Winter is here, Texas! That means only one thing: It's time to plan a festive holiday getaway, or finally book that must-needed staycation to unwind from the Thanksgiving break blues.

Houston travelers can head down to the coast for a weekend of holiday boat parades, get inspired at a Celtic holiday festival outside Austin, or keep things simple with an overnight stay at a local hotel.

Here are our top 11 picks for winter Texas travel events, hotel news, and more in December.

Throughout Texas

There's a new luxury van service connecting Austin, San Antonio, and Houston: Shutto, a new mobility shuttle startup, is now offering luxe road trips Monday through Saturday with departure times in the morning and evening. Riders can enjoy complimentary WiFi while they relax on plush leather seats during their stress-free ride in Mercedes Sprinter vans. Van routes also include a guaranteed pit stop at Texas' favorite travel center Buc-ee’s. One-way fares range from $47-$87.

Austin

Immersive experiences are a fun way to spend time with friends and family, and a new virtual reality (VR) experience is giving visitors a look at ancient Egypt: Horizon of Khufu will debut at VieVR (11000 Middle Fiskville Rd., Ste. A1) on December 5. During the 45-minute tour, guests will explore the Great Pyramid of Giza, "fly" over the plateau, look off the top of the pyramid in every direction, explore the corridors and burial chambers as an embalming ceremony happens, and much more. Tickets ($36 for adults and $32 for children) are available via Fever.

Downtown Austin hotel Hyatt Regency Austin has completed a big renovation project to make over its 448 guestrooms and suites, plus its meeting rooms, public spaces, and more. The hotel has also opened three new dining concepts: Texas-inspired restaurant Ripple & Roots, a breakfast eatery called Cypress Grove, and grab-and-go food market Juniper Breeze Market. Nightly rates at the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Austin begin at $213 in December.

There's a piece of Celtic holiday cheer hidden in the rolling woods of McDade, a small town 35 miles east of Austin. The Sherwood Celtic Yuletide Festival is returning from December 12-14, transforming the grounds of the beloved Sherwood Forest Faire into a winter weekend of music, merriment, and holiday magic. Guests can expect artisan shopping, archery, live music, Highland Games like Scottish hammer swinging and shot put, and more. Tickets (including day passes, weekend passes, and camping) are available online starting at $12.50.

Participants at last year's inaugural Yuletide Festival. Photo courtesy of Sherwood Forest Faire

At home in Houston

The Thompson Houston hotel is kicking off the holiday season with its "12 Days of Thompson" series from December 4-25. A few of the special activities, created for both locals and visitors, include a hot cocoa station in the hotel library (December 8), a local maker's market (December 13), a pet-friendly photo hour (December 20), and many more mini celebrations. Rates at the Thompson Houston begin at $283 per night.

Along the Gulf Coast

Texas coastal city Corpus Christi is hosting multiple lighted holiday boat parades during December. The first extravaganza – the Port of Corpus Christi Illuminated Boat Parade – is scheduled on Saturday, December 6 starting at 7 pm. Local boaters will compete for the title of "most festive vessel of the season" and an after party will follow. La Posada Lighted Boat Parade will take place the following weekend (Dec. 12-13) with U.S. Marines on site for a children's toy drive at Doc's Seafood & Steaks to help Santa collect new, unwrapped toys.

San Antonio

The future site of San Antonio's Pearl mini golf course (1100 Springs Plaza) has been temporarily turned into an outdoor ice skating rink for the holiday season until January 4, 2026. The iconic Pearl district has made its own transformation into a winter wonderland shimmering with lights and holiday music. Tickets to the ice rink at Pearl range from $20-$28 and include skate rental. Skate sessions last about an hour, and the last skate at 9:15 pm is 45 minutes long.

Dallas-Fort Worth

The first-ever CultureMap City Rink, presented by Verizon, has made its grand debut at the Main Street Garden in downtown Dallas, and will run until January 5, 2026. Visitors can expect themed pop-ups and a full slate of programming designed for every kind of holiday reveler. From romantic Date Skate Wednesdays to Family Movie Nights and Shop + Skate Saturday Markets, there’s something new happening each week. Tickets are $18 for all ages, and include skate rentals and 75 minutes of ice time. Advance tickets, group reservations, and private rink rentals are available at cityrink.culturemap.com.

The CultureMap City Rink will be open through January 5, 2026. Photo by Ashley Gongora

The HALL Arts Hotel in Dallas' Arts District is offering guests a special "Holiday at the HALL" package for stays booked from December 13-31. The package includes a single-night stay with a welcome amenity, complimentary valet, a $50 dining credit for hotel restaurant Ellie's Restaurant & Lounge, and late checkout. Nightly rates with the "Holiday at the Hall" package begin at $389 in December.

Congratulations are in order for Fort Worth and Frisco, which were the only two Texas destinations included among Good Housekeeping's "23 Unexpected City Vacations to Add to Your Travel Bucket List" in its 2026 Travel Awards. The lifestyle publication had more than 125 travel testers — including staff members, travel industry experts, and trained consumer evaluators — discover unexpected destinations with the best attractions, accessibility, lodging variety, safety, service, and overall appeal.

The luxurious Bowie House hotel in Fort Worth will teach North Texans all the tricks for making the best tamales during a tamale-making class on Saturday, December 20 from 2-3:30 pm. Attendees will learn how to make fresh masa, master the technique for wrapping tamales, and take home their own to impress their loved ones. Tickets are $85 per person and can be purchased online via Tock.

Pearl is debuting its first ice-skating rink as part of this year's holiday festivities.

Photo courtesy of Pearl

Pearl in San Antonio is debuting its first ice-skating rink as part of this year's holiday festivities.