Why Choose Aspen for Your Holiday Vacation
Aspen transforms into a winter wonderland during the holiday season, where snow-blanketed peaks meet sophisticated celebrations, and luxury takes on that distinctive Colorado elegance. From Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, this historic mining town offers an enchanting blend of world-class skiing, gourmet dining, cultural experiences, and champagne powder that creates the ultimate holiday destination.
The Aspen Holiday Advantage: Snow, Sophistication, and Alpine Splendor
Perfect Winter Holiday Weather
Aspen's holiday season features abundant snowfall, bluebird skies, and crisp mountain air averaging 10-35°F. December through February delivers champagne powder conditions that make Aspen synonymous with world-class winter sports and picture-perfect white Christmas celebrations.
Four Mountains, Endless Adventures
Aspen Snowmass boasts four legendary ski mountains - Aspen Mountain (Ajax), Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, and Buttermilk - offering 5,700+ acres of terrain accessible with a single lift ticket. From gentle family runs to expert-only Highland Bowl, every skill level finds their perfect slope.
Luxury Cabin, Chalet, and Estate Accommodations in the Rockies
Travel with Aspect curates Aspen's most exclusive luxury properties - ski-in/ski-out estates on Aspen Mountain, historic downtown Victorian mansions, contemporary Snowmass Village residences, and Red Mountain compounds with panoramic views. Each property serves as your private mountain resort with five-star amenities and concierge services.
Luxury Chalet Living: Your Private Aspen Holiday Retreat
Ski-In/Ski-Out Convenience
Luxury Chalet, Cabin, and Estates feature direct mountain access, private hot tubs with mountain views, home theaters for après-ski relaxation, and gourmet kitchens perfect for holiday entertaining. Travel with Aspect's properties offer ski rooms with heated floors, wine cellars, and outdoor fire pits for s'mores under the stars.
Privacy and Mountain Elegance
Unlike crowded resort hotels, your private chalet offers serene luxury for celebrating holidays in complete privacy. Wake to sunrise over the Elk Mountains from your master suite, host holiday dinners in dining rooms with soaring windows, and create memories surrounded by Colorado's natural beauty.
Prime Locations for Winter Activities
Travel with Aspect properties provide strategic access to downtown Aspen's boutiques and restaurants, Silver Queen Gondola for mountain access, and Snowmass Village for family-friendly skiing. Each chalet offers the perfect base for exploring Aspen's diverse winter landscape.
Thanksgiving in Aspen: Gratitude in the Mountains
Turkey Day with Mountain Views
Thanksgiving takes on new meaning when celebrated with panoramic views of snow-capped peaks. Professional-grade kitchens perfect for traditional turkey dinners, or opt for Travel with Aspect's private chef services featuring Colorado-raised ingredients and Rocky Mountain cuisine.
Colorado Culinary Traditions
Aspen's farm-to-table culture creates Thanksgiving traditions incorporating locally-sourced ingredients. Elk Wellington, Colorado lamb, locally-harvested root vegetables, and artisanal pies from regional producers define Aspen holiday dining excellence.
Thanksgiving Restaurant Dining
Plato's Restaurant at Aspen Meadows Resort offers family-style Thanksgiving dinners with mountain views. Element 47 at The Little Nell provides sophisticated prix fixe menus with wine pairings. Many restaurants offer Thanksgiving packages with meals-to-go for private celebrations.
Early Season Skiing
Thanksgiving weekend marks the beginning of Aspen's ski season with excellent early snow conditions and uncrowded slopes. Take advantage of opening weekend specials and fresh powder before holiday crowds arrive.
December in Aspen: Rocky Mountain Holiday Season
12 Days of Aspen Festivities
Aspen's "12 Days of Aspen" celebration features tree lighting ceremonies, caroling with professional singers, cookie decorating, visits with Santa at the Wheeler Opera House, and nightly holiday events throughout downtown. The historic Hotel Jerome becomes the hub of holiday cheer with festive carolers and hot cocoa.
Tree Lighting Celebrations
The Little Nell's Annual Tree Lighting Celebration features festive treats, carols by the Aspen High School choir, and visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus with complimentary cookies, hot cocoa, and cider. Multiple tree lighting ceremonies occur throughout December, creating magical family moments.
Aspen Holiday Market and Shopping
Downtown Aspen transforms with holiday decorations, twinkling lights, and seasonal markets. The Aspen Holiday Market features local artisans, handcrafted gifts, and Colorado-made treasures perfect for unique holiday shopping in a festive atmosphere.
