Time is running out to make plans for your end-of-year holiday travel. Below are places where you can still find enough availability of charming hotel rooms and savvy private guides to put together a high-caliber trip. (For other months of the year, see Where To Go When.) Click the black buttons below to connect with a top local expert to plan an extraordinary trip for you. Here’s how to get a WOW trip.

GET A PERSONALIZED TRIP RECOMMENDATION

Menu

European Holiday Cheer
Tropical Beaches and Seas
Winter Wonderland
Exotic Lands and Cultures

European Holiday Cheer

Italy, from cultural capitals to Sicily and Lake Como

Florence lights up for the holidays. Photo: Shutterstock

Italy is crowded and pricey in summer. To get a true taste of the culture, go in winter, when the weather is mild and the cities and countryside have a more local flavor. Ride a Vespa around Rome; learn how to make pasta in Venice; take in an opera at La Scala in Milan; gather with your family at a private villa on Sicily or Lake Como; or stroll holiday markets in the Dolomites.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO ITALY

France: Paris, Strasbourg’s holiday markets, even Provence

Christmas lights in the village of Colmar, France. Photo: Shutterstock

If you’re avoiding France this summer because of the Olympics, think instead about a December trip. The light in Provence in winter is why so many famous artists moved there, and this month is prime time for the region’s acclaimed truffles. Of course, Paris is fabulous for Christmas and New Year’s—the City of Lights gets even more dressed up for the holidays. France’s best Christmas markets are in Strasbourg and Colmar and in 2024 will run until December 27 and 29, respectively. If your trip dates include December 25 or 31, don’t worry that everything will be closed: The right expert can arrange a private cooking class on Christmas, or concert tickets on New Year’s Eve.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO FRANCE

London for a festive Christmas

Big Ben shines during the holiday season in London. Photo: Shutterstock

Enjoy a Dickensian Christmas in London, which puts on a display of spectacular lights and holiday markets. A knowledgeable local guide can make the city’s history come alive, whether via an after-hours tour of the Tower of London, an exploration of the city’s street-art scene, or a pub crawl to the best local watering holes.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO LONDON

A castle in the English countryside

Broughton Hall, in the Yorkshire Dales, at Christmastime.

Looking for a place to gather with extended family? Consider a stately home—even your very own castle—that suits a group of 16 or more in England. These houses are tastefully decorated throughout, tree and all, and come fully staffed, so you need not worry about cooking or cleaning over the holidays. Nearby you’ll often find Christmas markets to stroll, but you can just as easily stay on property and enjoy plenty of activities that bring your family together and put you in the Christmas spirit: wreath-making workshops, cocktail masterclasses, even a brass-band recital.

RENT A MANOR HOME IN THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE

Central Europe’s Christmas markets

Just one of Vienna’s many Christmas markets. Photo: Shutterstock

Many of Europe’s charming, illuminated Christmas markets close on December 24, but a growing number are staying open past the holiday. That’s true at many festive markets in Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Belgium. A savvy trip designer will work your itinerary to hit the markets that still have a truly local feel.  If you’re near the Netherlands, don’t miss the Amsterdam Light Festival too; it runs until January 19 in 2025.

START A CHRISTMAS-MARKETS TRIP

Return to Top

Tropical Beaches and Seas

Belize, from coral reefs to jungle adventures

One of countless tiny cayes off the Caribbean coast of Belize. Photo: Shutterstock

Nonstop flights to Belize take off from several U.S. cities that are only about three hours away. Once you’re there, you can explore world-class coral reefs, visit uncrowded Mayan ruins, learn to scuba dive as Wendy’s son did, fish for 100-pound tarpon (which kept her husband busy), and laze beside sparkling Caribbean waters. Accommodations range from beach resorts to overwater bungalows to remote jungle tree houses. You can even charter your own private yacht to enjoy fabulous snorkeling, sunbathing, kayaking, and endless horizons.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO BELIZE

Costa Rica, from cloud forests to volcanoes

It’s easy to combine beach and jungle in Costa Rica.

