Slovenia
Snow shoe

Don your thickest old Christmas socks, strap on a pair of snowshoes and get ready to explore the landscape around iconic Lake Bled, a section of the Julian Alps with some of Europe's loveliest terrain. From the highest point at Mount Triglav, limestone peaks zigzag outwards. Exodus's snowshoe trip traverses deeply cut gorges, snow-dusted forests, meadows and glacial lakes on four short walks along the Italian and Austrian borders, before ascending the ridges of the Bogatin plateau for a breathtaking overnight expedition.

• Book it: an eight-day trip with Exodus (0845 863 9600; exodus.co.uk) costs from £795, including flights from Gatwick to Ljubljana, accommodation and all equipment. Departs 25 January, 1 February and 15 February

Sweden
Sami culture trip

We all know Lapland's elves are working flat out right now, but in Kiruna there's more to be done than assembling wooden soldiers. The snow festival kicks off in January so Christmas is a critical time for getting the snow deep and bouncy - all the better for the skoterhopp (snowmobile ramp-jumping) that will be taking place. Kiruna's old Customs House opened to guests in October as the Hotel Arctic Eden, a homely spot approximately mid-nowhere. Take up the owners' offer of a Sami culture trip and indulge in the area's obligatory lassoing, sledging and snowmobiling. Then stay awhile for heated floors, Sami artworks, piping hot dinners of Arctic char and the undulating white beyond the windows.

• Book it: Hotel Arctic Eden (00 46 980 61186; hotelarcticeden.se) has doubles from £160 a night. Fly to Kiruna from Heathrow with SAS (0871 521 2772; flysas.co.uk). Kiruna Snow Festival runs 30 January to 1 February (snofestivalen.se)

Turkey
Cave hotels

Beyond the Aegean and the Mediterranean, Turkey feels the chill. In the east, pretty Cappadocia's ancient moonscape of rock formations is smothered with a dusting of snow, making a tour of the lumps and bumps a magical must. Look out for the Red River, salt lake and chimneys (volcanic rock eroded into tall pinnacles) - every bit as fairytale as they sound. For masses of history (and a glossy new hammam to boot) check into the Kelebek Pension, one of many cave hotels sliced artfully into the rocks.

• Book it: Kelebek Pension (00 90 384 271 2280; kelebekhotel.com) has doubles from €45 a night, including breakfast. Fly from Heathrow to Kayseri, a 40-minute drive from Cappadocia, with Turkish Airlines (00 90 212 444 0849; thy.com)

Lithuania
Ice fishing

A hipflask of vodka is a necessary accompaniment to a day's ice fishing. Partly because it's so cold the fish freeze within 10 seconds of leaving the water, and partly because you need to be a bit nuts/tipsy to fish through ice in the first place. Pitch up next to an angler on the frozen lakes at Trakai, just outside Lithuania's capital, Vilnius. Watch and learn as they lure smelt and pike through hand-drilled holes. For a truly weird wintry experience, pick up some glow-bait and see if you can't get a midnight bite.

• Book it: Litinterp (00 37 05 212 3850; litinterp.com) has homely B&Bs scattered across Vilnius from €47 per night for a double room. Active Holidays (00 37 06 982 4795; activeholidays.lt) can organise ice fishing trips

Greenland
Glaciers

For a true winter wilderness experience head to Greenland. Discover the World's musk ox and glaciers trip includes three nights in the town of Kangerlussuaq (or "long fjord"), staying at a camp on the outskirts of the diminutive community, where temperatures sink to a shuddering -30C. Opt for an extra day in Ilulissat, where you can hitch a helicopter ride to the mind-bogglingly massive ice sheet.

• Book it: Discover the World (01737 218800; discover-the-world.co.uk) charges from £1,056 for six nights, including flights and accommodation. Weekly departures between January and April

Scotland
Snowholes

The snow beds of Scotland's Cairngorms mountain range provide a habitat for snowy owls, Lapland buntings and mountain hares. Responsible Travel's trip involves penetrating this highland Narnia using an ice axe, somewhere between the peaks of Cairn Gorm and Ben Macdui. Under expert guidance, you'll learn the essentials of designing and constructing an efficient snowhole, before bedding down for the night within frosty white walls. Fret not, there are no bears (just the UK's only wild reindeer herd).

• Book it: Responsible Travel (01273 600030; responsibletravel.com) has a five-day trip from £360, including full-board accommodation, all equipment and transfers from Inverness airport or Aviemore train station

Sweden
Ice driving

Kick off the new year with an icy road trip across the frozen wastes of Lapland. Your adventure starts at the famous Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi, where staff will talk you through the controls of your Saab sports car and give some tips on winter driving before letting you loose on the open road. Follow a 800km route alongside the super-scenic Abisko National Park, past frozen lakes and across the Norwegian border.

