Cool Is the New Hot: Why the Coldest Vacations Are 2025’s Hottest Travel Trend

Polar bear family in Canadian Arctic sunset outdoorsman/Shutterstock

There was a time when holidaymakers flocked to palm-fringed beaches, lathered in coconut-scented SPF 50, sipping neon cocktails from pineapples with tiny umbrellas.

Not anymore. In 2025, the cool crowd is taking things literally, swapping sunburn for frostbite and pina coladas for emergency thermals.

Welcome to the era of Arctic chic, where freezing to death is a lifestyle choice and vacationing somewhere that actively tries to kill you is the height of sophistication.

Why this sudden obsession with subzero travel? Perhaps it’s the lingering trauma of heatwaves, the romantic allure of the Northern Lights, or simply a desperate need to post something different on Instagram (because let’s face it, another Maldives sunset is just so 2023).

Whatever the reason, 2025 has declared that tropical is tired, and tundra is trending.

So, for those who believe summer is for the weak and that chattering teeth are an underrated soundtrack, here are 10 destinations where snow is guaranteed, Wi-Fi is questionable, and at least one local will casually mention the risk of frostbite like it’s a minor inconvenience.

Grab your thermal underwear, pack a survival kit, here are the coolest vacations of the year.

Where WiFi Is a Myth and Your Tent Is Your Tomb

The ultimate deep freeze, Antarctica is not so much a holiday destination as a test of personal resilience.

View of a chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) and gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) penguins at the Gerlache Strait -which separates the Palmer Archipelago from the Antarctic Peninsula, on Jan. 15, 2024. Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images

With average winter temperatures plummeting to -60°C (-76°F), it offers majestic landscapes of icebergs, glaciers, and penguins who are clearly having a much better time than any of the human visitors.

One of the more rustic accommodations includes camping on the ice, where guests are handed a shovel and told to dig their own sleeping space, a delightful throwback to the golden age of suffering.

Luxury here means having a tent that doesn’t immediately fly away in a blizzard and drinking hot chocolate that doesn’t instantly freeze mid-air.

For the brave (or wildly misinformed), this is the ultimate chance to experience life as a very underqualified Arctic explorer.

Svalbard, Norway: Where Polar Bears Outnumber People

The Svalbard archipelago sits halfway between Norway and the North Pole, making it the ideal travel destination for those who enjoy carrying a rifle to go grocery shopping.

Due to the unsettlingly high number of polar bears, residents and visitors alike are encouraged to remain armed at all times, lest a casual stroll turn into an impromptu survival situation.

Journalists and cameramen walk under a gust of cold wind near the entrance of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault that was officially opened near Longyearbyen on Feb. 26, 2008. Larsen, Hakon Mosvold /Scanpix Norway/AFP via Getty Images

Despite the lurking danger of being mistaken for lunch, Svalbard boasts otherworldly Arctic landscapes, glaciers that stretch into infinity, and a Husky Café, where enthusiastic dogs provide warmth, companionship, and a slightly fishy smell from their last meal.

And for those who enjoy a permanent sense of mild unease, the sun vanishes entirely for months at a time during the Polar Night, a period when daylight is a distant memory and vitamin D supplements become a lifeline.

Reykjavík, Iceland: The Land of Elves, Geothermal Pools, and Sea Monsters

Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík, is arguably the most whimsical place to freeze to death. Known for its boiling hot springs surrounded by subzero air, it allows visitors to experience the unique joy of having their hair freeze solid while their bodies remain uncomfortably warm.

Beyond the surreal landscapes of lava fields and glaciers, there’s the Sea Monster Museum in the Westfjords.

It’s a delightful establishment housed in a converted fish factory where eyewitness accounts and questionable folklore fuel belief in giant, serpent-like creatures lurking in Icelandic waters.

Whether these creatures exist or not remains up for debate, but one thing is certain: dipping a toe into the icy sea will not be an appealing way to find out.

Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik Iceland. Renata Ty/Shutterstock

Barrow (Utqiaġvik), Alaska: Where the Sun Simply Leaves for 2 Months

Located at the top of the world, Barrow (now called Utqiaġvik) is the northernmost town in the United States, famous for two things:

1. Winter temperatures that could freeze a thought mid-sentence
2. A complete and utter abandonment by the sun for 65 days straight

Visitors arrive expecting to see stunning Arctic landscapes and perhaps a few friendly locals instead, they are greeted by complete darkness, bone-chilling cold, and the ever-present risk of hypothermia.

The Whale Bone Arch, made of two enormous bowhead whale jawbones, serves as a popular attraction, reminding visitors that even the whales are bigger and tougher than them. The best activity in Barrow? Surviving long enough to tell the tale.

Nuuk, Greenland: The Capital City Where Icebergs Are Decor

Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, offers charming, colourful houses, breathtaking fjords, and the sobering realisation that there is nowhere to run if one loses feeling in their toes.

Among its most macabre attractions are the Qilakitsoq mummies, 500-year-old preserved Inuit remains, providing visitors with a unique bonding experience with the dearly departed.

Standing before these ancient figures, one can reflect on the fragility of life, the passage of time, and the increasingly desperate need to find a heated café.

Yellowknife, Canada: Frostbite, Northern Lights, and Questionable Life Choices

The northern lights, or the aurora borealis, appear in the sky over Rat Lake in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, on Aug. 8, 2024. Bill Braden/The Canadian Press via AP

For those who enjoy staring up at celestial wonders while actively losing circulation, Yellowknife is the perfect destination. Known for its jaw-dropping views of the Northern Lights, it also boasts winters so brutal that locals casually discuss -50°C temperatures like it’s just another Tuesday.

Tourists keen to chase the Aurora Borealis are encouraged to bundle up to Michelin Man proportions, lest a single exposed fingertip lead to regrettable consequences.

The sheer beauty of the sky almost makes up for the fact that every breath feels like inhaling liquid nitrogen.

Almost.

Churchill, Canada. The Town Where the Bears Have Right of Way

Affectionately known as “The Polar Bear Capital of the World,” Churchill is one of the only places where polar bears regularly wander into town, forcing residents to leave their car doors unlocked in case of an emergency escape situation.

For those with a concerning lack of self-preservation, the town offers “polar bear safaris,” where visitors can observe the bears from the safety of a reinforced vehicle, ideally without making eye contact or sudden movements.

If that isn’t terrifying enough, Churchill also boasts a polar bear jail, where misbehaving bears are temporarily held before being released back into the wild, presumably after a stern lecture and a three-star Trip Advisor review of their stay.

Helsinki, Finland: The Sauna Capital

The Finnish approach to dealing with cold is equal parts brilliance and madness. The national pastime consists of boiling oneself in a 90°C sauna, then immediately plunging into a frozen lake, because apparently, hypothermia is just a concept.

Beyond the deeply questionable traditions, Helsinki offers stunning winter landscapes, quirky festivals, and, most notably, the Air Guitar World Championships, where contestants enthusiastically mime their way to victory in what can only be described as a uniquely Finnish fever dream.

A winter swimmer takes a dip into water through sea ice in Helsinki, Finland on Feb. 14, 2021. Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images

How to Avoid Becoming a Human Icicle

For those who revel in the masochistic joy of extreme cold, these destinations provide a wide array of ways to do so. Whether it’s camping on Antarctic ice, dodging polar bears in Churchill, or voluntarily leaping into frozen lakes in Finland, these locations offer frostbitten fun for all levels of questionable sanity.

Just remember: pack extra socks, maintain a safe distance from large carnivores, and for the love of all things warm, do not lick metal poles in subzero temperatures.