Christmas holidays flight prices
But it doesn’t have to be that way! The trick is to book your yuletide break early. Typically, holiday operators will have a number of Christmas flight options reserved at a reduced, sensible price, but only for a fixed period. They are obliged to give up those well-priced allocations three or four months before Christmas. After that, prices for trips with flights included only go up.
So book before the summer is over – before the end of August ideally – to take advantage of these reduced rates. Secure a snowy adventure, a sunny cycling break or something truly adventurous, and swerve the traditional celebrations this year, all without taking out a second mortgage.
Our Alternative Christmas Holidays
Finland winter activity holiday & Northern Lights
Discover this Finnish winter activity wilderness week
Southern India small group holiday
Discover the two southern most states of India
Namibia and Botswana safari holiday
Namibia & Botswana lodge safari Caprivi Etosha Okavango
Cuba cultural holiday
Immerse yourself in Cuban culture on this 8 day adventure
New year Northern Lights & wildlife holiday, Sweden
Winter glamping, wildlife, dogsledding and Northern Lights!
Costa Rica wildlife holiday
An amazing variety of Costa Rican wildlife
Classic Antarctica cruise & South Shetland Islands
Experience all that this remarkable area has to offer!
Christmas or New Year 2020 in Lapland
Magical snow holiday in northern Lapland at reasonable cost
Amalfi Coast walking holiday, Italy
Walk in lemon groves and hillside villages
North Cyprus walking holiday
Varied walks amid rugged scenery and superb archaeology
Petra and Wadi Rum by bike, Jordan
Cycling trip through stunning desert scenery
Botswana camping safaris
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe
Jordan holiday, a week in Jordan
A week to explore the spectacular sites and scenery of Jordan
Morocco cultural tour
Come and see Morocco's kaleidoscope of colours
Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica cruise
The Ultimate Antarctica Experience!
Serengeti Trail, Kenya & Tanzania safari
Overland truck safari
Cuba Christmas & New Year tour
Rumba in Cuba = the ideal way to party in the festive season
Antarctic Peninsula Cruises
An inspiring wilderness & wildlife journey of a lifetime
Namibia small group guided holiday and safari
A fabulous small group guided trip in Nambia
Zambia safari holiday, Xmas & New Year
Safari & Victoria Falls at Christmastime
Rajasthan holiday, Christmas time
A relaxing trip to Rajasthan with mixed activities
Southern Peru small group tour
Journey through south Peru, the heartland of the Inca Empire
Small group tour to Cuba
Discover the fascinating diversity of Cuba
Alternative Christmas & New Year in yoga holiday in Egypt
Enjoy a wonderful yoga holiday by the Red Sea in Dahab
Discover Cuba holiday, 15 days
Experience the real Cuba on this 15 day cultural adventure
Cuba tour, Christmas & New Year holiday
Bring in the new year - Cuba Style!
Highlights of Morocco holiday
Explore the diversity of romantic Morocco
Costa Rica holiday, encompassed
Perfect for nature and adventure lovers
Northern lights family holiday, tailor made
A mix of Lapland family activities and a relaxing Spa hotel
Small group adventure holiday to Patagonia
Explore the spectacular wilderness and mountains of Patagonia
Take a passage to India
Sunny, lush southern India makes a perfect alternative Christmas getaway, with temperatures hitting a toasty 27°C during December. Visit the historic port of Cochin and the Western Ghats, where deliciously cool hill stations such as Munnar are surrounded by tea plantations and shady forests.
You can spot elephants and leopards in Periyar National Park, drift along the Keralan backwaters on a traditional houseboat and chill on the beach in Kovolam. This relaxed part of the country is friendly, lush and less hectic than the north. Here, colour comes courtesy of ornate temples, bags of spices and brightly clad kids with sunny smiles – not tinsel and glitzy tree decorations...
Northern India is another great option over the festive season. It’s sizzling in spring and summer, but temperatures fall to the low 20°Cs during December – comfortable for exploring, and hot enough to blast the winter blues away. In just 10 days you can take in the Golden Triangle – Delhi, Agra and Jaipur – and squeeze in a game drive at Ranthambore National Park, atmospheric Varanasi and people watching by the River Ganges. You’ll be transported spiritually as well as physically, swapping festive stodge for the freshest spices, flashy decorations for searing sunsets and Santa for saffron-robed sadhus.
Find out more about Christmas small group trips to India with flights included here:
Southern India small group holiday
Northern India holiday
Go with the snow
Northern Finland never disappoints on the winter scenery front, with fir trees caked with shaving-foam clouds of snow, silvery lakes and winter cabins with welcoming fires. Explore the wilderness on snowshoes, try cross country skiing and learn to master a sled with your own team of six dogs. Snowmobile safaris are also on the festive menu, and you can come face to face with a Christmas card cliché: reindeer! Meet them, feed them and learn about life as a Lappish reindeer herder, and the culture of the indigenous Sami people. Come evening, the only lights you’ll see are of the Northern kind, rippling across the frozen sky, and not the fairy variety!
Discover more about Christmas holidays with flights included to Finland here:
Finland winter activity holiday
Finland snowshoeing holiday
Our top Alternative Christmas Holiday
Finland winter activity holiday & Northern Lights
Discover this Finnish winter activity wilderness week
2021: 21 Mar, 4 Apr, 18 Apr, 5 Dec, 12 Dec, 26 Dec
2022: 2 Jan, 9 Jan, 16 Jan, 23 Jan, 30 Jan, 6 Feb, 13 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar, 20 Mar, 27 Mar, 3 Apr, 10 Apr, 17 Apr
Swap turkey and trimmings for two wheels
Tiny Sri Lanka punches above its weight when it comes to ancient temples, crumbling ruins, beaches and wildlife and its compact size makes it ideal for exploration by bike. Cycling brings you closer to the friendly local people, too, who will shout hello as you pedal through each village. Late December is lush and warm, with the central Highlands typically a cycle-friendly 21°C. The weather, the welcome and the mood-boosting benefits of cycling every day – this is one Christmas break you won’t have to recover from in January.
Jordan is another excellent Christmas cycling destination. Nights might be nippy, but by day the temperature is around 15°C, and the landscape greened-up by occasional showers. You won’t be cycling on sand, either, but cruising over smooth roads to Petra, sleeping under the stars in Wadi Rum and hopping out of the saddle to snorkel in the Red Sea.
These small group cycling holidays with flights included will get you in the Christmas spirit:
Sri Lanka cycling holiday
Cycling holiday in Jordan
Walk away from it all
Northern Cyprus is far less visited than the south of the island and its lovely landscape is peppered with well-preserved sites. Walk through pretty mountain villages and harbour towns, past crusader castles and atmospheric caves, enjoying the sun, sea and warm weather, with temperatures in the mid teens.
For a bigger festive challenge, choose a Christmas trek in the Himalayas. The route to Everest Base Camp passes river canyons, pine forests, Tibetan villages and rocky, lunar landscapes overshadowed by glaciers. This is a high altitude trek, with time factored in for acclimatisation as you push slowly up the trail, so you’ll need a couple of weeks. it’s worth it, though. Gazing on Everest and following in the footsteps of summit-seeking climbing parties is a Christmas present that will be making you smile long after the last mince pie’s been scoffed.
Find small group walking holidays with flights included at Christmas here:
North Cyprus walking holiday
Everest Base Camp trek