The Best Holiday City Breaks That Are Just the Right Amount of Festive
From twinkling lights to quiet strolls, these cities offer the perfect mix of holiday cheer without the overload.
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Crunchy leaves cover the ground, it’s getting darker earlier and there’s a chill in the air. That means one thing: autumn is coming to an end and the festive season will be here before you actually take those ironic ugly Christmas sweaters out of storage. While some travelers dream of stepping inside a snow globe and playing the main character in a Hallmark movie, others prefer a less over-the-top take on holiday travel. The Yuletide theatrics have a time and place (late December, obviously), but it doesn’t mean a seasonal escape needs to be all twinkling lights, larger-than-life nutcrackers and Fraser fir pageantry.
The problem with basing yourself in a full-blown winter wonderland is that there’s not much else to do but sip mulled wine or cocoa, shop for ornaments and listen to caroling. An urban sprawl is the ideal alternative to storybook villages and snow-dusted mountain towns verging on theme parks. Travelers can still ogle bedecked trees and savor sweet treats (every bakery worth its salt whips up gingerbread and iced sugar cookies in the shape of snowflakes), but that’s interspersed with museum hopping and dining at renowned restaurants—many of which serve seasonal specials.
Whether you want to dial it up (or don’t), our favorite festive-ish city breaks offer the perfect mix of merry and metropolitan.
The Best City Breaks for the Holiday Season
London, U.K.
For travelers who like a little holiday flair, but for whom the prospect of packing an entire itinerary full of chasing down twinkling lights and overloading on figgy pudding doesn’t quite appeal, London is a superb pick. The streets glow with twinkling lights and garlands. There are holiday markets and stores with starry window displays (hello, Selfridges) for checking off your holiday shopping list. Cozy pubs serve hearty roasts. The Connaught Bar mixes up seasonal cocktails. Claridge’s will showcase a tree in partnership with British fashion house Burberry. The Peninsula London does a fabulously festive riff on its beloved afternoon tea, complete with turkey and cranberry relish sandwiches and Santa Honoré. When you’ve had your fill of yuletide merriment, crisp strolls in Hyde Park, West End plays, and visits to the British Museum are a nice way to break up the bonhomie.
Paris, France
A December trip to France’s capital can be as festive as you like—whether that means going full holiday extravaganza or balancing seasonal sparkle and sightseeing. The Christmas market at Jardin des Tuileries, with its festive food stalls, spiced cider and nostalgic rides, is one of the biggest holiday drawcards. The windows along the Champs-Élysées, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps Haussmann put on a joyful show. Even more cocoa-fueled magic awaits in the winter chalet at Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel. Of course, you could skip all the themed stuff and just play the year-round hits. History buffs and first-timers tend to gravitate toward the big-name sites with snap-worthy gravitas—obviously, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre-Dame Cathedral. In Paris, you don’t need a special occasion for a memorable meal. When it’s frosty outside, linger over a bottle of Bordeaux and pommes frites at a sidewalk cafe or tuck into a cozy brasserie booth for a soul-warming French classic like cassoulet and croque monsieur.
New York City, USA
The thing about New York City is that on any given day, there are literally thousands of exciting things to see and do. And when the festive season rolls around, that list gets a gleaming upgrade. Visitors seeking festive fun will enjoy skating around the rink at Rockefeller Center and admiring the famous tree, spending some time soaking in the cozy vibes and sipping cocoa at Bryant Park Winter Village and picking up mittens at the European-style Union Square Market pop-up. Outside the holiday happenings, everything that makes New York City great still exists. You can see a Broadway show, hit the art museum circuit, shop Fifth Avenue and grab a classic slice. The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad puts a fashionable and festive spin on things with the Grand Holiday Suite, which pairs enchanting Flowerbx installations inspired by The Nutcracker and looks from designers Jennifer Behr and Patricia Voto. For a cool crash pad with rockstar history and just a hint of sparkle, check into Hotel Chelsea.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is a megapolis that grabs hold and doesn’t let go. When the holidays roll in, it’s even more luminous. Twinkling lights deck many city parks and shopping districts such as Harajuku, Ginza, Omotesandō and Shibuya. Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo gets in the merry mood with decorations, a special pizza omakase Christmas dinner and festive sips at the skyline-view bar. Considering sticking around through New Year's (Shōgatsu)? You can celebrate by staying up until midnight for the first shrine visit to Meiji Jingu. Speaking of sightseeing, Tokyo Skytree provides a sweeping panorama of the neon skyline. The Shibuya Scramble Crossing is a chaotic can’t-miss. Need a break from the tourist crowds? Go off the beaten track to hipster hood Shimokitazawa for bars and vintage stores. When it’s time to warm up after clocking so many steps, duck into local restaurants for nabe (hot pot), udon and ramen. If you're looking for indoor cultural attractions, be sure to hit up the Instagram-famous interactive teamLab Planets Tokyo and the Nezu Museum.
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne celebrates Christmas in the summer (a reminder that the seasons are flipped in the Southern Hemisphere). But just because the city trades snow for sunshine doesn’t mean a lack of cheer. Lights illuminate the CBD, and Federation Square turns into a wonderland with a giant ornamented tree. When you’ve maxed out on merriment, just across the street, Hosier Lane, one of Melbourne’s most iconic laneways, provides the quintessential experience with street art, bars, restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques. If you’re missing the tradition of a big family gathering, book Christmas lunch at From Here by Mike at 1 Hotel Melbourne. The four-course menu includes festive favorites and flowing wine. The Boxing Day (December 26) sales around the city are prime for scoring deals on homegrown designers like Aje and Zimmermann.
Milan, Italy
Milan has a special magic during the holidays. Soak in the seasonal charm at Villaggio delle Meraviglie, a pop-up village with an ice skating rink inside Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli. As a global fashion capital, Milan is a shopping mecca. Travelers who favor tapping cards to caroling can carve out extra time for Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the iconic arcade known for its glass dome and Christmas lights. Slacking on secret Santa gifts? Pick up a set of exclusive Ginori 1735 porcelain plates at The Cabana Store. Piazza del Duomo gets in on the festive fun with light displays, a large tree and stalls selling crafts. Once you’ve done the seasonal tourist stuff, change course to a local-approved meal at Ristorante Il Consolare. When it’s time to call it a night, Bvlgari Hotel Milano decks the halls with a sophisticated sparkle.
Toronto, Canada
Situated on the banks of Lake Ontario, Toronto flexes its festive tourism chops during the holidays. When bundle-up weather rolls in, Canada’s largest city transforms with fairytale pockets popping up everywhere. If you want to go full fa la la la, the popular The Distillery Winter Village adds stalls selling ornaments, artisan gifts and spiced cider, plus a 56-foot tree—this year decked by Dior—to the existing film set backdrop of red brick Victorian-era industrial buildings that now house retail and restaurants. For even more frosty fun, go for a spin on the ice skating rink at Nathan Phillips Square. Of course, mega-watt merry and bright has its moment. But sometimes, you just want to feast on more than gingerbread and ham. That’s when it’s time to hightail it to Kensington Market to eat your way through the international fare, from Mexican to Vietnamese. When it’s time to rest your weary, cashmere-beanied head, the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is a polished option in upscale Yorkville.
