Winter adventure travel is taking off. Here’s why

When you think you’ve seen all a destination can offer, seeing it during the winter opens up an entirely new take on it. From stunning mountainscapes blanketed in fresh, soft snow to season-specific festivals entrenched in history to gourmet traditional takes on comfort food. 

A winter adventure is an incredible opportunity to embrace the magic of Mother Nature at a time of year when she offers unique outdoor experiences. You can snowshoe mountain trails with the sun shining down or have lunch in a mountain cabin surrounded by vistas that will inspire awe. Enjoy a hike under the moonlight then bundle up to spot the swirling Northern Lights.  

If you’re looking for a truly off-the-beaten-path adventure, an off-season escape is just the thing. Here are some of our favourite places to explore during the winter. 

Norway offers some particularly unique and luxurious signature experiences. Watch the Northern Lights dance across the tundra as part of a Norwegian winter adventure. During a week exploring, you can sleep in an igloo room at an ice hotel built by local artisans, with the option of retiring to a luxurious lodge at any time. Meet the semi-nomadic indigenous Sámi peoples and learn about the traditional culture of reindeer herding that sustains them. And mush a dogsled or trek pristine trails on snowshoe then be rewarded with a sauna and jacuzzi afterward.

The Dolomites in Italy offer a magical winter break, where snow-dusted alpine villages look like they’re made for fairytales. Some, during the winter months, are accessible only if you ski, hike, or snowshoe out to them, making reaching them all the more alluring. Farm-to-table dining experiences are offered in remote mountain huts that make each meal feel like a secret only you are let in on, and luxury accommodations offer roaring fires, saunas, and mulled wine to warm your body and soul.  

Switzerland excels at winter pleasures—St. Moritz, after all, is where winter tourism was invented. Skiing the Alps is an experience hard to beat, but playing in the snow also includes hikes, snow showing, horse-drawn carriage rides and ice skating, too. In between the fun, centuries-old mountain retreats and grand hotels overlooking sweeping mountains and glaciers offer incredible opportunities for relaxing, while the food scene is rich and rewarding, with raclette and fondue considered national dishes. Is anything more perfect than gooey melted cheese on a cold winter night? 

If you’re looking to escape the heat during summer in the Northern Hemisphere, consider winter in New Zealand. While the country is stunning year-round, visiting its mountain peaks and glaciers—accessible by guided hikes or via helicopter—during June through September offers snowy views with mild temperatures. Thermal pools and spas are perfect for cool-weather relaxation, whether you hike out to forested natural pools or head to a luxurious spa at one of the country’s peaceful remote lodges. New Zealand’s dark skies are made for stargazing, and traditional Maori New Year celebrations, which happen late May to early July, are centred around the reappearance of the Matariki stars in the winter skies. There are also prime viewing opportunities for penguin colonies, including tiny Little Blue penguins, and humpbacks and southern right whales, which are spotted closest to the shores in winter.   

 As the saying goes, there’s no bad weather, only the wrong clothes—and gearing up is all part of the adventure.