Last Minute Holidays 2026

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Bag some top deals on last minute holidays

Just like Zara Larson said... Summer isn't over yet, we've still got plenty of August holidays for you to sink your teeth into that'll truly have you feeling like a never-ending midnight sun kinda vibe. We're all about the cheap and the cheerful at On the Beach, so why don't you sneak a peek at some of our top deals, handpicked by our besties in the Supply team to make sure you finish your Summer with a splash.

Discount on hotel price only. Available on selected accommodation, room types, board basis, travel and booking windows. Subject to availability and booking conditions apply. Prices are dynamic and subject to change.

Last minute holidays 2026

So your calendar's clear, your passport's in date, and the weather forecast back home looks like a soggy crime drama. Sounds like the perfect time for a last minute holiday. Whether you're after a week of all-inclusive bliss in Tenerife, a family fortnight in Majorca, or a cheeky city break to Barcelona, late deals mean lower prices and zero months of countdown anxiety. Win-win.

Last minute holidays are the spontaneous ones, the "let's just go" ones, the "I saw the deal and I'd already packed before I finished reading" ones. And right now in 2026, the deals are properly good. Flights, hotel, transfers, the lot, sorted in one click. No faffing, no separate tabs, no "I'll look into it later." Later is now.

Last minute holidays to...

Last minute deals...

Can't decide if you wanna jet off like... right this second, or if you wanna give it a week or two to get the essentials? Well, why not take a nosy at our holiday breakdowns below? There's no right time to go on your 2026 holidays anyway, so chuck out the rule book and bag the jolly that's gonna take you from home to away as quick as you like. Don't say we don't do anything for ya 😘.

Last minute holidays guide

Everyone has that moment. You look at the weather app, see seven straight days of cloud and drizzle, and think: "Actually, why am I still here?" The weather on holiday though? Always banging.... So a last minute holiday is the answer. Skip the months of planning, the spreadsheet of options, the group chat that never reaches a decision. You just book it and go.

The "last minute" window typically means two to six weeks before your departure date. That is the window where airlines and hotels are most keen to fill remaining seats and rooms, which is exactly why the prices drop. The real last minute bookings, within 14 days of departure, can still throw up absolute belters, but you will need to be flexible on where you end up. And honestly, that is half the fun.

What is a Last Minute Holiday?

A last minute holiday is generally defined as a trip booked between 2 to 6 weeks before the departure date.

Once upon a time, this meant booking literally days before you fly, but the industry has moved on a bit since then. Today, the "last minute window" is often:

Best Price Window: 2 to 4 weeks before departure.
True Last Minute: Within 14 days of departure.

So, what are we waiting for? Time is ticking...

How to find the best last minute holiday deals

Flexibility is the magic ingredient. The more open you are on dates, destinations, and airports, the cheaper it gets. A Tuesday departure instead of a Friday one can shave serious money off the total. Flying from a regional airport (Birmingham, Manchester, East Midlands, Bristol, Belfast, Dublin) instead of defaulting to Heathrow or Gatwick can save you enough for a week's worth of poolside cocktails.

Here are a few tricks that actually work:

Go midweek Flights departing Tuesday to Thursday are consistently cheaper than weekend departures. Combine that with a Sunday return and you have got yourself a bargain.
Be destination-flexible Set your heart on "somewhere sunny" rather than a specific resort and you will find deals you would never have spotted otherwise. Greece, Turkey, the Canary Islands, the Balearics, they are all fighting for your booking, and that competition is your friend.
Book the package Booking flights, hotel and transfers together with us as a package almost always works out cheaper than piecing it together yourself. Plus you get package protection and the peace of mind that someone else has done the logistics.

The Best Time to Book a Last Minute Holiday

Now, this is by no means an exact science, but our team are expert holiday bargain hunters. And trust us, we've seen enough sales launched and analysed enough data that we think they know their stuff.

