Ready to skip the usual family dinner drama this Thanksgiving? Consider trading turkey basting for an unforgettable holiday with a twist: a Thanksgiving feast served high on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Offered by award-winning tour operator Thomson Safaris, this expedition includes a roasted turkey dinner at roughly 10,000 feet as a scheduled stop on the ascent. Thomson Safaris’ guides are certified Wilderness First Responders through the Wilderness Medical Association, providing added safety and peace of mind. The nine-day, eight-night climb starts at $3,890 per person.
Thanksgiving Banquet © The Merrion Hotel
If you prefer a refined city escape, The Merrion Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, offers an Irish-American Thanksgiving in its new Garden Room Restaurant. Executive chef Ed Cooney’s menu blends classic and contemporary flavors, with dishes such as New England clam chowder, Friendly Farmer Irish roast turkey, New Orleans gumbo, macaroni and cheese, and pecan pie. The special stay is available Nov. 19–23, with packages starting at €630 (about $729) per night, based on double occupancy.
For a more rural Irish experience, The Lodge at Ashford Castle in County Mayo, set within the scenic Ashford Castle Estate, provides a cozy welcome by the fire with a Fall Cider Cocktail or Spiced Pumpkin Eggnog. Guests enjoy a three-course dinner from chef Jonathan Keane featuring pumpkin soup, roasted turkey, and pecan pie, accompanied by live music from Carmel Dempsey, Mike Stewart and fiddle lead Brenda Curtin Diviney of Lord of the Dance. One-night packages with breakfast and access to estate activities begin at €249 (about $288) per night, based on double occupancy.
Copyright Richard Moran © The Lodge at Ashford Castle
Alternatively, celebrate birds rather than serving them at Japan’s Tori no Ichi (Day of the Bird) festival. Held this year on Nov. 13 and 25 at about 30 Otori shrines across Japan, the festival dates back to the Edo period and was created to honor farmers. Today, visitors can sample traditional street foods, watch location-specific performances, and purchase decorative bamboo rakes believed to bring happiness and prosperity.
Tori no Ichi © OOTORIJINJA