13 of the Scariest Halloween Destinations Around the World
For lots of people, Halloween has become more than a single night of costumes and candy (sweets to us in the UK!) – it’s now a popular time of year for planning haunted getaways and ghostly adventures.
In the United States alone, people spent over $12 billion celebrating Halloween in 2024, with 77% decorating their homes and 69% buying scary costumes. Across the world, haunted tourism is booming. From ancient castles to eerie forests, haunted hotels and real ghost stories are drawing visitors eager for an extra thrill as we creep towards Halloween.
With this in mind, SpinBlitz.com used TripAdvisor reviews to analyse the most popular and crowd-approved Halloween destinations to visit this October.
Whether you’re looking for creepy places in Europe or haunted attractions further afield in North America, these top picks for the best Halloween destinations promise the perfect mix of history, atmosphere, and the spirit world.
Discover the most haunted places to visit this Halloween season
Salem, Massachusetts, USA
TripAdvisor Score: 4.9/5
Salem might just be the most haunted city in the United States. Famous for its witch trials of 1692, this New England town transforms every October into a truly haunting destination. Its Haunted Happenings festival features ghost tours, street fairs, and special events that bring the whole city to life.
The Witch House, once home to a trial judge, is an actual haunted house and one of the most popular stops. More than one million people visit each year, with Halloween night alone drawing around 87,000 visitors for eerie decorations, night tours, and spooky festivals.
Corvin Castle, Romania
TripAdvisor Score: 4.9/5
Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyadi Castle, towers over Transylvania with its Gothic spires and dark legends. It’s one of Europe’s most haunted places and one of the best spots for a Halloween trip filled with Dracula legend and eerie history.
Visitors can join a guided tour of both Corvin and nearby Bran Castle – often called Dracula’s Castle – to experience Romania’s spookiest Gothic castles. Around 275,000 people visit each year, many arriving in late October to hear local legends and take part in Halloween travel events celebrating the region’s haunted past.
Lizzie Borden House, Massachusetts, USA
TripAdvisor Score: 4.8/5
If you love a real ghost story, head to Fall River to visit the Lizzie Borden House. This small-town bed-and-breakfast is one of America’s scariest places, where guests can stay overnight in rooms linked to an infamous 1892 double murder.
The house fills quickly for the Halloween season, with night tours and ghost hunts booked months in advance. Paranormal investigators report consistent activity: disembodied voices, moving objects, and footsteps matching police accounts from the murder. Visitors often capture EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) recordings of unexplained movements. Each October, the Borden House’s grim authenticity and chilling silence make it an unnerving overnight stay, especially for those brave enough to sleep in the ‘murder room’.
For those who enjoy true-crime tales and haunted houses, it’s one of the most unforgettable experiences in North America.
Hill of Crosses, Lithuania
TripAdvisor Score: 4.7/5
Rising from the fields near Šiauliai, the Hill of Crosses is both spiritual and haunting. Over 200,000 crosses and rosaries cover the site, placed there by pilgrims since the 19th century. As the wind passes through, the clatter of metal and wood sounds like whispering voices. Locals report ghostly figures and glowing lights among the crosses at night, a reminder that this sacred site also carries centuries of resistance, death, and devotion.
Around 100,000 visitors come each year, many in late October when fog and twilight make the hill even more mysterious. It’s one of Europe’s most atmospheric paranormal hot spots and a truly haunting destination for reflection and awe.
Tower of London, England
TripAdvisor Score: 4.6/5
Statistically, one of the most haunted castles in the world, the Tower of London, is filled with ghost stories from nearly a thousand years of history. With its dark past of imprisonment, torture, and execution, it remains one of the most haunted places in Europe.
October tours sell out weeks in advance as visitors hope to see Anne Boleyn or the “White Lady” seen waving from the tower windows.. Paranormal researchers have documented over 200 ghost sightings here since the 19th century, making it one of the top haunted destinations in the UK for a Halloween vacation.
Eastern State Penitentiary, Pennsylvania, USA
TripAdvisor Score: 4.6/5
This vast, crumbling prison in Philadelphia is one of the most famous haunted attractions in North America. Built in 1829 and closed in 1971, it draws over 300,000 visitors each Halloween season for its theatrical “Halloween Nights” event.
Ghost hunters have documented more than 60 verified paranormal incidents inside, from shadow figures in Cellblock 12 to sudden cold spots in solitary cells.
During Halloween, actors and ambient effects blur the line between theatre and genuine terror, heightening the penitentiary’s long-standing reputation as one of the most haunted prisons in America.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
TripAdvisor Score: 4.4/5
Perched high above the Scottish capital, Edinburgh Castle is one of Europe’s most haunted places and a must-visit for ghost tours and spooky stories. Its ancient walls and dungeons are home to countless legends, from phantom prisoners to the missing piper boy still heard beneath the fortress.
Paranormal surveys conducted during the 2001 Edinburgh Ghost Project logged 51% of participants reporting ghostly sensations inside the vaults, such as touches, temperature drops, or shadows.
