What are the best things to do during holidays in July? Uncover Hidden Wonders

June 28, 2026  ·  4 min read

When July rolls around, many travelers dream of sun-drenched beaches or bustling European cities. But what if your summer holiday could be an invitation to truly discover, to step off the well-trodden path and uncover places with stories so vivid they feel like secrets whispered just to you?

This year, let's redefine 'best things to do during holidays in July.' We've curated a list of extraordinary destinations that promise more than just a view; they offer a genuine connection to history, geology, and culture, far beyond the usual tourist trail. Get ready to spark your curiosity and explore the world anew.

1. The Mermaid's Desert Oasis

Huacachina, Peru

Explore a genuine desert oasis, rumored to have been formed by a mermaid.

Huacachina is a verdant lagoon surrounded by towering sand dunes, a stark contrast to the arid Ica Desert. Local legend tells of a beautiful mermaid who, surprised by a hunter, fled into the water, transforming the pool into her eternal home. Beyond the myth, the dunes here are some of South America's largest, creating a surreal landscape perfect for adventure sports like sandboarding and dune buggy rides.

2. Moomin Valley's Real-Life Home

Naantali, Finland

Step into the whimsical world of the Moomins, beloved Finnish trolls, in a park without rides.

Moominworld offers an immersive experience unlike typical amusement parks. Based on Tove Jansson's cherished Moomin books, visitors can explore the iconic blue Moominhouse, meet characters, and wander through various scenes from the stories, all set on a picturesque island. It provides a unique glimpse into a significant part of Nordic children's literature and art, inviting a quiet, imaginative exploration.

3. London's Ancient, Inaccurate Dinosaurs

Crystal Palace Park, London, UK

Encounter the world's first life-sized dinosaur models, created before scientists fully understood them.

In Crystal Palace Park, over thirty monumental dinosaur sculptures stand as a testament to early paleontology. Built in the 1850s by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins under scientific guidance, these weren't just statues, but the first 3D reconstructions of prehistoric creatures. Fascinatingly, scientific understanding was still evolving, making many models—like the Iguanodon mistakenly given a nasal horn—charmingly inaccurate by today's knowledge. They offer a unique window into Victorian science.

4. The Giant's Volcanic Pathway

Bushmills, Northern Ireland

Walk on a legendary "pathway of giants" formed by ancient lava flows.

The Giant's Causeway features over 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, mostly hexagonal, that dramatically protrude from the sea. This UNESCO World Heritage site was formed by an ancient volcanic eruption, where cooling lava cracked into these perfect geometric shapes. Local legend attributes its creation to the giant Finn MacCool, who supposedly built the causeway to cross to Scotland, lending a mythical air to this geological marvel.

5. Fairy Chimneys and Hidden Churches

Göreme National Park, Cappadocia, Turkey

Explore an otherworldly landscape of "fairy chimneys" carved by nature and ancient civilizations.

Cappadocia is famous for its unique geological formations, known as "fairy chimneys," created by volcanic eruptions and subsequent erosion. What makes this region truly remarkable are the ancient cave dwellings, churches, and entire underground cities carved directly into these soft rock formations. Early Christians sought refuge here, creating elaborate frescoes within hidden chapels, turning the landscape into a living museum of human ingenuity and faith.

6. World of the Ice Giants

Werfen, Austria

Descend into the world's largest ice cave, a frozen wonderland within a mountain, even in summer.

Eisriesenwelt, meaning "World of the Ice Giants," is a colossal natural limestone ice cave system stretching over 42 kilometers. Visitors explore the first kilometer, which is permanently covered in spectacular ice formations created by melting snow filtering through cracks and freezing during winter. The intricate ice sculptures, vast halls, and dramatic frozen waterfalls offer a breathtaking, otherworldly experience deep within the mountain, accessible even during the warmest months.

7. Mendelssohn's Melodic Cave

Isle of Staffa, Scotland

Discover a legendary sea cave with natural basalt columns that inspired Felix Mendelssohn's famous overture.

Staffa is a small, uninhabited island in the Inner Hebrides, renowned for Fingal's Cave. This magnificent sea cave is composed entirely of hexagonal basalt columns, similar to the Giant's Causeway, but forming a dramatic, cathedral-like archway. Its unique acoustics and resonant natural sounds, created by the waves echoing within, so captivated composer Felix Mendelssohn in 1829 that they inspired his famous Hebrides Overture, also known as "Fingal's Cave."

Photography via Pexels. AllTours.ai is an AI audio tour guide — point your camera at any landscape and hear its story.