From hiking across glaciers to planning a swim with humpback whales, Hough and his wife are the perfect companions for thrill-seekers.
Dancing With the Stars icon Derek Hough is known for his passion and energy on the dance floor, and he happens to bring that same energy to his travels. His
Last trip? The dancer traveled to Iceland with wife Hayley Ebert this August, where they hiked across glaciers, explored ice caves and waterfalls, watched puffins, and even ventured deep inside a volcano.
“We love adventure. We love walking. We love nature,” Hough told Travel & Leisure in a recent interview. “So our trips are always full of energy. It’s very rare that we’re like, ‘Let’s go on a trip and sit on the beach and relax.’ It’s more like, ‘Let’s explore this place! Let’s see everything.’” And of course,
They also sampled all of Iceland’s cuisine.
“We try everything,” he said. “I love trying different foods, and I love spicy food. I love spicy food.”
From being a dancer on the competition show for 17 seasons to being a judge, Hough feels his new role allows him to have the best of both worlds.
“What I love about this new role is that it allows me to be a part of the show and give back to the show, to give my experience and background to these contestants, while also giving me free time to work on other projects that I’m passionate about,” he said.
One of those passion projects includes the upcoming 40-city holiday dance tour, “Holiday Dance,” which kicks off on November 1. He’ll be performing on the tour until the end of December while commuting to Los Angeles to film DWTS — which sounds exhausting, but Hough isn’t bothered by it.
He says a regimen of regular meals, ice baths, physical therapy and snacking on the couch with his wife help him stay balanced. He’s also excited that Ebert will be on the holiday tour, which means they’ll get to travel more time together.
“It’s really cool to go to different cities, especially during the holiday season,” he said. “Every city is so charming and decorated so colorfully. It’s so great to travel this time of year.”
In preparation for the tour, Hough said he began immersing himself in holiday music in July.
While he’s been part of many Disney Christmas televised events, including Disneyland’s Magical Christmas Day Parade—which he co-hosts with his sister, fellow Disney World Dance alum Julianne, who is now a host—this is his first holiday-themed dance tour. He said audiences can expect new takes on classic songs, such as a Latin version of “Winter Wonderland.” He’ll also pay tribute to classic dance legends.
“There are always Gene Kelly moments in my shows,” he said. “We’ll pay tribute to him. I’ll pay tribute to him.”
Hough told T+L that it was also great to have Ebert as a co-star on the tour.
“It’s so special to be traveling with my beautiful wife and to be on stage with her, especially during the show,” he said.
Ebert suffered a cranial hematoma in late 2023 and had to undergo emergency surgery. Although Hof was a little tired, he was recovered and ready for his next trip. As for their future adventures, Thailand and Vietnam are on the list, as well as swimming with humpback whales in Tonga and, at Albertson’s request, with orcas.
“It made me a little nervous, but she wanted to go, right?” he said. “I said, ‘Girl, you’re awesome.’ She said, ‘Let’s go out in the cold, dark, murky water with orcas.’”
Eric
The Hoffs’ travel style is so enviable! Glacier hiking, volcano exploration, swimming with whales – they have turned their lives into a real-life National Geographic documentary.
Martin
Hoff can not only serve as a DWTS judge, but also find time for global adventures and prepare for a tour. His time management ability is so strong! It turns out that passion is the biggest motivation.
Jerry
After seeing their Iceland itinerary, I was immediately attracted! Glaciers, volcanoes, aurora… The Hoffs have unlocked the most hardcore way to play in Iceland. I must copy the same route next time I go.
Aaron
Hailey dared to plan to swim with killer whales just after she recovered. Although Hoff was nervous, he fully supported her – this kind of mutually encouraging relationship is so cool! Traveling is indeed a touchstone of love.
Daniel
Experiencing the festive atmosphere of different cities with his wife while touring, and being able to perform on the same stage, how can this be work? It’s simply a scene of spreading sugar!
Alan
We try everything – do you dare to eat even Icelandic fermented shark meat? (Laughs) It turns out that real travelers are never picky about food, and even challenge spicy food!
Michael
While others lie down on vacation, Hof wants to go into a volcano; while others are afraid of the cold, they want to chase killer whales in the icy sea… dancers’ physical strength is really not to be underestimated!
Alex
Hailey is still actively planning her next adventure after the surgery. Traveling is not only fun for them, but also a testament to their passion and courage for life.