The Best Places To Spend Christmas In The World | Pictures

These are the world’s best places to spend Christmas, from traditional festive retreats to Scrooge-friendly getaways.

The most enchanting time of year has a way of altering destinations all over the world: cities are decked out in dazzling decorations, streets are alive with local traditions, and squares are taken over by pop-up festive markets.

However, other Christmas destinations are ideal for the exact opposite reason: you might not even realize it’s Christmas at all. Who hasn’t wished to hibernate in the sun until the craziness passes?

So, when it comes to the top Christmas destinations, we’ve chosen plenty of Scrooge-appropriate destinations as well as those with unusual traditions or an unmistakable festive ambiance. Dive into our holiday travel guide below to locate a terrific place to spend the holidays.

In no particular order, lets look at some of the best places to spend Christmas:

1. Cape Town, South Africa

The beauty of the southern hemisphere in December is that the weather is the polar opposite of that of the cold north. Cape Town has a very distinct Chrimbo vibe, with lengthy days of continuous sunshine and temperatures in the upper 30s. Anyone up for a picnic atop Table Mountain or in the lovely Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens?

2. New York City, USA

There are plenty of reasons why the Big Apple has such a reputation during the holidays, from the dreamy romanticism of ice skating at the Rockefeller to Broadway’s glittering seasonal musicals. NYC is a quintessential festive destination, and with its range of department stores, markets, and bazaars, there is nothing else quite like it for shopping.

3. Reykjavik, Iceland

The ‘Yule Lads’ are 13 folkloric dudes who typically leave gifts in boots for Iceland’s well-behaved children. Christmastime is also a delightful time to visit Reykjavik, with markets and ice skating – as well as excellent opportunities to see the Northern Lights due to the city’s extra-long nights.

4. Tokyo, Japan

Japan doesn’t truly celebrate Christmas because there is no public holiday and everything is open as usual – but that’s part of its appeal. The country is well removed from the rest of the world’s Christmas frenzy, but it still has plenty of festive things to see and do, from Tokyo’s magnificent winter illuminations to the annual Japanese tradition of getting KFC on Christmas day.

5. Greenland

Greenland’s holiday season is most renowned for its food, notably mattak (a strip of whale skin) and kiviak (a fermented seabird). Both are considered delicacies by natives, although they’re probably a little more, er, stomach-testing to the rest of us.

6. Vienna, Austria

We challenge you not to get completely swept up in Vienna’s all-encompassing Chrimbo vibes, whether you’re watching Krampuses (a sort of nightmarish Austrian anti-Santa) roam the streets, munching on toffee apples at one of the city’s many Christmas markets, or simply soaking in the very, very pretty street decorations.

7. Guatemala City, Guatemala

There’s something really purifying about burning things, and Guatemalans know this so well that it’s become a tradition. Every year on December 7, Guatemala celebrates the ‘Da del Diablo’ (or ‘Day of the Devil,’ ushering in the Christmas season with the burning of an effigy of the devil. The act is meant to represent the purification of evil spirits.

8. Prague, Czech Republic

Prague is one of Europe’s most dazzlingly beautiful cities at any time of year, with its magnificent gothic churches and winding baroque streets. But what about at Christmas? The Czech capital has gotten even more beautiful. The markets, which take over places like Prague Castle and Wenceslas Square and sell local specialties like medovina (honey wine), ryb polévka (traditional fish soup), and pernky (spicy gingerbread), are the main draws here.

9. Bruges, Belgium

Turkey, mince pies, and pannetone are all traditional Christmas meals, but it wouldn’t be Christmas without chocolate. And where should I go to get that? From the delightfully rich hot chocolates on display at the market to the traditional Yule log, this little city has loads of Christmassy sweets to stuff those stockings or gorge on under the twinkling lights.

10. Colmar, France

Even in the height of summer, Colmar, a thirteenth-century town in the eastern French province of Alsace, appears to be made of gingerbread. Add a modest sprinkling of snow, some stylish Christmas lights, and a festive market with personality? You’ve got one of the world’s beautiful Christmas destinations.

11. Singapore

With Orchard Road hosting a Christmas Eve event complete with countdown and fireworks, Christmas in Singapore has a distinct New Year’s Eve vibe to it. The city’s light shows, on the other hand, are renowned. Singapore knows how to put on a spectacular electrical show, from the Christmas Wonderland in Gardens by the Bay to the light shows at Vivocity.

12. Phuket, Thailand

Sure, you can have a perfectly Christmassy time in Phuket if you really want to. If you’re looking for carol concerts and Christmas meals, the island has many of them. However, it’s also a great place to escape away from the normal activities. Thailand, as a predominantly Buddhist country, does not really celebrate Christmas, so you can relax at a beachside bar or go dancing as if it were any other day of the year.

13.  Marrakech, Morocco

Christmas isn’t celebrated by the vast majority of people in Marrakech, making it ideal for escape the traditional seasonal feeling. The Moroccan city is also not as hot in December as it is in the summer (highs of 20C without dropping too low at night), making touring its medina, souks, mosques, and riads much more enjoyable.

14. Sydney, Australia

Looking for a place that goes all out for Chrimbo (Christmas) but isn’t quite so, erm, wintry? Australia is probably your best bet. Sydney boasts all the holiday lights, trees, and even ice skating of a normal Christmas-celebrating city, but with average highs of 25C. Don’t dismiss a Christmas dinner grilled on a seaside grill until you’ve tried it.

15. London, UK

Christmas spirit floods across London in early November and doesn’t let up. By the end of December, Christmas vibes had reached a fever pitch: the already-romantic UK capital is lined with fir trees, glittering with Christmas lights, and soundtracked by jangly seasonal tunes. Yes, it is as amazing as it sounds.

16. Edinburgh, Scotland

Sure, every city center twinkles with lights and emanates wafts of mulled wine throughout December, but few do it better than Edinburgh. Every year, East Princes Street Gardens dazzles with a plethora of market stalls, holiday cuisine and amusement rides, as well as lots of whisky kiosks for a warming Christmas beverage. Will you be staying for New Year’s? The city’s Hogmanay events are a world-renowned method to kick off 2024.

17. Nuremburg, Germany

The world knows about Germany’s Weihnachtsmarkts (traditional Christmas markets), and Nuremburg’s is one of the country’s oldest, largest, and best. Gingerbread and mulled wine aromas flow through a little city of wooden stalls brimming with candy canes, delectable lebkuchen, and handcrafted decorations.

18. Caracas, Venezuela

Think you’ve got a cool ride when it comes to going to church (if that’s your thing) during the Christmas season? Look about Caracas for the natives. From December 16 to 24, before 8 a.m., highways in Venezuela’s capital are closed so that churchgoers can roller-skate to mass. Rollerbladers are also known to dress up in Santa suits… could it get any hotter than that?

19. Lapland, Finland

Few places are as synonymous with Christmas as Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland and the official home of Santa Claus. But it’s not all about Santa in Rovaniemi. After you’ve finished seeing Santa Claus Village and taking reindeer rides throughout town, relax with a festive sauna – a Finnish Christmas tradition.

20. New Orleans, USA

From bonfires on the Mississippi River and delightfully redecorated streetcars to energetic carol concerts and glam AF hotel lobby decorations, New Orleans is jam-packed with alternative Christmas customs. With daytime temperatures reaching around 17 degrees Celsius, it’s also slightly warmer than much of the rest of the continental US at this time of year.

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.