Best New Year Holiday Destinations

Sometimes, New Year’s Eve feels underwhelming. Why not take the opportunity this year to try something totally different? You could wake up on 1 January in a brand new city after a night (and maybe morning!) of celebrations. Picture yourself sailing through the canals of Amsterdam on a midnight cruise, joining an Irish parade or strolling the sparkling Avenue des Champs-Élysées.  Take a look at our top 10.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam doesn’t come into my mind straight away when thinking about choosing a New Year’s Eve holiday destination. But, Amsterdam means fireworks and legendary parties! And, who doesn’t love those? There are dozens of free parties in the cities public squares;  Head to Leidseplein, Dam Square and Rembrandtplein where you can celebrate to the early hours of the morning.  Looking for something more unique? There are special boat trips, where you can sail down Amsterdam’s beautiful canals and watch all the firework displays, while dining and drinking in comfort.  There are also plenty of parties in bars and clubs all over, with top DJs choosing to start their New Year right.

Prague

Prague has got to be one of the most incredible cities to visit for New Year, albeit a touch on the chilly side, which I found out! But hey, that just adds to the festive vibes. Weather aside, there’s such an incredible atmosphere in the city, with so many magical places to celebrate the turn of a new year. Head to the picturesque Old Town Square and join the other partygoers enjoying the live entertainment and buzzing Christmas market stalls. Or make your way to Charles Bridge and find the perfect spot to watch the numerous fireworks displays going off around the castle and river. In fact, going back to the weather, it actually started snowing just as the clock struck midnight when i went, making the whole experience all the more special.

Krakow

New Year’s Eve has its very own name in Poland called “Sylwesters”.  Head to Kralow for a celebration like no other as this city has a reputation for hosting one of Europe’s biggest open air parties. Rynek Glowny, Krakow’s beautiful medieval square, has a huge light and laser show with live pop acts to dance along to. People gather at the free celebrations both in the square and around the city to wait for the clock to strike 12. Don’t forget that you’ll need to dress up warmly, as it gets chilly in December but among the crowds, you’ll soon warm up.

Barcelona

When it comes to New Year holiday destinations, nothing quite compares to hitting the streets of Barcelona. The Catalans sure know how to party, and from super clubs to avenues, the celebrations continue early into the morning. Greet January in a traditional way on Plaça d’Espanya, where you’ll find a stunning light show filled with music and special effects. All the excitement is centred around the Magic Fountain. I’ve been to the fountain on a summer evening and it was simply amazing, so I could only imagine how incredible it’d be on such a special occasion! If you’re looking for something a little more lively, clubs like Pacha and Razzmatazz always host incredible events to ring in the New Year.

Rome

If you want to welcome in the New Year with some Italian spirit, head to Rome. Start your evening with ‘cenone’, a big dinner that’s always held on 31 December. This can either be round a friend’s house or at a restaurant, but if you’re just visiting, the piazzas are a lively place to take part in this tradition. New Year’s Eve is also the perfect time to see the biggest show in the city, La Fura dels Baus at Circus Maximus. If you want to head where the party’s really at, the Piazza del Popolo, found just beyond the Spanish Steps, is the first centre of all the action. People bring their own fireworks, but when the clock strikes midnight there’s a stunning professional display too.

Venice

As one of the most romantic cities in the world, Venice makes the perfect destination to spend your New Year’s Eve in. One of the best things to do in bundle up warm and jump on a gondola; at this time of year you’re likely to see fog floating in on top of the canals, which is just as eerie as it is beautiful and will make the perfect photo opportunity. Gather in Piazza San Marco to join in the celebrations with crowds of excited locals and visitors, and enjoy a memorable countdown from the Basilica Tower itself.

