Christmas · From early December to Epiphany
Where to travel at Christmas
Cities with lights, markets and concerts, Santa’s Lapland for travelling with children, beaches to spend the holidays in short sleeves and Christmases celebrated in a different way. The destinations that suit these dates best, each with its guide so you know what to see and what to bear in mind.
Updated 20 October 2026 · How we make our guides
Cities with Christmas spirit
Lights, markets, ice rinks and concerts: the cities where you can feel Christmas on every street.
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United StatesNew York
The tree and ice rink at the Rockefeller Center, the shop windows on Fifth Avenue and the lit-up houses of Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. Christmas from the films, live.
Late November to early January
What to see in New York -
United KingdomLondon
The lights of Oxford Street and Regent Street, Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and markets along the Thames. Note: there is no public transport on 25 December.
Mid-November to early January
What to see in London -
AustriaVienna
Christmas markets all over the city, concerts in churches and palaces and historic cafés to warm up in. For many, Europe’s Christmas capital.
Mid-November to Christmas Eve
What to see in Vienna -
Czech RepublicPrague
The market in the Old Town Square, with the big tree in front of the Týn Church, and a historic centre that looks like a fairy tale in the cold and the lights.
Late November to early January
What to see in Prague -
ItalyRome
Nativity scenes in the churches, the market in Piazza Navona and, on Christmas Day, the Pope’s blessing in St Peter’s Square.
December until Epiphany
What to see in Rome -
DenmarkCopenhagen
Tivoli Gardens turned into a Christmas village with thousands of lights, and Danish hygge in every café along the Nyhavn canal.
Mid-November to early January
What to see in Copenhagen
With children
Where Christmas is designed for little ones too: Santa, sleighs, rides and children’s markets.
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FinlandRovaniemi
Santa Claus Village on the Arctic Circle, with reindeer and husky sleigh rides and snow almost guaranteed. The ultimate trip with children.
Late November to January
What to see in Rovaniemi -
GermanyNuremberg
Next to its famous Christkindlesmarkt there is a children’s Christmas market, with merry-go-rounds and workshops, and the whole centre smells of gingerbread.
From the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent to Christmas Eve
What to see in Nuremberg -
SpainVigo
Spain’s most famous Christmas lights, with a big Ferris wheel, a giant tree and rides in the centre. Plenty of atmosphere.
Mid-November to early January
What to see in Vigo -
FranceStrasbourg
The self-proclaimed capital of Christmas: markets all over the centre, the great fir tree on Place Kléber and decorated houses that children love.
Late November to Christmas Eve
What to see in Strasbourg
Christmas in the sun
For those who prefer beach and sun at this time of year: places in their dry season or with a mild climate in mid-December.
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SpainGran Canaria
Christmas Eve in short sleeves, the sand nativity scene on Las Canteras beach and the Maspalomas dunes for the holidays.
What to see in Gran Canaria -
SpainTenerife
Sun on the coast and, with luck, a snow-capped Teide above: the most Canarian contrast of Christmas.
What to see in Tenerife -
Cape VerdeSal
White sand, turquoise water and almost guaranteed sunshine in the middle of the European winter.
What to see in Sal -
MexicoCancún
The Caribbean in the dry season, with cenotes, Mayan ruins and the Mexican posadas of December.
What to see in Cancún -
BrazilRio de Janeiro
Christmas in the southern summer, beach days in Copacabana and Ipanema and, to round it off, the Réveillon on New Year’s Eve.
What to see in Rio de Janeiro -
ThailandPhuket
High season on the Andaman Sea: calm water, sunshine and boat trips to the islands.
What to see in Phuket
A different Christmas
Countries where the holidays are celebrated their own way and the trip becomes a discovery.
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PhilippinesManila
One of the longest Christmases in the world: it starts in September, fills the streets with star-shaped lanterns, the parol, and culminates in the dawn masses before Christmas Eve.
What to see in Manila -
JapanTokyo
Spectacular illuminations in neighbourhoods such as Marunouchi and Omotesando, and a Christmas Eve that in Japan is mainly celebrated as a couple.
November to Christmas
What to see in Tokyo -
IcelandReykjavik
Thirteen Yule Lads, the Jólasveinar, who come down from the mountains one each night, northern lights and a city full of lights on the shortest days of the year.
What to see in Reykjavik
Frequently asked questions
Where to travel in Europe at Christmas?
Vienna, Prague, Strasbourg, Nuremberg, Copenhagen and London are the cities with the most Christmas atmosphere, for their markets, lights and concerts. Most markets open in late November and close on Christmas Eve or shortly after.
Where to travel at Christmas with children?
Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland, for Santa Claus Village and the snow; Nuremberg and Strasbourg for their markets; and in Spain, Vigo for its lights and rides.
Where to travel at Christmas for warm weather?
In Spain, the Canary Islands. Not far away, Cape Verde. Further afield, the Mexican Caribbean, Rio de Janeiro in the height of summer or Thailand, all in their dry season.
What should you bear in mind when travelling at Christmas?
It is a time of high demand: book early. On 25 December and 1 January many museums, shops and restaurants close, and in some cities, such as London, there is no public transport on Christmas Day.
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More travel ideas
- Christmas markets in Europe
- Christmas in Spain: lights, nativity scenes and markets
- Travel to Lapland
- Where to spend New Year’s Eve
- All ideas
Reviewed 20 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: Daniel Dimitrov (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.