Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Travel
  3. News

This is the most joyful Christmas destination in the world — and it’s in America

A global review analysis crowns New York City’s Central Park as one of the world’s most joy-filled holiday spots

Central Park
PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay

With Christmas just a few weeks away, a new global analysis from AttractionTickets.com has revealed the vacation spots that spark the most holiday joy. After examining the sentiment of hundreds of thousands of online reviews across more than 180 destinations, researchers ranked each location by a “Total Joy Score” out of 10, blending average review ratings with a dedicated “Christmas Joy Score.” That score focused specifically on how often the word “Christmas” appeared in recent 4 and 5 star reviews.

The results show a surprising winner at the very top. Central Park in New York City has officially tied with Warner Bros. Studio Tour London as the most joyful Christmas destination in the world. While London’s studio tour immerses visitors in snowy Hogwarts magic, Central Park delivers those picture-perfect winter scenes found in countless holiday movies, from frozen lakes to twinkling carriage rides.

Recommended Videos

New York doesn’t just take the crown. It dominates the list with five destinations in the global top 15, including Bryant Park, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Top of the Rock, Times Square, and the world’s No. 1 entry, Central Park. Bryant Park claims third place thanks to its popular open-air ice rink and festive food stalls.

The U.S. performs strongly overall. American destinations make up 34% of the global top 15, with Florida and California also celebrating top placements. Theme parks such as Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, and Universal Studios Hollywood earned high praise for Christmas parades, light shows and family-friendly festivities.

Top 15 destinations for Christmas joy in 2025

  1. Central Park, New York, USA
  2. Warner Bros Studio Tour London, UK
  3. Grand Place – Grote Markt, Brussels, Belgium
  4. Bryant Park, New York, USA
  5. Walt Disney World Resort, Florida, USA
  6. Center Parcs – Longleat Forest, Wiltshire, UK
  7. Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark
  8. Center Parcs – Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire, UK
  9. Disneyland Paris, France
  10. Center Parcs – Elveden Forest, Suffolk, UK
  11. The Met – Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York USA
  12. Old Québec, Québec City, Canada
  13. Top of the Rock, New York, USA
  14. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
  15. Wiener Christkindlmarkt, Vienna, Austria
Amanda Teague
Amanda, an accomplished freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio, is a dedicated explorer of both the world and the written word…
Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport: A Design-Forward Retreat in the Heart of Boston’s Waterfront
The jewel of the northeast is the perfect getaway
Architecture, Building, Office Building

It began at daybreak, as a white light poked through the split in the curtains, and I awoke from a night of slumber, and the sun opened up over Boston. I climbed out of bed, opened the curtains, with the Boston skyline across the horizon, and the harbor poking through the facades of glass and steel. Welcome to the Boston Seaport.

I was on a late spring excursion, with the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport as my headquarters, to explore the city’s newest district, where arts, culture, and activity intertwined. What would I find?

Read more
A Toast to World Gin Week in New York City
World Gin Week ends in New York with a juniper-fueled celebration at The Ivory Peacock and Ploume.
Bar, Chair, Furniture

If your week was anything like mine, you'll need a strong cocktail or three this weekend. Mercifully, the martinis will flow like water this Saturday in New York City for the grand finale of World Gin Week. For the past seven days, elite cocktail bars from Cape Town and Kyoto to Singapore and Mexico City have hosted panels, bartender residencies, and tastings in celebration of all things juniper. Think of it as the World Cup for cocktail connoisseurs.

Here in Gotham, World Gin Week culminates on June 20 at The Ivory Peacock, a craft cocktail mainstay in NoMad, and its subterranean sister bar, Ploume. The two venues will host pop-ups helmed by bartenders from cathedrals of mixology like Sip & Guzzle, Dante Aperitivo, and Room 207. Expect all manner of martini mania, along with gourmet hors d'oeuvres to ensure you're still standing at the evening's end. 

Read more
Oregon’s award-winning Van Duzer Winery is part luxurious escape, part endangered species refuge
Sustainable sips in the heart of Oregon's wine country
Glass, Alcohol, Beer

A trip to Oregon isn’t complete without a visit to the state’s oldest wine region, the Willamette Valley. Bordered by Portland and Eugene, the spellbinding stretch of wine country is 150 miles long and is home to hundreds of tasting rooms worth a visit. But Van Duzer Vineyards is more than views and sips—it’s a wildlife sanctuary that holds a high standard for the land it sits on.

Van Duzer winery preserves 22 acres of native flora and fauna on its grounds, with six grapes and 14 clones growing on the property’s remaining 84 acres. The neighboring Basket Slough National Wildlife Refuge is home to over 250 species of bird species in its wetlands, woodlands, and grasslands, with scenic hikes just minutes from Van Duzer’s hilltop tasting room. 

Read more