25 Best Christmas Travel Destinations 2026
Christmas travel is the best kind of travel. The cities are lit, the markets are open, the air smells of cinnamon and pine, and the whole point of the trip is to walk slowly and look at things. These 25 Christmas travel destinations cover the great markets of Europe, the snowy north, and the cities that do December best — from Vienna’s imperial squares to a log cabin in Lapland. Pick one, book early, and pack warm.
1. Vienna, Austria
Vienna is the Christmas city by which all others are measured. The market in front of the Rathaus is the grandest in Europe, with hundreds of stalls under the lights of the city hall, and the smaller markets at Schönbrunn and Belvedere are quieter and just as beautiful. Come for the markets, stay for the coffee houses and the concerts. Our Christmas tree decorating guide borrows its gold and white palette from Vienna’s windows.
2. Prague, Czech Republic
Prague’s Old Town Square market is the most photogenic in Europe, with the church spires behind the stalls and a tree that is lit every evening to a small ceremony. The food is the draw: trdelník pastries, sausages, and hot wine served in mugs you keep as souvenirs. Walk across the Charles Bridge at dusk, when the lamps come on and the city turns gold.
3. Strasbourg, France
Strasbourg calls itself the Capital of Christmas, and it earns the title. The whole old town becomes a market, with half-timbered houses dressed in lights and a giant tree in Place Kléber. The Alsatian food is the best of any market on this list — bredele biscuits, foie gras, and mulled wine made with local spices. Stay in the old town and walk everywhere.
4. Nuremberg, Germany
Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt is the oldest and most traditional market in Germany, with red-and-white striped stalls selling only handmade goods — no plastic, no imports. The gingerbread is famous, the sausages are small and perfect, and the opening ceremony, with the Christkind speaking from the balcony, is worth planning the trip around. Our Christmas living room decor ideas use the same red-and-white palette Nuremberg does best.
5. London, England
London does Christmas on a grand scale: the lights on Regent Street and Oxford Street, the tree in Trafalgar Square, the ice rink at Somerset House, and Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. The markets are smaller than Europe’s, but the city itself is the attraction — a walk from Covent Garden to the river at dusk is the best free show in December. Book the theatre early, and pack an umbrella.
6. Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh’s Christmas market sits on Princes Street Gardens with the castle above it, and the whole city feels like a film set in December. The street of light on George Street, the ice rink, and the Hogmanay celebrations that follow Christmas make Edinburgh the best city on this list for a trip that runs into the New Year. The cold is real, so pack a proper coat.
7. New York, USA
New York is the Christmas city of film, and it lives up to it. The tree at Rockefeller Center, the windows on Fifth Avenue, the ice rink at Bryant Park, and the Rockettes at Radio City — every cliché is true, and every one of them is worth seeing once. The city is expensive in December, so book the hotel early and walk everywhere: the best of New York at Christmas is free, and it is on the street.
8. Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland
Rovaniemi is the official home of Santa Claus, and it takes the job seriously. The Santa Claus Village sits on the Arctic Circle, with reindeer rides, husky safaris, and snow as far as you can see. The Northern Lights appear on clear nights, and the snow hotels are worth one night even if you sleep badly. This is the trip for children, and for adults who want to feel like children again.
9. Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik is the smallest capital on this list and the strangest, in the best way. The Christmas lights go up in November, the book flood — the Icelandic tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve — fills the shops, and the Northern Lights dance over the city on clear nights. The daylight is short, but the city glows, and the geothermal pools are warm even when the air is freezing. Our cozy night-in decor ideas borrow their candlelight from Reykjavik’s windows.
10. Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens is the most beautiful Christmas market in the world: an amusement park turned into a fairy-tale of lights, with a lake, a theatre, and stalls selling gløgg and æbleskiver. The Danish word hygge was invented for this city in December, and Tivoli is where you feel it. The city is small, walkable, and warm inside every café.
11. Tallinn, Estonia
Tallinn’s medieval old town is the prettiest setting on this list, with a market in the town square that claims to have hosted Europe’s first public Christmas tree, in 1441. The snow falls on cobblestones, the stalls sell black pudding and gingerbread, and the whole old town is small enough to walk in an afternoon. Tallinn is also the best value city on this list, which matters in December.
12. Budapest, Hungary
Budapest has two great markets — at Vörösmarty Square and at St Stephen’s Basilica, where a light show plays on the church every evening — and the thermal baths are the perfect escape from the cold. The food is hearty and cheap, the wine is local and good, and the city looks its best in December light. Soak in the Széchenyi baths in the snow, and you will understand why Budapest belongs on this list.
13. Colmar, France
Colmar is the prettiest small town on this list, with canals, colourful half-timbered houses, and six small markets spread through the old town. It is quieter than Strasbourg and more beautiful, and the Alsatian wine route runs through the hills around it. Come for a weekend, walk the old town slowly, and eat at a winstub — a small Alsatian restaurant — every night.
