20 Valentine’s Day Travel Experiences for a Romantic Getaway
While a home-cooked meal by candlelight or candy hearts by the handful are tried-and-true classics, if you’re looking for a Valentine’s Day idea that really shines this year, think about booking a plane ticket instead of a restaurant reservation.
Roses are red, the Caribbean’s blue, and there’s nothing more romantic than a hotel suite for two.
Traveling with your partner provides an opportunity to not only experience new places and cultures together but also see new sides of yourself and your sweetheart that you didn’t even know existed.
When you’re thinking about how best to connect this February, consider one of these special experiences in beautiful locales across the world. From a giant chocolate fountain in Switzerland to scouting the northern lights in Iceland, here are some of our favorite romantic Valentine’s Day travel experiences.
Embark on an Enchanting Love Journey in Bali, Indonesia
The spiritual healing of Bali takes root within both of you during a Balinese commitment ceremony. While the ceremony can be used as a wedding or vow renewal, it can also simply celebrate the love you share. And is there a more perfect time to express that love than on Valentine’s Day? Try the Enchanting Love Journey at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve. It starts with a purification ritual and a blessing by a Hindu priest (all captured by a photographer so you can bring a piece of your celebration home with you), and it ends with a private six-course dining experience overlooking the Ayung River.
My fiancé and I were invited to participate in the Balinese commitment ceremony experience at Mandapa. Every step of the ritual was beautifully authentic and explained to us by a translator so that we understood the significance of each moment. Having my partner by my side during that emotionally significant commitment ceremony felt so intimate and valuable.
Hit the Slopes in Saint-Sauveur, Canada
Saint-Sauveur has all the romance of a snow-dusted European town, without the long-haul flight time. Just an hour’s drive north of Montreal in the Laurentians is the cozy town of Saint-Sauveur. It’s home to Avila mountain, where you can ski, snowboard, or even tube. The Francophone culture and language of the Laurentians make it feel like you’ve been transported to Mont Blanc in the Alps. Winter sports by day and French food by night is an ideal combination for the adventurous traveler and the romantic looking for an extra-special Valentine’s Day. Stay at Manoir Saint-Sauveur for their Romantic Package which includes a 60-minute Swedish massage for two.
Go on Safari in the Serengeti, Tanzania
The Serengeti is one of the most sought-after safari destinations in the world, playing host to quintessential wildlife experiences, like the Great Migration, when millions of wildebeest and zebra cross through Tanzania, often followed by lions and leopards (their predators). Witnessing these animals in action can give you and your partner new perspective and draw you closer as a result. And if you think there isn’t room for romantic dining and lodging in the Serengeti, think again. At Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, you and your love can choose from the plunge pool suites or the free-standing villas with private swimming pools. And the lodge is right in the middle of the Serengeti plains, so it’s not uncommon to see animals come right up to the property.
Scout the Northern Lights at Thingvellir National Park, Iceland
Valentine’s Day is the right time to see the northern lights because the nights are the longest in Iceland from September to March. The collisions between solar particles and Earth’s magnetic field that cause the celestial phenomenon tend to happen more frequently around the vernal equinox (usually around March 20 each year — maybe a belated Valentine’s trip?). Spend a few days in Reykjavík, then head to Thingvellir National Park, a popular spot to scout the lights not too far from the city.
Wine Taste Your Way Through St. Helena, California
Napa has long been a lovers’ destination for a reason. From the Michelin-starred restaurants to the mesmerizing vineyards, it feels like you’ve been transported to the south of France, without the overnight flight. My fiancé and I spent a three-day engagement moon at the Harvest Inn in St. Helena, and there’s nothing more relaxing than sharing a stroll through the surrounding vineyards, dining at the Harvest Table, and then sharing a local cabernet sauvignon by your in-room, brick fireplace. Harvest Inn will provide transport to several close-by wineries, like the Coppola’s wine estate, Inglenook. And don’t forget to take your valentine to Castello di Amorosa, the medieval-style “castle of love” built by vintner Dario Sattui in nearby Calistoga..