Late Evenings: Some deals are released late at night, often between 10 PM and 1 AM. Grab that laptop, and maybe a coffee for this one.
The 2-Week Mark: If you are genuinely flexible and happy to go wherever the deal takes you, the 7-to-14-day window can produce the cheapest prices of all. Hotels would rather sell a room at a discount than leave it empty, and that logic works very much in your favour.
Just before Payday: Counter-intuitively, prices can sometimes spike just after the end of the month when more people have money to spend. Searching a few days before the month-end can result in a pretty sweet savings.

Trending last minute holiday destinations

So you know you want a holiday, like, right now - just don't know where? Don't worry. We've been there, done that, got the T-shirt tan lines to prove it. Whether you're keeping it classic with one of our stunning Greece holidays to somewhere like Crete, splashing out along the Amalfi Coast, or sticking to a tried and true fave and hitting up the Canaries, your next holiday is only a few clicks away...

Say Yes to Morocco

Whether you're planning a family adventure, a couples' escape or a sunshine-filled getaway with friends, Be Live Collection Marrakech, Be Live Experience Marrakech Palmeraie and Sol Oasis Marrakech are fantastic choices for a package holiday. Standout perks include the elegant adults-only atmosphere at Be Live Collection Marrakech, the action-packed kids' facilities at Be Live Experience Marrakech Palmeraie, and Sol Oasis Marrakech's stylish, modern design with its impressive lagoon-style pool. 🌊🌞🍹

Last minute holidays to suit everyone

So, you've decided a last-minute getaway is for you. But, have you decided who's coming? Is it time to arrange the kennels... and the babysitters? And, more importantly, where to? Take a look below for some of our top recommendations.

Last minute city breaks

Two nights, three flights of stairs to a rooftop bar, and zero regrets. City breaks are the easiest last minute trips to pull off because you barely need any annual leave. A long weekend to Prague, Krakow, Rome, Paris, or Amsterdam can be booked on Monday and lived by Friday. Short flights from airports across the UK & Ireland, no transfers to worry about (just jump in a taxi or on the metro), and enough culture, food, and cocktails to feel like a proper holiday even if it is only 48 hours. The deals on city breaks tend to be especially good at short notice because hotels in big cities have constant turnover and plenty of rooms to fill.

Last minute family holidays

Got a cheeky half-term coming up and wondering how you're going to keep the kids entertained for a week? We've got a few ideas... Well, one big one. Kids love surprises, and nothing says SURPRISE like one of our last minute family holidays. Plus, it means there won't be any distractions or weeks of "how long until we go on holiday?!" to put up with. It's a win-win for everyone!

Last minute couples holidays

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a relationship is book a flight with 48 hours' notice and leave the laptop at home. Last minute couples holidays work brilliantly because the spontaneity is half the romance, nobody needs three months to plan a week of poolside cocktails and long dinners. Crete and Rhodes are gorgeous for couples who want taverna evenings and quiet beaches without the full honeymoon price tag. The Algarve delivers sunset cliff walks and seafood restaurants where you will spend less on a three-course dinner than a takeaway back home. For something more indulgent, Dubai does luxury at short notice better than anywhere, and adults-only resorts in Cape Verde and Tenerife mean guaranteed peace and quiet. If you are celebrating something special and the budget stretches, the Maldives on a last minute deal is the kind of holiday you talk about for years.

Last minute beach breaks

Told you we'd get to them. Whether you've been uhming and ahhing about a Thailand holiday, thinking about jetting off to Egypt, or you've been eyeing up one of our epic Portugal holidays (good choices, by the way), a last minute beach holiday is always a good idea. We don't know about you, but we're always in the mood to swap our office commute for a flight to somewhere sunny. If you've had it up to here (pretend we're holding our hand really high) with unpredictable weather forecasts and mundane routines, then one of our beach holidays is calling your name. Pack your flip-flops.

Cheap last minute holidays 2026

When it comes to holidays, the best holidays aren't always the ones with the biggest price tag (Jessie J taught us well), which is why we've hand-picked this mix of budget-friendly and three-star hotels in some really popular destinations, so you can snap up a cheap holiday deal without having to wait 'til next summer to jet off!

