If your holiday season travel plans so far involve little more than a wish list, it’s not too late to turn your dreams into reality. With many Americans enjoying time off during the festive season, these cities make especially good getaways during the weeks surrounding Christmas.
1. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and surrounding region
Carriage rides in Bethlehem. (Photo by Ang Caggiano, courtesy of VisitPA)
Philadelphia’s historic Macy’s location features a Christmas display with a free light show. It runs multiple times daily during the holiday season and is accompanied by a Wanamaker Organ, which is the world’s largest playing pipe organ. There’s also a Dickens Village with a walk-through animatronic exhibit telling the story of “A Christmas Carol” inside the store.
Just outside the city, a handful of small towns make for festive day trips. Perhaps no city better embodies that than Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which is not coincidentally also known as "Christmas City, USA." The quaint town goes all out with horse-drawn carriage rides and a European-style holiday market called the Christkindlmarkt.
And in the picturesque town of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, just north of Bethlehem, there’s an Olde Time Christmas festival on certain weekends in December. The town’s historic Victorian buildings make a historic backdrop for the many activities, including caroling, carriage rides and a Santa train ride.
Both Bethlehem and Jim Thorpe are typically less than a two-hour drive from Philadelphia.
2. Cleveland, Ohio
The Mr. Kringle Suite at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. (Photo courtesy of Hilton)
For movie buffs, there might be no city more festive than Cleveland, Ohio. After all, one of its most famous tourist attractions is the home featured in the 1983 holiday film "A Christmas Story.”
You can book a tour of the home during the day for $20, or stay overnight (rates start at $545 a night). Though it’s booked on Christmas night, there was still availability for the following week at the time of writing.
Other festive Cleveland lodging includes the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, which offers a Mr. Kringle Suite that transforms the hotel room with Christmas trees, holiday-themed furniture and festive bedding. Rather than you leaving cookies and milk for Santa, Hilton leaves them for you in this particular room. Rates typically run more than $600 a night.
Neither of those festive options are cheap, but Cleveland does have affordable lodging. The Marriott-owned Hotel Cleveland just underwent a $90 million renovation and has many rates well under $200 or 20,000 points per night.
So what do you do in Cleveland? Cuyahoga National Park's Ledges Trail is one of America's most scenic winter hikes due to the dramatic icicles that can form on the rocks. Adventure seekers can experience the thrill of tobogganing at The Chalet in Mill Stream Run Reservation, which is located 18 miles from Cleveland. And here's one of the best deals on ice skating anywhere in the country: The Rink at Wade Oval offers $2 admission and $3 rentals.
3. Orlando, Florida
(Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World)
Orlando’s theme parks go all-in on the holidays. Many of the biggest parks host separately ticketed, after-hours parties.
That includes Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, held at Orlando’s crown jewel, Magic Kingdom Park. On select nights through Dec. 20, 2024, visitors can watch a holiday-themed parade, fireworks and artificial snowfall. Glittering “icicles” made of lights hang from Cinderella Castle. Tickets are around $200 per person in December.
You don’t necessarily need a theme park ticket to find holiday festivities in Orlando. Travelers can visit the City of Winter Garden’s Main Street Holiday Stroll for free, which shuts down central streets from car traffic between Dec. 6 and Jan. 5 in favor of pedestrian-friendly festivities.
4. Branson, Missouri, and surrounding Ozarks
(Photo courtesy of Big Cedar Lodge)
During the holidays, Silver Dollar City, a theme park in Branson, Missouri, shines with its display of 6.5 million lights as part of its “An Old Time Christmas” festival. The entire theme park becomes a glowing spectacle, with synchronized shows and light tunnels. One-day tickets cost $92. The festivities run through Jan. 7, 2025.
If you’re into adventure but theme parks aren’t your thing, the surrounding Ozarks offer other activities. Over in Ridgedale, you can go spelunking in style. That’s by way of the Nature at Night at Lost Canyon Cave Tour (starting at $39 per adult), which sets visitors off on a private golf cart through a 2.5-mile trail past waterfalls and a cave that is decked out with holiday lights inside.
Meanwhile, The Wonders of Wildlife aquarium in Springfield, Missouri hosts the only non-coastal sea turtle rescue in the country in partnership with the New England Aquarium. Turtles arrive in late December or early January.
5. Chicago and surrounding region
The Graduate by Hilton Evanston's Home Alone Suite. (Photo courtesy of Hilton)
Chicago transforms into a winter wonderland during the holiday season. Millennium Park is a must-visit, where you can ice skate under the shadow of “The Bean” or admire the towering Christmas tree sparkling against the cityscape.