Luxury Shopping District
Downtown Aspen's boutiques include Gucci, Prada, Ralph Lauren, and local galleries showcasing Western art and jewelry. Personal shopping services and exclusive appointments make luxury holiday shopping effortless from your chalet’s prime location.
Christmas in Aspen: White Christmas Perfection
Chalet Holiday Decorating Services
Travel with Aspect properties provide the perfect setting for sophisticated mountain-style holiday decorating. Ten-foot Christmas trees with designer ornaments, evergreen garlands incorporating pinecones and winter berries, and elegant lighting displays complementing rustic-chic Colorado architecture.
Professional Holiday Services
Holiday décor packages include beautifully lit trees, Christmas-themed table florals, and seasonal touches throughout the home, with dedicated concierge services collaborating with premier local vendors to transform vacation homes into holiday masterpieces.
Christmas Eve Sleigh Rides to Pine Creek Cookhouse
Embark on magical sleigh rides pulled by majestic Belgian and Percheron horses to the renowned Pine Creek Cookhouse for five-course dinners with curated wine pairings amidst breathtaking winter landscapes. Sleighs accommodate up to 15 people, creating intimate romantic evenings or group celebrations.
Christmas Eve Dining Excellence
Element 47 offers four-course prix fixe Christmas Eve menus featuring indulgent favorites like venison, lobster, wagyu beef, hand-made pasta, foie gras, seabass, and decadent desserts. Matsuhisa Aspen provides world-class Japanese cuisine, while Ajax Tavern offers relaxed holiday dining with Brandt beef and Colorado lamb.
Christmas Day on the Slopes
Experience world-class skiing on Christmas Day with fresh powder and festive mountain celebrations. Aspen Snowmass offers four mountains with one lift ticket, featuring terrain from gentle beginner slopes at Buttermilk to challenging expert runs at Aspen Highlands. Return to your chalet for evening festivities by the fireplace.
Family Christmas Activities
Ice skating at Silver Circle Ice Rink under twinkling lights, snowshoeing on groomed trails, snowmobiling to historic Ashcroft ghost town, and tubing at Snowmass create magical family Christmas memories beyond skiing.
New Year's Eve in Aspen: Mountain Elegance Celebrations
Private Chalet New Year's Parties
Ring in the New Year from your luxury chalet with views of fireworks over Aspen Mountain. Travel with Aspect's properties offer hot tubs under the stars, entertainment spaces for intimate celebrations, and privacy for parties continuing into the early morning hours.
Mountain View Celebrations
New Year's Eve mountainside fireworks launch over the slopes, with bonfires and live DJs in Wagner Park from 6pm until 9pm creating festive atmospheres before the midnight celebration.
Exclusive Aspen New Year's Events
Element 47 offers New Year's Eve à la carte menu selections including seafood towers, wagyu steak, and decadent desserts with expert sommelier service and fine wine pairings, requiring $1,500 minimum food and beverage spend per person. The Little Nell, Hotel Jerome, and Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro host legendary celebrations.
New Year's Day Traditions
The Audi Ajax Cup dual giant slalom race on Aspen Mountain features professional racers and culminates in traditional European-style après ski celebrations as a fundraiser for Aspen Valley Ski Club. Start the new year with first tracks on fresh groomed slopes.
World-Class Skiing and Winter Sports
The Power of Four Mountains
Aspen Mountain (Ajax)
Rising from the core of town, Aspen Mountain is the flagship mountain commonly referred to as Ajax and does not have any green circle or beginner runs, offering expert terrain accessed by the iconic Silver Queen Gondola.
Aspen Highlands
Home of the famed Highland Bowl, expert-only terrain accessed by an uphill slog in ski or snowboard boots, offering some of the best in-bounds skiing in Colorado where you truly earn your turns.
Snowmass
Snowmass is a favorite for families and kids learning to ski, offering gentle beginner-friendly areas like Fanny Hill at the base and Elk Camp mid-mountain, with exceptional services and ski school welcoming children as young as 2.5 years old. With 3,362 acres, it's one of Colorado's largest ski areas.
Buttermilk
Known for gentle slopes and family-friendly atmosphere, Buttermilk hosts the Winter X Games and features the X Games slopestyle course and halfpipe, making it perfect for beginners and freestyle enthusiasts.
Ski Services and Rentals
Gear up with seamless rentals across all four mountains with free transfers and storage making your day effortless, including partnerships with premium providers like Ski Butlers for delivered equipment to your chalet. Private and group lessons available for all skill levels with expert instructors.
