History Holidays - Our Picks of Destinations from the Past
Dust off your textbooks and delve into the past with our favourite historic and heritage holiday locations. Our list includes some of the top ancient destinations, from Rome to Athens, Egypt to Turkey, this selection should have you reaching for your history text books in no time! The world is full of ancient relics to visit- you’ll be wishing you had time to see them all!
Egypt
The ultimate in a historical holiday, this land hosted one of the world's oldest civilizations, which emerged from the Nile Valley around 3,100 years ago. Egypt is also one of the world's most ancient vacation spots.
Learn more about holidays in Egypt with our Egypt Holiday Guide
Rome, Italy
For more than 2,000 years various cultures, religions and artists have contributed to the creation of present-day Rome. Visit the Vatican, the Colosseum, Arch of Titus, Temple of Vesta and Temple of Julius Caesar to name a few.
Athens, Greece
Modern-day Athens is packed with masses of ruins. You can visit the Acropolis where the ancient parliament went into sessions, the ancient Greek and Roman markets where there are archeological sites, and Ceramicus, Athens' ancient graveyard which includes part of the old city wall.
Discover more to do in Athens and Greece with our Greece Holiday Guide
Turkey
Turkey is home to the Byzantine empire, remnant of Imperial Rome, was the only western empire that stood for more than 1,000 years, during which it received continuous blows from barbarians. It was the fortress of Christian Europe, and it cultivated and mixed ancient Hellenic philosophy along with Christianity.
Barcelona, Spain
From the narrow medieval streets east of the rambla where a Gothic cathedral dates from 1298 to the more recent Gaudi designed buildings including La Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell, Barcelona radiates different eras through its architecture.
Check out our Barcelona Holiday Guide for more information about staying here.
Barbados
This tiny island is an architectural delight of old and new, elegance and simplicity, history and tradition. This is a land of Jacobean and Georgian buildings built with coral and ships' ballast, of Victorian homes, wooden chattel houses, pirates' castles and Gothic churches.
Carcassonne
In the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France lies a walled medieval town. Towers, spires, cobbled streets and a drawbridge conspire to give a sense of holidaying in the past and it's possible to actually stay within the walls of this World Heritage listed wonder on your holiday.
Tombstone, Arizona, United States
Tombstone is the site of the Old West's most famous gun battle - the gunfight at the OK Corral. There's the famous Bird Cage Theatre, Tombstone Courthouse and jail. In addition, there is a rich history of silver mining, the Apache Indians, the US Cavalry and more.
For more info about holidays in the United States, check out our United States Holiday Guide
Peru
Around 1460 AD, the Incas expanded rapidly out from their capital in Cuzco, Peru, creating the largest state in the pre-colonial New World. The Inca Trail is an exciting, high-mountain hiking experience, passing glacial peaks and descending into lush green forests.
Marrakech
Marrakech's central square Djemaa El Fna embodies traditional life untouched for centuries. Add to this the various palaces, souks and mosques, and the ancient part of the city seems almost untouched by anything remotely modern at all. A treasure to explore.
For somewhere more exotic use our holiday finder form.
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