Seeing more of our new home country Great Britain has been part of our new years resolutions ever since we moved here in 2013, but I can’t say we’re really ticking things of the list just yet. We’ve only just seen small parts of England and even a tinier part of Wales (not counting the times we visited Great Britain as a kid)… so we have some ‘work’ to do here, haha. This is post is therefore a mental reminder to us and (with added places that we already visited) hopefully a handy tool to plan your next visit as well!
(destinations listed in no particular order)
Make sure to also click on the suggested links below each photo for great articles on each destination. We handpicked all the blogs ourselves (yes, that took us about 3 days), so they all link to resources that we believe are valuable and fun to read! Spread the Blogger ❤
#1 LONDON, ENGLAND
Most travel in Britain starts with a visit to capital of Enland: London. And it’s not hard to see why. Free museums, world food around every corner and characteristic neighbourhoods, you will never be bored here! Don’t miss our London Expat Guide for our personal tips on where to go and what to do.
Read more on: A Lady in London // 2 Foodtrippers // 20 Years Hence // A Taste Of Travel // Ashley Abroad // Borders of Adventure // Aussie on the Road // Angloitalian // Beer Time with Wagner // Cultural Xplorer // Creativelena // Contented Traveller // David’s Been Here // Ever in Transit // Finding the Universe // Girl Tweets World // The Fly Away American // Have You Heard Of It? // Nomadic Matt // Y Travel Blog // Sateless Suitcase // Need Another Holiday // The Little Backpacker // World of Wanderlust // Travelling Buzz // One Step 4Ward // Brendan’s Adventures // The Planet D // The Lazy Travelers // Don’t Fly Go // The Blonde Abroad // Changes in Longitude // Wonderful Wanderings
#2 YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND
The county Yorkshire in Northern England is know for its Roman and Viking heritage. But also expect Norman castles, medieval abbeys and 2 national parks. Walled city York was founded by the Romans and features a huge 13th-century Gothic cathedral that you don’t want to miss.
Read more on: A Dangerous Business // Adventurous Kate // Go Backpacking // No Place to Be // Rexy Edventures // Pommie Travels // One Penny Tourist // Pack Your Passport // Travelettes // One Step 4Ward // The Travel Hack
#3 BRIGHTON, EAST SUSSEX, ENGLAND
Brighton is English most popular seaside resort town, about 1 hour south of London. You won’t find sand on the beach though, but cobblestones (whaaaat?), but it’s made up for with an incredible amount of fun amusement arcades and rides on Brighton Pier. Also don’t miss the Royal Pavilion for some serious incredible architecture. We visited Brighton on our South-England weekend break and had a great day out!
Read more on: Jess on Thames // Tea was Here // Ashley Abroad // Emma’s Travel Tales // Girl Tweets World // Heart of a Vagabond // Lines of Escape // Need Another Holiday // Pack Your Passport // Our Oyster // Young Adventuress // Oh, The Places We Will Go! // Neverending Footsteps // Nomadic Matt // Rhyme and Ribbons // Travel with a Mate // The Fly Away American // Wild About Travel // Heather on her Travels // The Travel Hack
#4 CHANNEL ISLANDS: JERSEY AND GUERNSEY
Okay. Technically speaking are these places not part of Great Britain, but the Channel Islands (located between England and France) are quite worth a visit. These independent, English-speaking territories have a mix of British and French cultures and are known for their beaches, walking trails and inland valleys. Sounds like a Bucket List item to us!
Read more on: Big World Small Pockets // World of Wanderlust // 2 Backpackers // Big World Small Pockers // Global Grasshopper // Sophie’s World // Love Puffin Travel Blog // Lines of Escape // Heather on her Travels
#5 BATH, SOMERSET, ENGLAND
Nienke visited the city of bath as a child and remembers the beautiful Roman Baths, of course most famously the one below. The town is known for its natural hot springs and 18th-century Georgian architecture and a great relaxing weekend break from London. And you can do a guided tour these days, narrated by our favourite writer Bill Bryson, which must be hilarious!
