Spooky season is upon us, and for those craving an extra dose of eerie excitement we’ve rounded up the best places to travel for Halloween. As the leaves turn and the air grows chilly, a handful of destinations promise a spine-tingling adventure.
Let’s explore the most captivating places to visit for Halloween with each offering a unique blend of haunted history, ghostly tales, and eerie ambiance. From ancient castles to abandoned ghost towns, these are the top places to go for Halloween aficionados seeking an unforgettable, hair-raising experience.
Edinburgh, Scotland
At any time of year Edinburgh has a spooky season feel. The iconic Edinburgh Castle, perched on a rocky volcanic hill, sets the stage for a grand ghostly spectacle. Here tales of ghosts and paranormal encounters abound. And don’t forget the haunted underground vaults, where ghost stories reveal secrets that’ll send shivers down your spine. On Trafalgar tours you’ll join a Local Specialist for a spooky stroll. Tip-toe through the eerie alleyways of the Old Town, where ancient tales of witches and grave robbers come alive.
SPOOKY FUN: Scotland’s Highlands Islands and Cities
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
New Orleans, the Big Easy, is a city that casts a spell on anyone who visits. Known for its vibrant culture, soulful music, and delectable cuisine, it’s also a place where the supernatural mingles with the everyday…. The historic French Quarter, with its ornate balconies and gas lamps, sets the stage for eerie tales of voodoo and ghostly encounters. Above-ground cemeteries like St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 are like cities of the departed, and voodoo shops beckon the curious.
EXPLORE IT: Tastes and Sounds of the South
Transylvania, Romania
Transylvania is as much mythical as it is a real destination. This region of Romania in Eastern Europe is overshadowed by the infamous Dracula legend. It’s a place where medieval castles, like the enigmatic Bran Castle, rise from lush landscapes, cloaked in tales of vampires and eerie gothic lore. Beyond the dark myths, Transylvania is filled with charming villages with centuries-old traditions, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains’ misty peaks. It’s a land where history and legend converge – making it one of the best places to travel for Halloween.
SPOOKY FUN: Balkan Adventure
Port Arthur, Australia
In Australia the eerie events of the past make Port Arthur its spookiest spot. At the southern tip of Tasmania, this hauntingly beautiful destination has a dark past. Once a notorious penal colony during the 19th century, it housed some of the country’s most dangerous criminals. With Trafalgar you’ll take a walk through the ruins and take a cruise of the harbor around the Isle of the Dead. Hear chilling tales of convict life and the harsh punishments they endured, and perhaps have your own ghostly encounter.
EXPLORE IT: Perfect Tasmania
Dublin, Ireland
The lively capital of Ireland pulsates with history and a dash of Celtic mysticism. Its narrow, cobbled streets are filled with the echoes of literary legends like Gothic novelist Bram Stoker, and dark stories of the past, from Viking battles to the plague to revolutions and war. Dublin is one of the best places to visit on Halloween as the original holiday is the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a pagan celebration to welcome the harvest. From the dark and mysterious tales of old to the warm and welcoming atmosphere of its people, Dublin is a city where the past and present coexist in perfect harmony.
SPOOKY FUN: Irish Highlights
RELATED BLOG: 11 reasons why a trip to Ireland should be essential in 2023
Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is a city that feels like a living fairy tale. Its skyline is adorned with spires and domes, while cobbled streets wind their way through a maze of historic architecture. The city’s dark, mysterious side emerges during hauntingly atmospheric night walks, revealing stories of ghosts, alchemists, and legends that linger in its medieval alleys. The iconic Prague Castle, perched above the Vltava River, holds centuries of history and ghostly tales. But it has nothing, by way of sheer spookiness, on the Sedlec Ossuary – a bone-chilling chapel, located in the nearby town of Kutna Hora, whose interior is adorned with thousands of human bones.
EXPLORE IT: Prague, Vienna & Budapest
London, England
While London is a pleasure to visit now, that wasn’t always the case. Step back in time at the Tower of London, the city’s most notorious prison and a place of torture and executions. A number of its ghosts – of Edward V, Richard of York, Arabella Stuart and the famed White Lady – still reportedly haunt the building. In London you’ll also wander in the footsteps of Jack the Ripper, London’s famous serial killer, or meet the ghost of Henry VIII’s fourth wife Catherine, at Hampton Court Palace.
SPOOKY FUN: London Explorer
Dunkirk, France
The battlefields of northern France reveal a more somber reflection of life, death and those have passed over. In Dunkirk, Operation Dynamo miraculously saw over 330,000 Allied troops evacuated to Britain. Sadly the story isn’t so upbeat nearby, where in Fromelles there was the “worst 24 hours in Australia’s military history” and at Vimy Ridge a horrific battle claimed many Canadian soldiers, and eventually came to symbolize Canada’s coming of age as a nation.
EXPLORE: WWI and WWII Battlefields
Those are the best places to travel for Halloween. Where are you planning on spending spooky season this year? Let us know the places you like to visit on Halloween in the comments….