Top Holiday Destinations: Where to Travel for Christmas Magic This Year

It’s a delicious dilemma: your family wants to pop their stockings in a suitcase and fly away like Santa’s reindeer, but they haven’t yet decided where to go. I’ve been in that situation more than once and learned to let the weather be the deciding factor. In the early years of living in San Diego, I couldn’t imagine being surrounded by palm trees and sunshine during the special December days, so I’d fly to snowy New York and cozy up with multiple generations of my family. Conversely, a few years later when I was living in Germany near the Bavarian Alps, I opted to spend winter break in the sunny Canary Islands.  

If you’re adventurous and enjoy cold weather, consider heading to Helsinki, Finland. The city is a true winter wonderland, known for its colorful Christmas markets, cozy log fires, and outdoor sports including skating, sledding, and cross country skiing on 125 miles of groomed trails that wind through the city. The Hotel Maria, which opened earlier this year in the heart of the community, offers luxury lodging and gracious Nordic hospitality, including a traditional Finnish sauna in the spa and in some suites. 

In addition to seasonal activities, Finland’s year-round attractions include the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which was built by Sweden in the second half of the 18th century on islands overlooking the Baltic Sea. 

Ireland, especially Dublin, is another great holiday destination, and it’s accessible from Finland via the efficient Eurostar train system that connects to ferry and bus services throughout Europe. Like Helsinki, Dublin offers markets and ice skating, but it also offers something you won’t see anywhere else in the world. On Christmas Eve — as they have done for many years — Bono, Glen Hansard, and a host of their rock-and-roll friends will gather at the top of Grafton Street to busk in aid of the Simon Community that works to prevent and address homelessness. As in previous years, there’s no actual guarantee as to who might show up, but the magic never fails to deliver. In case you can’t be there, the event will be livestreamed on Dublin Simon Community’s Facebook and Instagram channels at 9pm Irish time. 

On Christmas morning, a dip in the icy sea is a wildly popular activity in Dublin and around Ireland’s coast — not unlike Polar Bear Plunge at the La Jolla Cove on New Year’s Day. Another only-in-Dublin event: Horse racing happens at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, December 26 to 29. It’s a hotspot for post-holiday get-togethers complete with live music and course-wide entertainment.

The five-star Merrion Hotel in the heart of Georgian Dublin is a cozy holiday retreat. Young guests can meet Father Christmas while parents enjoy cocktails and mulled cider accompanied by carols. On Christmas Day, guests awake to an Irish breakfast before a celebratory Christmas lunch or dinner served in the Garden Room Restaurant. 

Of course, you don’t have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to have outdoor adventures during the holidays. Just join the fun at the Fairmont Banff Springs in the majestic Canadian Rockies. The legendary hotel opened in the 1880s and is renowned for offering warm hospitality. Visiting Banff National Park in winter will show you a sparkling, icy, snow-dusted side of the Canadian Rockies. The hotel’s “Christmas at the Castle” package, which runs through January 5, includes a festive tree in your lodgings. If you stay here, your choices of activities will include everything from decorating gingerbread houses and listening to carolers to snowboarding and snowshoe tours. If you love the area (as I do), you might also want to look into heli-hiking in the nearby Bugaboo Mountains during the summer. 

Scottsdale, Arizona, is an even closer holiday destination. Christmas at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess includes ice skating (yes, in the desert), meeting Santa, and snacking on s’mores around an open fire. The resort also offers sunshine, even when it’s cloudy on the coast, as well as two 18-hole golf courses, six pools, seven tennis courts, and a full-service spa.  

He’s a busy guy at this time of the year, so most of us give Saint Nick a hand with finding presents for our loved ones. If this sometimes feels like a chore, consider flying north — not to the Pole, but to Minneapolis and the Mall of America. It’s the largest shopping center in the Western Hemisphere and includes hundreds of stores and restaurants, a theme park, and a cinema. If you stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, you can dine in their charming Nordic Village and make believe that you’re in a cabin in the North Woods. The eight cozy cedar cabins are set up annually on the outdoor terrace of the fourth floor. The hotel also offers guided sauna experiences, which might provide relief after a big day of shopping. Nordic Village will welcome guests Wednesday through Sunday until March 30, 2025. It’s best to reserve a cabin when you make your hotel reservation. 

However, we don’t need to go to Minneapolis to do holiday shopping. This is a great time of year to spend a few days in Beverly Hills. I’ve had lots of fun strolling Rodeo Drive and admiring the gorgeous decorations. The Beverly Hills Hotel, aka the “Pink Palace,” is home to the legendary Polo Lounge where its popular “12 Days of Soufflés” will take place December 12 to 23. Nearby, The Peninsula Beverly Hills will host carolers December 20 to 24, a visit from Santa on December 24, and a festive afternoon tea daily through throughout the month. 

Helsinki, Banff Springs, Scottsdale…no matter where in the world you hang your stockings, you can find joy because — happily — the magic of Christmas is portable.