Top 26 Christmas Travel Destinations in the United States

The Christmas season in the United States is a kaleidoscope of traditions—Old World markets transplanted from Europe, small-town spectacles that light up entire valleys, desert luminarias flickering along adobe walls, and grand city displays reflected in skating rinks and river walks. Below is a richly detailed guide to twenty-five standout destinations across the country. Each offers its own atmosphere, from storybook villages and snowy mountain towns to tropical holiday lights and historic neighborhoods dressed in evergreen and garland.

New York City, New York

New York’s December energy is unmatched. The Rockefeller Center tree—a towering Norway spruce draped in tens of thousands of LEDs—anchors midtown’s window-shopping promenade past Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, and Macy’s. Lace up at The Rink at Rockefeller Center or the larger Wollman Rink in Central Park, then step into St. Patrick’s Cathedral for a carol service under neo-Gothic vaults. The Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn turns private homes into full theatrical sets of animatronic reindeer and glowing nativity scenes, while the Bryant Park Winter Village blends a European-style market with artisan skating views of the New York Public Library’s marble façade. Add a candlelit Messiah performance at Lincoln Center or a holiday jazz set in Greenwich Village, and you have a Christmas that spans the sacred, the secular, and the stylish.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago’s German-inspired Christkindlmarket fills Daley Plaza and Wrigleyville with carved ornaments, steaming mugs of glühwein, and paper-star lanterns. Millennium Park’s skating ribbon curls through illuminated landscaping with skyline views that feel made for postcards. Wander the Magnificent Mile to see tree-lined medians sparkle and detour to Macy’s on State Street for decorated windows and the Great Tree inside the Walnut Room. Nearby neighborhoods layer on traditions: Logan Square’s small businesses host cozy markets, Pilsen blends holiday art with murals and Mexican bakeries, and the Museum Campus offers indoor respite at the Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium when lakefront winds turn brisk.

Leavenworth, Washington

Cradled in the Cascades, Leavenworth is a Bavarian-themed village where timbered chalets, alpine balconies, and gingerbread trim appear tailor-made for winter. The Village of Lights turns the entire downtown into a glowing amphitheater, while carolers echo off mountain slopes. Warm up with schnitzel and spätzle, then horse-drawn sleigh rides glide through snowfields scented with evergreen. Nearby trails in Icicle Gorge are quiet under fresh powder, and wineries in the Wenatchee Valley pour mulled varietals beside fire pits as dusk paints the peaks pink.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

“Christmas City USA” takes its name seriously, from Moravian star lanterns twinkling over historic streets to the Christkindlmarkt housed in soaring steel-mill structures at SteelStacks. The 18th-century Moravian District, with its limestone buildings and candlelit windows, offers walking tours where guides unpack Germanic traditions and hymnody. Artisans sell hand-cut scherenschnitte, hand-thrown pottery, and carved nativities, while the city’s Live Advent Calendar—claimed to be the country’s only one—opens a new “window” of music, treats, or readings each December evening.

Branson, Missouri

Branson’s Ozark hills become a festival of light with drive-through displays, synchronized shows, and Silver Dollar City’s “An Old Time Christmas,” where millions of bulbs outline Victorian storefronts and roller coasters streak past glowing canopies. Stage productions range from gospel to country to Broadway medleys, and Shepherd of the Hills offers a nostalgic setting of cabins and craft demonstrations. The Table Rock Lake area brings quieter mornings: mist rolling over blue water, cardinals flashing red through leafless oaks, and lodge fireplaces promising cinnamon-spiced cocoa.

St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights transforms the nation’s oldest city into a luminous Mediterranean tableau. White lights trace the coquina walls of the Castillo de San Marcos, drape over palm trees in the Plaza de la Constitución, and reflect across Matanzas Bay. Trolleys and harbor cruises give sweeping views of the Spanish Colonial skyline, while narrow lanes in the historic district serve hot chocolate and Minorcan clam chowder. With mild temperatures and ocean breezes, this is a Christmas of glowing masonry, carols on balconies, and a pace that invites lingering.

