Double, double, toil and trouble… it’s that time of year again when we put on our favourite Halloween party outfits and scour the UK for the best Halloween events. From spook-tacular ghost trains to grizzly tales of spectral sightings, you’re in for a treat this Halloween!
Best October holidays and Halloween activities
With so much going on this year, Holiday Lettings is here to help you find the perfect place to enjoy the frighteningly-fun Halloween activities. All of these top events are located in great holiday destinations, so we won’t blame you if you extend your stay! Whether you’re looking for an apartment for two in atmospheric Whitby or a roomy rental for your little witches and wizards in Edinburgh, we’ve got it covered.
Whitby
Whitby Goth Weekend | 27 – 29 October
Now in its 23rd year, this Goth-friendly Halloween event is one of the largest in the UK. With musicians such as New Model Army, The Mission, Heaven 17, Toyah Wilcox and more under their belts, the event is a must for alternative music fans. Not only that, it brings investment to the local area and also benefits charities such as the Bat Conservation trust and Whitby Lifeboat Station. It’s family-friendly too, so kids can get dressed up in their favourite Halloween outfits and join in the fun.
Whitby Storyteller
Join the Whitby Storyteller this Halloween on a walking tour of the fascinating seaside town. From tales of shipwrecks and smugglers at Robin Hood’s Bay to stories of the strange and supernatural along Whitby’s windswept cliffs, these walking tours are sure to give you chills (and thrills) this Halloween. After your tour, head back to your cosy holiday rental where you can curl up with that classic horror inspired by Whitby Abbey: Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’.
See all spine-tingling stays in Whitby
York
The York Dungeon | 7 October – 4 November
This year, the York Dungeon has become ‘The Home of Halloween’, bringing scares, surprises and pumpkins-a-plenty to all 10 of their historic live shows. Look out for their family-friendly walking tours of the city and the new City Bus Tours that will be looking at the weirder side of the city’s past. And if you can brave heading into the dungeon after dark, they’ll be open late on Halloween weekend and on Halloween itself. Book a holiday rental nearby to make the most of this fiendishly-fun halloween activity. For more details, visit the York Dungeon website!
The Ghost Trail of York
Travel back in time through the centuries and experience the terrifying tales of York’s ghostly history when you join the Ghost Trail of York. This award-winning tour leaves from York Minster at 7.30pm every night, whatever the weather, and there’s no need to book. You’ll hear stories of Victorian tragedies and more modern spooky goings-on, too. So if you’re looking for Halloween activities to scare your socks off, this’ll be right up your lamp-lit street!
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Oxford
Oxford Castle Unlocked – Ghost Fest | 19 – 31 October
Oxford Castle’s history is filled with murder, battle and execution, and this Halloween the ancient castle site will embrace its bloody past with a series of spine-chillingly spooky events. As well as Ghost Fest’s ever-popular spooky tours, the Castle will host the return of Most Haunted’s parapsychologist Ciaràn O’Keeffe for two special ghost-hunting events. There’s also plenty of Halloween fun for all the family including games, pumpkin carving and a costume parade featuring some terrifying fashion.
Bill Spectre’s Ghost Trails
Join Bill Spectre as he leads you through the streets on his multi-award winning theatrical ghost tour. Illustrated with props and illusions, Bill (in full costume) will entertain and horrify you through the ancient streets of Oxford, proving that fun and fear make excellent companions! And if the tour leaves you wanting more, why not book a week-long stay in the city of the dreaming spires? There are hundreds of rentals to choose from, so picking the perfect place in Oxford certainly won’t be scary!
Choose a spookily special holiday in Oxford
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford Town Ghost Walk | 31 October
It’s all treats and no tricks at this year’s Ghost Walk event, which includes a warming glass of mulled wine (or soft drink) and a fascinating falconry experience. Your guides, Vincent, Herbert Mortimer, Man in Black and Jocasta, will guide you through Stratford’s historic streets, regaling you with tales of ghosts, witches, murder and misery. Becky from Hawkwise Falconry will be on-hand with feathered friends ‘Fenn’, ‘Bottom’ and ‘Puck’, so don’t forget your camera!
