Types Of Holidays

Are you trying to decide where to go on holiday? Do you need help determining what type of trip you want?

I’m going to give you a hand.

Here, you’ve got a list of the different types of holidays with specific examples.

It will surely help you in the process of selecting your next destination.

Beach Holiday

As its name suggests, it means going to the beach, maybe some water sports, but basically sun, beach, and relaxation.

It’s been proven that the beach improves overall well-being, lowers stress, and lifts your mood, so if you feel burnt out at work, it can be a great option.

Famous beach destinations: Spain, Greece, Croatia, Portugal, France, Cyprus, The Caribbean, Thailand, Seychelles, or the Dominican Republic, to name a few.

You can search for other options in my post Where to Travel Each Month.

City Break

A short break (just a few days) in a city. They can also be part of a more extended trip, where you spend a few days in a town.

Popular city-break destinations are London (UK), Paris (France), Madrid (Spain), Rome (Italy), Budapest (Hungary), Berlin (Germany), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Prague (Czechia), Vienna (Austria), Venice (Italy), New York (USA), etc.

Any city in the world is suitable!

Check my post How many days I need to visit each city to know the minimum number of days you need in each city.

Cultural

The primary purpose is to explore the world’s greatest cultural and historical treasures. It includes museums, palaces, monuments, world heritage sites, old traditional celebrations, and other cultural events.

Examples are Italy, Greece, Spain, central Australia, Cambodia, Japan, India, China, and Egypt, but the list is endless! You will find places of cultural interest in almost any part of the world.

Here is the link to the official UNESCO page where you can find the World Heritage List: UNESCO Word Heritage List

Adventure Holiday

They involve physical activities like hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, canoeing, diving, etc. It boosts your self-confidence and improves fitness.

Examples of this type of holiday: trekking to Everest Base Camp (Nepal), hiking the Camino de Santiago (Spain), diving the Great Barrier Reef (Australia), hose riding in Mongolia, mountain biking The Old Ghost Road (New Zealand), hiking an Alta Via (Italy), or Ice-climbing in France.

Although not everything has to be ‘extreme’ activities, there are also ‘soft adventure trips’, where sports activities are carried out, but suitable for all audiences.

Cruise Holiday

It’s a holiday during which you travel on a ship and visit many destinations in one trip, which is excellent. The downside is that they will often dock during the day, allowing you to jump off to explore, and in the evening, they head to the next place, so you don’t have too much time to ‘know’ the destination.

Famous cruise destinations are the Norwegian Fjords, the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, the Caribbean, The Danube River, the Nile River, Japan, and Antarctica, although there are also transatlantic.

Health Holiday

It focuses on well-being, so it improves your physical and mental health.

Examples are yoga retreats in India, spa holidays in St Lucia, fitness holidays in Ibiza, detox holidays in Thailand, boot camps in Portugal, or Ayurvedic retreats in Sri Lanka.

They can be pricey, but the number of companies offering these packages is exponentially increasing, so you can also do it next to your home.

Gastronomic or Culinary Holiday

Focused on the food or drinks. They have become increasingly popular, particularly in regions known for specialized or fine cuisine. It includes culinary cultures, restaurants, gastronomic fairs, and cooking courses.

Top gastronomic destinations are Italy, Thailand, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Mexico, India, Japan, Argentina, France, and Vietnam.

Road Trips

If you like driving, there are beautiful routes to enjoy the scenery while moving from one place to another.

Good examples are US Route 66, Cabot Trail (Canada), The Garden Route (South Africa), Costa Esmeralda (Sardinia), Iceland’s ring road, The Pan-American Highway (Argentina to Alaska), The Black Forest (Germany) and The Basque Circuit (Spain).

Romantic Getaways

Those to spend time with your loved one in a fun and relaxed environment.

Classic examples are Paris (France), Venice (Italy), Santorini (Greece), Tuscany (Italy), The Maldives, Kauai (Hawaii), Aruba (Caribbean), Kyoto (Japan), Bora Bora (French Polynesia), Amalfi Coast (Italy).

Safaris

Photographic safaris are very popular in Africa. They are journeys to look at and take pictures of wild animals.

Good destinations are Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In my post, Best Time to Go, you can check when to go to each country.

Skiing and Snowboarding Holidays

It’s an active holiday taken in the winter months to somewhere it snows. They tend to be pricey and sometimes seem like a luxury holiday.

