Paris's grand boulevards are strung with lights, the patisserie windows are filled with bûche de Noël, and the air carries a mix of cold and warmth that only Paris in December produces. Add Reims, home to the great Champagne houses and a Gothic cathedral that rivals Notre-Dame in its grandeur, and you have a holiday journey that balances festive charm with genuine luxury.

• Where to go for an authentic Parisian Christmas: Attend a classical concert in Saint-Chapelle, one of Europe's most stunning cathedrals where 1,113 stained-glass panels serve as the backdrop for the timeless tunes of Antonio Vivaldi or Johann Strauss. Follow the concert with world-class dining, from seasonal oyster stands (a fixture of Parisian Christmas) to an exclusive dinner cruise down the seine created  by Alain Ducasse, the famed Parisian chef who claims more Michelin stars than any other living chef.
  
  
• The best times to plan your visit: Christmas markets in Paris actually begin in mid-November and last until early-January, offering travelers a wider window to enjoy the holiday spirit. In Reims, Christmas markets last until December 28th, making France a wonderful destination for actually celebrating Christmas on the day. 

The Best Of: Northern Lights

The Northern Lights are one of the world's most elusive and sought-after natural phenomenons. Unlike everything else included in this list, there's no way to guarantee (even with the most careful planning) that you'll actually get to witness the Northern Lights. That's part of what makes seeing them so special. Even with the best planning in the world, you'll still need a little bit of luck.

Don't let the lack of guarantee stop you from planning a trip around them, even a 5-minute sighting can be life-changing. Planning a Northern Lights adventure can feel all too overwhelming, which is why we have highlighted two journeys which take as much of the guesswork (and luck) out of the equation. 

Our top pick: Norway's Winter Northern Lights Escapade

• What makes it our top pick: Norway's Arctic north gives you the best statistical chance of seeing the Northern Lights of anywhere on earth. Tromsø sits directly beneath the auroral oval, the band of sky where the lights appear most frequently and most dramatically. 

• How to have an authentic Norwegian experience: Embark on a traditional arctic cultural experience with a day of Sami reindeer sledding. Beyond riding a traditional reindeer sleigh, you'll get to hand-feed and bond with the reindeer as well as learn about Sami culture through traditional storytelling and sampling different Sami food. 
  
  
• The best time to plan your visit: Plan your trip between October through March for the best chance of witnessing the lights when nights are long, dark, and dry. 2026 and 2027 are particularly good years to see the Northern Lights as we are in a "solar maximum" period where the sun is more active than usual. This additional solar activity leads to stronger and more frequent aurora displays. 

A close second: Northern Lights Iceland Christmas

• What makes it a close second: Iceland earns its place on this list for a reason that goes beyond the lights themselves. The country pairs one of the world's best Northern Lights seasons with a holiday atmosphere unlike anywhere else. Geothermal hot springs steaming against a snow-covered landscape, traditional Icelandic Yule celebrations, and the dramatic volcanic scenery that makes every day here feel genuinely otherworldly.

• How to have an authentic Icelandic experience: Visit the Vok Baths instead of the overcrowded Blue Lagoon. The Vok Baths offer a serene environment that overlooks an Icelandic lake without all of the crowds that some of the more well-known baths and lagoons. If you're feeling adventurous, try traditional Icelandic cuisine like fermented shark and minke whale. 
  
  
• The best time to plan your visit: Iceland boasts a longer Northern Lights season with late August to mid April being the ideal window for catching the phenomenon. Like with Norway, 2026 and 2027 are especially good years to visit the Northern Lights as the sun has reached the height of its 11-year activity cycle. 

The Best Of: Luxury Skiing

For travelers who measure a great winter holiday by the quality of the run, the warmth of the apres-ski, and the view from the mountaintop, a ski adventure is in a category of its own. But not all ski trips are created equal. The destinations that make this list combine exceptional skiing with the kind of scenery and travel experience that stays with you long after the snow melts.

We've chosen two journeys that go well beyond the typical ski resort experience, pairing world-class skiing with some of the most breathtaking landscapes winter travel has to offer. 

Our top pick: Switzerland Glacier Express Ski Adventure

• What makes it our top pick: Switzerland is the benchmark for luxury ski travel, and this journey earns its top spot by combining two extraordinary experiences in one. It's a ski holiday and a bucket list train journey wrapped into a single trip. Ski some of the finest slopes across resorts like Zermatt and St. Moritz. Travel between them aboard the Glacier Express, which crosses 291 bridges and passes through 91 tunnels in one of the most visually spectacular rail journeys on earth. 
  

• Where to go for an authentic Swiss ski experience: Skip the busy resort restaurants and seek out a mountain hütte (a traditional Swiss alpine hut) for lunch on the slopes. These simple wooden restaurants serve fondue and local wines at altitude, with panoramic mountain views and none of the resort crowds. 
  
  
• The best time to plan your visit: January through March offers the most reliable snow conditions and the longest ski days in the Swiss Alps. The Zermatt glacier is skiable from October, making it one of the few destinations where an early season ski adventure is genuinely possible.

