8 of the Top Easter Vacation Destinations Around the World

A devout country, Poland takes its traditions seriously. But there’s also plenty of levity here as locals celebrate the passage into spring. Start in the center of the city, at Krakow’s Easter Market, where you’ll find delicious pierogi and traditional “palms” for sale (which are actually made from willow branches). You can also take a Krakow walking tour if it's your first visit, in order to better get your bearings.

Whatever you decide, make sure to also seek out pisanki—traditional Polish Easter eggs that are made by carving or applying wax to the shell of real chicken or goose eggs. For a more religious experience, you can even take a day trip to the hometown of Pope John Paul II departing from Krakow.

Though it’s more famous for Mardi Gras than Easter proper, New Orleans is also a great place to be following 40 days of Lent. On Easter Sunday, three parades traipse through the French Quarter throughout the day, the first of which ends at St. Louis Cathedral just in time for mass.

The mood in the city is lighthearted, and you’ll find Easter egg hunts, brunch specials, and LGBTQ+–friendly events all on offer. After you’ve filled up with food and drink, head to the Bayou for an airboat tour or stay in the city and immerse yourself in the storied jazz and blues scenes.

Related: Know Before You Go: Celebrating Mardi Gras in New Orleans

The center of Catholicism, Vatican City is home to St. Peter’s Basilica—the largest church in the world—and to the Pope, the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church. Each spring, thousands of faithful Christians visit Vatican City to attend mass during Holy Week (Settimana Santa) and on Easter Sunday in St. Peter’s Square. (Though, be warned: the logisitics of attending during Easter can be complex, to say the least.)

If you do decide to stop by, be sure to visit the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, where you can see Michelangelo’s famous frescoes. And, of course, beyond the walls of Vatican City is Rome, where you can explore the four papal basilicas and so much more.

Related: Know Before You Go: Visiting Rome During Easter

In Oaxaca, every village has its own distinct and colorful way of observing Semana Santa, aka Holy Week. Catholicism took root here because of its introduction by the Spanish colonizers, though traces of Indigenous tradition are melded in to create a uniquely syncretic celebration.

Known for its rich foodways, including world-famous mezcal and seven types of mole, Oaxaca is especially tasty during Semana Santa, when locals like to show off their cooking chops to the whole community. Dig in—and learn how to prepare some dishes yourself—at a cooking class.

Home to one of the world’s oldest denominations of Christianity, Ethiopia can trace its introduction back to the fourth century AD. The heart of the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition is Lalibela, where you can tour 11 breathtaking churches cut into the sides of mountains.

Easter, known as Tinsaye locally, is the perfect time to visit this sacred site because you’ll be joined by white-robed pilgrims moving from church to church. However, because the Ethiopian Orthodox religion follows theology and rites that are different from Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches, it is best to visit Lalibela with the help of a local guide.

The celebrations in this South African city may lack some of the grandeur of other options on this list, but Cape Town is a relaxing place to mark the holiday. Local Easter culture includes eating hot cross buns, a specialty of the ethnically-English community, and organized Easter egg hunts in many of the city’s public spaces.

For those looking for a more religious experience, know that Cape Town has many historic churches, including Groote Kerk, a Dutch church believed to be the country’s oldest. The autumn weather is also a perfect excuse to visit nearby wine country or hike up Table Mountain.

Cusco, once the capital of the Inca empire, is much more than the jumping-off point to Machu Picchu. It’s a unique city in its own right, and Easter is a perfect time to experience the culture. On Good Friday, local families prepare 12 unique dishes, said to be chosen for each apostle. This day also features a festival of medicinal herbs gathered during Semana Santa for their medicinal properties.

Meanwhile, on Easter Sunday, locals take part in a procession that starts at the city’s main cathedral. And once you've finished watching the processions, you can make the most of all the adventure that Cusco has to offer.

Semana Santa (Holy Week) transforms Seville into a walking parade. Led by 54 different hermandades, or brotherhoods, the celebration features the procession of different floats and icons, called pasos, through the city’s narrow streets. Some of these artistic masterpieces are hundreds of years old and portray different moments in the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Seville itself is a city with a long, multi-religious history, though. To explore some of this history and see the Moorish influence on the city’s architecture, visit the Cathedral and La Giralda, a tower preserved from a mosque that once occupied the city center.