Finding tradition in new places

Thanksgiving is the time of year most Americans get together with family, enjoy a fall feast, watch football and parades, and give thanks. While family traditions never fade, sometimes we want to get away and make new traditions of our own. 

Here are eleven destinations that offer travel experiences that will have you finding new traditions and reasons to give thanks!

(Remember to book one of our travel photographers to capture it!)

1. Mexico City, Mexico

In Mexico, November starts with the Dia de Los Muertos celebration, honoring and remembering loved ones who have passed. Thanksgiving, though not as popular, is also enjoyed in Mexico City. The weather is perfect, and restaurants prepare special menus.

For another experience that celebrates the cycle of life, take a day trip to El Rosario or the Sierra Chincua Monarch Reserves to see the millions of butterflies that have made the 3,000-mile journey to Mexico from Canada.

2. Rome, Italy

If simplicity and welcoming Christmas are your Thanksgiving hopes, Rome is the destination for you. Unlike American cities, most of Rome holds out decorating until Dec. 8, but the Church of Saints Cosimo and Damiano, near the Roman Forum, has a large, antique nativity scene from Naples displayed year-round.

And while you can’t help feeling like a celebrity strolling the streets of the Eternal City, you can then enjoy a simple Thanksgiving meal of “Cacio e Pepe”...the Roman dish of pasta in a sauce of pecorino Romano cheese and fresh black pepper.

Photo by: Stas in Rome

3. Delhi, India

There’s something about a curry that evokes the warmth and richness of fall. And while the term “curry” is a British invention, if food is your favorite part of Thanksgiving, head to India for its many miraculous dishes.

Delhi is known for its street food. Stay in New Delhi and marvel at the sites of Qutab Minar, the Lotus Temple, and the Akshardham temple, to name just a few, but visit the old market of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi for a standing Thanksgiving feast of fried samosas and kachori!

4. Singapore, Singapore

When most of us think of Singapore, we think of a twinkling city skyline on the ocean...and would be surprised to learn that the city-state is actually 46% green space! Give thanks for nature and conservation while visiting one of Singapore’s many parks, maybe even while standing on TreeTop Walk, a free-standing 250-foot long suspension bridge connecting the two highest points in MacRitchie Reservoir Park.

Then, substitute your turkey dinner for a specially prepared Peking duck!

Photo by: Yan in Singapore

5. Yountville, California

Another great place to revel in food and the coming of Christmas on your Thanksgiving is the famous wine-growing region of Napa, California, just 60 miles north of San Francisco. In Yountville, celebrity chefs create traditional Thanksgiving meals with a Napa twist...think wine-poached turkey breasts and turkey leg confit.

And if you can, get there a few days earlier for the annual Festival of Lights, when the entire picture-book town is lit up with twinkling strands of lights, and the train station, transformed into the North Pole, welcomes the Napa Valley Wine Train, transformed by elves into Santa’s Train!

6. Tokyo, Japan

Though Tokyo is famous for its Cherry Blossom Season, it’s equally stunning in the fall. Thanksgiving weekend is often the best time to see the changing colors of the leaves. Walking around the city you’ll be able to take in the golds and crimsons of the season, but also visit specific spots like Rikugien Gardens, Inokashira Park, and Meiji Jingu Gaien which has a Friday night festival between Nov. 15 and Dec. 1.

Our Tokyo-based photographer, Kan, shares in his tips for traveling in Tokyo that the city is a foodie’s heaven, so you’ll have no problem finding a Thanksgiving feast. If you’re worried about traveling around what has been deemed the busiest travel day of the year, don’t be! According to AAA, there are summer days that are worse travel days than Thanksgiving, and no one worries about those!

Photo by: Eliana in Tokyo

7. The Hague, Netherlands

Unbeknownst to most U.S. school children, the Pilgrims actually lived in the town of Leiden in the Netherlands for eleven years before sailing to the Americas on the Mayflower.

If you want to get closer to the Pilgrims’ story this Thanksgiving, consider visiting The Hague, the third-largest city in the Netherlands, and just a 20-minute drive from Leiden. After touching bases with the Pilgrims return to The Hague to explore art galleries and the Binnenhof, the 13th century, gothic castle that is also the oldest, in-use parliamentary building in the world. 

8. Mombasa, Kenya

Perhaps you’re not just interested in the Pilgrims’ story, but the entire human story, thankful to be a small part of it. Kenya is home to some of the earliest known human fossils, dating back millions of years, and Mombasa, a cosmopolitan city with beaches and wildlife reserves, celebrates both our evolution and our place in nature.

For a Thanksgiving outing, head to Nairobi overnight via the modernized Madaraka Express, which makes the 300-mile journey across African bush in 4.5 hours and departs both cities every morning. 

9. Brighton, England

Brighton may never have been home to the Pilgrims, but it’s been witness to much family fun, especially in the past couple of centuries. Get cozy in a seaside cottage, then head out to eat candy floss (what we call cotton candy), and play arcade games on the pier. 

Spend time wandering the narrow streets of 16th century buildings, known as The Lanes, combing through bookstores, record shops, and vintage boutiques for perfect holiday gifts. Thanksgiving dinner might be fish & chips takeaway on a bench looking out to sea.

10. Las Vegas, Nevada

Sometimes we just want to chuck tradition altogether. The lights of Las Vegas have always been a beacon for rebels and trail-blazers. There’s no end of buffets to try and shows to see to replace the usual turkey and football of Thanksgiving. If you can, get off the main Strip and head to old Las Vegas on Fremont Street for vintage fun in Sin City.

Who knows, there’s always a chance Elvis or Lady Luck might join your celebration!

Photo by: Danelle in Las Vegas

11. Christchurch → Queenstown, New Zealand

If you love road trips, late spring weather, and epic nature, you’ll be brimming with thankfulness for time spent exploring the South Island of New Zealand. 

Start in the uber-cool city of Christchurch then head out. We recommend a slow route to Queenstown, taking in mountains and lakes, wine-tasting and eating ice cream, and spending a couple of nights in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, home of the highest mountain in New Zealand. Take time to hike, mountain climb, stargaze, or just make friends with the local keas (large green parrots native to the island who aren’t shy!). End in Queenstown, with a Thanksgiving dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants overlooking a glorious sunset. 

Consider the travel part of the adventure to make new traditions. And be sure to book one of the wonderful photographers we have at each of these locations, so your travel memories are waiting for you and your Christmas card order by the time you return home!