• Book it: Discover the World (as before) has trips from £1,496 for seven nights, including flights, accommodation and car hire. Various departures between January and April

Romania
A count's guesthouse

A part from running guesthouses in the tiny village of Miklósvár in Transylvania, Count Tibor Kálnoky also looks after Prince Charles's nearby properties. The Kálnoky family, one of Romania's most ancient, returned from exile after the fall of communism and set about restoring its ancestors' homes. The result is cosy, way-back-when rooms, stocked with Saxon antiques and warmed through with wood stoves, plus a communal sauna and billiard room for icy evenings. As well as the horse and cart drivers employed to ferry you about the foothills of the Carpathians, organised activities include tracking the footprints of bears, wolves and lynxes after the snow settles.

• Book it: Transylvanian Castle (00 40 742 202586; transylvaniancastle.com) has doubles from €98 a night. Fly to Bucharest with Wizzair (0904 475 9500; wizzair.com) and take the train to Brasov (two hours) - the guesthouse can arrange pick-ups from there

Norway
Bobsleigh

The former Olympic bobsleigh venue in Lillehammer offers 60mph sleigh rides for grown-ups. Under instruction from the GB team, you'll ride skeleton - that's headfirst, stomach down, on a teeny sledge - with time only for a brief intake of frosty breath before you go hurtling down the run, your chin inches from the ice. Or, you can opt to ride a four-man Olympic-style bobsled with an authorised pilot. Anyone pulling up to 5Gs on the sharpest bends becomes a certified member of the prestigious 5G Club.

• Book it: a three-day trip with Original Travel (020 7978 7333; originaltravel.co.uk) costs from £985, including flights from London to Oslo, accommodation, transfers and bobsleighing

Russia
Orthodox Christmas

Fancy a re-run of Christmas? The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on 7 January. For festive pink noses and frosty hair, join On The Go's Vodka On Ice group tour in St Petersburg, taking in the Hermitage Collection, cathedrals and the snow-topped Winter Palace. Throughout January, The Nutcracker comes home - the ballet was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1892 and is set to be just as magical 127 years later. En route to Moscow, there's a much-needed thawing-out stop in Pskov for saunas. In the capital, visits to the Kremlin and Lenin Mausoleum are topped off with long Tsar-y nights and longer Moscow mules.

• Book it: On The Go Tours (020 7371 1113; onthegotours.com) has a nine-day break from £649, including transfers, overland travel, accommodation and some meals. Departs on 17 January or 14 February. British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) flies direct to St Petersburg. For ballet tickets go to mariinsky.ru

France
Ice climbing

If downhill skiing has lost its allure, how about pitting your wits against some of the world's most extreme ice walls? Black Tomato's climbing trip hoists you high into the French Alps to the summits of frozen waterfalls. No climbing experience is necessary. For afters, there's dog-sledding, trekking and a torch-lit mountain descent. And you thought Chamonix was all chocolat chaud.

• Book it: Black Tomato (020 7426 9888; blacktomato.co.uk) offers seven nights' ice climbing, including flights, transfers and full-board accommodation, for £999

Belgium
Icy in Bruges

For a Christmas city that sparkles, shimmers and jingles through winter, hop on the Eurostar to Bruges. An ice rink has taken over the market square, surrounded by the reliably lovely Christmas fair - plus medieval buildings and homes lit up like well-iced gingerbread houses. The real treat is tucked away in a tent with a constant temperature of -5C. Ice "hackers" have sculpted 300 tonnes of ice and 400 tonnes of snow for your viewing pleasure.

• Book it: Inntravel (01653 617949; inntravel.co.uk) has three nights' B&B for £243, including Eurostar travel. The ice sculpture tent (icesculpture.be) is open until 11 January - admission €11 adults, €7 children

Morocco
Into the kasbah

If you'd rather kick back in a kasbah than rock it, get out of feisty Marrakech and up into the Atlas Mountains. The Kasbah du Toubkal sits at the foot of Jebel Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. Located beyond the main road system, the hotel's seriously surreal setting is reached by foot or by mule on slim paths from the village of Imlil. Evenings are spent in Berber salons decked out in carved walnut furniture, with tasty tagines served up in the courtyard. By day, you can take strolls through neighbouring villages or attempt the Toubkal ascent - with a bit of mule support, naturally, as heavy snow is likely in winter.

• Book it: Kasbah du Toubkal (01883 744913; kasbahdutoubkal.com) has three-person salons from €130. Fly to Marrakech with Easyjet (0905 821 0905; easyjet.com

United states
Wildlife tours

On the slopes of Jackson Hole, the shiny new Hotel Terra is handy for Yellowstone National Park - great for those who fancy the bears and the wolves, but not the park's lodgings. The first in a collection of green hotels, the Terra has roof shingles, bamboo and granite chips throughout, plus plenty of natural daylight and an in-room recycling programme. It organises tours of the national park in safari-style vehicles with local biologists who scope out elk, deer, moose, bighorn sheep, bison, coyotes and trumpeter swans. Back at the ranch, the rooftop hot tub has terrific views of the Teton Mountains.

