If you’re looking for a family-friendly or even couple-friendly travel destination for Christmas or the holiday season, there are plenty of options here in the United States that might work well. Many of these cities and towns are known for having an abundance of Christmas spirit.
USA’s Best Cities and Towns for a Christmas Getaway
The following are a ranking of some of the top cities and towns for your Christmas getaway, whether you’re planning it this year, or you’re thinking ahead to next.
Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri, is located in the Ozarks, and while the population year-round is only around 10,000, it’s estimated that as many as ten million visitors flocked to this unique destination each year.
Branson is known for its scenic, outdoor beauty, including not only the Ozarks but several lakes. It’s also known for large, family-friendly hotels, and live entertainment. In fact, Branson has earned the nickname of being the live entertainment capital of the world.
Many of Branson’s most beloved shows are Christmas-themed during the holidays as well, including Dolly Parton’s Stampede. There are also shows like the Miracle of Christmas at Sight & Sound Theatres Branson and Branson’s Christmas Wonderland.
It’s not just live entertainment that makes Branson special during the holidays. Silver Dollar City is a 19th-century themed amusement park that hosts An Old Time Christmas each year with millions of twinkling lights, and you can take a ride on the Polar Express on the Branson Scenic Railway.
Leavenworth, Washington
Leavenworth, Washington is modeled after a Bavarian town, so you can see how it might be full of Christmas charm.
According to the Travel Channel, Leavenworth is the “epitome of Christmas,” featuring sleigh rides, a reindeer farm, and a nutcracker museum.
There are more than half a million lights that decorate the buildings in the town, and every Saturday and Sunday during the first three weekends of December, there are lighting ceremonies.
The Village Voices sings Christmas carols during these lighting events also. At Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, you can schedule a tour, and in addition to feeding the animals, you can learn more about them.
Winter sleigh rides on a two-horse open sleigh are available at Mountain Springs Lodge and make a stop at Beaver Creek Barn for warm apple cider.
Solvang, California
Solvang is a small, tourist-themed town that features Danish charm. The town also really does it up around holiday time, making you forget your in California where there isn’t a lot of cold weather, nor is there going to be snow.
Reader’s Digest named Solvang the “Best Christmas Town in California,” and The New York Post called it one of the “10 Best Christmas Towns in America.”
The annual Solvang Christmas celebration is called Julefest, and the old world Denmark-style architecture is a perfect fit with the Christmas decorations.
There are free and VIP candlelight tours, free visits from Santa, and a free Live Nativity Pageant.
McAdenville, North Carolina
McAdenville is a small town near Charlotte that transforms into a holiday wonderland each year, so much so that it’s dubbed “Christmas Town USA.”
There is a light display in the town that brings in more than 600,000 visitors each year.
The town puts up over 500,000 lights, and the residents do their homes as well.
Media outlets like Southern Living Magazine have called it one of the best holiday destinations in the country. There is a tree-lighting ceremony held at the start of December, and then the tree is lit and on display in the town plaza until the night after Christmas.
Dahlonega, Georgia
Dahlonega is a small town in Georgia in the Blue Ridge Mountains. During the warmer weather months, there is hiking along with other outdoor activities, and it’s also a good central point if you want to tour the wineries of North Georgia.
There is a historic town square that dates back to the 19th century, making the perfect holiday backdrop.
Each year the day after Christmas is the start of the Dahlonega Old Fashioned Christmas celebration. It lasts throughout the month and includes a parade, tree lighting, and a market on Candy Cane Lane. The Christmas in Homestead Hallmark movie was even filmed in Dahlonega a few years ago.
Santa Claus, Indiana
Could there be anything more appropriate for Christmas than visiting a town named Santa Claus?
Santa Claus, Indiana, is in the spirit all year long, and especially at Christmas. The town has only 2,4000 people, but you’ll see Santa Claus everywhere you go.
Visit Santa’s Candy Castle, with free admission, where you can get a direct line to the North Pole and chat with an elf. Visit Santa’s Lodge for Christmas Dinner with Santa, including storytime with milk and cookies and go to Christmas Lake Village for The Festival of Lights.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jackson Hole, Wyoming is the best of the best when it comes to winter sports, including skiing and snowboarding. They also have great Christmas options for the whole family, even if you aren’t a winter sports enthusiast.
You can visit the Jackson Hole town square to see the decorations and find different spots serving hot chocolate and Christmas cookies. Country Living Magazine named Jackson Hole as one of the best small towns for Christmas, for this reason, and others.
USA’s Best Cities and Towns for a Christmas Getaway
You can take a horse-drawn sleigh in the National Elk Refuge, have breakfast with Santa at the Wort Hotel, and go to the Jackson Hole Playhouse for the yearly Christmas show.
The fun doesn’t end at Christmas, either. Jackson Hole is also known for its New Year’s celebration if you can extend your stay. There is a New Year’s torchlight parade on New Year’s Eve, which has been held every year since the 1950s.
There is a glow stick parade in Teton Village for the kids, and there is the annual Gondi Gala held at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Each Year.
Of course, these are only a small sample of all the festive cities and towns around the country where you could plan a Christmas getaway this year or next.