These are the luxury holiday destinations we would shortlist for a UK traveller planning a luxury holiday in 2026 or early 2027. Each one is backed by a real five-star or boutique package with a published from-price, so the figure is a whole trip rather than a hotel rate on its own. The list covers the Indian Ocean, the Gulf, the Caribbean, Bali and East Africa.
Quick answer
For an overwater villa, choose the Maldives, paired with Abu Dhabi on the St Regis twin-centre. For a short flight and winter sun, choose Dubai. For meals and drinks already paid for, pick St Lucia or Barbados. Bali suits an unhurried villa trip, and Kenya with Zanzibar pairs safari with beach. Every package is ATOL 10713 protected.
The best luxury holiday destinations from the UK compared
From-prices are per person, based on two sharing and return economy flights from the UK, taken from the lowest-priced future departure month. Non-stop times in the flight column are scheduled routes, not necessarily the package airline. The airline and departure airport for each package are confirmed at booking, along with the price for your dates and room type.
| Destination | Trip style | Flight from London | Best months | Nights | From | Package |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maldives (with Abu Dhabi) | Overwater villa twin-centre | — | November to April. | 10 | £2,149pp, October 2026. | St Regis Abu Dhabi and Maldives |
| Dubai | City and beach resort | About 7 hours non-stop from Heathrow. | November to March. | 3 or 5 | £1,789pp for 3 nights, £2,499pp for 5 nights, June 2027. | Atlantis The Royal |
| Seychelles (with Dubai) | Island resort twin-centre | — | April and November (light winds). | 9 | £2,699pp, November 2026. | Dubai and Seychelles |
| Mauritius (with Dubai) | Beach resort twin-centre | — | June to October (October is driest). | 10 | £1,689pp, June 2027. £1,839pp, December 2026. | Dubai and Mauritius |
| St Lucia | All-inclusive, couples only | Non-stop from London. | December to April (dry season). | 7 | £1,829pp, October 2026. | Sandals Regency La Toc |
| Barbados | All-inclusive, couples only | 9 hours non-stop from Heathrow. | December to May. | 7 | £2,469pp, October 2026. | Sandals Royal Barbados |
| Bali | Villas and culture | — | April to October (dry season). | 12 | £1,929pp, October and November 2026. | Ubud, Hideout and Sanur |
| Kenya and Zanzibar | Safari and beach | — | July to October, usually, for the Mara migration. | 10 | £6,199pp, October 2026. | Mara Plains and Mora Zanzibar |
Which luxury destination suits you?
Once the trip style is clear, three practical questions narrow the shortlist.
- One hotel for the whole stay: St Lucia, Barbados or Dubai. You unpack once and skip a mid-holiday transfer.
- Days out beyond the resort: Mauritius or Bali, where the island itself is part of the holiday.
- A firm budget: our guide to luxury holidays under £3,000 picks the trips with the lowest from-prices.
Thailand is another strong long-haul choice for beaches and food, covered in our Thailand holidays section. Every destination on this list is long-haul; for luxury on a short flight to Europe, look at our Athens city break instead.
Indian Ocean luxury: overwater villas and island resorts
Each of these island packages starts with a few nights in a Gulf city. That breaks the long journey and adds a different kind of holiday before the beach.
The Maldives
The package starts with four nights at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi, on bed and breakfast in a standard room. You then fly on to Malé and take a shared seaplane to The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli in Dhaalu Atoll for six nights. There you stay in an Overwater Villa, again on bed and breakfast. The resort has 77 villas, each with its own pool.
Dry-season dates from November 2026 to February 2027 are quoted on request rather than priced. The first priced month in the dry season is March 2027, at £3,349pp. The cheapest departures fall at the end of the south-west monsoon, when showers are more likely.
Paperwork: British passport holders get a 30-day visa on arrival. Your passport must be valid for at least one month after you land. Everyone completes the IMUGA traveller declaration online within 96 hours before arrival.
Who it isn’t for: travellers who get restless on a resort island. There is little to do beyond the reef, the spa and the restaurants.
For other resorts, atolls and transfer types, read our luxury Maldives holidays guide.
The Seychelles
The trip is split between the JW Marriott Marquis in Dubai and Constance Ephelia on Mahé, both with daily breakfast. Constance Ephelia sits between two beaches, with the Port Launay marine park in front of the resort for snorkelling and diving. The package includes the flight from Dubai to the Seychelles and private transfers.
Paperwork: you do not need a visa, but you must apply and pay for a Seychelles travel authorisation before you fly. Apply up to 30 days ahead at seychelles.govtas.com. You will need proof of accommodation, a return ticket and enough funds. A free visitor permit for up to three months is issued on arrival.
Weighing the Seychelles against the Maldives? Our Maldives or the Seychelles comparison sets out the differences in beaches, transfers and island-hopping.