Williamsburg, Virginia

Colonial Williamsburg’s Grand Illumination begins the season with fireworks bursting above Georgian roofs and fifes and drums marching down Duke of Gloucester Street. Window wreaths are crafted with pineapple, magnolia, and dried citrus in 18th-century style, and costumed interpreters share Yuletide customs like the Yule log and Twelfth Night. A short hop away, Busch Gardens’ Christmas Town brings a contrasting high-energy spectacle: millions of lights, festive shows, and European-themed villages dusted with “snow.”

Asheville, North Carolina

Biltmore Estate stages Gilded Age Christmas grandeur: a towering live tree in the Banquet Hall, mantel garlands scented with spruce, and candlelit evening tours of George Vanderbilt’s chateau bursting with poinsettias. Downtown Asheville mixes Art Deco architecture with indie shops, craft breweries pouring seasonal ales, and buskers playing Appalachian carols. In the nearby Blue Ridge, the Craggy Gardens area takes on frosted beauty during cold snaps, and cozy mountain inns offer peppermint bark by crackling hearths.

Newport, Rhode Island

Newport’s Gilded Age mansions—The Breakers, Marble House, and The Elms—become fantasy sets where trees are flocked with glass ornaments and staircases swathe in velvet ribbon. Along Thames Street and Bowen’s Wharf, fishing boats bob beneath lights while seafood shacks serve hot chowder and buttered rolls. With ocean air sharpening the scent of pine and salt, the Cliff Walk’s winter views of surf smashing granite under a pewter sky provide an invigorating counterpoint to the mansions’ opulence.

Kennebunkport, Maine

The Kennebunkport Christmas Prelude is quintessential coastal New England: a lobster-trap tree stacked high and strung with lights, carols floating above boats wrapped in garland, and Santa’s arrival by lobster boat to a chorus of cheers. Dock Square’s boutiques stock woolens, sea-salt caramels, and artisan ornaments, while nearby beaches—Goose Rocks and Colony—offer serene winter walks where dune grass rattles in the wind and lighthouses blink steadily through the early dusk.

Newport Beach, California

The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is Southern California’s nautical answer to a landlocked light show. Yachts, electric-powered dinghies, and paddleboarders festooned with LEDs glide through the harbor, reflecting in glassy water like a moving constellation. Balboa Island’s cottages compete with wreaths, vintage surf decor, and candy-striped awnings. Add an oceanfront bike ride, a Balboa Bar or frozen banana, and a sunset that smears the sky tangerine—holiday spirit, Pacific-style.

Park City, Utah

Snow-blanketed Main Street—lined with mining-era brick buildings—turns into a winter village where galleries serve hot cider and the Town Lift floats skiers directly from the street into powder. Torchlight parades snake down the slopes on Christmas Eve, and nearby Guardsman Pass takes on Nordic serenity after storms. Restaurants embrace alpine comfort food—cheese fondue, bison chili, and skillet cornbread—while luxury lodges arrange sleigh rides under star-packed skies.

Vail, Colorado

Vail’s Tyrolean architecture, cobblestoned walkways, and car-free core feel purpose-built for Christmas. The village’s tree-lighting ceremonies, ice sculptures, and festive concerts complement days of carving corduroy on miles of groomers. Advent afternoons drift toward fireside après with hot toddies, raclette, and strudel. At night, lanterns glow against snowbanks as bells from horse-drawn carriages jingle past boutique windows layered with knitwear and ornaments.

Durango & Silverton, Colorado

Durango’s historic narrow-gauge railroad becomes a Polar Express-style journey, chugging through river canyons dusted with snow as conductors punch tickets and cocoa flows. Downtown’s Victorian blocks deck out in garlands and red bows, and day trips to Silverton reveal a high-alpine hamlet perched among peaks where icicles hang like organ pipes. Back in town, skiers and snowshoers fan out to Purgatory Resort and the San Juan National Forest before converging on saloons warmed by pot-bellied stoves.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Farolitos—paper lanterns weighted with sand—line adobe rooftops and walls on Canyon Road, creating golden rivers of light that feel spiritual and intimate. Las Posadas processions recount Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter, while the Plaza’s lights shimmer against the Sangre de Cristo foothills. Holiday flavors lean regional: posole, tamales, and biscochitos dusted with anise and cinnamon. Galleries offer last-minute gifts of turquoise, silver, and pottery; nearby, Hyde Memorial State Park provides snow-draped trails that smell of piñon smoke.

