Magical towns to visit this Christmas with your dog
Date published: 10 Dec 2025
Planning pet-friendly Christmas breaks but don’t fancy wading through squelching country fields all week? Good news – you can keep the festive sparkle and clean paws by swapping remote rambles for coastal promenades, riverside loops and handsome market towns made for winter mooching.
Think twinkly lights, firm-footed paths and cafés that greet wagging tails like VIPs. We’ve cherry-picked the best towns to visit at Christmas with your dog – places with easy walks, belly-rub-friendly pubs and plenty of cosy spots for relaxing. From seaside struts to riverside ambles, it’s all the festive feels with minimal faff.
Pack the lead, grab a scarf and cue the treat pouch – these towns deliver maximum cheer and minimal mud, with dog-welcoming pit-stops at every turn. Tails up, tinsel on and off you trot.
St Andrews, Fife
Stone piers, golden sands and a bracing sea breeze – St Andrews is winter-walk heaven. Do the West Sands promenade for miles of firm footing, loop the historic harbour for gull-watching, then warm up in town with coffee and a dog biscuit at the bar.
The medieval streets are made for mooching, the coastal path serves views for days, and there’s always a cosy pub for a post-walk thaw. Golf optional, tail wags guaranteed.
Whitby, North Yorkshire
Gothic skyline, cobbles and a harbour that’s pure drama in winter light. Start with the paved piers for sturdy strides, potter the old town for fishy snacks, then tackle the 199 steps when you’re feeling heroic.
The beach is blissfully broad outside summer, and there are more dog-friendly pubs than you can shake an antler chew at. Finish with a warm drink on a bench on the breakwater and watch the moody North Sea roll in.
Llandudno, Conwy
Victorian promenade perfection – wide, flat and ideal for unflappable strolls with plenty of paw traction. Walk the curve of the bay to the pier, then hop the tram road or Marine Drive for Great Orme views without the mud.
Cafés on Mostyn Street are famously dog-sweet, and there’s always shelter if the breeze bites. A classic seaside town that shines in winter – bright lights, easy miles, happy hounds.
Tenby, Pembrokeshire
Colourful houses, handsome harbour, and three sweeping beaches to choose from. The esplanade gives you firm footing with big views, while the walled town delivers indie shops and dog-welcoming pubs for snack stops.
For extra steps, take the flat path to the headland and watch the waves flex. Winter lends Tenby a calm, storybook feel – all the charm, none of the crowds, and plenty of places to curl up after.
Southwold, Suffolk
Stripy lighthouse, handsome pier and a promenade built for purposeful paw-steps. Do the beach huts parade, amble the Common, then cross the Bailey Bridge to Walberswick for marshland vistas on boardwalk and track.
Pubs here do roaring fires properly, and most are delighted to seat a sandy snoot under the table. Low-drama walking, high-reward cosiness – Southwold is winter-gentle in the very best way.
St Ives, Cornwall
Harbour loops, artful detours and beaches that feel like yours in winter. The pavements around the Island and Smeaton’s Pier keep things firm under paw, while the coastal path towards Carbis Bay serves headland views without committing to a full hike.
Between walks, there are galleries, bakeries and cheerful pubs that greet dogs like locals. Add a sunset over Porthmeor and call it a perfect day.
Bamburgh, Northumberland
Castle views for you, endless firm sand for them – Bamburgh is winter-walk perfection. Do a bracing stride along the beach beneath those epic ramparts, then loop the coastal path towards Seahouses for seals, seabirds and big-sky drama.
The village keeps things cosy with cafés and pubs that welcome sandy paws, and there’s usually a quiet bench for flask-and-biscuit moments. Low mud, high WOW, and a happily zonked dog by dusk.
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Riverside rambles and honey-stone calm – Cambridge is tailor-made for easy winter mooching. Follow the River Cam past the Backs for postcard colleges and flat, firm paths, then sweep across Jesus Green and Midsummer Common for squirrel diplomacy without the mud.
Detour into cobbled lanes for indie cafés where water bowls appear like magic. Peaceful, pretty and wonderfully walkable – with plenty of parkland pauses between snacks.
Brighton, East Sussex
A city stroll with seaside sparkle. Do the prom from the pier to Hove for people-watching and easy mileage, then swing up to the i360 lawns or duck into the Lanes for café breaks and biscuit diplomacy.
The Undercliff Walk adds drama without mud, and beachside bars are reliably dog-positive. It’s lively, colourful and built for winter mooching followed by chips and a nap.
Chester, Cheshire
Black-and-white Rows, Roman walls and a riverside made for steady striding. Do the full walls loop for views and history in one, then follow the Dee along the promenade for swan spotting and café breaks.
Grosvenor Park’s paths are pram-and-paw friendly, and city pubs are generous with treats. A polished, painless city day out with loads of places to warm up after.
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Spa-town elegance with paved parkland aplenty. The Stray offers broad, well-drained walking even after rain, while Valley Gardens weaves hard paths past winter planting and sheltered corners.
Montpelier Quarter brings coffee and cake with water bowls as standard, and Bettys is on hand for take-out treats. Clean paws, clear lungs and a relaxed loop around a very lovely town.
Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
Promenade perfection with big skies and easy miles – Lytham St Annes is built for winter wanders. Stroll the wide, flat seafront between the pier and the Victorian gardens, detour to the iconic windmill on the Green, then pad across the firm sands when the tide’s kind.
Pubs and cafés are reliably dog-sweet, with water bowls and warm corners for a post-walk snooze. Low mud, high sea air, and plenty of benches for flask-and-biscuit moments.
Need a sudden escape from the tinsel tornado? Our last-minute dog-friendly cottages are ready when you are – comfy bases near promenades, parks and pubs so you can swap festive chaos for crisp walks and cosy naps on a whim.
Meet the author
Ian LewisIan's worked in travel for over 15 years and has written about destinations across the whole of the UK (and beyond). He loves all kinds of getaways with every member of the family on two legs or four, seeking out the more unique and interesting properties wherever he can.