A close second: Journey Through The Clouds Discovery Banff Eastbound

• What makes it a close second: Banff is North America's answer to the Swiss Alps, and this journey makes the most of everything the Canadian Rockies have to offer in winter. The skiing across Lake Louise and Sunshine Village is exceptional, with runs that suit every level and a mountain scenery of frozen lakes and snow-dusted peaks.

• Where to go for an authentic Canadian Rockies experience: Take an evening wildlife tour along the Bow Valley Parkway, one of the best places in the Canadian Rockies to spot elk, wolves, and coyotes against the winter landscape. Follow it with dinner at the Fairmont Banff Springs, the grand castle hotel that has been the heart of Banff's hospitality since 1888. 
  
  
• The best time to plan your visit: December through March offers the best snow conditions across Banff's ski areas, with February typically delivering the deepest powder. The shoulder months of late November and early April offer quieter slopes and some of the most dramatic winter light of the season. 

The Best Of: Winter Sun

For travelers who would rather swap the gray skies and cold temperature for long warm days and the kind of sunshine that reminds you summer still exists somewhere, a winter sun escape is the answer. The destinations on this list aren't just warm, they're best experienced during the Northern Hemisphere's winter months when the weather is the most favorable and landscapes are at their most dramatic. 

Our top pick: Argentina and Chile Patagonia Explorer. 

• What makes it our top pick: While the Northern Hemisphere bundles up, Patagonia is in the height of its summer season, and it's one of the most striking landscapes on earth. This journey takes you through the raw wilderness of both Argentina and Chile, from the iconic towers of Torres del Paine to the Perito Moreno Glacier. 

• Where to go for an authentic Patagonian experience: Take a boat excursion on Lago Grey, where you can get close to floating icebergs that break off from the massive Grey Glacier. The experience of being surrounded by turquoise water, ancient ice, and the dramatic peaks of the Paine mountains is one of the most visually exceptional moments Patagonia offers.  
  
  
• The best time to plan your visit: December through February is the peak summer season in Patagonia, with the longest days and most reliable conditions for hiking and outdoor exploration. November and March offer shoulder season benefits like fewer visitors and equally spectacular scenery. 

A close second: Australia's Tropical Trio Private Journey. 

• What makes it a close second: While much of the world is bundled up in January and February, Australia's tropical north is in the height of its summer season, and it's one of the most sun-drenched and wildlife-rich environments on earth.

• Where to go for an authentic Australian experience: Take a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the red rock landscape of northern Australia, where the Outback stretches in every direction and the light turns the landscape a deep orange. Follow your flight with a guided walk accompanied by a local Aboriginal guide through Kakadu National Park, one of the oldest living landscapes on earth. 
  
  
• The best time to plan your visit: The Northern Hemisphere's winter months of December through February align perfectly with the dry season across Australia's tropical north. Skies are clear, temperatures are warm rather than oppressive, and the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays, and the waterfalls of Kakadu are all at their most accessible and most beautiful.

The Best Of: Winter Festivals

Some of the world's most amazing cultural experiences happen in winter. Away from the Christmas markets and ski slopes, a handful of destinations come alive in the colder months with festivals and traditions that have been drawing travelers for centuries. These are experiences that go well beyond sightseeing, placing you inside a living cultural moment that most tourists never get to witness. 

Our top pick: Venice Italian Carnival Experience 2027. 

• What makes it our top choice: For ten days in February, Venice transforms into a living theater of elaborate masks, Renaissance costumes, and centuries-old traditions that turn every bridge, canal, and piazza into a stage. This isn't a festival that happens in Venice. It is Venice, at its most theatrical, historical, and unforgettable.

• Where to go for an authentic Venetian Carnival experience: Skip the crowded events at St. Mark's Square and seek out one of Venice's historic palazzo balls instead. These private masquerade events, held in the grand halls of centuries-old Venetian palaces are invitation-only affairs that Keytours can arrange access to. Arrive in costume (which your Keytours specialist can help source from one of Venice's legendary mask and costume ateliers) for an evening that feels lifted directly from another century.
  
  
• The best time to plan your visit: Venice Carnival 2027 runs for approximately ten days in February, ending on Shrove Tuesday. The opening weekend and the final weekend before Mardi Gras are the most spectacular and most attached. Mid-week offers a slightly quieter experience while still capturing the full magic of the festival. 

A close second: Celebrate Toji with our Kyoto Discovery 

• What makes it a close second: Toji, the Japanese winter solstice, falls on December 21st and marks one of the most important dates in the Japanese cultural calendar. In Kyoto, the tradition is celebrated with yuzu baths, believed to ward off illness and bring good fortune, and a series of winter ceremonies at the city's ancient temples and shrines. Toji offers an intimacy and cultural depth that makes it one of the most moving winter experiences available anywhere.

• Where to go for an authentic Toji experience: Visit Tofuku-ji temple at dawn on the winter solstice, when the resident monks mark the occasion with a ceremony that has taken place on this site for centuries. Follow it with a visit to Nishiki Market, Kyoto's centuries-old covered food market, where seasonal winter ingredients and traditional Japanese sweets fill every stall.
  
  
• The best time to plan your visit: December is the ideal month for a Toji-focused visit to Kyoto. The winter solstice falls on December 21st, and the weeks surrounding it carry a particular quiet and seasonal atmosphere that the city's summer and autumn visitors never experience. 

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