Read more on: Mrs. O Around the World // The Little Backpacker // A Dangerous Business // Gotta Keep Movin’ // Indie Travel Podcast // Lines of Escape // Landlopers // Nomadic Matt // Rhyme and Ribbons // Mrs O Around the World // Heather on her Travels // The Little Backpacker // Travel with a Mate
#6 SHETLAND ISLANDS, SCOTLAND
Nienke has always been intrigued with the Shetland Islands, probably because of their native Shetland Ponies that she loved as a child. Nick on the other hand thinks that the word ‘pony’ is the silliest word ever. But ‘Shetland Pony’ makes him cry with laughter – every time. Aaaanyway… The Shetland Islands is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland and definitely worth to visit. With or without Nick.
Read more on: Adventurous Kate // The Chaotic Scot
#7 BOURNEMOUTH, DORSET, ENGLAND
Bournemouth is a seaside resort on the southern coast of England. You will find 7 miles / 11 kilometer of beaches, Victorian architecture and buzzing nightlife. The resort is also home to Bournemouth Pier, an activity centre with an obstacle course, a climbing wall and a zip line. Yassssss. Also don’t miss the Bournemouth Gardens for amazing rock gardens, an aviary and apparently plant species from 3 continents.
Read more on: One Step 4Ward // Urban Travel Blog
#8 NEW FOREST NATIONAL PARK, ENGLAND
I (Nienke) remember that as a kid, we camped in the park and woke up with horses next to our tent. So cool! We went back for the second time on our most recent London weekend break and stayed in an Airbnb, which was really nice as well. The park has one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest with free running horses and deer. A really nice break from the city!
Read More on: Oh, The Places We Will Go! // Savoir There // The Little Backpacker
#9 PEMBROKESHIRE COAST, WALES
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park is a national park West Wales, established in 1952. It is the only National Park in the UK that has primarily been designated because of its spectacular coastline. Get ready for rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, wooded estuaries and wild inland hills. And did you know they have puffins here too? You’ll find them on Skomer and Skokholm island. So cute! The Wales Coast Path is a long-distance footpath which follows the majority of the coastline of Wales. Don’t try to do it al at once though (or maybe you want to); it’s 870 miles / 1400 kilometers. Bring good shoes, either way.
#10 GLASTONBURY, SOMERSET, ENGLAND
We all know this name because of the festival (which we also still would love to visit one day, see links below for more on that), but Glastonbury on its own has something special about it as well. It was inhabited since Neolithic times and is described as a ‘New Age community’ which attracts people with New Age and Neopagan beliefs. Ooohhhwww… You might also know it from myths and legends about Joseph of Arimathea, the Holy Grail and King Arthur.
Read more on: 2 Backpackers // Lines of Escape // Vicky FlipFlop Travels // This Girl Loves
#11 LEEDS, WEST YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND
To be honest, we don’t know much about Leeds (located in West-Yorkshire) to begin with, but when you read that they have the 3rd railway station and 16th busiest airport in England, there must be something to do, right? Well, Leeds has renowned galleries, many festivals and they even have their own Opera House and Ballet Company. There is also enough to see and do in the surrounding area. West Yorkshire is home to a number of historic towns and villages that seem a world away from the city centre.
Read more on: Foxnomad // Pack Your Passport // Heather on her Travels // Velvet Escape
#12 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND
We both visited Manchester briefly on separate occasions, but haven’t written about it yet. A shame, because it’s a really nice city in the northwest of England! The city has a rich industrial (textile) heritage and you can trace this history at the incredible Museum of Science & Industry, that you shouldn’t miss. Manchester has also great hotspots to grab a bite and drink!