The cheapest last minute destinations right now tend to be Turkey, Bulgaria, mainland Spain (especially Benidorm and the Costa del Sol), Tunisia, and the Canary Islands. These are destinations where your money stretches furthest on the ground too: meals, drinks, excursions, all of it costs a fraction of what you would pay closer to home.

How to keep your last minute holiday cheap

Go all-inclusive It sounds counterintuitive (all-inclusive packages seem pricier upfront), but for a last minute booking they are often the cheapest option per day when you factor in food, drinks, and entertainment. No surprise restaurant bills, no "how much was that round?" conversations. A week of all-inclusive in Turkey or the Canaries can cost less than a self-catering week in the Algarve once you have added meals and drinks.
Travel light on luggage If the deal includes hand luggage only, get yourself a vacuum bag and take it. Packing light saves on baggage fees and gets you through the airport faster. A holiday wardrobe of swimwear, shorts, and a couple of evening outfits is all you need anyway.
Choose three-star hotels The secret the travel industry would rather you did not know: a well-reviewed three-star hotel in the right location often beats a tired four-star on the outskirts. Check the guest reviews, look at the photos, and do not automatically upgrade when the three-star is getting 4.5 stars from actual guests.

Cheap last minute beach holidays

For a budget beach week that still feels like a proper holiday, the best bets are Benidorm (huge choice of hotels, great nightlife, reliable weather), Sunny Beach in Bulgaria (some of the cheapest all-inclusive deals in Europe), the Costa del Sol (Torremolinos and Fuengirola in particular), and Antalya in Turkey (five-star all-inclusive for three-star prices). Cape Verde and Egypt are excellent options too if you want guaranteed heat and a slightly different vibe.

Cheap last minute family holidays

Family holidays on a budget are absolutely doable at short notice. The destinations that deliver best for families watching the pennies are the Canary Islands (kids fly free or heavily discounted on many deals), Majorca (enormous range of family-friendly hotels at every price point), and Turkey (all-inclusive family deals where the kids eat, drink, and play for free). Look for hotels with kids' clubs and waterparks included, they keep the daily entertainment costs at zero and the kids entertained while you read your book by the pool.

Last minute Canaries holidays

The spontaneous urge to drop everything and jet off to somewhere scorchio is REAL. Especially when it's grey, drizzly and downright miserable back home. (Which, let's face it, sums up about 85% of the year.) Enter: Canary Island holidays. Why? Because, like Jennifer Aniston, these islands are completely timeless and always hot. (Oh, come on, we all want to age like that don't we?).

It doesn't matter what the calendar's saying - January blues, April showers, soggy September - we (and the Canaries) are here to save the day 🦸🏻 You could be slurping sangria on the seafront on one of our Fuerteventura holidays, hiking (well, strolling) around national parks on a holiday to Tenerife, or lazing on a beach somewhere in Lanzarote, like a true professional lounger.

The point is, the sun's always shining 'round these parts (they literally have more daylight hours than anywhere else in Europe - no biggie). Don't believe us? Just take a look at the weather in Tenerife! So even if it's lashing down outside your window right now, you could be sunbathing as early as next week. Sound good? 😎

Last minute Greece holidays

Greece holidays are so laidback they're practically horizontal on a lounger with a cheeky cocktail in hand... That kinda laidback. Sound like a bit of you? Maybe it already is you, we aren't psychic (wouldn't that be cool though!) We're getting ahead of ourselves though, we're here to chat the super-swanky hotels you're gonna be snapping up. That, and eating mountains of feta for breakfast, lunch and dinner, because...well, when in Greece 🤷🏻

Speaking of when, you could be doing all of that (and a few other things) ASAP with these late holiday deals. Next week just got a whole lot brighter. Ready to ascend to the acropolis in Athens? Stroll the streets of Santorini like you're the star of your own travel doc? Or tuck into tzatziki in Halkidiki so fresh, you'll start questioning if you've been eating it wrong your whole life? (Spoiler alert: you have.) These feta-filled dreams are real, folks - time to go live 'em 😍

Last minute holidays to Turkey

Turkey holidays? More like Turkey holi-yays. Think rooftop cocktails in Istanbul, turquoise coastlines in Dalaman that are basically a screensaver IRL, and hammams in Bodrum so steamy you’ll forget what stress even is. Whether you're bazaar-hopping in Antalya or riding a hot-air balloon in Cappadocia, you’re in for sun, sea and more baklava than your nan would approve of (but hey, she’s not here 👀).

