Among our ideas for a February trip, you will surely find the most suitable destination, because Vologda, the Serbian Kopaonik ski resort, and distant Argentina are in our colorful piggy bank. The coverage by geography and budget is as wide as possible!
Content
- Vologda
- Yekaterinburg
- Veliky Novgorod
- Yoshkar-Ola
- Pskov
- Egypt
- Cambodia
- Serbia
- Maldives
- Argentina
Vologda
- Why go: visit the Russian North and see the same carved palisade.
If you are a fan of frosts and classic Russian landscapes, go to Vologda. In winter, this ancient merchant city is especially beautiful — the colorful facades of the houses are better visible, because they are not hidden by dense foliage. You will definitely not pass by the Vologda Kremlin, its main cathedral is St. Sophia, the prototype for which was the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. At the same time, we recommend you to visit the Lace Museum and the center for artistic crafts “Carved Palisade”, where you can learn about the traditional activities of local residents (and at the same time keep warm after a walk).
What else to see in the Vologda region, they told in the guide to the region.
If you are a fan of frosts and classic Russian landscapes, go to Vologda. Photo: Kichigin/Shutterstock.com
Yekaterinburg
- Why go: get to know the capital of the Urals and visit a large-scale exhibition of ice sculptures.
Every year in Yekaterinburg, on 1905 square, craftsmen create an Ice Town dedicated to some historical event or interesting place: in previous years it was the 300th anniversary of Yekaterinburg, Antarctica, the World Cup. In 2024, the Ice Town was built in honor of the 225th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin: the heroes of fairy tales, the outlines of the sights of St. Petersburg, as well as ice slides, warming drinks and treats – all this awaits those who will be here in winter. Depending on weather conditions, the town may stand until mid-February.
And in Yekaterinburg, you need to walk along the “Ural Arbat” — Weiner Street, climb the observation deck of the Vysotsky Business Center with an excellent view of the city and visit the church on the Blood, erected on the site of Ipatiev’s House, where the family of Emperor Nicholas II spent their last days.
All appearances and passwords for a weekend trip to Yekaterinburg are here.
Every year in Yekaterinburg, on 1905 square, craftsmen create an Ice Town dedicated to some historical event or interesting place. Photo: Timofeev Vladimir/Shutterstock.com
Veliky Novgorod
- Why go: take a walk around the ancient Kremlin and skate there.
Veliky Novgorod is a great destination at any time of the year: the ancient churches of the Novgorod Kremlin — Detinets and a huge bell — monument to the 1000th anniversary of Russia are waiting for you. In winter, an ice rink is filled on the territory of the fortress. They arrange cheesecake rides from the Kremlin slopes, however, there is no rental, so you will have to take your own.
And the Novgorod region is also a picturesque lake Ilmen, Valdai National Park, Staraya Russa, houses-museums of Russian writers and many more interesting places.
Veliky Novgorod is a great destination at any time of the year: the ancient churches of the Novgorod Kremlin and a huge bell are waiting for you. Photo: Viktor Karasev/Shutterstock.com
Yoshkar-Ola
- Why go: see the sights of different cities of Russia and Europe in one place.
Since the Bruges embankment with Flemish-style houses appeared in Yoshkar-Ola, tourists have been attracted to the city. But the architects recreated not only the European flavor: the Annunciation Tower and the Cathedral in Yoshkar-Ola are almost complete copies of the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg. They are located on the Republic Square and the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is also a monument-fountain to Archangel Gabriel and a complex of buildings in the European style — Arkhangelsk Sloboda with restaurants and cafes. Well, the “Yoshkin Cat”, the symbol of Yoshkar-Ola, is located on a bench near the main building of the Mari University. Another interesting place in the center is Chavaina Boulevard, a popular place for walking among locals and tourists.
Take a guide to Yoshkar-Ola for one day, so as not to get lost in the back streets of the city and its beautiful architectural fakes.
Since the Bruges embankment with Flemish-style houses appeared in Yoshkar-Ola, tourists have been attracted to the city. Photo: Pavel Starikov/Shutterstock.com
Pskov
- Why go: admire the architecture from the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The main attractions of Pskov are the ancient Pskov Krom (Kremlin) and ancient temples. The city was not affected by the Mongol invasion, so many ancient buildings have survived to the present day, and ten of them are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Egypt
- How to get there: by plane, travel time is 6 hours. The round-trip ticket price starts from 35,000 rubles, Red Wings, Pegasus, and Turkish Airlines fly from Moscow.
