Northern lights in Scandinavia, warm-weather escapes to Cyprus and Spain’s Canary Islands and a snow adventure in Italy’s Dolomites.
Backroads, the global leader in active travel, announced its largest-ever selection of European winter and holiday 2025 departures, with additional adventures on the horizon for 2026. While Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region have long been the company’s top regions for winter travel, Europe is now attracting travellers seeking both snow and sunshine. From Italy’s Dolomites and Northern Lights trips in Finland, Iceland and Sweden to warm-winter spots like Cyprus and Spain’s Canary Islands, Backroads is offering even more opportunities to explore Europe in winter.
In recent years, active travellers have been increasingly drawn to European destinations for winter travel. The trend continues to grow with adventure enthusiasts finding authentic experiences and a relaxed pace in off-season destinations. Warm-weather seekers can migrate toward the coastal regions of Southern Europe on Spain’s Canary Islands Multi-Adventure Tour and Portugal’s Madeira Walking & Hiking Tour debuting this year, and on the Cyprus Biking Tour in 2026. Norway and its neighbours are also gaining in popularity, with travellers layering up and flocking to see the best-in-a-decade northern lights during the timeframe of solar maximum on trips such as the Finland & Sweden Northern Lights Multi-Adventure Tour.
North America remains popular for travellers exploring closer to home. Backroads offers perennial winter favourites in Canada and the U.S., as well as new trips to familiar places: California’s Palm Springs & Joshua Tree Easygoing Walking Tour – 4-Day Getaway and Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands Family Multi-Adventure Tour for Kids & Teens.
“Winter is the ideal time for active travel,” said Tom Hale, Founder, President and CEO of Backroads. “The tendency to hibernate this time of year is tempting, but it’s actually the perfect time to get outside. We’re excited to offer more winter trips in Europe than ever before and give people the chance to explore the full range of European seasons. Whether it’s a coastal bike ride or a hike through snow-covered woods, Europe really has it all.”