#1Stowe, Vermont
Vermont
A storybook village of covered bridges and steeples, wrapped in ski-mountain snow. Come for the fireside lodges; stay for the cider.
Our Stowe date guide →Seasonal Escapes
12 Most Romantic Holiday Getaways in America (2026)
December has a way of making couples choose: the snow globe or the swimsuit. We pulled twelve escapes from our atlas of 167 destinations — farolito-lit adobe lanes, Victorian bed-and-breakfasts, a plaza that turns into an ice rink — and paired each with the moment it shines brightest. One warning: the good rooms go before Thanksgiving.
Snow & firelight
For the couples whose December means wool socks, candlelight, and a fireplace worth writing about.
#2Asheville, North Carolina
North Carolina
A 250-room château glowing with candlelight Christmas trees, mountain-town craft beer, and Blue Ridge sunsets — the South's most complete holiday weekend.
Our Asheville date guide →
#3Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Skate under the Cloud Gate bean, drink mulled wine at the Christkindlmarket, and let the river's neon canyon warm the walk home.
Our Chicago date guide →
#4Boston, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Beacon Hill's gas-lamp lanes under fresh snow, the Common tree, and a booth for two in an oyster bar older than the country.
Our Boston date guide →Lights & city magic
Plazas, promenades and porches dressed in their December best.
#5Washington, DC
District of Columbia
The National Tree, free museum mornings, and ice rinks on the Mall — the capital is at its most generous in December.
Our Washington DC date guide →
#6Santa Fe, New Mexico
New Mexico
Thousands of farolitos — little paper-bag lanterns — line Canyon Road on Christmas Eve. Adobe, piñon smoke, and a sky full of stars.
Our Santa Fe date guide →
#7New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Réveillon dinners — the city's grand multi-course holiday tradition — caroling in Jackson Square, and a million lights in City Park.
Our New Orleans date guide →
#8Charleston, South Carolina
South Carolina
Mild nights for porch walks, a Festival of Lights on the islands, and Lowcountry holiday menus worth crossing state lines for.
Our Charleston date guide →
#9Savannah, Georgia
Georgia
Squares lit with candles, boat rides past the holiday riverfront, and pralines warm from the pan. Southern Gothic meets Santa.
Our Savannah date guide →
#10New York, New York
New York
The big one: the Rockefeller tree, skating at Bryant Park, window displays on Fifth, and a late supper in a dark little booth downtown.
Our New York City date guide →
#11Cape May, New Jersey
New Jersey
A whole town of Victorian bed-and-breakfasts in candlelight — lamplit house tours, garlanded porches, and off-season sea air.
Our Cape May date guide →Sun instead of snow
For the couples who answer "swimsuit" without hesitating.
#12Key West, Florida
Florida
Eighty-degree Christmas, a sunset sail from the harbor, and holiday lights strung over Duval Street palm trees. Sand between you and the season.
Our Key West date guide →The booking timeline (steal this)
Now through early November: lock the room. The boutique inns — Stowe, Cape May, Savannah — fill first, and holiday weekends fill fastest. Mid-November: book the dinner reservations (Réveillon tables in New Orleans and Biltmore's candlelight tours sell out). December 1: everything else — carriage rides, skating slots, tours — can be planned week-of. Traveling Christmas week itself? Book flights now; they only climb.
Find romantic spots near you
Search 167 curated destinations by city name or zip code — instant distances, zero guesswork.
Explore the Romance Atlas