From beach to cloud forest to volcanoes, Costa Rica packs a lot of highlights into a small country. The skies are generally dry in December, but the land is lush and green from the recent rainy season. If you’re having trouble finding hotel rooms for your family over the holidays, our experts can help: They already have rooms set aside at their favorite properties.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO COSTA RICA

Panama for its marine life and prime surfing

Enjoy an overwater bungalow in Bocas del Toro, on Panama’s Caribbean Coast. Photo: Costa Travel

Under-the-radar Panama has hotels and private villas on both the Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, which deserve to be better known for their diverse marine life and prime surfing spots. It also has verdant highland landscapes, VIP Panama Canal tours for would-be engineers, and coffee and chocolate fincas that will welcome you for tours and tastes.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO PANAMA

Colombia for its vibrant cities and buzzing food and arts scenes

The colorful city of Cartagena, Colombia.  Photo: Shutterstock

Colombia’s charms range from Bogota, sitting 8,000 feet up in the Andes, to Cartagena, with its charming walled Old City on the Caribbean coast. In between you’ll find boutique haciendas in the coffee regions, cable cars to scale the mountains around Medellin, and a rich diversity of wildlife. The interior cities are quieter over the holidays—a plus when it comes to exploring museums and navigating traffic—while places along the coast often demand multi-night stays. Not all of Cartagena’s beaches are alike; work with an expert to find the right strand for you.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO COLOMBIA

Tahiti, Bora Bora, and the island paradise of French Polynesia

Kayaking the crystal-clear waters near Le Bora Bora resort. Photo: Pearl Resorts

It’s not too late to snag an idyllic overwater bungalow for the holiday weeks—even for New Year’s Eve at the Hotel Kia Ora on Rangiroa, which puts on one of the islands’ best celebrations with a fireworks show, dinner, and a band with Polynesian dancers. You can also still book a cabin on the Aranui 5, a supply boat that doubles as a passenger ship and sails 12-day itineraries through the remote Marquesas archipelago.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO FRENCH POLYNESIA

The Maldives for private-island resorts

Picture yourself in the Maldives this winter. Photo: Shutterstock

What better tropical getaway than jetting off to these idyllic islands in the Indian Ocean? Most are home to just a single resort, where you can spend your days snorkeling with manta rays, digging your toes into the sand at beachside restaurants, and relaxing in your private overwater bungalow. Pure bliss.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO THE MALDIVES

Return to Top

WINTER WONDERLAND

Canadian Rockies: Snowy Thrills

Moraine Lake, in Canada’s Banff National Park. Photo: Shutterstock

The Rockies are gorgeous when covered with snow, making them a winter wonderland for an active family:  Think snowshoeing, sleigh rides, and ice canyons. You can go dogsledding near Lake Louise, cross-country skiing near Jasper, and snowmobiling outside Banff. Wind down your day in a cozy private cabin or a cushy resort with spa treatments to ease any sore spots from your adventures.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

The Alps, from rustic huts to chic chalets

The Alta Badia ski resort at Corvara, in Italy’s Dolomite mountains. Photo: Shutterstock

Wintertime Alpine fun comes in many flavors, from rustic huts on the Italian slopes to chic French ski towns to Zermatt’s après-ski scene. Whether you’re after a private guide to take you off-piste skiing, a hut-to-hut adventure, or a more civilized locale with options for non-skiiers, we can probably connect you with the right expert. Deciding between the Alps or a ski trip out west? You’ll pay more for the flights to Europe, but lift tickets there are considerably less expensive.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO THE ALPS

Norway: Northern lights, reindeer sledding, ice fishing

December is a great time to see the northern lights in Norway.

Consider a cozy adventure with your family in Norway: Ride a sled pulled by reindeer in search of the northern lights, go snowmobiling above the Arctic Circle, learn about the indigenous Sami culture, enjoy locally sourced meals inside your timber lodge or ice hotel, and warm up between outdoor pursuits in a wood-fired sauna. Here’s more on when and how to see the northern lights.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO NORWAY

Antarctica cruises: penguins and a polar plunge

A zodiac cruises through the ice near Antarctica. Photo: Abby Suplizio

If seeing wildlife is your goal, the latter half of December is the very best time to cruise in Antarctica. By then, thousands of penguins, including their fluffy chicks, have made their home along the coastline, the sea ice has usually broken up enough to allow great access, and the weather is generally better than earlier or later in the season.

