As summer is fast approaching and everyone will be thinking about getting away on a summer holiday and there’s nothing quite like a ‘literary’ themed holiday that would transport your to another world in both body and mind. Interest in reading retreats is surging, according to Stayz’ Unpacked 2026 travel trends report, and it’s right up there with checking out stunning libraries, signing on for writers’ festivals and holidaying in places that inspired the world’s great authors.
Admont, Austria
Is it a library or is it an art gallery? The two worlds collide at Austria’s Admont Abbey, the largest monastery library in the world and a showcase of late Baroque grandeur. Located between Salzburg and Graz, the Abbey might house some 200,000 books on faith, spirituality and history (60,000 books are on display at any one time), but it’s also home to seven ceiling frescoes, grand architecture and even pops of contemporary art. Library tours are offered.
Florida, USA
This year marks the centenary of Ernest Hemingway’s debut novel, The Sun Also Rises, so where better to celebrate than at the annual Hemingway Days festival? Held across five fun-filled days (July 22-26) in Key West, Florida, where the literary giant lived and wrote for most of the 1930s, highlights include the Hemingway look-alike contest, the running of the (wooden) bulls parade, readings and short-story writing competitions. Year-round, you can tour the Hemingway Home & Museum.
Istanbul, Türkiye
Inspired to write the next generation’s Murder on the Orient Express? You could do worse than travelling to Istanbul and checking into the historic Pera Palace Hotel. Located in the heart of bustling Beyoğlu, any room here at the hotel where the 1934 novel was said to have been written will do, but the Agatha Christie Room features a collection of the author’s works, a replica of her typewriter, and antiques that reflect the spirit of Christie’s heyday.
Atlantic Ocean
No need to choose between a luxury cruise or a literary event; Cunard’s Literature Festival at Sea, a seven-night (November 28 to December 5, 2026) transatlantic crossing, celebrates the written word in many forms. Curated by the programming team of The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, expect Q&As, readings and book signings by the likes of TV host and writer Fern Britton, crime writer Linwood Barclay and best-selling author Jenny Colgan. Actor Celia Imrie is also on the guest list.
Australia
Picture a serene world where you can read uninterrupted for days on end while meals are prepared for you and curated reading lists and reader goodie bags are all part of the package. A Place to Pause’s mostly inclusive weekend retreats are available at a range of Victorian locations, from Clunes and Daylesford to the Kinglake Ranges, with the option to get together in shared spaces (or restaurants) to chat books with other guests, or enjoy the solitude.
Spain
Going on holiday to Spain at any old time of year is great, but booking a 21-day tour which follows in the footsteps of celebrated Spanish writers such as Miguel de Cervantes and Antonio Machado is even better. ASA Cultural Tours’ Birthplace of the Novel: A Literary Tour of Spain (September 18 to October 8, 2026, waitlisted, but 2027 dates are available) also includes explorations of visiting writers (including George Orwell and Hemingway), and visits attractions made famous in literary masterpieces.
Ubud, Bali
Book launches, panel discussions, movie screenings and long yoga sessions under swaying palms; no wonder the annual Ubud Writers & Readers Festival has grown to become one of the most celebrated literary events in the world. Expect more than 200 authors, thinkers and changemakers, Indonesian and international, to come together between October 21-25 to present their words and ideas under the 2026 theme Samarasa: Awareness. Empathy. Action. A highlight? A three-day Writers’ Retreat led by Zimbabwean author and journalist Peter Godwin.
Ohio, USA
Most book lovers have, at one time or another, wanted to move into a library. With literary-themed accommodations across platforms like Booking.com and Airbnb on the rise, The Book House in Ohio leans into the trend a little heavier than most. Featuring ceiling-to-floor shelves containing more than 7000 books, all that’s left to do is curl up on one of the many large sofas, pour a red and relax.
England
If 2025 was the year of Jane Austen, 2026 belongs to England’s most famous crime writer, as the country commemorates the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s death. The British Library has announced a major exhibition in her name, Ace Cultural Tours is running a Crucible of Crime: Agatha Christie at 50 tour, and the annual International Agatha Christie Festival is on in Christie’s birthplace of Devon from September 12-20, ticketholders can enjoy talks, walks, workshops and more.
London, UK
Head to London for deep-level immersion on the world of everyone’s favourite spectacled bear from darkest Peru. The Paddington Bear Experience – based on the antics of Michael Bond’s furry character – is a multi-sensory walk-through attraction featuring actors, interactive rooms, games and a joyful celebration the whole family can get behind.
Greece, Sicily, Morocco and Scotland
Due to hit the big screen in July, Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey has been brought to life by director Christopher Nolan across locations in Greece, Sicily, Morocco and Scotland. Get ahead of post-release jet setters with Insight Vacations’ Grand Italy and Sicily tour, a 17-day adventure which takes in some of the key Sicilian sites. Our advice? Add a trip to mainland Greece to visit other key locations, around the Peloponnese region.
