High-quality, palm oil–free Belgian chocolate meets Yorkshire innovation and craftsmanship at The Little Chocolate Shop in North Yorkshire, which runs daily chocolate-making workshops for all ages and abilities. Browse for a pick-and-mix selection of locally made chocolate at the store, grab a decadent hot chocolate in the on-site café, or simply watch the chocolatiers at work at this delicious destination.
Sandwiched between some of Birmingham’s most impressive buildings, including the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the Birmingham Town Hall, Chamberlain Square is among the city's main public plazas. It's a good place to linger and people-watch, though many people just zip through quickly, stopping only to take a photo of the Gothic-style Chamberlain Memorial.
Home to Scotland’s 10th-highest peak, 3,984-foot (1,214-meter) Ben Lawers, and other mountains, the Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve offers hikes from family-friendly 1-mile (1.5-kilometer) strolls to the challenging Tarmachan Ridge trek. Rare alpine and arctic flowers bloom, cattle and deer graze, and views can be spectacular.
With a history dating back almost eight centuries, Barry Mill is one of Scotland's few working water mills. It offers nature walks by Barry Burn and the chance to learn how millers lived and worked—not to mention where flour and oatmeal come from. The building dates from around 1814, when the old mill caught fire.
Llandaff is a centuries-old town that lies within the city limits of Cardiff. It’s famous for its cathedral—one of the UK’s oldest Christian sites—under which early Roman burial sites have been discovered. It is said that ghosts and spirits, such as the White Lady, haunt Llandaff and roam the local woods. Beware!
Alloa Tower, in the Clackmannanshire town of Alloa, is one of Scotland’s oldest and biggest medieval tower houses. An ancestral home of the Erskine family and Earls of Mar—the building dates back around 700 years. Visitors come to see opulent interiors, historical artifacts, artwork, and well-preserved architecture.
While there’s not a great deal left of it to see, Minerva’s Shrine in Edgar’s Park remains an important piece of Chester’s Roman history. The remains of the rock-carved shrine to the pagan Roman goddess date back to the second century, when Chester was occupied by the Romans and known to its people as the city of Deva.
Birmingham’s Gun Quarter was once a global hub for gun manufacturing, producing sporting and military firearms as far back as the early 17th century. Though its industrial roots have now faded, the area still attracts history enthusiasts who come to learn about its gun-making origins. A handful of gun-related shops are also still open—mostly producing air guns—such as Westley Richards.
Aberconwy House is the only surviving medieval merchant's house in Conwy. It has had many uses over the years, including a hotel and antique shop. It’s now a secondhand bookshop with flexible space for community events on the upper floors. The building’s two lower stone floors support the projecting upper floor, which extends over the lower section on corbel stones.
The former base of the Panacea Society, a 20th-century religious community, the Panacea Museum offers a glimpse into this remarkable—and almost exclusively female—society. Spread between two homes, the museum highlights the life of the society’s founder Mabel Barltrop in one building, and examines the community’s beliefs in the other.
Spread out over 63 acres (25 hectares), Handsworth Park is a popular place for Birmingham residents and visitors looking to get out in nature without having to leave town. Along with its grassy expanses, flower beds, and trees, the park has a network of walking paths and two play areas for kids.
Built in 1879, this 34-room hotel served as a vacation rental for the family of Beatrix Potter, the author and illustrator responsible for Peter Rabbit. Potter fell for Lindeth Howe and eventually went on to purchase the property. Inside, you can admire references to the hotel’s literary heritage, including a book wall and animal-inspired details.
Conwy’s Albion Ale House is a traditional 1920s pub specializing in locally produced beer. It also offers a wine list, spirits, bar bites, and pub games. You’ll still find the bell pushes along the chair rail, once used to summon bartenders. Visitors can sit in the lounge by the baronial-style fireplace, relax in the snug, or saddle up to the bar with a pint.
Perched on the banks of the River Dee, just outside of Chester city center, Sandy Lane Aqua Park features a playground alongside a variety of fun water features, including jet sprays, sprinklers, geysers, and tipping buckets. This family-friendly destination boasts views of the lush Chester countryside and a grassy picnic area.
Roughly translated as “shapely mountain,” Moel Siabod offers some of the finest views in Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park. The mountain is lesser-known than its Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) neighbor—and this is no bad thing—meaning it entices walkers instead with solitude and sweeping views over the surrounding Moelwynion massif peaks.
