Back to all posts
Long Weekends from the UK: Part Two
Article by
Duncan Greenfield-Turk
And we’re back! Pushing our new and improved long weekend agenda with a second part to our series.
The same rules apply: four days, a Thursday evening flight, and the month picked before the place. If anything the month might be a little more controversial this time, because most of these are places you’ve probably thought of going to, just not when we’re suggesting you go.
While we really liked part one’s locations, these ones could well have them beat!
Marrakech, in January
We’re starting off with one that’s a little left field, but it’s somewhere we’ve been sending guests to for years.
Morocco isn’t the first place you’d think of when it comes to LGBTQIA+ travel, and it’s only somewhere we would recommend visiting with the right partners and connections, so if it is on your list let us know and we’ll make sure it’s an unforgettable long weekend.
Marrakech is one of those unique cities that can really get under your skin. It’s a place full of history, culture and a specific feeling that comes with being a truly ancient place.
January is our best choice because it avoids the extreme temperatures of summer. The city is more accessible, the Atlas mountain peaks are covered in snow, and the orange trees are fruiting in the courtyards.
Our suggestion is a riad over a hotel, and we’ve got a special selection we’d love to share with you. If you’re looking for a luxury option to book yourself, Royal Mansour is an option.
Fly: Three and a half hours from London.
Best for: Winter sun with snow on the horizon and a courtyard house to come back to.
Where to stay: Royal Mansour Marrakech, where every guest has their own riad.
Book it
Market Visit, Cooking Class and Moroccan Meal in Marrakech
The souk first, then cooking in a family home with Aicha rather than in a studio kitchen.
Prices and availability are shown on the operator's page.
San Sebastian, in October
If there was ever a suggestion we wanted to keep to ourselves, it’s this one. It’s a favourite here and one we hope more people ask us about!
The Basque Country is a food country, from sardines to sangria, cheesecake to steak. It’s the type of long weekend you’ll return for, over and over again. But the time of year makes more of a difference than you would think.
Spain in summer is lovely, but aim for San Sebastian in October, or even November, and you’ll have a chance to enjoy your pintxos without the unbearable heat.
We’d recommend booking your restaurants, especially one or two of the three-star restaurants nearby, before you fly out.
Fly: Under two hours to Bilbao from London, then an hour up the coast.
Best for: Standing up eating anchovies one night and sitting down for four hours the next.
Where to stay: Akelarre, Relais et Chateaux, up on Monte Igueldo.
Book it
San Sebastian Pintxos and Wine Tour in a Local Neighbourhood
Away from the old town crush. Gilda, tortilla, txakoli poured from height, and cider straight from the cask.
Prices and availability are shown on the operator's page.
The Azores, in late May
Timing is everything with this one. The Hawaii of the Atlantic, the Azores, is a special place that isn’t on everyone’s bucket list. After reading this, it will be on yours.
The reason we say timing is everything is because of the migration. The blue whale migration. It passes the Azores between April and May, but April has rougher seas, so more cancelled viewing boats. Late May is still in the window, but the water is calmer.
The islands are more like Hawaii than you’d think: volcanic and green, crater lakes, hot springs, and hydrangeas everywhere. Pack for all four seasons in one day, because things change by the hour.
Fly: Four hours to Sao Miguel from London.
Best for: Blue whales, crater lakes, and hot springs.
Where to stay: White Exclusive Suites & Villas, an eighteenth-century adega above the ocean at Lagoa.
Book it
Whale Watching and Islet Boat Tour, Sao Miguel
Three hours off Sao Miguel. Late May is the calmer water at the end of the blue whale window, which is the booking that actually sails.
Prices and availability are shown on the operator's page.
Reykjavik, in late September
If there was one place we would tell you to go to now, it would be Iceland.
This special island is actually amazing to visit during more months than you would imagine, but we would aim for late September or early October. It’s a bit of a sweet spot in terms of enough darkness and daylight, and the country is still very drivable.
A long weekend is enough to get a taste of Iceland: Sky Lagoon for a unique thermal experience, a day driving the Golden Circle, lunch inside a thermally powered greenhouse, and an evening viewing the Northern Lights, either by land or boat.
If this sounds like a weekend you’d enjoy, let us know and we’ll help curate your perfect Iceland experience.
Fly: Three hours and five minutes from London.
Best for: The northern lights without the ice and geothermal water the same afternoon.
Where to stay: The Reykjavik EDITION, on the old harbour.
Book it
Northern Lights Luxury Yacht Cruise
Out of the Old Harbour and away from the city lights, which is where the aurora is actually worth watching.
Prices and availability are shown on the operator's page.
Malta, in February
When you think of Malta, you probably think of summer. But in August it’s an extremely hot place with the crowds to match.
The trick here is the timing. And the perfect time is February. The almond trees are out, the weather is mild, and the city is more Maltese than tourist.
Ggantija on Gozo was built around 3600 BC, around a thousand years before Stonehenge, and the queues that make it impossible to see in August aren’t there in February. Carnival lands in February too, and it’s a four-hundred-year-old tradition that’s weird enough to make it worth a trip on its own.
Fly: Three hours and ten minutes from London.
Best for: Temples older than the pyramids and Valletta belonging to the Maltese again.
Where to stay: The Phoenicia Malta, on the bastions at Floriana.
Book it
Gozo Day Trip with the Ggantija Temples and Lunch
The twenty-minute ferry across, then Ggantija itself, which in February you can stand in front of without a queue.
Prices and availability are shown on the operator's page.
Where to next?
We could probably do a part three and four, but we’ll save that for the next time someone asks us where we would go for a long weekend.
If any of these have got you thinking, let us know. We’d love to help, flights and all. Or, if you’re more DIY, jump on The Hotel Desk and book the rooms yourself, and we’ll still be here for the bits that are harder to look up.
I’m Duncan Greenfield-Turk, and I’ve spent my life crafting extraordinary journeys that leave lasting impressions. Born in South Africa, my roots are steeped in diversity and adventure, and this inspires my approach to luxury travel design.