Holiday shoppers might find that the Magnificent Mile is the obvious choice. But there's also the European-inspired Christkindlmarket, complete with handcrafted ornaments, warm mulled wine and traditional German treats. Folks who appreciate some education in their vacation should visit the Museum of Science and Industry’s “Christmas Around the World” exhibit.
As far as where to stay? Film aficionados should actually head about 30 minutes out from downtown Chicago to the city of Evanston, Illinois (home of Northwestern University). The Graduate by Hilton Evanston stands out as the best hotel to book in the city this winter, thanks to its infamous Home Alone movie suite. It's with all the trimmings of the McCallister master bedroom (plus a few modern Graduate by Hilton accents), including a writing desk (for wrapping presents and/or planning a defensive strategy) and a retro TV.
Though if you do want to stay in Chicago city limits, there's a unique offering dubbed the Nordic Night Lights Package, available over at the Loews Chicago Hotel, which puts you in a suite adorned with Nordic-themed decor.
6. San Antonio, Texas
(Photo courtesy of Visit San Antonio)
The iconic San Antonio River Walk goes all out for Christmas. The long stretch of restaurants, shops and bars by the water transforms into a free-to-visit winter wonderland through Jan. 5, 2025. There, millions of lights draped over trees create a romantic ambiance as they reflect in the water. Boat rides down the river offer a more relaxing view of the shimmering displays.
7. San Francisco Bay Area
The Teddy Bear Tea at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco. (Photo by Sally French)
The towering Christmas tree and adjacent ice skating rink in Union Square is a centerpiece of San Francisco’s holiday season. While there, pop into the Westin St. Francis, which boasts an elaborate sugar castle display in its lobby that draws plenty of non-hotel guests to snap a picture.
Other high-end San Francisco hotels also offer over-the-top displays. The Fairmont San Francisco has a life-size gingerbread house in the lobby that you can actually walk through. The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is famous for its holiday tradition, the Teddy Bear Tea. The afternoon tea sells out every year, despite its nearly-$200 per person price tag.
Igloos and an ice skating rink at the Meritage Resort in Napa, California. (Photo by Sally French)
For more of a small town Christmas feel in Northern California, head over to nearby Napa Valley. The Napa Valley Wine Train usually takes riders on a scenic, railway tour past vineyards while serving elegant meals and of course, wine. During the holidays, trains pull out of the station to the tune of carolers, with Santa onboard. Spend the night at Napa’s Meritage Resort, which transforms into a winter village with an outdoor ice skating rink as part of the “Merry Meritage” festival.
8. Nashville
(Photo courtesy of The Graduate by Hilton Nashville)
Nashville brings a unique blend of Southern charm and festive spirit to the holiday season. That's evident at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, where over three million lights, themed ice sculptures and indoor snow tubing create a magical winter experience. Music lovers will revel in holiday concerts at the Grand Ole Opry and seasonal performances at iconic venues along Music Row.
During Christmas, Nashville puts a unique twist on the tradition of tea by way of the Hot Chocolate Afternoon Tea at Loews Nashville Hotel at Vanderbilt Plaza. There, ornate teapots are filled with hot chocolate and served alongside gourmet toppings. The adult version entails a luxe espresso martini flight add-on.
As far as lodging, you might also consider The Graduate by Hilton Nashville, namely for its Dolly Parton-inspired 9 to 5 Suite During the holidays, it's decked out with tinsel and Christmas trees with various shades of pink ornaments. Those augment the pink feathers, disco ball-tile ceilings and shag carpet you’ll find in the suite year-round.
9. Puerto Rico
(Photo courtesy of Wyndham Palmas Beach & Golf Resort)
For a tropical escape without the international travel hassle, Puerto Rico is super popular these days. Perhaps Jimmy Fallon's new holiday song, "Coquito," named for Puerto Rico’s favorite festive drink, has something to do with it.
As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico doesn’t require a passport for American travelers, making it ideal for a spontaneous Christmas getaway.
Puerto Rico's unique holiday celebrations include Parrandas, where groups of carolers sing traditional songs late into the night.
Many hotels also offer their own festivities onsite. For example, Wyndham Palmas Beach & Golf Resort runs an annual Christmas Bird Count, where guests can contribute to important bird species documentation in the Caribbean.
Can't make it by Christmas? Puerto Rico's holiday season lasts well beyond Christmas, including the hotel's New Year's celebration at Trova Coastal Kitchen. Guests can savor authentic Puerto Rican cuisine like Asopao, while taking part in live music, a midnight champagne toast and a balloon drop.
Or, stay through mid-January with the celebration of Three Kings Day which entails festivals, holiday dishes like pasteles and coquito, plus warm, sunny weather to escape the winter chill.
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The article 9 Last-Minute Christmas Vacations to Book in the U.S. originally appeared on NerdWallet.
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