- Why go: relax on the Egyptian beaches without the sweltering heat.
February in Egypt is one of the coolest months of the year, the air temperature at this time is about +23 °C, the water temperature is +20 °C. Swimming can be uncomfortable, but February is great for walking and relaxing by the water. There are not many tourists at this time, hotel prices are lower, and if the sea seems cool to you, then you can swim in the pools at the hotel. We recommend choosing hotels located in bays where seasonal winds are less felt and the water is guaranteed to be warmer. It is believed that Sharm el-Sheikh is better protected from the wind due to the mountains around. It will be comfortable in hotels located in the bays of Sharks Bay, Naama Bay and Ras Um El Sid.
February in Egypt is one of the coolest months of the year, the air temperature at this time is about +23 °C. Photo: AlexAnton/Shutterstock.com
Cambodia
- How to get there: by plane via Thailand or Vietnam. The price of a round—trip ticket starts from 100,000 rubles, you can fly on Oman Air, Bangkok Airways flights.
- Why go: relax in the Gulf of Thailand and see the famous temple complex.
February is the best time to travel to Cambodia, the air temperature is around +33 °C, the water is +27 °C. In addition to beach holidays, Cambodia will delight with non-trivial sights: it is definitely worth a trip to Angkor Wat, the largest temple complex in the world. And also to the capital Phnom Penh, where the Royal Palace, the colorful Old Market and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, dedicated to the black pages of the country’s history, are located. A trip to the Bokor National Mountain Park with waterfalls and temples will help to distract from sad thoughts.
Serbia, Kopaonik
- How to get there: by plane, then by transfer from Belgrade. The price of a round—trip ticket starts from 107,000 rubles if you fly on a direct flight of Air Serbia, and from 50,000 rubles for a transfer flight, Pobeda, Turkish Airlines fly.
- Why go: budget skiing in Europe.
Serbian Kopaonik is probably one of the most affordable European ski resorts for Russian tourists today. In addition, Serbia, unlike other European countries, can be reached by direct flight from Russia. Although Kopaonik is not the only ski resort in Serbia, it remains the most popular so far. The previous season 2022/2023 lasted here from early December to mid-April, during which time the record for attendance was broken. It is worth booking accommodation in advance, because Serbs also like to come to Kopaonik — it is famous not only for the high quality of service, but also for the rich entertainment program by local standards — while the season lasts, local performers periodically perform here. You can relax in the spa centers at the hotels, take a ride on the rodelban and enjoy local cuisine in numerous restaurants.
Serbian Kopaonik is perhaps one of the most accessible European ski resorts for Russian tourists today. Photo: Nataliya Nazarova/Shutterstock.com
Ski resorts where a visa is not required
We have collected 8 visa-free destinations with ski resorts, which are easy to reach from Russia.
Maldives
- How to get there: Aeroflot, round—trip ticket price – from 66,000 rubles
- Why go: luxuriously relax and go diving.
In February, the Maldives is pleased with dry weather and a warm ocean that warms up to +28 °C. The three winter months here are the peak season, when most tourists come for the beach dolce vita. The Maldives is a paradise for lovers of lazy and serene relaxation, the main entertainment here is diving: you can just observe the variety of underwater flora and fauna or purposefully dive for turtles, and for extreme athletes there is even underwater shark watching. One of the most budget—friendly islands is Maafushi (find out about ways to save money in the Maldives here).
Argentina
- How to get there: by plane via Asia or Africa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. The ticket price for a round-trip connecting flight starts from 210,000 rubles.
- Why go: see the mountains and glaciers of Patagonia and the architecture of Buenos Aires.
February is the last summer month in Argentina. Due to its location in the southern hemisphere south of the equator in Argentina, summer is in winter and winter is in summer, so it’s worth going here for warmth in the midst of the Russian winter. Buenos Aires is a South American city with architecture familiar to the European eye. But for the natural beauties you need to go deep into the country. If there is a choice, let it fall on Iguazu Falls (a complex of 275 waterfalls on the border with Brazil) or Los Glaciares National Park with glaciers in Argentine Patagonia.
Buenos Aires is a South American city with architecture familiar to the European eye. Photo: Evgeniya Uvarova/Shutterstock.com
Keep our selection of February destinations and be sure to go on a trip to gain strength and make it to spring.
Cover photo: Elena Masiutkina/Shutterstock.com
