Christmas family holidays are among the most popular in the travel calendar and many of the best places book up pretty quickly so it's good to be organised. Whether you're simply fed up with the bad old British weather and in need of winter sun or wanting to ring in the New Year in serious style en famille, we've got some great ideas up our sleeves. While Christmas is famously proclaimed as The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, it is also one of the busiest, with presents to be bought, food to be cooked, guests to be entertained and parties to attend. So why not swap all of that for a family Christmas holiday in the sun (or snow), where your biggest worry will be what to factor sun cream to use.

Christmas Family Holiday Ideas

A few suggestions to get the holiday planning process started

  • One Country Finland – Lapland – Nellim

    Festive Family Fun in Finnish Lapland - Christmas Magic, Husky Sleds & Aurora Chasing

    Treat your family to a five-day festive foray into Finnish Lapland, filled with Christmas magic and wintry wonder

    5 days, from £3150 to £4050

  • One Country USA – New York City

    The Ultimate Festive Family Holiday - New York at New Year

    Celebrate festivities with your family on this six-day trip to New York, soaking up holiday magic, sparkling lights and the New Year’s countdown

    6 days, from £3200 to £4650

  • One Country Sweden – Norway – Lapland – Kiruna – Abisko – Narvik – Vesteralen – Straumsjoen – Lofoten – Nusfjord

    From Lapland to the Lofoten - A Scandinavian Winter in Sweden and Norway

    Discover the best of Sweden and Norway’s snowy landscapes in winter, from Lapland to the Lofoten Islands

    9 days, from £3200 to £4150

  • One Country Maldives – Laamu Atoll

    Sun, Sand and Snorkelling - Family Fun in the Maldives

    Spend ten days soaking up the sun, building sandcastles and discovering the underwater world on this family adventure in the Maldives

    9 days, from £3950 to £5100

  • One Country Iceland – Stokkseyri – Akureyri – Reykjavik

    Polar Lights and Snowy Sights - A Family Winter Getaway to Iceland

    Immerse yourself in Iceland’s winter-wonderland landscapes, from the scenic south coast and Golden Circle to its captivating capital

    9 days, from £4950 to £6400

  • One Country Oman – Muscat – Wahiba Desert

    Wadi Adventures and Desert Dunes - A Luxury Family Holiday in Oman

    Rally the family for this 12-day Arabian adventure, blending city buzz, desert exploration and coastal cruising

    12 days, from £11500 to £14950

Family Christmas Holidays by country

Here at Original Travel we think there is no better way to spend quality time as a family than by going on holiday together, so with this in mind, celebrating Christmas on holiday as a family seems like a no-brainer. Perhaps even rent a private villa or lodge somewhere and bring the grandparents to make it an even bigger family affair.

If you want to guarantee yourself a white Christmas, head to Swedish or Finnish Lapland, where you can meet Father Christmas himself; or swap snow for sun and white-sand beaches in the Maldives or Thailand. Christmas is also a great time of year for a family safari holiday, which can be perfectly combined with some beach time on the Indian Ocean coast. Our experts know all the best family-friendly places to stay over Christmas and New Year, and with a fair few years of family holiday experience up our sleeves, we really do know what we're talking about.

If you're planning a Christmas family holiday with young children then much-loved children's party people Sharky & George, who we've joined forces with, will put together a carefully selected goodie bag kitted with bits and bobs to keep them entertained throughout the trip.