9 Amazing Places to Go When You’re Dreaming of Colder Weather

Lila Harron Battis

As the temperatures in popular travel destinations across the globe are on the rise, snowy climes and crisp weather start to look all the more appealing. That’s never more true than in these waning days of summer, when you’ve had your fill of beach days and your thoughts start turning towards cozier, cooler adventures. After a few months of baking in the summer sun, trading ice cream and swimsuits for hot tea and wool sweaters sounds positively luxurious.

That cold-weather craving seems to be universal: According to data from luxury travel advisory network Virtuoso, bookings to cooler destinations jumped 44 percent from 2023 to 2024, with Canadian travel alone up a whopping 168 percent. A 2022 academic review on the phenomenon, dubbed “coolcationing,” suggests hotter temperatures are driving travelers to seek out new vacation spots, with nature-focused places, breezy seaside getaways, and charming mountain towns ever on the rise. And according to a 2024 report in the Global Wellness Institute, this coolcations phenomenon has already driven a bump in tourism to Scandinavia, Scotland and the Baltics, with the trend predicted to snowball in the coming years.

That’s where National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions comes in. With an array of enticing voyages to cold-weather spots all throughout fall, winter and spring, you can cool down with your pick of post-summer itineraries. A rugged hike on the windswept Icelandic coast is a surefire antidote to the August heat, or embrace polar temps full-on with an exploration of Arctic Svalbard, and maybe even a daring polar plunge. Ahead, delve into nine of our most compelling cooler-weather offerings.

Patagonia

You can practically feel the bracing mountain air on your cheeks just looking at a photo of Patagonia’s iconic Torres del Paine, the toothlike mountains that tower above the Chilean landscape. Cut through Glacier Alley, where rivers of ice meet the sea, and paddle your kayak to the edge of Garibaldi Glacier to fully take in the scale of this towering wall of blue. But it’s not all massive frozen expanses: At Karukinka Natural Park, witness the richness of Andean wildlife, keeping an eye out for Antarctic leopard seals, albatrosses, culpeo foxes, and the unofficial mascot of Patagonia, the impressive Andean condor.

Explore Patagonia on:
Antarctica and Patagonia: Legendary Ice and Epic Fjords >
Patagonia: Chilean Fjords and Argentina's Staten Island >
Classic Patagonia: Glaciers and Peaks >

Photo: Ralph Lee Hopkins

Iceland and Greenland

These two Arctic isles are so untrammeled that you'll instantly feel a kinship with the explorers who’ve gone before—though unlike Roald Amundsen, guests of National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions can follow up a chilly day of paddling in a fjord with a stint in the ship's sauna. In Iceland, feel the refreshing power of Goðafoss, one of the country’s largest waterfalls, stop along the Arctic Circle at a massive colony of Arctic seabirds, and visit the world’s youngest island, Surtsey, which emerged from the seabed in the 1960s. Across the Denmark Strait in Greenland, step into history at the ruins of Erik the Red’s farm, Bratthlid, and stand at the same spot from which Leif Eriksson first set sail for North America, or keep watch for beluga whales and polar bears along the island’s eastern shore.

Join us to explore Greenland on its own, discover Iceland and Greenland together, or add in Canada for the ultimate Arctic adventure:
Southeast Greenland: Exploring at the Edge of the Ice Cap >
Wild Arctic Shores: Circumnavigating Iceland and Exploring Greenland >
Arctic Odyssey: Iceland, Greenland and Canada >

Photos: David Vargas (top) and Ralph Lee Hopkins (bottom)

South Georgia Island

Amid the wide expanse of the South Atlantic Ocean, somewhere between Argentina and Antarctica, South Georgia has long served as a waystation for Antarctic exploration. Known as the Serengeti of the Southern Ocean, this rugged isle is home to a staggering population of king penguins along with a breeding colony of elephant seals and a handful of endemic species, like the South Georgia pipit. Take in the striking scenery and wildlife spectacle on hikes, by kayak, and on Zodiac rides along the fjords. Guests aboard a voyage with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions also have a chance to visit the town of Grytviken, a onetime whaling waystation that’s now an outpost for Antarctic researchers, as well as the final resting site of famed Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton.

