Luxury Christmas vacations are the perfect way to experience the festive holiday season in a beautiful setting and lush accommodations, whether your travel plans include a cruise vacation aboard a luxury liner, swimming in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, or on a ski vacation at the best resorts in Europe.

Christmas cruises are a great way to spend the holidays if you’re only looking to relax and see beautiful beaches during your vacation. The Caribbean is a popular cruise destination year-round, but it’s also possible to take Mediterranean cruises, which can include stops on beautiful islands such as Sardinia, Cyprus, and Crete, as well as exotic destinations such as Turkey.

Although many travelers may not know it, Turkey is a great destination for luxury Christmas vacations, as you can visit the city of Istanbul on a six-day Christmas vacation package after your cruise. This type of package typically includes five nights at a luxury hotel, tours of the Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia, Turkish baths, shopping at the Grand Bazaar, and a cruise along the Bosporus to see the ancient Rumeli Fortress. The vacation is completed with a Christmas party highlighting Turkish music and cuisine—this is a luxury getaway you won’t soon forget.

Mexico is home to some of the most beautiful and relaxing resorts in the world, and what better place for luxury Christmas travel than the Mayan Riviera, on the Yucatan Peninsula. Cancun and Cozumel are two of the most popular resort destinations in Mexico, and both offer amazing beaches, high-quality accommodations, and good deals on activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, and even tours of Mayan ruins in the area. All inclusive resorts are a great way to go here, if you want to have a completely hassle-free trip once you arrive.

Some of the best luxury Christmas vacation destinations are in Europe where snow skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing can fill your Christmas itinerary. Austria is one of the most popular places for skiing, particularly in the area of Zell am See. This ski resort in the Austrian Alps is outside the city of Salzburg, and there are more than 30 peaks in the area that are above 9,800 feet in elevation. December is one of the best months for skiing in this part of the world, meaning it’s the perfect time to look for Christmas ski vacations or Christmas vacation packages as well.

It’s also possible to book great ski trips in the US, and the best Christmas vacation destinations for skiing, sledding, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing on this side of the Atlantic include the resorts in the Western US and several options in New England. In the western states, Vail, Aspen, and Telluride Colorado; Sun Valley, Idaho; and Jackson Hole, Wyoming are just a sampling of areas for winter wonderland Christmas vacation packages. Luxury resorts in the east that are worth visiting include Stowe, Vermont, and Lake Placid, New York, and these are typically smaller than the western resorts, which means they are often better for novice skiers and sometimes less expensive as well, though the level of luxury might not rival what you’d find in Vail, for instance.

If you’re looking for an unusual, small-town Christmas luxury travel option, consider visiting the magnificent Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. This is one of the best Christmas vacation destinations for a romantic getaway, as you can enjoy the annual celebrations as glowing candlelight, thousands of twinkling lights, delicate ornaments, and dozens of decorative evergreens create a visual holiday delight for visitors. This four-star inn is located on 8,000 acres and offers wine tasting, fine dining, and spa treatments. Seasonal packages are available for this destination in the Blue Ridge Mountains as well, and if this type of luxury Christmas travel appeals to you, they’re well worth booking.