San Antonio, Texas

The River Walk’s cypress trees twinkle above water where mariachi melodies drift from passing boats. Posadas in historic missions, luminarias along pathways, and tamalada events bring Mexican and Tejano traditions to the forefront. La Villita’s artisan market offers hand-tooled leather, blown glass, and embroidered textiles, while the Alamo sits stoic amid wreaths and flags. Warm evenings make patio dining viable even in December—think enchiladas, margaritas, and spiced hot chocolate nightcaps.

Grapevine, Texas

Officially dubbed the “Christmas Capital of Texas,” Grapevine stages hundreds of events: parades, classic films at the art-deco Palace Theatre, and the Grapevine Vintage Railroad’s holiday excursions. Main Street’s brick storefronts are layered with garlands and oversized ornaments, and wineries pour Texas varietals with seasonal pairings. Families gravitate to interactive experiences—from ice carvings and snow slides to ornament workshops—while historic hotels dial up Victorian charm.

McAdenville, North Carolina

“Christmas Town USA” stitches together a tapestry of neighborhood pride where virtually every home participates. Lake reflections double the glow as lit bridges arc over water and wreaths circle lampposts. Because this is largely a residential spectacular, evenings feel communal: car radios tuned to carols, thermoses of cocoa, kids pointing from backseats when a house adds a new animatronic surprise to an already dazzling lawn.

North Pole, Alaska

A town where streetlights are striped like candy canes and the Santa Claus House receives letters year-round is naturally ready for December. Here in Alaska, Reindeer graze in snowy paddocks, and the aurora often unfurls in green ribbons above rooftops. Daylight is brief, but that only amplifies the glow from outdoor displays. Combine a visit with a Fairbanks side trip to hot springs and the Museum of the North, then return to a cabin where frost patterns flower across windows like lace.

Santa Claus, Indiana

Cheer is an industry here: Holiday World’s theme rides nap for winter, but the town keeps the spirit going with the Santa Claus Museum, a historic post office that hand-stamps Christmas mail, and markets filled with handcrafted toys and sweets. Nearby Lincoln State Park offers quiet trails among hardwoods, and evenings settle into family-friendly cabin stays where the night’s loudest sound is the wind through bare branches.

Alexandria, Virginia

Old Town Alexandria glitters with colonial-era streetscapes, gas lamps, and waterfront views across the Potomac. The Scottish Christmas Walk Parade honors the city’s roots with tartans, pipes, and drums, while boat parades send illuminated fleets past the wharf. King Street’s boutiques curate tasteful gifts—hand-bound journals, artisan jewelry, and small-batch chocolates—perfect for last-minute shopping. With Washington, D.C. minutes away, travelers can layer monumental sightseeing into a quieter, historically rich holiday base.

Washington, D.C.

The National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, the Capitol tree on the East Lawn, and state-themed trees make the city feel like a civics lesson wrapped in lights. Smithsonian museums provide warm daytime refuges—think gingerbread geology at the Natural History Museum or aviation ornaments at the Air and Space Museum—while Georgetown’s cobblestones shine under street garlands. Seasonal concerts echo through the National Cathedral, and Union Station hosts Scandinavian-inspired décor beneath its barrel-vaulted ceiling.

Lake Placid, New York

Olympic pedigree meets Adirondack coziness in Lake Placid. Mirror Lake often freezes solid, inviting skating against a backdrop of spruce-clad hills and twinkling chalets. Main Street shops trade in wool blankets, snowshoe rentals, and maple candies, while the nearby Olympic Jumping Complex hosts nighttime ski-jump exhibitions under floodlights. Day trips to Whiteface Mountain deliver serious skiing; evenings belong to firelit inns where mugs of hot buttered rum take the chill from the bones.

