15 Arizona Holiday Getaways Perfect For A Sunny Christmas Break
Picture this: trading snow shovels for sunscreen, swapping frozen toes for sandals, and celebrating Christmas under clear blue skies instead of gray clouds.
Arizona makes that dream real every December.
The state transforms into a sunny holiday paradise where you can hike red rock trails in the morning, then wander through glowing light displays by evening.
No icy roads, no blizzards, just warm days and comfortably cool nights.
Arizona’s holiday celebrations mix desert beauty with festive traditions in ways you won’t find anywhere else.
Towns string lights across cactus gardens, resorts build ice rinks beside palm trees, and historic villages glow with thousands of luminarias.
Ready to discover where sunshine meets Christmas magic?
These 15 Arizona getaways prove you don’t need snow to have the most memorable holiday break ever.
1. Scottsdale and Christmas at the Princess
If your idea of Christmas is palm trees wrapped in lights and s’mores by a fire pit in flip-flops, Scottsdale is your place.
At the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, the annual Christmas at the Princess festival turns 65 acres of Sonoran Desert into a full-blown North Pole’s sister city, with millions of lights, skating rinks, rides, characters, and holiday food stalls.
Spend the day hiking in shirt sleeves, then wander through Old Town’s Scottsdazzle waterfront lights and holiday events once the sun drops.
This sunny Christmas break lets you toast marshmallows under a clear desert sky, then sleep in a resort that glows like a Christmas village.
You’ll find yourself wondering why anyone chooses shivering over this.
2. Phoenix ZooLights and Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix does December in full color. By day, classic desert sunshine and blue skies dominate; by night, two of the city’s icons light up spectacularly.
At Desert Botanical Garden, Las Noches de las Luminarias lines cactus trails with thousands of glowing bags, live music, and warm drinks, turning the garden into a glowing desert promenade on select nights from late November through December.
A short drive away, ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo layers millions of lights, glowing animal lanterns, and a huge tunnel of color over the park, running into mid-January.
You’ll spend the evening in T-shirts, walking under palm trees and neon hippos, wondering why anyone chooses snow over this delightful desert celebration.
3. Sedona and the Festival of Lights at Tlaquepaque
Sedona’s red rocks make a dramatic backdrop for Christmas, especially when the town leans into the season.
At Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village, the Festival of Lights is a beloved tradition: thousands of luminarias line the courtyards and walkways, a bell tolls, 6,000 candles flicker to life, and carolers and Santa work the crowd with warm cider in hand.
Days stay sunny and crisp, perfect for hiking among the red rocks before ducking back into town for galleries, cozy fireplaces, and over-the-top light displays that make the walled village feel like a warm-weather North Pole.
Sedona proves that holiday magic doesn’t require freezing temperatures or icy sidewalks to feel absolutely enchanting and memorable.
4. Prescott Arizona’s Christmas City
If you want a small-town holiday movie setting with Arizona sunshine, Prescott has already claimed the title Arizona’s Christmas City.
Every December, downtown fills with a Holiday Light Parade, a big Christmas parade, and the famous Courthouse Lighting, where the historic courthouse square erupts into thousands of lights and fireworks.
Days are cool but bright, so you can stroll Whiskey Row, sip coffee on a sunny patio, and shop for gifts around the square.
When evening hits, everyone drifts toward the courthouse lawn, bundled just enough to feel festive but not freezing.
Classic Christmas ambiance arrives without the slushy sidewalks, making Prescott an ideal sunny holiday destination that still captures that cozy seasonal feeling perfectly.
5. Lake Havasu City and the Boat Parade of Lights
On the Colorado River, Lake Havasu City celebrates the season in pure Arizona style: on the water.
Each December, the Boat Parade of Lights sends a flotilla of decorated boats gliding through the Bridgewater Channel under the London Bridge, wrapped in lights and holiday scenes.
Spectators spread blankets along the shore or watch from riverfront restaurants while the desert night stays surprisingly mild.
State park viewing areas even open free on parade night so families can line the shoreline and watch the reflections ripple across the water.
Add in sunny daytime temps, hiking, and lake views, and you’ve got a Christmas getaway that feels more like a riverfront festival than winter, offering something truly different and memorable.
6. Tubac and Luminaria Nights
South of Tucson, the artsy village of Tubac feels made for a low-key, glowing Christmas break.
Its big moment comes during Luminaria Nights, when the historic streets are lined with paper lanterns, shops and galleries stay open late, and the whole village turns into a candlelit promenade.
Visitors wander from gallery to gallery with hot drinks in hand, listening to live music and picking up last-minute gifts while the desert sky stays clear overhead.
Tourism and arts groups confirm that Luminaria Nights is an annual tradition, set again for early December 2025, so you know the event is very much alive.
Tubac offers that rare combination of artistic charm and desert warmth that makes holiday shopping feel special.
7. Yuma and Christmas at the Crossing
Down on the warm lower Colorado River, Yuma may have Arizona’s most reliably sunny December skies, and it pairs them with a bright riverfront Christmas.
At the Colorado River State Historic Park, Christmas at the Crossing turns the grounds into a family-friendly holiday zone with lights, a kids’ train, Santa photos, performances, games, food vendors, and more, running over multiple nights in late December.
Days are typically mild enough for river walks and patio dining; evenings cool just enough for a light jacket while you watch kids race toward the illuminated train.
If your dream Christmas is more palms and historic adobe than snowdrifts, Yuma is a seriously comfy choice that delivers sunshine and festive fun together.
8. Tucson Winterhaven and ZooLights
Tucson trades snowbanks for saguaros and big-sky sunsets, but it still goes hard on lights.
