Baby’s First Winter Holiday Ideas including where to get winter sun with baby

There are so many firsts to treasure with your new baby – Christmas, Birthdays, food, smiles. One of the firsts I was most looking forward to was taking baby on her first holiday! But where is the perfect destination for baby’s first holiday? There are so many factors which go into making a great baby friendly holiday and one of the most important factors is what time of year you are going. In your Baby’s first holiday is going to be in Winter where should you go? In this guide we round up some of the best baby’s first Winter holiday ideas including where to get winter sun with baby and where to holiday with baby to see snow. 

Updated: September 2019

Best Destinations to Get Winter Sun with Baby

Dubai with a baby -one of the best places to go with a newborn in winter

Dubai – Best Destinations to Get Winter Sun with Baby – Dubai with baby

Dubai is the perfect place to visit during the Northern Hemisphere Winter and is one of the best places to go with a newborn in winter. The temperatures are absolutely perfect for young children to be outside. Dubai has everything you could want from a break with a baby – child friendly, luxurious resorts, beautiful beaches and pools alongside every convenience of a city break. The nice thing about Dubai is that you have the exotic weather but all the conveniences of a Western holiday destination.

I’d recommend other parents mixing up their Dubai trip by staying the traditional Dubai city luxury five star hotel as well as experiencing something more culturally unique such a desert resort. Dubai really is the perfect place for baby’s first holiday and if you are looking for more Dubai with baby tips click here. 

Another alternative if you’ve been to Dubai but still are thinking of going to the UAE with a baby is to think about going to Abu Dhabi. By comparison to Dubai Abu Dhabi is a bit quieter but has o less to do. Abu Dhabi is beautiful place and we have the perfect Abu Dhabi itinerary with baby here. 

Where we Stayed: Conrad Dubai

Maldives with a baby

Peak season in the Maldives is November – April which makes it the absolute perfect Winter Sun with baby destination. There are loads of family friendly resorts in the Maldives such as Bandos Maldives where we stayed offer great amenities for people travelling with babies and is a great place for parents to unwind and relax. Also in the Maldives there isn’t really much you need to travel with as it is unlikely you will need a stroller or a car seat with you. 

If you do decide to travel to the Maldives with a baby then I would recommend picking a resort with a speedboat transfer as seaplane transfers can be loud for babies and are always much further from the mainland. 

Italy with a baby – 

Baby’s First Winter Holiday Italy

We took Daisy to Italy when she was 14 months old. We started in Venice and then travelled Lake Garda a little. Staying in both hotels and campsites meant we got to see lots of the areas we stayed in. Venice with Daisy so young was great as we were able to put her in a carrier up out of the way of lots of busy tourists and there was no need for a pushchair. We went in Januray, the weather was mild enough for T-shirts and ice creams!

Nominated by Hayley’s Little Things

Sydney with a baby – one of the best places to go with baby in winter

We were living in New York when our daughter was born. Her first holiday was a trip back to Sydney to meet family and friends when she was four months old. Sydney is a fantastic place for babies because the city is just so kid-friendly in general and it is easy to create a baby friendly toddler Sydney itinerary. It’s really easy to drive around Sydney and large strollers are the norm everywhere you go! We spent a lot of time at beaches like Balmoral, where this photo was taken, where the gentle waves and fantastic facilities make it a family-favourite among locals as well as visitors. The weather in Sydney is also great for most of the year, so it’s very pleasant to get outside with kids almost year-round.

Nominated by Adventure Baby

Lanzerote with a baby – 

Lanzarote – Best Destinations to Get Winter Sun with Baby – Lanzarote with baby

When my daughter was 6 months old we took her to Lanzarote for three weeks. Lanzarote is one of the child friendly winter sun holidays in my opinion.  We chose Lanzarote as our first international destination, mostly due to the weather. It was February and my partner and I hate February in the U.K, it is cold wet and dark. Whereas the Canaries are known for their year round climate and what is more, they are only a 4 hour flight away. For me it was a great first foreign holiday as it is safe and the weather was perfect, sunny but not too hot for a little one, because it was out of season it was quiet and relaxed yet there is still plenty to do.

You can explore the island relatively quickly so you are not spending hours in a car with a baby, yet you have a change of scenery and see lots of new places, and of course being Spain, it is incredibly child friendly. I love going to Spain or the Spanish islands with my family as you are never made to feel unwelcome or a hinderance with your baby or young children. Spanish people notoriously love babies and this is a welcome relief when, travelling, eating or spending any deal of time anywhere with a small bundle that is known for screams and cries.

We returned almost exactly a year later with her 6 month old brother and stayed for 4 weeks that time, so that should tell you how highly we regarded this destinationfor our family travel.

Nominated by Tammy Mum 

Fo more info on visiting Spain in winter with kids check out this post by the family voyage

DAHAB, EGYPT with a baby 

Even after nine months preparation, becoming a mother completely caught me off guard. We had issues breastfeeding and the first three months were very stressful. But, when our little one was 3,5 months we finally had a bit of a routine and decided to spend the rest of my maternity leave in our holiday house in Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt.

