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A common topic in IELTS Speaking is Holidays. This may include taking a vacation or celebrating a public or national holiday.
In this lesson, you will learn the vocabulary to talk about both kinds of holiday.
Table of Contents
IELTS Speaking Vocabulary: Holidays
Here is some useful vocabulary for this topic.
A holiday (UK) = a vacation (US)
- To go on holiday
- To take a holiday
- To be on holiday
A public holiday = a national celebration.
Collocations
- A bank holiday (UK)
- The holiday season
- A holiday destination
- The school holidays
- Go on a package holiday = everything is organised and included in one price
- Take a staycation = spend a holiday relaxing at home
When we talk about what we like to do on holiday we can use the following expressions:
I like to + verb (choice OR habits)
I like to travel abroad
I like to try the local food
I like to go camping
I like + verb (ing) (enjoy)
I like travelling abroad
I like visiting museums
I am fond of + verb (ing) (enjoy)
I’m fond of visiting museums
I’m fond of visiting the local bars
I’m fond of going camping
Go + verb (ing) (activities)
Go camping
Go swimming
Go hiking
Go sightseeing = visit the common touristic sites
Do some + verb (ing) (activities)
Do some sunbathing
Do some hiking
Do some reading
What to do on holiday
Here are some ideas on different activities people may do on holiday.
- I like to sunbathe
- I usually go sightseeing
- I visit the tourist sights
- I soak up the views = I take in / enjoy looking at the views
- I take a ton of (=a lot of) photos
- I chill out on the beach = relax, kick back, put my feet up
Adjectives to describe holidays
fun-filled, exciting, enjoyable
disastrous, terrible,
dream, ideal, perfect, unforgettable
10 things the British do on holiday
What do people from your country typically do on holiday?
Well, here are some ‘stereotypical‘ answers about what British people do on holiday.
Which of these do you also do? 😁
Leave a comment below and tell us about what you do on holiday.
- Complain about the heat
- Stay in the sun too long and get sunburnt on day one
- Steal shampoo and soaps from the hotel
- Start drinking some kind of alcohol as soon as you can
- Take a photo of yourself with a drink and post on Instagram as soon as possible
- Take 10 minutes to get into the pool (or sea) water
- Say how amazing it is the local people in the hotel can speak English
- Check out if their is a MacDonalds near the hotel
- Buy a T-shirt with “I love ____” on it
- ? (add your own answer)
IELTS Speaking Idioms to talk about holidays
To ‘relax‘ we can say,
- To take things easy
- To chill out
- To let my hair down
- To put my feet up
- To recharge my batteries
To get away from it all = to escape work and stress
It’s just what the doctor ordered = It’s just what I needed to feel better
To travel light = only take a few things
To get off the beaten path = to go less common touristic places – away from the crowds
To enjoy a sight / place we can say,
- To take in a few sights (tourist attractions)
- To soak up the view
To get up bright and early
You’ve taken everything but the kitchen sink = you’ve taken too many things (on holiday)
More Free Lessons
If you liked this lesson, leave a comment below!
There are more lessons you can follow in the links below too.
HABIT in IELTS Speaking. Vocabulary and idioms you need to describe your habits easily.
OLYMPICS in IELTS Speaking. Essential vocabulary and idioms to talk about Olympic events and athletes, as well as your feelings about them.
RELAXING in IELTS Speaking. How to talk about relaxing in your free time and during your holiday.
When I am on holiday, I’m fond of going hiking, going sightseeing, and dining out with my family. I love to plan these activities in advance and I feel very excited and delighted to spend time with them. Although these days I would not be able to go out and do lots of fun activities together with my family often like before, I try to find time to call them whenever I have a day off or holiday. I do look forward to having more holidays with my family.
Beautiful answer – well done!
When the kids were young we used to go camping by the sea. Now they have grown up, my husband and I enjoy going abroad to visit foreign countries. We appreciate taking our time wandering in the streets, meeting locals and discovering the local food.
