Can You Choose the Dates for Wowcher Mystery Holiday?

If you have been eyeing up a Wowcher mystery holiday and wondering whether you actually get to choose when you travel, you are not alone.

It is one of the most common questions people ask before handing over their money, and the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

This article covers exactly how date selection works, what you can and cannot control, and how to give yourself the best chance of landing dates that suit you.

Key Takeaways

• You can usually request preferred travel dates or a date range for a Wowcher mystery holiday, but you cannot pick exact flight times or the final destination.
• Date choice depends on the specific deal. Some offers let you select a travel window such as January to March, while others have set departure periods or charge more for peak months.
• You buy a voucher first, then submit your preferred dates, airport region and passenger details during a separate redemption process. Your destination is revealed after you submit your chosen travel dates.
• The most popular dates like school holidays, Christmas and long weekends are limited or cost extra. Cheaper deals tend to mean off-peak travel.
• Wowcher’s mystery holidays start at £89 per person, with the usual price sitting at £99 per person. Flights and a hotel stay are included in the price, whether that ends up being two nights in Prague or a longer trip to somewhere like Bali or Las Vegas.

How Wowcher Mystery Holidays Work (and Where Dates Fit In)

A Wowcher mystery holiday is a discounted package where the destination is a surprise, but flights and hotel stay are included for a fixed price per person. The draw is simple: you pay less than you normally would for a holiday because you are giving up control over where you end up. Wowcher offers over 100 worldwide destinations, so the possibilities stretch from a quick city break in Brussels or Lisbon to a week on a beach in the Maldives.

Mystery holiday bookings use a redemption process that is quite different from standard bookings. Here is how it typically plays out.

You start by visiting the Wowcher website and buying a voucher for a mystery holiday deal that is on sale. You must buy two vouchers for the deal because the package is designed for two people travelling together. At this stage, travel dates are not chosen prior to purchasing a mystery holiday voucher. You are simply securing your spot in the promotion.

Once you have your vouchers, you receive a code and redemption instructions. You then contact the named travel partner, usually through an online form, email, or via the app. This is where you provide your passenger details, preferred airport region and travel dates. The travel partner takes your preferences and matches you to what is available. Travel dates for many deals range from December to March, though some deals allow travel in April to May or even further ahead.

After they process your request, you get a proposed itinerary that includes your destination, flights, hotel and exact dates. Mystery holiday packages usually guarantee a minimum length of stay, so you will know you are getting at least two nights for a city break or longer for a far-flung trip. The base price of a mystery holiday typically excludes extra costs such as airport supplements, luggage and upgrades.

The destinations on the advertised list can include European city breaks like Prague, Rome, Venice or Paris, beach holidays in Malta, the Algarve or Ibiza, and long-haul options including New York, Dubai, Las Vegas, Cancun, Thailand, Bali and the Maldives. Two-night breaks are available in cities like Budapest and Florence, while longer stays tend to apply to destinations further afield. But which one you get is random, based on what is available on the dates you have requested.

Note that you should always read the fine print on the mystery holiday listing carefully. Look for the valid travel period, any blackout dates around Christmas, New Year or bank holidays, the minimum and maximum night stays, and whether your dates must be midweek or can include weekends.

Can You Choose Your Travel Dates on a Wowcher Mystery Holiday?

The short answer is that you normally cannot pick any date you like, but you can submit preferred dates or a date range and the travel company will match you to availability. You select travel dates during the redemption process for Wowcher mystery holidays, not before you buy.

The most common date choice options look like this. Some deals let you choose a broad seasonal window, for example September to December 2025 departures. Others explicitly allow you to select your desired travel dates yourself during redemption. Then there are deals where you can pay more for peak dates, such as April departures at £129 per person versus off-peak at £99 per person.

In practice, you will usually choose a preferred departure month, a short range of possible dates within that month, and whether you want a midweek or weekend break. Some mystery holidays use a limited selection of available dates during redemption, so having alternatives ready is important. Date selections for mystery holidays depend on real-time availability, meaning what is open today might not be there tomorrow. You can select your travel dates online or via the Wowcher app on your device.

What you cannot control is the final destination. That is the whole mystery. You also rarely get to choose precise flight times. Users frequently report being offered early morning or late evening flights, and adjusting those can cost extra. You cannot demand a certain hotel brand either, only a minimum standard like three stars or better. Changing a pre-assigned destination may incur an additional fee too, so it is worth being genuinely open to surprises.

Here is an example to make it clearer. Say a couple buys an £89 per person mystery holiday voucher in November. The deal is valid for travel from December to March. They request a long weekend in March, flying from Manchester. The operator comes back with a three-night hotel stay in Prague, flying Thursday to Sunday in mid-March. If they are happy, they confirm, and the dates are set. If not, they can ask for alternatives, but options may be more limited.

If a particular deal states that random dates will be allocated within the travel period, the flexibility is lower. If having fixed dates is essential for you, it is better to opt for a deal that specifically lets you submit preferences rather than one where everything is assigned.

One user on Mumsnet shared a story about being offered Gdańsk but not on any of the dates they wanted. So while the system works well for most, there is always a catch: availability is never guaranteed.

How Flexible Are Dates for Different Types of Wowcher Mystery Holiday?

Flexibility varies quite a bit depending on the type of trip. Short European breaks, long-haul escapes to places like Las Vegas or Bali, and special seasonal deals all handle dates slightly differently.

European city breaks to destinations like Budapest, Rome, Paris, Prague, Venice or Brussels tend to offer the most flexibility. These are usually two or three nights, with lots of departure dates across the travel window. If you book early, it is generally easier to find weekend options or grab a midweek slot. There are regular flights from London, Glasgow, Manchester and other UK airports, so the data tends to show more availability here.