• Book it: Hotel Terra Jackson Hole (00 1 307 739 4000; hotelterrajacksonhole.com) offers four-day wildlife trips from £1,300 for adults and £650 for children. Or book through Wildlife Expeditions (00 1 307 733 2623; wildlifeexpeditions.org)

Estonia
Baltic freeze

Try Tallinn for size - it has all the makings of a winter city break within the confines of its snug medieval walls. Dip into one of the many basement restaurants and beer cellars for hearty stews and home-made beers that'll warm you right through. But for the genuine Baltic big freeze, cross the frozen sea to watch blood-orange sunsets over the barely trodden snowscapes of mystical Muhu Island. Lovely old Pädaste Manor is on the edge of the island with views over the bay. Try a Muhu hay bath in the spa, or cuddle in the private cinema with coffee and crumbly gingerbread.

• Book it: Exeter International (020 8956 2756; exeterinternational.co.uk) can tailor-make packages. Two nights in Tallinn and three nights at Pädaste Manor, including transfers, ferry tickets and flights is £720

Iceland
Superjeeps

Iceland's rugged landscapes are a bit tricky for the average hire car. To have a fighting chance of taking it all in, hop aboard one of Explore's Superjeep safaris and sit back as your driver skims effortlessly over the hot spots. You'll glimpse the yawning valley of Thorsmork, with its mysterious icy lakes and glaciers, visit the waterfall of Gullfoss, drive across steaming lava fields, and see the Geysir (after which all the others were named). After a bit of skidooing, cross your fingers for a psychedelic performance from the aurora borealis, and plonk yourself in the geothermally heated Blue Lagoon.

• Book it: Explore (0845 013 1537; explore.co.uk) has four-day safaris from £845 for adults, and £740 for children including flights from Heathrow, all transport and B&B. Departs 14 February

Norway
Frozen tundra

"Welcome to the Roof of Norway" boasts Hotel Finse's website. Located between two sprawling national parks in the hostile tundra, the hotel was once a remote refuge for train passengers who had been snowed in by avalanches on the Oslo-Bergen railway. Today, it provides the perfect jump-off for anyone whose lust for adventure demands total isolation. Guests can test their mettle on a diverse range of treks, take a hike (or a bike) up nearby glaciers or strap on skis and experience the kite-powered thrill of "ski sailing".

• Book it: Finse 1222 (00 47 5652 7100; finse1222.no) charges £96 a night per person full-board. Fly to Bergen with SAS (0871 521 2772; flysas.co.uk), then train to Finse (two-and-a-half hours)

Japan
Hot springs

When it comes to banishing winter's icy grip, nothing beats a long hot soak. And, when it comes to providing that long hot soak, no country beats volcanically active Japan, home to the ubiquitous onsen (hot springs, once used as public bathing places, many of which are now incorporated into spa hotels). For the most wintry onsen experience, head for the northern island of Hokkaido and check into the Kuramure, west of Sapporo, which has built individual suites according to where the earth spews hot water. Or, for a less preened experience, stay at one of many ryokans (inns) near Noboribetsu Onsen and its sulphurous hell valley, a steamy spot that emits the hot stuff in the middle of a brilliant crust of snow.

• Book it: Staying at Kuramure (00 81 134 515151; kuramure.com) costs from £270 a night per person half-board. Fly to Sapporo with Japan Airlines (00 81 1123 21144; jal.com) and take the fast train to Otaruchikko station (30 minutes)

Poland
Spas and gorges

For a really Polish winter, head to the southern province of Malopolska - or Lesser Poland. The spa town of Szczawnica, with its 12 types of mineral water and snow-topped 19th-century architecture is the best base for a visit to the Dunajec Gorge, home to a twittering wealth of birdlife. A raft is the preferred means through it, but in winter you'll be warmer on foot, following the Pieniny Way which carves into jagged limestone walls (you'll need snow shoes for the more remote sections). Explore's trip takes in Krakow and Nowy Sacz too.

• Book it: Explore (0845 013 1537; explore.co.uk) has trips from £589 for five days, including flights from Heathrow, all transport and accommodation. Departs 22 January

Austria
Mozart and more

Teetering on the Northern-most boundary of the Alps, alongside the River Salzach, lies Salzburg. Its Alpine location, baroque architecture and Mozart-steeped history make it an ideal winter destination and the city hosts an array of cultural treats for visitors during December and January. The last week of January is dedicated to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - performances by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra rank among the highlights. More unconventionally, the International Hot Air Balloon Week descends on the slopes of the tiny neighbouring village of Filzmoos from 10 to 17 January.

• Book it: Expedia (expedia.co.uk; 0871 226 0808) offers three nights' B&B for £333 at the Hotel Wolf-Dietrich, including flights from Gatwick