14. Zurich, Switzerland
Zurich’s market inside the main station is the largest indoor Christmas market in Europe, with a tree covered in Swarovski crystals, and the old town market on the river is the most charming. Switzerland is expensive, but Zurich in December is worth it once: the lights on Bahnhofstrasse, the singing Christmas tree, and the chocolate. Buy the chocolate first, and worry about the budget later.
15. Bruges, Belgium
Bruges is a medieval city that looks like a Christmas card even without the decorations, and in December it adds a market, an ice rink, and lights on the canals. The chocolate is the best in the world, the beer is the best in Belgium, and the whole city is walkable in a day. Come for the weekend, stay in a canal-side hotel, and eat waffles at least twice a day.
16. Dresden, Germany
Dresden’s Striezelmarkt is Germany’s oldest Christmas market, founded in 1434, and it is famous for its stollen — the fruit bread that is the city’s gift to Christmas. The market sits in front of the Frauenkirche, rebuilt after the war, and the whole square glows. Dresden is less crowded than Nuremberg, and the stollen is worth the trip alone. Our easy DIY Christmas gifts include a stollen-inspired gift box in the same spirit.
17. Quebec City, Canada
Quebec City is the most European city in North America, with a walled old town, a German-style Christmas market, and snow that stays on the ground all December. The Carnaval de Québec follows in February, but Christmas itself is the quieter, prettier time to visit. The French food is excellent, the hotels are warm, and the old town at night, under the lights, is unforgettable.
18. Chicago, USA
Chicago’s Christkindlmarket, modelled on Nuremberg’s, is the best Christmas market in America, with the same red-and-white stalls and the same glühwein, set against the skyline. The ice rink at Millennium Park, the lights on Michigan Avenue, and the theatre district make Chicago the best American city on this list after New York. The cold is legendary, so pack for it properly.
19. Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg is Mozart’s city and the home of Silent Night, and its Christmas market, in front of the cathedral with the fortress above, is the most musical in Europe. Choirs sing every evening, the stalls sell the same gingerbread and ornaments as Vienna, and the old town is small enough to walk in a day. Take the funicular to the fortress at dusk, and look down on the whole lit city.
20. Gothenburg, Sweden
Gothenburg’s market at Liseberg, the amusement park, is the largest Christmas market in Sweden, with five million lights and a medieval village built for the season. The Swedish food — saffron buns, glögg, and gingerbread — is the best of the Scandinavian markets, and the city is small and easy. Gothenburg is the quieter alternative to Stockholm, and in December, quieter is better.
21. Munich, Germany
Munich’s market on Marienplatz, in front of the town hall, is the heart of Bavarian Christmas, with a giant tree, a nativity scene, and stalls selling everything from ornaments to roasted chestnuts. The beer halls are warm, the food is hearty, and the English Garden is beautiful in the snow. Munich is the best base for a Bavarian Christmas, with day trips to the Alps and to Neuschwanstein Castle.
22. Paris, France
Paris in December is the city of light living up to its name: the Champs-Élysées lit from end to end, the tree at Notre-Dame, the windows of the department stores, and the ice rink at the Eiffel Tower. The markets are smaller than Germany’s, but Paris does not need a market — the city itself is the decoration. Book a restaurant early, walk the river at dusk, and buy the hot chocolate at Angelina. Our Christmas entryway decor tips borrow their gold and white from Parisian windows.
23. Krakow, Poland
Krakow’s market in the main square, the largest medieval square in Europe, is one of the most beautiful and the best value on this list. The stalls sell smoked cheese, mulled wine, and hand-painted ornaments, and St Mary’s Basilica towers over the whole square. The old town is a UNESCO site, the food is cheap and hearty, and the snow falls on cobblestones that have seen a thousand Christmases.
24. Tromsø, Norway
Tromsø is the best place on this list to see the Northern Lights, and December is the darkest month, which means the lights have the longest nights to dance in. The city is small, warm, and friendly, with a Christmas market, a cathedral, and whale-watching trips from the harbour. The polar night is real — the sun does not rise for weeks — but the city glows, and the lights make up for it.
25. Bath, England
Bath is the smallest city on this list and the most elegant, with Georgian crescents, a Roman bath, and a Christmas market in front of the abbey. The market is small and high quality — only local makers, no imports — and the whole city is walkable in a day. Come for the weekend, soak in the thermal spa, and eat in one of the city’s small restaurants. Bath is the trip for a couple who want a quiet, beautiful Christmas away from the crowds.
Christmas travel is not about seeing everything. It is about one city, one market, one evening walk under the lights, and the feeling that the whole place was decorated for you. Pick a destination from this list, book it early, and pack warm. The 2026–2027 season is the right one to see Christmas somewhere new — and to come home with a story, not just a souvenir.