Escape Christmas: Where to Go to Get Away from the Festive Season and Welcome in the New Year

If the thought of crowded shops, endless playlists and a diary full of obligations makes you want to run for the hills, you’re not alone. For a growing number of travellers, the best way to enjoy the end of the year is to leave it all behind and go somewhere that simply doesn’t do Christmas in the same way.

At Untravelled Paths we’ve spent years finding places that feel different and far from the usual. Three of our favourites make particularly good choices for anyone wanting to escape the festive season: Morocco, Turkey and South Africa. Each offers sunshine, adventure and the chance to welcome in the New Year in a way you’ll never forget.

Why escape the festive season?

There’s nothing wrong with a traditional Christmas, but it isn’t for everyone. Maybe you want a break from the pressure and the expense. Maybe you’ve done the Christmas markets and the family gatherings and fancy something completely different. Or maybe you just want to start the new year feeling inspired rather than exhausted.

A well-chosen escape gives you all of that. You skip the festive frenzy, discover somewhere new and come home with memories that last far longer than a stocking full of presents.

Three destinations that aren’t overly festive

The beauty of Morocco, Turkey and South Africa is that none of them is a typical Christmas destination, so you can enjoy the holiday period without having the festive season thrust upon you.

Morocco is a predominantly Muslim country, and Christmas simply isn’t part of daily life here. Instead you’ll find bustling souks, riads, snow-dusted Atlas Mountains and the vast silence of the Sahara. Winter is also a lovely time to visit, with comfortable daytime temperatures in Marrakech and clear skies for stargazing in the desert.

Turkey is also a predominantly Muslim country where Christmas isn’t widely celebrated. Istanbul’s history, bazaars and food carry on as normal, and Cappadocia’s strange rock landscapes are as dramatic in December as at any other time of year. Winter brings fewer crowds, and you may find it easier to enjoy the big sights in peace.

South Africa celebrates Christmas, but not in the way Europe does. December falls in the southern hemisphere’s summer, so the festive season here means beaches, outdoor braais and long sunny days. Out in the bush, on safari, the season hardly registers at all. It’s about as far from tinsel and mulled wine as you can get.

Why they’re better value than classic festive breaks

Popular festive destinations in Europe, from Christmas market cities to Alpine resorts, tend to push their prices up sharply in December. Because Morocco, Turkey and South Africa aren’t typical festive destinations, demand doesn’t spike in the same way and you don’t see the same inflated prices. On our own trips, the December departures to all three destinations cost the same as the quieter departures in the autumn. That means you can enjoy a genuinely special trip without paying a festive premium for it.

Three unforgettable ways to welcome in the New Year

The first morning of the year is a great moment for something extraordinary. Here are three ways to mark it that you’ll remember for the rest of your life.

Morocco: watch the sunrise over the Sahara Desert on New Year’s morning

Imagine waking up in a Berber desert camp, wrapping yourself in a blanket and watching the first sunrise of the year paint the dunes of Erg Chebbi gold. There is no countdown and no crowds, only silence and sand.

On our Sahara Desert Experience you travel from Marrakech through the High Atlas Mountains, stopping at the UNESCO-listed kasbah of Aït Benhaddou and the dramatic Todra Gorge. You then ride a camel into the dunes at sunset, enjoy a traditional dinner under the stars and spend the night in the desert. It’s a trip we can tailor so that your night in the desert falls on New Year’s Eve.

Turkey: take an early morning balloon ride over the chimneys of Cappadocia

Few sights match a sky full of hot air balloons drifting over Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys at dawn. Floating over that lunar landscape on the first morning of the new year is a truly magical way to start 12 months of adventure.

Our Hot Air Ballooning Experience begins in Istanbul, where you’ll explore the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar, before flying to Cappadocia to stay in a cave hotel. Then comes the main event: a pre-dawn start and a one-hour balloon flight over the valleys, finishing with a glass of bubbles on landing. We can plan your dates so the flight takes place on New Year’s morning, weather permitting.

South Africa: a New Year’s morning game drive, or upgrade to a mobile safari in Botswana

Nothing clears the head like a sunrise game drive. As the bush wakes up around you, you might spot elephants, lions or giraffes in the soft early light, with only the sounds of the bush for company.

Our Western Cape Safari Experience takes in Cape Town, the Winelands, penguins at Boulders Beach and the beautiful Garden Route before finishing with a stay at a private game reserve, where a sunrise game drive is part of the programme. We can plan the trip so that your morning drive falls on 1 January.

For something even wilder, ask us about upgrading to a mobile safari in Botswana. Moving through remote wilderness with a mobile camp is about as far from the festive season as you can get, and we’d be happy to put together a tailor-made option for the New Year.

A note on dates

Our standard departures don’t always land on New Year’s morning itself, but every one of these trips can be tailored, and that’s something we’re very happy to do. Tell us you’d like to be in the desert, in a balloon or on a game drive on 1 January and we’ll build the itinerary around it.

Ready to escape the festive season?

If you’d rather spend the end of the year somewhere extraordinary than stuck in the Christmas rush, now is the time to start planning. Dates for the festive period are limited, and it’s well worth getting in touch early.

Book before 31 October 2026 and take 10% off all trip dates from November 2026 to October 2027. Just quote OCT10% when you book.

Browse our Morocco trips | Browse our Turkey trips | Browse our South Africa trips

Or get in touch on +44 (0)20 7101 4061 or at info@untravelledpaths.com and tell us where you’d like to wake up on New Year’s morning.

The post Escape Christmas: Where to Go to Get Away from the Festive Season and Welcome in the New Year appeared first on Untravelled Paths.

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