Paris

If you’re looking for a romantic getaway with that someone special and a celebration that you’ll never forget, then a trip to Paris to see in the New Year could be just what you’re looking for. Dine at a boutique restaurant before sipping cocktails at a chic bar and then finding a late-night club to party into the early hours of the New Year. Or for the ultimate New Year’s Eve experience, book onto a luxurious river cruise with dinner along the Seine, with beautiful bridges, colourful fireworks and the unmistakable illuminations of the Eiffel Tower as your backdrop. Now, I don’t want to put any ideas in people’s heads, but if there’s ever a time and a place to pop ‘the question’…

Berlin

Known and loved for its world-famous Techno scene, Berlin’s a city that definitely won’t be getting a good night’s sleep on New Year’s Eve. Kick off your evening at a rooftop bar, taking in stunning firework displays and iconic buildings such as the Fernsehturm that towers high above the skyline. If you’re looking to welcome the new year in serious style, buy a ticket to Kulturbrauerei where you can experience 13 floors of entertainment and 30 DJs in just one place. As Berlin’s biggest indoor party, you can keep out of the cold too, though by day you’ll want to be out and about experiencing the city’s cool street art scene.

Reykjavik

If you’re looking for a New Year city break where you can experience the great outdoors, Reykjavik is the perfect place for you. Whether it’s treating yourself to a relaxing dip in the soothing Blue Lagoon, or visiting one of the bonfires that burn through the night (it’s tradition here!) there’s so much to see and do around New Year’s Eve. You might even be able to catch the Northern Lights while you’re here: the aural activity is at its highest around January, and what a way to start a new year! It’s also the perfect time to discover Reykjavik’s stunning Diamond Beach, a black sand coast covered in shimmering glaciers. If you want to do something in the city itself, Iceland’s incredible club scene will have you dancing into the early hours, so make sure you pack something sparkly.

Dublin

Dublin’s a great option and the Irish sure do know how to party! There’s the iconic Temple Bar, which is a must-visit for anyone’s first time in the city. It’s especially magical on New Year’s Eve, where you’ll find the celebrations spilling out of the pub and into the lively city streets.  You could also choose to catch the Liffey Lights Midnight Moment, a light and laser show timed perfectly against DJ tunes that really get the party started. As one of the ‘friendliest cities in the world’, Dublin’s locals are always there to make sure you have a great time too. Think quirky performances, dancing in the street and sharing a pint of Guinness with strangers-turned-friends; it’s all waiting for you this New Year’s Eve!

For further information, bespoke itieniaries or travel ideas, do contact us at All World Journeys. discover@allworldjourneys.com

Our favourite Christmas markets in Europe

Christmas markets in Europe form the perfect setting to get into the holiday spirit, with the sweet aroma of mulled wine and cinnamon spice and the echo of Christmas jingles in the air, and market stalls full of festive fare.  

Home to the some of the world’s most beautiful cities, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the preamble to the festive season in Europe. As the nights draw in, we highlight the best European Christmas markets to explore this year.

Here are my favourite Christmas markets in Europe

Manchester Christmas Markets, Manchester, UK

It started with a cluster of wooden stalls but now, 16 years later, Manchester’'s Christmas market has snowballed into an award-winning festive fantasia attracting seven million visitors yearly. Follow the 300 chalet-lined market trail across the city centre for all kinds of bespoke gifts, from fine jewellery to bonsai trees, while stopping for cocktails at the new pop-up-style Christmas Vintage Lounge on Exchange Square. The real highlight is the street food on Albert Square.

Prague Christmas Markets, Prague, Czech Republic

Prague's distinctively medieval backdrop of church domes, towers and magnificent ninth-century castle, provides the ultimate festive skyline. Stroll through cobbled streets, past hidden courtyards and over pretty bridges to Staromestské Námestie (the Old Town Square), or Wenceslas Square, for the largest –and most magical– markets. They are filled with atmospheric choirs, giant Christmas trees and fairy light-festooned stalls selling locally made gifts including luxe ceramics and scented candles.

