The Peak District became Britain’s first national park in 1951 and remains one of its most popular outdoor destinations. From fertile farmland and stately homes to towering peaks and underground caves, there’s much to explore across the 143,700-hectare park, including the beginning of Britain’s best-known trail, the Pennine Way.
One of London’s few living museums, the Household Cavalry Museum offers insight into one of the oldest regiments within the British Army. This immersive, behind-the-scenes museum is located within Horse Guards, a historical building on Whitehall. Experience the Household Cavalry up close as you're invited to dress like a cavalryman, watch guard changes, and peek into the original 18th-century horse stables.
Located on the River Medway in Kent, the town of Rochester is located just a quick commute from London. Celebrated for the 12th-century Rochester Castle and Rochester Cathedral (whose history dates to the year 604, Rochester was also frequented by writer Charles Dickens, and various festivals and events are held in his honor.
Lambeth Palace has been the official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury since the 13th century, and is today considered a symbol of medieval London and Anglican heritage. Only open for select open days each year, behind its imposing Tudor-style gatehouse, visitors can explore the Gothic chapel and crypt, stroll around the gardens, and visit the library, where you’ll find Britain’s largest collection of religious books and manuscripts.
Located just a quick trip from Oxford, Cogges is one of the prettiest corners of the Cotswolds (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A Scheduled Ancient Monument, Cogges has over 1,000 years of history. Today, the area is a popular tourist attraction, thanks in part to its Grade II listed Cogges Manor Farm.
Stamford Bridge is an iconic football (soccer) stadium in West London’s Fulham that’s been the official home of Chelsea Football Club since 1905. A visit here offers football fans the chance to experience the electric atmosphere of Premier League matches. The stadium is also home to the Chelsea FC Museum, where you can learn more about the club’s history, and behind-the-scenes tours are available.
The home of London’s working class during Victorian times, the birthplace of Cockney Rhyming Slang, and the stomping ground of Jack the Ripper—the East End, bounded by the River Lea and the River Thames, has long represented the grittier side of England’s capital city. Today, it’s shed its rough image to become one of the city’s coolest, most diverse, street-art-rich areas, which is well worth checking out.
The childhood home of Henry VIII’s ill-fated second wife, Anne Boleyn, this restored 13th-century castle is now open to the visiting public. Discover grand paneled rooms, Tudor portraits, tapestries, and antiques, and wander the grounds, which encompass formal gardens, two outdoor mazes, and a boating lake.
Flanked by grassy peaks, this scenic glacier-sculpted valley includes three lakes: Loweswater, Buttermere, and Crummock Water. With easily scalable fells such as Haystacks, pretty lakeside footpaths, and natural wonders including Scale Force Waterfall—the highest waterfall in the Lake District—Buttermere is prime turf for walkers.
Big and bold, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the modern 2019 replacement for the team’s original White Hart Lane Stadium. It’s one of London’s largest soccer stadiums, hosting not only soccer games and concerts, but also American football thanks to its slick retractable pitch. Now, the site is known as the NFL’s home in the UK, as well as the home of Tottenham Hotspur (aka Spurs).
One of the largest prehistoric structures of its kind in Europe, the purpose of Silbury Hill—a man-made chalk mound which is comparable to the size of a small Egyptian pyramid—remains a mystery. Marvel over the 100-foot-high (30-meter-high) grassy slopes of Silbury Hill from a distance before continuing your exploration of Avebury.
In the midst of the Wiltshire plains, this 29-acre (12-hectare Iron Age settlement stands as a testament to England’s long history of invasion, defense, and development. Explore the foundations of Salisbury’s first cathedral, soak up views from the hilltop castle, and learn about the Roman, Norman, and Saxon influence on the English culture and countryside.
On the corner of Trafalgar Square, amid a constant hubbub of pigeons and people, is the Anglican church St. Martin-in-the-Fields. This church features baroque and neoclassical architecture and a polished interior, thanks to a massive restoration completed in 2008. It’s a royal parish church, but most know it for its classical music concerts and its work with homeless people and those needing refuge, leading it to be dubbed “Church of the Ever Open Door.”
Step back in time with York Castle Museum, an informative, interactive destination that will charm history-buffs and families alike. Unique in its depictions of everyday life, both past and present, York Castle Museum is best-known for period reconstructions of historic streets—like the Victorian Kirkgate—and costumed actors who help bring the past to life.
