Best Christmas Holiday Destinations 2026 | Where to Go

The best Christmas holiday destinations fall into five clear camps: European Christmas-market cities, snowy Lapland and Arctic escapes, winter-sun beach breaks, festive city stays here in the UK, and far-flung cultural adventures. Pick the camp that matches the kind of December you want, then choose the spot within it. This guide walks through all five, with our favourite places in each, so you can plan a 2026 festive getaway that actually suits your crowd.

There is no single best place to spend Christmas, only the best place for you. A couple chasing mulled wine and twinkling stalls wants something very different from a family hoping for snow, or two friends desperate to swap drizzle for a beach. So before you book, ask one question: do you want it cold and cosy, hot and sunny, or somewhere in between? Everything else follows from that.

European Christmas markets: the classic festive city break

If your idea of Christmas is mulled wine in a gloved hand and the smell of roasting almonds, head for a European Christmas market. Germany is the spiritual home of the tradition, and the markets in Nuremberg, Cologne and Dresden are among the oldest and most atmospheric on the continent. Strasbourg in France runs the Christkindelsmärik, one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe, dating back to 1570, while Vienna, Prague and Budapest turn their grand old squares into glowing wonderlands of stalls, ice rinks and choirs.

For something a little different, the Baltic capitals of Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius pair fairytale medieval old towns with genuinely beautiful markets and far smaller crowds than the big-name cities. Bruges in Belgium is a chocolate-box favourite, and Copenhagen leans into the Danish idea of hygge, all candlelight and gløgg. Most of these are a short flight from the UK, which makes a two or three-night festive weekend very doable.

Lapland and the Arctic: a proper white Christmas

For the trip of a lifetime, point north. Finnish Lapland is home to Santa himself, and the Santa Claus Village just outside Rovaniemi sits right on the Arctic Circle, surrounded by snow-covered forest. Think husky and reindeer sleigh rides, glass igloos and a real chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Swedish Lapland, around Kiruna and the famous Icehotel, offers the same snowy magic, as does Tromsø in northern Norway.

This is the one trip where what you pack genuinely matters. Layering is everything in the Arctic, and a thick, warm Christmas jumper is exactly the kind of cosy mid-layer that earns its place in the suitcase, both for the cold and for the photos. If you are travelling as a clan, matching the whole family is half the fun.

Winter sun: swap the drizzle for a beach

Not everyone wants snow. If your perfect Christmas means sun cream rather than scarves, December is prime time for winter sun. Within Europe, the Canary Islands (Tenerife and Lanzarote), Madeira and southern Spain stay mild, with daytime highs often in the high teens or low twenties. Further afield, Dubai, Cape Town in South Africa, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean all deliver reliable December heat, and Australia turns Christmas into a beach barbecue under the summer sun.

One word of warning: long-haul flights and beach resorts over the festive fortnight are among the most expensive of the year, so book early and stay flexible on dates if you can.

Festive breaks in the UK

You do not need a passport for a magical Christmas. Edinburgh hosts one of Europe's best-loved festive programmes, with its market in Princes Street Gardens and the Hogmanay celebrations to follow. Bath wraps a 180-stall market around its abbey and Roman Baths, while York, Winchester and Manchester all run markets that pull in visitors from across the country. For a quieter, cosier escape, seaside towns like Whitby and Mousehole light up beautifully, and the New Forest or the Lake District offer log fires and frosty walks.

A UK Christmas break is also the easiest to do on a budget and the most dog-friendly, since you can drive rather than fly. And if you are staying in a cabin or a cottage rather than chasing markets, this is the trip where comfort wins. A set of soft Christmas pyjamas or a snuggly Christmas onesie turns a rainy afternoon indoors into the cosiest part of the whole holiday.

Far-flung and cultural Christmases

Finally, for travellers who want to step away from tinsel altogether, a cultural adventure can be the most memorable Christmas of all. India, Morocco, Jordan and Vietnam offer warm weather, fascinating food and a completely different rhythm to the season. In many of these places Christmas is a quieter affair, which can be a relief if you find the usual build-up a bit much, and you will often pay less than you would for a packed European city break.

How to choose your Christmas destination

Work backwards from three things: the weather you want, your budget, and who you are travelling with. Want guaranteed snow and a bucket-list feel? Lapland, but book months ahead, as it sells out fast. After festive atmosphere on a budget? A European market city or a UK break. Craving a tan? Winter sun in the Canaries for value, or long-haul for the big adventure. Travelling with young children? Lapland and family-friendly UK resorts both win, and a few matching festive outfits make the photos that little bit more magical.

Whichever camp you land in, the one constant is comfort. Pack a warm layer for the cold trips and something cosy for the evenings, and wherever you wake up on Christmas morning, it will feel like home.