Read more on: Cultural Xplorer // David’s Been Here // Gotta Keep Movin’ // Pommie Travels // Nomadic Matt // Monkeys and Mountains // Rexy Edventures // Travelling King // Travels of Adam // Brendan’s Adventures // Velvet Escape // Wanderlust Marriage
#13 NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, NORTHUMBERLAND, ENGLAND
We’ve both been to Newcastle (Nienke even 4 times times now: twice on a mini-cruise with mum, once for a conference and once to see Hadrian’s Wall and some hotspots) and still don’t think we’ve seen it all, there is a lot to see and do in this area. The city developed around the Roman settlement and was named after a castle built in 1080 and the port developed in the 16th century to one of the world’s largest shipbuilding and ship-repairing centres. Great to see how old and new gets together in this city. Can’t wait to go back soon.
Read more on: A Couple Travelers // Luxe Adventure Traveler // Rhyme and Ribbons // The Museum Times // One Step 4Ward // The Travel Hack // Time Travel Turtle
#14 OXFORD, OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND
A couple of years ago, Nienke visited a friend living here and got a private tour of the university and part of the city. Of course the grand University of Oxford is amazing to see on its own, but what was also interesting to see was that all the buildings in the city show great examples of every English architectural period since the late Saxon period. Hard not to like it here!
Read more on: Travellous World // Deep Culture Travel // Finding the Universe // Gotta Keep Movin’ // Jess-on-Thames // Lines of Escape // No Place to Be // Nomadic Matt // Rhyme and Ribbons // The Travel Hack // Travelous World // Travelling Buzz
#15 THE COTSWOLDS, ENGLAND
Ahh… the Cotswolds. This rural area of South/Central England covers parts of 6 counties and is recognizable by its rolling hills and medieval villages, churches and stately homes built of distinctive local yellow limestone. Great for a road trip, or to go hiking!
Read more on: A Couple Travelers // Trip & Travel Blog // A Dangerous Business // Adventurous Kate // Ciao Bambino // The Lazy Travelers // The Travel Hack // Travelettes
#16 CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, ENGLAND
We were here a couple years ago and we liked it, but we visited in the busiest time of the year. #FAIL Incredible amounts of school groups, wowza! We did enjoy watching the punting (people trying not to crash and drown in long wooden boats), which of course was nowhere near as quiet as shown below. Perhaps back in a quieter time, because the University and surrounding buildings are really quite brilliant to see.
Read more on: Dave’s Travel Corner // Oh, The Places We Will Go! // Rhyme and Ribbons // Global Grasshopper // Landlopers // Solo Traveler Blog // Nomadic Matt // Wonderful Wanderings // The Hostel Girl
#17 EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
Hilly Edinburgh is Scotland’s capital and consists of a medieval Old Town and a Georgian New Town. ‘Arthur’s Seat’ is an extinct volcano in Holyrood Park with sweeping views from its peak. Another sight you don’t want to miss is hilltop Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the ‘Stone of Destiny’. Oooohhhww…
Read more on: 48 Hour Adventure // Adventurous Kate // Borders of Adventure // Angloitalian // Beer Time with Wagner // Camels and Chocolate // Budget Traveller // The Expert Vagabond // Finding the Universe // Flirting with the Globe // Jess-on-Thames // Four Jandals // Grantourismo // Girl Tweets World // Lee Abbamonte // Landlopers // Our Oyster // MeganOTravels // Y Travel Blog // Need Another Holiday // Top Sport Travel // The Travel Hack // Brendan’s Adventures // One Step 4Ward // The Lazy Travelers // The Chaotic Scot // Changes in Longitude // Travelettes // Heather on her Travels // Wanderlust and Lipstick // Travel2Next // World of Wanderlust // Uncornered Market // Velvet Escape
#18 GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
A friend of us studied here and says it’s such a great city, so of course we want to check it out! Glasgow is a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland’s western Lowlands. Famous for its Victorian and art nouveau architecture and a national cultural hub. Institutions include the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and National Theatre of Scotland and there are many acclaimed museums and a thriving music scene. Sounds good to me!