Experience Italian Romance in Verona, Italy
A city for lovers, Verona is the famed home of Romeo and Juliet. A five-day celebration called “Verona in Love” transforms the city each February, with symbols of romance everywhere you look. Heart-shaped lights illuminate the streets, hearts are projected onto buildings, and vendor stalls are arranged to form a giant heart-shaped market in Piazza dei Signori. The festival also features free concerts, poetry, a movie-kiss recreation contest, and a public reading of the most romantic letters to Juliet, sent to Verona from all around the world. Myriad local restaurants offer special deals for the holiday.
Relax in a Harborside Hot Tub in Copenhagen, Denmark
For the love birds who are sick of cold weather and need a little warmth in their lives, there may be nothing better than trying some Scandinavian hydrotherapy. At CopenHot, you can cozy up together in an outdoor hot tub overlooking the Copenhagen Harbor — in the dead of winter. Once you’ve rinsed off, stop in at CopenHot’s panoramic sauna to seal in this wellness treatment.
Try the Private Island Life in Tahiti, French Polynesia
Private islands offer perfect seclusion and will seriously heighten the romance factor on your Valentine’s Day getaway. Nothing feels more off-the-grid than an oasis in the middle of the Pacific, which can give you a chance to reconnect after an action-packed start to the year. Vahine Island has only nine beachfront or overwater bungalows, so you’ll want to book in advance if you’re hoping to spend Valentine’s Day sipping cocktails on your overwater porch.
Climb Machu Picchu, Peru
Swap roses for orchids and Champagne bubbles for mountain mists — Valentine’s Day looks different at this altitude. Share the once-in-a-lifetime experience of exploring the ancient Incan ruins with your partner for memories as precious as a Peruvian opal. Tambo del Inka in the Sacred Valley provides a five-star home base before sending you off on PeruRail’s luxury Vistadome Observatory train to Machu Picchu.
Note that Machu Picchu remains closed due to political protests in the country, and the U.S. State Department has issued a travel advisory for Peru for the time being.
Night Kayak in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is a short and relatively inexpensive flight from the east coast, and yet once you’re there, you’re in a different world. For an enviable Valentine’s Day experience sure to bring you and your loved one closer, stay at the Condado Ocean Club and let them arrange a nighttime paddle around the Laguna del Condado for you two. Between watching the lagoon’s marine life through the clear bottom of your LED-illuminated kayak and lounging by the resort’s infinity pool, you’ll be able to restore your sense of adventure with your honey.
Pamper Your Sweetheart in Singapore
Take a trip to Shangri-La — the one in Singapore, that is. This paradise in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city is one of the most luxurious hotels around. And the property has a suite of Valentine’s Day offerings like a selection of storybook pastries at the Shophouse, or a private six-course dinner at The Orchid, its open-air greenhouse full of the namesake purple blooms.
Take a Champagne Bath in the Poconos, Pennsylvania
If you want a more retro Valentine’s Day experience within driving distance of New York City, the Champagne Tower Suite at Cove Haven Resort in the Poconos features a whirlpool bath inside a seven-foot-tall bubbly glass, where you can live out your most lavish hot tub dreams. Surrounded by a winter wonderland, you can spend your weekend nestled inside by your in-room fireplace. There’s also a heart-shaped heated pool, because everyone needs to lean into an obvious Valentine’s Day celebration sometimes.
Get Cozy in a Five-Star Cottage in Barnard, Vermont
There are quaint, country bed-and-breakfasts and then there’s Twin Farms. This resort’s private cottages, tucked into the bucolic wilds of central Vermont, have been artfully designed with sumptuous details like stone hot tubs and mosaic tile fireplaces. This place was made for quality time. Watch the snow fall outside your windows with a tall pour of a rare Madeira, carve into that fresh powder on the private slopes, and, if you’re feeling social, rub elbows at the nightly cocktails and canapés reception. The staff will even prepare an intimate picnic for two somewhere on its 300 acres, like the Lift Shack overlooking the ski slopes, where you can cozy up by the fire and dine on seasonal fare.
