Alaska is a great place to visit for a real Christmas. Alaska is a fantastic place to visit during the holidays. As part of your spectacular Alaska Christmas holiday, you can enjoy majestic mountains, glittering lakes, stunning glaciers, polar bears, and, of course, plenty of snow. Alaska is one of several pristine wildlife-watching sites, including sports such as snowboarding, skating, and cross-country skiing.

Alaska is the ideal destination for a white Christmas vacation, thanks to its copious snowfall, vast woods, and unique seaside villages in the Pacific Northwest. Throughout November and December, the state hosts a variety of fun activities to get your family in the holiday spirit.

Each of these sites, from the small coastal island villages of Sitka, Ketchikan, and Petersburg to the capital of Juneau and the massive city of Anchorage, offers winter thrill-seekers a unique way to spend the holidays unlike anywhere else in the United States.

If you prefer inland Alaska, Fairbanks and the North Pole each have plenty of festive alternatives. Tourists and residents can shop for arts, crafts, local cuisines, and gifts at holiday markets in the city centers. Take in the sights from the comfort of a holiday train as it sweeps through the snow-covered terrain, or celebrate the wonder of Christmas lighting events.

San Francisco has something for everyone in the family, with so many cultural activities and well-known landmarks. Golden Gate Park and the botanical gardens are among the city's many natural wonders. Innovative and fun-filled activities, such as the stores at Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, will entertain and delight you. Visit Alcatraz, a former federal penitentiary that is now a National Park Service attraction.

Take a stroll across the Golden Gate Bridge, the world's second-longest single-span suspension bridge, on Christmas Day, but dress warmly or carry a sweater because the fog might make it chilly. San Francisco's Maritime National Historical Park is home to the world's biggest collection of vintage ships.

Many of San Francisco's best holiday displays and festivities take place around Union Square. While the majority of the decorations are up long before Thanksgiving, the season truly begins with the Union Square Macy's Great Tree Lighting, which takes place on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Vancouver, British Columbia, offers a unique blend of big-city living and wilderness adventure. The majority of hotels will have rooms available during your visit. Mountains, water, islands, and agriculture can all be found in this unique locale in the Pacific Northwest. This is one of those places that is enjoyable to visit at any time of year. Walking around Stanley Park, one of the world's largest urban parks with spectacular ocean vistas is a fantastic activity. Explore Western Canada's hidden jewel.

The Vancouver Christmas Market is the city's first outdoor holiday market, with a German flavor. There are dozens of craft vendors and food stalls providing a variety of holiday items. It includes a carousel ride and live entertainment and is located next to the Convention Centre in Jack Poole Plaza.

The market is intriguing and of good quality, it has a pleasant festive ambiance, and it is about as real a German Christmas market as one can get in a city like Vancouver.

This is a nice spot to go if you're searching for an outdoor market with intriguing knickknacks to look at while sipping mulled wine or cider with friends.

Christmas Island is a small island located 1,500 miles northwest of Perth, Australia, in the Indian Ocean. This beautiful natural wonderland makes for a pleasant Christmas break for everyone. You'll want to return once you've seen this beautiful place.

From Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia, getting to Christmas Island is simple. When you mingle with the people, you'll see that Chinese, Indonesian, Malay, and Australians all live here and speak their respective languages. A fusion of Chinese, Hokkien, Malay, Indonesian, and Australian English has resulted. Christmas on Christmas Island is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Its name alone is memorable and draws people in. Discover the amazing natural beauties of this island, from the annual migration of rare red crabs to uncommon and odd species and lovely uninhabited beaches. The island is characterized by an unsettling blend of cultures, history, and industry, resulting in a destination where all of these factors combine to offer a totally unique vacation experience.

This is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, and it's well worth a visit. Kauai is a unique slice of aloha that you won't find on any other island. It's around 100 miles across the channel from Oahu. The beautiful panoramas, waterfalls, natural caverns, and abundant sea life along the Napali coast will enthrall you. There are still areas of the island that are inaccessible.

The Garden Island, as it is known, is still 85 percent jungle and incredibly beautiful. Take a trip to Hanalei, a historic hamlet on the island of Oahu. Examine the pure blue waters of the Queen's spa and the ruins of an ancient Russian fort. It is the world's most distant inhabited island, and the cultural experience will keep you going back for more.

While Christmas was brought to Hawaii by Europeans, the spirit of the season is preserved in indigenous Hawaiian culture through a celebration known as Makahiki.

The Festival of Lights on Kauai is another long-standing island tradition, albeit it does not go back as far as the others. The Festival of Lights is one of the top things to do on Kauai during the Christmas season, especially for visitors. Christmas on Kauai is a whirlwind of excitement and enthusiasm that lingers long after you leave the island. For a Christmas unlike any other, book a suite at Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa.

New Zealand is a beautiful country that is near to Australia and Tasmania. This small country made up of two islands is one of the travel industry's best-kept secrets. It is still relatively undiscovered by tourists, allowing you to enjoy genuine New Zealand hospitality. During the Christmas season, the country gives travelers an altogether different experience on each island. It's a wonderful spot to unwind and celebrate the coming of Christmas.

