Despite the UK weather currently being in a constant state of confusion; there’s no denying that the hazy days of summer are behind us. Sun-soaked beer gardens have been traded in for cosy pub corners; picture-perfect picnics have become long autumnal walks; and ‘iced coffee season’ is officially a thing of the past. People are starting to prepare for their winter hibernation, but apparently not before booking a nice little city break.
2023 saw a whopping 3,800% surge in autumn holiday popularity. It seems as though autumn is the season for wanderlust, as globetrotters are pulled in by that golden, autumnal magic. But with so many desirable destinations at our fingertips, it’s difficult to know which one should be fast-tracked straight to the top of our city break list. Well, to make things easier for everybody, the travel experts over at Planet Cruise took one for the team. They analysed lots of data and have now revealed the ultimate autumn and winter getaway destinations – and we don’t want to brag (okay, maybe we do a little), but London did pretty darn well.
Here at Secret London, we’re big fans of the Big Smoke at any time of year. It has to be said though, that there is something about the crunchy leaves of autumn and the twinkly lights of winter that make our capital city truly irresistible. And clearly we’re not the only ones who think so. London has officially been crowned the world’s top destination to visit in autumn and winter. Not bad, hey?
Forty holiday destinations were ranked, based on how good they are to travel to during the autumn and winter months. Planet Cruise based the research on factors including the number of Christmas markets, five-star restaurants, social media posts, and Google searches. Average rainfall and hotel prices were also taken into account.
Despite the fierce competition, London came out on top – and although we’re not surprised – it’s nice to have it in writing. It just so happens that London has the largest Google search volume of ‘autumn’ and ‘winter’ keywords. With a staggering 28,340, might I add. London also has the second highest amount of social media posts, with 39,604,000 posts during the seasons.
London is home to twelve Christmas markets, one of which is the iconic Winter Wonderland. Once you’ve reveled in the festivities; you can then warm yourself up at one of the 2,305 five-star restaurants, before having a dreamy night’s sleep at one of our city’s fabulous hotels. Now, I’m not going to say too much about the rainfall, because I really don’t think London is in a position to show off in that department.
In case you’re interested in who we were up against, here’s the official top ten autumn/winter holiday destinations across the globe:
- London, UK
- Seoul, South Korea
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Vienna, Austria
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Cape Town, South Africa,
- Munich, Germany
- Berlin, Germany
- San Francisco, USA
- New York, USA
So pack your bags, get your guidebooks at the ready, and begin making your way through the list. Starting out with London, of course.
Find out more information here.