The world’s most spellbinding festive destinations

This year’s festive period is set to be a record-breaker for travel, surpassing last year’s 22 million travellers and all previous December records in the UK, as airports throughout the country prepare for their busiest Christmas period ever.

Interest is festive trips is peaking, with online searches for “Christmas holiday” surging by more than 50% in the past month, proving the appetite for magical winter escapes is stronger than ever.

With this in mind, the experts at HelloMillions used TripAdvisor reviews and global search volumes to analyse the most popular and crowd-approved destinations to visit this festive season.

❄️Most enchanting spots to visit this season❄️

Colmar Old Town, Alsace, France – TripAdvisor Score: 4.7/5 | 12,200 monthly searches

Nestled in northeastern France, Colmar’s medieval Old Town transforms each winter into a living Christmas card. Six distinct Christmas markets featuring 180 wooden chalets 1 wind through cobblestone streets, while over 1,150 illuminated points 2 bathe half-timbered houses in a golden glow.

Each market occupies historic squares from the 14th-century Dominican Church to the 15th-century Customs House 1, showcasing artisans selling hand-carved ornaments, pottery, and traditional bredele cookies. Weekend crowds fill the narrow streets with an electric atmosphere 3 and the festive intrigue currently commands 12,200 monthly global searches.

Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, New York – TripAdvisor Score: 4.6/5 | 27,200 monthly searches

This affluent Brooklyn neighbourhood wages an annual “battle royale” of Christmas lights that draws more than 100,000 visitors 4 to its residential streets. Arguably America’s most famous over-the-top residential display, the tradition began in the 1980s with Lucy Spata, whose family has decorated their 84th Street house for over 40 years 5.

From Thanksgiving to early January, homes between 81st and 84th streets, from 10th to 13th avenues [4], compete with life-sized Santas, glittering reindeer armies, and displays pumping Christmas carols from loudspeakers 6. Generating 27,200 monthly searches globally, this neighbourhood proves residential Christmas spirit knows no bounds.

Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree, New York – TripAdvisor Score: 4.5/5 | 16,000 monthly searches

More than 100 million people visit the Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree each year 7, making it the world’s most iconic holiday landmark. Today’s trees tower 70-100 feet tall, crowned by a 900-pound Swarovski star spanning nine feet with 70 spikes covered in 3 million crystals 8.

More than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights 9—nearly five miles of wire—wrap each branch. The tree lighting ceremony, broadcast live on NBC since 1997, marks the official start of New York’s holiday season. Around 500,000 people visit daily during the festive season 10, with the tree lit from 5 am to midnight through mid-January. With 16,000 monthly global searches, this holiday beacon, donated to Habitat for Humanity after the season, continues to give long after January.

Icehotel, Jukkasjärvi, Sweden – TripAdvisor Score: 4.5/5 | 39,900 monthly searches

Two hundred kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, the world’s first ice hotel melts and is reborn each year. Between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors arrive annually 11—some to stay the night, others simply to wander through the 11 rooms sculpted entirely from river ice. Since 1989, approximately 50 artists have transformed the space each season, crafting themed suites using 30,000 cubic meters of “snice,” 1,000 tonnes of ice, and the equivalent of 700 million snowballs 12.

Visitors can explore rooms kept at around -5°C, admire ice beds draped with reindeer skins, and marvel at the famous chandelier made from 1,000 handmade ice crystals 12. For those seeking the full experience, overnight stays include sleeping in thermal bags atop the ice.

With 39,900 monthly searches globally, this Arctic destination offers an unforgettable adventure beneath the Northern Lights.

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Palestine – TripAdvisor Score: 4.4/5 | 23,500 monthly searches

Built over the site believed to be Jesus Christ’s birthplace, the Church of the Nativity stands as one of Christianity’s holiest destinations. Constructed in 327 AD 14, the basilica draws pilgrims year-round, but December transforms Bethlehem into a spiritual epicenter as thousands gather for Christmas Eve midnight mass, broadcasted worldwide 15. With 23,500 monthly global searches, this UNESCO World Heritage site becomes the ultimate destination for those seeking the authentic spirit of Christmas, as Manger Square fills with choirs, nativity scenes, and pilgrims from across the globe.

