15 Best Winter Holidays with Snow
There’s something to be said for embracing the depth of winters and heading towards snowy destinations instead of away. In fact, some European cities are even more stunning in winter, as snow covers rooflines and transforms valleys and mountains into a powdery, white fairy tale.
Whether you’re looking for snow holidays because you love winter or just for a change of pace, find destinations that will awe you with their many possibilities for outdoor fun in the coldest months of the year with our list of the best winter holidays with snow.
1. See the Northern Lights in Tromsø, Norway
Located over 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, Tromso experiences an erratic snowfall pattern – with some winters seeing subarctic conditions and chilly winds and some seeing milder temperatures. Either way, Tromso will see winter snow – and lots of it.
The northern lights can appear in the area anytime between September and April, but the heart of winter offers the best chances of spotting them. If you’re in town, taking the Fjellheisen cable car to the top of the mountain offers the best views, but you’ll do better if you head out of the city with a tour, away from light pollution.
For even better chances, visit during the polar night period, a 48-day period between November and January when the sun never rises, and the northern lights could appear at any time of the day.
2. Visit Europe’s Most Famous Ski Resort in Zermatt, Switzerland
For snow galore with a touch of adrenaline, Switzerland’s best-known resort is the perfect destination. Zermatt is a small town sitting right on the border with Italy and surrounded by towering mountains. Here, over 200 kilometers of pistes accommodate skiers of all abilities – from the beginners just discovering the lanes to expert skiers ready to tackle top stations at an impressive altitude of 3,883 meters.
Zermatt is a favorite destination in Switzerland for skiers because snowfall is reliable, the views are stunning, and there are plenty of difficult scenic runs that are often deserted. For those who want the ultimate adventure, there are also off-piste opportunities, some of which can also be accessed with a mountain guide. It’s also possible to overnight on the mountain using one of the huts reached via a hike up the valley.
Not a skier? Zermatt offers excellent winter walking and snowshoeing. The best trails are high up the mountain, where the snow is deeper – reached via ski lifts – but there are also trails that start in the town of Gornergrat or at Schwarzsee.
3. Discover the Best Christmas Markets in Vienna, Austria
The city that Mozart walked and loved is touched by magic all year, but the breathtaking buildings, palaces, and neo-Gothic architecture make for a particularly stunning backdrop for Christmas lights.
Vienna has a number of great Christmas markets, with the Belvedere Christmas market topping the list – set against the 18th-century Upper Belvedere palace, this Christmas market might be smaller than others in the city, but it makes up for it with its elegance and thousands of little lights reflecting on a lake.
The market outside Schönbrunn Palace is not much larger, but it’s perhaps the most elegant in Vienna, selling high-quality items such as handmade glass and pottery. The largest Christmas tree in Vienna is here, and the market is a great destination for gourmet food, including mountain cheeses and home-baked gingerbread.
There’s also the Karlsplatz Christmas market for handmade and very unique products, and the market at Michaelerplatz Square, selling traditional holiday crafts and food right by the entrance gate to the Hofburg.
While Vienna winters are cold, there are traditionally only about eight days of rain and snow in December. For bigger chances of a snowy Christmas market season, head to the city of Innsbruck – surrounded by the high peaks of the Karwendel Alps, Innsbruck Christmas markets are often covered in snow.
4. Spend a Cheap Snow Holiday in Québec City, Canada
European-style architecture, cobblestoned alleys, and lots of snow make Quebec a great urban escape in winter. If you arrive in December, you’ll also get a taste of their Christmas markets, where adorable wooden stalls sell everything from maple treats to handmade wooden toys.
From November to March, you can get the best view of Château Frontenac as you slide down a giant toboggan. First built in 1884, the toboggan offers a chance to speed down the hill at 70 kilometers per hour. If you visit in December, don’t miss the stunning Christmas display at the Château Frontenac courtyard, complete with a giant Christmas tree and a multitude of lights.
The city also has two notable Christmas markets: the Market at the Old Port and the German Christmas Market. The Old Port market is open year-round and offers all kinds of artisan foods and souvenirs, but adds a wide variety of Christmas treats during December.
The German Christmas Market, at the Place de l’Hotel-de-Ville, offers all the yummy Christmas fare you could dream of, including gingerbread and Weihnachtsstollen (traditional Christmas sweet bread).
During a snowy day, climb to the top of the Observatoire de la Capitale for a stunning view over the city and its powdery, white roofline.
