Chinese New Year 2027: eight trips for the long break

Chinese New Year brings one of the longest breaks of the year. In 2027 the first day falls on Saturday 6 February. Put the public holidays together with a few days of annual leave and you have a week or more: time for snow in Lapland, the Great Wall in winter, or the dunes outside Dubai.

Each of these group tours leaves within a few days of the new year, with return flights from Kuala Lumpur, hotels, meals and a tour leader arranged.

At a glance

1. Beijing and the Great Wall in winter

Welcome the new year in the old capital: red lanterns along Qianmen, Peking duck, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, and a night in Gubei Water Town below the Simatai Great Wall, often dusted with snow at this time of year. There are no shopping stops, and the pace is gentle enough for grandparents. See the Beijing tour.

2. Japan, from Tokyo to Osaka

Winter’s clear, dry air gives the best views of Mount Fuji, and the thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go look their best under snow. Seven days from Tokyo to Osaka, with Takayama and Kyoto on the way. See the Japan tour.

3. Finnish Lapland and the northern lights

The long Arctic nights of February are prime time for the aurora. Days are for husky and reindeer sleighs, snow and a king crab lunch across the border in Norway. A trip the children will talk about for years. See the Lapland tour.

4. Türkiye

Winter is Türkiye’s quiet season: shorter queues in Istanbul, and balloons over a frosted Cappadocia at dawn. Nine days through Istanbul, Pamukkale and Cappadocia, with plenty of departures over the holiday. See the Türkiye tour.

5. Dubai and Abu Dhabi

February is the pleasant season in the Gulf, with warm days and cool evenings. The Burj Khalifa, an evening in the dunes by 4x4, a dhow dinner cruise and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, all in six days, which fits neatly inside the holiday. See the Dubai tour.

6. Bali and Lovina

The shortest trip on the list: five days, a three-hour flight, and no jet lag. Ubud, the volcano at Kintamani, a dawn boat out to the dolphins at Lovina and sunset at Tanah Lot. February is Bali’s wet season, so expect an afternoon shower; mornings are usually clear. See the Bali tour.

7. Da Nang, Hoi An and Hue

Vietnam celebrates Tết on the same day, so Hoi An’s lanterns are out in force. Central Vietnam is mild in February, the Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills is cool, and the flight is under three hours. See the Da Nang tour.

8. Spain and Portugal

For families who can take two weeks: Porto, Lisbon, Seville, Toledo, Madrid and Barcelona, with mild days, orange trees in Seville and far fewer visitors than in summer. See the Spain and Portugal tour.

One long break, eight ways to spend it.

Prefer the water?

A Yangtze River cruise through the Three Gorges leaves Kuala Lumpur on 7 February, the second day of the new year: eight days with the river doing the travelling. Ask us about it, or about other cruises.

Book early

Seats around the new year go first, on flights and on group tours. If your dates are fixed, we suggest confirming by December. Check that every passport is valid for at least six months after you arrive.