Some people decorate a tree. Others apparently measure Christmas with spreadsheets.
According to a new data-driven study by PrivacyJournal, the world’s best Christmas tour destinations for 2025 have been ranked using a combination of TripAdvisor and Kayak data. Because nothing says festive cheer like analytics.
The study looked at four dire things:
- How many Christmas tours does a city offer
- How much do those tours cost per hour (median, of course)
- How many languages are the tours available in
- and how painful hotel prices become in December
The results are… surprisingly reasonable.
London Wins Christmas (Again)
London takes the number one spot, proving once and for all that high hotel prices are no obstacle when you offer:
- endless Christmas markets
- over-decorated streets
- themed tours for absolutely everything
Yes, accommodation costs more. But London compensates with sheer volume. There is a Christmas experience for every mood, interest, and tolerance for crowds.
It is festive capitalism at its finest.
Europe Basically Owns December
Nine of the top ten Christmas cities worldwide are European. No shock there.
Europe’s advantage is structural:
- historic city centres that look good with lights
- markets that existed long before Instagram
- traditions that feel “authentic” even when they are slightly commercial
Christmas in Europe is not an event. It is infrastructure.
Zagreb Is the Smart Choice
Coming in fourth, Zagreb quietly steals the show.
It offers:
- strong availability of Christmas tours
- significantly lower hotel prices than in Western Europe
- a festive atmosphere without the financial panic
In other words, Zagreb delivers Christmas without making your wallet cry—a rare and beautiful thing.
North America Makes an Appearance (Briefly)
Four North American cities make the top 25, but only Quebec City reaches the global top ten, landing at number eight.
Quebec works because it leans fully into:
- winter
- snow
- old-world aesthetics
The rest, it seems, are still negotiating with December rather than embracing it.
Language Matters More Than You Think
One quietly interesting detail: language accessibility plays a fundamental role.
Cities offering tours in multiple languages rank higher, making them easier for international visitors to enjoy. Amsterdam and Nuremberg stand out here, offering some of the most linguistically flexible Christmas experiences.
It turns out Christmas is better when you understand what is going on.
The Unofficial Takeaway
This study does not reveal where Christmas is most magical. That part is subjective and probably depends on the quality of the mulled wine.
What it does show is where Christmas is:
- organised
- accessible
- and efficiently packaged for visitors
London dominates. Europe rules. Zagreb wins on value. Quebec surprises. And language, once again, proves that communication is festive.
Christmas may be emotional — but apparently, it is also very measurable.