Well, I am fond of ridding on bicicle, I like to go to the mountains and enjoy of the nature, the landscape, some waterfalls that I can find on the road and obviusly share with my family and friends.
I feel excited when i heard to plan vacation. Usually will plan at the end of year, in that trip like to visit sight seeing, taste local food and plan to visit architecture monuments. Utilise time in the trip with proper planning before start so the trip gives so much pleasure.
Actually, when I go on holiday a big part of my holiday is getting into meeting a local people, eating in local restaurant ,and trying all the local food and drink. I also love to visit historical museums and then find a nice place to chill out.
Hello!.this is Ayesha,now i am describe my holiday where are combined with various topic which always keep in my mind.I like to travel Cox’s Bazar longest beach in the world in there i m fond of searching new food near market,again with my visiting i really like to enjoy swiming after that i m fond of searching a seat do some reading my favourite book in front of sea,this is amaizing holiday
Candidly, to my eyes, holidays do definitely rhyme with chilling days. It goes without saying that the last couple of years weren’t overall encouraging to go abroad having a chunk of a disconnecting time seeing the circumstances. That said, staycation could well and good be a safe bet and a wise choice to discover new areas in my country which I’m sure there are quite a bunch of them that are heavenly. To be totally upfront with you, if I were going to choose one single activity that couldn’t be missed by me ,come what may, that would utterly be sunbathing by the sea and soaking up the view of it. I’m not gonna beat about the bush, the way I see it holidays are much needed to kind of blow off steam, and recharge my batteries for a brand new kick off aiming for a productive year.
hello!
i am a new person. i understand english a litte.
on holiday, i often go visiting persons povery behide my house. and help take care person old . of couse, i like to travel in italy. this is my dream but i can’t because i don’t have money. have a good day for you. thanks with my heart.
For the most part, on my holiday, i tend to go sightseeing during the summer time, and i do practise and build up my fluency with visitors who come from abroad in the high season, in fact i do so love killing two birds with one stone but at the same time i don’t have much chance to do it due to Covid 19.
On holidays, I usually do an out-of-town trip for 3 or 4 days to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. Before going, I make sure that I prepare an itinerary of the whole trip so I got to experience all the must-trys we can find in my destination but sometimes I also do it unplanned so I have something to look forward which makes me excited.
I always plan a vacation with my friends and family on holidays. This makes me relaxed and peaceful. When i go away from fast pace city life, this rejuvenates me also. And the most important is that after holidays, I would be able to focus more on work.
Me too, I like t improvise a bit.
I like to have a get together with my family. I’m also fond of doing some reading.
Sounds perfect to me!
On holiday, I like to get together with my family. We usually host Thanksgiving. I am fond of trying new recipes. I made sweet potato casserole last time, which was very sweet. Some of the guests didn’t fancy it. I personally liked the dish but probably won’t make it again. After dinner, we always do some board games. My favorites are Pictionary and Taboo. My husband loves Trivia Pursuit but none of us wants to play because he always wins.
I’m living in the country that have summer all year around. So during my holiday time I like to travel to cold places where I can do snowman and go snowboarding with friends. I’m not fond of spending time on the beach on holidays as for me it’s a basic daily activities.
Makes sense – we all want something different from the norm. Note: ‘make a snowman’
Well, to be totally up front, when I go on holiday I both need to recharge my batteries and have a little bit of fun. As I’m very fond of enjoying the nightlife, sometimes it could be difficult to chill out completely….That said, I love to be on holiday because I can take the weight off my mind, at least.
In addition to this, I dabble in getting a tan, swimming in the sea, but also finding out some hidden gems off the beaten track.
P.S. I also try to avoid buying something in a lot of tourist traps! :))))
Me too, I steer away from tourist traps! Just note: ‘to dabble in’, is usually with an activity that involves some movement (e.g. painting, cooking). I wouldn’t say ‘dabble in getting a tan’. Just say, I like to get a tan.
