Discover 5 dreamy Christmas vacation ideas and ultimate festive getaways to make this season unforgettable. Trade holiday stress for adventure and wonder!
5 Dreamy Christmas Vacation Ideas
Have you ever wanted to pack up the family and go somewhere for Christmas? Not the trip where you drive 10 hours to visit the in-laws, but a “real” get-a-way vacation! I would love to keep the Christmas ornaments and decorations boxed up and just relax some place fun with the family.
Before I was married, my mom and I went to Santa Fe. They have farolitos (candles in paper bags) everywhere. It was definitely different from the usual Christmas decor. Another year before having our kids, my husband and I went to New Orleans. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton and ate at some wonderful restaurants. Kids sure change the way you celebrate the holiday season!
Here are a few places I’ve always dreamed about visiting during Christmas. Grab your favorite sweater, pack your bags, and let us dive into the ultimate festive getaways!
The Biltmore Estate
The Biltmore would be amazing! George and Edith Vanderbilt’s 250-room family home and country retreat in Asheville, NC. This just looks so pretty and romantic with dozens of Christmas trees and hundreds of poinsettias. Not sure if my kids would be too excited, but I would!
Here are a few magical things to do during Christmas at Biltmore:
- Take the Daytime House Tour: Walk through the massive historic mansion to admire dozens of hand-decorated Christmas trees, thousands of ornaments, miles of evergreen garland, and magnificent seasonal floral arrangements filling the historic rooms.
- Experience Candlelight Christmas Evenings: Reserve an evening ticket to see the estate transformed by the soft glow of thousands of candles, roaring fireplaces, and live acoustic music echoing through the grand banquet hall.
- Explore Antler Hill Village & Winery: Wander through the illuminated village area, which features festive holiday displays, a massive 55-foot Christmas tree, and complimentary wine tastings paired with seasonal treats.
Walt Disney World
How fun would this be? My kids would be in heaven! My friend and her family went last year with her parents and extended family. I saw her recently and teasingly asked if she was going on her fancy trip again this year, and she said no, they decided on a Disney Christmas Cruise instead! Man, some people have it made (Janet!!).
UPDATE: Since writing this article, we’ve been to Disney World several times for Christmas. I wrote my tips and reviews here:
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tips
- Disney Jollywood Nights Tips & Review
- Disney Tips for New Year’s Eve at Magic Kingdom
- 10 Best Character Dining at Disney World for Dinner
New York City
I love watching the movie Elf where Will Ferrel goes around to all the store windows looking at the Christmas trees. I picture myself doing that someday. Oh, and there would also be lots of shopping and ice skating at Rockefeller Center.
My dream place to stay would be the Waldorf Astoria New York!
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Photo credit: cogito ergo imago/Flickr
Here are 3 Budget Friendly Ideas if visiting New York during the holidays:
- Rockefeller Center: Marvel at the world-famous Christmas tree and festive window displays along Fifth Avenue for free.
- Bryant Park Winter Village: Explore the open-air artisan holiday shops and browse boutique crafts without spending a dime on admission.
- Dyker Heights Christmas Lights: Stroll through the Brooklyn neighborhood streets on foot to admire over-the-top, jaw-dropping residential light displays.
A Beautiful Mountain Resort
I’m not picky about my mountain resort, really, anywhere would be great. I think my top choices at Christmas would be Vail Colorado, or Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Here are 3 wonderful things to do during Christmas in Vail:
- Stroll Through Vail Village & Lionshead Village: Experience a classic alpine winter wonderland. The European-inspired pedestrian villages are strung with thousands of twinkling fairy lights and feature heated walkways that make wandering past the upscale boutiques, holiday markets, and art galleries comfortable even on snowy days.
- Ice Skate Beneath the Mountain Peaks: Glide across the open-air ice rinks, such as the Solaris Plaza rink in Vail Village or the Arrabelle Ice Rink in Lionshead. Surrounded by mountain architecture and festive lights, it is a quintessential holiday activity often accompanied by pop-up figure skating exhibitions.