Tivoli Christmas Market, Copenhagen, Denmark

When you've got the chief designer from Tiffany & Co. planning the design concept, you can bank on an exquisite spectacle. In 1997, John Loring set the cobbled streets sparkling and transformed the city’s famous Tivoli Gardens into a twinkling winter wonderland with more than 500,000 fairy lights. Now, this Scandi-chic market, along with welcoming scents of gløgg (mulled wine), exhilarating rides and brightly coloured stalls, selling the type of sweaters made famous by Sofie Gråbøl in The Killing, attracts more than a million visitors a year.

Christkindlmarkt, Vienna, Austria

With a market practically on every corner, where better to don your finest faux-fur than Vienna? Schoenbrunn Palace Christmas Market is best for stylish shopping, while the largest and gaudiest – Christkindlmarkt (christmas market) – dates back to 1294 and is bursting with atmosphere. Set in the Rathausplatz in front of the neo-Gothic City Hall, locals come to check out the festive window scenes painted by local artists, and stay for the glühwein (mulled wine). Take a stroll through Rathauspark for old-fashion carousel rides and a ‘Post Office in the Clouds’, where you can post your Christmas cards. Remember those?

Mulhouse Christmas Market, Alsace, France

The Christmas market takes place on the most important square of the city - Place de la Réunion. Known as being one of the most colourful Christmas markets in the world, the site is the perfect opportunity for the town to celebrate it's textile heritage with Christmas fabric created each year hung on the facades of around 100 typical festive huts.

Christkindlesmarkt, Nuremberg, Germany

The Germans know a thing or two about Christmas markets. Over 2,500 are dotted around the country but Nuremberg’s 400-year-old Christkindlmarkt is arguably the most famous. Shining in the Bavarian city's old town, this festive gem has it all: twinkling lights, super-strong glühwein and delicious Bratwurst. Each of the 180 stalls sell genuine tat-free treasures, from handmade candles to enameled music boxes, and special wardens ensure all products are locally made. It all adds to the authentic flavour and the buzzing Bierkeller next to the ice-rink is a guaranteed Christmas spirit booster.

Edinburgh Christmas Markets, Edinburgh, UK

Bringing traditional German flavour to the Scottish capital, stallholders at The European Market are from Frankfurt, while The Scottish Market serves up local delights. Treat your pooch to canine cookies from The Grassmarket on Saturdays, lose yourself in the fir tree maze and ride the Edinburgh wheel for fantastic city views. Once Christmas is wrapped up, it all kicks off again for Hogmanay: a legendary New Year’s party where 80,000 revelers come for music, fireworks and lashings of whisky.

Dancing in the street Chinese style

Inside the Forbidden City

Something different in Miami

Miami has so much to offer and plenty of sightseeing. It is fantastic place to visit for a holiday with many sights including the Wynwood Art District. 

So much to see and do in Malta

Discovering Malta

Santorini

Dreamy Santorini is in the Cyclades. It has become, in recent years, one of the most popular of all the Greek Islands, photogenic for its iconic caldera and its clinging-to-the-clifftop whitewashed villages which overlook the still-smoking volcano across the expanse of quite phenomenal blue.

The prettiest and most dramatic places to stay are those hillside hotels with caldera views in Firostefani, Fira, Imerovigli and, best for sunset, pretty Oia; they are created from ancient cave dwellings, now all smartened up and with pools and spas installed, and characterised by simple, all-white interiors. Fira is the capital, all winding streets and steps running up and down the hillside, dotted with shops, bars, nightclubs and restaurants.

Where to go

The one ‘must’ in Firá is the Museum of Prehistoric Thera, with its Minoan murals rescued from pre-cataclysm Akrotíri. Santoríni’s dark, volcanic-sand or pebble beaches are as much curiosities as bathing venues; the most practical and enjoyable are Perivólas and Vlyháda in the far south of the island. Two classic hiking routes among many go from Períssa to Kamári, past post-eruption ancient Thera, and along the caldera edge from Imerovígli to Oía. For a sense of the ancient volcano’s lingering power, take a day-trip to the caldera islets with their shoreline hot springs and clinker surfaces.

