The best places to go for Thanksgiving in the US fit 3 kinds of trips: big parades, food traditions, and towns where the holiday lights switch on that weekend. Thanksgiving 2026 is on Thursday, November 26.
These Thanksgiving vacation ideas work for families, couples and solo travelers. Book soon, because Thanksgiving week is 1 of the busiest travel weeks of the year.
Thanksgiving 2026 at a glance
Thanksgiving 2026 at a glance
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 26, 2026 |
| Biggest parades | New York, Philadelphia and Detroit, all on Thanksgiving morning |
| Holiday lights start | Chicago (Nov 20), St. Augustine (Nov 21), Leavenworth (Nov 27) |
| Book now | Hotels near parade routes and Thanksgiving dinner reservations |
Where to go for Thanksgiving parades
1. New York City
The 2026 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the 100th, with a record 100 inflatables. It steps off at 8:30 AM from West 77th Street and Central Park West and reaches Herald Square around noon. Watching from the sidewalk is free.
- What to do: watch the parade, see the Fifth Avenue holiday windows, eat at a Midtown restaurant that serves a Thanksgiving menu
- Where to stay: Midtown, close to the end of the route
- Cost: High. Plan on $150 or more a day before flights
The best curbside spots fill by about 6 AM, so dress in warm layers and arrive early.
2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia has the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the country, first held in 1920. The 2026 parade runs from 8:30 AM to noon, from 20th Street and JFK Boulevard up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
- What to do: the parade, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, a cheesesteak in South Philly
- Where to stay: Center City or Old City
- Cost: Medium, about $90–120 a day
Philadelphia is also 1 of our cheapest US cities for solo travel, so it’s a good pick if New York is over budget.
3. Detroit, Michigan
Detroit’s America’s Thanksgiving Parade also reaches its 100th year in 2026. It runs down Woodward Avenue on Thanksgiving morning, and the Detroit Lions play at home on Thanksgiving Day every year.
- What to do: the parade, a Lions game, the Detroit Riverwalk
- Where to stay: Downtown, near Campus Martius Park and the end of the route
- Cost: Medium
Check the parade’s official site for the 2026 start time and route.
4. Plymouth, Massachusetts
Plymouth is where the Pilgrims landed in 1620. America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Parade starts at Plymouth Rock at 10 AM on Saturday, November 21, 2026, 5 days before Thanksgiving. Floats and marching groups cover American history from the 1600s to today.
- What to do: the parade, Plimoth Patuxet Museums, the Mayflower II replica
- Where to stay: the downtown waterfront
- Cost: Medium
Plymouth is about an hour’s drive from Boston, so you can pair the parade with a Boston weekend.
Thanksgiving getaways for food and tradition
5. New Orleans, Louisiana
In New Orleans, Thanksgiving Day means horse racing. The Fair Grounds Race Course runs the 102nd Thanksgiving Classic on November 26, 2026, with the first race at noon, and locals dress up in big, homemade hats.
- What to do: the Thanksgiving races, a holiday dinner in the French Quarter, a walk through the Garden District
- Where to stay: the French Quarter or the Warehouse District
- Cost: Medium, about $95–125 a day
Where the holiday lights start on Thanksgiving weekend
These 4 places switch on their holiday season around Thanksgiving, so you get 2 holidays in 1 trip.
6. Leavenworth, Washington
Leavenworth is a Bavarian-style mountain village 2.5 hours from Seattle. Its Village of Lights Christmastown runs from November 27 to December 24, 2026, and more than half a million lights stay on from 6 AM to 11 PM daily through the end of February. Entry is free.
- What to do: walk Front Street under the lights, the Christmas market, sledding when there’s snow
- Where to stay: downtown, so you can walk to the lights
- Cost: Medium to high. Rooms book out months ahead for December weekends
7. St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, the oldest city in the US, lights its historic downtown with 3 million white lights for Nights of Lights. Light-Up Night is Saturday, November 21, 2026, and the lights stay on nightly through January 18, 2027. The weather is mild, usually in the 60s and 70s.
- What to do: walk the lit historic district, take a trolley or boat tour of the lights, visit the Castillo de San Marcos
- Where to stay: the historic district, so you can walk to the lights
- Cost: Medium to high
8. Asheville, North Carolina
Christmas at Biltmore is already open by Thanksgiving, running from November 6, 2026, to January 10, 2027. Many Asheville restaurants serve Thanksgiving dinner, and the mountains are quieter than in fall color season.
- What to do: Biltmore’s holiday decorations, downtown shops, a scenic drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway on a clear day
- Where to stay: downtown or Biltmore Village
- Cost: Medium, about $90–120 a day plus Biltmore tickets
9. Chicago, Illinois
Christkindlmarket opens in Daley Plaza on November 20, 2026, so Thanksgiving weekend is a good time to go before the December crowds. Entry is free.
- What to do: the German-style market, the Magnificent Mile, a museum day if it’s cold
- Where to stay: the Loop or River North
- Cost: Medium, about $110–140 a day
Staying into December? See our list of the best places to travel in December.
A warm Thanksgiving getaway
10. Honolulu, Hawaii
If you’d rather skip the cold entirely, Honolulu has the warmest late-November weather in the US, with highs near 80°F and swimmable ocean water. Many hotels and restaurants in Waikiki serve Thanksgiving dinner, some with a Hawaiian twist.
- What to do: beach days at Waikiki, a sunrise hike, a visit to Pearl Harbor
- Where to stay: Waikiki
- Cost: High. Flights from the West Coast take about 5 to 6 hours
Family Thanksgiving vacation ideas, and more picks by trip type
| Trip | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Family with young kids | New York or Philadelphia | Giant balloons and marching bands on Thanksgiving morning |
| Family with teens | Detroit or Honolulu | A parade plus a Lions game, or beach days |
| Couples | St. Augustine or Leavenworth | Quiet streets lit for the holidays |
| Solo travelers | Philadelphia or Chicago | Walkable, good transit, lower costs |
| History lovers | Plymouth | Where the Pilgrims landed in 1620 |
| Food lovers | New Orleans | Thanksgiving races and Creole cooking |
Thanksgiving travel tips
- Book now. Hotels near the parade routes and in Leavenworth fill up weeks ahead
- Fly on Thanksgiving Day if you can. Flights on the holiday itself are often quieter and cheaper than the Tuesday and Wednesday before
- Avoid flying home on Sunday. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is 1 of the busiest travel days of the year
- Reserve Thanksgiving dinner early. Many restaurants close on the holiday, and the ones that open book up fast
- Save on the rest of the trip. Our budget travel tips cover cheaper stays, food and transport
FAQ
New York City, for the 100th Macy’s parade in 2026. For a quieter trip, St. Augustine and Leavenworth start their holiday lights that weekend.
New York and Philadelphia for the parades, Plymouth for history, and Honolulu for a beach trip.
Often, yes. Flights on the holiday itself tend to cost less than the days just before, and airports are calmer.
Philadelphia, at about $90–120 a day, with a free parade and free sights such as the Liberty Bell.
Final takeaway
Of all the places to go for Thanksgiving, New York is the 1 to pick this year, since 2026 is the Macy’s parade’s 100th. If you’d rather avoid crowds, go to St. Augustine or Leavenworth for the first weekend of holiday lights.
Last updated: November 2026
Sources: Rockefeller Center: Macy’s parade guide · Visit Philadelphia · America’s Thanksgiving Parade · America’s Hometown Thanksgiving · Visit St. Augustine
