Every reader has had that moment when a book ends and you wish you could step right inside the story. I am reading The Astral Library by Kate Quinn, so this is on my mind a lot lately. Some worlds feel so vivid you can almost hear the characters, smell the air, and taste the food. If literary vacations were real, here’s where I’d go.
My first stop would be Hogwarts. I don’t care how old I am, getting that letter would still be the best day of my life. I’d walk through the castle halls, sneak into the kitchens for a late-night snack, and maybe even sit through a Potions class. The real-life Alnwick Castle in England and the Warner Bros. Studio in London are the closest a Muggle can get.
From there, I’d tumble straight into Wonderland. Talking cats and floating teacups. Oxford, where Lewis Carroll taught, would be a great place to visit too!
Next, I’d head to the English countryside to spend time in Jane Austen’s world. There’s something timeless about the rolling hills and the Georgian architecture of Bath. I’d drink tea, read poetry, and pretend I wasn’t secretely hoping to see Mr. Darcey meet
Prince Edward Island would be my next stop. The red dirt roads, green fields, and white farmhouses feel like pages pulled right from Anne of Green Gables. You can actually visit Green Gables Heritage Place in Cavendish and walk the same trails Anne once called the Haunted Wood.
Then I’d fly off to New Zealand to visit the Shire. The Hobbiton movie set is pure magic—tiny round doors, gardens bursting with vegetables, and a pub that serves second breakfast. I would love to stay in an Inn that is shaped like a hobbit house.
One of the best places to start is Bath, England. Jane Austen fans will instantly know it from Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. The city is charming and elegant with cobblestone streets, Georgian architecture, etc. You can visit the Jane Austen Centre, walk where she once walked, and even enjoy afternoon tea while pretending to gossip about eligible bachelors.
From there, I would head north to Haworth, a small village in Yorkshire that was home to the Brontë sisters. Their house is now a museum filled with handwritten letters, sketches, and manuscripts. It’s beautiful and feels untouched by time.
If you prefer something more modern, visit Edinburgh, Scotland. J.K. Rowling wrote much of Harry Potter here, often in cozy cafés like The Elephant House. The skyline and cobbled streets could easily double as Diagon Alley. But Edinburgh isn’t just for Potterheads, it’s also home to a UNESCO City of Literature designation, with literary festivals and bookshops are around every corner.
Of the breathtaking setting of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series in Scotland. The rolling Highlands, mist-covered hills, and ancient stone circles make it easy to see why Claire fell through time and straight into Jamie Fraser’s world. You can visit filming locations like Doune Castle (Castle Leoch in the show) or wander Glen Coe valley.
Across the Atlantic, Concord, Massachusetts is a dream for American literature fans. It’s where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women and where you can tour her family home, Orchard House. Nearby, you’ll find the homes of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ralph Waldo Emerson. There’s something incredibly grounding about standing where so much classic American literature was born. I vacationed last year in Massachusetts, and regret not stopping here. I went to Mark Twain’s house in Hartford, CT, Stephen King’s House in Bangor, ME and National Hawthorne’s house in MA. My only regret was not stopping by Little Women house.
If you want a taste of France’s literary heart, Paris is the place. The iconic bookstore Shakespeare and Company sits near the Seine, its green shelves stacked high with English-language books. Writers like Hemingway and Fitzgerald once visted the cafés. You can easily lose an afternoon here, reading by the river and soaking in the city’s energy. I have been obsessed with Paris since Jr High. I have never been there, but I always feel as though it would not live up to my imagination of what my head has made it into.
And finally, for something unique, visit Dublin, Ireland, the home of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and W.B. Yeats. You can tour Wilde’s childhood home, visit the Dublin Writers Museum, or even join the Bloomsday Festival each June, where locals dress in period clothing to honor Ulysses.
What are some of the places that you would enjoy visiting?