5. Walk the Snowy Mountains of Bregenzerwald, Austria
The Bregenz Forest is beautiful all year, but it becomes a winter wonderland as the colder months approach. A mix of signposted winter hiking trails, 72 marked snowshoe trails, and a cross-country ski trail network that extends for over 300 kilometers makes this a dreamy destination.
The Hittisau cross-country ski area around the forest is particularly stunning, with 30 kilometers of cross-country and 50 kilometers of classic mountain skiing trails with a maximum elevation of 1,040 meters. Most of the trails are dog-friendly.
For a unique twist on snow adventures, a number of local agencies organize nighttime snowshoeing trips on full moon nights – equipped with headlamps or a soft flashlight, the tours take visitors across deep, powdery snow, where the forested landscape feels magical and alien under the light of the moon.
The city of Bregenz sits on the eastern shores of Lake Constance at the foot of Pfänder mountain. It offers plenty of indoor fun in the form of museums, music festivals, and ornate Baroque buildings.
6. Go Snowmobiling in West Yellowstone, Montana, US
There are over 6,000 kilometers of groomed snowmobile trails in the state of Montana – and a good percentage of those are located inside Yellowstone National Park. The town of West Yellowstone is the getaway to the park, which stretches over Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.
In winter, as thick layers of snow cover the roads and regular road traffic is banned, guided snowmobile tours – mainly leaving from West Yellowstone – are the only way to travel through the park.
Yellowstone receives over 380 centimeters of snow every year, and the mountain trails, powdery meadows, and backcountry roads transform into a winter wonderland. For those who want to get deep into the backcountry or for beginner snowmobilers, the national forest guide service offers organized tours – but it’s also possible to just rent a snowmobile and explore on your own.
7. Have a Snowy Easter in Val Thorens, France
The highest ski resort in Europe, Val Thorens sees snow through May and is a favorite destination during the Easter Holidays – very few other places in Europe offer snow this late in the year. Easter is a great time to hit the slopes at Val Thorens because the days are longer (so you can ski until later in the day), the lift passes are cheaper, and the weather is sunnier and the skies bluer.
Val Thorens is a great Easter destination even for non-skiers. Winter hiking and snowshoeing trails in the Belleville Valley offer stunning views, and those chasing thrills and excitement can try the resort’s zipline, which starts at the top of the Moutiere chairlift and reaches speeds of 75 kilometers per hour on the way down. There are also helicopter tours over the snow-covered French Alps available, or you can test your mental and physical strength with some ice diving.
8. Spend the Holiday Season in Rovaniemi, Finland
Rovaniemi might not sound familiar, but this tiny village inside the Arctic Circle is considered Santa Claus’ official hometown. Santa Claus Village is eight kilometers away from the Rovaniemi city center and accessed by taxi or by boarding the Santa’s Express train. Though the charming little village is open year-around and features many Christmas-related attractions (including Santa’s post office), Rovaniemi is particularly stunning during winter.
This is a great area to catch the northern lights, have lunch at an ice restaurant, or spend the night at an igloo ice hotel. The Ranua Wildlife Park offers 2.5 kilometers of snowy trails, where you’ll encounter wild arctic animals, or you can try a snowmobile or sleigh ride adventure through the snow-covered surroundings.
Perhaps one of the most magical experiences here is the opportunity to join a guided snowshoeing tour across the Arctic Circle, where you’ll experience frozen landscapes and the true meaning of “Polar Night,” where the sun never rises.
9. Hit the Slopes on Christmas Day in Tignes, France
A high-altitude ski resort on the border with Italy, Tignes offers holiday skiing in style. The resort goes all out during the Christmas season, with festivities that last the entire month of December – where Santa makes an appearance; Christmas lights are everywhere; and you’ll get a chance to see a Father Christmas parade and a special night torchlight descent, where ESF instructors and students snake down the mountain with beautiful flickering lights.
The village of Tignes Le Lac, which gives the resort its name hosts Christmas markets that sell wooden toys and handmade decorations. You’ll also find outdoor ice rinks, high-end cafés and restaurants, and stunning views from the Grande Motte glacier.
Sitting at an altitude of 2,100 meters above sea level, Tignes Le Lac is guaranteed to have snow on Christmas (at least on the ground).
10. Try Ice Climbing in Rjukan, Norway
If you thought ice climbing is something best left to the experts, you’re in for a surprise: Rjukan offers over 150 ice climbing trails that cater to all climbers, including beginners just trying their hand at it for the first time.
