9 Coolcation Destinations for When It's Too Hot at Home

Greenland’s July temperatures hover between a brisk 42 degrees Fahrenheit and a balmy 68. The Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Catch a glimpse of the midnight sun, where the sun hovers over the horizon, creating daylight around the clock. There's also stunning nature, whale-watching cruises and mountain hikes. You can take a boat trip to the hot springs on Uunartoq Island if you need to warm up a bit.

The 50 degree Fahrenheit temp in Iceland is springtime-like — perfect for a light jacket. There are plenty of outdoor activities under the midnight sun, when daylight abounds even at night. Travel to the Golden Circle, which has a geothermal area, Guilfoss waterfall and Thingvellir National Park. The Icelandic Highlands are only accessible in the summer and Reyjavik is a bustling city that comes alive during the cool summer nights. If all else fails, check out the hot springs at the Blue Lagoon, where you can soak in healing, silica-rich geothermal waters.

July can be wet in Alaska, but it’s the warmest it gets in the northernmost U.S. state. Continuous sunlight, mild temperatures and stunning scenery make Alaska a prime summer destination. There’s hiking, camping and wildlife viewing, but also lots of festivals, including the Midnight Sun Festival in Fairbanks, the Sitka Summer Music Festival and Alaska State Fair in Palmer. What better way to party into the night when the daylight never ends?

If you long for Europe in the summer but wish Paris were less crowded and hot, check out Montreal and its French charms. There’s stunning architecture (Notre-Dame Basilica is a first-class stop), a lively food scene and the International Jazz Festival, the largest jazz festival in the world. June and August hover in the 70s for temperature and July doesn’t get past 80 — on the warmer side of a coolcation, but still much cooler than most of the U.S.

If you want to get positively frozen, check out Norway, the inspiration for Disney's "Frozen." Did you know you can hike glaciers and take a boat cruise among the fjords? One of the northernmost countries (in addition to Greenland), you’ll probably see a snowman or reindeer there, but maybe a magical troll too?

Cruising is the best way to see the southernmost part of the world. Some cruises include itineraries like visiting the South Shetland Islands, Drake Passage and unique wildlife sightings (penguins!). There are blue icebergs, snowy mountain vistas and changing weather, so it’s anything but boring. There’s daylight all the time in the summer, so even more light to take it all in.

Summer in the northern hemisphere is winter in the southern hemisphere. South America has lots of cool locations to choose from, but Patagonia is a great place to start. Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina has massive ice formations, while Torres del Paine in Chile is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with famous hiking trails. No stop to Patagonia is complete without a trip to the penguin colonies in either of the two countries or a boat tour searching for humpback whales.

What does Santa’s Village look like in the summertime? A trip to Rovaniemi, Lapland, billed as the official hometown of Santa Claus, will show you what the elves are up to in the off-season. Under the midnight sun, visit a husky farm in the snowless forest, cross the Arctic Circle, encounter reindeer at one of the many farms and dive into local culture. It’s warm enough for a brisk dip in the lake to really get your heart pumping, and maybe you'll spot Santa sunbathing as well.

Try to get to Kiruna, Sweden for mid-June when the Midsommer celebration is underway. There’s Maypole dancing, flower crowns and folk music as well as midnight sun dinners. It’ll be in the 50s, so pack a sweater and your dancing shoes for this peak tourism season.