Beach holidays to places like the Algarve, Ibiza, Costa Brava, Rhodes or Malta are more seasonal. You will find better availability in shoulder months like May or September. If you are set on flying in August, expect fewer options and potentially higher costs. These deals suit people who can be a bit flexible and are happy to visit outside the peak summer rush.

Long-haul mystery holidays covering destinations like Dubai, New York, Las Vegas, the Maldives, Bali, Thailand and Iceland are the least flexible. There are fewer departure dates, flights are more likely midweek, and higher fees may apply for school holidays and peak dates. Some long-haul deals, such as April 2025 getaways priced at £129 per person, are actually separate, higher-priced date bands rather than a simple add-on.

Headline prices like “from £89pp including hotel stay and flights” usually apply to off-peak dates. Popular half-term weeks, New Year’s Eve and Christmas periods often carry a supplement. Regional departures from airports outside London may incur additional fees too, sometimes around £40 per person.

Here are some practical things to keep in mind when looking at different trip types:

• Have at least two or three possible date options ready before redeeming your voucher
• Be open to departures from more than one airport region if the deal allows, for example London, Manchester or Glasgow
• Respond quickly when the travel partner offers a set of dates, because availability can change daily
• Booking early generally allows for more available travel dates, especially for popular trip types

Specific Christmas or winter-sun mystery deals, like those that might take you to Lapland, Iceland or York for festive markets, are often time-sensitive. Vouchers must be bought by a fixed deadline, sometimes before the end of August, and travel must be completed by a set month such as March. The current mystery holiday deal ends at 11:59pm on December 12, so keep that in mind if you are thinking about it.

Some deals also allow travel dates in April to May, which can be a sweet spot for weather and value if you are after a spring getaway.

Tips to Get Dates That Work for You (Without Losing the Mystery)

Getting your preferred dates on a mystery holiday comes down to preparation and flexibility. Here is how to give yourself the best shot at travel deals that actually fit your calendar.

Before you buy, check the travel window. Does it match your annual leave or your children’s school calendar? If the deal only covers January to March and you can only travel in July, it is not the right one. Spending a bit of time clicking through the deal page and reading the terms will save you hassle later. Booking must be completed before the deal expiration date, so do not sit on your vouchers for too long.

Buy early if you are aiming for popular dates. December city breaks, Easter long-haul trips and February half-term grabs go quickly. The earlier you redeem, the more likely you are to generate a match on your first-choice dates.

Be flexible in these areas to improve your chances:

• Consider multiple departure airports if the deal allows. Flying from Birmingham or Glasgow as well as London opens up more options
• Accept Tuesday to Thursday flights rather than insisting on Friday to Sunday
• Be open to two or three nights for city breaks, or longer for far-flung stays
• Have backup date ranges ready so you are not stuck if your first choice is gone

Mystery holidays are best suited to people who are comfortable with a range of potential destinations, can travel off-peak, and want to trade a bit of control over dates and location for cheaper holidays and a surprise experience. If you need specific dates and a specific place, you are better off booking a traditional holiday.

Using a mystery holiday as a gift can work really well if you plan it right. For example, you could buy a December-to-March deal as a Christmas present for two people. Before you redeem, agree with the recipient on a couple of January or February date options. Then log in and redeem the voucher together so everyone knows which weekend they will be away, even though the destination stays a mystery until confirmation. It is a fun way of sharing the excitement without leaving anyone unable to get time off work.

One Reddit user shared that they started with certain dates and flight times, then managed to negotiate with the provider to improve their arrival time and get more usable holiday time at their destination. It does not always work, but it shows that polite persistence can pay off.

As a quick access reminder, you can select your travel dates and manage your preferences through the Wowcher site or app. Make sure your acceptance of the proposed itinerary happens promptly, as you may only have 24 hours to confirm before the slot goes to someone else.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I completely pick my own dates for a Wowcher mystery holiday?

You normally cannot choose any date you like. You can only request dates that fall within the deal’s allowed travel period, and what is actually available depends on the travel provider’s inventory at the time you redeem. If you need a very specific date with no wiggle room, a mystery holiday may not be the best fit. The information collected during redemption includes your preferences, but final confirmation is always subject to availability.

Are school holiday or bank holiday dates available on mystery holiday deals?

They can be, but popular dates like school holidays, Christmas and bank holiday weekends are limited and often cost extra. You should expect supplements or a reduced choice of destinations if you insist on these peak periods. Some deals do sell peak-date options at a higher price band, so check before you buy. It is also worth keeping an eye on travel news through sources like Google News to spot any new deals that cater to holiday periods.

What happens if the dates the operator offers don’t work for me?

You can usually ask for alternative dates within the valid travel window, but your options may be restricted. If no suitable dates can be found, check the specific deal’s terms to see whether refunds, rescheduling or credit are possible. Wowcher’s partners handle this differently depending on the deal, so the practices around refunds are not always the same. Be aware that the services Wowcher provides sometimes involve third-party providers, and what each of these services represents in terms of flexibility will vary.

Can I choose dates if I am hoping for a specific destination like Las Vegas or Bali?

You can request dates that would suit a longer hotel stay, but you cannot target a particular destination. The location is assigned at random from the advertised list. Whether you end up jetting off to Las Vegas, Bali, Dubai or somewhere closer like Lisbon, the whole point is that you do not get to choose. If you have your heart set on one place, a mystery holiday is probably not for you. You would be better off using the money to book directly.

Do I find out my travel dates or my destination first?

In most cases, you agree provisional dates and your airport region with the travel partner first. Your destination is then revealed alongside your confirmed dates in the same booking email. So you will find out both at once. The whole image of unwrapping a surprise is part of the appeal. Some people treat it like a bit of a lucky draw, which is what makes the concept so popular.