Top 10 destinations to visit for Halloween

Trick or treating, Jack o Lanterns, and of course, terrifying costumes, All Hallows Eve, or as its more commonly known Halloween, is one of the most exciting days of the year! Though it originated as a pagan festival held by Irish Celts as a way to welcome the Harvest and ward off evil spirits, over the years it has evolved and today is celebrated in a myriad of ways almost the entire world over.

From traditional cultural celebrations to wild street parties or immersive ghost tours, there are many ways to enjoy the scariest day of the year, and an array of destinations to choose from.

Read on to discover our top 10 destinations to visit for Halloween.

New York City, USA

New York City is a great destination any time of year, and Halloween is certainly no exception! Every year the city plays host to a variety of festivities, including, one of the biggest Halloween parades in the world which attracts over 2 million revellers donned out in a variety of spooky costumes! Not only that but for families with children there is no better place to celebrate the holiday: in New York, it's customary for businesses to hand out sweets to children!

Dublin, Ireland

What better place to celebrate Halloween than in its birthplace, Ireland, where its precursor, the Celtic festival of 'Samhain', (meaning, end of summer) was first celebrated around 1 thousand years ago. Today it remains an important day in the Irish calendar, no more so than in Dublin, where every year, the streets come alive with a myriad of events and costume parties, whilst in the nearby Boyne Valley, the vibrant 'Spirits of Meath Festival', pays homage to Ireland's unique, Halloween heritage.

Salem

The US' spookiest city, Salem, is situated on the coast of Massachusetts, just 16 miles north of Boston, and is best known for the notorious trials of 1692, in which a number of locals were executed for allegedly practising witchcraft. To this day Salem is known as 'Witch City', and boasts its very own Witch Museum, whilst the month of October, is packed full of Halloween-themed events, known as 'Haunted Happenings', which draw visitors from far and wide!

Oaxaca City, Mexico

'Dia de Los Muertos' (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican celebration held annually to honour the deceased. The festivities often begin around October 31st (2 days before the day of the dead itself) but it is not 'Mexican Halloween' and should never be referred to as such, rather it is a hugely important cultural event with roots that can be traced back thousands of years. Though celebrations take place across Mexico (and beyond), it is the city of Oaxaca that boasts the biggest and best: every year its picturesque streets are adorned with a kaleidoscopic mosaic of ofrendas, (elaborate altars with photos of the departed) colourful marigold flowers, and thousands of people in traditional costume and face paint.

Read an insiders guide to Dia de Los Muertos in Oaxaca by guest blogger Shelley.

Transylvania, Romania

Romania's central region of Transylvania, boasts impressive natural beauty, home to rugged peaks, dense forests, and medieval towns, yet outside the country, it is perhaps best known as the home of the infamous Count Dracula!

Set high upon a rock in the heart of the region, the striking Bran Castle is a 14th-century fortress that is said to have been the inspiration behind the looming stone fortress in which the Count lived in Irish writer Abraham's Stoker's 1897 novel.

Often referred to as 'Dracula's Castle', it's an impressive and chilling sight that makes the imagination run wild; what better place to visit on the scariest night of the year!!!

Amsterdam

Amsterdam may not be the first place that springs to mind when thinking of Halloween, but the picturesque Dutch capital is the perfect destination for a ghoulish getaway! Along with a host of exciting Halloween themed events and parties, the city is home to one of Europe's scariest dungeons, which dates back 5 centuries, and offers immersive walkthrough experiences, complete with a cast of terrifying characters who will shock and surprise you along the way!

Tokyo, Japan

Autumn is a great time to visit Japan for many reasons, and from wild street parties to elaborate parades, as well as much more, Halloween in Tokyo is like nowhere else on earth! Party animals should head to the streets of Shibuya where thousands of young people in costume gather for a night of wild celebration, or a distinctly creepy experience, take a ghost tour of the city's most haunted locations. Alternatively, families can visit one of the city's theme parks, such as Disneyland, or Universal Studios, and enjoy a variety of Halloween-themed shows and events.

London, UK

From the notorious Jack the Ripper to Sweeney Todd (aka 'the Demon Barber of Fleet Street) London is a city with a rich history of macabre tales, both real and fictitious. From a litany of Halloween-themed events and parties to chilling ghost walks, the city has no shortage of things to do around October 31st, and its maze of historic streets offers the perfect setting for a fright-filled adventure!

Corinaldo, Italy

You may not have heard of it before, but the compact medieval town of Corinaldo in central Italy is the country's Halloween capital. Every year, in the run-up to Halloween its picturesque, medieval streets are transformed into a real-life horror show for the Festa Delle Streghe, (the Witches Festival) complete with spooky decorations, and thousands of costumed revellers.