Wieliczka Salt Mine Chapel, Poland – TripAdvisor Score: 4.4/5 | 35,060 monthly searches

Descending 135 meters beneath the earth’s surface, the Wieliczka Salt Mine reveals one of the world’s most extraordinary underground wonders. Operating continuously since the 13th century 16, this UNESCO World Heritage site attracts over 1.2 million visitors annually, with December seeing a surge for the otherworldly Christmas Mass in the Chapel of St. Kinga.

Carved entirely from rock salt between 1896 and 1963, the chapel spans 54 meters in length and features intricate salt sculptures and chandeliers made from salt crystals 16. The chapel’s exceptional acoustics host concerts year-round, but the midnight Christmas Mass draws attendees who book months in advance 17.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber / Käthe Wohlfahrt, Germany – TripAdvisor Score: 4.4/5 | 165,350 monthly searches

Home to one of Germany’s oldest and most traditional Christmas markets – the Reiterlesmarkt, the market square of Rothenburg ob der Tauber transforms into a whimsical wonderland during winter. An ode to its festive dedication, the world-famous Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village operates year-round as the world’s largest Christmas store 18.

Established in 1977, the festive village spans multiple buildings filled with hand-painted ornaments and wooden nutcrackers 18. During December, the Reiterlesmarkt features craftsmen in period costume, mulled wine from historic fountains, and even enchanting dances performed by locals 19. Attracting 165,350 monthly searches—the highest on this list—the scene speaks for itself: A quaint village frozen in time, where Christmas magic never entirely stops.

Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go, Gifu, Japan – TripAdvisor Score: 4.4/5 | 12,000 monthly searches

Hidden in Japan’s mountains, the gassho-zukuri farmhouses of Shirakawa-go stand like praying hands against the winter sky. These 250-year-old thatched-roof structures create one of Asia’s most photographed winter landscapes. The UNESCO World Heritage village receives its most magical transformation when snow blankets the valley, and annual winter illumination events begin.

Several evenings each January and February, the entire village lights up in a coordinated display, drawing visitors worldwide 20. Winter brings up to 2 meters of snow, creating the iconic postcard scenes that have made Shirakawa-go famous.

Castle Howard, Yorkshire, UK – TripAdvisor Score: 4.3/5 | 38,200 monthly searches

This baroque masterpiece in Yorkshire has welcomed visitors for over 300 years, but recent Christmas transformations have catapulted it into must-see status. The 145-room palace, familiar to fans of Brideshead Revisited and Bridgerton 21, undergoes a spectacular metamorphosis each December. This year, visitors can experience the elaborate Wizard of Oz-inspired “Christmas at the Castle.”

The Great Hall, crowned by a 70-foot dome, serves as the centrepiece of theatrical Christmas displays featuring giant characters and thousands of twinkling lights 22. Illuminated trails wind through the 1,000-acre grounds past temples and fountains. Castle Howard attracts over 200,000 annual visitors 21, and generates 38,200 monthly searches, proving British heritage and festive spectacle create unforgettable winter magic.

Sapporo Snow Festival, Hokkaido, Japan – TripAdvisor Score: 4.3/5 | 18,000 monthly searches

Every February, Japan’s northernmost island transforms into the world’s premier winter art exhibition. The Sapporo Snow Festival, established in 1950 when local high school students built six snow statues 23, now attracts over 2 million visitors annually 24 who brave sub-zero temperatures to witness colossal sculptures spanning three sites across the city.

Odori Park showcases massive snow sculptures, some towering 15 meters high, depicting everything from famous buildings to pop culture icons 25. The Susukino site features over 100 illuminated ice sculptures, while Tsudome offers interactive snow slides 24. International teams, including military units and professional sculptors, craft the intricate displays using over 30,000 tons of snow 23. Generating 18,000 monthly searches globally, this week-long festival has inspired similar events worldwide, cementing Sapporo’s status as winter’s artistic capital.