Why You Should Consider Traveling During a Dead Week

January 5, 2026

Have you ever considered traveling during a Dead Week? Are you staring at me like I’m either talking nonsense or dipping into the macabre side of travel? I promise, there’s nothing grisly about Dead Weeks, and below I’m laying out everything you need to know about them!

What’s a Dead Week?

A Dead Week is a period of time where there’s a massive lull in travel. They typically follow major peak holiday travel and can be shorter or longer depending on the time of year. The big ones are:

1-2 Weeks after Thanksgiving (depending on when it falls)
Pretty much all of January
Sometimes the first 2 weeks of February
Right after Labor Day from Tuesday – Thursday

Of course there are some caveats to this. No major ski resort or hot weather destination is going to be inexpensive in January or February. Cities on the other hand – this might be your chance to score the lowest hotel costs of the year. Beach towns will also be nice and quiet.

Pros of Deadweek Travel

As far as I’m concerned, there are far more pros to dead week travel than cons! Top of the list:

You’ll avoid crowds – There’s a reason it’s called “Dead Week.” Who doesn’t love avoiding wait times and long lines?
Prices will be their lowest – If you’re ever going to score a too-good-to-be-true deal on a hotel, flight, or restaurant, it’s going to happen during a Dead Week.
You’ll avoid more extreme heat – Have you been to popular European spots during high season, aka the summer, lately? It is hot. And when I say the summers are hot, I mean 80F in, say, Barcelona feels a lot worse than 80F in New York City. Chalk it up to a difference in opinion on air conditioning and air flow! If you go during a Dead Week, you may not get the best weather conditions but you’ll definitely avoid having to change your shirt every few hours.

Cons of Deadweek Travel

Places may be closed – One major con of Dead Week travel is that if you go somewhere more seasonal (like a beach town), a lot of its popular attractions and restaurants may be fully closed during your stay. Always best to check before you book so you’re not left disappointed.
Weather might be terrible – Part of why there’s a lull in travel during Dead Week periods is the weather. However, if there’s one thing I learned from the Scandinavians, you just need to adjust your outfits to enjoy!

How to Figure Out a Destination’s Dead Week

The best indicator of a destination’s Dead Week is if they have some sort of Restaurant Week. If you haven’t heard of Restaurant Week, it’s when a lot of different restaurants will offer special menus or deals that seem almost too good to be true. It’s a way, as you might guess, to combat the lull in bookings during a Dead Week. NYC pioneered this trend all the way back in 1992 and has even added a Hotel Week. The two coincide with each other and pretty reliably fall at the end of January and beginning of February.

When to Book Your Trip

To fully maximize your savings, book your trip at some point in mid to late August. This is when airlines announce their after summer pricing, and you can easily find fares that’ll be 30-50% off their peak season highs.

I feel like scoring major deals on flights, restaurants, and accommodation is worth a little cold, gray weather!

Do Cruises Have Dead Weeks?

Kind of! They’re not necessarily the periods I outlined above. If you’re looking at seasonal cruises like the Inside Passage of Alaska or Christmas Market river cruises, your best bet for finding a good deal is looking at the first or last week of the season.

Ideas of Where to Go for Dead Week Travel

All right, now that you know all there is to know about Dead Week travel and why I love it, here are some ideas of where to look.

New York City, USA

Of course I have to mention my hometown and the pioneer of Restaurant Week. NYC is known for its notoriously fast-paced crowds and ridiculous prices so go during a Dead Week to avoid most of the chaos. While Dead Week weather won’t exactly be the most pleasant unless you manage that short period after Labor Day, you’ll hardly notice as you bop in and out of shops, cozy up at restaurants and cafes, and spend hours inside its world class museums. These days, even Brooklyn has some restaurant deals!

Vienna, Austria

I love Vienna, especially in winter. People complain that it gets dark early but cities like Vienna are absolutely magical at night when they’re all lit up. Not to mention there’s a strong café culture, so you can spend your afternoons testing out all their beautiful cafés while sipping on strong coffee and nibbling at your cake. The palaces turned museums will keep you entertained for hours, especially during particularly cold days, and if you visit during January and February, you’ll come during Ball Season!

Northern Taiwan

Most people think “island country in Asia,” and they think Taiwan is a warm weather destination all year round. And while the south stays pretty warm even in January and February, northern Taiwan where Taipei is actually gets quite cool. Crowds are few and far between, and you’ll find things quite peaceful! Just don’t go on around Chinese New Year because then things really will be dead as everyone closes down for a few days and the city completely empties out.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is another European city that’ll be fun to wander and get lost in no matter how cold it gets. Their cuisine is even built for chillier weather. Just tell me chicken paprikash and goulash don’t taste best in the winter. Not to mention the hot water baths Budapest is famous for will feel almost medicinal!

Corning, New York, USA

While the Finger Lakes really comes alive in the summer, it’s still just as charming in the winter. Instead of staying further out along the lakes, stay in Corning. It’s a large town with a lot going on. You’ll get access to some great vineyards nearby (try the riesling!), but you’ll still have plenty to do when you don’t want to drive out. The Corning Museum of Glass is such a fantastic spot for the history of glass and Corning’s own role in it. After all, you’ve definitely heard of Corning glass before! NASA used it in its first spaceships and apparently Steve Jobs called asking them if they could make a glass screen for the iphones. Gaffer District is also full of great little restaurants, shops, spas, and, another great museum, this time with a focus on American art.

Paris, France

While Paris is largely characterized by gray skies and that damp kind of cold, I promise you’ll be so impressed by the architecture and general vibe of the city, you won’t even notice. And in fact that cold weather will feel pleasant as you wander along boulevards and through various arrondissements. Plus Parisians will likely be a bit more patient than they are during the summer season when crowds and temperatures are at their highest. The only thing I would suggest is skipping anything with a garden. Versailles is beautiful but its real charm is in its massive garden not the interior of the palace, and if you go in the off season, it’s just a lot of dead greenery.

Crystal Coast, North Carolina, USA

Another one of my favorite places to visit during a Dead Week would be the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. It occupies 85 miles of the Outer Banks and is a magical place to visit. Just take your pick — excellent food, wild horses, protected International Dark sky… And for your romance fans, Beaufort is where A Walk to Remember is set.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The best time Dead Week to visit Ho Chi Minh City is actually during Tet (aka Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year). While Taipei will feel like a ghost town, Ho Chi Minh City is still populous enough that many places are still very much open and the city hits that sweet spot between busy but not overwhelmingly so. It might be the least smoggiest few days of the whole year! Not to mention, the main street, Nguyen Hue Street, is absolutely packed with gorgeous decorations to celebrate whichever Zodiac year it is. Go to the Apartment Cafes to get a coffee and see the whole thing from above.

And when you need a city break, instead of heading north to hot spots like Hoi An, Da Nang, or Hanoi, head east for the beaches or south for the Mekong Delta.

Xi’an, China

Xi’an is such an incredible place. Their main claim to fame is the mystical Terracotta Warriors, but what I love about it is its history as an ancient capital. The city still has so much of that romance and historic feel. It’s also completely walled in, so you truly cannot get lost. Just wander around til you hit a wall and then go the other way!

Doengal, Ireland

Donegal is about a 3-hour drive from the Dublin Airport and has a spot that I think is even more dramatic than the Cliffs of Moher — the Slieve League Cliffs. They’re 2.5 times higher and feel like there’s not a single soul there. While you visit Donegal, stop into Leo’s Tavern. Not only is it a fantastic spot to grab a pint and enjoy the music, it’s home to the Brennan family. You may have heard of their most famous member. She known best by her first name… Enya.