Valentine’s day is that bittersweet day of the year. Some are impatiently waiting for it, and others want to hibernate throughout the entire month and avoid all the craziness.
Valentine’s day isn’t exclusive for the ones in love or a relationship. It’s not for couples only and anyone can be your Valentine – even yourself!
So, here is a list of top 16 destinations where to travel for Valentine’s day this year. Feel free to pick your favorite and explore it with whomever you want to. After all, nobody can stop you from claiming all those sweet Cupid Day deals.
Venice will always be one of the most romantic cities in the world. There is something about it that even a casual walk down the streets gives it a romantic hint to it. Luckily, Venice is not big and chaotic, so you can choose it as one of your romantic weekend getaways and be able to see everything.
From outdoor activities, you cannot miss taking a tour along the canals on a gondola. Have a gondolier serenade you for additional warmth since temperatures might get to 8°C or check out the beautiful piazzas. A must-see is the Grand Canal, but for more intimacy, you can take a ride on the back canals.
Want to go a step further? Spice up the getaway with one of our handpicked Valentine’s day gifts.
If you hadn’t heard about Dubrovnik, it’s one of the locations where Game of Thrones was filmed. Dubrovnik has the best of both worlds – the sea and its Ancient City that will undoubtedly lure you to take a tour around and turn it into a romantic walk.
You can plan your special trip for Valentine’s Day and experience the city without the burden of high prices and crowds. For a romantic moment, get some wine and watch the sunset over the Old Town or sit at Cafe Buza located on a cliff so you have the first rows of the sunset show. Temperatures are around 8°C, so make sure to dress well and enjoy it.
The City of Light has grown to become the city of love. If you want to do the usual thing, visit the Ponts des Arts, a bridge where lovers put a padlock with their initials, or as of 2017, post an Instagram photo with a hashtag #lovewithoutlocks.
Apart from this, do not overthink how to spend Valentine’s Day – you are in Paris! You are right in the middle of love and romance! Visit a nice restaurant, a patisserie, have a beautiful dinner and dessert, stroll down the city. Choosing Paris as one of the many romantic places to go on Valentine’s Day is as passionate as it get.
Read Related: Paris Is More Than The Capital Of Love
If you hate the cold, you will cross this one out, but Montreal will surprise you. Ok, temperatures are between -2°C and -11°C in February. With the versatility in outdoor activities it has to offer, however, you won’t even feel the cold.
If you are a lover of nature, you can go skating or snowshoeing in the Mount Royal, which is a mountain in the center of the city, and then relax in an outdoor spa. Go to some of the many Parisienne style cafés for a lovely coffee and cake. Visit some of the live jazz clubs in Montreal, in which there is interest all year round.
Cape Town has so much to offer. It will not let you down whatever your cup of tea is. As one of the world’s most romantic destinations for Valentine’s day, Cape Town has it all: fancy restaurants, cafes, spas, beautiful coast and beaches, and mountains. With ideal weather conditions, you have no excuse not to visit it.
The V&A Waterfront abounds in hotels and restaurants if you wish to go for a date night, but do not underestimate the outdoor activities where you can go for a horseback riding on Noordhoek beach or climb up to Table Mountain with a cable car and enjoy the sunset.
The capital of Portugal is an underrated city that will charm you with its spirit, architecture, nature, and breathtaking views. The Baixa district will enchant you with its plazas, fountains, beautiful buildings, and the esplanade where you can watch the beautiful sunset.
Don’t miss going to Sintra, which is only 25 minutes away by train. Sintra is an exciting place with plenty of castles and an overall beautiful landscape. For a nice meal, you can choose from street food to high-end restaurants. Go in Lisbon for a romantic retreat for Valentine’s day when the weather is warm, which you will feel with your body and soul.
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San Francisco is indeed worth to visit any day of the year. Still, it has some of the best plans for Valentine’s Day that attracts the ones who celebrate it and the ones who don’t. For the aesthetes, there is an entire week of theatre and ballet, Broadway shows and symphony concerts.
For a romantic dinner, there are bay cruises with dinner arrangements and a cruise that goes under the Golden Gate Bridge. If you want something exciting, be at the Justin Herman Plaza at 5.30 pm, and bring a pillow and good energy. It is the Great San Francisco Pillow Fight!
Read Related: 10 Cheapest Places To Travel In The USA On A Budget
I am not sure if I can keep it short when describing and explaining the reasons why you should visit Rome for Valentine’s Day. Just on top of my head is the Spanish Steps which has one of the best views over the city surrounded by many restaurants and cafes for a full panoramic view.
The city, its architecture, and the beautiful weather during February, are the right combination to get you out there to see everything. In case you want to have a romantic evening spent with your loved one, get a table for two in any of the restaurants and enjoy the evening.