The Winterhaven Festival of Lights has been a tradition since 1949, with an entire neighborhood decking out its homes and welcoming visitors nightly in mid-December.
Across town, ZooLights at Reid Park Zoo layers tunnels of color, animated displays, a towering tree, and festive music over the zoo pathways for several weeks in December, returning again for 2025.
Combine those nights with warm, sunny days exploring Tucson’s UNESCO-recognized food traditions and nearby desert trails, and you get a holiday break that’s as much about hiking and tacos as twinkle lights.
Tucson makes Christmas feel relaxed and delicious at the same time.
9. Saguaro National Park and the Tucson Desert
When the rest of the country is shoveling driveways, Saguaro National Park spends December basking in mild sunshine.
Official park and weather resources describe winter days hovering in the mid-60s to low-70s Fahrenheit, with cool nights and mostly clear skies, which means pretty much perfect hiking weather.
Trail time among giant saguaros and golden light is easy to pair with Tucson’s new Astro Trail, which connects stargazing sites and observatories for night-sky experiences in the same clear desert air.
Base yourself at a nearby resort or casita, spend Christmas week walking cactus-lined paths in a T-shirt, then wrap up in a sweater to watch the stars come out.
Quiet, wild, and very, very sunny describes this peaceful desert escape.
10. Bisbee Artsy Mountain Escape
If you like your Christmas with a little quirk, Bisbee is your bohemian hideaway.
The former copper mining town, tucked into the Mule Mountains, has reinvented itself as a colorful desert escape full of art, vintage hotels, and steep stairways winding between historic houses.
December here is usually crisp but pleasant, with typical highs around the 50s to 60s Fahrenheit and plenty of sun, making it a good time to wander galleries, sip coffee on balconies, and join in small-town holiday happenings without heavy winter gear.
Bisbee feels like the setting of a slightly offbeat Christmas novel: twinkle lights draped over Victorian brickwork, live music drifting out of old saloons, and no big-city rush in sight to spoil the charm.
11. Ajo and Its Magical Christmas Eve
Tiny Ajo sits near the edge of the Sonoran Desert, wrapped around one of the prettiest plazas in Arizona.
On Christmas Eve, the town hosts what locals call Magical Night, a small-town celebration where a single firework announces Santa’s arrival, kids pile into sleigh rides toward the plaza, and the evening ends with a visit to Santa’s workshop.
The historic plaza glows with lights, and the surrounding desert stays mild enough for evening strolls under palm trees and mission-style archways.
Simple, sweet, and very genuine describes this Christmas that feels handmade rather than programmed, with plenty of daytime sun for exploring nearby desert landscapes.
Ajo offers authentic small-town holiday spirit without the commercial rush found elsewhere.
12. Verde Canyon Railroad’s Magical Christmas Journey Clarkdale
In the Verde Valley, a holiday train ride turns the high desert into storybook scenery.
The Verde Canyon Railroad’s Magical Christmas Journey runs from late November through Christmas Eve, sending vintage railcars from Clarkdale toward a North Pole experience. Families ride through canyon country at dusk, then step into a Christmas village with lights, Santa visits, and seasonal treats.
Daytime here is typically sunny and cool, perfect for exploring nearby Cottonwood and Jerome or tasting local wines before your evening departure.
As the train snakes along the Verde River, cliffs fade into blue twilight and Christmas lights take over, giving you that holiday-movie feeling without a single snowstorm to battle on the way there or back home.
13. Litchfield Park and The Wigwam Resort
On Phoenix’s west side, the historic Wigwam resort in Litchfield Park leans fully into holiday charm.
The adobe-style property wraps its lawns and buildings in garlands, ornaments, and glowing Christmas trees, with a towering tree as the centerpiece.
Seasonal programming includes tree-lighting festivities, s’mores, and ties to the city’s Christmas in the Park celebration, which brings parades, real snow play, and Santa to the nearby town center.
Between sunny days on the golf course or by the pool and sweater-weather evenings under palm trees strung with lights, it feels like a classic resort Christmas transplanted to warm desert air.
The Wigwam gives you that luxurious holiday experience without sacrificing comfort or sunshine for even a single moment during your stay.
14. JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Jingle at JW
If you want a self-contained sunny Christmas playground, JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge is hard to beat.
Each year the resort transforms into a winter-style wonderland for Jingle at JW, with ice skating, snow tubing hills, towering trees, and nightly holiday activities, all in the middle of the Sonoran Desert.
Guests can buy a Jingle Experience Pass to access the lights, rides, and family-friendly fun from late November into early January.
By day, you’re lounging by heated pools or hiking nearby desert trails; by night, you’re watching kids chase snow flurries under palm trees.
A resort-style Christmas break that feels festive without sacrificing a single ray of sunshine makes this destination incredibly popular with families seeking something truly special.
15. Loews Ventana Canyon and the Catalina Foothills
Tucked into the Catalina Foothills above Tucson, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort offers a quieter, mountain-meets-desert Christmas.
The resort’s Holiday Tea and seasonal happenings bring live harp music, multi-course treats, and special holiday menus to a setting already famous for its canyon views and stargazing.
Outside, winter days are typically sunny and comfortably cool, inviting you to hike nearby trails, visit Sabino Canyon, or wander into Tucson for lights and tamales.
At night, you can sit on a balcony with a drink, watch the city lights flicker below and the stars burn above, and enjoy a Christmas that trades snowbanks for saguaro silhouettes.
Peaceful, elegant, and perfectly sunny describes this mountain escape beautifully.