Haunted UK Road Trip + Map – Halloween Edition 👻
Some trips are about sunshine and beaches. This road trip strings together the spookiest stops from Edinburgh to London, perfect for October adventures with mates or family who don’t mind the odd jump-scare. Expect late-night frights, misty morning walks, and the kind of laughs you only get after screaming your lungs out on a haunted rollercoaster. Buckle up. It’s going to be a hair-raising 620 miles. 🕸️
Haunted UK Road Trip 👻
🚗 Quick Trip Facts
- Total Distance: ~620 miles
- Duration: 7–10 days (flexible for weekends or half-term)
- Best Time: Mid–late October (Halloween events usually run throughout the month)
- Vibe: Haunted castles, eerie city tours, scream parks, and autumn landscapes 🍂
- Who’s it for? Thrill-seekers, families, and anyone who thinks pumpkin spice tastes better after a ghost story
🚗 Recommended Car Rental: DiscoverCars UK
🗺️ Itinerary (Route: Edinburgh ➝ Chessington)
Day 1–2: Edinburgh (Ghost Tours & Haunted Vaults) 🕯️
Edinburgh wears spooky well cobbled streets, underground vaults, and centuries of witch trials and grisly tales. It’s the perfect starting point.
📍 Things to Do
- Join the famous Edinburgh Ghost Tour through the South Bridge Vaults 👣
- Explore Greyfriars Kirkyard (legendary for ghost sightings) ⚰️
- Visit the Real Mary King’s Close – a preserved 17th-century street under the city 🕷️
🥧 Local Eats
- The Devil’s Advocate – whisky bar hidden in an old Victorian pump house
- Oink – pulled pork rolls for a cheap, quick bite
✋🏼 Pit Stop Detour: Rosslyn Chapel (15 miles south) – mysterious carvings, Templar links, and plenty of legends.
Day 3: Whitby (Dracula’s Seaside Lair) 🦇
Few places scream Halloween like Whitby. This fishing town inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the abbey ruins light up for Halloween.
📍 Things to Do
- Climb the 199 steps to Whitby Abbey and see the illuminations 🏰
- Join a spooky evening Dracula walk
- Explore Whitby’s cobbled lanes and quirky shops
🥧 Local Eats
- Magpie Café – iconic fish & chips on the harbour
- Botham’s of Whitby – famous for gingerbread biscuits 🍪
Day 4: Scarborough Castle (Ghost Tales by the Sea) 🏰
This ruined clifftop fortress is all atmosphere, especially with English Heritage’s special Halloween ghost tales.
📍 Things to Do
- Listen to costumed storytellers whisper chilling tales
- Wander the ruined battlements with sea views
- Take a seaside stroll on Scarborough’s South Bay
✋🏼 Pit Stop: Robin Hood’s Bay – a smuggler’s village full of winding alleys.
Recommended Tours and Tickets From Get Your Guide
Day 5: York (The UK’s Ghost Capital) 👻
York claims to be the most haunted city in Europe, and honestly, it’s hard to argue.
Things to Do
- Walk The Shambles by lantern light
- Join the famous Ghost Hunt of York 👣
- Tour York Dungeon for theatrical scares
- Wander York Minster by day for Gothic architecture
🥧 Local Eats
- House of the Trembling Madness – medieval pub with craft beers 🍺
- Bettys Café Tea Rooms – warm scones and ghost-free comfort
Day 6: Brodsworth Hall & Gardens (Spooky Woodland Walks) 🌲
This Victorian country house near Doncaster gets properly atmospheric in autumn, with woodland trails and eerie tales.
📍 Things to Do
- Join a family-friendly ghost walk
- Explore Victorian rooms and gardens
- Listen to Halloween storytellers
✋🏼 Pit Stop: Sheffield for indie cafes and street art if you’ve time.