Where to stay 

The Santorini Grace sits on the very edge of a cliff; viewed from above, it looks like a sunbather languidly dangling a limb over the lip of the island's famous caldera. Carved out of two village houses partially destroyed in the 1956 earthquake, the hotel had 17 rooms and seven suites, plus two pools. All the rooms have terraces and are simply decorated in white. The hotel is not suitable for the elderly or infirm (there are 149 steps to negotiate), or children (under 14s are not allowed). Book room number 46, a honeymoon suite, for complete privacy.

Katiki

Located right on the cliff edge in Oia, this is one of the island's best hotels. Two split-level suites are in the 18th-century former home of a noble family: the façade is painted its original pale ochre and the interiors are decorated with antiques and Orthodox icons displayed on pale-blue walls. The other 25 rooms and suites, with similar interiors, sea views and patios, have bright white exteriors and look like a jumble of sugar cubes tumbling down the cliff. More than 200 steps connect the rooms, swimming pools - including a beautiful infinity pool - and public areas, and the small rooftop terrace restaurant serves delicious, fresh seafood. The nearest beach is five minutes' free transfer away, although it's probably quicker to walk in summer, when the narrow roads are clogged with coaches.

Contact All World Journeys for more information

discover@allworldjourneys.com 

+447824 099686

Picturesque Vis Island

Of all the inhabited Croatian islands, Vis is the furthest from the coast and the most enigmatic. It spent much of its recent history serving as a Yugoslav military base, cut off from foreign visitors from the 1950s right up until 1989. This isolation preserved the island from development and drove much of the population to move elsewhere in search of work, leaving it underpopulated for many years.

No nightlife, no package tourists, no big hotels, no fuss, no hubbub; Vis Island so epitomized Mediterranean life that it was chosen as the filming location for Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! For several months in early autumn 2017 Hollywood descended upon the island, hiring locals as extras and using the old stone towns of Vis and Komiza as a backdrop for their musical.

The most stunning beach on the island and perhaps in all of Croatia is Stiniva beach.

For more information, contact us at discover@allworldjourneys.com  

Thinking of Gran Canaria for your next break?

Gran Canaria is the third largest island in the Canaries’ archipelago, but accounts for almost half the population. It lives up to its cliché as a continent in miniature, with a dramatic variation of terrain, ranging from the green and leafy north to the mountainous interior and desert south. To glean a sense of this impenetrable quality, head to the centre, where the sheer drama of the mountains more resembles the Tibetan highlands than a relatively small island.

All World Journeys recommends the following hotels

Bohemia Suites & Spa

Playa del Ingles    

Centrally located and a 10 minute stroll from the beach, the adult only, boutique hotel Bohemia Suites & Spa.

H10 Playa Meloneras Palace

Costa Meloneras    

Situated in an enviable location by the ocean and close to the Maspalomas Golf Club.

Hotel Santa Catalina

Las Palmas    

Hotel Santa Catalina is ideally situated within a sub-tropical garden area of Las Palmas which is known as Cuidad Jardin (The Garden City).

Lopesan Villa del Conde Resort & Thalasso

Costa Meloneras    

Situated between the sandy beach of Meloneras and golden dunes of Maspalomas.

To assist with all your needs, contact us at All World Journeys. 

E-mail discover@allworldjourney.com

Telephone +447 824 099 676

Hidden Greece

Whether you choose deserted beaches, fabulous local food, walking or ferry-hopping itineraries, we have the Greek Islands well and truly sorted.