Beyond Skiing: Winter Activities in Aspen
Snowshoeing and Winter Hiking
Snowshoeing burns over 600 calories an hour while exploring snow-covered trails, with recommended routes including Aspen Golf Course's Bernese Boulevard Trail (dog-friendly) and North Star Loop, a consistently well-groomed 1.6-mile trail.
Sleigh Rides and Winter Adventures
Traditional horse-drawn sleigh rides through snow-covered landscapes, snowmobile tours to backcountry locations, dog sledding experiences, and the Breathtaker Alpine Coaster provide thrilling winter activities beyond skiing.
Ice Skating and Tubing
Aspen Snowmass offers lift-served tubing facilities at Snowmass carved into The Meadows at Elk Camp with lighting facilities for night tubing during Ullr Nights festivities. Ice skating rinks throughout town create classic winter moments.
Culinary Holiday Experiences in Aspen
Fine Dining Excellence
Element 47
Located inside The Little Nell, Element 47 offers exceptional holiday menus featuring Colorado ingredients and expertly curated wine pairings. Holiday prix fixe dinners showcase premium meats, handmade pasta, and decadent desserts.
Matsuhisa Aspen
Celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa's Aspen location provides world-class Japanese cuisine in an upscale setting perfect for holiday celebrations with innovative dishes and premium sake selections.
Pine Creek Cookhouse
Accessible only by sleigh ride or cross-country skiing, Pine Creek Cookhouse offers five-course dinners with curated wine pairings in an intimate wilderness setting, creating unforgettable holiday dining experiences.
Private Chalet Dining
Skilled chefs create custom meals that elevate any gathering, from hearty family-style holiday dinners to exquisite four-course fine dining, eliminating cooking and cleaning hassles for stress-free celebrations. Travel with Aspect arranges celebrity chefs and personalized menus featuring Colorado-raised meats and locally-sourced ingredients.
Entertainment and Cultural Experiences
Wheeler Opera House
Historic Wheeler Opera House hosts holiday concerts, theatrical performances, and special events throughout the season. From classical music to contemporary acts, the venue offers world-class entertainment in an intimate Victorian setting.
Aspen Art Museums and Galleries
Aspen Art Museum features contemporary exhibitions, while downtown galleries showcase Western art, photography, and sculpture. Many galleries host holiday receptions and artist meet-and-greets during the season.
Winter X Games
The X Games Aspen is a premier, Olympic-level competition bringing together the world's top winter athletes to showcase skiing, snowboarding, and extreme winter sports during the last weekend in January, with free concerts from 11pm to 4am where attendees trade ski gear for rave attire.
Wintersköl Festival
Since 1951, Aspen's Wintersköl has celebrated winter with on-mountain events, concerts, torchlight descents, and rotating parties with drink specials keeping the fun flowing all winter long.
Wellness and Spa Experiences
In-Chalet Spa Services
Travel with Aspect arranges luxury spa professionals bringing treatments to your chalet. Couples massages in private spa rooms, hot stone treatments after skiing, and aromatherapy sessions create wellness experiences without leaving your mountain retreat.
Aspen Spa Destinations
The Spa at The Little Nell offers comprehensive wellness treatments with mountain views. Remède Spa at The St. Regis provides European-inspired therapies. Many spas feature altitude adjustment treatments, sports massages for skiers, and detoxifying mountain therapies.
Yoga and Fitness
Mountain yoga studios offer classes for all levels, with some hosting outdoor snow yoga experiences. Chalet fitness rooms and personal trainers help maintain wellness routines during holiday indulgence.
Holiday Shopping in Aspen
Downtown Aspen Shopping District
Historic downtown features luxury boutiques, art galleries, home décor shops, and specialty stores. The pedestrian-friendly environment allows for leisurely holiday shopping with mountain views and festive decorations.
Local Artisan Gifts
Colorado-made gifts include handcrafted jewelry, Western art, custom cowboy boots, artisanal food products, and outdoor gear from local craftspeople. Aspen Saturday Market (when open) features regional artisans and unique treasures.
Snowmass Village Shopping
Snowmass Mall offers ski shops, boutiques, and galleries with convenient access to slopes. Base Village features outdoor retailers and specialty shops perfect for last-minute ski gear or Colorado souvenirs.