Day 7: Manchester (Halloween in the City) 🕷️
This northern powerhouse goes big for Halloween. Think giant inflatable monsters crawling over rooftops and street parties.
📍 Things to Do
- Spot the MCR Monsters trail across buildings 🐙
- Dress up for city-wide parades and live music
- Pop into Afflecks Palace for alternative shopping
🥧 Local Eats
- Rudy’s Pizza – Neapolitan pies loved by locals 🍕
- Almost Famous – stacked burgers with a side of chaos
Day 8: Tatton Park (Halloween Mansion & Gardens) 🦇
This elegant estate near Knutsford transforms for Halloween with eerie trails and family events.
📍 Things to Do
- Explore spooky garden trails
- Visit the Mansion dressed for Halloween 🎃
- Join kids’ craft workshops or scare walks
✋🏼 Detour: Jodrell Bank Observatory – giant radio telescope under starry skies 🌌
Day 9: Alton Towers (Scarefest) 👹
Theme park by day, horror maze by night. Scarefest is legendary.
📍 Things to Do
- Brave The Alton Towers Dungeon
- Ride rollercoasters after dark 🎢
- Enter scare mazes if you dare
🥧 Local Eats
Food stalls inside the park – churros & hot chocolate hit different at night
Day 10: Blenheim Palace (Halloween Trail) 🎃
Elegant by day, spooky by night – the palace gardens get a glow-up with pumpkin lanterns and lights.
📍 Things to Do
- Wander the illuminated trail in the grounds
- Explore the palace state rooms
- Check out seasonal markets
Day 11: Thorpe Park (Fright Nights) 🎠
One of the UK’s scariest Halloween events, with intense mazes and scare actors.
📍 Things to Do
- Ride Stealth and Saw: The Ride in the dark
- Enter horror mazes with live actors
- Catch fire & light shows at night
Day 12: Chessington World of Adventures (Howl’o’ween) 🎢
Finish the trip on a family-friendly note just outside London. Chessington mixes rides with spooky trails and Halloween shows.
📍 Things to Do
- Join the Trick or Treat Live show
- Explore haunted animal trails 🐾
- Ride Vampire, the park’s classic spooky coaster
Bonus Stop: Ffear Fforest, Zip World (North Wales) 🌌
Not officially on the route, but if you’re game, add a detour into Snowdonia for night-time zip lines through the forest. Pure adrenaline.
Access to the map
No sign up required and totally FREE. Literally just using Google Maps to plot your route! Saves you messing! We don't gatekeep here! Enjoy.
Map will be located under "YOU" and then under "MAPS".
ℹ️ Add the map to your Google Maps app.
After opening Google maps, click YOU and then scroll down to MAPS. It should be located there. Any issues, just get it touch, it’s no problem!
🛑 Pit Stops & Side Detours
If you’ve got time between the main haunted stops, these eerie extras are worth weaving in:
- Rosslyn Chapel (near Edinburgh) – Da Vinci Code fans will love its mysterious carvings and occult legends.
- Durham Cathedral – Gothic cloisters that double as Hogwarts filming spots 🪄.
- Pendle Hill (Lancashire) – Infamous site of the Pendle Witch Trials in 1612.
- Cannock Chase (Staffordshire) – Said to be haunted by “black-eyed children” 👁️.
- Highgate Cemetery (London) – Overgrown graves, famous tombs, and a vampire legend.
🍽️ Local Eats Worth Chasing
Halloween or not, you’ll need fuel between frights:
- Parkin cake (Yorkshire) – Sticky ginger cake traditionally eaten on Bonfire Night.
- Black pudding (Lancashire) – A northern breakfast staple with centuries of history.
- Toffee apples – Classic October fairground treat.
- Pumpkin spiced lattes – Seasonal cliché, but they hit different on cold evenings ☕.
- Fish & chips by the sea (Whitby/Scarborough) – Best eaten with salt, vinegar, and a side of sea spray.
