Many of us want to run to the hills when Christmas starts creeping in. Or we desperately seek a serotonin boost when the days get shorter and shorter. The good news is that you could enjoy plenty of walking, cycling holidays or even cross-country skiing holidays en famille in the build-up to or over the Christmas holidays. Or, for those who seek solace travelling solo at this time, we’ve got yule covered, as many of our adventures mentioned below are open to solo travellers. So, whether you are feeling festive, active or just seeking an alternative to all the baggage that Christmas brings, here are our top places to travel in December. And don’t forget, we’re always happy to carry that baggage!
Malerweg Trail in winter
Malerweg means ‘painters’ way’ and it’s named after the 18th century artists from the nearby Dresden Academy of Fine Arts who immortalised its landscapes in their work. This 115km walking trail leads you through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, with walkers usually taking on either the north or south section, but nearly always coming back to complete the trail. Some who hike it in summer fall in love with it so much, they come to walk it in winter for a very different picture. Which is why we’ve also recently introduced a couple of winter options, which takes you through these unique landscapes when they’re frosty, fresh and fairytale-like, with tours between November and March. Temperatures average 02-03C but they are actually the driest months too.
Get a kick out of Colombia
If you really want to wake up and smell the coffee, then make your next December adventure in Colombia. Just like its celebrated crop, it’s vibrant, sweet and, in terms of tourism, ripe for the picking. It also has a kick like no other country in terms of natural adventures. With the support of expert guides, explore ancient, lost and now thankfully refound cities. You have the Caribbean one day and the Coffee Triangle on another. And then you have the buzziness of Bogotá thrown into the mix. It’s a vast, stimulating country which, like its coffee, should be sipped slowly, enjoyed sustainably and shared with good people along the way.
Walking in the Sahara
If you can’t bear the Ch word being bandied around throughout December, Morocco’s Sahara is a great place to gain perspective – and also have a dry one! One of our new tours is a ten day walking holiday in the Sahara, which is easy to moderate level and an exciting immersion into the region’s cultural and natural heritage. Fully guided, walk and ride camels across the desert and trek into the surrounding valley towns of Ouarzazate and Zagora, with overnight stays in traditional tents and riads. Many of our guests also opt for an additional day in the coastal city of Essaouira, swapping Saharan sands for some seasonal surfing.
December in Vietnam
If you have fond memories of getting a bike for Christmas, you can relive that feeling on our magical cycling in Vietnam holiday. Although Vietnam gets busy at Christmas (and we recommend booking your flights as soon as possible), this trip takes you off the beaten track into northern Vietnam. Forget any notions of seasonal over-consumerism, cycling through the Hmong hill tribe villages, where homestay hosts welcome you into their daily lives. In December, you are also escaping the rainy season. It’s hot and dry, but these elevated landscapes are cooler than on the busier coast. And, if you like to treat yourself to good food at this time of year, this holiday is one moveable feast.
Avoid the rain in Spain
Although there may be rain on the plains in December in Spain, there are plenty of sunny spots to be found too. Why not give yourself the gift of Granada this December, feasting your eyes on its spectacular centrepiece of Alhambra Palace on a walking holiday in the Sierra Nevada? The Canaries live up to their name, boasting six hours of yellow sunshine per day and maximum temperatures of 21C in December.
Málaga is majestic in the heart of winter, as you hit the hiking trails of Sierra de Tejeda and Almijara mountain range on our two centre-based holidays. On this holiday you stay in Canillas de Albaida and, on this upgraded version, the hotel is in Cómpeta, both villages being typical whitewashed beauties of the region. And it will feel like Santa brought you the best bike ever on this cycling tour that combines city time in Seville with an escape to the mountains of Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park. So, whether you are taking on the trails of Gran Canaria or cycling in Lanzarote, this archipelago is like a Christmas stocking packed with adventurous treats.
Finding peace in Portugal
You’ll have plenty of silent nights cycling the peaceful trails between Alentejo and Algarve, also available on e-bikes if you aren’t feeling winter fit. We also have a walking holiday in the Algarve in December, following an easy, gentle pace to the likes of Rio Formosa Natural Park. Heading further north, Porto and northern Portugal invite many other worshippers of nature to its shores and vine-covered slopes and, in particular, to imbibe the fruits of the Douro Valley on a cycling holiday. You can also cycle between the two iconic cities of northern Portugal, from Porto to Coimbra, which includes Aveiro’s canals and lagoon, the Bairrada Wine Region and Choupal National Forest.
Going a little further afield, this is a wonderful time to go trekking on Portugal’s islands. In the Azores, an archipelago of nine islands, you will get rain at this time of year, but you’ll also have their trails to volcanic craters, caldeiras hot springs, secret waterfalls and coastal hideaways all to yourself. The island of Madeira is one of our popular winter sun destinations, with its coastal and famous levada trails very much open for business. In both Madeira and the Azores, temperatures range from 12-18C in December, and the sea is still 18-20C, so get in!
Cross-country skiing in Valdres, Norway
Given that cross-country skiing is also known as Nordic skiing, your compass should definitely point towards Norway at some point over the winter. The wild and wonderful Valdres region is gateway to Jotunheimen National Park, and home to Norway’s highest peaks, including Galdhøpiggen. Our winter season here begins in the Beitostølen region in December, at the foot of Jotunheimen’s high mountain peaks. Cross-country skiing here opens up Narnia-like Nordic landscapes, with traditional mountain lodge hotels, that have the obligatory saunas and stargazing to greet you at the end of a December day.
For more adventure tours that eke out every exquisite moment of these shorter days, escape the commercial craziness of Christmas, or simply offer some seasonal spiritual solace, don’t hesitate to contact us. We have many more December holidays here. You may also enjoy our blogs on Christmas holidays for solo travellers, e-bike holidays that aim high or Camino de Santiago routes, some of which are also bookable for travel in December.