Explore South Georgia Island on:
Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falklands >
Wild Coasts of Argentina, South Georgia and the Falklands >
Patagonia, Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica Odyssey >

Photo: Max Seigal

Canada

Our neighbor to the north may be an easier trek than Antarctica or Greenland, but no less rewarding for it: the Canada voyages offered by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions are proof that you needn’t travel far to find yourself a world away. On the eastern seaboard, a journey around Newfoundland’s southern tip and down the St. Lawrence river is an autumnal dream. Breathe in the crisp fall air from the deck as you look for belugas and North American right whales, then take in the seasonal colors starting to pop as you stroll the streets of Quebéc City, a UNESCO World Heritage site that feels like a slice of Old Europe. Across the continent, get to know British Columbia and the San Juan Islands with tranquil rainforest hikes, idyllic kayak rides through Desolation Sound, and exploring the history and culture of the Kwakwaka’wakw and other First Nations groups that have called this land home for millenia.

Explore Canada on:
Sailing the St. Lawrence Seaway and Canadian Maritimes >
Exploring British Columbia and the San Juan Islands >

Alaska

Alaskan summers get all the glory, but veteran visitors know early season travel has its own particular magic. Come springtime, the world is waking up: New buds on the trees, harbor seal pups lolling on ice floes, and—thanks to snow still blanketing the higher elevations—mountain goats and bears descend to the shorelines in search of food, sometimes with cubs in tow. The weather may be more brisk than August, but with blue skies and long days, it’s among the most beautiful times of year to visit. Aboard our small ship voyages, you can kayak along Chichagof Island to spot brown bears, Zodiac cruise along the fjords of Glacier Bay National Park, or witness some of the singular local cultures across Alaska, such as the Norwegian-influenced town of Petersburg and the Tlingit and Russian heritage of Sitka.

Explore Alaska on:
Treasures of the Inside Passage >
Alaska's Inside Passage >
Alaska Escape: Haines, the Inian Islands and Tracy Arm Fjord >

Photo: Michael S. Nolan

Arctic Svalbard

Norway’s high Arctic archipelago is practically synonymous with cold, as well as with its iconic wildlife which curious travelers hope to spot a glimpse of, like walruses and polar bears. The surrounding seas, too, are a wildlife-watcher’s dream, dense with seals and whales such as belugas and minkes. When you aren’t on deck of the ship glued to your binoculars, take a Zodiac cruise amid the ice floes, or hop into a kayak to paddle with seabirds flying overhead, a view of the fjords, and the rugged snowscape stretching out in the distance. Hikes are also a must: On foot, the seemingly barren tundra reveals itself to be rich with life big and small, and you’ll sometimes find yourself within a few yards of a curious arctic fox or a roving herd of Svalbard reindeer.

Explore Arctic Svalbard on:
Svalbard: In Search of Iconic Arctic Wildlife >
Norwegian Discovery: Svalbard and the Northern Fjords >

Photo: Ralph Lee Hopkins

British Isles

In an archipelago where wet weather is a regular occurrence, visitors arriving in April or early May will discover the secret: Those brisk spring days can be among the driest—and loveliest—of the year, and the perfect excuse to snap up an Aran or Shetland wool sweater from a local maker. Stroll the cliffs of Cornwall as the crocuses pop up and bluebells burst into color; or explore Ireland’s rugged Dingle Peninsula in the full lush greenness of early spring. On Northern Ireland’s Rathlin Island, take in the massive colony of nesting puffins and raucous seabirds, visit the unique "upside down" lighthouse and then follow a quiet country lane for a warming cup of tea in the village. In the Shetland and Orkney Islands, hike past stone brochs overlooking the North Sea that, particularly on a cool misty morning, make the ancient days of Scotland feel almost within reach.

Explore the British Isles on:
Ancient Isles: England, Ireland and Scotland >
Scotland’s Wild Isles: Shetlands, Orkneys and Inner Hebrides >

Scandinavia

Western Europe’s most northerly countries feel like something out of a fairytale, with craggy coastlines and storybook villages ripe for exploration. In Norway, wend your way past waterfalls on a kayak excursion among some of the most picturesque fjords in the world, ride a cable car to the mist-snagging summit of Mount Hoven, and capture postcard-worthy snaps of the colorful towns tucked at water's edge in the Lofoten Islands. Head to Kosterhavet National Park in Sweden in search of the endemic species that dwell in this marine park, the first in the country. And in Denmark, get to know North Zealand’s quaint fishing villages and imposing 17th-century Fredericksborg Castle, the largest in all of Scandinavia.

Explore Scandinavia on:
Norway, Sweden and Denmark: Nordic Flavors and Scenic Landscapes >
Coastal Norwegian Voyage: Between Tromsø and Edinburgh >