Why a Winter Group Trip Might Be the Best Way to Start Your Year
A case for new friends, big adventures, and making the most of the cold.
Remember when winter meant gathering your friends, heading somewhere snowy, and coming home with stories you told for months? That kind of trip still sounds pretty great. The only complication is getting everyone's calendars to line up now that we're adults.
If you're in your 30s, you probably know the drill. One friend is saving PTO. Another has a wedding that weekend. Someone just had a baby. Someone else can only travel six months from now. Before you know it, the group chat has 47 messages and exactly zero flights booked.
It's one reason experience-focused travel is having a moment. People are planning trips around the things they want to do and the people they want to share them with. Expedia's 2026 travel trends point to rising interest in trips built around shared interests, from sports to book retreats. For us, a winter adventure is an especially fun version of that idea: show up on your own, join a group that's excited to be there, and let the snow do its thing.
Meet great people while doing something you'll talk about long after it’s over.
Making new friends as an adult can feel weirdly difficult. You might have plenty of people to grab coffee with, but fewer chances to spend a whole day discovering somewhere new together. A group trip gives you that time. Conversations happen on the drive to the next stop, over dinner, and while everyone waits to see whether the northern lights will make an appearance.
Those shared moments matter. The World Health Organization's report on social connection describes relationships as an important part of health and well-being. A group trip can't promise you a new best friend, of course. But it can give you something adult life often doesn't: room to get to know people beyond the small talk.
And when you travel with FTLO, you can come solo without having to organize the whole vacation yourself. You'll have a crew of fellow solo travelers in their 30s to experience it with, a Trip Leader to keep things moving, and space to enjoy a little time on your own, too.
Start the new year with a story worth telling.
January often arrives with a long list of things you “need to improve on” in the upcoming year. What if you started the year by doing something that makes you feel alive instead?
Picture walking through a blue ice cave in Iceland, then warming up in geothermal water. Or heading to Lapland for husky sledding through snowy forests, sauna time, and a night spent looking up at the Arctic sky. You don't need to be the most outdoorsy person in your friend group to want any of that. You just need to be up for trying something new.
Starting your year with an adventure gives you a break from the usual routine and a reminder of how much there is still to experience. Not to mention, it's a much more memorable answer to “How was your winter?”
What if winter were your wellness season?
There's a reason the cold has entered the longevity conversation. Scientists are studying how temperature affects metabolism, cellular maintenance, and aging. But the benefits of a winter adventure don't require a lab coat to appreciate:
You'll move more, almost by accident. Think days spent exploring Iceland's glaciers and volcanic landscapes or heading into Lapland's snowy forests. The adventure is the activity, and the reward is coming in from the cold with stories to tell.
You'll discover why Scandinavians love a sauna. Heat, a little cold, and time to relax together are part of the rhythm of our Lapland trip. Try a traditional Finnish smoke sauna and Arctic plunge, then a floating sauna in Tromsø with the option to dip into the sea. The plunge is optional; the warm, rejuvenated feeling afterward is the point.
You'll get a taste of the science behind the ritual. Studies in some animal species have found links between lower temperatures and longer lifespans, while Finnish research has associated regular sauna use with better long-term heart health. Researchers are also exploring how repeated cold exposure affects cellular repair processes. None of that means a week in the Arctic turns back the clock. It does make the sauna-and-cold tradition even more interesting to experience for yourself.
One practical note for all that snowy time outside: snow reflects UV, so pack sunscreen along with your warm layers.
Your flight search could surprise you.
Winter travel doesn't automatically mean a cheap ticket, especially around the holidays or on popular Arctic routes. But it's worth checking the numbers before assuming a trip like this is out of reach. Airfare changes by departure city, dates, and route, and a little flexibility can make a difference.
Try comparing nearby departure dates, setting a price alert, and checking your arrival and departure airports separately. Google Flights' fare tools let you see prices across dates and track changes. For Lapland, look for flights into Rovaniemi and out of Tromsø; the trip begins and ends in different cities. If an airfare sale pops up for your route, you'll be ready to decide whether this is your winter to go.
Bring on the cold.
Maybe you want waterfalls and ice caves. Maybe you're dreaming of glass igloos, snowy forests, and a sauna after a full day outside. Either way, a winter trip can give you something you'll carry well beyond the season: new experiences, new people, and the feeling that you really made the most of the start of your year.
Explore the Iceland Winter trip and the Lapland trip, and see which kind of winter adventure feels like yours.
