Where to go in February
February is short and the quietest month of winter. The Gulf and the Red Sea are still mild, the Caribbean and Laos are dry, and Europe has not woken up yet. It is the best window of the year for avoiding crowds.
Countries in high season in February
United Arab Emirates
An average high of 25C and one rainy day a month: the most balanced weather of the year.
What to expect: Outdoor plans work without a hitch, and outside school-holiday weeks it is calmer than January.
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Qatar
Doha sits at 24C with two rainy days, putting desert and coast in the same week.
What to expect: Museum and souq days are walkable from morning to night. Evenings turn noticeably cool and the coast gets windy.
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Egypt
The second-driest month of the year: two rainy days and 21C.
What to expect: Luxor and Aswan are quiet and temple queues are short. The Red Sea is still cool, so diving needs more than a shortie.
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Vietnam
The last easy month of the southern dry season: 26C and nine rainy days.
What to expect: If Lunar New Year (Tet) falls this month, many places close for several days, so the exact dates matter.
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Laos
Mid dry season: four rainy days and clear air along the Mekong.
What to expect: Mornings in Luang Prabang are cool. Farm burning starts towards the end of the month and can cut visibility.
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Cuba
The peak of the dry season: 29C and six rainy days.
What to expect: The carnival and music calendar is full. Rooms are as hard to find as in January and classic-car tours book out early.
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Temperature and rainfall figures are multi-year averages for the cities in our catalogue. This is an editorial suggestion, not a weather or availability guarantee.
Cruises this month
The quietest cruise month of the year. Mediterranean sailings are few and some ships are in refit; warm-weather routes mean the Red Sea.
All cruises