For every one of us who likes to hunker down in the winter in full hygge mode, there’s someone else who sees the colder months as the perfect time to get out and seize the chilly day. From peeping on fall foliage to shopping at holiday markets to ringing in the new year, these are our picks for the best destinations for a winter holiday.
Best Places to Travel in November
November is the shoulder season. We love that traveling on the cusp of the peak season means you can get better vacation deals and battle fewer crowds. Plus, depending on where you go, you can either enjoy cool fall temperatures or dive headfirst into frigid winter adventures.
1. Leaf peeping in the Smoky Mountains
Vermont and New Hampshire get all the notoriety for best fall colors, but this late in the season, you need to head farther south. The best place for fall foliage in November is in Tennessee. Head to the Great Smoky Mountains for prime leaf peeping. It’s also one of the best national parks to visit in November.
Make it part of a road trip for an even greater treat. Driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway will be packed with color, too.
2. Affordable fall break in Louisville, Kentucky
Put Louisville on your list when you need a cheap fall break trip for the family. This destination is especially perfect if your family is into sports.
The Louisville Slugger Museum is a personal favorite. The factory portion of the museum shows how they make bats for some of your favorite baseball players. Churchill Downs has a series of fall meets well into November, and there’s always the Kentucky Derby Museum right there on the grounds.
There’s also the Muhammad Ali Center packed with fascinating exhibits dedicated not only to the Louisville native’s boxing career but also his commitment to social justice.
3. Romantic getaway in Charleston, South Carolina
Every fall, my partner and I treat ourselves to a quick couple's trip in November during the short gap between kids’ school activities. The best (so far) has been Charleston, South Carolina.
This city is the perfect balance between staying busy and finding your chill. As history buffs, we recommend touring the USS Yorktown and Boone Hall Plantation. Isle of Palms makes for a relaxing drive where you can dream of coastal living (all those fancy houses!) and enjoy sunset drinks and dinner.
4. Copper Mountain Resort in Summit County, Colorado
When you’re looking for ski resorts opening in November in the U.S., you’re going to end up with a list of high-elevation peaks. At this time of year, you need to get to altitude if you’re going to find enough stable snow. That’s why we picked Copper Mountain Resort, which typically opens in mid-November.
About 80 miles outside of Denver, Copper Mountain Resort offers more than 140 trails with varying degrees of difficulty. There’s also tubing, ice skating, snowshoeing, and enough activity to keep the whole family happy.
5. Thanksgiving weekend in New York City
New York City is always packed with energy, but the holiday season makes it positively electric. Festivities kick off with the Macy’s Day Parade on Thanksgiving Day. Stake out a spot along the parade route, dress warm, and enjoy the floats and entertainers as they make their way through the city.
You can then use this Thanksgiving weekend trip to jumpstart the Christmas festivities. Catch an early holiday show at Radio City Music Hall, see the decorations start to spring up around Rockefeller Center, or simply window shop along all the elaborate store displays.
Best Places to Travel in December
Next up on the list are some of the best places to go at Christmastime. Trust us, though, when we say you don’t have to celebrate Christmas to enjoy these seasonal spots.
1. Christmas cruise in northern Africa
Christmas cruises are an easy way to get away for the holidays without a lot of work. There’s an entire staff on board to organize activities, cook meals, clean, and decorate for you.
A cruise in northern Africa delivers atypical destinations with a dose of sunshine. Celebrity Cruises, for example, does a roundtrip sailing from Barcelona with ports of call in the Canary Islands, Gibraltar, and several cities in Morocco to name a few.
2. Northern Lights from an igloo hotel
When your travel bucket list includes (1) seeing the Northern Lights and (2) staying in an igloo hotel, combining them sounds like a nice holiday trip to gift yourself this year.
December through March, when the skies are super dark and clear, is usually the best time to catch the Northern Lights. Book a stay at a northern resort with glass igloos for a holiday you won’t forget. Finland's Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort and Bubble Hotel Iceland are some of the most popular.
3. Gulmarg Winter Festival in India
Located in northern India, in Jammu and Kashmir, Gulmarg is sometimes known as the Switzerland of India. The city hosts an annual festival to showcase its winter sports and tourism as well as to preserve Kashmiri traditions in art and food.
4. Ice at Canalside in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York, might not sound like the most exotic locale on this list, but its location along Lake Erie makes it one of the best places in the world to try winter sports.
Go beyond traditional ice skating and test your skill at curling or ice biking, which uses bicycles retrofitted for “skating” as you pedal, at Ice at Canalside.
