Manchester named most festive spot in UK for Christmas getaway

If you’re looking for somewhere to spend a Christmas getaway, Manchester has been named as the most festive place in the UK, according to a new study.

We already know our city goes big when it comes to our beloved Christmas Markets, which are spread across nine sites this year to mark their 25th anniversary. 

And shopping in Manchester, especially when you’re hunting for presents for people, isn’t too shabby either.

The city has plenty of restaurants and a pretty great night life too, so it will come as no surprise to know that our city has been named as the most festive place to take a winter staycation this Christmas.

The study was conducted by Christmas Tree World and based its ranking on a number of factors including Google search data, average temperatures, snowfall days and hotel prices, as well as restaurants and fun things to do with children.

It also looked into the most Instagrammable hotspots based on hashtagged posts on Instagram and TikTok – so you know exactly where you can expect to get the perfect festive snaps.

Manchester scored a cool 10 out of 10 snatching the top spot. In at a close second is Whitby, with the North Yorkshire seaside town scoring 9.74 out of 10. York came in third place scoring 9.49 – as the north of England seemingly stole the limelight.

Nottingham came in last place at number 15 and the capital, London, didn’t even make it on the list.

The major northern city of Manchester scored top marks out of 40 UK destinations. 

Holding one of the biggest and arguably best Christmas markets in the UK, Manchester is the ideal destination for festivities. In 2022, Manchester’s streets were bustling with over 220 food, drinks and shopping stalls for visitors to enjoy their favourite festive staples.

The city recorded the highest annual searches for its Christmas festivities (149,800) and offers plenty of family-friendly restaurant choices (124 per 10 km2). 

There were also 18.7 million Instagram mentions and 12.8 billion TikTok tag views. 

The average hotel price in Manchester was higher than others on the list at £124 a night in December, but visitors may overlook this due to the multitude of things to do during the festive season in the city.

While a traditional Christmas at the family home is always a great way to celebrate the big day, many families choose to experience the holidays in a new environment. 

Thanks to the country’s pristine woodlands, stately homes, quaint villages, ancient history and fantastic cities to discover, the UK is fast becoming a key winter tourism destination.

Manchester’s Christmas Markets are open from now until December 21st with plenty of exciting seasonal festivities taking place around the city for families and visitors to enjoy.