Go on a Castle Crawl in Scotland
A gothic romance is still a romance, and the wily, windy moors aren’t just for Emily Brontë characters. Scotland is known for its castles, both Medieval and modern, and most are open for wandering and resting alike. Slip on your wellies and take a tour of ancient estates like Edinburgh Castle, Culzean Castle, and Eilean Donan Castle. Stay in one of the plushly appointed rooms at Inverlochy Castle, where you and your partner will have 400 thread count Egyptian cotton linens and views of the property’s private loch.
See a 30-foot Tall Chocolate Fountain in Zurich, Switzerland
Sure, you could pick up a heart-shaped box of truffles for your lover, or you could take them to Zurich for the ultimate confectionery experience (in for a penny, in for a pound we always say — or, in this case, 3,000 pounds of decadent chocolate). The Lindt Home of Chocolate proves once and for all the Swiss are the world’s premier chocolatiers. Make your own sweets in the Lindt chocolateria, peruse custom candy in the world’s largest chocolate shop, and, of course, marvel at the 30-foot tall fountain that flows with pure Swiss chocolate. Sleep off your sugar high at a genuine Swiss chalet or Alpine castle. We recommend The Dolder Grand, perched above Lake Zurich.
Get the Celebrity Treatment in St. Barts
Your partner is the most important person in your life, and with a jaunt to St. Barts, you can bestow on them the true VIP treatment. This glamorous playground for the rich and famous nestled in Caribbean waters is resplendent in luxury hotels with crystalline private pools and powdery, sprawling beaches. Cheval Blanc St-Barth resides on sun-kissed Flamands Beach. The Maison features beach suites with hot tubs and sea views, garden suites with swimming pools and al fresco dining areas, and private Caribbean barbecues with French wine.
Visit Lover’s Island in Croatia
In Croatia, you’ll find a heart-shaped experience that doesn’t have “Be Mine” stamped across it. Galešnjak is an island off the Dalmatian coast, and it gets its amorous nickname from its naturally occurring heart shape. The islet is all-natural, with absolutely no development, but it’s open to all tourists, beach-goers, and campers, so you and your sweetheart can still appreciate its unspoiled landscape. Stay in one of the numerous hotels or Airbnbs in nearby Turanj and charter a boat over to the paradisiacal lovers’ respite.
Stay in a Love Nest in San Luis Obispo, California
Get all lovey-dovey at California’s Cupidcore capital. The Madonna Inn, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, takes Valentine’s Day to a new level with kitschy maximalism and vintage charm. Tuck into the Inn’s signature Pink Champagne cake in a rose-colored booth at the opulent Gold Rush Steak House before sneaking off to your Love Nest suite. Adorned in shades of pink, with a little lookout tower at the top of a spiral staircase, this room is sure to show you and your lover la vie en rose.
Live Like Royalty in Marrakech, Morocco
It’s no mirage: The private riads at the Royal Mansour Marrakech are as lavish as they appear. Enjoy Marrakech’s mild winter weather on your rooftop terrace by the private plunge pool before indulging your sweet tooth at a patisserie workshop. As if the natural splendor of the Ochre City weren’t enough, the Royal Mansour has a Romance package that includes an intimate dinner and a private suite in the spa, where you and your partner will receive a sensuous massage.
Escape the Crowds in Paris
What this idea lacks in originality it makes up for in elegance. A Valentine’s Day à la Française has a certain ring to it (a five-carat, cushion-cut if you’re lucky) and you’re guaranteed a good deal as winter is the City of Light’s off-season. You and your partner won’t mind the windchill when you’re snuggled up in a lavish suite at the Ritz. Pamper yourself at the spa and hit teatime at Salon Proust before donning that vintage Dior you just bought and strolling arm-in-arm with your significant other along the Seine with the sparkle of the Eiffel Tower.
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