From Budapest to Paro, winter travel destinations that offer peace and solitude

Every winter, the spotlight turns to travel and people seek out the best places to go to either embrace or escape the winter chill. Agoda’s latest data shows that Indian families are embracing winter travel like never before, with a 30% jump in accommodation searches for December 2025 to February 2026 compared to last year. The spike isn’t driven by the usual sun-and-sand getaways. Instead, families are looking toward snow-covered landscapes and winter festivals.

Improved connectivity, simpler visa processes and affordable options have removed much of the friction from international travel. “There’s a growing fascination with snow, winter sports, and cultural festivities,” says Gaurav Malik, country director (Indian Subcontinent and Indian Ocean Islands) at Agoda. “Winter is increasingly seen as a great time for meaningful family travel.”

This rising interest includes off-the-map places, as Indian travellers start looking beyond the obvious winter capitals.

Here is a gentle winter guide inspired by that shift, places where you can find peace, quiet, and small joys.

Laax, Switzerland

If you’re seeking alpine calm without the glitz of St Moritz or the bustle of Zermatt, Laax delivers serenity with style. This sunlit village in Graubünden offers over 200km of slopes and some of the Alps’ best snowboarding terrain, amid a design-forward, sustainability-conscious ethos. Laax is ideal for skiers who want quiet trails, green design, and a slower après-ski rhythm.

What to do: Take the cable car up to the Vorab Glacier for sweeping views, glide along snowshoe trails through the Rhine Gorge, or unwind in an eco-lodge with a sauna and mountain vistas.

What to eat: Gooey raclette, bubbling fondue, or a platter of alpine herbs and fresh cheeses.

Must-do: Go night snowboarding on illuminated slopes, then stargaze from a mountaintop igloo.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest sparkles in winter: fairy lights on the Danube, steam rising from thermal baths, and mulled wine scenting the air. Yet unlike Vienna or Prague, the city retains a gentle, unhurried charm, but there also plenty for those who want to party. Budapest is romantic, affordable, festive, but never frenetic.

What to do: Browse handmade crafts at Vörösmarty Square’s market, soak in the Széchenyi Baths under the open sky, wander across the Chain Bridge at dusk.

What to eat: Chimney cake dusted with cinnamon, goulash, lángos, and forralt bor.

Must-do: Take a dip in the open-air thermal baths as snow falls and locals play chess in the steaming pools.

York, England

York in winter is a living postcard with cobbled lanes, medieval walls, and its stately cathedral lit up with twinkling lights. This year, the city also celebrates 200 years of rail travel in the UK, adding its own historic twist. York brings together history and heritage, and is the perfect setting for every kind of winter break.

What to do: Walk down the Shambles, a historic, medieval street with timber-framed buildings, and explore the Railway Museum’s bicentenary exhibits.

What to eat: This is the place to enjoy Yorkshire pudding. Or, indulge in a festive afternoon tea at Bettys.

Must-do: A lantern-lit ghost walk through the Shambles offers a chance to listen to centuries-old tales.

Québec City, Canada

Québec City becomes an old-style snow globe each winter, complete with stone ramparts, horse-drawn carriages, and candle-lit bistros. The Carnaval de Québec adds colour and music without overwhelming the city’s relaxed pace. Québec City is romantic, historic, atmospheric. The best part? It’s never rushed.

What to do: Wander Old Québec’s narrow lanes, skate at Place d’Youville, and ride the century-old wooden toboggan beside the Château Frontenac.

What to eat: Poutine, maple-glazed pork, bison stew, sugar pie, and intensely rich hot chocolate.

Must-do: Visit the Ice Hotel, rebuilt every winter entirely from snow and ice.

Paro, Bhutan

Enveloped in Himalayan stillness, with pine-scented air, quiet monasteries, and strings of prayer flags fluttering against the bluest of skies, Paro’s pace seems to be the perfect antidote to the typical winter frenzy. Located by the Paro Chhu, this Himalayan town is the place for slowness and calm.

What to do: Hike to Tiger’s Nest at dawn, visit Paro Dzong, or sit by the river as mist lifts from the hills.

What to eat: Ema datshi or butter tea in a teahouse.

Must-do: Hike to Tiger’s Nest at sunrise as monks chant through the valley.

Canberra, Australia

For a taste of summer in the winter, head to Australia. While the world bundles up, Canberra basks in full summer. Think sunshine, open-air festivals, and eucalyptus-scented breezes.

What to do: Cycle around Lake Burley Griffin, browse the National Gallery’s Indigenous art, and explore Murrumbateman vineyards.

What to eat: Seasonal, produce-forward plates, from brunch at Local Press to native bush ingredients at Pilot.

Must-do: Sunrise kayaking on Lake Burley Griffin as the city’s landmarks glow.