The feel of the sun on your face and sand between your toes might not be as much of a daydream as it has been for the past 12 months. With lockdown our summer plans for what feels like forever, the lifting of restrictions on June 21st means that both holidays and stay-cations are at the forefront of all of our minds. Pack your suitcases because we’ve uncovered the most popular post-lockdown holiday destinations.
If city breaks are your thing or you’d rather be lying with a copy of Vogue on a beach somewhere hot, find out which places are top of our post lockdown travel list. We’ve done all the hard work for you to uncover the most searched for holiday destinations in the UK and abroad so your vacay basically starts here.
Team Stay-cation
1. London
You can’t not be excited by the buzz of London, so no wonder it’s at the top of the list. A staycation in London means Instagrammable rooftop bars and spectacular cityscapes that call your name. Let’s not forget the shopping districts and the tourist attractions. It’s not hard to see why it’s in high demand.
Image of Big Ben, one of London’s main tourist attractions (Pinterest)
2. Lake District
If its beautiful scenery and tranquillity weren’t enough, fantastic pubs and restaurants mean you can enjoy yourself without getting your shoes covered in mud whilst hiking through a field.
Stunning scenery in the Lake District National Park (Pinterest)
3. Edinburgh
The iconic Edinburgh Castle is the main attraction of this city, and people come from all over to be amazed by its grandeur. The Edinburgh Dungeon and ghost walks are also popular tourist attractions for those who want to experience the more chilling side of the ity.
Regal Edinburgh Castle sits high upon a hill (Pinterest)
4. Liverpool
For a relatively small city, Liverpool has a hold over the arts, entertainment and culture scene. From football to festivals, you’re never short of a good time. Combined with the well-recognised warmth from the locals, it’s easy to see why it was named the European Capital of Culture in 2018.
The Liver Building sat in front of the River Mersey (Pinterest)
4. Manchester
This industrial city has something for everyone and it really does come alive in the night. A Saturday night in the city centre is unrivalled, but if that’s not quite your scene there’s plenty of free museums to wander around.
The sun goes down over the Manchester city skyline (Pinterest)
5. Glasgow
Bursting with character and stunning architecture, a tour given by a local is the best way to get to know Glasgow. Discover unique neighbourhoods and world-class visitor attractions whilst in a city whose reputation for energy and swagger precede it.
Glasgow’s utterly unique and classic castles (Pinterest)
6. Bristol
In Bristol street, art is celebrated and not shunned. Known as a city of fun, Bristol once closed down an entire road to turn it into a giant waterslide. Sounds exactly like the type of city we need in our post-pandemic lives!
Bristols side streets buzz with energy (Pinterest)
7. Birmingham
Brummies (that’s Birmingham locals) are known for being proud of where they come from, and we don’t blame them. Independent cinemas, indie bars and museums are the shining gems of Birmingham and because of this, it’s one of the UK’s most rapidly growing cities.
Birmingham’s famous canals looking hauntingly beautiful as the sun rises (Pinterest)
8. Leeds
Leeds boasts such an eclectic mix of restaurants it would make any foodie fall in love. The city’s large shopping centre is filled with distinctive independents and reliable chains. Forget a bikini body, you’re on a staycation – pass us an ice cream.
Leeds is the shoppers’ paradise with arcades and shopping centres at every turn (Pinterest)
9. Nottingham
The history of Nottingham is enough to keep people entertained for hours, but if you feel like you’d rather kick back and relax on your staycation, visit the oldest pub in England dating back to 1189AD. Why not bring a little culture to your post-lockdown travels?
Have an old fashioned pint in the oldest pub in Britain (Pinterest)
10. Sheffield
Whilst Sheffield may be known as a city of steel, it actually has an impressive amount of greenery. Being one of the UK’s greenest cities, the national parks mean it’s a top destination to spend a weekend. A breath of fresh air is definitely what we need now lockdown is lifted.
A tranquil looking Sheffield might not be what tourists expect (Pinterest)
11. Leicester
Leicester is known as the birthplace of tourism and the charming city is where Walkers crisps are made. Need we say more about this staycation destination? Oh, and not to mention David Attenborough grew up here. Could Leicester be any more of a natural treasure?
Leicester’s Haymarket Memorial Clocktower is a well-known landmark (Pinterest)
12. Belfast
Truly a place to let your hair down, you’re unlikely to find a friendlier stranger anywhere in the world. It may be on the smaller side when it comes to bustling capital cities, but it’s deeply cultured and not one to miss out on.
Explore the science, myths and legends that surround the Giants Causeway (Pinterest)
13. Inverness
20 minutes from Loch Ness, Inverness sits as the gateway to the highlands. Tales of the mysterious monster that lurks in the Loch is the driving force behind tourists visiting this post-lockdown staycation spot. If you don’t manage to get a glimpse of Nessie, the breathtaking views of Scotland are worth it alone.
