The Top 24 Best Holiday Destinations in December

VENICE, ITALY

If you’d like to see Venice without the throngs of tourists, head there this winter. This captivating destination is popular with Italians throughout Christmas and New Year (it’s a truly festive city with excellent seasonal markets, Venetian light and mist radiating from the twinkling canals and plenty of church services), so make your way over in January or February if it’s true peace and quiet you’re looking for. Sip hot chocolate on the Piazza San Marco, be gently guided down the Grand Canal while you listen to the water dripping off the paddles, and see if you can find the Libreria Acqua Alta – a canalside bookshop that keeps some of its books in boats to protect against the constant flooding.