As a Boise local, I love how we get all four seasons in this city. While winter can be a dreary time of year throughout most of the USA, it’s (usually) not in Boise! In winter, there are so many indoor and outdoor activities to make the most of your time here. Although we don’t get much snow in the city proper, we’re surrounded by beautiful snow-capped foothills and mountains. The surrounding areas are consistently snowy and beautiful from November to February.
If snow sports are your thing, you’re in luck because they are just a short drive away. And, if dealing with too much snow sounds daunting, you can still enjoy fun winter activities from the comfort of Boise!
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Best Things to Do in Boise, Idaho Winter
1. Scout out Christmas lights
I love the Idaho Botanical Garden all year round, but the winter season offers a unique, family-friendly event that transforms the garden into a wonderland. They put up over 550,000 energy-efficient lights across the garden. I recommend bundling up, grabbing hot chocolate at one of the food trucks, and wandering around the different light displays! Book your tickets to Winter Garden aGlow on their site here.
I’m also a big fan of free-light viewing and love seeing the Christmas trees lit up at the Idaho Capitol Building, Grove Plaza, and The Village in Meridian! I also like checking out:
- Scentsy Common Light Stroll
- Caldwell’s Winter Wonderland at Indian Creek Plaza
- Christmas in Color
- Lost in Christmas at Shindig Farms
All of these are fun events to get into the holiday spirit!
2. Go skiing or tubing
Bogus Basin is a serious winter weekend destination for us Boiseans, for a good reason! This local ski hill and recreation area offers excellent downhill and cross-country skiing only 16 miles away from the city. It’s so accessible that many people go after work on weekdays (including me) and enjoy night skiing on well-lit trails.
If you and your travel partners don’t ski, why not try tubing instead? Bogus Basin has an 800-foot tubing hill with a convenient conveyor lift back to the top. This is a perfect kid-friendly winter outing!
Another epic tubing location is Gateway Park in Eagle at Eagle Island State Park. Here, you can have a really fun snow tubing experience that is a pretty affordable activity for the entire family! During the holidays, Santa visits. You can also get some hot chocolate and sit by the fireplace to warm up.
Read Next: What to Pack for a Ski Trip: Essentials for the Slopes and Apres-Ski
3. Go Snowshoeing
Snowshoeing in the winter is so underrated! Obviously, it’s not a good idea to hike where it’s muddy or super icy, but snowshoeing through soft powder is one of my favorite winter workouts. Not to mention that Boise and the surrounding areas’ winter landscapes are gorgeous!
You can find a lot of great spots to snowshoe at the Bogus Basin Nordic Center and in the Boise foothills. Just be aware that the foothills can get muddy and icy if there isn’t a lot of snow so if you decide to hike instead of snowshoe, be sure to bring spikes for your shoes like these.
4. Go to an Idaho Steelheads Hockey Game
This is one of my favorite things to do in the winter! Plus, in December, you can see the lights on the Christmas tree at the Grove Plaza on your way into the game! On Wednesday nights, they have $3 beers, and they have games on most Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights! The season goes all the way until April! Grab your tickets here.
5. Catch a classic holiday flick at the famous Egyptian Theatre
It wouldn’t feel like the holidays without Love, Actually! or other classic holiday movies! What’s even better than watching the film at home is at Boise’s most incredible historical theatre. I love to watch a movie here during the holiday season. It gets me in the mood for the season, and it’s fun to be around others as we cheer for our favorite characters and boo for the bad guys! You can also order drinks downstairs and bring them to your seat to enjoy the movie with an adult beverage.
6. Get a festive cocktail or taste some winter brews
Check out Press & Pony or The Gatsby for a festive drink at their holiday pop-up bar. Both of these cocktail bars are typically decked out for the holidays. The Gatsby speakeasy also always has a special holiday pop-up! These best Boise speakeasies are fantastic, cozy spots to check out during winter.
Craving beer? Head to one of my favorite local craft breweries, like Berts Brewing, Payette Brewing, and Barbarian Brewing.
7. Sledding in Camel’s Back Park
Just minutes from downtown Boise, Camel’s Back Park offers more than just hiking and running trails. The trees are fastened with hay bales at the start of winter in preparation for the sledding season. Grab your sleds, kids, and dogs, and stop by Hyde Park for coffee on your way to the hills!
