Colorado creates a magical Christmas better than almost anywhere else in the country. Snow is close to guaranteed when you're staying above 8,000 feet, and nearly every mountain town in the area turns its main street into a winter wonderland the week after Thanksgiving.
You do not need an Aspen, Breckenridge, or Telluride budget to get the full Christmas effect, either. In fact, some of the most festive small towns in the state are the ones that never make the glossy lists.
What separates a good holiday destination from a great one is usually the small stuff, like whether the shopping district is walkable (in snow boots), what activities there are for kids on a white afternoon, and how far you have to travel between the tree lighting, sleigh rides, winter hiking, and your front door.
Here are eight of the very best Christmas towns in Colorado we recommend for your next holiday trip.
Vail was built to look like an idyllic European alpine village, and in December that design really pays off. The covered bridge over Gore Creek glows with Christmas lights, the shops along the pedestrian streets stay open late, and the whole village is decorated in full by the first week of December.
The Kris Kringle Market is the real draw. It's a genuine European-style Christmas market with Colorado artisans, hot glühwein, and live music along the water. Vail also hosts two separate tree lightings, one in Lionshead and one at the Children's Fountain in Vail Village.
New Year's Eve is the other big night, when skiers carry flares down Golden Peak after dark and fireworks go off over the mountain. Vail Mountain officially opens around mid-November, so the slopes are typically running long before the holidays arrive.
Shopping here is a great activity rather than a rainy-day fallback, and each of the two villages has an outdoor ice rink. If you want to walk down Colorado's most festive main street this Christmas season, this is it. Check out our guide to celebrating Christmas in Vail for more details about the holiday season here.
Browse our Vail and Beaver Creek vacation rentals to stay within easy walking distance of the village.
Durango has the single best Christmas attraction in all of Colorado for kids, and it is not even close. The Polar Express runs on the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from Mid-November through early January, departing the downtown depot in a vintage steam train.
The ride itself takes about 65 minutes. Kids get hot chocolate and a cookie, someone reads the namesake book aloud, and Santa boards on the return leg to hand out the first gift of Christmas. Pajamas are encouraged, and most families wear them.
Beyond the train, downtown Durango is a historic main street with brick storefronts, good restaurants, and lights strung the full length. Restaurants in Durango are open in spring, summer, fall, and winter, so you won't have any problems finding a good place to eat.
Purgatory Resort is 25 minutes north of town for skiing. Our Durango ski season guide dives a little deeper into what you can do on the mountain itself.
See our Durango vacation rentals, or stay a little outside town at Tamarron Resort.
Located in Larimer County about an hour and a half from Denver, Estes Park is the easiest of these towns to reach from the international airport there. Elk wander through town in winter, which adds a surreal touch nothing else on this list can match.
Estes Park runs its Catch the Glow celebration from late November through the New Year, and it costs nothing to attend. The display in Bond Park lights up every night in the middle of downtown.
The Catch the Glow Parade kicks off this annual highlight and features a procession of floats covered entirely in lights that rolls down Elkhorn Avenue on a Friday evening in late November.
Rocky Mountain National Park sits at the edge of town and stays open through winter for all the outdoor enthusiasts. You could take a short hike to a frozen lake on Christmas morning for a magical start to your holiday.
Look at our Estes Park vacation rentals near downtown and find the right home for your trip.
Ouray sits in a box canyon walled in by peaks on three sides, and it is the most cinematic and picturesque small town in Colorado in any season. In December, the whole place feels like a film set. While small, there is plenty to do if you like nature and a small town vibe.
Yule Day is the town's annual holiday celebration, held on a Saturday in early December. It features a parade, a tree lighting, a Christmas market, an Elf on the Shelf scavenger hunt, and Santa working the length of Main Street.
The hot springs are the other major reason to come to Ouray. Sitting in a steaming pool while snow falls is the perfect romantic moment for couples.
The Ouray Ice Park is the town's other claim to fame; it’s a human-made ice climbing venue in the gorge just south of town. Opening depends entirely on cold weather but it usually lands somewhere around late December, so check conditions before you count on it.
This is a charming, quiet choice. If your ideal holiday is a small town filled with twinkle lights and almost no crowds, Ouray is the pick. We cover the wider region in our winter in Southwest Colorado guide.
