14 days
The classic annual leave
What can you do with two weeks?
Two weeks is the sweet spot for long-haul travel enough time to go deep without needing months away from work.
You have enough time to recover from the journey, settle into a destination and explore beyond the obvious highlights. You can combine several regions, take a scenic road trip or simply slow down and experience a country properly.
For someone with a full-time job, 14 days is often the sweet spot: long enough to make a big journey worthwhile, but still realistic to fit around annual leave.
This is a short list of some of our favourite destinations for two weeks, rather than an exhaustive list. These are the places where 14 days gives you enough time to experience a genuinely varied trip without trying to see an entire country at once.
Which destination is right for your two-week adventure?
The best destinations for 10 days
Vietnam : North & Centre
Limestone mountains, ancient cities & incredible food
Vietnam is one of those destinations where two weeks allows you to experience several completely different sides of the country without trying to do everything.
Focus on the north and centre, combining Hanoi and the dramatic landscapes of Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh with the historic charm of Hoi An and the beaches of central Vietnam.
Perfect for: Food, culture, nature & adventure
Don’t miss: Hanoi · Ninh Binh · Ha Long Bay · Hoi An · Hue
Why 14 days works: Vietnam is long and surprisingly varied. Two weeks gives you enough time to explore the north and centre properly without spending your holiday constantly travelling south and back again.
Indonesia : Bali + Lombok + Komodo
Temples, volcanoes, jungle & tropical islands
Indonesia is made for travellers who don’t want to choose between adventure and paradise. Combine Bali’s culture and landscapes with Lombok’s quieter beaches and the extraordinary islands of Komodo.
Perfect for: Beaches, nature, adventure & culture
Don’t miss: Ubud · Mount Batur · Lombok · Komodo National Park · Padar Island
Why 14 days works: Indonesia is an archipelago, so trying to see too much can quickly turn into a series of transfers. Two weeks gives you enough time to combine three destinations while still having days to slow down and enjoy them.
Australia : Sydney + Great Barrier Reef + Whitsundays
City life, tropical islands & the Great Barrier Reef
Australia is a long way from Europe, but two weeks makes the journey much more worthwhile. Focus on the east coast and combine Sydney with the tropical landscapes of Queensland.
Perfect for: Beaches, wildlife, nature & adventure
Don’t miss: Sydney · Great Barrier Reef · Whitsundays · Whitehaven Beach · coastal walks
Why 14 days works: Australia is enormous, so the key is choosing one region. Focusing on Sydney and Queensland gives you a huge variety of experiences without trying to cross the entire country.
New Zealand : South Island Road Trip
Mountains, glaciers, lakes & the ultimate road trip
New Zealand’s South Island feels almost tailor-made for a two-week adventure. Hire a car, take the scenic route and let the landscape become part of the experience.
Perfect for: Road trips, hiking, mountains & adventure
Don’t miss: Queenstown · Milford Sound · Aoraki/Mount Cook · Lake Tekapo · Franz Josef
Why 14 days works: Two weeks gives you enough time to cover a large section of the South Island without spending every day behind the wheel. You can build in proper hiking days and spontaneous stops along the way.
Japan : Tokyo + Hakone + Kyoto + Osaka + Hiroshima
The ultimate first journey through Japan
If seven days gives you a taste of Japan, two weeks lets you experience it properly. This classic route combines futuristic cities, traditional Japan, mountains, food and history.
Perfect for: Culture, food, history & unforgettable experiences
Don’t miss: Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Osaka · Hiroshima
Why 14 days works: Japan’s excellent rail network makes this ambitious itinerary surprisingly efficient. Two weeks gives you enough time to move between the major destinations while still allowing several days in each.
Thailand : Bangkok + Chiang Mai + Islands
Temples, jungle, street food & turquoise water
Two weeks allows you to experience much more of Thailand without trying to cross the entire country. Start in Bangkok, head north to Chiang Mai and finish somewhere beautiful on the coast.
Perfect for: Food, culture, nature & beaches
Don’t miss: Bangkok · Chiang Mai · northern temples · Thai islands · longtail boat trips
Why 14 days works: You can give each part of the trip enough time to breathe. The key is still choosing one island region rather than trying to visit the Andaman and Gulf coasts in the same trip.
Philippines : Palawan + Cebu + Bohol
Island-hopping, turquoise lagoons & tropical adventure
The Philippines is perfect if your idea of a holiday involves being on the water. Combine the spectacular landscapes of Palawan with the beaches, reefs and adventures of Cebu and Bohol.
Perfect for: Beaches, diving, island-hopping & adventure
Don’t miss: El Nido · Coron · Cebu · Bohol · Chocolate Hills
Why 14 days works: Island travel takes time, particularly when ferries and internal flights are involved. Two weeks gives you enough breathing room to explore several islands without turning every other day into a travel day.
India : Delhi + Agra + Jaipur + Rajasthan
Palaces, forts, colour & unforgettable culture
India is a destination where two weeks can barely scratch the surface, but it’s enough for an incredible first journey. Focus on the Golden Triangle and Rajasthan for a trip filled with history, architecture, food and colour.
Perfect for: Culture, history, food & architecture
Don’t miss: Delhi · Taj Mahal · Jaipur · Jodhpur · Udaipur
Why 14 days works: India rewards taking your time. Two weeks allows you to explore several cities while avoiding the temptation to constantly move on to the next destination.
Sri Lanka : Cultural Triangle + Ella + South Coast
Ancient ruins, tea country, wildlife & beaches
Sri Lanka is one of the best destinations for a varied two-week trip. You can move from ancient temples and wildlife to misty tea plantations before finishing on the coast.
Perfect for: Wildlife, culture, hiking & beaches
Don’t miss: Sigiriya · Kandy · Ella · tea plantations · Yala · south coast
Why 14 days works: Sri Lanka is compact enough to create a varied itinerary, but journeys can take longer than they look on a map. Two weeks gives you enough time to explore without rushing from one stop to the next.
Madagascar : Wildlife, national parks & coast
Lemurs, rainforests & remote beaches
Madagascar is for travellers looking for something genuinely different. Its wildlife and landscapes are unlike anywhere else, from rainforest and national parks to spectacular coastlines.
Perfect for: Wildlife, nature, adventure & off-the-beaten-path travel
Don’t miss: Lemurs · national parks · baobabs · rainforest · Madagascar’s coast
Why 14 days works: Madagascar is challenging to explore quickly, with long journeys and limited transport connections. Two weeks gives you enough time to combine wildlife experiences with some of the country’s incredible landscapes without spending the entire trip in transit.
How to make 14 days work
Two weeks gives you much more freedom, but more time doesn’t mean you need to fill every day.
Make the journey worthwhile
For long-haul destinations, allow yourself time to settle in. The first and last days don’t need to be packed with sightseeing.
Don’t underestimate distances
Large countries can look deceptively manageable on a map. Research travel times before adding another destination to your route.
Build in slower days
A great two-week itinerary isn’t fourteen consecutive sightseeing days. Mix busy days with slower ones : a beach day, a long lunch, a scenic train journey or simply time to wander.
Choose experiences over checklists
Two weeks gives you the opportunity to go beyond the obvious highlights. Take a cooking class, hike through the mountains, spend a night somewhere special or simply stay somewhere long enough to get a feel for it.
Leave something for next time
You don’t need to see everything. The best two-week itinerary leaves you excited to come back.
Ready to go even further?
Two weeks can take you across an entire region. But with three weeks of annual leave, you can start thinking bigger. Combining countries, crossing huge landscapes and taking on the kind of journey that becomes a story you’ll tell for years.