Read Related: Which Italian Cities Should You Visit This Summer?
If you chose Dublin as your romantic getaway for Valentine’s Day, one thing is sure, and that is that you won’t need any imagination – everything is there. Beautiful scenery, castles, cathedrals, galleries, restaurants and concert halls shift you between ancient and modern.
If you require doing something outdoors apart from sightseeing, you can go horseback riding through the countryside or along the beach for an exquisite experience. Some of the restaurants have a authentic couple’s menu, so that will surely make you feel special. You need to dress well though, as temperatures are between 2°C and 8°C, so put on some extra layers.
San Sebastian is a small and beautiful city in the Basque part of Spain that will conquer you at first sight. The town breathes through the beautiful architecture that epitomizes its culture, beaches, lovely restaurants with exquisite food, bars, fun during the night, and calm during the day. The list goes on and on, so it is up to you to put this marvelous place in your romantic Valentine’s Day destinations in Europe.
With ideal weather, you cannot miss visiting Zarautz, a town only 20 minutes away by train to sit down on one of the beaches or beach bars, or even climb on the hill and watch the beautiful sunset.
It might be a stereotype, but we all think of passion and love when we think of Latin America in general. No doubt Buenos Aires is one of the best places to travel for Valentine’s Day and you need to go to a tango show.
See, hear, and feel the passion that comes from dance and music. Don’t worry, traveling to South America doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some tips and ideas how to travel on a budget.
The nightlife in Buenos Aires will not disappoint you since there are fantastic restaurants and clubs where the party goes on until morning. Even if you do not decide to do anything special for Valentine’s Day, just a walk around the city will be romantic. All you will see is PDA.
Kyoto brings an image of ancient architecture and cherry trees. Not that this is not enough, but Kyoto is so much more than that and extraordinarily beautiful and multifaceted. When choosing romantic places to go on Valentine’s Day, you can’t miss visiting Kiyomizudera, the most famous ancient temple and equally passionate spot, only 15 minutes by bus from Kyoto station.
The temperatures vary between 10°C and 1°C, so make sure to plan what to wear. A local custom that is especially interesting is that the ladies buy chocolate (Valentine’s Day custom made) to men.
If you choose Jaipur as your Valentine’s Day trip, you will be pleasantly surprised by what you find and see. There are many shrines, beautiful gardens, palaces, and colorful street markets, all this for an enriching experience. Don’t be surprised that this is a highly recommended place to spend Valentine’s Day vacation. Take a walk up the Amber Fort – on an elephant.
Even the elephant is an addition to the romantic experience as animals capable of the most delicate emotions. Just make sure they’re treated properly and that you’re not funding animal cruelty. The restaurants and rooftop bars can be the cherry on top of the beautiful day spent on the fort with an astonishing view over the city.
Is there a day in the year when you wouldn’t recommend going to New York? I don’t think so. One cannot make a list of the best cities for Valentine’s day couples getaway, without mentioning New York. This is the city where only the sky’s the limit for whatever you decide to do.
Best and all kinds of food, drinks, shows, the entire world’s cultures and beauties in one place. Romance and fun will happen on its own. Just make sure you are prepared for coldish weather with temperatures between -2 °C and 6 °C, so bring your cozy and warm clothes and conquer the city that never sleeps.
Marrakech is one of the cities in this list that the adventure-loving couples will be especially keen on. We all have a mental image of Marrakech, that of an exotic place full of bazaars that have the typical smell of mixed spices, patterns, and colorful fabrics.
But what adds a romantic hint to this place for Valentine’s Day is taking a ride on a camel a bit outside of the city. End it with a romantic evening in the desert where the sky and stars look as if they are at the reach of your hand. The weather is ideal, with temperatures between 8 and 20, which will make you stay outdoors as much as possible.
If you want to choose a sunny island to escape the cold, Oahu Island in Hawaii is the destination. Sun, ocean, beaches, and nature are the perfect combination to have the time of your life. This island is Valentine’s gift that you will give to each other.
Whatever you decide to do here and there is so much you can choose from, it will be a pleasant experience. You can swim with turtles, go on a cruise boat or a sunset dinner sail, or just lay on the beach. Those are all moments where you can bond with yourself and your loved one. Oahu Island, as Valentine’s day vacation ideas, is a cherry on top of this list.
It is well known that plenty of stress comes with this day, but if you chose to travel during this period, your bank account would thank you. Most of the places are at least 50% cheaper than during the high season, and another perk is that they are less crowded. Traveling for a Valentine’s Day romantic getaway will also be a great relief after the crazy Christmas holiday season, so don’t doubt whether to do it or not.
