Best Places to Travel in February That Have Nothing to Do with Cupid
February gets a bad rep for being a month reserved for couples. Here’s how to spend it somewhere that’ll be all about YOU.
February is a weird month. It’s too far from the holidays to still be coasting on that energy, too early for spring to feel real, too focused on #couplegoals and where to get the best date night reservations, but then it’s also too short that it goes by fast whether you’re doing something or not. Which is exactly the argument for traveling in February: if the month is going to pass either way, you might as well be somewhere interesting while it does.
The case for February travel is actually pretty strong. Prices are lower than they’ll be in spring or summer. Popular destinations are noticeably less crowded. And there are a handful of places in the world that are genuinely at their best in February—the weather is ideal, something specific is happening, or the conditions are just right in a way that doesn’t happen any other time of year.
Here are the best places to travel in February, and what makes each one worth booking.
Goa Gajah and rice paddy terraces in Ubud
Bali: the sweet spot before peak season hits
Bali in February sits right at the tail end of the rainy season, which sounds like a reason to wait, but the reality is more nuanced than that. Rain in Bali tends to come in short, dramatic bursts, usually in the afternoon, and the rest of the day is warm, lush, and beautiful. The rice terraces are at their greenest. The jungle is alive. And because most travelers are waiting for the “dry season” to start, you’re getting Bali with a fraction of the usual crowds.
The island has a way of slowing you down in the best possible sense. Ubud’s temples and terraced hillsides invite the kind of wandering that doesn’t have a destination. The beach towns of Seminyak and Canggu have a laid-back energy that makes it easy to lose track of time. And the food—fresh, flavorful, and cheap—is one of those things that makes you question every meal you’ve eaten at home.
February also brings one of Bali’s most significant cultural events: Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence. The date shifts each year based on the Balinese calendar, but when it falls in February, it’s one of the most unusual and memorable things you can witness anywhere in the world. The entire island goes quiet—no lights, no traffic, no noise—for a full 24 hours of reflection. The night before, massive effigies called ogoh-ogoh are paraded through the streets in a loud, colorful procession.
EF Ultimate Break’s Bali: Tropical Escape covers Ubud, Seminyak, and the surrounding area over 10 days, with guided experiences, a Tour Director who knows the island, and enough free time to actually settle into the pace of the place.
Marrakech markets and hanging out in the Sahara desert
Morocco: cool enough to actually explore
Morocco in summer is hot. Morocco in February is not and that makes a significant difference when you’re spending your days walking through ancient medinas, climbing sand dunes, and exploring souks that don’t have air conditioning.
February temperatures in Marrakech hover in the mid-60s°F, which is ideal for the kind of on-foot exploration that Morocco demands. The Djemaa el-Fna square, the city’s beating heart, is best experienced when you can actually stand in it without overheating. The blue-tiled alleyways of Fez, the Roman ruins of Volubilis, the dramatic landscapes of the Sahara—all of it is more enjoyable when the weather is working with you instead of against you.
Morocco is also one of those destinations where the experience of being there is genuinely different from anything else. The food is a revelation—tagines, couscous, pastilla, fresh mint tea poured from a height to create a froth. The architecture is intricate in a way that makes you stop mid-street to look up. And the people, the markets, the call to prayer echoing across the rooftops—it’s unlike anywhere else.
EF Ultimate Break’s Highlights of Morocco trip runs departures throughout the year, including February, covering Marrakech, the Sahara Desert, and the country’s most iconic stops with a Tour Director and local guides who can actually explain what you’re looking at and where to eat.
Hiking along volcanos and chilling with sloths in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: dry season, wildlife, and waterfalls
February is peak dry season in Costa Rica, which is exactly when you want to be there. The rain that defines the rest of the year has cleared out, the roads are passable, and the country’s extraordinary biodiversity is on full display. Sloths, toucans, howler monkeys, sea turtles, and more. Costa Rica has more species of wildlife per square kilometer than almost anywhere on earth, and February is one of the best months to actually see them.
The country packs a lot into a small footprint. Cloud forests in Monteverde. Volcanoes in La Fortuna. Pacific coastline that shifts from surf beaches to wildlife reserves within a few hours’ drive. The adventure options: zip-lining, white-water rafting, kayaking, and hiking make you feel alive rather than just active.
And Costa Rica has a philosophy about all of it. Pura vida—pure life—is the national motto, and it shows up in the way people move through their days. Unhurried. Present. It’s contagious in the best way.
EF Ultimate Break’s Costa Rica Adventure covers La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio, and the surrounding areas over 10 days, with guided excursions, a Tour Director, and local experiences out in nature.
The ancient city of Petra and the Wadi Rum desert campsite at night
Jordan: ancient wonders without the summer heat
Jordan is a destination that rewards travelers who show up in the right season, and February is one of the right seasons. Petra, the ancient Nabataean city carved into rose-red sandstone cliffs, is best explored on foot, and doing that in February’s mild temperatures (typically in the 50s–60s°F) is a completely different experience from doing it in July’s 100-degree heat.
Petra alone is worth the trip. The Siq, the narrow canyon that leads to the Treasury, is one of those approaches that builds anticipation in a way that pays off completely when you round the final bend and the facade appears. The site is massive; most visitors only see the Treasury and the main street, but the Monastery, reached by climbing 800 steps, is just as impressive and far less crowded. February gives you the stamina to actually do it.
Beyond Petra, Wadi Rum’s desert landscape is otherworldly in any season, but the cooler February temperatures make camping under the stars comfortable rather than just survivable. And Amman, Jordan’s capital, is a layered, underrated city with a Roman amphitheater, a lively food scene, and a warmth from locals that makes it easy to stay longer than planned.
EF Ultimate Break’s Egypt & Jordan: Pyramids to Petra combines both countries in one trip—the Pyramids of Giza and the Nile on one side, Petra and Wadi Rum on the other.
The bottom line on February travel
February is one of those months that’s easy to write off and easy to underestimate. But the destinations that shine in February—Bali, Morocco, Costa Rica, Jordan—are genuinely at or near their best, and the combination of lower prices and thinner crowds makes the timing work in your favor.
EF Ultimate Break runs departures year-round, with a Tour Director, handpicked accommodations, guided experiences, and 24/7 support on every trip. Browse all trips at efultimatebreak.com and find the one that makes February worth circling on the calendar.
Key takeaways
February is one of the most underrated months to travel. Prices are lower, crowds are thinner, and several destinations are at their seasonal best.
Bali in February is lush, warm, and less crowded than peak season, with the added possibility of witnessing Nyepi—the Balinese Day of Silence/
Morocco in February is cool enough to actually enjoy the medinas, souks, and Sahara Desert on foot.
Costa Rica’s dry season peaks in February—ideal conditions for wildlife, waterfalls, and adventure.
Jordan’s Petra and Wadi Rum are dramatically more enjoyable in February’s mild temperatures than in summer heat.
All EF Ultimate Break trips include a Tour Director, handpicked accommodations, key guided experiences, and 24/7 support with interest-free payment plans starting at just $99 down.
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