Empire Journal | Christmas hotels
Gaylord Opryland Christmas 2026: ICE! Featuring Home Alone and So Much Christmas in Nashville
A Country Christmas in Nashville with ICE! featuring Home Alone, more than 5 million lights, ice tubing, skating and a brand-new holiday cirque show.
Friend, if your family wants Christmas turned all the way up — I'm talking ice slides, millions of lights and a Home Alone you can walk through — Gaylord Opryland in Nashville is the one. It's the closest thing to living inside a Christmas movie for a few days.
A Country Christmas at Gaylord Opryland runs November 6, 2026 – January 2, 2027.
Why Gaylord Opryland is a great Christmas hotel
The resort calls it "So Much Christmas," and that's not hype. On the official 2026 page you'll find:
- ICE! featuring "Home Alone" — scenes from the movie hand-carved from over 2 million pounds of ice.
- More than 5 million Christmas lights "around every bend" of the resort.
- More than 10 themed experiences, plus holiday shopping, treats and sips.
- POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance — a brand-new holiday cirque show with acrobatics, original music and big production.
The best part? It's all under one roof. Cold outside? Doesn't matter. You go from your room to the ice to dinner without ever finding your car keys.
Gaylord Opryland Christmas activities
From the resort's official activity lineup:
- Ice Tubing — race down tubing lanes the whole family will love.
- Ice Skating on a real ice rink, day or night.
- Gingerbread Decorating Corner — frost, sprinkle and snack.
- Photos with Santa for the Christmas card.
- Build-your-own plush keepsake — pick a furry friend and bring it to life.
- Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan — November 5–8, 2026 only — meet the Coca-Cola Polar Bear and grab festive giveaways.
Most experiences are ticketed, so you can build the exact trip your family wants.
Who should book Gaylord Opryland for Christmas
- Families with kids. This is the kid Christmas of all kid Christmases.
- Home Alone fans. Need I say more?
- Grandparents who want to spoil everyone in one easy place.
- Anyone who wants Christmas without the cold. The whole thing works indoors.
Why you should book now
Gaylord Opryland is one of the most famous Christmas resorts in the country, and the season is a limited window. Weekends and the days around Christmas go first — and if you're staying overnight, you skip the day-visitor shuffle entirely. The resort also runs limited-time offers on its Christmas page, so book your room and grab tickets early.
How to plan your Gaylord Opryland Christmas
- Book a two- or three-night stay so you're not cramming ICE!, tubing, skating and the show into one day.
- Buy ICE! and cirque tickets with your stay and pick time slots early.
- Pack warm layers for ICE! — it's real ice.
- Plan one Nashville night out. You're in Music City.
Quick answers
When is Christmas at Gaylord Opryland 2026? November 6, 2026 – January 2, 2027.
What is the 2026 ICE! theme at Gaylord Opryland? ICE! featuring "Home Alone," carved from over 2 million pounds of ice.
How many lights are at Gaylord Opryland? More than 5 million, per the resort.
Book Gaylord Opryland for Christmas
Here's my honest advice, friend: Christmas week is the most competitive hotel week of the year, and the best rooms always go to the people who book first.
- Check Gaylord Opryland dates and rates on Expedia — compare room types and book the stay in one checkout.
- See holiday hotel packages on Luxury Escapes — worth a quick look against Expedia before you commit.
- Holiday events, dining and tickets: reserve with the resort through its official Christmas page.
- Compare and book flights on Expedia — Enter your route and travel dates to check available airlines, fares and baggage terms before booking.
Book your Christmas stay now →
Affiliate links: we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See our Disclaimer and Affiliate Disclosure. Every event, date and price above comes from the hotel's own published 2026 information; an announced event does not guarantee room or ticket availability, and rates, taxes and fees should be confirmed at booking.
More of the best Christmas hotels in the USA
- Hotel del Coronado Christmas 2026
- The Plaza Christmas 2026
- The Broadmoor Christmas 2026
- Mohonk Mountain House Christmas 2026
- The Greenbrier Christmas 2026
- Gaylord Texan Christmas 2026
- Omni Grove Park Inn Christmas 2026
- Gaylord Rockies Christmas 2026
- Woodloch Resort Christmas Break 2026
Plan the whole trip in two minutes
Rich Off Travel AI is the trip planner behind Empire Experience. Type in where you're going and your dates, and it builds a day-by-day plan — where to stay, where to eat and what to do — that you can edit stop by stop. It's $19/month with a 7-day free trial. Plan your Christmas trip at empireexperience.org, or browse more guides in the Empire Journal.