And the best part? You could be doing all of that quicker than you can say "Efes, please." Yep – these last-minute Turkey deals are hotter than a beachfront BBQ in July. We’re talking golden beaches, ancient ruins, and hotel breakfasts that are 80% pastry and 100% delicious. So, pack light (you’ll live in swimwear anyway), and get ready to live your best spontaneously-sunny life. Your Turkish delight awaits 😍

Last minute Balearics holidays

The Balearics are basically the cheat code of last-minute holidays. Just two hours on a plane and you're on an island with white sand, warm sea and a cold beer waiting for you. Majorca is the all-rounder - Alcudia for families, Magaluf for groups who want the nightlife cranked up, and Palma for couples after rooftop bars and tapas in the old town. Menorca is the quieter sibling - turquoise coves, gin distilleries and a pace of life that makes your shoulders drop the moment you land. And Ibiza? You already know. Clubs, beach bars, sunsets at Café del Mar - but also a surprisingly chilled north coast if you know where to look.

Flights are about 2-2.5 hours, the weather's gorgeous from May through October, and you can island-hop between all three on the ferry. Last-minute deals pop up regularly, especially outside peak club season (July-August) and during the shoulder months when the beaches are quieter but the sun's still scorchio. Grab one of these and you could be there by the weekend 🏝️☀️🍹

Last minute five star holidays

It's giving boujee. It's giving indulgence. It's giving fancier than a Mr Kipling cake. If you're in the mood for dialling up the luxury, then feast your eyes on these showstoppers. We're talking swanky rooms that scream top-tier comfort, five-star restaurants that'll have you feeling like a celeb (minus all the drama), and more pools than you'll know what to do with. We recommend swimming, though.

Ready to dive into some beachy goodness in the next couple of weeks? We thought so. That sand and sea isn't going to enjoy itself. What're you waiting for? Your five-star holiday awaits, so grab your sunnies (and the Factor 50) ☀️

Our Top Tip!

We love those spontaneous, 'let's just go' kind of holidays, but if you're more of a plan-in-advance kinda person, then you can still do some prep work to make your trip go as smoothly as poss. We're not saying ditch the spontaneity altogether, but if you know you want to jet off soonish, it's a good time to start checking you have everything you need - your passport in date, sun cream, those little plastic containers for your toiletries. Y'know. All the stuff that screams HOLIDAY. If you gradually tick everything off before you book, you'll have zero running about to do before you go. Perfecto!

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FAQs for 2026 holidays

Because we're the Last Minute Holidays UK Online Travel Agent of the Year... Well, that's what we like to call ourselves anyway, because believe us, we know a thing or two about last minute holidays - just ask our boss. But also, we take care of all the bits and bobs like ATOL protection and keeping your money secure in our trust account, so you can always book with confidence. Like, more confidence than Beyoncé. Which is a lot. Plus, we've got flexible payment options, so no matter where you're off to, you can pay your way. AND, we're the Home of Holiday Perks - which basically means we go out of our way to make sure your jolly has that little something *extra* (without the extra cost). Thank us later. Or whenever you want to, really. We'll still be here.

Yes and no. Booking a holiday last minute can result in securing a bargain. Airlines are desperate to fill their planes, so if they have lots of seats still available near to the departure date then they may significantly reduce the cost of these in order to fill the plane. The same is true for hotel rooms. So, if you're flexible about where you want to go, then you can secure a great holiday at a low price last minute. Imagine the school holiday savings. Right now, we've got last minute places at hotels in Spain, Turkey and even further afield if you're feelin' fancy. Last minute holiday to Jamaica, anyone?

If, however, you have a specific destination in mind and/or specific dates you want to go, then you are generally much better off booking as early as possible. This way you secure the holiday and can also benefit from early booking discounts.

