Christmas Getaways
The top UK locations Brits are flocking to for the Christmas holidays!
While a traditional Christmas at the family home is always a great way to celebrate the big day, many families choose to experience the holidays in a new environment. Thanks to the country’s pristine woodlands, stately homes, quaint villages and ancient history, the UK is fast becoming a key winter tourism destination.
We have made your winter staycation hunt a little easier this year by researching the most popular Christmas getaway hotspots to spend this festive season! By looking into a host of factors, including Google search data, average temperatures, snowfall days and hotel prices, as well as fun things to do with children and restaurants, we’ve crowned the UK’s top festive staycation destinations.
We’ve also looked into the most Instagrammable hotspots based on hashtagged posts on Instagram and TikTok, so you know exactly where you can expect to get the perfect festive snaps.
Whether you are already on the hunt for Christmas trees or have seen Christmas decorations that have caught your eye for this year’s festivities, it's never too early to start planning a Christmas getaway.
The Top-Rated Christmas Getaways in the UK
Manchester is the Best Christmas Break Destination in the UK
1. Manchester, Greater Manchester
Christmas Getaway Score: 10 out of 10
The major northern city of Manchester scored top marks out of 40 UK destinations. Holding one of the biggest and arguably best Christmas markets in the UK, Manchester is the ideal destination for festivities. In 2022, Manchester’s streets were bustling with over 220 food, drinks and shopping stalls for visitors to enjoy their favourite festive staples.
Manchester recorded the highest annual searches for its Christmas festivities (149,800) and offers plenty of family-friendly restaurant choices (124 per 10 km2). There were also 18.7 million Instagram mentions and 12.8 billion TikTok tag views. The average hotel price was higher than others on our list at £124 a night in December, but visitors may overlook this due to the multitude of things to do during the festive season in the city.
2. Whitby, North Yorkshire
Christmas Getaway Score: 9.74 out of 10
Whitby is one of the UK’s top seaside destinations, thanks to its large sandy beach and increasingly exciting food and drink scene. It may not be your typical seaside resort, but Whitby at Christmas time (although a little cold and breezy) can also be joyful and cheery, with many tourists flocking to the resort to enjoy a Boxing Day beach walk.
Despite Whitby’s small area size of 13 km2, the town packs plenty in for Brits who are searching for a Christmas break in this seaside town (4,490 searches), and the location also has over 552.3 million TikTok tag views. Whitby also hosts a variety of attractions for kids to join in on (28 per 10 km2) as well as restaurants (130 per 10 km2). Hotel prices in the North Yorkshire beach town are cheaper than average, costing £87 per night during December. Whitby also holds a higher chance of snow than other areas (with 2.3 days of snowfall on average).
3. York, North Yorkshire
Christmas Getaway Score: 9.49 out of 10
York has prided itself on being one of the UK’s most festive cities, with its beautifully decorated restaurants, shops, and attractions providing a wonderful winter experience with an incredible range of festive events. The ancient walled city ranked in third place with a score of 9.49, and it’s clear to see why. York delivers a truly enchanting venture during the winter season, with its cobbled medieval streets providing a backdrop to the festive lights illuminating every tree. The York Christmas market has been a staple of York’s offering since 1992 and attracts a record number of 1 million visitors yearly.
There is a huge variety of restaurants to enjoy a cosy winter meal in York (149 per 10 km2) and a large number of child-friendly attractions (22 per 10 km2). The city is also a clear favourite on social media, with 5 million Instagram mentions and 1.2 billion TikTok tag views. Staying in York around Christmas time is by no means cheap, at £139 a night, but experiencing this city’s festive magic is a must!
4. Birmingham, West Midlands
Christmas Getaway Score: 9.23 out of 10
Birmingham, a vibrant city home to the West Midlands, placed as the fourth best Christmas getaway for 2023, scoring 9.23 out of 10. Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas market is the largest authentic German market in Europe outside of Germany and Austria, with 5.5 million annual visitors.
Visitors can enjoy Frankfurters and Bratwursts, fresh pretzels, Christmas crépes, and authentic German cuisine. Staying in Birmingham around Christmas time is comparatively cheaper than other cities in our top three (£93 per night), which may have helped its popularity surge last year (12,670 searches). Birmingham also had among the highest number of TikTok tag views (8.3 billion) and Instagram mentions (9.4 million).
5. Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Christmas Getaway Score: 8.97 out of 10
Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, ranked fifth for the best Christmas getaways in the UK and scored 8.97 out of 10 in our research. Although Glasgow’s not-so-distant cousin city of Edinburgh is well known for its huge Christmas market, Glasgow’s offerings were reported to be much less crowded and overwhelming. Scotland delivers an array of unique events around Christmas time. In the Scottish Highlands at Cairngorms National Park, reindeer roam the mountains when not fulfilling Christmas duties, and have lived here since 1952. Scotland’s impressive national tree, the Scots pine, can be spotted amongst the backcloth of snow-capped hills across the Great Glen and Loch Ness.