Hiking in Amorgos, Cyclades

As well as the azure bays and its role in Luc Besson’s The Big Blue, Amorgos is also renowned for it's hiking trails, which not only connect the island’s villages but also provide access to ecclesiastical and natural landmarks. Start at Hora, the capital of the island, and walk towards the landmark of Amorgos, the Greek-Orthodox monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa. Built by Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus I in the 11th century, this whitewashed monastery is wedged into a cliff face 300 metres above the sea. Climb the nearly 300 steps, walk through the low marble doorway and take the staircase that leads to the chapel where treasures and icons are kept. You will be rewarded with a vertiginous yet panoramic view of the Mediterranean, complimentary rose-flavoured loukoumi (Greek Turkish delight) and psimeni raki (raki with honey and spices) offered by the monks. From there, descend towards the pebble beach of Agia Anna. Here the waves splash against a rock which a chapel of the same name is built on. It’s then time to dive into the deep blue Aegean.

Karpathos, Dodecanese

The largest Dodecanese island is largely unknown to Brits. You can fly there but not directly from the UK. Better to take the ferry from Rhodes or Crete as we did and head for Diafani, where getting around is mostly by boat or on foot. We were enchanted by the lack of tourist trappings as local life carried on around us. As visitors we found ourselves welcomed with gifts of pomegranates, just-caught whitebait and freshly baked bread. While we were drinking coffee at a cafe on the water’s edge, a local fisherman invited us onto his caïque and took us on a spectacular journey to a beach where we found ourselves alone and surrounded by undisturbed centuries-old ruins. As we swam, our boatman fished for octopus, then barbecued it for us, having first shooed the goat from the stone table. Inland we visited Olympos, courtesy of the free loan of our hotel owner’s car. The remotest village on the island, and only recently accessible by road, it’s a place where traditional costumes and customs still persist, and time seemed, like its iconic windmills, to stand still.

Kastellorizo

Kastellorizo, a mile off the Turkish coast, is a colourful and picturesque island with a tumultuous past. Originally colonised by the Dorian Greeks, the island was later occupied by Egypt, Italy and the Ottoman empire, all of which is evident in the capital’s rich architectural legacy. Pastel-coloured Anatolian-style houses are arranged around a small fishing harbour lined with tavernas. Dotted on the hillside are a church and a cathedral, an Ottoman mosque, monasteries and castles. The ruins of an ancient acropolis lies on the western outskirts of town. A promenade on the steep streets and lanes provides abundant delight and surprise as well as breathtaking views of the Mediterranean. A small family-friendly beach west of the harbour is excellent for swimming. The island’s remote location on the fringes of the Dodecanese has left it relatively undisturbed by tourists, making it an ideal getaway centred on food, recuperation and culture. The island is easily reached by boat from Rhodes or Kas.

Abandoned sulphur mines of Milos, Cyclades

There can be no more breathtaking backdrop to a dip in the Aegean than the abandoned sulphur mine of Milos. The stunning bay of Paliorema can be accessed via a dirt road, although the scramble down the cliff to the golden shingle is not for the faint-hearted. Hire a 4x4 to get as close as possible. Once at the beach, you can wander freely around the abandoned buildings, where it appears the miners may be back at any moment to start work. Follow up your visit at the Mining Museum in Adamas, which includes a video about workers in the sulphur mine before it was permanently closed in 1978. Milos’s charms are only enhanced by the fact that it has not relied on tourism for survival like some of its better-known neighbours.

Donoussa, Cyclades

Donoussa is the quietest of the smaller Cyclades islands, hidden behind much larger Naxos. Traditionally described as off the beaten track, it has reinvigorated itself in recent years as younger people move back from Athens to work in family businesses. There are some great new restaurants, such as To Auli in the main (small) village and an organic beach bar at nearby Kedros bay. An excellent new walking guide (in Greek and English) opens up the hills, while a minibus service will carry you back from the other side of the island on the only road. There are regular ferries from Athens but arrive on the local Express Skopelitis from Naxos for the best experience – this ferry also offers lots of short-journey, island-hopping options.

Let us help you discover the world, contact us discover@allworldjourneys.com