8. Go ice skating
One of my favorite little holiday winter bucket list activities is to hit the ice and go ice skating! It’s such a fun way to get out of the house and would be a great date night. We have a few options for ice skating in the Treasure Valley area:
- Idaho Ice-World: They have indoor skating, and you can snag tickets online
- The Village at Meridian: They have outdoor skating in the center of the outdoor shopping mall
- Indian Creek Plaza: Located in Caldwell, Idaho, this outdoor skating rink offers seasonal passes.
9. Check out Edwards Greenhouse for wintery decor and plants
If I could live anywhere, it would be inside Edwards Greenhouse. It’s warm and tropical with the most amazing floral smells, even in the dead of winter. At the end of January/beginning of February, the entire giant greenhouse is filled with wintery plants and poinsettias, and Santa even comes to visit on select days! The greenhouse also offers yoga classes, house plants galore, and the most beautiful winter decor that you never knew you needed.
10. Go to a festive show
Another tradition during the holidays that I love to do is head to a holiday show! One of Ballet Idaho’s festive shows including, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and “The Nutcracker” are always a great idea. Otherwise, I like going to see the Boise Philharmonic, Boise Pops, or a Broadway show at The Morrison Center for the Arts. They do a wonderful job and it’s a special activity to dress up and do during the winter!
11. Head to Caldwell for their Winter Wonderland
Indian Creek Plaza in Caldwell, Idaho, goes all out for the holidays! They have over a million lights all over the village, and it’s a sight to see! There’s also so much to do, like shopping, eating from different vendors, ice skating, looking at lights, and seeing Santa! See all of the activities here. The event starts at the end of November each year!
12. Go to Holiday High Tea
If you want to get in the festive mood for the holidays, go to a fun holiday high tea! The Lively, and Chateau des Fleurs have them throughout the season and it’s the best way to have an excuse to dress up with girlfriends or family!
Other Activities Near Boise
Rent snowmobiles
There are many places close to Boise where you can rent snowmobiles and spend the day zipping around the backcountry. For an extra-special adventure, take a trip up to McCall and ride snowmobiles to Burgdorf Hot Springs! It’s the only way to access this remote retreat during winter. Cascade, Idaho is another popular place to snowmobile!
Go on a sleigh ride
To really get into the holiday spirit, take a short trip to either Garden Valley, Donnelly, or Sun Valley for a scenic horse-drawn sleigh ride. One of my favorites is the Hap and Florence Memorial Sleigh Ride that takes you to go see elk (they look like reindeer) out near Donnelly, Idaho. Your kids will thank you for making their fairytale dreams come true!
Visit the Idaho City Hot Springs
The Springs at Idaho City are conveniently located only an hour outside of Boise, and the proximity along with all of its amenities have made it a popular winter weekend destination. You can spend the whole day just soaking, drinking, eating, and lounging. There are also showers, towels, lockers, and a sauna in addition to a hot spring pool and extra-warm hot tub. Recently, though, I have felt that it gets a bit too crowded on the weekends, so I prefer to go after work on a weekday to really unwind and relax.
Make a trip up to McCall for skiing or visit the McCall Winter Carnival
McCall is a quaint lakeside town—one of my favorites in Idaho—and does an annual Winter Carnival each year. This carnival has parades, live music, and mind-blowing snow sculptures! The town also has plenty of outdoor activities – visit Brundage Mountain or Tamarack Resort for epic skiing and snowboarding or Ponderosa State Park for some epic snowshoeing.
Boise Idaho Winter Related Post: A Weekend Guide to the McCall Winter Carnival
Where to Stay During Boise Idaho Winter:
I highly recommend staying in downtown Boise or in the North End so you’re close to downtown.
Airbnb
Here are my top 10 favorite Airbnb’s to rent in Boise and most are in downtown or super close!
Hotels:
Inn at 500 Capitol – This is a super unique hotel and is dog-friendly! Each room has a different unique theme. See current prices.
The Avery Hotel – Boise’s only historic hotel that has been redesigned in a swanky, artsy vibe. See current prices here.
The Sparrow – This is a fun, hip, dog-friendly hotel in downtown’s heart. For a more affordable option, go with this. See current prices.
I hope these tips have helped you plan the perfect Boise winter getaway! Let me know in the comments if you have anything more to add, and be sure to check out these related posts for more winter tips in Idaho!
Winter in Boise: 22 Things To Keep You Busy All Season
The 20+ Best Things To Do In Idaho in the Winter
What to Wear in Idaho in All Seasons
The 10 Best Winter Activities in Sun Valley Idaho
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