Holiday guide. December.
Where to go for Christmas Week
The most expensive, most crowded week of the travel year. Go somewhere Christmas is the whole point, or somewhere Christmas is not a thing at all.
The straight answer
The best places to travel for Christmas week are Finnish Lapland, New York City, and Vienna for a classic snowy Christmas, and Costa Rica, the Riviera Maya, Sydney, and Dubai for warm sun; book months ahead because it is the most expensive week of the year.
The best places to travel for Christmas week split two ways. For the Christmas feeling, go to Finnish Lapland for snow and reindeer, New York for the tree and the windows, Vienna for the markets that stay open past the 24th, and Rome for Christmas at the Vatican. For warmth, go south: Costa Rica and the Riviera Maya at the start of the dry season, Sydney and Cape Town in summer, and Dubai and Egypt at their most comfortable.
The honest truth about Christmas week is that it is the peak of the year almost everywhere worth going. Caribbean and Mexican resorts often price at two to three times their early December rates, Orlando runs at capacity, ski resorts sell out, and Hawaii's best hotels book up months ahead. December 25 itself closes much of Europe: London's Underground does not run at all, and most museums and many restaurants are shut.
If you have any flexibility, travel the second week of December or the second week of January instead. You get the same weather, the same Christmas lights in December, and prices that can be half of the holiday week. Homeschool families can take a full December trip before the 20th and be home for Christmas.
The world, ranked for Christmas Week
Each pick opens its December page, with weather, crowds and what is on.
Book Finnish Lapland for Christmas Week.
Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.
- Hotels for December
Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Finnish LaplandOpens a hotel search for Finnish Lapland in December, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
- Rentals on Vrbo
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Finnish LaplandWhole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
- Tours and tickets
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Finnish LaplandTimed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Finnish Lapland for December. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Closer to home
The US picks for this week, from a long weekend drive to a national park.
New York City
New York
The Rockefeller Center tree, the Fifth Avenue windows, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and skating in Central Park. Christmas week is the busiest week of the year in Midtown.
Hawaii
Hawaii
Warm beaches and the start of humpback whale season. Christmas week is peak pricing and the best rooms go months ahead; book early.
Key West and the Florida Keys
Florida
Highs near 75F (24C), a lighted boat parade tradition, and warm-weather Christmas. Book ahead; it is high season.
Leavenworth, Washington
Washington
A Bavarian-style mountain town with a lights festival, snow, and sleigh rides. Very busy on weekends; midweek is easier.
San Antonio
Texas
The River Walk lit with thousands of lights, and the Ford Holiday River Parade in late November starting the season. Mild, highs near 64F (18C).
Santa Fe
New Mexico
Farolitos (paper lanterns) line Canyon Road on Christmas Eve for the traditional walk, with snow on the mountains and pinon fires. A distinctly Southwestern Christmas.
Williamsburg
Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg decorates with natural wreaths of fruit and greenery, and the historic area is lit for the holidays. A quieter, historical Christmas.
Utah and Colorado ski towns
Utah
Park City and the Cottonwood Canyon resorts have the most reliable early-season snow in the West. Christmas week is the busiest of the ski season, so book lodging a year ahead.
Skip this week
- Orlando theme parks. Christmas to New Year's is the single busiest week of the year at Walt Disney World and Universal. Parks can hit capacity, and waits of 90 minutes or more are common.
- German Christmas markets after December 23. Most traditional German markets, including Nuremberg's, close on or before Christmas Eve. If the markets are the point, go in early to mid December.
- London on December 25. The Underground and most public transit do not run on Christmas Day, and nearly everything is closed. Plan to stay put or book a Christmas lunch in walking distance.
- Bali. It is the height of the rainy season, and Christmas week also brings heavy holiday crowds from Australia and within Indonesia.
- Booking a Caribbean resort in November. By then, the best rooms are gone and the rest are priced at their peak. Book Christmas week beach trips by early summer.
The booking playbook
- 01Book Christmas week flights and hotels by early summer. Caribbean, Mexican, Hawaiian, and ski-town lodging sells out first.
- 02Fly on Christmas Eve afternoon or Christmas Day for the cheapest and emptiest flights of the holiday period.
- 03Avoid flying out on December 20 to 23 and returning on January 1 to 3. These are the busiest and most expensive travel days of the season.
- 04Check closure days in Europe. December 25 and 26 close much of the continent, and some countries close on December 24 afternoon too.
- 05If you can move the trip, the second week of December or the second week of January has the same weather for far less money.
With kids in tow
- For young kids, Finnish Lapland is the ultimate Christmas trip. Book early and pack serious cold-weather gear; temperatures can drop well below 0F (-18C).
- The Rockefeller tree and Fifth Avenue windows are a thrill for kids, but go before 8am or late at night to avoid the crush.
- Homeschool families: early to mid December has the lights, markets, and festive feel without the holiday week pricing.
- In warm destinations, book kids' club spots and activity tours ahead. Christmas week fills every program.
Christmas Week, quick answers
Where is the best place to spend Christmas?
For a snowy Christmas: Finnish Lapland, Vienna, or New York. For a warm one: Costa Rica, the Riviera Maya, Sydney, or Dubai. Book months ahead; it is the busiest week of the year.
Where is the cheapest place to travel for Christmas week?
Places without a big Christmas travel surge: Tokyo, Mexico City, and Europe's cities outside the market weekends. Beach resorts and ski towns are the most expensive.
Are Christmas markets open after Christmas?
Most traditional German markets close on or before December 24. Vienna's Rathausplatz market usually runs through December 26, and some Vienna markets, including Schonbrunn Palace's, stay open as New Year markets into early January.
Is Disney World busy at Christmas?
It is the busiest week of the year. Parks can reach capacity, and wait times are long. Early December is far better.
What closes on Christmas Day in Europe?
Most museums, shops, and many restaurants close on December 25, and many also close on December 26. London's Underground does not run on Christmas Day.
Where is warm at Christmas?
Costa Rica, the Riviera Maya, Hawaii, Key West, Dubai, Egypt, Sydney, and Cape Town are all warm and sunny in late December.
Other holiday weeks
New Year's Eve
December, January
One night, a dozen very different ways to spend it. Choose between the giant public show, the tradition you cannot get anywhere else, or a quiet midnight somewhere warm.
Winter Break Ski Trips
December, January, February, March
Four holiday weeks, every family on the same lifts. Pick the resort by the snow and the calendar, not the brand name.
Thanksgiving
November
The busiest travel days in America wrapped around one of the best-value weeks abroad. Fly on the right day and go somewhere that is not having a holiday.
MLK Weekend
January
The first long weekend of the year lands in the dead of winter. Go chase sun, powder, or the history the holiday is named for.
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