Halloween is creeping closer, and for travellers who prefer haunted streets to sunny beaches, October offers plenty of opportunities to embrace the darker side of travel.
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From the witch trial history of Salem to the vampire legends surrounding Romania’s Bran Castle, destinations around the world lean into their eerie pasts with ghost tours, autumn festivals, historic cemeteries and spooky attractions.
To identify some of the world’s most popular Halloween destinations, travel connectivity company Holafly has released its Spooky Destinations Index 2026. The index assessed destinations according to their dark history, October events, eerie atmosphere, flight accessibility and seasonal search popularity.
The world’s top 10 Halloween destinations
According to the index, these are the 10 destinations that scored highest for Halloween travel in 2026:
- Salem, USA: 100
- Edinburgh, UK: 78.1
- New Orleans, USA: 77.4
- Edinburgh Vaults, UK: 75.8
- Sleepy Hollow, USA: 72.4
- Transylvania and Bran Castle, Romania: 61.3
- Whitby, UK: 57.3
- York, UK: 55.4
- Dublin and Trim Castle, Ireland: 52.3
- Guanajuato, Mexico: 48.5
Salem, USA
Salem in Massachusetts claimed the top spot with a perfect score of 100. The city is closely associated with the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692 and has developed a busy calendar of Halloween events and autumn celebrations. Its combination of documented history, seasonal events and global popularity helped it score significantly higher than the other destinations in the index.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh ranked second with a score of 78.1. The Scottish capital’s medieval architecture, historic Old Town and dark history provide a fitting backdrop for Halloween, while its international airport makes it relatively accessible to overseas visitors. The city is also known for its underground spaces and ghost tours, giving visitors plenty of ways to explore its darker stories after sunset.
New Orleans, USA
New Orleans came third with a score of 77.4. The Louisiana city is known for its distinctive above-ground cemeteries, folklore and Voodoo traditions, as well as a lively calendar of autumn events. Its distinctive architecture and long association with ghost stories make it a popular choice for travellers looking for a Halloween experience with a distinctly southern American character.
Edinburgh Vaults, UK
The Edinburgh Vaults ranked fourth with a score of 75.8. Located beneath the city’s South Bridge, the underground chambers have become a major attraction for visitors interested in Edinburgh’s darker history. Night tours explore stories associated with the vaults, including tales of criminals, body snatchers and other figures from the city’s past.
Sleepy Hollow, USA
New York’s Sleepy Hollow took fifth place with a score of 72.4. The village is famously associated with Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and its Headless Horseman. The area embraces the story during autumn, with seasonal events and Halloween attractions adding to its appeal. Its proximity to New York City also makes it relatively easy to reach for travellers visiting the region.
Transylvania and Bran Castle, Romania
For travellers drawn to vampire folklore, Transylvania remains a classic Halloween destination. The region’s Bran Castle ranked sixth with a score of 61.3. Set against the Carpathian Mountains, the castle’s imposing architecture and association with Dracula have made it one of Romania’s best-known attractions. Its location also contributes to the atmospheric experience, although reaching the castle can involve a longer journey than some of the destinations higher on the list.
Whitby, England
The seaside town of Whitby ranked seventh with a score of 57.3. Its dramatic Gothic abbey ruins overlook the Yorkshire coast and are famously connected to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The town’s historic streets, coastal setting and literary connections give it a particularly atmospheric feel during the darker months of the year.
York, England
York came eighth with a score of 55.4. The historic city is known for its medieval streets, Roman heritage and long-running association with ghost stories. Its narrow lanes and centuries-old buildings provide a natural setting for walking tours that explore the city’s darker history.
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin and Trim Castle ranked ninth with a score of 52.3. Ireland has deep connections to the origins of Halloween, with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain traditionally associated with the period that eventually influenced modern Halloween celebrations. The combination of Irish folklore, historic sites and autumn events makes Dublin another destination worth considering for travellers interested in the origins and traditions surrounding Halloween.
Guanajuato, Mexico
Rounding out the list is Guanajuato, which scored 48.5. The colourful Mexican city offers a different take on Halloween travel, with its Day of the Dead traditions forming an important part of the seasonal experience. Visitors can explore the city’s underground tunnels and the Museo de las Momias, or Mummy Museum, which houses naturally mummified remains discovered in the region.
How the Halloween destinations were ranked
Holafly’s Spooky Destinations Index 2026 assessed destinations using five factors.
Documented dark history accounted for 30% of the score, while confirmed October festivals made up 25%. Atmospheric eeriness contributed another 20%, followed by flight convenience from major regional airports at 10% and seasonal search popularity at 15%.
Holafly says it used information from heritage organisations, municipal tourism boards, flight databases and historical Google Trends data before combining the results into a score out of 100.
The index offers one way to compare destinations for a Halloween-themed trip, although the experience of visiting each place will naturally depend on the attractions, events and traditions travellers choose to explore.
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