IELTS Vocabulary for Travel and Holidays
Travel and holidays come up constantly across the Speaking test: Part 1 almost always includes questions about holidays or travel habits, several common Part 2 cue cards ask you to describe a place you visited, and Part 3 often pushes into broader themes like tourism’s effect on local economies or the environment. It also appears regularly in Writing Task 2 essays about tourism, globalisation, or the environment.
Examiners listening for Lexical Resource on this topic want more than the word “nice.” They notice whether you can move beyond “very good,” “very beautiful,” and “very tired” into collocations that native speakers actually use together, such as “soak up the atmosphere” or “off the beaten track,” and whether you can talk about the downsides of travel, like overtourism, as naturally as the upsides.
The most common mistakes here are repeating “very [adjective]” for every description, translating a fixed phrase directly from another language so it sounds unnatural in English, and reaching for a rare, “impressive” word that doesn’t actually collocate with the noun it’s paired with. Precision and natural pairing matter more than rarity.
Where this topic comes up
- Part 1Warm-up questions about your own life — “Do you prefer travelling alone or with other people?”, and four more below.
- Part 2A two-minute turn on a card such as Describe a place you visited that you would recommend to others, Describe a quiet place where you like to spend time, Describe a natural place you have visited.
- Part 3The abstract follow-ups, where precision counts most — “Does tourism do more harm than good to popular destinations?”.
- Writing Task 2Essay questions on travel and holidays reward exactly the same phrases — a collocation you can say is one you can write.
Instead of… say…
Same idea, sharper words. The left column is what most candidates reach for first; the right is what an examiner hears as precise.
| Instead of | Say |
|---|---|
| a very nice place | a breathtaking spota stronger, more specific adjective |
| it was very crowded | it was packed with touristsa natural collocation instead of "very" |
| I want to see new things | I want to broaden my horizonsidiomatic and precise about the motivation |
| the trip was tiring | the trip took its toll on mea natural phrase examiners credit as less common |
| we planned everything before we went | we planned the trip down to the last detailadds precision without extra grammar risk |
| it is a place tourists like | it is a hidden gemidiomatic, specific to travel contexts |
| I like to relax on holiday | I like to unwind on holidaymore natural verb, avoids repeating "relax" |
| the flight was very long | the flight was a real sloginformal but natural spoken register |
Phrases by band
Each phrase comes with what it means and one sentence you could actually say. Learn the sentence, not the word on its own.
Band 6 essentials
Clear, correct, common. These carry a whole answer without sounding rehearsed.
-
go sightseeing
collocationto visit famous or interesting places as a tourist
On the first day we usually just go sightseeing around the old town.
-
pack my bags
collocationto prepare belongings for a trip
I always pack my bags the night before an early flight.
-
book a hotel
collocationto reserve accommodation in advance
We always book a hotel near the beach so we can walk everywhere.
-
local cuisine
collocationthe traditional food of a particular place
Trying the local cuisine is honestly my favourite part of any trip.
-
tourist attraction
collocationa place that visitors go to see
The old castle is the main tourist attraction in that town.
-
go abroad
collocationto travel to a foreign country
My family didn't go abroad much when I was a child.
-
take a break
collocationto rest or have time off from routine
We just wanted to take a break from work and do nothing for a week.
-
culture shock
wordconfusion from experiencing an unfamiliar culture
I got a bit of culture shock when I first landed in Tokyo.
-
travel light
collocationto bring only a small amount of luggage
I always try to travel light so I'm not dragging huge suitcases around.
-
get away
phrasal verbto leave routine life for a short trip
Sometimes you just need to get away from the city for a weekend.
Band 7 collocations
Words that belong together. This is where lexical resource starts to separate a 6 from a 7.
-
off the beaten track
idiomaway from the usual tourist places
We found a tiny fishing village that was well off the beaten track.
-
soak up the atmosphere
collocationto fully experience the mood of a place
I like to sit in a café and just soak up the atmosphere for a while.
-
home comforts
collocationfamiliar comforts of home that are missed while travelling
After two weeks backpacking, I really missed my home comforts.
-
set off
phrasal verbto begin a journey
We set off before sunrise to beat the traffic out of the city.
-
touristy
wordoverly aimed at tourists, often in a negative sense
The main square felt a bit too touristy for my taste.
-
budget for a trip
collocationto plan how much money a trip will cost
We always budget for a trip months in advance so it doesn't feel rushed.
-
rough it
idiomto live without usual comforts while travelling
On that camping trip we had to rough it without proper showers for days.
-
itinerary
worda planned schedule for a journey
Our itinerary was so packed that we barely had time to relax.
-
get away from it all
idiomto escape completely from everyday pressures
I booked the cabin because I just wanted to get away from it all.
-
culturally immersive
collocationallowing deep involvement in a local culture
Staying with a local family made the trip far more culturally immersive.
-
run-of-the-mill
idiomordinary and unremarkable
The hotel was fine, but honestly quite run-of-the-mill compared to the reviews.
-
whet my appetite for travel
collocationto increase desire to travel more
That first solo trip really whet my appetite for travel.
Band 8 precision
Precise, and often idiomatic. Use one where it genuinely fits, never as decoration.
-
a breathtaking spot
collocationan extremely beautiful location
The viewpoint over the valley was honestly a breathtaking spot at sunset.
-
steeped in history
collocationdeeply associated with a long, rich history
The old quarter is steeped in history, with buildings dating back centuries.
-
a stone's throw from
idiomvery close to something
Our apartment was a stone's throw from the beach, which was ideal.
-
overtourism
wordexcessive numbers of tourists damaging a place
Local guides say overtourism has genuinely changed that old town.
-
unspoiled scenery
collocationnatural landscape that remains unspoiled by development
We hiked for hours through completely unspoiled scenery with no other tourists in sight.
-
a whistle-stop tour
idioma very quick visit covering many places briefly
We only had two days, so it ended up being a whistle-stop tour of the capital.
-
rejuvenating getaway
collocationa trip that restores energy and wellbeing
After a stressful year, we needed a genuinely rejuvenating getaway somewhere quiet.
-
cultural immersion
collocationdeep involvement in experiencing another culture
Living with a host family gave us real cultural immersion rather than a surface visit.
Test yourself
8 sentences from the examples above, with the phrase taken out. Pick the phrase that belongs in the gap — press 1–4 or tap.
Question 1 of 8
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Practise it out loud
A phrase you have only read is not yet yours. Answer these aloud and count how many of the phrases above you actually reach for.
Part 1 questions
- Do you prefer travelling alone or with other people?
- How often do you go on holiday?
- What kind of places do you like to visit?
- Do you prefer travelling by plane, train, or car?
- Is it better to plan a trip in detail or travel spontaneously?
Part 3 questions
- Does tourism do more harm than good to popular destinations?
- How has budget travel changed the way people take holidays?
- Why do some people prefer package holidays over independent travel?
- What effect does tourism have on local economies?
- Will virtual travel ever replace real travel?
Frequently asked questions
What band range does "off the beaten track" fit?
Examiners tend to credit it as a natural Band 7 idiom when used accurately in context about travel or exploring lesser-known places.
Is it safe to say "a very nice place" in the Speaking test?
It is accurate but generic; a more precise word like "breathtaking" or "picturesque" shows stronger control of Lexical Resource.
How many travel collocations should I actually prepare?
A small, well-practised set of ten to fifteen natural collocations used accurately beats a long list of rare words used awkwardly.
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