The holiday season is a truly special time to explore Greater New Haven. From twinkling lights and festive events to unique local shopping and cozy dining experiences, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or rediscovering favorite traditions, Greater New Haven offers the perfect mix of charm, culture, and holiday cheer. Make your holidays memorable—plan your visit today!

Greater New Haven has something for everyone. Whether you’re a resident looking to discover new parts of the region for the first time or a first-time visitor hoping to fit the “best of” into a day, weekend, week, or longer, you can’t go wrong. 

Shoreline:
The shoreline offers beautiful beaches, including two beachfront state parks, Silver Sands Beach State Park in Milford and Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison. West Haven boasts a 1.5 mile boardwalk along its sandy shores while Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven features both a carousel and a lighthouse. There are a number of great restaurants that offer water views, including Stowe’s Seafood, Shell & Bones, and the Guilford Mooring. Just off the coastline, you can also enjoy It™ Adventure Ropes Course, the Shore Line Trolley Museum, and Stony Creek Brewery.

City:
The New Haven Green is the epicenter of downtown and the perfect spot to start your city experience. Many cultural and entertainment venues, restaurants and retail stores are just around the corner of this very walkable city. There are several shopping districts in the city, including the Chapel Street Historic District. Here you can find many one-of-a-kind shops showcasing local products. As for food, you have over 130 restaurants within 10 minutes of the Green. Cuisine from around the world abounds, including Italian, Japanese, French, Latino, and so much more. When night falls, you can choose between concerts, theater and cocktails.

Rural:
If you are looking for an outdoor destination without getting sandy feet, head inland where the offerings change with the seasons. Hamden’s Sleeping Giant State Park offers a 1.5 mile trail to the mountaintop with views to Long Island Sound. If you would like to enjoy the outdoors off the beaten path, check out the trails by town here. The rolling hills of Wallingford are home to two bucolic wineries, Gouveia and Paradise Hills, where you can enjoy the view with a relaxing glass of wine all year long.

Serving the following cities and towns:  Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, Clinton, Durham, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Killingworth, Madison, Meriden, Middlefield, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven and Woodbridge.