The holidays are a time for gathering, joy, and celebrating the end of the year. Some of us will gather around the tree with hot cocoa and open presents from Mr. Clause. At the same time, others will be lighting a menorah or engaging in one of the many other family traditions celebrated in December.
AAA reported that 113 million Americans would travel during this busy holiday season. That makes this one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. We wanted to give you some insight into the top 10 destinations our guests are traveling to this year.
Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida, is a mecca of a destination during the holidays. Disney World alone is worth the trip to the sunshine state. You are immersed into the holiday spirit by having an a capella show every 30 minutes, lights and trees everywhere you look, all characters dressed in holiday apparel, and even a unique Christmas tree lighting on Christmas Day!
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is one of the busiest destinations any day of the year, but exceptionally so during the holidays. Las Vegas goes all out when it comes to Christmas, with glistening lights on the strip, pop-up ice skating rinks, tons of activities, and even an immersive Nutcracker show! We highly recommend checking out The Holiday Experience at the Strip, as you will be offered holiday treats like mulled wine, German sausages, and waffles on a stick!
Branson, Missouri
Of course, Branson, Missouri falls as #3 on our most visited destination during the holiday season. It isn’t called “America’s Christmas Tree” for nothing. Here you can ride the train from The Polar Express, look at the 1,000 Christmas trees on display, view the lighting of the 62-foot Christmas tree in the center of the town, or go snow tubing at Wolfe Mountain. There is so much to do that we can’t list all the fun and exciting things in one blog!
Cancun, Mexico
Cancun, Mexico is the winter weather escape we all know we need. Mexico is a great destination to visit during the holidays to learn more about how other cultures celebrate. Here you will see the typical Christmas trees, strings of lights hanging everywhere, and even tinsel. Something you don’t typically see here is the Mexican Nativity scenes set up around the town for all to see!
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is a beautiful and fun place for the whole family to visit. Did you know Dollywood, one of the famous attractions in town, uses over 5 million lights during December to decorate for the holidays? This family-friendly attraction brings people from far and wide to this small-town destination. We highly recommend checking it out on your next trip to Gatlinburg.
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Hilton Head is not the typical “Christmas” destination, but it is a top-visited destination this year. Here you can enjoy activities like the Christmas Village or the annual Town of Bluffton Christmas Parade. You can get family photos with Santa at the local outlets or watch A Christmas Story under the Liberty Oak! Head on down to Hilton Head to enjoy all the unique holiday celebrations it has to offer.
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach offers a wide variety of festive activities and holiday fun the whole family can enjoy. Being the world’s most famous beach, it is an obvious choice when traveling to warm weather destinations for the holidays. A few of our favorite activities include Christmas at the Trails, which includes fresh warm donuts, train rides with Santa, and even meeting Daytona Beach’s Bronco! Do you enjoy trivia and ugly Christmas sweaters? If you said yes, head to Persimmon Hollow for Christmas Trivia and an ugly Christmas sweater party!
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an excellent destination to visit with the family during the holidays. Busch Gardens goes all out with lights, festivities, and much more! If you thought 5 million lights at Dollywood was a lot, try 10 million at Busch Gardens. If you’re looking for a great gift for your mother-in-law or sibling, head to the Yankee Candle Village, where you can find the best-smelling candles and much more! A complete Yankee Candle Christmas Village experience offers a toy train that travels along a sky full of twinkling stars and real snow!
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo, like its Cancun counterpart, is a top international destination to visit during December. One unique thing Cabo does is a 12-day celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe from the 1st to the 12th of December. Here you will see nightly parades and fireworks that light up the sky with vibrant colors! During December, you will also notice humpback and blue whales in the waters, as this is the time of year for migrating to the area! So grab your cameras, and head to the water to capture these massive and beautiful creatures in person!
Breckenridge, Colorado
Did you know that National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was filmed in Breckenridge? Breckenridge is an obvious destination to visit during the holidays. Not only can you experience natural snow, but you can also go skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and much more! The small town is deeply rooted in celebrations kicking off the season with hundreds of Santa look-alikes racing through town! Head over to Breckenridge, Colorado, on your next holiday vacation adventure!
Are you interested in visiting one of these amazing destinations? Call (844)-648-2229, chat with us here, or head to our vacation destination page to see your available travel options!
