Where to Travel in February

February is when the Great Migration is easiest to predict. The herds are concentrated on the southern Serengeti’s short-grass plains, and most calves are typically born over a few weeks this month. Newborns attract lions, cheetahs, and hyenas, so game drives are dramatic even without river crossings. Our Great Migration guide explains the full yearly cycle.

February also falls in the December–February drier window for gorilla trekking in Rwanda and Uganda. Further south, it’s late summer in Cape Town, with warm, settled weather for the Cape Peninsula and the Winelands.

February’s trouble spots are mostly about crowds rather than weather.

Mobile World Congress typically takes over Barcelona in late February or early March, and hotel rates across the city rise sharply that week. If you’re attending, book as soon as dates are confirmed; if you’re not, avoid Barcelona that week. The Berlinale, Berlin’s international film festival, typically runs in February, which matters if you handle entertainment and production travel.

Lunar New Year closures can stall meetings and factory visits in mainland China for a week or more, so many teams push Asia trips to March.

Calving-season camps around Ndutu are among the hardest safari beds of the year to get, so book 9–12 months ahead. Gorilla permits are capped per day; buy them once your dates are firm. For Barcelona during MWC, book hotels as soon as the dates are published.

Presidents’ Day and February school breaks push up family travel costs, so if you’re traveling with kids, six months or more gives you choice.