- Take a Scenic Sleigh Ride: Trade the ski slopes for a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snow-covered Vail Valley wilderness. Many local outfitters guide you through quiet alpine meadows and forests, frequently wrapping up the journey with a hot cocoa or a rustic fireside dinner.
A Unique Holiday Activity to Try in Jackson, Wyoming:
Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides: Take a horse-drawn sleigh ride directly through the National Elk Refuge, where thousands of wintering elk gather against the backdrop of the snow-covered Teton mountain range.
St. Augustine, Florida
A fantastic budget-friendly, warm Christmas vacation idea is St. Augustine, Florida. St. Augustine offers a delightfully mild, jacket-weather coastal climate combined with world-class holiday festivities that won’t break the bank.
- The Nights of Lights Festival: Recognized globally as one of the best holiday light displays, the historic district glows with millions of white lights draped over 19th-century Spanish colonial architecture. Walking through the historic downtown and taking in the glowing plazas is entirely free.
- Historic Exploration & Coastlines: You can spend your days touring affordable historic sites like the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument or catching some winter sun on the nearby stretches of St. Augustine Beach without paying peak-season resort prices. CharterUP
- Budget-Friendly Value: Compared to major theme park hubs or the deeper Caribbean, lodging, local dining, and vacation rentals in St. Augustine offer significantly more value during the winter shoulder season.
Have you ever packed up the family and gone on a Christmas vacation? Where would you like to go?
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In the past we’ve traveled to Washington (state) to see family for the holidays. Last year we did spend Thanksgiving in Nashville. It was so fun and so much less stress.
I’ve seen some families that are now taking the money they would have spent on gifts and planning a “big” trip for Christmas instead. I think that’s a great idea. Especially when kids are older and past the “toy” stage of Christmas. It might be what we do next year since this years shopping is already done.
I would definitely have to pick NYC as one of the places I’d like to go for Christmas. I’ve been several times during other times of the year and love it there. But somewhere with lots of snow would be fun too.
Michelle’s last blog post..Other bloggers
aspen or vail…for sure… somewhere outside manhattan, all snowy and wintry looking and close enough to where we could head into manhattan for shows, shopping, etc. montana (sp?)…cuz it’s snowing there right now…huge snowflakes (a bff of mine lives there) and it’s beautiful everywhere there… i wouldn’t mind going to martha stewarts house for christmas either or donny osmond’s family christmas… we’ve never gone anywhere for christmas, i think it would be strange not to celebrate christmas at home…like the song. blessings!
ashley’s last blog post..Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving!!
We did Disneyland one year and it was SO fun and relaxing! I would love to do it again!
You know… I have to say that I can’t imagine not being home for Christmas. We do travel to visit our folks, but their home is our home too. I think I would feel cheated if I wasn’t home for Christmas. Although, I have to agree with Heidi that NYC for Christmas would be neat to see.
Erica’s last blog post..25 Days of Christmas – Day 24
Never been anywhere but at Grandma’s for Christmas. Same for this year. She and Grandpa have mentioned doing a trip sometime instead of gifts, and I think it would be a LOT of fun. I love my cousins, and they’re a riot to hang out with, so we would have a great time.
I, too, would love to go to NYC for Christmas (or anytime!). I’ve never been there, but I romanticize it terribly in my mind.
Minnesotamom’s last blog post..Deck the Halls Meme
WOW! THANKS AMY! I CAN’T WAIT TO LEAVE ON ALL OF THESE TRIPS! YOU ARE SO GENEROUS TO GIVE THEM AWAY TO ME!!
What? You’re not giving these trips away? dangit…
Carrie’s last blog post..See You in a Bit…
A friend of mine and her husband, aunts, and uncle went to Hawaii for Thanksgiving to visit her cousin. Can you even imagine how wonderful that would be?!
Since Ohio is always so cold and dreary, I would probably choose somewhere warm. On our cruise a couple of years ago, our entire family fell in love with Aruba and beautiful Baby Beach. Maybe we could spend the whole holiday there laying on the beach with our albino bodies soaking up some much-needed rays. 🙂
Your dream locations look wonderful too!
The Arthur Clan’s last blog post..Finally!