9 of the Best Day Trips from London

Royal Windsor and Windsor Castle are two of England’s most-visited and rewarding tourist attractions. Happily for day-trippers, the castle—originally built around 1071 as a wooden fort—also happens to dominate the town center, so it’s easy to check out both in one visit. Most guided day trips from London (which eliminate the fuss of sorting out your own return rail tickets) include time for a stop at the castle before showcasing the wider region.

That means you can explore the castle’s lavish State Apartments and St. George’s Chapel before heading for Bath, Stonehenge, or Oxford to really make the most of your day. However, history and royal buffs who want more time to visit the castle, town, and even The Long Walk can instead opt for a customizable private excursion or a half-day tour that visits Windsor alone.

Related: Know Before You Go: Visiting Windsor Castle

Looming over the Wiltshire countryside, Stonehenge is one of South West England’s superstar attractions. Add in the intrigue surrounding this roughly 5,000-year-old stone circle and it’s unsurprisingly one of the prime day trips near London, often combined on full-day tours with Windsor, Oxford, and Bath. (Though half-day outings that cover the stone circle alone are also available.)

Stonehenge’s allure lies in the mystery of how and why its massive stones were transported to where they’re now found, which gives you plenty to ponder as you wander the perimeter path and visitor center. (You can’t get up close to the stones on standard tours.) And given that you’d need to take a train and shuttle to get here from London independently, booking a tour with return transfers is significantly easier.

Insider tip: There’s no rain cover or amenities at the stones themselves, so be sure to take waterproofs or umbrellas in bad weather.

Related: Know Before You Go: Visiting Stonehenge

Described by poet Matthew Arnold as the “city of dreaming spires,” Oxford is one of Europe’s best-preserved historical cities. Its skyline unfurls gold-hued domes, towers, and pinnacles, while its cobbled streets, university colleges, and quadrangles reveal England’s various architectural epochs—from the Tudor-era Christ Church College to the neoclassical Sheldonian Theatre and Bodleian Library.

View these masterworks on full-day tours from London, or make the roughly 1-hour train journey yourself and take a guided walk around its highlights (including celebrated Harry Potter filming locations, such as New College). Alternatively, to pack the most into a day, pick a multi-stop expedition that also takes in the Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Warwick Castle.

Related: Know Before You Go: Exploring the Oxford University Colleges

Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its sublime Roman baths—dating from around AD 70—and sweeping Georgian terraces, Bath is a joy for history buffs, and beloved by literary enthusiasts for its connections with 18th-century author Jane Austen. Here, explore the Roman bathhouse, roam the Jane Austen Centre museum, and admire the graceful Royal Crescent.

While trains run direct to Bath from London, booking a guided tour with round-trip transportation is temptingly easy—not to mention convenient. Some private excursions dedicate the entire day to the city, while many shared-group tours combine Bath with Stonehenge, or tack on Windsor and the improbably beautiful village of Lacock.

Related: Take a Tour of Jane Austen’s England

A visit to Stratford-upon-Avon—gateway to the Cotswolds—catapults you back to the days of the world’s greatest playwright, William Shakespeare. The bard was born here in 1564 and died here in 1616, and the city still bristles with medieval sites linked to his extraordinary life, ideal for literature fans and history buffs alike. Visit his birthplace, ponder his burial site at Holy Trinity Church, and cruise along the River Avon.

However, given that getting here by train can be a hassle, consider booking an organized tour with round-trip transportation included—there are plenty of options, many of which encompass the nearby Cotswolds, Warwick Castle, and Oxford. And some even add on Stonehenge and Bath to give you the ultimate bang for your buck.

Did you know?: You won’t see a traditional headstoned grave at Shakespeare’s burial place. Rather, he’s buried alongside his wife, Anne Hathaway, under a stone plaque inside Holy Trinity Church.

For a real taste of rural England, it’s hard to beat the Cotswolds. This painterly slice of South East England countryside consists of dreamy villages and rolling hills that send tourists seeking quintessential English scenery into raptures. All to say, it’s a pretty charming spot to spend a day outside of London.

However, tripping through the region’s highlights independently is pretty challenging, particularly without your own set of wheels. Enter: guided day trips, which whisk you around must-sees such as Bibury, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, and Burford with ease. To cover even more in a day, jump on a tour that spares time for Oxford and the majestic Blenheim Palace.

Insider tip: To enjoy the Cotswolds at its best, aim to avoid the tourist crush that can land in places such as Bourton and Bibury during July and August.

A visit to the university city of Cambridge is one of the top easy day trips from London. Not only does it offer the same historical and intellectual clout of Oxford, it infuses it with an overall mellower vibe. As such, you can expect a gentler sightseeing experience rounded out by somnolent punting trips on the River Cam. The center has plenty of showstoppers too, from the grandiose Kings College Chapel to the “Backs” (where the backs of the colleges melt into riverside lawns and pathways).

Come here independently and soak up the sights while hearing tales of famous former students on an alumni-guided walk, or make a trip extra-simple and widen your perspective on a private day trip or Oxford-and-Cambridge combo from London.

Located about an hour’s drive from central London, the lovely county of Kent isn’t called “The Garden of England” for nothing. Home to a patchwork of leafy downs, apple orchards, and cozy villages studded with white-capped oast houses, the overall effect here is seriously picturebook—and it’s a great alternative to the Cotswolds, if you’re looking for quintessential English countryside.

Plus, in between the gentle landscapes sits the historical heavyweight, Canterbury, a city crowned by the UNESCO–listed Canterbury Cathedral, that’s also within driving distance of Leeds Castle and Dover Castle, slung high on Dover’s famous White Cliffs. Given that Kent’s top attractions are pretty spread out, skip the complex road-and-train connections and see them in a single multi-stop outing instead.

Insider tip: Kent is a top spot for London weekend day trips, though weekdays are typically better if you want to avoid the crowds.

Soak in the sorcery of Harry Potter on a day’s visit to the Warner Bros. Studios, which takes top billing among the best places near London for movie fanatics. Swap the trials of trains, rental cars, and online ticket purchase for a smooth and easy all-in-one ticket-and-transfer package that makes any transportation and admission worries disappear in an instant.

Once there, you’ll be free to immerse yourself in the Potter magic, stepping through the thrilling big-screen sets of Diagon Alley, Dumbledore’s office, and more. Other highlights include the animatronic workshop, costume try-outs, and the final reveal of a spectacularly huge model of Hogwarts.

Related: 10 Things Every “Harry Potter” Fan Should Do in London