Breathtaking views in the cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands (Pinterest)
Team Vacation
1. Barcelona
A skyline that’s a sight for sore eyes with Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia taking centre stage (Pinterest)
Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia is one of the most awe-worthy structures on the globe and should not be missed. Antoni Gaudi is the architect responsible for Barcelona’s stunning skyline and you can stare at it whilst sipping sangria and eating tapas. As the most searched for post-lockdown holiday destination abroad, we fully recommend taking in all Barcelona has to offer.
2. Paris
The most romantic city in the world. After being locked down with your boo for far too long, a bae-cation is well overdue and we have the perfect place. Its diversity and sophistication make this city high on every traveller’s bucket list and we can see exactly why.
Fall in love with the city of romance (Pinterest)
3. Amsterdam
Its unconventional charm appeals to millions of tourists each year, and its picturesque streets are perfect for that insta photo. Hop on a bike and see what the city has to offer and exactly why it’s one of the top-rated post lockdown travel destinations.
Amsterdams colourful canals make this a city worthy of an Instagram post or two
4. Lahore
Unbelievable landscapes and the incredible food are just two driving forces behind the floods of tourists wanting to visit Pakistan each year. Its multicultural amazing-ness really means you can feel at home no matter how far you’ve travelled from.
Live it large in Lahore (Pinterest)
5. Dubai
Ever the influencer hotspot, Dubai is high on our list of places to visit post-lockdown. Its mega malls, extravagant glamour and luxurious lifestyle is what we’ve been missing whilst being cooped up in our houses this past year, so pass us our sunnies, we’ll see you there.
World class luxury in Dubai (Pinterest)
7. Rome
A travel destination you’ll never forget, there are few words grand enough to describe Rome. Art, architecture and culture in the bucket loads, Rome is also the home of gelato, which we want in bucket loads too.
Make a wish in Rome’s Trevi fountain (Pinterest)
8. Mumbai
Known as the ‘City of Dreams’ we see why Mumbai made its way onto this list. A phenomenon everyone should experience from its nightlife to its nature, we need very little encouragement to book that post-lockdown flight.
Say goodbye to boring and hello to Mumbai (Pinterest)
9. Berlin
A city full of creatives and tasty beer paired with unbelievable nightlife and grungy-but-cool attitude seems like a recipe for success to us. The city like no other has a cultural side too with the chilling Holocaust memorial making the time to visit Berlin now.
Berlins stunning street views boast beautiful architecture (Pinterest)
10. Monaco
Monaco is a uniquely stunning destination. A place to visit if you love beautiful beaches and beautiful things, but your trip doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think it might be, although you can book a helicopter airport transfer if that’s something you want to tick off your bucket list.
Located on the French Riviera, Monaco oozes luxury (Pinterest)
11. Bucharest
A destination off the beaten track, and one of our most searched post-lockdown holiday spots abroad. Its history is unique and it’s a paradise for foodies so there’s something for everyone, especially as it’s such good value for money.
Bucharest, in southern Romania, is the country’s capital and commercial centre. (Pinterest)
12. Malaga
Sun enthusiasts this one is for you, Mediterranean Malaga welcomes holidaymakers wanting to top up their tan and unwind with a siesta. If you’d rather have a fiesta, then Malaga has plenty of bars for you to get your fill of tapas and cocktails, well into the early hours of the morning.
Malaga’s sandy shores are a popular tourist attraction (Pinterest)
13. Delhi
It’s heaven for shoppers and is rich in culture, so unsurprisingly it’s one of the most popular post-lockdown destinations to visit. Boasting architectural splendour built for kings, it’s that little bit of luxury we need to get back to normal.
Visit Delhi’s bazaars filled with food carts, sweets shops and spice stalls. (Pinterest)
14. Tenerife
Year-round sunshine…yes please! An island of beautiful beaches, endless watersports and buzzing nightlife, honestly what more could you want from a post-lockdown holiday destination? Oh and it’s bank balance friendly!
Tenerife is the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands (Pinterest)
15. Lanzarote
Volcanic landscapes in Lanzarote feel otherworldly. A beautiful fusion of art and nature combined with food and views to enlighten your senses. This is a post-lockdown destination of dreams and we’ll meet you on the beach with a cocktail or two.
Lanzarote’s black rocks add to the out of world feeling you get on the island (Pinterest)
If your plans are to jet off to Dubai post lockdown, don’t forget to pack your sandals and your sunnies, or if you’re staycationing at London’s rooftop bars, make sure you grab some heels for a night of dancing and slippers for the morning after. If you’d rather be at a festival this summer and you feel like you’re missing out, head over to ‘The 10 Best Glastonbury Performances You Can Relive on YouTube”.
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