START A HOLIDAY ANTARCTICA CRUISE

Return to Top

EXOTIC LANDS AND CULTURES

African safaris: Take advantage of “Green Season”

A lion in Botswana. Photo: Shutterstock

South Africa and Kenya are already largely booked up, but there’s still good availability in Botswana and Zimbabwe, where December falls during the “green season.” In return for the possibility of an afternoon or evening rain shower, you get lush vegetation (which makes for great photos), more prolific predators (because the grazing species are having their babies), and significantly lower rates at many camps and lodges.

START A HOLIDAY SAFARI

Peru: Machu Picchu and beyond

A view of the ruins at Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate. Photo: Aracari

Imagine spending the holidays at Machu Picchu, or riding the rails in luxury on the Andean Explorer train line from Cusco to Lake Titicaca to Arequipa. There can be afternoon showers in Peru at this time of year, but smart planning can focus your outdoor activities on the mornings. You can even hike the last few miles of the Inca Trail and arrive at Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate, which has a spectacular, panoramic view of the ruins.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO PERU

Chile and Argentina: from wine country to the Lake District to the Atacama Desert

Chile’s Atacama Desert. Photo: Shutterstock

December is prime time for many of the Southern Cone’s highlights: Toast the holiday with top-value wines in Chile’s Colchagua Valley or Argentina’s Mendoza province; burn off those extra calories with hiking and kayaking around Bariloche, where glacial lakes meet the foothills of the Andes; and ring in the new year with a nighttime light show—no fireworks needed—under the Atacama Desert’s spectacularly starry skies (or a more urban celebration in Buenos Aires or Santiago).

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO CHILE AND ARGENTINA

Ecuador for hiking, horses, and hacienda life—or even an Amazonian adventure

Horseback riding is one of many activities at Hacienda Zuleta, Ecuador. Photo: Hacienda Zuleta

Options are dwindling in Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands for the holiday weeks (availability is easier to come by at Galapagos hotels than for boat-based journeys), but mainland Ecuador is a better bet, especially if you’re seeking affordability. December temperatures there are in the 70s. It’s easy to combine Quito’s Old Town with a historic hacienda in the nearby Andean highlands, where you can explore craft villages, hike in ecological reserves, and horseback ride on quilt-like pastures. Nature lovers shouldn’t count out a visit to the Amazon, either: While some parts of the region are rainy in December, the Ecuadorian portion is relatively dry (for a jungle, of course).

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO ECUADOR

Mexico’s charming colonial cities (with award-winning cuisine)

Colorful buildings in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Photo: Shutterstock

Our southern neighbor is a perennial favorite for the winter holidays, but several corners of the country still have good availability in December. For gorgeous beaches and great dining options, head to the Riviera Nayarit, north of Puerto Vallarta, or to Los Cabos. For an urban experience without the crowds (because the locals are all at the beach), try Mexico City, where the springlike weather brings warm days and cool evenings. Southeast of the capital is Puebla, known for its colonial history, colorful architecture, and culinary and art scenes. And on the Yucatán Peninsula there’s Mérida, a hotspot during both the Mayan and colonial eras, today rich in history and culture.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO MEXICO

Sri Lanka: safe, welcoming, fascinating

Elephants bathing at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka. Photo: Shutterstock.

Sri Lanka’s political unrest is long over, but the country has yet to see tourism bounce back. That’s great news for intrepid travelers, as many hotels still aren’t charging peak rates. Combine the country’s cultural landmarks with a scenic train ride and incredible hikes through tea plantations in the hill country, then overnight in a tented “cocoon” near a national park that abuts the ocean and offers frequent leopard sightings.

START A HOLIDAY TRIP TO SRI LANKA

Return to Top

Be a smarter traveler: Sign up for Wendy’s weekly newsletter to stay in the know. Read real travelers’ reviews, then use the black CONTACT buttons on Wendy’s WOW List to reach out to the right local fixer for your trip.