1 / 8Antarctica | The coldest place on Earth — officially confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization, which recorded –89.2°C at Vostok Station in 1983. Though travellers don’t visit these inland research bases, cruise expeditions to the Antarctic Peninsula offer a gentler taste of the continent’s extremes, where summer temperatures hover around –5°C to 5°C. Visitors sail past towering icebergs, walk among penguin colonies, and watch seals bask on icy shores, all in a landscape that feels like the edge of the world. (Image Source: AP)
2 / 8Oymyakon, Russia (Sakha Republic) | Often called the coldest permanently inhabited settlement on Earth, Oymyakon’s coldest verified temperature stands at –67.7°C (recorded in 1933). Deep-winter averages fall near –45°C to –50°C. Further west, cities like St. Petersburg transform into snow-covered storybooks in winter, while Lake Baikal — the world’s deepest lake — freezes into a crystalline sheet thick enough for skating, dog-sledding, and winter festivals. (Image source: Reuters)
3 / 8Canada | Canada is home to the coldest temperature ever recorded in North America: –63°C, measured in Snag, Yukon, in 1947. Today, travellers flock north for dog-sledding in the Yukon, ice-fishing on frozen lakes, or skating along Ottawa’s Rideau Canal, which holds the Guinness record as the world’s largest naturally frozen skating rink. On clear winter nights, the northern territories often reward visitors with shimmering aurora displays. (Image Source: Reuters)
4 / 8Greenland | Despite its name, Greenland is overwhelmingly ice-covered. It holds the Northern Hemisphere’s lowest reliably measured temperature: –69.6°C at an automatic weather station in December 1991 (verified by the WMO). Travellers typically explore the milder coastal settlements such as Ilulissat, known for its UNESCO-listed Icefjord. Winter trips offer iceberg cruises, fjord hikes, dog-sledding routes, and occasional whale sightings amid vast Arctic silence.
5 / 8Iceland | Iceland’s winter temperatures are milder than its Arctic neighbours — commonly between 0°C and –10°C near inhabited areas — but its icy landscapes are among the world’s most dramatic. Known as the “land of fire and ice,” Iceland blends active volcanoes with glaciers like Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest. From November to March, travellers can explore natural crystal ice caves and soak in geothermal pools such as the famous Blue Lagoon, often under the glow of the northern lights. (Image: Shutterstock)
6 / 8Mongolia | Mongolia’s continental climate makes its winters some of the harshest in Asia, with temperatures in the northern and central regions frequently dropping below –30°C, and documented lows nearing –40°C. Yet the steppes in winter have a stark beauty. Travellers can stay with nomadic herders, join traditional winter festivals, ride camels in the Gobi, or warm up in natural hot springs that locals swear by even when snow is falling around them.
7 / 8Finland (Lapland) | Finnish Lapland regularly sees winter temperatures fall between –20°C and –35°C, especially inland. This Arctic region is famous for its reindeer and husky safaris, glass igloo stays, and pristine snow-laden forests. The Northern Lights appear here on roughly 200 nights a year, giving visitors an excellent chance of witnessing the aurora from a warm cabin or frozen lake. Rovaniemi’s Santa Claus Village adds a dash of festive magic to the polar chill. (Image Source: Reuters)
8 / 8Denali, Alaska, USA | Denali — North America’s tallest peak — towers over one of the coldest national parks in the United States. The record low at Denali Park headquarters is –54°F (–47.8°C), while higher elevations experience far harsher, though less systematically documented, extremes. Winter travellers explore the park’s snowy valleys, see moose and caribou against white expanses, and witness some of Alaska’s clearest night skies. (Image Source: AP)