Christmas falls in the middle of the summer holidays in New Zealand like it does in Australia. A Santa parade featuring adorned floats (produced by local companies and churches, for example), bands, and marching teams is held in many communities. This can happen at any moment between mid-November and the end of December, and it is mostly a commercial event, but everyone appreciates it. Santa may be seen wearing 'jandals' (New Zealand sandals) and may even swap his red top for a New Zealand 'All Blacks' rugby shirt due to the warm weather.

Children in New Zealand leave carrots for Santa's reindeer, and Santa may receive a beer and pineapple chunks in return.

There are large Christmas light shows and displays in major cities such as Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Hamilton. Large carol services are held around the country, including in small towns, villages, and rural locations.

The mountain resort of Aspen, an attractive winter playground of the wealthy and beautiful, is worth considering for a Christmas getaway. Take a ski trip to enjoy the slopes, sip cocktails at local pubs, and dance the night away at a hip nightclub. Retire to your luxury ski lodge on Christmas Day for a romantic snuggle by the open fire.

The "12 Days of Aspen" are the last 12 days of December each year (December 20–31) in Aspen. As it accommodates a wide variety of activities for locals and visitors of all ages and interests, the small downtown takes on a festive ambiance.

Once the details of each year's 12 Days of Aspen programs and events have been finalized, the Aspen Chamber posts them on the Chamber website. Ice skating, meeting Santa (and his reindeer), eating s'mores, painting workshops, cookie- and ornament- and stocking-decorating, and the "12 Days of Après" are among the family- and kid-friendly activities. Adults can look forward to the "12 Days of Après." On New Year's Eve, the traditional 12 Days of Aspen conclude in a light show or fireworks display on Aspen Mountain.

It is well-known across the world for its spectacular Christmas market, which has been functioning since 1999. Edinburgh was recognized for having the longest market (54 days), providing holiday shoppers with plenty of time to shop and enjoy the festivities.

Over the course of six weeks, the elegant and historical Scottish capital of the United Kingdom offers a range of entertaining and lively events. Everything starts at the end of November and lasts until the beginning of January. Children would love Scotland's largest Ferris wheel, carol concerts, and amusing pantomimes, which are ideal for families. Adults will be enthralled by the fantastic shopping and holiday market.

Consider staying in a posh hotel and treating yourself to a Christmas feast of rabbit or pheasant on the big day. Stay until New Year's Eve, and you'll find Hogmanay to be one of the world's best ways to ring in the new year.

If the cold gets to you, head to Sydney, Australia, for the ultimate season. Thousands of visitors flock to the capital at this time of year, and it's easy to see why when you see the beautiful beaches and weather. Go down to Bondi or Manly Beach, fire a barbecue, and have fish, shrimp, and green salads for an authentic Aussie holiday experience.

Every year, a wonderful marketplace emerges in The Rocks' historic district, complete with fairy lights draped above cobblestone streets and market booths selling handcrafted Christmas decorations, artisan jewelry, and locally produced clothing. Aside from elves on stilts, light-up angels, live music and DJs, and delicious holiday-themed street food, there will be elves on stilts, light-up angels, live music and DJs, and delicious holiday-themed street food. Mosman Christmas Night Markets will return in 2021, lighting up Mosman Square and Village Green on December 9th.

Every holiday season, department store David Jones develops unique Christmas shop window displays. Peer through the glass to view anything from Christmas dollhouse scenarios, gingerbread houses, and traditional puppetry, with a changing theme each year. Enjoy a night of storytelling and festive fun as you stroll down Market, Castlereagh, and Elizabeth Streets.

Deck the Harbour at Darling Harbour, which runs from November 12 to December 26, provides back-to-back Christmas activities and family attractions. The Darling Harbour Christmas Festival, the famed GIANT Bauble display, the Sky Castle interactive light work, Christmas pedal boats, the Golden Light Tunnel at Darling Square, and many other attractions are among the highlights.

The Big Apple is one of the best cities in the world to celebrate Christmas, and they know how to do it in style. The lights, Broadway performances, and incredible shopping opportunities are just a few of the reasons to go. Make a beeline for Bloomingdales and Macy's if you need a last-minute gift.

It's Christmastime in New York City, and we're all transformed into children for a brief moment as the city is bathed in dazzling lights. There are open-air holiday markets to visit, family-friendly concerts like the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and other classic traditions like the all-out-madness holiday displays on Fifth Avenue and in Dyker Heights. After you've checked things off your list, you can start thinking about new traditions! Our guide will assist you in planning and navigating New York's most festive season leading up to New Year's Eve. Looking for the best things to do in the city at any time of year? This winter, check out the greatest things to do in New York City.

A horse-drawn carriage ride around Central Park and ice skating at Rockefeller Center are additional options. The Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York (The North Pole) are a must-see location.