Mauritius
This twin-centre starts at Anantara The Palm Dubai, a resort with overwater villas as well as rooms on land. It then moves to The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa at Balaclava, facing a protected marine park on the north-west coast, with snorkelling straight from the beach. Breakfast is included at both hotels, with private transfers.
Paperwork: British visitors can stay up to 60 days without a visa. Your passport needs one blank page. Complete the Mauritius All in One travel form online and print it with its QR code. Carry proof of your onward or return flight.
Off the resort, Le Morne, the Black River Gorges and the markets of Port Louis are all within a day’s drive.
Dubai: city and beach resort
The Atlantis The Royal package puts you on Palm Jumeirah in a Seascape King Room, on half board with breakfast plus lunch or dinner. A private transfer from Dubai International is included.
The nearest priced departure is October 2026, at £2,039pp for three nights.
Paperwork: British passport holders get a free visitor visa on arrival. It lets you stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and your passport needs six months’ validity from the day you land.
The honest note: the lowest prices on this package fall in early summer, and from June to September daytime temperatures in Dubai are regularly above 40°C. Pool time is then limited to early morning and evening. By contrast, National Centre of Meteorology figures put average December daytime highs at 21.7°C to 27.4°C.
Luxury all-inclusive in the Caribbean
St Lucia and Barbados are the Caribbean luxury beach holidays on this list, both sold as luxury package holidays at Sandals resorts.
St Lucia
Sandals Regency La Toc sits on a 220-acre estate near Castries, with its own golf course. The Luxury Included® plan covers nine restaurants and premium spirits. The package flies you to Hewanorra International, at the island’s southern tip, with transfers included.
Paperwork: British visitors can stay up to six weeks without a visa. Your passport must be valid beyond your departure date. Fill in the online immigration form no more than three days before you arrive.
Barbados
Sandals Royal Barbados is an all-suite resort in St Lawrence Gap, on the south coast. It has a rooftop infinity pool, and its Stay at 1, Play at 2 arrangement lets you use a second Sandals resort on the island. Transfers from Grantley Adams International are included.
Paperwork: no visa is needed, and the length of your stay is set on arrival. Complete the online immigration and customs form at travelform.gov.bb before you fly. Carry proof of your onward or return ticket.
Northern travellers have a scheduled option too. Virgin Atlantic runs a seasonal non-stop from Manchester between 26 October 2026 and 19 March 2027, four times a week.
NOAA dates the Atlantic hurricane season from 1 June to 30 November. Storms cluster between mid-August and mid-October. Both resorts’ lowest from-prices fall inside that window.
Bali: villas, culture and a slower pace
The Bali trip is a three-stop itinerary on bed and breakfast. You start in the jungle around Ubud at Suara Alam, move to a bamboo house at Hideout Bali, then finish in a private-pool villa at Seascape Luxury Resort & Spa in Sanur. These are characterful four-star and boutique stays rather than big-brand five-star resorts. The appeal is the setting and the privacy.
Paperwork: your passport must be valid for six months, with two blank pages. The visa on arrival costs IDR 500,000 and covers 30 days. Bali adds a tourist levy of IDR 150,000, roughly £8, paid online or on arrival. The All Indonesia arrival card is free and opens 72 hours before landing.
Who it isn’t for: anyone short of time: there are no direct flights from the UK.
Safari and beach: Kenya and Zanzibar
This trip flies from London to Nairobi, with a first night at Hemingways Nairobi. You then head to Mara Plains Camp in the Masai Mara, which has just seven tents with private decks. The trip finishes at Mora Zanzibar on the east coast, in a villa with its own pool.
The package is priced only up to April 2027, so migration-season departures later in 2027 are quoted on request. For other camps and countries, see our luxury safari holidays guide.
Paperwork for Kenya: you need an electronic travel authorisation, which starts at US$30. The FCDO advises applying at least two weeks before travel. Your passport must be valid for six months, with two blank pages.
Paperwork for Zanzibar: Tanzania requires a tourist visa, either as an e-visa in advance or on arrival. Your passport needs six months’ validity and one blank page. Zanzibar also requires compulsory inbound travel insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation. Kenya is a yellow fever transmission-risk country, so arriving in Zanzibar from Kenya means every traveller over one year old must show a yellow fever vaccination certificate. See a travel clinic well before departure to arrange the vaccine and certificate.
When to book luxury holidays in 2026 and 2027
If you need Christmas or New Year, ask early. Besides the St Regis dates above, December 2026 is on request on the Seychelles, La Toc and Bali packages. February is the dearest month at both Sandals resorts: La Toc is £3,609pp in February 2027, around double its from-price.
Three things move a from-price more than anything else: the month you travel, the cabin you fly in and the room you choose. A change of month alone can move the price by hundreds of pounds per person. For a full breakdown of flights, hotels and extras, read how much a luxury holiday costs.
