The 7 best winter holidays from Which? Recommended Providers – plus Christmas market bargains too

Frequent disruption to flights and holidays this year has shown the importance of booking with a holiday company who cares. That’s why every holiday company that's a Which? Recommended Provider comes highly rated in our survey of 8,000 holidaymakers and offers good value for money. Crucially, they won’t put up the price of your holiday after you’ve booked, either. 

Incredibly, package holiday providers are allowed to charge customers more after they have booked, if the increase is to offset changes to exchange rates, fuel costs or taxes. A real worry then, given inflation. All our Which? Recommended Providers have guaranteed not to do this. 

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Below, we’ve picked out some of the best seasonal holidays from our top-rated holiday companies. Whether you want 10-days of all-inclusive Caribbean sunshine for £1,000 or an expertly guided walk through some of the UK’s most spectacular landscapes, these holiday companies come independently recommended by thousands of holidaymakers.

All the holidays below are packages and, apart from the La Palma trip, include flights. All prices are per person, with some holidays based on two sharing, and were correct at the time of publication.

Krakow Christmas market (£294 per person)

Repeatedly rated by visitors as Europe’s best city break, Krakow’s old town is an architectural wonder – a movie set of Renaissance palaces and gothic churches set around Europe’s best preserved mediaeval square. 

It's the perfect backdrop for kielbasa (sausages) grzaniec (spiced mulled wine) and piles of gingerbread biscuits at its huge Christmas markets. Nearly 100 traditional, timber-framed huts are set up on the cobblestones of the main square, while you’ll also find carol singing and Chopin concerts in the surrounding churches. 

Jet2 Holidays is a Which? Recommended provider in multiple categories, as is its airline, but it’s our only recommended city break provider. Jet2 customers praise its excellent customer service and bargain prices. Jet2 Holidays currently has a three-day holiday in Krakow departing on different dates in December from Manchester for £294 per person, or use its dedicated calendar city break tool to find the cheapest destination for every possible date. 

Where to buy Jet2 Holidays for £294 per person
Jet2 Holidays customer rating 84%

Bargain last-minute Caribbean cruise (£977 per person)

It could cost close to £1,000 to even fly to the Caribbean so this 11-night cruise from Florida, through New Orleans, the Dominican Republic and Barbados for £977 is a bargain. The cruise is all inclusive, and the price includes flights and transfers. You'll need to get your skates on - this holiday departs from Manchester on 5 November.

Part of the TUI group, Marella cruises was rated better than most of its pricier rivals in our survey of the best and worst cruise lines. That includes four stars for facilities on board and customer service. Our cruise survey often finds passengers have a better experience on smaller ships, and the Marella Discovery on this cruise is medium to smaller size with less than 1,000 passengers. There are seven bars, seven restaurants, an outdoor cinema and two pools.

Where to buy Marella for £977 per person
Marella customer rating 81% 

Lapland log cabins in the arctic circle (£560 per person)

Possibly the only travel company Which? Travel reviewed in its inaugural issue in 1974 that's still going, Inghams helped develop the idea of the package holiday – and it still comes highly recommended by customers for its lake, mountain and ski holidays in spectacular settings.

This seven-day Yllas log cabin package from London Gatwick, sees you set up on the side of a Finnish fell, meaning plenty of snow and chances to catch the Northern Lights. There's skiing on the doorstep or Santa's village down the road if you have kids in tow, once you pull yourself away from your own private cabin sauna.

Where to buy Inghams for £560 per person
Inghams customer score 81%

All-inclusive family luxury in Cancun (£1,868 per person)

When compared with booking your holiday DIY Club Med prices are comparatively expensive on short-haul trips, where a holiday to its Marbella resort starts at a whopping £1,251 per person, but on long-haul trips, prices look better. 

Given that Club Med resorts are all-inclusive its seven day, £1, 868 per person Cancun holiday (from Heathrow) may make financial sense when you consider it includes all meals, open bar, sports and activities, and daily childcare from its kids' clubs. That’s for a November departure from Heathrow; prices are lower if you wait until next summer, but keep in mind the Mexican heat. There are departures from multiple UK cities. 

Club Med is one of only two Which? Recommended Provider family holiday providers. Its guests gave it the full five stars in seven categories, including customer service, accommodation and holiday reps. 

Where to buy Club Med for £1,868 per person
Club Med customer rating 81%

Guided walking tour to UK’s best seaside town (£509 per person)

HF Holidays has been leading walking tour holidays across the UK since 1913, so no wonder it was rated the joint-best walking tour operator by holidaymakers. It received four stars for accommodation, its excellent tour guides and value for money. 

HF will take you anywhere from the Kung Si Falls in Cambodia to hiking Monument Valley in Arizona, but it specialises in UK walks. Its four-night Northumberland walking tour takes in some of the UK’s most spectacular coastline, including the UK’s best seaside town at Bamburgh and its five-star beach, as well as moorland, Grade I-listed castle at Alnwick, and a boat ride out to the monastery and puffins on Farne Island. There are departure dates year around, with March departure dates cheapest 

Where to buy HF Holidays for £509 per person
HF Holidays customer rating 87%

Hike Europe’s newest volcano (£795 per person)

Few places can claim that they're home to a new natural wonder, but the eruption of Tajogaite has given La Palma, in the Canary Islands, a new volcano – to add to all the rest. With the eruption now complete, a handful of experienced local guides have started to take visitors on tours, including Inntravel, which has a long association with the island. 

Inntravel topped our survey of the best self-guided tour operators, and its seven-day La Palma volcanic walking trails holiday takes you up to see views over the crater and the lava flows. It’s not a difficult hike, nor are the other walks across older lava fields, stopping at villages along the way overnight – although they are long. Prices include accommodation, car hire and guided touring of the new volcano, but not flights.

Where to buy Inntravel for £795 per person
Inntravel customer rating 89%

Autumn warmth in Alentejo (£660 per person)

What many of us miss about holidays is the personal touch; the ease of booking with expert advice. That’s where small and independent firms come in. Every single one was rated four stars for customer service in our survey. Sunvil is a family-run business that was rated four stars in every category, demonstrating just how reliable its service is. 

It focusses on holidays in lesser-known destinations, such as this seven-day stay in the national park of Portugal's Alentejo region. You'll stay on a traditional B&B farm, which has been in the same family for 200 years. Spread over 70 hectares, there are stunning views over the riverlands and valley below. You can take up hiking trails from the door, and while the saltwater swimming pool is closed between October and April 18 degree average temperatures in November and 15 in December are perfect for nearby beach walks on the Costa Azul. 

Where to buy Sunvil for £660 per person
Sunvil customer rating 83%

Why you should book a package holiday?

We always recommend holidaymakers book package holidays, as the package travel regulations offer far greater protection in case something should go wrong with your holiday. It covers you against any part of the holiday not matching the description, and if part of your trip is disrupted due to wildfires, flooding or any other sudden disaster the provider must offer you an alternative or a refund. 

We've also found in our comparisons that package holidays often beat booking flights and hotels separately on price. Read our why it’s better to book a package guide for more information