Best places to visit in Asia in February

Asia

Thailand · 33°C (91°F) · 2 rainy days

Bangkok

Gilded temples, river boats, street food and rooftop bars. Dry, warm and sunny, still one of the most comfortable months.

Vietnam · 33°C (91°F) · 1 rainy days

Ho Chi Minh City

Colonial landmarks, war history and late-night street food on the Saigon River. Dry and hot by afternoon; if Tết falls this month, expect closures and full transport for several days.

Malaysia · 33°C (91°F) · 11 rainy days

Kuala Lumpur

Twin towers, temple caves and round-the-clock hawker food. Usually the driest and sunniest month; festival decorations and some business closures around Chinese New Year.

Singapore · 31°C (88°F) · 11 rainy days

Singapore

Hawker food, garden architecture and four cultures on one island. Usually the driest, sunniest month; Chinese New Year week brings closures of some family-run stalls and higher hotel prices.

Thailand · 33°C (91°F) · 2 rainy days

Phuket

Andaman beaches, island-hopping and a Sino-Portuguese old town. The driest month, with calm seas and excellent visibility for snorkelling and diving.

Philippines · 30°C (86°F) · 9 rainy days

Cebu

Spanish-era Cebu City, sardine runs, waterfalls and island beaches. Drier and pleasant, with calm seas for island hopping and diving.

Vietnam · 26°C (79°F) · 6 rainy days

Da Nang

City beaches, river bridges and mountains on Vietnam's central coast. Drier and warming up, with grey days becoming less common; Tết brings domestic crowds.

Philippines · 29°C (84°F) · 7 rainy days

Boracay

Powder-white sand, paraw sailboats and sunsets over the Sibuyan Sea. Dry, sunny and less humid; one of the most pleasant months.

Thailand · 32°C (90°F) · 1 rainy days

Chiang Mai

Lanna temples, night markets and mountain day trips in northern Thailand. Warm and dry; the flower festival brings parades, though haze from burning may begin late in the month.

India · 24°C (75°F) · 3 rainy days

Delhi

Mughal tombs, Old Delhi bazaars, street food and the gateway to the Taj Mahal. Sunny and pleasant with mild nights; the Amrit Udyan gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan usually open to the public.

India · 32°C (90°F) · 0 rainy days

Goa

Portuguese-era churches, 100 km of beaches, fish curry rice and beach shacks. Dry and sunny with calm seas; Carnival brings parades to Panaji and other towns in some years.

Vietnam · 26°C (79°F) · 6 rainy days

Hoi An

Lantern-lit merchant streets, tailors and rice-field cycling near the coast. Drier and warming up; Tết brings large domestic crowds and decorations.

India · 25°C (77°F) · 1 rainy days

Jaipur

Pink City bazaars, hilltop forts and Rajput palaces in Rajasthan's capital. Warm afternoons and pleasant evenings, one of the best months for sightseeing and fort walks.

Malaysia · 33°C (91°F) · 5 rainy days

Langkawi

Duty-free island of rainforest peaks, mangroves and west-coast sunset beaches. Dry, sunny and hot, with some of the best visibility for snorkelling and boat trips.

Laos · 31°C (88°F) · 2 rainy days

Luang Prabang

Gilded monasteries, dawn alms rounds and the Mekong in Laos's old royal capital. Warm, dry days and cool nights; haze from agricultural burning starts to appear late in the month.

Philippines · 31°C (88°F) · 3 rainy days

Manila

Spanish-era Intramuros, free national museums and Binondo food crawls. Dry and pleasant, with cooling breezes; good for walking Intramuros.

India · 32°C (90°F) · 0 rainy days

Mumbai

Victorian Gothic and Art Deco, Bollywood, sea-facing promenades and vada pav. Warm and dry with clear skies; the arts calendar peaks with the Kala Ghoda festival.

Malaysia · 32°C (90°F) · 7 rainy days

Penang

Hawker food, shophouse streets and clan temples in George Town. The driest month on average; Chinese New Year celebrations can continue into February, with Chap Goh Meh on the 15th day.

Cambodia · 33°C (91°F) · 1 rainy days

Phnom Penh

Royal Palace, riverside promenades and Cambodia's modern history. Dry and warm, with heat building late in the month; good for sightseeing.

Cambodia · 34°C (93°F) · 1 rainy days

Siem Reap

Gateway town to Angkor Wat, the Bayon and the temples of the Khmer Empire. Still dry and clear, with heat building through the month; crowds ease slightly after Chinese New Year.

India · 26°C (79°F) · 2 rainy days

Agra

The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Mughal tombs along the Yamuna. Clear, comfortable weather and less fog; one of the best months for photographs.

Sri Lanka · 31°C (88°F) · 5 rainy days

Colombo

Colonial Fort streets, Buddhist temples and seafront sunsets on the Indian Ocean. One of the driest months, with calm seas and clear sunsets over Galle Face.

Thailand · 30°C (86°F) · 5 rainy days

Koh Samui

Palm-fringed beaches, island resorts and boat trips in the Gulf of Thailand. Dry, sunny and comfortable; peak season, with calm seas for boat trips.

Thailand · 33°C (91°F) · 3 rainy days

Krabi

Limestone cliffs, longtail boats and island-hopping on the Andaman coast. The driest month, with flat seas and clear water for snorkelling.

Maldives · 30°C (86°F) · 3 rainy days

Maldives

Overwater villas, house reefs, manta rays and local-island guesthouses. Usually the driest month, with clear water and excellent visibility on the eastern side of the atolls.

Japan · 0°C (32°F) · 15 rainy days

Sapporo

Snow festival, miso ramen, beer halls and Hokkaido seafood. Still deep winter; the Snow Festival makes the first half of the month the busiest and most expensive of the year, so book rooms months ahead.

Beach, city or budget: February picks by trip type

What's on in February

Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.

• Bangkok: Makha Bucha — Buddhist holiday with candlelit temple processions (February or March)
• Singapore: Chingay Parade — street parade around Chinese New Year (usually February)
• Phuket: Chinese New Year in Phuket Town's shrines and old town (January or February)
• Cebu: Chinese New Year — celebrations at the Taoist Temple and in the city (late January or February)
• Da Nang: Tết (Lunar New Year) in some years
• Chiang Mai: Chiang Mai Flower Festival — floral floats and displays (usually the first weekend of February)
• Delhi: India Art Fair (usually early February)
• Goa: Goa Carnival — float parades before Lent (usually February or early March)
• Hoi An: Tết (Lunar New Year) in some years
• Jaipur: Holi — festival of colours (late February or March, by the lunar calendar)
• Langkawi: Chinese New Year (some years)
• Luang Prabang: Chinese New Year — busy with regional visitors (late January or February)

Daylight in February

Day length on these trips ranges from about 10.5 hours in Sapporo to 12.1 hours in Singapore (sunrise to sunset on 15 February). Longer days mean more sightseeing time; shorter ones favour museums, food and evenings.

February weather compared

Questions travellers ask