The UK is such an interesting little place. Our unusually varied geology means we have a multitude of different landscapes crammed into a country just 875 miles long from Lands End to John O’Groats.
Our capital is a world-class tourist destination, with so many attractions it’d take weeks to absorb, and our enormous coastline – around 7,700 miles of it – is glorious.
We have mountains and fertile flatlands, lakes and forests, ancient cities and quaint villages, vast estuaries, towering cliffs and sandy beaches, and the whole place is stuffed with history. Here are six of the best destinations in the UK, all hot spots for day tours and holidays.
London Day Tours – Discover the capital
About nine million of us live in the capital. It’s huge. Luckily most of the best-loved London destinations are clustered in the middle, making it a pleasure to wander. If you don’t fancy the tube the buses are excellent and while it’s slower, you actually get to see the city as you travel. The top deck is great fun.
You might be surprised how easy it is to walk to many of the best places too, and how close together they are. Covent Garden, Buckingham Palace, Soho, Trafalgar Square and the West End are all within walking distance of each other, a cool way to get a flavour-blast of the city at human speed.
Here are just a few of the best places to go in London.
- London Cable Car
- London Eye
- Tower of London
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour – The Making of Harry Potter
- Hampton Court Palace
- The West End – the capital’s glittering theatreland
- Tower of London
- Buckingham Palace
- Tower Bridge
- St Paul’s cathedral
- A ton of museums of every imaginable type
- London Zoo
- Kensington palace
- Greenwich
- Boat trips on the Thames
- The Changing of the Guard
- Eight royal parks
- Houses of Parliament and Big Ben
- Covent Garden
- Hyde Park Corner and Serpentine Lake
- Wembley Stadium plus tours of other London football team stadia, including Tottenham’s astonishing The Dare Skywalk
- London theme parks
- Somerset House
- Sea Life London
- Madam Tussaud’s and The Planetarium
- Hampstead Heath
- Kew Gardens
- Crystal Palace Park dinosaurs
- The views from the Shard
- A helicopter ride
- Rooftop bars
- Royal Opera House
- Highgate Cemetery
- The Sky Garden
Stonehenge Day Tours including Bath – Ancient history and splendid shopping
Stonehenge was built in spurts from 3000 to 1520 BCE, between the New Stone Age and Bronze Age. It’s an icon everyone recognises and a World Heritage Site. The name is probably Saxon: ‘stan-hengen’, meaning stone hanging or gallows.
The monument is quite a sight, a dramatic circle of stones set on a flat plain, surrounded by more ancient structures. Archaeologists are still speculating about it and nobody really knows what it was used for. But it’s certainly spectacular. It is tempting to think of the people who carved and built it as primitive but as Modern Humans they were exactly like us… just without the gadgets.
Nearby Bath is a stunner of a city with its grand houses, gracious Georgian squares and crescents, winding river, fantastic shopping and world-famous Roman baths. It’s also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and packed with stuff to see.
- Jane Austen Centre
- Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein
- The Roman Baths
- Royal Crescent and the Circus
- Bath International Music festival (May)
- Bath Abbey
- Holburne Museum
- Fashion Museum Bath
- Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House
- Herschel Museum of Astronomy
- Museum of East Asian Art
- American Museum and Gardens
- Victoria Art Gallery
- Prior Park Landscape Garden
Lake District Day tours – Breathtaking mountain scenery
The Lakes are quite simply stunning. The towering peaks, glittering waters, waterfalls, dizzying passes and pretty towns make it a must-go destination. This is home to England’s highest mountain, the mighty Scafell Pike, and the slightly smaller but equally dramatic Helvellyn and Skiddaw, along with 16 large lakes and countless smaller ones.
It’s hard to believe the Romans managed to build two roads across this crazy landscape, which looks so peaceful and lovely in good weather but can turn nasty in minutes. Norsemen invaded too, clearing vast amounts of forest. Now it’s mostly deforested but awe-inspiring all the same. The lakes has to be seen to be believed.
- Enough natural eye candy to keep you happy and delighted, plus…
- Cumberland Bird of Prey Centre
- Beatrix Potter’s cottage
- Grassmere Gingerbread Shop
- Derwentwater’s Theatre By The Lake
- Castlerigg Stone Circle
- Low Gillerthwaite Field Centre Dark Sky Discovery Site
- William Wordsworth’s House
- The Lakes Distillery
- Derwent Pencil Museum
Cotswolds Day Tours – Picture postcard pretty
The Cotswolds are rolling hills starting off at from the wildflower meadows of the Thames and ending with an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Vale of Evesham.
The area is famous for its mellow, honey-coloured Jurassic limestone houses and unique grassland habitat, a haven for nature and one of the prettiest places in England. Think ‘chocolate box’ and you’ve just about nailed it. 800 square miles of sleepy deliciousness awaits you, full of Instagrammable sights you’ll love.
- Lovely Arlington Row, billed as England’s prettiest village
- Go shopping in Cirencester, Stow-On-The-Wild
- Abbey House Gardens, Malmesbury
- Westonbirt Arboretum
- Hayles PYO fruit farm
- Kelmscott Manor
- Whichford Pottery
- Cotswolds Distillery
Oxford Day Tours – Dreaming spires
Founded in the 700s, Oxford is rich in centuries of history. The old university buildings are a destination in themselves, stunningly lovely. It also has a thriving high tech community, making it a cosmopolitan place. Oxford is a green city with lots of lovely parks, nature walks, and 28 nature reserves. The river is a destination on its own, perfect for a leisurely stroll and a pint in a riverside pub. There’s a lively independent shopping scene as well.
- Ashmolean Museum
- University Museum of Natural History
- Museum of the History of Science
- The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments
- Pitt Rivers Museum
- Modern Art Oxford
- A wide choice of theatres
- Rowing and Punting
- Oxford Ice Rink
- Oxford University’s buildings
- Oxford castle and prison
- Iffley Village
- Holywell Music Room
- Kettel Hall
White Cliffs of Dover and beyond into Kent – Epic!
Vera Lynn’s wartime song made these cliffs famous, the White Cliffs of Dover that still signify the idea of home. The natural majesty of the pure white 110m high chalk cliffs is breathtaking. The chalk’s made from the shells of trillions and trillions of tiny sea creatures, which once lived in a warm shallow sea, and that’s pretty amazing in itself.
The far South East of England is interesting in so many ways, with a lot more to Kent than the white cliffs. There’s Battle where the Battle of Hastings took place, and beautiful Rye. There are countless castles and stately homes, grand gardens and ancient fortifications, plus the compelling bleak coastal landscapes of Dungeness where Derek Jarman created his famous pebbly seaside garden. Like the rest of the UK it’s full of contrasts.
- Wonderful views across the English Channel
- Medieval Dover Castle
- South Foreland Lighthouse
- Beautiful beaches and coves
- The scenic villages of St Margarets at Cliffe and Kingsdown
- The historic towns of Deal and Sandwich
- Walmer castle
- A thrilling smuggler heritage
- Fabulous photo opportunities
Every county in the UK is full of opportunities for excitement and discovery, on and off the beaten tourist track. That was just six of a whole load of places to explore. Happy travelling!
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