For me, I like to spend on holidays in a charming environment with my friends and fond of playing guitter and try on new creative melodies and enjoying individually as a team.
Hi .ok I am a little bit confused cause it’s my first comment I’m a new member. Going to the beach is my favorite activity during holidays. I like eating outside and enjoying every moment with my family .
Perfect – thanks for contributing!
To be honest, I have itchy feet, and taking a holiday to a new place outside my city hometown (Hanoi, Vietnam) to get new experiences and make friends with new people always attracts me. For activities, I’m into going sightseeing around stunning landscapes, taking a stroll on the beach at the crack of dawn, or thing like that, on my own, and of course, taking photos is my cup of tea. For me, capturing moments through the lens is a way to preserve my memories, cultivating my own mental health. 😀
By the way, just coming up with in my mind, Venice, Italy is one of my dream destinations listed on my bucket list. Hoping that I can go there someday, even though I am still on my tight budget because of being a student :((
‘I have itchy feet’ – love it! 😁
I hope make it to Venice one day, it is beautiful (although a little crowded)
What I like the most about holidays is that I can have quality time with my family . We can travel abroad together into new countries to enjoy and learn about their cultures or we can simply spend our vacation in the village where we can go hiking or camping.
Great!
I would like to watch movies on my holidays
Which ones will you watch this summer?
I like travelling, so on holidays my first preference is to travel and visit different places. I would say our holidays are spontaneous always, pack a bag and we are ready to go, that much we love to explore
Lovely, that’s the way I love to travel too!
On holidays I love to go on camping in Himalayas…
Great: Note – go camping (without ‘on’)
I am fond of adventure parks so I usually go to theme parks.
Sounds like fun!
I feel excited when i heard to plan vacation. Usually will plan at the end of year, in that trip like to visit sight seeing, taste local food and plan to visit architecture monuments. Utilise time in the trip with proper planning before start so the trip gives so much pleasure.
Sometimes, the planning is as much fun as the holiday!
It is a very valuable topic.
We can enjoy dz lesson hole time
Great kieth lets meet tomorrow on live
See you Thursday!
Can’t wait to see you again
I always visit my parent during the holiday season
Holidays are one of the best ways to rejuvenate ourselves.
Well, I am a kind of person who is engrossed in work all the time but somehow I managed to schedule some downtime for myself to go on a road trip with my family and friends during holidays. As an avid traveller, I like to stop by and soak up the sights. Moreover, I also like to catch up with my old childhood friends and hang out with them in any nearby coffee shops.
‘soak up the sights’ – love it! 😁
Nice: note, ‘parent’ would usually be plural ‘parents’. If it is just one, I would say ‘father’ or ‘mother’
Well, to tell u the truth, I have a lot of plates spinning that’s y I couldn’t able to kill more time with my friends and family. however, whenever I got time I tried to go on vacation in order to kick back and chill out. Apart from this, I m really into holidays. Since, it provides us a plethora of opportunities to travel not only to your favorite spots but also curbs your appetite of taking marvelous pictures as I m fond of going sightseeing, camping which help me to unwind myself and let my hair down. even though, it’s always been a fascinating experience as by going for hiking as it assist me to blow off steam since my donkey’s years. On top of that, I m a foody person too and I eat like a rainbow, and serene and ambience environment of different sorts of places really caught my eyes whenever I just bumped into a picturesque and exotic restaurant away from the hustle-bustle of the city. By and large, being able to have fun once in a while with my parents makes me deliriously happy and destress myself.
It’s a great answer. My only comment is I think your slight over-use of idiomatic expressions, makes your speech sound a bit poetic (I am thinking especially of the sentence about being a foodie). In IELTS Speaking, I would use fewer idioms to make it more natural. Overall, great English – well done!
On holiday I usually spend my time with my kids.