Think “winter vacation” and some travelers picture warm shores and sun-splashed ancient ruins. Others dream of slipping on snowshoes to explore a national park or staying in an ice hotel. Whatever your idea of a winter getaway, National Geographic’s new book 100 cities, 5000 ideas offers inspiration and advice, from cruising the museums and beaches in Los Angeles, California, to skiing the slopes near Vienna, Austria.
Here are 10 urban destinations where you can escape or embrace the season.
Cities that make the cold shiver
Oslo, Norway
Average January High: 32ºF
At the mouth of a magnificent fjord, the Norwegian capital strikes a fascinating balance between ancient and contemporary, with dazzling modern architecture (a new museum dedicated to local artist Edvard Munch), Viking ships on display and a buzzing performing arts scene.
Cool comfort: Oslo is a hub for winter sports, with Holmenkollen Olympic Park and Oslo Vinterpark offering skiing, snowshoeing and more amid the lush Nordmarka Forest.
Québec City, Canada
Average January High: 20ºF
The only remaining walled city north of the Rio Grande blends old France and modern Canada with sidewalk cafes, unique boutiques and outdoor activities on the bluffs above the St. Lawrence. Haute-Ville (upper town) and Basse-Ville (lower town) have 17th-19th century architecture and cobbled streets. In winter, you can go from high to bass on sleds that travel on an icy channel at speeds of up to 43 mph or cross-country skiing in parks near the frozen river.
Cool parties: Québec City’s cold-weather festivals include the holiday markets in November and December and the Carnaval de Québec in February.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Average January High: 42ºF
Nearly 350 years since its founding, the “City of Brotherly Love” remains one of North America’s oldest and most intriguing metropolises, a blend of American independence, international neighborhoods and pop culture along the Delaware River. Explore early US history in downtowns including the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall or enjoy Italian-American culture at South Philly’s Italian Market.
Cold party: Every New Year’s Day, the Mummers Parade brings bands and costumed performers to the streets for a Mardi Gras-like celebration.
(Dig into the food, art and culture making Philly hot again.)
Reykjavik, Iceland
Average January High: 37ºF
Iceland’s coastal capital marries Scandinavian sophistication with an apocalyptic atmosphere that dates back to the days when exiled Vikings settled the North Atlantic island. This mild northern town pays tribute to those early explorers with a statue of Leif Eriksson and an interactive settlement exhibit that preserves the remains of a 10th-century Norwegian village.
Cool comfort: Still active volcanoes power hot spring pools, including Laugardalur and the famous Blue Lagoon, about 45 minutes’ drive northeast of Reykjavík.
(Find out why volcano tourism is booming in Iceland.)
Tokyo, Japan
Average January High: 50ºF
A melding of stunningly old and shockingly new, the globe’s most populous city can change on a dime, from neon-splattered canyons and forests of skyscrapers to tranquil temples, parks and village-like neighborhoods. Tokyo’s futuristic attractions include the evolving Miraikan National Museum of Science and Innovation with its robotic androids and Blade Runner-Shinjuku Towers. But Tokyo also maintains traditional enclaves such as Asakusa, with its large temple complex and geisha district.
Cold party: Every December, the Shibuya Blue Grotto attracts up to two million visitors with dozens of illuminated trees.
Points to look for the sun
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Average January High: 84ºF
Tango dancers, soccer players and folk musicians make their homes and show their talents in Argentina’s largest capital. Once the richest city in the world, BA has magnificent 18th- and 19th-century architecture in beautiful neighborhoods like Recoleta, where it also has an atmospheric cemetery filled with well-decorated graves of famous people like Eva Perón . In Boca barriobrightly painted houses surround La Bonbonera, the old home stadium for the working class football Boca Juniors team.
Weekend market: On Sundays, the Feria de San Telmo features tango couples and antique vendors among the cobbled streets and fin de siècle architecture of one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Average January High: 81ºF
The Pacific Ocean metropolis emerges as a far more complex place than picture postcards suggest, loaded with interesting neighborhoods and a history filled with kings, robber barons and imperial ambitions. Walk to palm-fringed Waikiki Beach, climb Diamond Head or visit ‘Iolani Palace, home of the last Hawaiian monarch. The Peshkopi Museum displays royal heirlooms, natural history specimens and cultural objects from all over Polynesia.
Warm: Outrigger canoe trips or surf lessons get you into the waves.
(Discover the surprising history of Hawaiian Hula.)
Marrakesh, Morocco
Average January High: 66ºF
Founded almost a thousand years ago as a modest oasis city on the edge of the Sahara, Marrakech grew into a superstar of art, architecture and intellect. Its iconic main square Djemaa el Fnaa buzzes with snake charmers, Gnawa bands and food stalls. It is the sheltered heart of the Medina, where gardens, mosques and markets are surrounded by ocher sandstone walls. Explore Islamic life at the Saadian Tombs, with intricately carved tombs of 16th-century sultans, and the Bahia Palace with its glazed tiles and painted woodwork.
Side trip: In the beautiful Gueliz district, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and the cacti-filled Majorelle Gardens highlight how Western creatives drew inspiration from the legendary “Red City”.
(Hear all about Marrakech’s vibrant music scene.)
Melbourne, Australia
Average January High: 79ºF
Australia’s second largest city has transformed from an Anglocentric outpost of the British Empire into a multicultural melting pot of the 21st century. A strong expat population powers many of the 600 stalls at Queen Victoria Market; there is also a venerable Chinatown and the Greek Quarter, with its Helen Museum.
A hot cultural scene: Launched in 2002, central Melbourne’s Federal Square offers restaurants, performing arts venues and museums, such as the Ian Potter Centre: NGV with the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal art.
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Average January High: 88ºF
The laid-back capital of Trinidad is one of the top places in the Caribbean to experience a pre-Lenten carnival, with calypso musicians and soca dancers in feather costumes kicking off the party in the central Queen’s Park Savannah. This 260-hectare park also contains the Emperor’s Valley Zoo and the Royal Botanic Gardens, with indigenous and international trees planted on the grounds of a former sugar plantation.
Side trip: A 25-minute drive southeast of the city, the Caroni Bird Sanctuary is a mangrove-lined waterway where boat trips pass the scarlet ibis, Trinidad’s national bird.