We were there beginning of December 2013 until mid February 2014.In 2013 Egypt was still in turmoil after the revolution of January 11. Since we know a lot of people in Dahab, of course we inquired about the security situation. In the larger cities, Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said, there was a lot of unrest. Dahab however is a sleepy little town and our friends said life was as usual. Even when the revolution was happening, they didn’t really notice. So we didn’t worry.

Traveling with our little boy was a lot easier than we expected. We tried to keep our routine the same as back home as much as possible and he was a happy baby. Dahab is such a relaxed place and perfect for a holiday with kids. There’s a boulevard with some nice restaurants, but all very low key. During our time in Dahab we decided that long term travel with our little one was definitely an option. So when he was 18 months the three of us spent another two months in Dahab and then traveled around South East Asia for 8 months.

Nominated By Flip Flop Globetrotters

Best Cold Winter Holiday with Baby Destinations 

Are you worried about going on Winter Holidays with baby? Maybe you are concerned about the snow and cold and it is putting you off taking baby’s first holiday in Winter? In this section me and some other parents share our experience of winter holidays with baby in cold weather to give you some inspiration. 

Iceland with a baby

Iceland is one of my all time favourite family travel destinations. The combination of easy to get around and its natural beauty make it a great place to visit with babies and toddlers. But I actually think that Winter is a better time to visit Iceland over summer. Yes the days are shorted and it gets dark quicker but this wasn’t a problem for us as we tended to be back early as our baby loved her bedtime routine and enjoyed our hotel with its Northern Lights alarm to see whether we could tick this off my bucket list. Winter is also off peak in Iceland which means you can save money on Iceland travel and you won’t be travelling with as many crowds. 

Recommended Hotel: Hotel Stratca 

Scotland with a baby

Baby’s First Holiday Scotland with a baby

When I suggested that we rent a cottage in the Highlands between Christmas and New Year, I imagined us taking snowy nature walks as a family by day and relaxing around the fireplace at night.

Needless to say, that’s not exactly how it went. It wasn’t so much snowy as windy, and our baby seemed very confused about why I had strapped her to my body and was forcing her to look at a field of sleep while gales slapped her in the face. Instead of enjoying a dram of whisky in front of the fire, I spent my evenings desperately trying (and failing) to convince my daughter to sleep in her travel cot.

But I’d still recommend a winter holiday to the Scotland with a baby. Why? Because the area is stunning, regardless of the weather. It’s great to just strap your baby into a carrier and stomp around the landscape. Besides, there are few tourists that time of year, so you’ll pretty much have the place to yourself.

If nothing else, it encourages your baby to start embracing the very British tradition of taking nature walks in terrible weather for fun.

Nominated by Squirmy Popple

Stockholm with a baby

It may have been a extreme introduction to Winter but we flew back from the Middle East to the UK via Stockholm for  a little winter break. It was the perfect Winter City Break as it offered so many opportunities for firsts – Baby’s first experience of snow, baby’s first experience of Santa, Baby’s first Christmas Market. And Stockholm did not let us down. It was the perfect Christmas break with festive treats at every turn. Our favourite was perhaps a visit to Skansen, the living history museum in the centre of Stockholm. If our Middle East and heat accustomed baby can handle it then any baby can. A Wintery break like this just needs preparation, plenty of stops and warm clothing and layers. It is also the perfect opportunity to get adorable snow suit pictures!

Want to take your child on a Winter City Break? Then why not check out our top tips and information for Winter City Breaks with Babies!

Hotel: Sheraton Stockholm

Skiing with a baby in the Austrian Alps 

Skiing with a baby in the Austrian Alps – is skiing with a baby a good winter holiday with baby

When thinking of where to holiday with baby maybe skiing isn’t the first thing that pops into your head but that is what this family did!

“Our first trip was skiing in St Anton am Arlberg in the Austrian Alps when our little one was 8 weeks old. The mountains might not be the obvious choice for a holiday with a baby. But for us it worked really well. You can take it in turns to ski, while the other goes for beautiful winter walks with the pram or takes baby for a splash about at the pool. When your baby is tiny you don’t need to worry about heading to a family resort. Your little one won’t be on the mountain anyway, so pick somewhere with skiing to suit the parents.

My top tip would be to book a self-catering apartment next to the ski lift. That means you can be flexible with meal times, helpful with a baby. And you can easily pop out skiing for a couple of hours rather than having to head out for the whole day.

I must admit that one of us drove over, while the other flew with the baby. Which meant we didn’t have any worries about how much baby and skiing paraphernalia we needed to take with us.

The mountains work equally well as a summer destination, with gentle walks in the fresh alpine air. Which justify some hearty slices of tasty Austrian cake with your coffee”.

Nominated by Baby Loves Travel

Where did you or are you planning on taking your baby on their first Winter holiday?  For more family winter holiday breaks check out this post by flying with a baby!

Want ideas for Summer, Spring and Autumn Holiday Ideas then we have you covered