15 Amazing Places to Take the Kids at Christmas

Christmas is family-time - time to focus on the people and things that really matter. It is also a great time for a family holiday or break as there are so many amazing places you can go that are extra special at Christmas time. Whether you’d like to go somewhere really festive or want a totally different Christmas experience, here are some ideas of amazing places to take the kids at Christmas.

• Meet Father Christmas in Lapland - day trips, short breaks and holidays.
• Christmas Family Ski Trips - luxury chalets, hotels and ski all-inclusive.
• Christmas Cruises.
• A Luxury Christmas in the Sun.
• Fun-filled Family Christmas City Breaks.

Magical trips to Lapland to meet Father Christmas

If you’re looking for magic but are short on time, there are some fantastic day trips to Lapland. We only pick from the best, so you are assured a fun-filled day, packed with snowy and festive activities - and of course, you’ll have a private meeting with Father Christmas, just for your family group. 

Alternatively, you can opt for a 3- or 4- night break in Lapland, or even a week or more. Choose between family-friendly hotels, self-catering apartments, cosy log cabins or amazing places like glass igloos. From tobogganing to snowmobiles, reindeer sleigh rides to Northern Lights hunts, we can include a whole variety of activities to suit your family, plus of course your private meeting with Father Christmas.

Some of our festive Lapland trips: Santa's Magic; Santa's Aurora; Ranua Festive Family Adventure; A Magical Trip in Search of Father Christmas.

To find out more about day trips, short breaks or holidays in Lapland, ENQUIRE HERE.

Family Christmas Ski Trips

Christmas is a wonderful time to head off on a family ski trip. Choose an informal luxury chalet holiday, with a chalet host to prepare all your meals, including Christmas dinner; or enjoy the splendour of a 4* or 5* hotel like the Edelweiss & Gurgl in Obergurgl or the Four Seasons Megève; with the option of clubs for the kids, perhaps a pool and a spa, and a special gala meal for Christmas. For a luxury all-inclusive ski holiday Club Med holidays are a perfect choice. On top of their normal ski-all-inclusive offering, they put on Christmas activities and entertainment, a visit from Father Christmas and a delicious festive meal.

If you’d like to go on a family ski trip at Christmas, ENQUIRE HERE.

Christmas Cruises

Many cruise lines go to town with their Christmas sailings - decorations, trees, seasonal music, festive activities - and of course a special Christmas gala dinner. Father Christmas may even find time to hop aboard for a visit. Cruise options over Christmas include European sailings from Southampton and Caribbean cruises. Disney has themed Christmas cruises in the Caribbean right through November and December.

To sail away on a Christmas cruise, ENQUIRE HERE.

Festive Theme Park Fun in Orlando, Florida

All the theme parks in Orlando are sprinkled with Christmas magic over the festive season, from an abundance of decorations to seasonal shows and music. You may even see a dusting of ice and snow (of sorts!) and Father Christmas joining the parades. Choose between luxury hotels, theme park hotels or your own private villa and enjoy a warm Christmas holiday with fun for all. It’s definitely worth planning well in advance for this one - this time of year is very popular.

To arrange a festive family holiday in Orlando, ENQUIRE NOW.

A Luxury Christmas in the Sun

Enjoy a totally different style of Christmas in a luxury holiday in the sun. In many hotels, there will still be festivities, with Christmas trees and decorations, seasonal activities in the children’s clubs and sumptuous gala dinners. Alongside this, you can enjoy beautiful sunny weather, gorgeous beaches and all the attractions of your luxury hotel.

Atlantis the Palm, Dubai
Christmas in this UAE is certainly different and also great fun; with surprising festive touches, including Santa’s grottos, winter souks and even snowy fun at Ski Dubai with its very own penguins! One of the most popular hotels, Atlantis the Palm sets up a festive village with seasonal feasts in its several restaurants, activities galore and the chance to meet Father Christmas. All this and the beach too! 

Beaches Negril, Jamaica
Spending the twelve days of Christmas at this award-winning family resort on the island’s famous 7km-long beach pack is huge amounts of fun, usually including Parang (popular Caribbean folk music traditionally performed at Christmas time), a beach carnival with a fire show, festive treasure hunts, a Sesame Street parade, outdoor Christmas movies, and a Christmas Village with local crafts, jewellery and carvings. On Christmas Day itself, Santa and Mrs Claus appear on the beach to hand out gifts, and there’s also a festive steel band performance and a Christmas party in the teens-only Club Liquid. See our feature on a family holiday at Beaches Negril, including a Christmas toy drive with the charitable Sandals Foundation.

More hotels for a luxury Christmas in the sun: Royal Palm Beachcomber Luxury, Mauritius; Hilton Seychelles Labriz; Gran Melia Palacio d’Isora, Tenerife.

If you would like to spend Christmas at a luxury hotel in the sun, ENQUIRE HERE.

A Fun-filled Christmas City Break

Christmas is a fun time for a family city break, with many cities setting up Christmas markets, festive entertainment and other fun attractions, from Christmas parades to ice rinks.

Vienna
The Austrian capital, with its cosy coffee houses, comes into its own in winter, with Christmas visitors treated to festive markets (don’t miss the ones at Schönbrunn Palace and the Prater Gardens, with the famous Prater wheel and other fairground rides), ice-skating rinks, classical concerts and the annual Wiener Volksoper opera for children, plus a whole range of fun in the funky Museumsquartier, usually including Alpine booths and ice pavilions, street art, installations, light projections, remote-controlled car races and curling competitions.

Copenhagen
The Danish capital oozes a festive atmosphere, especially in the Tivoli Gardens with its rides, illuminations and Christmas market. Meanwhile, quaint Nyhavn has beautifully decorated quayside stalls, the iconic Hotel d'Angleterre and Magasin du Nord department store both have fabulous illuminations, and Frederiksberg Rundell has an ice rink. See our feature on a Christmas family break in Copenhagen including an evening at the Tivoli Gardens.

New York City
The Big Apple is at its most delicious at Christmas, with ice rinks, festive markets, fabulous window displays and wonderful events at museums. See our feature on Christmas in NYC.

If you’re interested in taking your family on a special Christmas city break, ENQUIRE HERE.

Read more about our favourite family winter sun holidays and our top family skiing holiday recommendations.