Tudor World
This quirky museum site has appeared on the TV programme Most Haunted and has even been described as “the most haunted house in England” in Stratford’s Horrible Histories guide. This year’s visitors can find out more about the history of Halloween or even go on trial for witchcraft! Children can follow the Halloween Trail and win a ‘spooky’ prize or join the family-friendly ghost tour for children with Mr G Buster. There will be nightly ghost tours for the adults, too, so why put Stratford on your list of things to do on Halloween?
Look for a hauntingly good stay in Stratford-upon-Avon
Edinburgh
City of the Dead Tours
Founded in 1999, these fascinating, fun and frightening tours have won multiple awards and are some of the best ghost walks in Edinburgh. Your guides are a mixture of historians and professional entertainers, picked for their ability to improvise, entertain and make each tour unique. It’s the mastery of storytelling that really brings these tours to life and will leave you wanting more. Book a break in Edinburgh so you can take another tour the next night! It’s sure to give you the heebie-jeebies in the best possible way.
Edinburgh Dungeon
With two special Halloween events this year, Edinburgh Dungeon is the place to be this October. Meet the characters from Scotland’s darkest history on the “Cannibals: Flesh Meat” tour. You’ll be recruited into the king’s men on the hunt for Sawney and his insidious clan. They can smell your fear, and it’s giving them an appetite! Over 18s can join the “Cannibals: Unleashed” tour, where it’s a case of hunt or be hunted. It’s not for the faint-hearted. Although if you faint, they’ll gladly take your heart.
Book a blood-curdling break in Edinburgh this Halloween
Aberystwyth
Terror Mountain | Selected dates in October
Terror Mountain returns for 2017 and it’s set to be scarier than ever! Think you’ve got what it takes to brave Wales’ best Halloween event? Offering four live-action horror attractions, scary entertainment and much, much more, this terrifically terrifying event will give you shivers… in a good way! Set in a genuine Victorian silver mine, Terror Mountain holds the key to your night of thrills, fun and screams. For more information visit www.terrormountain.co.uk
The Vale of Rheidol Railway – Halloween Ghost Train | 27 – 29 October
Board a spine-tingling steam train this Halloween and take a trip through the Welsh countryside. This family-friendly ghost train is a must for anyone taking an October holiday near the Rheidol Valley. There’ll be a prize for the best children’s fancy dress and a Halloween feast served at Devil’s Bridge station. With so many rentals to choose from nearby, you’ll be booking a break here before you can say “boo!”.
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Bristol
FEAR at Avon Valley | 13 – 31 October
FEAR at Avon Valley features a whole night of entertainment, including four live action scare attractions as well as street entertainment, fairground rides, and a variety of bar and food outlets. Anarchy Live sees contestants fight for survival in a brutal game of cat and mouse, whilst in the Killzone, participants must strive to wipe out nocturnal mutants and secure the future of mankind! This exciting event is not for the faint-hearted, but it is a whole lot of Halloween fun.
Halloween Spooktacular at Wild Place | 21 – 29 October
Looking for a family-friendly Halloween event in Bristol this October half-term? Head to Wild Place and meet the storytelling witch, who’ll leave your little ones spellbound with tales of magical beasts and scary songs. Visit the magical creatures enclosure where you can spot mysterious animals hiding up trees. While in the witch’s house, follow the Barefoot Trail and peek into the cauldron to discover a spooky surprise!
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Stirling
Stirling Ghostwalk
With the promise of “fear, fun and frights for all the family”, the Stirling Ghostwalk has been spooking its participants for 25 years. The tour combines comedy, drama and storytelling, and draws on characters who lived in the Royal Burgh and the chilling events that took place there. So, let the Happy Hangman (actor and author David Kinnaird) be your guide and get ready for an evening that will give you goose bumps.
Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park – Halloween Weekend | 28 – 29 October
With themed activities suitable for all ages, this is a Halloween holiday not to be missed. If you’re feeling brave, explore the Corridors of Horror haunted house. Kids will love the face-painting and party games, and the whole family can have a go at carving a pumpkin or two. While you’re there, you can get up close to the park’s amazing and exotic animals, from llamas to lions. There are some fantastic holiday rentals to choose from nearby and, as the park has a fancy dress competition, don’t forget to pop your favourite Halloween party costume in your suitcase.