As with many things, flight pricing fluctuates based on supply and demand, so it’s not always clear cut which day is the cheapest to fly. But generally speaking, Tuesdays are the cheapest day to fly. If we are talking weekend flights only, Sundays are the cheapest day to jet away.

On the other side of the coin, Fridays are typically the most expensive day to fly.

It all depends on how flexible you can be. If you can be extremely flexible on your destination and hotel, then it is probably best to book just a couple of days before departure, nabbing the last couple of seats on a plane and the last available room in a hotel.

It couldn't be simpler! Start by taking a good ol' look at the deals on this page (they're at the top in case you missed them). We update these regularly with some of our best deals about so you're sure to bag a bargain here. And, if none of those tickle your fancy then scroll on up to the search bar, tell us where you want to go, fill in the date and who you want to go with and hit that search button - we'll do the rest!

We consider lastminute holidays to be booking anytime within a month of departure, depending how spontaneous you're feeling!

For a last minute long-haul holiday, we recommend somewhere chilled and beachy that doesn't require much pre-planning. A flop-and-drop in the Caribbean, like Mexico or the Dominican Republic. The great thing about these guys is their tropical climate too, so even if you're craving a getaway in winter, you're pretty much guaranteed scorchio weather over there.

Emirates like Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah are also great choices if you're in the mood for something a bit more boujee. Because who said you can't do lastminute holidays in luxury?

Before you get carried away (we don't blame you), there are a couple of things worth checking first. Your passport needs to be valid for at least three months after your return date for most European destinations, and six months for long-haul spots like Turkey, Dubai and the Caribbean. If you're eyeing up a Florida holiday or anywhere else in the US, you'll also need an ESTA — which can take up to 72 hours to process, so don't leave it to the airport. Travel insurance is another one to sort sharpish, especially for last-minute trips where you might not have time to rearrange if something goes wrong. Once all that's ticked off though? You're golden. Get booking. Or book first and whack those straight on the to-do list. 😎

You can, yeah. We've got deals departing within the next 7-14 days across loads of destinations. The key thing is flexibility - if you're open on where you go and which airport you fly from, you'll find more options at better prices. Have a look at the deals at the top of this page for the latest availability, or use the search bar and set your dates to the next couple of weeks to see what comes up.

Majorca, Menorca and the Canary Islands are brilliant for last-minute family holidays. Short flight times (2-4 hours), reliable weather, calm beaches and a big range of family-friendly hotels with pools and kids' clubs. Turkey is another top pick if you want all-inclusive with waterslides and entertainment included. For families with older kids or teens, Greece islands like Crete and Rhodes have a great mix of beaches, culture and things to do.

Yes, and they are some of the best deals on the site. All-inclusive holidays are where last minute booking really shines because hotels with unsold all-inclusive packages are especially keen to fill them. Turkey is the king of last minute all-inclusive, Antalya and Dalaman in particular, where five-star all-inclusive deals regularly appear at three-star prices. The Canary Islands, Greece (especially Crete and Rhodes), and Egypt are all strong for all-inclusive at short notice too. The price includes flights, hotel, meals, drinks, and often entertainment, so you know exactly what the holiday costs before you go.

The Greek islands are hard to beat for a romantic last minute escape, Crete and Rhodes especially, where you can find boutique hotels, quiet beaches, and taverna dinners for two that cost less than a round of drinks back home. The Algarve is another strong couples pick, with sunset cliff walks and seafood restaurants everywhere you look. For something more indulgent, Dubai does luxury short breaks brilliantly and Cape Verde has some excellent adults-only resorts. If the budget stretches and availability lines up, the Maldives on a last minute deal is the kind of holiday you will be talking about for years.

More great deals

Looking for more inspiration? Browse our cheap holidays for the latest deals, check out our all-inclusive holidays for everything-sorted packages, or see where's hot in September for a full temperature breakdown by destination.

Whether you're looking for a last minute beach break or planning ahead for the summer hols, like a big friendly towel when you're changing at the beach, we've got you covered.

*prices correct as of 10:00 on 29/07/2026, refreshed weekly.