Spectacular frozen waterfalls, ice trails that start right in town, and dark canyons covered in shades of green and blue ice make for a stunning landscape. Climbing equipment can be rented in town, and there are many guided tours for those who need a little help mastering the sport.
Many kilometers of cross-country skiing trails, sleigh rides, and floating saunas right on the frozen lake Kvitåvatn offer a different way to enjoy the wintertime.
Aside from their amazing ice climbing, Rjukan is famous for one other thing: the gigantic mirrors placed on the sides of the steep slopes that surround the town. They are there because the town, tightly enclosed by steep mountains, gets no sunlight at all between September and March – the mirrors are strategically set to reflect the sun and bring it down over the Rjukan town square in a stunning spectacle of light.
11. Experience Glacier Hiking in Vatnajokull, Iceland
If you like hiking and winter, spending time hiking a glacier in Iceland is an experience that can’t be beaten. It’s a chance to walk on ice that’s thousands of years old – a world of ever-changing blues and whites over dramatic terrain and rugged ice ridges.
While there are several destinations for glacier hiking in Iceland, Vatnajokull – Europe’s largest glacier – makes the top of the list. The unique destination offers massive crevasses, ice formations, and the bluest ice caves.
All glacier hikes are done with a guide and can take as little as five to six hours. While the landscape is dramatic, glacier hikes can be beginner-friendly, depending on the route. All equipment is provided by the guides, including the crampons to help you secure your footing. Glacier walks are available all year-long, though winter will bring plenty of magical snowflakes on top of the icy surface.
12. Try Snowshoeing in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, US
As magnificent as the rock formations in Bryce Canyon are in summer, they’re even more beautiful against the contrast of deep powdery snow.
Because of heavy snowfall, however, the park is only accessible in winter two ways. For great photo opportunities, there are plenty of viewpoints and overlooks that open up over the Bryce Amphitheater, the largest open plateau area filled with pinkish-red rock formations.
But for those searching for an adventure, the park’s many kilometers of hiking trails transform into snowshoeing trails in winter – the only way to access the heart of the park once it starts snowing. Even the most strenuous and advanced hikes, like the steep nine-kilometer Peekaboo Loop through the heart of the park are possible on snowshoes.
13. Go Tobogganing in Tyrol, Austria
The historical Tyrol area is perhaps most famous for its amazing skiing, but there’s plenty of other ways to have fun here – and the Tyrol’s 750 kilometers of toboggan runs make exploring those options a must. There are even plenty of floodlit runs for those who want to try tobogganing under the starry winter sky.
Depending on the area, you might need to take a cable car to the top of the mountain to access the toboggan runs. Other areas have trails that take you directly there. And some runs are even famous – the toboggan runs down the Ötztal mountains and into an alpine valley will take you near the Ötztal in an alpine valley, where the remains of Ötzi the Iceman, who lived sometime around 3350 BCE, were discovered.
Tyrol’s longest natural toboggan run is in Nauders, where the run starts 2,200 meters above sea level and extends for eight adrenaline-pumping kilometers down into the valley below.
14. Stay at an Igloo Hotel in Lapland, Finland
Sometimes known as Aurora hotels, these structures that can now be found over much of northern Finland have become your best chance for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Rather than taking a tour to try to see the northern lights, you can now wait for the lights to appear from inside your own heated glass-domed hotel room set high above the Arctic Circle.
Aurora hotels are hard to beat when it comes to the ultimate snow vacation. Think of it as your own glass igloo, complete with en suite bathroom, cozy beds, and sometimes even a private sauna.
There’s plenty of things to do during the day here, too. From hiking through bluish pine forests to trying cross-country skiing or reindeer sledding.
15. Go Ice Diving under a Glacier at the Sermilik Fjord, Greenland
Greenland is the kind of stuff you see in epic movies: rocky fjords covered in ice all around and a dramatic landscape that extends underwater, too, as divers descend to depths of up to 25 meters in the frigid waters.
Ice diving itself is already not for the faint of heart, but Greenland offers something beyond that: the chance to dive under and around an iceberg, surrounded by glacial blue waters, in an environment few people will ever get to experience.
Once back on land, you can experience the deep cotton-like snow on dogsleds or snowmobiles –the only way to reach the remote alpine huts that dot Eastern Greenland. There’s perhaps no better place to see the northern lights than a desolate landscape that feels almost out of this world.
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