Explore near or far this season

There really is no place like home for the holidays – but not everyone chooses to celebrate there. Some have traditions of spending the holidays with family, while others take time off to explore on their own. No matter how you choose to spend the holidays this year, take a look at our data-backed destinations for ideas on where to go.

Top deal destinations for the New Year*

As much as we love staying in on New Year’s Eve, sometimes you gotta shake things up and celebrate elsewhere. Whether you’re looking to ring in 2023 in a new city or are planning for a trip in the New Year, we’ve got places to consider that won’t break the bank. According to our data, here are destinations that are cheaper post-holiday season:

1. Montreal, Quebec, CA: Flight prices to Montreal from January to February 2023 are 50% cheaper compared to December 2022.
2. Dublin, Ireland: Flight prices to Dublin from January to February 2023 are 46% cheaper compared to December 2022.
3. Nadi, Fiji: Flight prices to Nadi from January to February 2023 are 44% cheaper compared to December 2022.
4. Toronto, Ontario, CA: Flight prices to Toronto from January to February 2023 are 44% cheaper compared to December 2022.
5. Vancouver, British Columbia, CA: Flight prices to Vancouver from January to February 2023 are 44% cheaper compared to December 2022.
6. Island of Hawai’i, Hawaii, US: Flight prices to Hawaii from January to February 2023 are 43% cheaper compared to December 2022.
7. Guadeloupe: Flight prices to Guadeloupe from January to February 2023 are 42% cheaper compared to December 2022.
8. Johannesburg, South Africa: Flight prices to Johannesburg from January to February 2023 are 40% cheaper compared to December 2022.
9. Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US: Flight prices to Fort Lauderdale from January to February 2023 are 39% cheaper compared to December 2022.
10. Calgary, Alberta, CA: Flight prices to Calgary from January to February 2023 are 37% cheaper compared to December 2022.

Top hidden gem destinations**

Though you can’t go wrong with a trip to a classic destination, there are plenty of places that are just as amazing but happen to fly under the radar. Many of these hidden gem locations tend to become major destinations before you know it – so pay them a visit before they become the next “it” places. According to our data, here are the top-searched lesser-known cities to visit this winter:

1. Niagara Falls, Ontario, CA
2. Lake Buena Vista, Florida, US
3. Nassau, Bahamas
4. Whistler, British Columbia, CA
5. Puerto Morelos, Mexico
6. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
7. Negril, Jamaica
8. Montego Bay, Jamaica
9. New Delhi, India
10. Anaheim, California, US

Most affordable trips from major cities***

For some of us, it’s less about a particular place and more about where you can go from your local airport for less. That’s why we rounded up the most affordable domestic and international places to go based on major cities around the country. According to our data, here are some deal destinations to visit this season:

• Calgary, Alberta
  Cheapest domestic destination: Vancouver, BC ($161)
  Cheapest international destination: Las Vegas, NV, US ($595)
• Edmonton, Alberta
  Cheapest domestic destination: Vancouver, BC ($161)
  Cheapest international destination: Las Vegas, NV, US ($345)
• Halifax, Nova Scotia
  Cheapest domestic destination: Toronto, ON ($246)
  Cheapest international destination: Orlando, FL, US ($835)
• Montreal, Quebec
  Cheapest domestic destination: Toronto ON ($203)
  Cheapest international destination: Chicago, IL, US ($385)
• Ottawa, Ontario
  Cheapest domestic destination: Edmonton, AB ($335)
  Cheapest international destination: New York, NY, US ($457)
• Toronto, Ontario
  Cheapest domestic destination: Montreal, QC ($159)
  Cheapest international destination: Washington D.C., US ($299)
• Vancouver, British Columbia
  Cheapest domestic destination: Kelowna, BC ($127)
  Cheapest international destination: Phoenix, AZ, US ($356)
• Winnipeg, Manitoba
  Cheapest domestic destination: Toronto, ON ($279)
  Cheapest international destination: New York, NY, US ($588)

With other festive details to tend to (like gift-giving and party-planning) this season, we want to make things less stressful and more spirited. Whether you’re using the time off to travel or plan to celebrate closer to home, we’ve got you covered with tools and tips to make your holidays a little brighter.

Methodology:

*KAYAK CA considered the top 300 most searched flight destinations with the greatest month-over-month decrease in price for search dates 6/1/22 – 9/30/22 and travel dates 1/1/23 -2/28/23 compared to travel dates 12/1/22-12/31/22.

**KAYAK CA considered the ratio of most searched hotel destinations to the volume of hotels in each city to determine off-the-beaten-path destinations based on search dates 6/1/22 – 9/30/22 for travel dates 11/1/22-1/15/23. Outliers are excluded based on the search threshold and minimum property count.

***KAYAK CA considered international and domestic destinations with the lowest median airfare from select major cities in Canada for search dates July 1, 2022 – October 16, 2022 and travel dates December 16, 2022 – Jan. 3, 2023. Outliers were excluded based on a designated minimum click threshold. Prices shown in CAD converted from USD (1 USD = 1.38 CAD) are accurate as of 10.20.22