As night enthusiasts, many of us are also fans of horror and mystery. Horror tourism offers a unique experience to plan during the spooky season. While it may feel eerie, some might find it a cozy and even comforting vacation.
Visiting “haunted” cities like Salem, Oxford, and Edinburg are perfect during autumn for Halloween or in winter for Christmas and New Year. Especially for those who seek a quiet winter holiday destination, yet still look for some excitement.
In the spirit of horror tourism, we want to give you quick itineraries of Oxford, Salem, and Edinburgh for your next vacation.
From horror night tours and haunted landmarks to horror-themed restaurants and bars, or even daring yourself to spend a night in a haunted hotel, these cities have plenty of spine-chilling experiences waiting for you.
Spooky Vacation in the Witch City of Salem, Massachusetts
Image Source: Salem Haunted Happenings
While talking about spooky cities for horror tourism, Salem in Massachusetts is a destination you can’t miss, known for the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Especially during the spooky season of Halloween, the Witch City going all out with tons of special events and festivals.
🛏️ Where to stay: For an authentic staying experience, we recommended to book Salem’s Inn and B&B (Bed & Breakfast). As the place would offer more traditional housing, with local interior style. Daniels House Inn would be the best choice for a dark and creepy atmosphere, which also offers warm and cozy hospitality.
🍷 Where to eat: Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall is one of the restaurants with crazy lore in Salem. In 1831, the building was a resident of Bridget Bishop, the first person executed for witchcraft. The resident was home to The Lyceum, a lecture hall for the Salem Lyceum Society. Since 1935, the buildings have been rebranded as a cafe, bar, and now a seafood restaurant where you can go to eat while exploring the history of the venue.
Image Source: Real Pirates Salem
🏛️ Haunted Landmarks: For a deeper dive into the haunted history of Salem, the city offers numerous night tours that explore infamous witch houses and other haunted landmarks, such as; The House of the Seven Gables, The Jonathan Corwin House, or The Witch House at Salem, The Field of Giles Corey’s Demise, The Old Burying Point Cemetery, and many more. We also recommended visiting The Salem Witch Museum that open until 10.00 pm on Friday to Saturday.
🎃 Special Halloween Events in Salem:
Dark Academia and Magical Horror Experience in Oxford, UK
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There are several “haunted” cities in England, but this time we would like to recommend Oxford. The city is dominated by Gothic-themed buildings which bring a dark and mysterious vibe when the night comes. Oxford City is also popular among Harry Potter’s fans as Oxford University is one of the locations of the movie series.
Besides being popular for its Harry Potter Tour, Oxford has its charm as a horror tourism destination. The city offers several horror night tours and horror stories dwell in their buildings. It might not be as creepy and spooky as Salem, but Oxford is more about a city that brings dark academia and magical supernatural vibes.
🛏️ Where to stay: Located in Magpie Lane, The Old Bank Hotel was formerly known as a bank back in the day. Not just a city bank, it was rumored to haunted hotel with a ghost of a woman in a brown dress. It is also known for the ghost story of Prudence Burcote took her own life in the property that used to be her childhood house.
Despite its melancholic tragedy, The Old Bank Hotel is one of the go-to accommodations in Oxford for tourists for its cozy vibes and great hospitality.
For a Harry Potter fan, you may want to stay a night in Hogwarts B&B on Oxford University grounds. It offered 3 options of accommodation location; Christ Church on Campus Grounds, 117 St Aldates Building, and Liddell Building. But the three options include the special privilege that every fan looked for; a breakfast in the Great Hall (like Hogwarts Students in the movie).
You can also explore the Church Cathedral and some of the university grounds, admiring its magnificent architecture.
Both The Old Bank Hotel and Harry Potter B&B experience are highly booked during the Christmas and New Year holidays. We suggest to make a book before your visit in Oxford.
