Pack Your Bags For A Festive Vacation: Best Places To Visit During Christmas

Celebrated all over the world, Christmas is the festival of joy and cheer. The towns are decorated in the theme colours of red and green, kids start making their wishlists for Santa, and adults? Well, adults start looking for the best places to visit during Christmas! The most beloved of the winter holidays, Christmas is indeed a magical time. Late December is either covered beautifully in snow, or delightfully summery, depending on which part of the planet you are in. And given that the new year is just days away, the entire week of Christmas to New Year makes for a great time to travel, explore, and witness the beauty of celebrations across the world.

If you’re planning a vacation too, here are our favourite picks for the best places to visit during Christmas

1. Strasbourg, France

One of the best places to go for Christmas celebrations, Strasbourg is home to France’s oldest Christmas market called Christkindelsmärik. The streets are beautifully illuminated, experiences are plenty, and Christmas carols are in the air, and to sip on while you explore the market, there’s always mulled wine. As far as romantic destinations go, Strasbourg is the place you should go for the best Christmas in the world.

2. Rome, Italy

Home to the most important place in catholicism, Rome is a delight in December. One of the best places to go for Christmas Eve mass is the Vatican and easily the most popular too. The next afternoon, go to St. Peter’s Cathedral for the pope’s Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi speech after which he blesses the crowds. Apart from this, enjoy the nativity scenes and Christmas markets that Rome offers before the tourists flock to the city for New Year’s.

3. Cologne, Germany

Christmas comes early to Cologne, in November itself actually, making it one of the best places to visit during Christmas in the world. The Christmas markets in Cologne are some of the best in the world and a must-visit. There’s also a Christmas train, and a Ferris wheel for fun, apart from the regular Nativity scenes and Christmas parties that you can explore.

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4. Salzburg, Austria 

If a fairytale version of the festival is what you’re looking for, Salzburg in Austria is gonna be on the top of the list of best places to visit on Christmas. The stunning European city is a winter wonderland covered in snow, and with the lights and decorations being put up in the end of November, it is a destination that becomes must-visit in the month of December. There is of course Christkindlmarkt with mulled wine, delicious cookies, and freshly roasted hazelnuts.

5. New York City, USA

If you have grown up on Hallmark Christmas movies, this one surely needs no introduction. From the Rockefeller Tree being lit up to the countdown in Times Square to elaborate window displays on 5th Avenue, Christmas in NYC is an experience you’ll cherish for a long time. If activities and fun gatherings is what you’re looking for, NYC will easily be the best Christmas in the world.

6. Sydney, Australia

Who said the best Christmas in the world is always snowy! In the Southern Hemisphere, it is peak summers in the month of December And Sydney, Australia is one of the best places to visit during Christmas if you want the fun and the celebration without the freezing temperatures. Explore Le Jolly Market at night, take a cruise around the harbour, or enjoy festive spreads at much-loved eateries like Pilu at Freshwater and SkyFeast at Sydney Tower.

7. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

The Christmas spirit in Rio is best represented by a fully decked massive floating tree at the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon. It is the largest floating tree in the world, and it being lit up on the first of December marks the start of the festive season in the city. Whether you soak in the traditional festivities in Lapa and Santa Teresa, take up a cable car to Sugarloaf Mountain, or visit Christ the Redeemer for the projection show, Rio promises to be one of the best places to go for Christmas holidays.

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8. San Juan, Puerto Rico

If you want to experience what is easily the best Christmas in the world, Puerto Rico’s capital city San Juan is where you should be headed. The entire celebration here lasts more than a month! Starting after Thanksgiving, the celebration for Navidad lasts till the San Sebastian Festival in mid-January. Eat, drink, make merry, and experience the Puerto Rican traditions in the best way possible during this time.