UK workers are sitting on 199 million days of unused holiday, travel experts share where to spend it this autumn

September 2026: As the days quietly shorten, the UK is gearing up for its darkest, greyest months, with UK Google searches for "when do the clocks go back" soaring 582% in the past month.

But despite the blues that come with the annual seasonal slump, Wild Frontiers is flipping the script. Rather than treating autumn and winter as something to endure, the adventure travel specialist is urging workers to treat the season as exactly the moment to book time off - starting with the millions of paid holiday days already sitting unused. 

It comes as new research has found the average UK employee finishes their leave year with seven days of paid holiday still on the table. Across the UK's 30.3 million payrolled employees, that adds up to as many as 199 million days of paid time off going unused this year, time that could be spent somewhere far removed from the UK's darkest months.* 

To help make the most of them, the travel experts have rounded up the adventures to book in destinations hitting their peak season, just as the UK hits its lowest.

Clare Tobin, CEO at Wild Frontiers, says: "Paid holiday going unused isn't just a workplace statistic, it's 200 million missed chances to properly switch off, and most of them are being lost at exactly the time of year we need them most. As the UK heads into autumn and winter, when energy dips and motivation is hardest to find, that leave is one of the most effective tools people have for genuinely resetting, and it's already paid for.

"Spent well, it's a chance to do something genuinely different: to trade a grey commute for somewhere the light, culture and pace of life are the complete opposite of home. Adventure travel in particular gives people something a beach holiday often can't, a real sense of immersion and achievement, which is a far more effective reset than a week spent close to home. These destinations are proof that autumn and winter don't have to mean months of hibernation." 

Destinations having their best season while the UK has its worst

Japan

October and November mark Japan's koyo season, when maple trees turn from green to deep red and gold in a wave that moves south from Hokkaido to Kyushu over several weeks. Average autumn temperatures sit between 10 and 18°C, cool and dry rather than wet, with the clearest air of the year making it peak season for photography as much as travel.

Wild Frontiers’ Japan: Land of the Samurai tour

• 13 days, from £6,825
• Autumn Colours departures: 6–18 October 2026 and 9–21 November 2026

Travelling from Tokyo through the mountains of central Japan to the UNESCO-listed villages of Shirakawa-go and the temples of Kyoto, Wild Frontiers’ small-group Land of the Samurai tour is timed to catch the country's autumn colour at its peak. Highlights include a stay in a traditional ryokan with private onsen, a visit to the former samurai quarter of Kanazawa, and two days walking the ancient Kumano Kodo pilgrim trail.

Bhutan

October is Bhutan's driest and clearest month of the year, when the monsoon has cleared and the Himalayan peaks are visible in full for the first time in months. Daytime temperatures typically sit between 15 and 20°C, and the month also coincides with the country's largest tshechu festivals, when masked dances fill monastery courtyards across the kingdom.

Wild Frontiers’ Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon

• 13 days, from £4,895
• Autumn/winter departures: 22 Oct–3 Nov 2026 (Jambay Lhakhang Drup Tsechu), 19 Nov–1 Dec 2026 (Jambay Lhakhang Singe Cham Tsechu), 21 Dec 2026–2 Jan 2027 (Christmas Departure)

Travelling through the Phobjikha and Bumthang valleys to Punakha and Paro, Wild Frontiers’ Land of the Thunder Dragon  tour combines Bhutan's dramatic mountain scenery with its living festival culture, timed so departures coincide with genuine, centuries-old tsechus rather than staged performances. Highlights include the hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery, a homestay with locally brewed ara, and the chance to witness masked dances performed for local communities rather than tourists.

Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan

While the UK's skies stay the same shade of grey for weeks on end, Uzbekistan's winter delivers some of the clearest light of the year. As the summer heat and spring/autumn crowds disappear, cold, dry air settles over the Silk Road, sharpening the turquoise tilework of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva against a bright winter sky. It's a version of the region few travellers see: quiet courtyards, empty madrassas, and centuries-old architecture without a tour group in sight.

Wild Frontiers’ Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan: Cities of the Silk Road

• 15 days, from £4,175
• 23 Dec 2026 - 6 Jan 2027 (winter routing departure)

Travelling through the Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva before crossing into Turkmenistan, Wild Frontiers’ Cities of the Silk Road small-group tour is timed to show off the region's UNESCO architecture under clear winter light. Highlights include ancient Merv and the surreal Darvaza Gas Crater, alongside the region's centuries-old madrassas and mosques, seen without the peak-season crowds.

Algeria

Winter is peak season for the Sahara, when daytime temperatures cool to a more manageable 20 to 25°C compared to the extreme heat of summer. Clear desert air and minimal light pollution also make it prime season for stargazing, with the region regularly cited among the world's best conditions for viewing the night sky.

Wild Frontiers' Algeria: Crossroads of the Maghreb

• 12 days, from £3,095

Travelling from Algiers through Roman ruins at Djemila and Timgad to the UNESCO-listed M'Zab Valley and the red desert city of Timimoun, Wild Frontiers’ Algeria: Crossroads of the Maghreb tour combines Algeria's Mediterranean coast, Atlas Mountains and Sahara in one journey. Every autumn and winter departure for 2026 has already sold out, a sign of how quickly interest in the destination is growing, with 2027 dates now live for anyone keen to book ahead.

Ends

Editors notes

Methodology

Google search data was collected via Glimpse for the search terms "when do the clocks go back" (+582%) looking at UK Google searches over the past month. Data is correct as of 22/09/2026.

*HR Review (2026) UK workers leave around 199 million days of paid holiday unused

About Wild Frontiers:  

Wild Frontiers is a B Corp award-winning adventure travel company, founded in 1998 by travel writer Jonny Bealby. They specialise in immersive small group tours and unique tailor-made trips worldwide. Wild Frontiers believes sustainable and community-focused travel can be a powerful force for good; breaking down barriers, dispelling myths and bringing people from different cultures and communities together.  

From the ancient heritage of the Silk Road to the foothills of Pakistan, Wild Frontiers are experts in off-the-beaten-track travel and draw on their extensive local knowledge and array of contacts to give travellers the best experience possible. They are firm believers that travelling is all about the experience, and the beauty is in the details – the places you stay, the transport and route that gets you there, and the people you meet along the way. 

Press contact: wildfrontiers@lemongrassmarketing.com