Browse our numerous Ouray vacation rentals in the historic district for the best experience.
Denver goes all in for the Christmas season. It might not have that small mountain town charm (it is a big city after all), but what it doesn't have in quaintness it makes up for in attractions and accessibility.
The Christkindlmarket runs late November to late December in the heart of the city, with the Mile High Tree and nightly drone shows running through December 31. The 9NEWS Parade of Lights takes over downtown in early December, too.
Blossoms of Light at the Botanic Gardens and Zoo Lights are the two big walk-through displays for the family, and both fill up on weekends, so plan to go on a weeknight to avoid the crowds.
Denver also works as a base for exploring some of the other destinations on this list. Winter Park, Estes Park, and Colorado Springs are all within a two-hour drive, which makes it the practical choice if your group cannot agree on one mountain town. We have a full list of day trips from Denver if that is the plan.
It is also the only option here with a full slate of indoor events, from theater to hockey, to keep you busy during the stretch between Christmas and New Year.
A rental beats a hotel for a group, since you get a kitchen for the holiday meal and some room to spread out. Decide where in the city to stay with our guide to Denver neighborhoods, then check out our Denver vacation rentals to find the perfect pad.
Winter Park is the closest real ski resort to Denver, and it is the only one you can reach by train. Amtrak's Winter Park Express runs from Union Station straight to the base area in about two and a half hours, climbing through the Moffat Tunnel on the way.
The town itself is low-key rather than polished, which is part of the appeal. You get serious mountain terrain, a cozy downtown with a handful of good restaurants and taprooms, and none of the ritzy valet-parking scene.
For families, the combination of a train ride and a ski day is hard to beat. Book the train early, because holiday week departures sell out well in advance. Our guide to planning a winter trip to Winter Park covers the rest.
Winter Park sits in Grand County, which means you clear the Continental Divide and generally find better snow than the Front Range gets. There is an ice rink in town and tubing at the resort for anyone not interested in skiing.
Browse Winter Park vacation rentals near the base before you go.
Pagosa Springs is often overlooked, but it offers some of the best winter hot springs in Colorado. The mineral pools at The Springs Resort are terraced right down the bank of the San Juan River, so you move between them as the snow comes down on top of you.
The town is small and unfussy, with a walkable downtown, a few good restaurants, and lights strung along the main street through December. While there is still plenty of Christmas spirit, this isn't the ideal town for families looking for a plethora of Christmas time activities right in the heart of downtown.
This is the pick if your idea of a holiday is doing very little and immersing in the mountain landscape. Bring a robe and plan on ultimate relaxation. If you want to ski, Wolf Creek Ski Area is about 40 minutes northeast and reliably gets some of the deepest snow in the state.
Check out our luxurious Pagosa Springs vacation rentals near the river for your stay.
For a themed Christmas that small kids will actually remember, this is one of the strongest options in the state. It is also the most affordable of the eight, which makes it a favorite for larger families.
The North Pole is an old-fashioned Christmas theme park that has been running since the 1950s. It’s open all year round, but festivities amp up during the holiday season, which runs from late fall through December, typically with rides and a Santa visit.
Keep in mind that the theme park is in Cascade, about 20 minutes up the Pikes Peak Highway from Colorado Springs proper, not downtown. It also closes Tuesdays and Wednesdays and shuts at 4 PM on Christmas Eve.
Back in the city, Garden of the Gods is free, open year-round, and looks spectacular when snow is stacked atop the red rock. The Broadmoor's holiday decorations are worth a walk through even if you are not staying at the hotel.
Book one of our Colorado Springs vacation rentals near the attractions so you have plenty of space to spread out.
There is no wrong answer here, but there is a right one for your group. It might be Vail for atmosphere, Durango for kids, Ouray for quiet, Pagosa for the hot springs, or Denver if you need an airport.
Wherever you plan to spend Christmas, book early. Holiday weeks in Colorado mountain towns often fill up by October, and the best rentals go first. If you are still deciding where to travel, our roundup of family Christmas vacation ideas covers options beyond Colorado too.
Start searching for your perfect vacation rental with us at VRC today.
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