👉 Fact: Whitby hosts the world-famous Goth Weekend around Halloween, drawing thousands of costumed fans of all things dark and spooky.
🎶 Road Trip Playlist
Set the mood with a mix of creepy bangers and road trip anthems:
- Michael Jackson – Thriller 👑
- AC/DC – Highway to Hell
- Rockwell – Somebody’s Watching Me
- Ray Parker Jr. – Ghostbusters Theme
- The Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil
- Florence + The Machine – Shake It Out (haunting but hopeful)
- The Specials – Ghost Town
🔹 Tinker’s Tip: Download offline – signal can drop out.
🎙️ Podcasts to Queue Up
Keep the eerie vibes going between destinations:
- Uncanny (BBC Sounds) – Real-life ghost encounters told by those who lived them.
- Lore – Folklore, myths, and dark history in short, spooky episodes.
- Haunted Road – True tales of America’s most haunted places (a good transatlantic comparison).
- The Rest is History: Halloween Special – Historical chills with a twist.
🎒 Road Trip Essentials
- Offline maps or sat nav (you don’t want to get lost near Pendle Hill 👻)
- Warm layers – UK October evenings can get icy fast 🧥
- Torch or headlamp for night walks 🔦
- Reusable water bottle 💧
- Picnic kit – ideal for autumn park lunches 🧺
- Costumes & face paint – lean into the Halloween spirit 🕸️
- Portable charger – ghost tours + scare mazes drain your phone fast
Rent a Car
Access to the map
No sign up required and totally FREE. Literally just using Google Maps to plot your route! Saves you messing! We don't gatekeep here! Enjoy.
What to know How to Plan or Save for a Trip? Here are our best:
FAQs
How long do I need for this road trip?
Around 10 days is ideal, but you can condense it into 7 if you skip some stops.
Can kids join this Halloween road trip?
Absolutely! Chessington, Tatton Park, and Blenheim are family-friendly. Thorpe Park and Alton Towers are better for teens/adults.
How do I get the FREE map?
The free map is available via Google Maps with no signup required. After clicking the “View Map” link, go to “Your Places” > “Maps” in the Google Maps app to find the route. Save it for offline use, especially in areas with spotty signal.
Is it better to drive or use trains?
Drive. It’s doable by train with planning, but you’ll miss the ease of hopping between castles and countryside.
Do I need to book Halloween events in advance?
100% yes. Scare mazes and ghost tours sell out weeks ahead in October.
Travel Planning Resources
Ready to book your next trip? These trusted resources have been personally vetted to ensure a smooth travel experience.
Book Your Flights: Kick off your travel planning by finding the best flight deals on Trip.com. Our years of experience with them confirm they offer the most competitive prices.
Book Your Hotel: For the best hotel rates, use Booking.com . For the best and safest hostels, HostelWorld.com is your go-to resource. Best for overall Hotel ratings and bargains, use TripAdvisor.com!
Find Apartment Rentals: For affordable apartment rentals, check out VRBO. They consistently offer the best prices.
Car Rentals: For affordable car rentals, check out RentalCars.com. They offer the best cars, mostly brand new.
Travel Insurance: Never travel without insurance. Here are our top recommendations:
- EKTA for Travel Insurance for all areas!
- Use AirHelp for compensation claims against flight delays etc.
Book Your Activities: Discover walking tours, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more on Get Your Guide. They have a vast selection of activities to enhance your trip. There is also Tiqets.com for instant mobile tickets.
Book The Best Trains: Use Trainline to find the most affordable trains or Rail Europe for rail passes!
Travel E-SIMS: Airalo Worldwide! Use your mobile phone anywhere!
Need More Help Planning Your Trip? Visit our Resources Page to see all the companies we trust and use for our travels.
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Author
Nick Harvey
Hi, I am Nick! Thank you for reading! The Travel Tinker is a resource designed to help you navigate the beauty of travel! Tinkering your plans as you browse!
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