There can be no guarantee that Santa will deliver your wishlist on December 25th, but for UK residents there is one thing that's a given in late December: cold weather! Not surprising, then, that winter sun breaks are popular. Which are the top warm destinations for end of year getaways? We've analyzed the airline schedules data to see where Brits love to go on their Christmas holidays.

The Canary Islands are the Most Popular Winter Sun Destination

To find the most popular warm weather spots for Christmas travel from the UK, we've selected winter sun destinations and sorted the data based on flight frequency (total number of flights) between 20th December 2025-4th January 2026 to create the following list.

1. Canaries – 3,685 flights
2. UAE – 1,006 flights
3. Morocco – 952 flights
4. Egypt – 796 flights
5. Cyprus – 348 flights
6. Portugal – 245 flights
7. Barbados – 240 flights
8. Mexico – 146 flights
9. Cape Verde – 138 flights
10. USA – 128 flights

The top destination for Brits flying out of the UK this Christmas is the Canary Islands; there will be more than three times as many flights heading to the Canaries as to the second most popular destination, the United Arab Emirates.

Top Airports for British Christmas Sun Seekers

1. Tenerife Sur (TFS) – 1,495 flights
2. Lanzarote (ACE) – 1,003 flights
3. Dubai International (DXB) – 776 flights
4. Gran Canaria (LPA) – 628 flights
5. Fuerteventura (FUE) – 559 flights
6. Marrakech (RAK) – 460 flights
7. Hurghada (HRG) – 278 flights
8. Sharm El-Sheikh (SSH) – 276 flights
9. Agadir (AGA) – 258 flights
10. Funchal (FNC) – 245 flights

When we consider the data at airport level, Tenerife stands out among the Canary Islands, with Tenerife Sur Airport (TFS) recording 1,495 scheduled flights between 20 December 2025 and 4 January 2026 - far ahead of any other winter sun airport. Lanzarote (ACE) follows with 1,003 flights, while Gran Canaria (LPA) and Fuerteventura (FUE) add 628 and 559 respectively. Combined, these figures confirm that the Canaries dominate UK holiday travel at Christmas.

Manchester Airport (MAN) is the UK airport with most flights to the Canaries over Christmas with 523 flights, and London Gatwick (LGW) is second with 461 flights.

Dubai International (DXB), with 776 flights, remains the most popular long-haul option and the second-most-frequent destination overall. Although well behind the Canaries in total volume, it stands out as the only non-European location in the top tier of UK winter sun travel.

North Africa contributes a strong set of mid-range destinations. Marrakech (RAK) leads with 460 flights, followed by Hurghada (HRG) at 278, Sharm El-Sheikh (SSH) at 276, and Agadir (AGA) at 258. These totals show consistent demand for warm, short-haul escapes across Morocco and Egypt.

Finally, Funchal (FNC) in Madeira records 245 flights, rounding out the list. While smaller in scale, its presence underscores the island’s continued appeal for travellers seeking mild weather and scenic winter breaks.