With Christmas right around the corner, you’re probably solidifying your travel plans — and while it isn’t unusual to spend the holidays at home with your family, you might want to travel this year.
For those looking to get away for a new experience this Christmas season here is a look at eight cities to visit with a major dedication to the holiday.
These cities feature festivals and Christmas markets as well as brilliant light displays and other activities to participate in to help you fully dive into the Christmas spirit.
8 cities that go all out for Christmas
Aspen, Colorado
Located in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado, the ski town of Aspen receives average of 309 inches of snow a year, but it also offers plenty of holiday activities for those looking for a new place to celebrate the Christmas season.
“Don’t forget to live out your own Hallmark Movie by taking a horse-drawn carriage ride to a candlelit dinner at Pine Creek Cookhouse,” according to Condé Nast Traveler.
Those walking along Aspen’s Cooper Avenue during the holiday season will be met with public s’mores roasts, elf meet and greets and cookie exchanges, per Travel + Leisure.
Branson, Missouri
According to Condé Nast Traveler, like a “family-friendly little sister to Las Vegas, Branson pulls out all the stops every holiday season.”
Located in the Ozarks, Branson feels like a winter wonderland during the holiday season and the city is filled with 1,500 Christmas trees for you to see and admire.
You can also go ice skating underneath the Branson Ferris Wheel, and visit several drive-through light displays.
“Head straight to the 1880s-themed amusement park Silver Dollar City for the annual An Old Time Christmas festival. The party lasts until January 4 and includes 6.5 million lights, 1,000 trees (including an eight-story one), outdoor shows, parades, and, of course, rides,” according to Condé Nast Traveler.
The festival also features a tree that is eight-stories tall.
Newport, Rhode Island
With a more classic approach to Christmas decorations, residents of Newport, Rhode Island are encouraged to create an “old-fashioned candlelit vibe,” by only using white lights, according to Travel + Leisure.
Visitors can take tours through some of the city’s mansions which include iconic Gilded Age architecture. The mansions are decked out for the holiday with trees, decorations and fine china.
Newport also sees lighter crowds in the winter making it a great time to dine at some of the city’s most popular restaurants such as Aurelia at the Castle Hill Inn, per Travel + Leisure.
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
To help you dive into the Christmas spirit, every year the town of Bethlehem in Pennsylvania puts together a Christmas City Village and a Christkindlmarkt both of which are German-inspired.
These festivals feature “rotating displays by artisans, live music, and glass-blowing demonstrations,” per Condé Nast Traveler.
To make your visit even more picturesque you can take a carriage ride through Downtown Bethlehem to catch great views of the city’s many Christmas lights.
You can travel outside of Bethlehem to the Lehigh Valley Zoo, to see its annual Winter Light Spectacular, giving visitors the opportunity to see more than one million lights as well as many illuminated displays, per Condé Nast Traveler.
The town of Bethlehem also holds a Live Advent Calendar event, every night from Dec. 1 to 23.
During the Live Advent Calendar a town crier rings a bells up and down main street leading visitors to the oldest house on the street, where the crowd is greeted by a surprise, according to CNN.
Burlington, Vermont
“The small town, Green Mountain State charm of Burlington pairs well with the holly jolliness of Christmas,” per Condé Nast Traveler.
Decked out with plenty of lights, the town’s Church Street is also full of marketplace stalls with plenty of local crafts available for all of your holiday shopping needs.
According to Condé Nast Traveler, another staple of Burlington’s holiday season is Hotel Champlain’s movie night which is full of Christmas classics.
Dallas, Texas
The city of Dallas proves you don’t need cold weather to have great Christmas celebrations, according to Condé Nast Traveler.
Dallas’ Christmas at the Arboretum features a Christmas Village and a 12 Days of Christmas Gazebos exhibit, as well as tons of Christmas lights and the opportunity to visit Santa.
“Elsewhere in town, you can drive through the Dallas Zoo Lights route and skate next to the country’s tallest indoor Christmas tree at the Galleria Dallas Ice Skating Center,” according to Condé Nast Traveler.
Quebec City, Canada
According to Travel + Leisure, “Quebec City is about as European as it gets outside of Europe itself.”
During the holiday season, Old Quebec is transformed into a Christmas Village, with a Christmas market perfect for holiday shopping per CNN.
While there, you can also walk through a display of Nativity scenes from around the world.
Nearby you can find the Sentier des Caps de Charlevoix which offers hiking, snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling, according to CNN.
After the holiday season the city holds the Quebec Winter Carnival which will take place in February of 2025.
Park City, Utah
Aside from the world-class skiing available in the mountain town of Park City, the town also offers plenty of winter and Christmas activities to participate in, according to Condé Nast Traveler.
The city offers fly fishing, snowmobiling, dog sledding and plenty of resorts.
Nearby, the Heber Valley Railroad offers a 90-minute North Pole Express train ride, during which passengers get to drink hot cocoa and meet Mrs. Claus.
Each year the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City builds a giant gingerbread display, according to Travel + Leisure.