Image Source: Oxford Visit
🏛️ Haunted sites with horror stories in Oxford:
- Bodleian Library at Oxford University is known to be haunted by Duke Humfrey, a Ghostly Librarian, who served Sir Thomas Bodley in the 17th century. Sir Thomas dwells in that haunted library too.
- St. John’s College is known to be haunted by the Phantom Cavalier, the restless spirit of a nobleman whose life ended tragically during the English Civil War in the 17th century.
- Located in central Oxford, New College Lane is a historic street with creepy tales. Legend said back in the day, victims of the plague were buried in their cobblestones, which later (until now) manifested as a mysterious blue light that danced and flickered in the lane at night.
- Banbury Road is known as a haunted street in Oxford with a gruesome history of Napier. Napier was a criminal with horrible crimes. He was punished by being mutilated by the authorities, and then his limbs were scattered around the city. It is believed that the spirit of Napier still haunted Banbury Road to look for his limbs.
Luxurious Haunted Hotels and Horror Investigation in Edinburgh, Scotland
Image Source: We Go Trip
Quite similar to Oxford, Edinburgh is perfect for horror tourism because the city has been perceiving its medieval Old Town and splendor of cobblestone architecture. The capital city of Scotland is not only spooky by look, it also possesses by spooky history.
Edinburgh would accommodate your horror tourism, there are many areas to visit and horror night tours to book. It might also offer the most luxurious horror experience if you prepare an extra budget.
Image Source: Ed O’Keeffe Photography
🛏️ Where to stay: There are two luxurious horror accommodations we would like to recommend. As it might not be affordable, we just want you to know that you can stay a night in some of these “haunted” in Edinburgh;
- Dalhousie Castle is an infamously haunted 4 stars hotel and spa, located 8 miles east of Edinburgh. The most prominent ghost at Dalhousie Castle is a woman known as Grey Lady. It is believed to be the ghost of a young lady named Lady Catherine, who died of a broken heart at 16 after being caught with a stable hand, she was banished to the castle tower in 1695. Some guests would do a photo haunting of Lady Grey, as she is known to make an appearance in photos.
- The Scotsman Hotel is another luxurious “haunted” hotel located at North Bridge in Old Town. The building was a former office of The Scotsman newspaper and Edinburgh Evening News. It is believed to be haunted by the former workers of those industries who still work hard even after death, roaming around the hotel’s corridors.
Image Source: Luxury Escapes
🍺 Where to hang out: Another location related to the Harry Potter series, Victoria Street in Edinburgh is often said to be the inspiration of Diagon Alley. The main charm of this street is its elegant curved architecture, it indeed looks whimsy and magical. It’s where you can find unique shops and galleries. It is also a hub for various eateries and cozy cafes.
Victoria Street is also a location of West Bow House, known as one of the most haunted properties in Edinburgh, formerly owned by Thomas Weir with his eerie history.
For a drink, Banshee Labyrinth is the most haunted pun in Edinburgh. It is believed to be haunted by a banshee, a female spirit that is known as a sign of impending death in Scottish folklore. Whether you believe it or not the lore, Banshee Labyrinth is still one of the best pubs with ancient dark vibes.
Other pubs you may want to visit in Edinburgh are The Last Drop Tavern with its dark cobblestone architecture, Tolbooth Tavern, and Deacon Brodie’s. Most of these streets and pubs or taverns in Edinburgh have some interesting horror stories under their roof.
🏛️ Horror Landmarks in Edinburgh:
- Edinburgh Castle
- Greyfriars Kirkyard, Old Town
- Edinburgh Vaults, South Bridge
- Borthwick Castle
- Mary King’s Close, Royale Mile
⚠️ An advice on why you should book horror night tours for your horror tourism plan: Booked horror night tours or night tours in general, are recommended for your own safety and immersive experience. Especially for horror tours where you might visit cemeteries, old buildings, and quiet streets at night. Some locations might even need special access at night that is only provided by tour guide agencies. With the presence of a tour guide, a lonely and empty haunted location will have more insightful stories, something that you might not get if you choose to visit the venue alone.