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Our Favourite Fantasy and Fairytale-Inspired Retreats

The best kind of holiday is one that transports you far, far away from everyday life.  One in which your cares feel like they’ve been well and truly abandoned for a while, as you immerse yourself in captivating, completely new surroundings.

But if you thought all that would mean spending your precious time in long airport check-in queues, then jetting off to the farthest corners of the Earth, think again!

You could simply choose to step inside the pages of an iconic fantasy story, or a classic children’s fairytale, instead.

Think magical, out-of-this world furnishings and delightfully quirky accessories, all carefully crafted and chosen to take your senses on an enchanted journey.  

Plus… who knows, with so much incredible creativity all around you, you may well return home feeling inspired to start work on an artistic masterpiece of your very own!

Each and every one of the following retreats feels like entering a whole new world, proving that you really don’t have to travel too far to indulge your imagination, or quench your thirst for a break that’s truly unique.

So get ready to browse our hand-picked list, and begin your own magical holiday story.

Who knows just where it will lead?
Author: Nina Jervis
Main image: Craighead Round Door Howfs | Perthshire

Blackberry Wood

Streat, Sussex
You may think you know glamping, but you haven't seen anything like Blackberry Wood - the only place a helicopter, a London bus, a cabin and a caravan sit in the shadow of fairytale treehouses.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: 2-4 per unit
From
£45 / night (caravan low season)

The Boot

Tasman, Nelson
You've heard of the old woman who lived in a shoe, but have you ever actually imagined life in a fabulous piece of footwear? Wonder no longer at The Boot, a fairytale B&B on New Zealand's South Island!
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£170 / night

The Black Castle

Coolbaun, Tipperary
Travel back through time with an ‘over-knight' stay for two in a majestically authentic 16th century Gaelic castle.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£274 / night

Les Ormes Domaine & Resort

Dol-de-Bretagne, Brittany
A welcoming family accommodation and activity centre, set on a two-hundred acre French country estate.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: Varies
From
£70 / night (barrel/bubble)

The Enchanted Faraway Tree

Nr Canterbury, Kent
Spirit yourself away to The Enchanted Faraway Tree - a storybook-inspired hideaway in the form of a unique treehouse pod, cosily nestled in the Garden of England.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£450 (2 nights)

Craighead Round Door Howfs

Dunblane, Perthshire
Experience a magical stay in a quirky and authentic storybook home, built right into the windswept Scottish hillsides.
Bedrooms: 1 per howf
Sleeps: 2 per howf
From
£185 / night

Hobbitenango

Antigua, Central Highlands
Experience the fantasy world of storybooks, set high above the Antiguan hills with breathtaking volcano views.
Bedrooms: 1 per casita
Sleeps: 4 or 6 per casita
From
£60 / night

The Five Turrets

Selkirk, Scottish Borders
Make like an auld Scottish baron, in a grand 19th Century townhouse that's ideal for exploring the historic town of Selkirk.
Bedrooms: 4
Sleeps: 8
From
£795 (7 nights)

Rufus's Roost

Husthwaite, Yorkshire
A luxurious family treehouse, privately secluded in medieval woodland with incredible views of the North Yorkshire Moors.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£275 / night

Hideaway Under the Stars

Aberlour, Moray
A unique eco home-from-home, crafted naturally with love, and peacefully nestled at the foot of a striking Speyside mountain.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 6
From
£200/night

Melin Mabes

Templeton, Pembrokeshire
A Pembrokeshire Amazing Space that combines timeless home comfort with interstellar accommodation that's out of this world!
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps: 2 (Mabel) 4 (Spodnic)
From
£100 / night (Mabel)

Dragon's Eye

Aberaeron, Ceredigion
A wonderfully creative, TV-featured glamping pod with glass panels and a rotating bed to showcase the lush Welsh landscape.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£395 (7 nights)

Woodland Chase Glamping

Felton, Northumberland
Escape from everyday life, with luxurious, grown-up glamping on a Northumberland family farm set close to the beautiful coast.
Bedrooms: 1 per unit
Sleeps: 2 per unit
From
£200 / night

Eaton House Studio

Tiptree, Essex
An outrageously creative, completely unique ‘pink paradise' to live out those fairytale dreams, for quirky large group stays in Essex.
Bedrooms: 7
Sleeps: Up to 20
From
£2,400 / night

Meadow View Hill House

Newcastle, Shropshire
A magical and gloriously romantic storybook retreat, gently nestled on an organic farm in Shropshire surrounded by rolling hills.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£120 / night

Wonderland House

Brighton, East Sussex
A movie-themed, award-winning vintage haven by Brighton seafront, complete with teacup chairs and whimsical décor for a large group break that inspires the playful children in you!
Bedrooms: 6
Sleeps: 24
From
£1,200 (2 nights)

Fairytale Glamping

Bourne, Lincolnshire
Let your imagination run wild and free, in a lovingly hand-made ‘castle' with off-grid facilities and child-friendly adventures galore, royally secluded in rural Lincolnshire.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 6
From
£195 / night

Hotel Charles Lindbergh

Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia
Live your childhood dreams of flying and sleep in an aeronaut's cabin, in a unique, immersive fantasy world of historic aviation and adventure, set within one of Europe's best-loved theme parks.
Bedrooms: 1 or 2 per cabin
Sleeps: 2 or 4 per cabin
From
£335 / night (*inc extras)

Dracup's Railway Cottage

Bridgnorth, Shropshire
Step into a unique fantasy-world retreat, lovingly created by a visionary artist and filled with quirky surprises, secluded in the scenic Shropshire town of Bridgnorth.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£250 (2 nights)

Belle View Farm Shire

Poulshot, Wiltshire
Lovingly hand-crafted homes taken from the pages of an epic fantasy tale, complete with bespoke ‘water well' hot tubs, secluded in a tranquil meadow that overlooks the Wiltshire hills.
Bedrooms: 2 per house
Sleeps: 4 per house
From
£500 (2 nights)

The Hobbity Treehouse

Blean, Kent
Unwind amongst the whispering leaves, in a quirky tree-treat inspired by an epic fantasy tale, complete with a stargazing hot tub and acres of Kent woodland to explore.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£271 / night

Ursabear Cabin

Morebath, Devon
A sumptuous, hand-built Amazing Space that takes inspiration from the stars, filled with bespoke elements and mesmerisingly nestled on the edge of Exmoor National Park.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£245 / night

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