Magical Christmas Trips to Take with Kids in the USA
One of my favorite ways to get into the Christmas spirit is to take a trip with my kids to a destination that celebrates the holiday season in a unique way!
I’ve made a tradition of taking a trip in late November or early December with my parents and 1 or 2 of my younger kids (before they were in school). We started out with a late fall trip in 2020 to Boise and Sun Valley, ID, which was one of the coolest and most surprising trips I’ve taken!
After that trip, we started leaning more toward Christmas-themed destinations, and before we knew it, a new tradition was born!
Some of these trips I've done with my parents, while others I’ve visited solo with my kids, and each time I ended up enchanted by the lights, the atmosphere, the hot chocolate, and the fun traditions each city or destination has.
I’m going to share the Christmas destinations I’ve visited with my kids to help inspire your next big family Christmas trip!
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New York City at Christmas
My number one recommendation is a popular destination for a reason. New York City at Christmastime is so magical!
I took a solo trip here with my youngest daughter in 2024. We had some Southwest Airline credits to burn, and my Southwest Companion Pass expired at the end of that calendar year and I wanted to get one more trip out of it, so we chose NYC.
We saw the Rockettes perform at Radio City Music Hall, we visited Bryant Park Winter Village, we saw the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, visited FAO Schwarz, Central Park, and 5th Avenue.
One of my favorite things to do with kids was order the hot chocolate from the S'mores N'more stand at the Bryant Park Winter Village. They "roast" your marshmallow for you with a culinary torch then drizzle hot chocolate on top for you. It’s so interactive, and my daughter loved it!
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Times Square South because it was one of the more affordable last-minute booking options and served free continental breakfast.
Read my whole detailed travel guide for visiting NYC at Christmastime with kids here:
Christmas in New York City with Kids (Festive Things to Do)
Asheville, NC at Christmas
Asheville, NC was an unexpected holiday hit! This trip came about because I got an email for a cheap flight from MKE to Asheville around Christmas time from Going (sign up for a membership here!). In the email they sent with the flight deal they mentioned the Biltmore, and I had a vague memory of my mom mentioning that she really wanted to visit the Biltmore, and Christmas is her favorite holiday!
I immediately called my parents to see if they wanted to book this flight deal, and from there the trip all came together!
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Downtown Asheville which was perfect for our group! Since I was traveling with my parents I was looking for a 1- or 2-bedroom suite, and the Holiday Inn offered that for a reasonable price, plus it included a free breakfast which is a win when you're traveling with kids.
The Biltmore was the main attraction for us on this trip. We set aside an entire day of our itinerary to explore the Biltmore property, and had the best time seeing this historic home all decked out for Christmas. Antler Hill Village, part of the estate, has restaurants, wine tasting, playgrounds, shops, and more.
We also went to the Omni Grove Park Inn during the trip to see the National Gingerbread House Competition. Each holiday season the Omni hosts the National Gingerbread House Competition, and you don't have to be a hotel guest to check out the displays! The gingerbread houses must be handcrafted and made of at least 75% gingerbread and must be 100% edible. There are 4 different categories of competition: Adult, Teen, Youth, and Child.
Some other enjoyable holiday hits were driving the Blue Ridge Parkway and checking out the small mountain towns along the way, staying overnight in a treehouse in the mountains (we booked through Earth and Sky Dwellings and chose the Sanctuary tree house which sleeps 4 guests), and getting hot chocolate and coffee at a double decker coffee bus in the middle of downtown Asheville!
Read: Festive Things to Do in Asheville, NC at Christmas with Kids
Vail, CO at Christmas
Last year I took a solo trip to Vail, CO with my 2 youngest after discovering I had some United points left in my account and very cheap flights on points from Chicago to Denver.
We took the Peak 1 Express Shuttle from Denver Airport to Vail, and they dropped us right off at the front door of our hotel!
We stayed at Antlers at Vail (we were hosted by them in exchange for content), but it ended up being a perfect place to stay! The rooms are condo style, so we had 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, multiple bathrooms, and 2 balconies with a view of Vail Mountain. The lobby of the hotel had an espresso machine so we could get lattes or hot chocolate in the morning or to warm up after a day in the cold.
Vail is a great place to ski for families, but we are not a ski family (yet!), so I was on a mission to discover all the fun holiday things to do in Vail with kids that don’t involve skiing.
I was mainly inspired by the fancy hot chocolate I saw in Instagram that you can get at the restaurant at the Four Seasons Vail. The Haute Chocolate is now a viral sensation with its aesthetic French hot chocolate pot pouring creamy hot chocolate over a giant marshmallow and a chocolate lattice until the chocolate melts enough for the marshmallow to fall into the mug. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time, and ask to sit outside for amazing views!