Great places to ski are Zermatt (Swiss Alps), Chamonix-Mount Blanc (France), Whistler (Canada), Tirol (Austria), Livigno (Italy), Sapporo (Japan), Vail (USA), Andorra.

Ecotourism

It is nature-based tourism that emphasizes responsible exploration and conservation of the world and natural resources. It’s also known as ‘sustainable or responsible tourism’.

Top exotic destinations are Sabah (Malaysia), New Zealand, Costa Rica, Galápagos Islands (Ecuador), Sumatra (Indonesia), Iceland, Finland, and Singapore.

Festivals

There are many types, but the most popular are:

Carnivals

They have their roots in religion, but they are more about partying these days.

World-famous ones are Rio Carnival (Brazil), Venice Carnival (Italy), the Mardi Grass (Mexico) and the Notting Hill Carnival in London (UK). Others may be less known but still incredible, like the Carnival of Cádiz (Spain), Nice Carnival (France), Cologne Carnival (Germany) or Carnival of Tenerife (Spain).

Music Festivals

Music festivals are a series of outdoor music and entertainment, often lasting several days. They are more common during the summer months for obvious reasons.

Famous music festivals in Europe are Creamfields (UK), Tomorrowland (Belgium), Download Festival (UK), Wacken Open Air (Germany), Glastonbury Festival (UK), Sziget (Hungary), Hellfest Open Air (France), Colours of Ostrava (Czech Republic), Womad Festival (UK), Primavera Sound (Spain), NOS Alive (Portugal), Love International (Croatia), Rock in Roma (Italy).

If you are interested, you can search for Festivals in Europe here: Music Festival Search

Religious Festivals

They are based on religion and celebrated in recurring cycles.

Some of the most famous are The Semana Santa or Holly Week (Spain, but with the most significant taking place in Seville and Malaga), The Kumbh Mela (India), The Japanese Obon Festival, Día de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead (Mexico), Diwali or Festival of Lights (India) and Holi Festival (India).

Travel related to sports events

It can be the primary purpose of the trip or not. Moreover, it involves either observing or participating in a sporting event.

Mega sports events are the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup, Cricket World Cup, Wimbledon, Tour de France, Super Bowl, Rugby World Cup, UEFA Champions League, Formula One Racing, FIA World Rally Championship and the NBA.

Singles Trips

Being single and meeting other singles becomes the theme. The operator will match single travellers of the same sex with a roommate to avoid the surcharge of the singles supplements.

Those of us who have travelled alone know how costly it can be. Occasionally, the prices for one person are equivalent to those for two people!

Some agencies have created services for solo travellers to register their names and look for a travel buddy. One example of this is TripTogether.

Shopping Holidays

For some people, shopping is the prime travel motivation, and there is a whole new market for that kind of tourism. The tours can be independent, but are frequently escorted. People shop for clothes, musical instruments, CDs, books, antiques, eastern furniture, toys, cars, etc.

Famous shopping travel destinations are Tokyo (Japan), London (UK), Paris (France), Singapore (Singapore), Hong Kong (China), Sydney (Australia), New York (USA), Madrid (Spain) and Toronto (Canada).

Partying / Clubbing Holidays

It could be to celebrate an upcoming marriage (stag/hen do) or without a specific reason but to experience an exciting nightlife. Best suited for the younger generations.

Examples of these destinations are Ibiza (Spain), Kavos (Greece), Zante (Greece), Magaluf (Spain), Ayia Napa (Cyprus), Hvar (Croatia), Miami (USA), and Las Vegas (USA).

Religious Holidays

Also known as ‘faith travel’, can take many forms, like pilgrimages or visits to historic churches.

Examples: Lumbini (Nepal), Mecca (Saudi Arabia), The Wailing Wall (Israel), Vatican City (Vatican), Golden Temple (India), Varanasi (India), Senso-Ji Temple and Meiji Shrine (Japan).

Backpacking Holidays

Usually for tight budgets. Backpackers will often stay in hostels and share bedrooms and bathrooms.

They are suitable for any destination.

Package Holidays

They typically include flights, transfers, and accommodation. Occasionally, they also offer some activities. They are stress-free because you rely on a holiday company/agent to organise everything for you, although pricier than doing it alone.

They are suitable for families and most destinations.

Volunteering Holidays

Those in which you work as a volunteer to help in the places you visit. There are different types: volunteering to work with animals, sports volunteering, volunteering in hospitals, volunteering for a community project, or green volunteering, among others.