10 Best Getaways over the Festive Season

There’s no question about it – New York City comes alive as the year draws to a close. They take vacation celebrations to a whole new level. From ice skating in Central Park to watching the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, the festivities in the Big Apple are as timeless as they are memorable.

Locals and tourists flock to see the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree, the 5th Avenue window displays, Union Square Vacation Market and, at the center of it, the Empire State building. Lit red and green throughout the entire month of December, this unique New York landmark marks the center of the snowy Christmas festivities. If you’re looking to combine gift shopping with fun, family-friendly activities, head to The Central Park Winter Jelly. This annual NYC event hosts sledging, snowshoeing, and winter adventures in the middle of Central Park.

Dubai is a popular festive getaway for those who want to escape the cold and rain in the UK. Dubai’s desert climate doesn’t technically have a winter, but the climate toward the end of the year is probably the best time to visit. Temperatures hover around the mid-20s (°C) and rain is rare, making it possible to spend long days on the beach, with evenings spent in palatial shopping malls such as The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates. If you want to feel festive, head to Winter Garden at Habtoor Palace for gift shopping and authentic Christmas dishes.

For families, you’ll find several of the world’s best amusement parks and water parks in Dubai. These include Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark, Wild Wadi Waterpark, and Legoland Dubai.

Amsterdam festive markets are among the best ways to immerse yourself in the vacation spirit during winter visits to the Dutch capital, with bountiful items and food for sale. You'll be able to shop for antiques, handicrafts, apparel and so much more. From December to January, the Amsterdam Light Festival is a charming festival that illuminates the city with incredible light fixtures that are expressions of talented artists.

The Museumplein – the museum quarter – is incredibly alluring during the winter because of the festive decorations and fascinating surroundings and exhibitions to explore. For sightseeing without baring yourself to the cold, hop on an Amsterdam canal cruise (unless the canals freeze over, in which case you can grab a pair of skates and hit the ice). The city can get drafty around New Year with the wind whipping off the canals, so do wrap up warm.

A December getaway to London brings together sightseeing, shopping and festive fun. There’s perhaps nowhere in the UK that feels quite so festive. Oxford Street is especially pretty, with thousands of twinkling lights and imaginative window displays in department stores and boutiques. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland celebrates the season in style in central London – expect festive markets, twinkling lights, and over 100 rides, including a giant Ferris wheel. Live performances are also part of the celebration with a circus, ice shows and live music. Outdoor skating rinks spring up in London’s favorite landmarks each winter. Skate on the grounds of the Tower of London or take to the rink in the Natural History Museum’s gardens.

The English Premier League soccer is in full swing around Christmas and New Year, with several different London clubs competing in the competition. Grab a ticket to watch a match. For families, pantomime season runs throughout December, with many West End theaters hosting world-class live shows.

Berlin at the end of the year is a time of festive markets and fun fairs for small children. For an immediate taste of the vacation season, join the ruddy-faced office workers, tots, and couples at Winterwelt ice rink on Potsdamer Platz. Of all the markets in the German capital, Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin is centrally located in one of the most beautiful squares in the city. Walk among the star-topped tents, which host stalls selling treats such as tree decorations and traditional glühwein ­– mulled wine. The market has a large crafts tent where you can watch wood carvers, dressmakers and other artisans working their magic.

When the weather outside is frightful, seek warmth in one of Berlin’s sultry spas. There are many great venues spread throughout the city, such as Stadtbad Neukölln or the Badeschiff, a former river barge moored on the Spree, which is transformed into a space-age sauna, bathing pool and lounge bar in winter.

Orlando is renowned for its collection of theme parks, which take the pageantry and fun into overdrive in the festive period. From Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Disney’s Magic Kingdom to the brand-new Winter Wonderland Laser Show at Hollywood Studios, celebrating the vacation season at Disney is a must-do for any family.

Enjoy specially-themed shows and vacation cheer throughout all 4 parks. Best of all, Cinderella’s Castle is lit up majestically for the vacations! Stay until the park closes to experience a spectacular show filled with ‘snow’, fireworks, and special vacation effects.

Rome basks in a special aura throughout the festive season. With its cafés, bars and party atmosphere, Piazza Navona attracts crowds all year round, but in December it’s one of Rome’s liveliest locations. Stalls fill the square with toys, festive decorations, and fairground rides. 

On New Years Eve, crowds make their way to Piazza del Popolo, where locals celebrate and the midnight sky is lit up with a fireworks display. The weather at this time of year is cold and settled, meaning the morning frost melts under bright blue skies. Remember your sunglasses because the locals are famously fashionable, even in mid-winter.

All across Paris, the trees lining the city’s boulevards are laced with twinkling lights in winter, most famously along the Champs-Élysées, which appears to be blanketed in stars. Wrap up for an early-evening stroll along the avenue to the floodlit Arc de Triomphe, then step into the warmth of the Ladurée tearooms for raspberry macaroons and a piping-hot cup of hot chocolate.

You know it’s the vacation season in Paris when chalets and stalls selling regional favorites like sausages and gingerbread line the streets. Find Paris winter markets at Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Place Saint-Sulpice on the Left Bank and Place des Abbesses in Montmartre. If you’re in Paris to welcome in the New Year, join the crowds along the Champs-Élysées to watch the Arc de Triomphe’s colorful pyrotechnics when midnight strikes.

Winter vacations in Edinburgh are sparkling affairs. Twinkling lights dazzle along Princes Street and the Royal Mile, ice skaters swirl at Edinburgh Winter Wonderland and fireworks light up the sky. Warm up from the freezing evening temperatures with malt whiskey in a cozy bar, ideally in front of a roaring fire. 

Hogmanay, held annually on 31st December, is arguably the biggest event on the Scottish calendar, and Edinburgh celebrates it in style. The festival kicks off with a torchlit procession down the Royal Mile, involving fire dancers, costumes, and thousands of people. Stages and street parties are set up all over the city, with revelers enjoying the tunes of famous rock bands and local ceilidh groups.

The festive season in Iceland has many similarities with Nordic traditions, although there are elements of folklore that are uniquely Icelandic. These take the form of Yule Trolls, mythic cats, and giants, who reward good boys and girls with gifts but prank disobedient children with rotten potatos. Over the festive period, twinkling fairy lights can be found along the popular downtown thoroughfares of Laugavegur street and Skólavörðustígur street. Come here to enjoy the few hours of daylight, before enjoying a concert at Harpa, Reykjavik’s stunning symphony hall.

A vacation in Iceland often includes a scenic drive into the barren landscape, where you can stop at stunning glacial lakes, black-sand beaches, and cascading waterfalls. The surreal Icelandic landscape is a dream destination for many photographers – ideally with some evening shots of the northern lights.