22 Long Weekend Destinations Around the World

With the President’s Day long weekend ahead of us, I’m wishing that we could plan a quick trip somewhere. We were supposed to be headed to Portland for the first time this weekend. We had a hotel booked with contactless check in and planned to order a lot of takeout and visit a few playgrounds. But, a huge snowstorm is scheduled to hit our state and, once again, our travel plans have been canceled.

Let’s cheer ourselves up by planning (even if only in our heads) our next long weekend adventure!

What makes a great long weekend destination? For us it’s these three criteria. 1. Within three hours from our home (or main destination). 2. A smaller, walkable city/town. 3. A destination where we can visit our top sights all within 2-3 days and leave content. This means that most major cities that offer endless restaurants, landmarks, and attractions are off the list and saved for a longer visit. These destinations are meant to be enjoyed as a short break from your home or to tag onto a trip to your main destination.

For all 22 destinations, I’m going to give you the top 3 things I would do with my 3 days there!

LOS ALAMOS, CA - (One of my favorite places in the world!) Tacos from Babi’s Beer Emporium, a beer at the 1880 Union bar, and shopping at Depot Mail, the antique store.

SAN DIEGO - A day at Balboa Park, dinner at Station Tavern in South Park, and a trip to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. (See our entire Destination Guide : San Diego here.)

PALM SPRINGS - Pool days at the Ace Hotel, vintage shopping, and a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park.

SANTA BARBARA - Lunch at La Super-Rica Taqueria, dinner at the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company, drinking and shopping through the Funk Zone. (See our entire Destination Guide : Santa Barbara here.)

SAN FRANCISCO - Lunch in the Ferry Building, ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery, and the afternoon strolling Golden Gate Park.

SANTA FE - See the cliff dwellings of Bandelier National Monument, dinner and margaritas at the Shed, and a soak in the onsens at One Thousand Waves. (See our entire Destination Guide : New Mexico here.)

PORTLAND - Pick up a new book at Powell’s Books, a visit to the Japanese Gardens, and quick pop into the Yo Store. (Here’s our Weekend Wanderlust : Portland.)

BEND - (Our new hometown!) Lunch at Worthy Taps & Tacos, walks along the Deschutes River, and hikes out at Smith Rock. (Want to visit Bend? Here’s our guides for spending both summer and winter here!)

LAKE DISTRICT, UK - Lunch at the Mill Inn, hikes through the countryside, and beers from Hesket Newmarket Brewery. (You can read all about our 7 day England Road Trip here.)

EDINBURGH - Hike Arthur’s Seat, a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia, and an afternoon spent on a Harry Potter Tour. (Our full Edinburgh guide is here.)

COPENHAGEN - Eat smørrebrød at Cafe Norden, a day at Tivoli Gardens, and a stroll in Nyhavn. (All about our Copenhagen layover.)

LJUBLJANA - A visit to the castle, lunch at Vino & Ribe, and pizza and a Loo-Blah-Nah beer at Foculus. (Our Ljubljana Guide details so many other great places in the city.)

SPLIT - Explore Diocletian’s palace, lunch at Bokeria, and an afternoon at Marjan Park.

CHIANTI, ITALY - A stay at Villa Bordoni, lunch in Greve with a great glass of wine, and a cooking class with the hotel’s owner. My moto: less is more in Tuscany.

POSITANO - All day at the beach (Fornillo Spiagga to be exact), dinner at Chez Black, and lemon sorbet at Hotel Covo dei Saraceni.

PAROS - Gyros at Souvlakia Kargas, afternoons at Lolandonis beach, and dinner at Siparos Seaside Restaurant. (See our entire Destination Guide : Paros here.)

MARRAKECH - Lunch at Cafe Clock, shopping through the Medina, and a visit to Le Jardin Majorelle. (Our Destination Guide : Marrakech!)

SINTRA - Long walks along the coast, lunch at Bar do Fundo, and a visit to Quinta da Regaleria. (See our entire Destination Guide : Sintra here.)

SIEM REAP - A visit to Angkor Wat (Ta Phrom and Bayon too), lunch at Sister Srey, and dinner at Villa WAt Damnak. (We love Siem Reap! Here’s our favorite restaurants and all the details about this great destination.)

HOI AN - Banh mi from Bánh Mì Phượng. Repeat for step 2 and 3. Just kidding! Heart of Darkness beers from Tap House Hoi An and a trip to An Bang beach.

SINGAPORE - All meals from a hawker center (especially prawn noodles and duck rice), the afternoon at Gardens by the Bay, and a hike through MacRitchie Park. (Destination Guide : Singapore!)

NARA - Feed the deer, a visit to one of the largest Buddha’s at Todai-ji, and a hike up Mt. Wakakusa.

Do you have a favorite go-to destination for long weekend? Any family traditions that you have made for President’s Day weekend?