Sipping cocoa, singing carols and relaxing around a crackling fire with family is a cozy way to spend the holidays, but there’s fun to be had outside your home’s decked-out halls. This year, pack up the presents and make plans for some holiday travel to celebrate the season in one of these spirited cities.

Have an Ozark Mountain Christmas in Branson, Missouri

Branson accommodationsfill up quickly during the holidays for good reason. Ozark Mountain Christmas events entertain from the first week of November through Dec. 31. This celebration shines bright (light displays feature bulbs numbering in the millions) with festive decor, a decked-out Silver Dollar City theme park and dozens of Christmas-themed plays and performances at local theaters. Shows include the Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza, Sight and Sound’s Miracle of Christmas, Christmas Wonderland, Hughes Brothers Christmas Show, Dixie Stampede and The Texas Tenors.

Surround yourself with Christmas trees in Asheville, North Carolina

From the Banquet Hall’s 35-foot Fraser fir to a tiny table-topper in the Raphael bedroom, the Biltmore House’s meticulously decorated Christmas trees—more than 55 in total—are a sight to behold. Plan to join a guided tour through the French Renaissance-style country estate of George Vanderbilt so you can see them all, but leave some time to explore the grounds, too. A fully lit 55-foot Norway spruce, circled by over a dozen other illuminated evergreens, adorns the front lawn during the Biltmore’s Candlelight Christmas evenings. To catch the magic of these awe-inspiring holiday moments, you'll want to book your Asheville hotel sometime between early November through the first week of January.

Tour the Trail of Lights in Austin, Texas

Originally called Yule Fest at its 1965 launch, Austin’s Trail of Lights boasts more than a mile of holiday-themed paths through the city’s famed Zilker Park. Booking an Austin hotel convenient to downtown makes it easy to stroll through 40 displays to see why this holiday travel tradition makes the grade among some of the top must-see light displays in the country. Rides, vendors, food and, of course, nightly live music help round out the trail experience.

Welcome the Season at Winterfest in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

For a true Smoky Mountain holiday trip experience, take a stroll or drive through Pigeon Forge’s annual Winterfest. Home of Dolly Parton’s Dollywood, Pigeon Forge joins forces each winter season with neighboring Sevierville and Gatlinburg for holiday festivities that extend all the way through February. Find a hotel in Pigeon Forge that allows you to take in the parades, floats, live music—with some rising country star talent in the mix—and more than 5 million lights on display. Once you visit this festival, it will easily become a must-do winter holiday travel tradition.

Make it a Coastal Christmas in Wilmington, North Carolina

Secure a hotel in Wilmington and find a spot along the waterfront for the best views of the annual North Carolina Holiday Flotilla (a night-time holiday parade on water) at Wrightsville Beach. The event kicks off in late November with a launch party, a festive tree-lighting celebration and an appearance by Santa Claus himself. In early December, go back in time at the Burgwin-Wright House and Bellamy Mansion for an event with Victorian-era decorations, in-costume interpreters and even a miniature animal petting zoo. A charming trolley ride is the optimal mode of transportation between the historical homes.