10 Best Getaways over the Festive Season

Head down to Niagara Falls this festive season to experience a getaway with the bright and colourful Winter Festival of Lights. This highly anticipated event of the season is Canada’s largest – and probably most Instagrammable – outdoor festival. Over 3 million neon strips and fairy lights, as well as special larger-than-life installations, brighten the length of the Niagara Parkway towards Dufferin Islands.

From 5 pm through midnight, tall pines, big trees, and park gardens are lit up by string lights. Installations range from fir trees and angels to moose and reindeer – all spread across notable landmarks and public spaces. The festival takes place over 101 nights from mid-November to late February, with live shows and family entertainment featured on weekends. The icing on the cake? Dazzling laser light shows at the top of Clifton Hill.

Montreal, the capital of French Canada with its impressive architecture and cultural offerings, offers one of the most charming festive getaways in Canada. Explore the narrow cobblestone streets of Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal) and take in the wintery vibes around 17th-century Gothic Revival landmarks, such as the Notre-Dame Basilica.

From late November to mid-December, catch the holiday spirit in Atwater. You can enjoy delicious local artisan products and specialities at the winter market, centred around Place du Marché. Laval, a 25-minute drive across the Prairies River west of Montreal, is where you’ll find the spectacles of Illumi by Cavalia. This interactive lights festival with multimedia often features big, original, and never-before-seen light art installations.

The year-end holiday period sees Quebec’s ski resort of Mont-Tremblant transform into one of the most festive villages in Canada. Winter sports of all sorts – from skiing and sledging to ice skating on Lake Mercer are all a given. Adding to the winter holiday vibes is a series of not-to-be-missed sights and events.

You can experience Laurentian traditions coming to life through lumberjack-themed shows and activities. A variety of live music performances takes place in the main village square. You'll find ice-sculpting workshops and a major parade roaming through the heart of the pedestrian village.

A December visit to Whistler lets you take advantage of the winter environment of your ski-in/ski-out chalet or resort. In addition to the blanket of snow covering the mountains and slopes of Whistler and Blackcomb, varied and colourful lights add a magical touch to this frosty wonderland of a village.

Both mountains are open skiing playgrounds throughout the year-end and this chalet-style pedestrian village at their base is a joy to roam through. Head down to Skier's Plaza every Sunday night to witness Whistler Blackcomb’s classic and unmissable Fire & Ice Show. Pro skiers and snowboarders show off their aerial skills – fiery obstacles, fire dancers, fireworks, and upbeat background music add to the extravaganza.

An escape to Banff promises great skiing and winter adventures backed by stunning alpine vistas of the namesake national park. Alberta’s ski season is long, often spanning between November and May, and visiting at the end of the year offers plenty to see and do for families. Besides a winter market and seeing festive characters on a traditional parade through town, join a free outdoor ‘light festival walk’ from Banff Park Museum to the Cascade of Time Garden.

Those looking for a warm start to their holiday in Banff can check out the so-called Hot Chocolate Trail. Various venues in Banff and Lake Louise offer creative takes on the warm cup of cocoa. Looking for even more warmth and a bit of luxury? Head up to Fairmont Banff Springs near the famous Cave and Basin Hot Springs. The landmark hotel also holds special Christmas at the Castle activities, while its Winter Wonderland area offers ice-skating and dining around firepits.

Though Orlando saw its last meaningful snowfall nearly a half-century ago, the world-famous theme parks in the city dazzle during the holiday season. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter presents a magical Hogwarts in the Snow with live performances and a spectacular projection show. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party brings even more magic to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.

Beyond the theme parks, garlands, strip LEDs, and fairy lights brighten up tall trees, community plazas, and public grounds. Check out the Winter Parade down Park Avenue towards Central Park (aka Winter Park), where choirs sing carols and you can even bring your picnic blanket and basket for holiday concerts by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Dazzling Lights at the 19^th-century Harry P. Leu Gardens offers spectacular walks through its illuminated grounds from late November through the New Year.

The Las Vegas Strip becomes quite a draw over the holiday season. Its iconic attractions have seasonal makeovers to bring on festive cheers. Beyond its landmark musical fountain, the Belaggio has a skylit atrium and botanical gardens with Instagrammable seasonal décor that transforms it into a magical fantasy land.

It rarely snows in Las Vegas, but the powdery slopes of Lee Canyon are 45 minutes away. Even so, on the Strip, you can ice-skate at the Las Vegas Ballpark and on the 4^th floor of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The most dazzling fir trees and festival lights to see over the holiday season are at Mystic Falls Park at Sam’s Town, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Magic Forest at Opportunity Village, and the Holiday Cactus Garden at Ethel M Chocolate Factory.

New York is the ultimate big-city getaway and it takes celebrations to a different level compared to most other US cities. The Central Park Winter Jam is a highly anticipated seasonal NYC event with sledging, snowshoeing, and many winter activities made possible right in the middle of Central Park.

Other New York holiday spectacles include The Rockettes, a precision dance troupe founded in 1925, performing at Radio City Music Hall and the timeless lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Admire brilliantly adorned window displays along 5th Avenue and browse through arts and crafts at the Union Square Holiday Market. A must-see is the Empire State Building lit up in red and green throughout the festive season.

Escape the chill of winter altogether this holiday season, with a tropical escape to the Big Island of Hawaii. You’ll be swapping the blinding white of snow for the golden sands and azure waters of Kailua-Kona, together with the full-colour spectrum of the aptly named Rainbow Falls framed by emerald forests in Hilo.

The end-of-year festivities are a big thing on the Big Island. An annual parade marches in the afternoon down Kuakini Highway through Walua Road, passing Coconut Grove Marketplace. And if the twinkling lights don’t quite fit your idea of a Hawaiian escape, take a stargazing hike up Mauna Kea for a true light show, courtesy of the Milky Way.

A getaway to the resort city of Los Cabos promises plenty of sun, sea and sand, as well as rich cultural discoveries. Though there’s plenty that your all-inclusive resort has to offer around the beachfront, it’s worth exploring beyond the resort grounds.

Concerts and parades take place throughout the holiday season. The downtown square of Plaza Mijares features a big fir tree and lavish decorations against the colourful colonial architecture of San Jose del Cabo’s historic district. For an adventure, wintertime coincides with the whale-watching season – go on a boat tour off Baja California Sur to see humpbacks breaching around the scenic coves.