Located at the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, St. Paul’s Square is famed for being one of the city’s very last remaining Georgian squares. Taking its name from the small church that sits as its center, visitors come here to relax on its benches, check out the architecture, or visit nearby restaurants and cafés.
Belfast locals have been socializing in this National Trust-owned pub since 1826. Built by skilled Italian craftsmen who were brought over to help construct Catholic churches, the bar retains its sumptuous original interior, with stained glass windows, carved wood, patterned tiles, decorative panels, and mosaics all over.
Set at Linen Mill Studios, where some of Game of Thrones was filmed, Game of Thrones Studio Tour offers insights into the craft, sets, makeup, costumes, prosthetics, and special effects that shaped the iconic TV series. The 110,000-square-foot (10,200-square-meter) attraction boasts a wealth of photo ops, including one atop the Iron Throne.
One of London’s most popular seasonal events, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland has delighted the capital’s residents and visitors since 2007. The biggest festival of its kind in the city, Winter Wonderland comprises a huge range of attractions, including an open-air ice rink, a soaring ferris wheel, ice bars, carnival games, Christmas markets, Santa meet-and-greets, and more.
An 18th-century Palladian villa surrounded by 66 acres (26 hectares) of riverside parkland, Marble Hill House is the epitome of elegance. You can spend hours exploring the woodlands and gardens around the pristine white mansion, while the house’s Georgian-style interior transports you back to the 1700s with its lavishly decorated rooms.
The home of Bath Rugby since 1894, Bath’s Recreation Ground—known locally as “the Rec”—is considered one of the country’s most idyllic rugby grounds. Located right in the city center along the banks of the River Avon, it’s also a publicly accessible green space, and is used for other sporting events, festivals, concerts, and more.
Conwy Mountain (Mynydd y Dref), located to the west of Conwy in North Wales, sits in the foothills of the Carneddau range of mountains, overlooking Conwy Bay. The mountain is home to wild Carneddau ponies and roaming sheep, adding to the splendor of this part of the Welsh countryside. With its natural beauty, the area serves as a popular spot for hiking, running, and walking.
A small nature reserve with views of the sea and Dover’s white chalk cliffs, Samphire Hoe is home to wildflowers, including orchids, hundreds of moths and butterfly species, a wealth of birdlife, and grazing livestock in season. A network of well-maintained paths crisscross the reserve, providing several short walks for you to take to see its wildlife wonders.
Cars, bikes, and motorcycles are the stars at the Coventry Transport Museum, a central Coventry institution that houses an enormous collection of vintage vehicles. While the museum attracts visitors of all ages, it’s especially engaging for younger guests, with plenty of educational and interactive exhibits for children.
This sprawling park is home to gardens, lakeside paths, playgrounds, and bird-watching sites, and is especially popular for kid-friendly activities, hosted year-round, along with markets and other seasonal events. The 12th-century Coombe Abbey at the heart of the park is now a 5-star hotel.
Lightroom is one of London’s most modern and boundary-pushing art destinations. Located in Coal Drops Yard near King’s Cross Station, the exhibition space specializes in multimedia, artist-led exhibitions. Thanks to its larger-than-life scale and immersive audio and video capabilities, Lightroom invites visitors to step right inside the art, and has partnered with luminaries including David Hockney and Tom Hanks.
The AO Arena is a bustling entertainment hub, hosting more than 130 shows and attracting more than 1.2 million visitors annually. Renowned for its lineup of concerts, sports events, and family-friendly shows, the arena has welcomed legendary acts, including U2, Madonna, and Lady Gaga. Its rich 25-plus-year history makes the arena a cornerstone of Manchester's cultural scene.
Set in the history-rich Royal Victoria Dock, ExCel London is an events space that hosts some of the capital’s most exciting cultural happenings. Its ever-changing roster features industry expos, conventions, and temporary exhibitions covering everything from Friends and Formula 1 to fintech.
A curiously named peninsula that extends into the Thames, the Isle of Dogs is one of East London’s most distinctive areas. Originating as marshland that was later carved out into the Docklands—the heart of British maritime might for centuries—today the former industrial area presents a contrast between the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and peaceful residential streets.
Celebrating local and international aviation history, Coventry’s Midland Air Museum is located in a hangar beside the small Coventry Airport. Visitors can see dozens of historic aircraft, from jets to helicopters. Families and anyone interested in aviation or military history will enjoy visiting.