5. Christmas market tours in Europe
Gift yourself the perfect souvenir and sample delightful foods from a European Christmas market. A market is a good chance to get an inside look at local traditions, support small businesses, and soak in the holiday spirit.
Many tour companies offer seasonal itineraries that include these festive markets. If you’re more interested in exploring on your own, take a look at these popular Christmas markets.
- Advent Feast at the Basilica in Budapest Hungary: A four-time winner of Europe’s Most Beautiful Christmas Market title, this fair in Budapest is packed with traditional food, artisan booths, and a daily light show that makes charity organizations part of the program.
- Tallinn Christmas Market in Tallinn, Estonia: This market claims to have the first Christmas tree ever put on display in Europe, starting the tradition in 1441. You can debate the likelihood of that while munching on local specialties like black pudding, sour cabbage, and gingerbread.
- Trier Weihnachtsmarkt in Trier, Germany: Dubbed the Most Romantic Christmas Market in Europe, Trier features an ever-changing daily schedule of shows and performances, along with nearly 100 booths of edible treats and crafts. Keep your eyes open for the Mulled Wine Queen, too.
- Christmas markets in Zagreb, Croatia: Zagreb’s market is actually 25 that have merged into one large celebration over time. Each one has its own theme. Look for hand-carved wooden toys from the Hrvatsko Zagorje region and Licitar’s heart-shaped cookies (they’re meant to be ornaments rather than food), both of which are on the UNESCO Representative list of intangible heritage of humanity.
- Holiday Market in Bergamo, Italy: This underrated market makes the list for its community atmosphere. About an hour’s drive northeast of Milan, Bergamo boasts a Christmas market with hot chocolate as thick as sundae sauce (I know this from experience), handicrafts, and fair rides for the kids.
If a European adventure isn’t in the cards for this year, more and more American cities are hosting their own versions.
Best Places to Travel in January
If “New Year, new travels” is your mantra, you’re in luck. These top destinations for January travel are just what you need for a fresh start.
1. Lerwick Up Helly Aa in the Shetland Islands
A year’s worth of planning culminates in this epic Scottish fire festival, described by some as a northern Mardi Gras. It celebrates the region’s Viking heritage and the coming of the new year. You’ll experience a spectacle of torch-bearing, costumed locals who march through the streets in the middle of the night, eating, drinking, and generally enjoying life before ultimately setting a Viking ship ablaze.
2. Ringing of the bells in Tokyo
On New Year’s Eve, Buddhist temples across Japan ring their bells to represent the banishing of the past year’s bad experiences and luck. While you can see (or hear) this around the country, the “Watched Night” bell in Tokyo is one of the best.
Check out our countdown of New Year’s traditions from around the world.
3. Ski Santa Fe in New Mexico
Budget travel doesn’t have to mean boring travel. Early January is on the cusp of prime ski season in most of the U.S. It’s late enough that you’ll probably have enough snow to hit the slopes, but the crowds haven’t moved in and the prices haven’t gone up yet.
Save a few bucks by heading somewhere like Ski Santa Fe. It's one of the more economical ski resorts in the region, and you can save even more by visiting in January, right before New Mexico’s peak season.
4. Villa Santa Cruz in Baja Sur, Mexico
We could give you a full list of where to go on a wellness retreat in January. Our top pick for the new year, though, is Villa Santa Cruz, a boutique luxury resort that doubles as a horse rescue farm. Even if you’re not an experienced rider, you might find something unexpectedly therapeutic about being paired with a horse that matches your energy and ambling out for a morning ride along the beach.
The resort is a relaxing place to both try new things and catch your breath. There’s a small number of rooms, meaning you’ll have plenty of space to enjoy the oceanside views, the refreshing hum of beehives, or a dip in a saltwater pool.
5. Winter warmup in Turks and Caicos
Temperatures in these Caribbean islands typically stay in the 70s and 80s throughout the winter, making Turks and Caicos an ideal destination when you’ve had enough cold weather. It’s the perfect place for exploring gorgeous bays and parks.
If you’re there during a full moon, be sure to book a glowworm cruise. A short trip into the wetlands gives you a closeup experience with the bioluminescent worms, making the water shimmer in an otherworldly way.
Insurance for Winter Travel
Travel insurance is a good call any time of year. When it comes to winter travel, though, you might find you need additional protection to offset the risk of disruptions due to bad weather, seasonal illness, and high expenses that come with taking a vacation during the holidays.
Find the right coverage for your winter trip at SevenCorners.com or talk to one of our licensed agents.