We also took the scenic gondola ride, went ice skating, explored Vail Village and Lionshead Village, explored the covered bridge, walked the Gore Valley Trail in between the two villages, let the kids play at the Kringle Crossing Holiday Village, and the Pirate Ship Playground, and more.
There was a surprising amount to do here with kids, and it even snowed during our visit so it felt especially magical. Maybe if we ever go back we’ll take ski lessons!
Read: Ultimate Guide to Vail in Winter with Kids for Non-Skiers
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Walt Disney World
I’ve been a big fan of the holidays at Walt Disney World ever since I got my start as a travel writer when we lived in Florida! I got the chance to cover some of the extra ticketed events and celebrations like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a specially ticketed after-hours event that takes place at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World on select nights in November and December. This jolly celebration features an exclusive stage show, a festive parade, fireworks, special characters, cookies and hot chocolate, and more!
The party runs from 7 p.m. until midnight, but ticket holders will be admitted to Magic Kingdom as early as 4 p.m. This is a great opportunity to experience more rides at Magic Kingdom or meet some characters until the party starts.
You can find all of the current party dates and details here!
You can also read my review of visiting the Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom with a toddler here:
Chicago, IL at Christmas
I grew up in Southeastern, WI, so driving to Chicago for Christmas became a yearly tradition for our family! I have fond memories of shopping on the Magnificent Mile and fighting through the crowds of the Christkindlmarket.
Last year I realized we live so close to this magical Christmas destination, but I hadn’t taken my own kids to experience it! Since I took my younger 2 kids to Vail, CO, I decided to take my older 2 kids out of school for a day for a fun overnight stay in Chicago in December.
We stayed at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile by IHG. I have one of the IHG credit cards, and one of the perks of that card is one free night every year. I decided to use it on our trip to Chicago!
The kids both agreed that their favorite activity was ice skating at Millennium Park, but we also visited the Christkindlmarket, went to Macy’s on State Street, saw the Christmas decorations and merch at the Harry Potter store, got a gingerbread latte at Ralph’s, and a hot chocolate flight at JoJo’s Shake Bar.
It was such a memorable overnight stay, and we were able to fit so much in in just 24 hours.
Read: Chicago at Christmas with Kids
St. Augustine, FL at Christmas
For 5 years when the kids were younger we lived in Palm Coast, Florida. Palm Coast was just down the road from St. Augustine, one of the most historic cities in the Untied States.
We loved visiting St. Augustine year round to walk on the pedestrian only St. George Street, to go to the beach and splash pad, or to visit the Fountain of Youth. But one of the most special times of year to visit St. Augustine is at Christmas time!
St. Augustine Night of Lights takes place every year around Christmas from November until the end of January. Visitors can see millions of tiny white lights glowing and hanging from the Spanish Colonial architecture. It truly is a bucket list-worthy experience to have in St. Augustine!
You can take the Nights of Lights Trolley Tour, a boat tour, a carriage ride, or a guided walking tour. There are so many ways to see this stunning city dressed up for Christmas!
I don’t have a written guide to St. Augustine at Christmas, but here’s a guide to St. Augustine with kids in general:
17 Best Things to Do in St. Augustine with Kids
Leavenworth, WA at Christmas
Ok I want to put a big disclaimer on this last destination. We HAVE been to Leavenworth, Washington, BUT we have NOT been there at Christmas time.
We visited on our spring break trip in March of 2025, and so many people have recommended it as a festive Christmas destination that I thought I would throw it on this list.
We stayed at a cozy mountain Airbnb about 30 minutes outside of Leavenworth with a hot tub on the patio, and it was so magical to sit in that hot tub during a snowstorm! We loved having space to spread out, too.
We visited the Nutcracker Museum during our visit to Leavenworth, and I think that would be a really fun activity for Christmas time. We also rode the mountain coaster, and all 6 of us had an amazing time!
You can also visit Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, which would be the perfect holiday activity. It was closed when we went, but should be open during the holiday season.
The tourism board website says that there is a Village of Lights, gingerbread contests, and Christmastown activities around the Bavarian-style town like pictures with Santa, festive crafts, letters to Santa, and more.
Christmas Travel with Kids makes the season so memorable and magical!
Whether you visit a nearby town or Christmas market, or fly across the country for some Christmas magic, these special traditions and events in cities around the USA such a fun way to prepare for the holidays.
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Emily Krause is a Florida-based travel blogger who writes about exploring the world with kids. On A Mom Explores you’ll find best family travel destinations, Disney World tips, and how to make travel with babies and toddlers a little easier.
Emily believes that exploring starts in our own backyards, and adventure can happen anywhere with the right mindset.