Over two million visitors explore the castle each year, and October is the best time to experience its eerie atmosphere, with ghost-tour bookings skyrocketing each October. The city’s spooky festivals and night tours make Edinburgh one of the best Halloween destinations in the world.
Charleville Castle, Ireland
TripAdvisor Score: 4.4/5
Hidden in the forests of County Offaly, Charleville Castle is one of Ireland’s most haunted castles. This Gothic building hosts intimate ghost tours during Halloween, welcoming only a few hundred guests for a truly eerie experience.
Many believe the spirit of a young girl named Harriet still lingers here, her laughter and sobs echoing through the halls. Paranormal teams have reported spikes in electromagnetic energy around the staircase and crypt, making it a must-visit for lovers of haunted castles and ghostly getaways.
Banff Springs Hotel, Canada
TripAdvisor Score: 4.8/5
Known as the “Castle in the Rockies“, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is one of the best places in Canada for a haunted holiday. Guests have reported sightings of a ghostly bride still wandering the halls, dancing in her burnt gown, and a friendly bellman who disappears without a trace.
Google Street View lists it among the country’s most haunted destinations, with dozens of paranormal reports from staff every year, particularly in the infamous Room 873, permanently sealed after an unspeakable tragedy. With its dramatic mountain views and eerie legends, it’s the perfect mix of elegance and fright for your Halloween adventure.
Aokigahara Forest, Japan
TripAdvisor Score: 4.3/5
At the base of Mount Fuji lies Aokigahara Forest, one of Japan’s most mysterious haunted destinations. Known as the Sea of Trees, this dense woodland seemingly swallows sound and light, creating an unnerving quiet that feels otherworldly.
According to Japanese folklore, the forest is haunted by yūrei – spirits trapped between life and death. Visitors often describe hearing whispers or glimpsing shadowy figures between the trees, making it a truly haunting stop on any Halloween trip.
The forest’s legends have been reinforced through literature, including Seichō Matsumoto’s novel Nami no Tō, released in 1961.
Paris Catacombs, France
TripAdvisor Score: 4.1/5
Beneath the streets of Paris lies one of the scariest places in Europe – the Catacombs of Paris. This labyrinth of tunnels contains the remains of over six million people, with walls lined by human bones arranged in eerie patterns.
A guided tour through the catacombs reveals a dark past of disease, revolution, and death. Local legends tell of restless souls that wander these tunnels, and visitors often describe strange sensations while underground. It’s a haunting, unforgettable look at the city’s hidden history.
St. Augustine, Florida, USA
TripAdvisor Score: 4.7/5
The historic walled city of St. Augustine is one of the most haunted places in North America. Ghost tours here include visits to the Old Jail, the Maritime Museum, and the St. Augustine Lighthouse, all known for real ghost stories and local legends.
Nearby, the haunted St. Francis Inn and the Magnolia Hotel in Seguin’s Claim are favourite stops for travellers seeking paranormal hot spots. The town’s colonial streets and haunted hayrides make it an ideal Halloween vacation spot for anyone who loves a mix of history and mystery.
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
TripAdvisor Score: 4.8/5
New Orleans is famous for its voodoo culture, haunted houses, and spine-tingling French Quarter ghost tours. The city comes alive during Halloween with spooky festivals, street fairs, and night tours that uncover tales of evil spirits and eerie history.
It’s one of the best Halloween destinations in North America, and if you’re looking for more cultural celebration, head south to Mexico City for Día de los Muertos. There, the boundaries between life and death blur in a vibrant tribute to ancestors and the spirit world.
From ancient castles in the Czech Republic to haunted festivals in Hong Kong, there’s no shortage of spooky attractions to explore. Whether you want to follow the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, wander the haunted halls of the Tower of London, or experience the Catacombs of Paris, these destinations offer something for every kind of ghost hunter.
This Halloween season, embrace the Hallowe’en spirit and plan your own ghostly getaway. Wherever your travels take you, you’ll make unforgettable memories and maybe even meet a ghost or two along the way!
Sources
[1] YouGov | Americans say Ghosts Exist
[2] NRF | Halloween Spending Reaches Record Numbers
[4] Boston News | Salem reports a scary big number of visitors this Halloween
[5] WHYY | Salem and the Small-Town Tourism Trap
[6] Wikipedia | Corvin Castle
[7] Shortform | Ghost hunting experience at the Lizzie Borden house
[8] Wikipedia | Hill of Crosses
[9] Visit Britain | Tower of London
[10] Tower of London | Where to find ghosts
[11] Eastern State
[12] YouTube | MOST Haunted Spots Inside Eastern State Penitentiary
[13] Qmile | Edinburgh Castle attracts over 2 million visitors a year for the first time
[14] BBC | Castle ghost hunt’s ‘curious’ findings
[15] Tourism Ireland | Ireland’s ghost-filled locations