One of Central London’s major thoroughfares, bustling Baker Street is best known for its association with the one and only Sherlock Holmes. According to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved books, the fictional detective resided at number 221B—a fictional address to match. Today, the Sherlock Holmes Museum commemorates the area’s literary legacy and draws crowds throughout the year.
Inhabitants at the National Sea Life Centre range from penguins and otters to piranhas and jellyfish, displayed in antarctic pools and rain forest habitats. At the dynamic center, viewers can learn about marine life from around the globe in a series of exhibits such as an underwater tunnel, tropical forest, and penguin enclosure.
Explore one of the original National Trust properties at York’s Treasurer’s House, an opulent and eclectic 2-story mansion set amid landscaped gardens that has a fascinating history spanning 2,000 years. Highlights include the period rooms replete with historical artifacts, including a Queen Anne bedspread and a blown-glass chandelier, as well as the allegedly haunted cellars.
Fondly known as "the Fitz", this grand neoclassical building houses Cambridge University’s principal museum. Its collection, originally bequeathed by a Cambridge alum and nobleman in the early 19th century, has since grown to include some 500,000 artworks and antiquities; ranging from mummies to paintings by Titian, Matisse, and Rubens.
Aided by spooky special effects and eerie sets, the costumed actors at York Dungeon recount terrifying tales of torture, terror, and murder. Expect laughs, scares, and shrieks as you learn about Viking invasions, witch hunts, and lawbreakers from centuries past.
The Tate Britain is an art gallery in Pimlico, London. It contains the largest collection of British art in the world and is one of four Tate museums across the United Kingdom. Visitors come to see priceless works by painters from the last 500 years, including J.M.W. Turner, Lucian Freud, and David Hockney.
Devoted to the brands and designs that have shaped British culture for over 200 years, the Museum of Brands has a prime position on Notting Hill’s Lancaster Road. Its collection takes visitors on a nostalgic journey through everyday items—including vintage toys, sweets, cereal boxes, and famous advertisements. It’s a treasure trove for those seeking a trip down memory lane, while also being a place to understand how branding has evolved over time.
Borrowdale Valley is a highlight of any trip to Cumbria’s Lake District. With grass-covered peaks, oak-filled woodlands, and rolling pastures along the River Derwent, the natural beauty of the valley is undeniable, and its location at the heart of the Lake District makes it a prime destination for hikers.
The furniture, books, and personal possessions of William Wordsworth still sit inside Rydal Mount, where the Romantic poet lived from 1813 up until his death in 1850. Visitors can explore the house, which is owned by Wordsworth’s descendants, and wander the landscaped gardens, which were largely designed by Wordsworth himself.
Discover Liverpool’s status as a British port city at the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Its three exhibition floors reveal the city’s nautical history, from its role in both World Wars to its darker past as a slaving port, as well as waterfront views of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Royal Albert Dock and its industrial architecture.
Now permanently docked in Bristol, the SS Great Britain showcases the industrial prowess of 19th-century Britain. Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, this steamship was one of the largest vessels of the era at 321 feet (98 meters) long. It was also technologically trailblazing, drawing upon both steam and sail power simultaneously.
One of the UK’s most majestic castles, Bamburgh Castle crowns a volcanic crag perched between a Northumbria sandy beach and the village of Bamburgh. Built in the 19th century on the site of an Anglo-Saxon citadel, the landmark lures visitors with stately halls, armor, a keep, and walls with epic coastal views.
With a capacity of nearly 75,000, Old Trafford is the UK’s second-largest football (soccer) stadium and home of Manchester United since 1910. Beside Premier League fixtures, the venue has hosted Olympic games, rugby league finals, and several international cup matches. The on-site museum houses the team’s famous continental treble trophy.
With its stone station building, crow-stepped gables, and steam trains puffing by, this quaint little station in the rural North Yorkshire Moors is a relic of a bygone era. The station’s good looks have not gone unnoticed, with it having been chosen as the set for Hogsmeade Station in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
The Prince of Wales Theatre has been part of London’s West End since 1884. Though it has been renovated and modernized over time, the building still features original art deco details that you can spot inside and out. Over the years, it has hosted renowned productions, but it’s most famous for being the West End home of the award-winning musical The Book of Mormon.
Step inside the only bullet train outside of Japan, peer into royal carriages, and watch model trains chug around a small-scale landscape at the National Railway Museum. With over one million pieces of railway memorabilia—including steam locomotives and vintage posters—the museum provides an immersive insight into the British rail industry.