Glasgow is the perfect Christmas destination, with its stylish shopping outlets, exciting food and drink scene, and jam-packed events programme, all with a city backdrop of glittering festive lights.
Glasgow scored high for its mass of family-friendly restaurants (51 per 10 km2) and affordable accommodation (£110 per night) compared to Edinburgh, which costs around £169 for a one-night stay in December. Regarding TikTok data, Glasgow also recorded more TikTok tag views (4.6 billion). There’s a higher chance of enjoying a white Christmas in Glasgow, as there is an average of 2.5 days of snowfall in the city during December.
Hidden Gem Christmas Getaways Across the UK
Gloucester is an Upcoming Christmas Getaway Hotspot
While some families and individuals prefer to hit the big cities around Christmas time to experience the hustle and bustle, some would rather explore quaint towns and cities that are a little less crowded to enjoy the festivities. Below are some of the best places to head to for a Christmas getaway, before everyone jumps on the bandwagon!
1. Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Christmas Getaway Score: 0.26 out of 10
The city of Gloucester hosts an array of Christmas celebrations, with visitors joining in festivities at Gloucester Quays, and its historic docks provide a scenic backdrop to your Christmas shopping. Gloucester’s majestic cathedral was designed in the 13th century and now hosts an annual Christmas concert for visitors.
The Cotswolds city is surrounded by 279 named mountains, making it a stunning Christmas escape from the hustle and bustle of larger Christmas market cities. Visitors to the area can enjoy the great outdoors by going on a Christmas lights trail, a wintery walk to some of the city’s grassland parks, or even taking a ride on a steam train at Gloucestershire-Warwickshire Steam Railway for a journey back in time.
2. Conwy, Gwynedd
Christmas Getaway Score: 0.51 out of 10
Conwy, a walled Welsh market town in North Wales, is a hidden gem amongst our other large and vibrant cities that are in the top spot. Conwy uses its medieval core to its advantage around the festive period, getting everyone into the spirit of Christmas. As darkness falls in the city around December time, the Medieval Torchlit Parade sets off from Castle Square. Armoured knights, medieval characters, and local dignitaries carry flaming torches throughout the streets, creating a unique and historical experience for its visitors far and wide.
Conwy also hosts an annual medieval-themed Winterfest party involving street entertainers, musicians, and choirs. It is a wonderful little town if you wish to experience something a bit different at Christmas.
3. Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Christmas Getaway Score: 0.77 out of 10
Stratford-upon-Avon, a medieval market town in the West Midlands, hosts a Victorian Christmas market every year, with over 300 food, drink and gift stalls. Christmas in Stratford-upon-Avon is more of a low-key affair than our larger cities, where visitors can enjoy a more relaxed and traditional vibe. Tourists can enjoy a couple of hours at the Magic Valley to experience a Harry Potter-themed Christmas, the many Shakespearean events in the town, and even the Stratford Butterfly Farm.
4. Newquay, Cornwall
Christmas Getaway Score: 1.03 out of 10
The Cornish town of Newquay has previously been voted one of the nation's favourite seaside towns in summer, but during winter, as you're watching the snow fall on the beach away from the crowds, it makes it that much more magical. Wintery walks across the seafront have become a popular choice in this town, and you may find that the beaches are busy on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day. To escape the crowds, you may like to visit local pubs and enjoy mulled wine and Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.
5. Worcester, Hereford ＆ Worcester
Christmas Getaway Score: 1.28 out of 10
Worcester, a cathedral city in the district of the same name in Worcestershire, brings the Victorian Christmas Fayre with over 200 food and drink stalls and funfair rides. The fayre allows visitors to see how Christmas might have looked 150 years ago, as Victorian characters fill the historic streets. Worcester’s buildings stretch back around 5,000 years, making the city a favourable choice for history buffs.
Methodology
We began by making a list of Christmas break destinations in the UK from articles like Good Housekeeping, Country Living and Truly Experiences.
Each destination was analysed on the following factors, each given a normalised score out of ten for each factor. A final average of these scores was then taken.
Google Keyword Planner was used to collect the annual searches for each destination, using the search term “LOCATION Christmas”. This data is accurate as of 29/08/23.
The average temperature in each city or town was taken from Climate.org. The average number of snowfall days was taken from Weather Atlas. Where data was not available for one or more regions, it is represented as ‘-’. This data is accurate as of 22/08/23.
The number of child-friendly restaurants and attractions was taken from Tripadvisor on 29/08/23.
The average hotel price for one night in December in each destination was taken from Kayak on 29/08/23.
The number of Instagram posts and TikTok tag views for each destination was collected on 29/08/23.
