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i Where to go for Christmas 2026
Christmas falls on 25 December. Northern Europe offers Christmas markets, snow and festive lights, while the southern hemisphere is in full summer — ideal for a warm escape.
Of 52 destinations compared, 25 have daytime highs of 24 °C or more on these dates and 16 have sea water warm enough to swim (24 °C+).
Classic Christmas destinations
Ranked by the weather you can expect on these dates.
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i 
New York
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i 
Budapest
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i 
Zermatt
i 
Prague
i 
Vienna
i 
Strasbourg
i 
Edinburgh
Colmar
Salzburg
i 
Bruges
i 
Dresden
i 
Copenhagen
Best weather worldwide
The most pleasant climate for these dates — one destination per country.
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i 
Dubai
i 
Luxor
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i 
Doha
i 
Muscat
i 
Valparaíso
Jaipur
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i 
Perth
i 
Chiang Mai
Warmest seas
Average sea temperature from 30 years of NOAA satellite data.
i Sharm el Sheikh
i Sharjah city
Acapulco de Juárez
i Pattaya
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i 
Jeddah
i Miami
i Dāpoli
i 
La Libertad
A short flight from New York
Within about 3,000 km (≈ 4 hours’ flight), ranked by the go score.
Cancún
i Campeche
i 
Kingston
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i 
Varadero
i Montego Bay
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i 
Santo Domingo
i 
Lucaya
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i 
George Town
Best value for these dates
Good weather where your money goes furthest (World Bank price levels).
i 
Jos
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i 
Santa Marta
i 
Mengmao
i 
Kuwait City
i 
Macao
i 
Puerto del Carmen
Montevideo
i 
Eilat
Best places in United States
Ranked by the weather you can expect on these dates.
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i Orlando
i Phoenix
i Fort Lauderdale
i Key West
i Daytona Beach
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i San Diego
Tampa
i Palm Springs
Compare the destinations
Weather, sea, crowds, prices and flight time for these dates at a glance.
| Destination | Go score | Day / night | Sea | Rain days | Crowds | Price level | Flight from New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 20 | 6° / -1° | 9° | 11 | Moderate | Expensive | — |
| Budapest | 9 | 4° / -1° | — | 13 | Busy | Cheap | 9 h 38 |
| Zermatt | 8 | -5° / -10° | — | 16 | Busy | Very expensive | 8 h 46 |
| Prague | 7 | 4° / -1° | — | 14 | Busy | Average | 9 h 04 |
| Vienna | 6 | 4° / -1° | — | 14 | Busy | Average | 9 h 22 |
| Strasbourg | 6 | 5° / 0° | — | 15 | Quiet | Average | 8 h 37 |
| Edinburgh | 5 | 7° / 2° | — | 18 | Moderate | Expensive | 7 h 22 |
| Colmar | 5 | 6° / 0° | — | 15 | Very quiet | Average | 8 h 37 |
| Dubai | 100 | 27° / 15° | — | 2 | Very busy | Average | 14 h 47 |
| Luxor | 100 | 24° / 8° | — | 0 | Very busy | Very cheap | 12 h 46 |
| Doha | 100 | 24° / 15° | 23° | 2 | Busy | Average | 14 h 28 |
| Muscat | 100 | 26° / 17° | 25° | 2 | Very busy | Cheap | 15 h 11 |
| Valparaíso | 100 | 23° / 12° | — | 2 | Very busy | Cheap | 11 h 10 |
| Jaipur | 100 | 24° / 9° | — | 1 | Very busy | Very cheap | 15 h 52 |
| Sharm el Sheikh | 100 | 23° / 15° | 25° | 1 | Very busy | Very cheap | 12 h 42 |
| Sharjah city | 100 | 26° / 16° | 25° | 2 | Busy | Average | 14 h 46 |
| Acapulco de Juárez | 98 | 31° / 21° | 29° | 1 | Busy | Cheap | 5 h 19 |
| Pattaya | 95 | 31° / 21° | 28° | 1 | Very busy | Very cheap | 18 h 38 |
| Jos | 95 | 28° / 13° | — | 0 | Busy | Very cheap | 11 h 48 |
| Santa Marta | 91 | 32° / 23° | — | 2 | Busy | Cheap | 4 h 51 |
| Mengmao | 97 | 21° / 8° | — | 2 | Busy | Cheap | 17 h 01 |
| Kuwait City | 89 | 21° / 8° | 19° | 5 | Busy | Cheap | 13 h 44 |
WorldClim · CRU · NOAA OISST · Eurostat · World Bank ICP · estimate: flight
Christmas: dates for the coming years
- 2026December 24 – 26, 2026starts in 70 days
- 2027December 24 – 26, 2027starts in 435 days
- 2028December 24 – 26, 2028starts in 801 days
- 2029December 24 – 26, 2029starts in 1,166 days
Other holidays
Frequently asked questions
When is Christmas 2026?
December 24 – 26, 2026.
Where is it warm for Christmas?
The best weather on these dates: Dubai (United Arab Emirates, 27°C (80°F)), Luxor (Egypt, 24°C (75°F)), Doha (Qatar, 24°C (74°F)), and Muscat (Oman, 26°C (79°F)).
Where can you swim for Christmas?
The warmest seas: Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt, 25°C (77°F)), Sharjah city (United Arab Emirates, 25°C (77°F)), Acapulco de Juárez (Mexico, 29°C (84°F)), and Pattaya (Thailand, 28°C (83°F)).
Where to go for Christmas near New York?
Cancún (Mexico), Campeche (Mexico), Kingston (Jamaica), and Varadero (Cuba).
Where to go for Christmas in United States?
Orlando, Phoenix, Fort Lauderdale, Key West, and Daytona Beach.
WorldClim 2.1 · CRU CL 2.0 · NOAA OISST · GeoNames · Wikidata