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London
The London Dungeon – The Death Express
It’s full scream ahead as the ‘Home of Halloween’ invites you to experience the scariest journey of the 19th century. The living and the dead sit side-by-side on the London Necropolis Railway in the 1850s. London’s cemeteries have become so overcrowded this new train line has one purpose… transport the dead out of London! Guests will experience the clickety-clack of the train… or is that bones from the coffins? This is one of the most immersive Halloween activities around, packed full of tricks and treats.
Jack the Ripper Tour
These truly atmospheric tours wind through the old, narrow alleyways where you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back to the mean streets of the Victorian East End. With over 30 years experience of introducing Londoners and visitors to the world’s greatest murder mystery, these walks will intrigue, surprise and scare in equal measure. There’s a plethora of Halloween events taking place in London this October, so book a rental for a Halloween holiday to remember.
Look for an eerie Halloween escape in London
Bath
Bath Ghost Tours | 26 – 31 October
Beginning at 8pm directly outside the famous Bath Abbey (itself haunted by a medieval monk), these terrifying tours take you through the dark and haunted streets of Old Bath Town. You’ll hear tales of nasty hauntings and grizzly murders, and may even find yourself burnt at the stake! Join regular ghost hunter, Dr Lynch, for a night of frights, humour, theatre and some genuine paranormal experiments. The tour is suitable for brave participants of all ages, so why not treat the family to a holiday of Halloween activities in Bath this October.
Museums at Night: Fright at the Museum 2017 | 27 October
This Halloween, the American Museum in Bath will be opening their doors after dark for a celebration of all things spooky. Behind the doors of Claverton Manor, ghostly storytellers will be ready to entertain you with ghastly tales from American folklore. In the seventeenth century room, hear the chilling story of Bloody Mary, who terrorised villagers in rural Pennsylvania four hundred years ago. These fiendishly fun tours should be top of your list if you’re taking a holiday in Bath this October.
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Weston-super-Mare
The Grand Pier’s Halloween Unfairground | 26 – 28 October
This Halloween, the Grand Pier will open its doors after dark for an exclusive event that will immerse you in a terrifying world of live scare zones set to thrill even the darkest souls! Tickets include entry into the different zones as well as unlimited use of the rides and attractions… some with an unexpected twist! This year’s scare zones include Asylum Maze, Zombie Infestation Zone and Crazed Circus. This event is not for scaredy-cats, so visit if you dare!
Halloween Fright Night! | 31 October
Expect Halloween fun for all the family at Grove Park this October. This free event kicks off at 4pm finishing with a fantastic firework display at the end of the night. There’ll be fire performers, acrobats, comedy acts, interactive children’s games, fun inflatables and much, much more!
Whether you meet creepy crawlies from Bristol Zoo, have fun with the arts and crafts, or have your face painted, this is a Halloween event to remember.
Find a fiendishly good rental in Weston-super-Mare
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Moors Railway Spook-tacular Ghost Train | 26 – 29 October
Chug your way through stunning countryside aboard the ghoulishly great ghost train this Halloween – it’s sure to be a hit with all ages. Book your ticket, put on your best Halloween party fancy dress and board the train at Pickering to start your fang-tastic journey! When you’re not riding the ghost train, Yorkshire is brimming with exciting Halloween activities so why not book a stay and continue the fun with a Halloween party at your private rental.
Frightwater Valley | 26 – 29 October
Lightwater Valley becomes Frightwater Valley this October, where ghastly ghouls and beasties lurk around every corner. See if you can find your way out of the scare-maze, board the Frightwater express for a terrifying journey or take a spooky stroll down Icon Avenue (where you’ll come face-to-gruesome-face with a host of popular Halloween characters). And to top it all off, the fireworks display near the lake at the end of the day will give you goosebumps!
Book a cauldron-bubbling break in Yorkshire this Halloween