Planning Your Aspen Holiday Vacation
Chalet, Cabin and Estate Selection and Booking
Travel with Aspect's luxury Aspen properties book early for holiday season with properties accommodating every group size and lifestyle preference, from intimate romantic retreats to large family compounds. Ski-in/ski-out locations command premium rates but offer unmatched convenience.
Concierge Services and Planning
Aspen Luxury Concierge acts as your single point of contact for your entire trip, making all reservations, handling transportation, itineraries, gear rental, and anything else needed for stress-free holiday vacations. Professional concierge teams secure impossible restaurant reservations and exclusive event access.
Transportation and Airport Access
Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE) offers direct holiday flights from major cities with minimal ground transportation. Eagle County Airport (EGE) provides additional access. Private car services, luxury SUV rentals, and complimentary RFTA buses connect all four mountains and downtown.
Getting Around Aspen
Complimentary public transportation through RFTA buses provides free service between Aspen, Snowmass Village, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk, running frequently throughout the day and evening with multiple routes serving ski lifts, base areas, downtowns, hotels, and neighborhoods. Most downtown destinations are walkable.
Special Holiday Packages and Experiences
All-Inclusive Luxury Packages
Comprehensive holiday packages include luxury property accommodation, daily housekeeping, dedicated concierge support, lift tickets for all four mountains, equipment rentals, private chef services, and spa treatments creating seamless mountain resort experiences.
Ski and Stay Packages
Ski and snowboard vacation packages include best deals on ski lift tickets and passes, skiing and snowboarding lessons, and ski clothing and equipment rentals combined with exquisite private home rentals. Multi-day packages offer significant savings on lift tickets purchased in advance.
Family Holiday Experiences
Holiday-themed art sessions in vacation homes allow families to craft tree decorations, create wreaths, pour homemade candles, or enjoy baking sessions with talented artist partners creating cherished holiday experiences.
Winter Weather and What to Pack
Aspen Winter Conditions
Winter temperatures in Aspen average between 10°F and 35°F, making layering essential for staying comfortable in cold temperatures. December through February brings abundant snowfall creating perfect skiing conditions and white Christmas guarantees.
Packing Essentials
Base layers for skiing, insulated jackets, waterproof outerwear, warm accessories including hats and gloves, après-ski attire for restaurants, and elegant evening wear for fine dining create versatile holiday wardrobes. Most chalets provide ski gear storage with heated boot dryers.
Altitude Considerations
Aspen sits at 7,908 feet elevation with mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet. Arrive a day early for altitude adjustment, stay hydrated, limit alcohol initially, and consider altitude adjustment spa treatments for optimal holiday enjoyment.
Creating Aspen Holiday Traditions
Mountain Holiday Customs
Develop family traditions incorporating Aspen's unique culture and terrain. Christmas morning first tracks on fresh powder, holiday evening sleigh rides, New Year's Day ski races, and fireside hot chocolate after snowshoeing become annual celebrations blending adventure with luxury.
Memory Creation and Photography
Travel with Aspect arranges professional photographers capturing holiday celebrations against Aspen's stunning backdrop. Family portraits with mountain views, action shots on the slopes, and candid chalet moments create lasting memories of your Aspen holiday experience.
Sustainability and Community
Eco-Conscious Mountain Living
Many Travel with Aspect properties incorporate sustainable luxury practices including renewable energy, efficient heating systems, and environmentally conscious design while maintaining five-star amenities and mountain resort services.
Community Holiday Events
Holiday season offers opportunities to participate in local charity events, community celebrations, and fundraising galas. Supporting local businesses, attending community gatherings, and engaging with Aspen's vibrant culture enriches your holiday experience.
Your Aspen Holiday Experience Awaits
Aspen's holiday season offers unparalleled opportunities to celebrate with Rocky Mountain elegance, world-class skiing, and winter experiences unavailable anywhere else. Travel with Aspect's luxury chalets, cabins and estates provide the foundation for creating unforgettable holiday memories in America's premier mountain resort.
From Thanksgiving feasts with Elk Mountain views to New Year's Eve celebrations under the stars, your luxury chalet transforms into your personal mountain sanctuary where every moment feels magical and every celebration reaches Aspen standards of sophistication and adventure.
Book your Aspen holiday chalet, cabin or estate experience with Travel with Aspect today. Contact their mountain concierge team to explore exclusive ski-in/ski-out properties and begin planning your perfect Aspen holiday adventure in the Colorado Rockies.
Ready to experience holidays in America's most legendary ski town? Your luxury mountain retreat awaits, where champagne powder meets five-star celebrations and every day brings new alpine adventures.