Honolulu, Hawaii (Oʻahu)

Honolulu City Lights infuses the tropics with tinsel: a towering tree, giant Shaka-waving statues dressed in red, and lighted displays reflected in warm trade winds. Waikīkī swaps snow boots for sandals as hula performances, mele (songs), and seasonal treats—haupia pies and malasadas—blend island culture with holiday cheer. Daylight hours invite hikes up Diamond Head or snorkeling at Hanauma Bay; twilight brings beachside torch lighting and the soft thud of pahu drums carrying across the surf.

Savannah, Georgia

Live oaks draped in Spanish moss become natural garlands for historic squares, while the River Street waterfront glows with lights mirrored in the Savannah River. Candlelit tours of Federal and Victorian homes reveal parlors dressed with magnolia, pine, and ribbon. Carolers harmonize in Chippewa Square, praline aromas drift from candy kitchens, and carriage wheels clatter softly over cobbles. Mild winter weather invites leisurely strolls between cafés serving pecan pies and bourbon-laced eggnog.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia layers Old World markets with American history. LOVE Park’s Christmas Village draws chalets selling nutcrackers, smoked cheeses, and mulled wine beneath the iconic LOVE sculpture. Dilworth Park adds skating and light shows that dance along City Hall’s ornate façade, while Macy’s hosts a historic Wanamaker Organ concert and a vintage-style light spectacular. Independence National Historical Park offers a reflective pause—wreaths on brick rowhouses, lanterns by tavern doors—reminding visitors that winter holidays have warmed these streets for centuries.

Burlington, Vermont

Burlington, Vermont offers a classic New England Christmas steeped in charm, lakeside beauty, and community spirit. Church Street Marketplace, a pedestrian-only thoroughfare lined with historic brick buildings, becomes a winter wonderland with thousands of twinkling white lights overhead. Local shops and cafés spill warm light onto cobblestones, while street performers and carolers add festive atmosphere. At the heart of downtown, a towering Christmas tree glows against the backdrop of Lake Champlain’s icy expanse and the distant Adirondack Mountains. Holiday markets highlight Vermont’s artisanal traditions, with maple candies, handmade ornaments, and woolens crafted from local sheep. Ice-skating rinks pop up around the city, and nearby ski areas like Stowe and Sugarbush provide the perfect day trips for snowy adventures. For a touch of culture, the Flynn Center hosts holiday concerts, and families gather for festive storytelling at local libraries and bookshops. With its mix of cozy, small-town traditions and breathtaking natural scenery, Burlington delivers an authentic, heartwarming Christmas experience.

How to Choose Your Perfect U.S. Christmas Getaway

Begin with your preferred climate and pace. If you crave snow, pick an alpine town such as Vail, Park City, or Lake Placid; if lights and markets are your focus, cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. deliver a dense lineup of concerts, skating rinks, and European-style fairs. For coastal charm and historic ambiance, head to Newport, Kennebunkport, St. Augustine, Williamsburg, or Alexandria. Families who love themed spectacles will find Branson, Grapevine, Santa Claus, and Newport Beach irresistible. Those seeking unique cultural traditions should consider Santa Fe’s luminarias or Bethlehem’s Moravian heritage, while North Pole, Alaska, pairs Santa kitsch with bucket-list chances to see the northern lights. Finally, if warmth in December is non-negotiable, Honolulu’s palm-framed celebrations offer holiday joy in short sleeves.

Practical Planning Tips

Book lodging well in advance—many destinations run signature events on specific weekends that sell out quickly. Pack layers even for warmer locales; ocean and desert nights can be surprisingly cool. In popular cities, reserve timed entries for skating rinks, mansion tours, or special concerts to avoid lines. Use public transit or walk when possible—holiday traffic can slow to a crawl around marquee light displays. Most important, balance marquee moments with quiet interludes: a late-night stroll under twinkling trees, a simple cup of cocoa by a window, or ten minutes listening to carolers in an old church. Those small pauses are where the season’s magic really settles in.