December Holiday Packages Holidays

December Holiday Packages

Best December Holiday Packages

December holiday packages from Ireland bundle flight and hotel under one TOPP-bonded booking, so your money and journey home stay protected the moment you pay a deposit. Choose Christmas market breaks in Prague or Vienna, Canary Islands winter sun, or long-haul heat in Dubai and Egypt. Same protection every time, five very different Decembers.

December splits into two distinct trips, and both work well flying from Dublin, Cork or Shannon. Early in the month suits Christmas markets and short city breaks, timed around mulled wine, festive lights and Advent stalls in main squares. From mid-December through New Year, travellers head for guaranteed winter sun in the Canary Islands, or further afield to the Gulf, swapping Irish rain for reliable double-digit heat over the festive fortnight.

Every December holiday package we sell is IATA credited and TOPP bonded, the Irish scheme protecting your money and journey home if a travel supplier fails. Availability tightens fast once school terms end and Christmas-fortnight flights out of Dublin fill up, so early booking pays off on price and hotel choice. Our team is reachable by phone for flight times or board basis questions. We handle the logistics, you pick the December that suits you.

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December Holiday Packages Holidays

December Holiday Packages

Best December Holiday Packages

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Christmas Markets & December City Lights

For a short city break built around Advent stalls and mulled wine, these Christmas market holidays carry the festive season best.

Prague: The Old Town Square market runs from late November into early January, with a 20–25 minute transfer from the airport into the medieval centre. Trdelník stalls and a towering tree by the Astronomical Clock make it one of the most photographed markets in Europe — we’d suggest going on a weekday evening, since weekends draw the heaviest crowds.
Vienna: The Christkindlmarkt at Rathausplatz has run in some form since the 1970s, with over 150 wooden stalls circling the illuminated town hall. Glühwein here is served in collectible mugs, and the imperial architecture around the square lifts the whole visit above a standard market trip.
Budapest: Vörösmarty Square hosts the main market, roughly a 30-minute drive from Ferenc Liszt Airport, and pairs naturally with an evening soak in one of the city’s thermal baths afterwards. The combination of festive stalls and hot spring water in near-freezing air is genuinely worth the trip on its own.
Krakow: The Rynek Główny market square is one of the largest medieval town squares still standing, and its Christmas market fills the space with oscypek cheese stalls and carved wooden ornaments. It runs quieter and noticeably cheaper than the bigger capitals, which suits travellers who want the atmosphere without the queues.
Lyon: Rather than a traditional market, Lyon holds its Fête des Lumières each December, when building façades across the city are lit with large-scale light installations for several nights running. It’s a different kind of festive trip — less about stalls, more about walking the city after dark — and it rewards a longer stay than the market cities above.

New Year City Breaks

For travellers timing their December city breaks around 31 December itself, these five cities put on a proper show.

Lisbon: The New Year fireworks display over the Tagus draws crowds along the whole waterfront, best watched from a riverside terrace rather than the more crowded main square. December daytime temperatures hover around 15°C, mild enough for evenings outdoors with a coat.
Porto: The Ribeira riverside lights up for the season, and a port wine cellar tour across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia makes a natural daytime pairing with New Year celebrations. It runs quieter and cheaper than Lisbon over the same dates, worth considering if crowds aren’t the draw.
Barcelona: Locals mark midnight with the twelve grapes tradition, one eaten per chime of the clock, and the Sagrada Família’s facade lighting draws crowds on New Year’s Eve itself. Book central accommodation well ahead, since hotels near Plaça Catalunya sell out first for the holiday.
Rome: Piazza del Popolo hosts a free New Year’s Eve concert most years, and the closeness of major sites means a short break covers the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and the celebrations without long transfers between them. Expect restaurant bookings to fill up days in advance around the holiday itself.
Amsterdam: The Amsterdam Light Festival runs from late November into January, with illuminated artworks installed along the canals that you can view on foot or by boat tour. New Year’s Eve fireworks here are largely unofficial and set off by residents rather than a single central display, which makes for a livelier, less curated atmosphere than the other cities on this list.

Your December Holiday Packages Holiday Questions Answered

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What are the best December holiday destinations from Ireland?

December holidays from Ireland fall into two broad camps. Christmas market breaks in Prague, Vienna or Budapest suit a short, festive city trip, while the Canary Islands offer the most reliable winter sun within a short flight. For a bigger temperature jump, Dubai and Hurghada guarantee heat right through the month.