Read more on: 48 Hour Adventure // A Dangerous Business // Adventurous Kate // Angloitalian // Girl Tweets World // Gotta Keep Movin’ // Landlopers // MeganOTravels // Mallory on Travel // Need Another Holiday // The Lazy Travelers // World of Wanderlust // Travel2Next // Travelettes // The Travel Hack // Brendan’s Adventures
#19 ISLE OF SKYE, SCOTLAND
The Isle of Skye is connected to Scotland’s northwest coast by a bridge and as you can see, it has an amazing landscape. Add some medieval castles and you’ve got a fairytale place for your bucket list!
Read more on: A Dangerous Business // A Little Adrift // Adventurous Kate // Camels and Chocolate // Our Oyster // Wonderful Wanderings // Where’s Sharon // Travelling King // Brendan’s Adventures // One Step 4Ward // Travel with Bender // Heather on her Travels // Travel with Bender // The Travel Tart // Travelettes // Heather on her Travels // Wonderful Wanderings
#20 BRISTOL, ENGLAND
Lots of maritime history in Bristol, but you can also find plenty of culture and hotspots here. All restaurants, shops and cultural institutions are located in the harbour’s 19th-century warehouses. We also definitely want to check out their spacey looking planetarium that you can see below.
Read more on: Nomadic Matt // Our Oyster // One Step 4Ward // Heather on her Travels
#21 ISLE OF MAN, ENGLAND
The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. Again, nothing short of rugged coastlines and medieval castles like the other isles in this post. Explore the island’s Celtic and Viking heritage at the Manx Museum in the capital city of Douglas.
Read more on: The Quirky Traveller // Sophie’s World
#22 CANTERBURY, KENT, ENGLAND
Canterbury is famous for its iconic cathedral that was founded in 597 A.D. The city used to be a major pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages and you can still see ancient walls that were originally built by the Romans all around the medieval centre with cobbled streets and timber-framed houses. We visited it recently (Nienke also with her my parents when she was about 10 -she actually got lost here, don’t mention it). Don’t skip the fun ‘Canterbury Tales’ to get some good stories from back in the days.
Read more on: Flight of the Travel Bee // Brendan’s Adventures // Creativelena
#23 THE HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND
This historic region of Scotland doesn’t have clear boundaries, but The Great Glen divides the Grampian Mountains to the southeast from the Northwest Highlands. The area is very sparsely populated, with many mountain ranges dominating the region, and includes the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis. Ready to conquer it?
Read more on: The Blonde Abroad // The Lazy Travelers // The Hostel Girl // The Little Backpacker // The Chaotic Scot // Travelettes // Uncornered Market // Wanderlust and Lipstick // Camels and Chocolate // Flora the Explorer // House of Anaïs
#24 ISLE OF WIGHT, ENGLAND
We were so close to it on our recent visit to the New Forest area, but we didn’t have enough time to cross by ferry to the Isle of Wight. This county is the largest and second most populous island in England. It was the home of Queen Victoria, the location of the world’s first hovercraft and the testing and development of Britain’s space rockets. Sounds like an interesting place to visit!
Read More on: Lines of Escape // Pommie Travels // Travel with a Mate // One Step 4Ward // The Lazy Travelers // Time Travel Turtle
#25 LAKE DISTRICT, CUMBRIA, ENGLAND
The Lake District is a region and England’s largest National Park . Here, you will find deepest glacial lake Wastwater and highest mountain Scafell Pike, but also thriving communities like Keswick and Bowness-on-Windermere, which makes for a great visit during a weekend trip.
Read more on: Travel Freak // Borders of Adventure // Quirky Traveller // Adventurous Kate // Contented Traveller // A Little Adrift // Don’t Fly Go // Emma’s Travel Tales // Indie Travel Podcast // Landlopers // Need Another Holiday // Solo Traveler Blog // Nomadic Matt // Pommie Travels // The Quirky Traveller // Mallory on Travel // The Planet D // Travel with a Mate // Velvet Escape // One Step 4Ward // Velvet Escape // Travelettes
#26 DEVON, ENGLAND
The county Devon in southwest England encompasses sandy beaches, fossil cliffs, medieval towns and moorland national parks. Woohoo! Along the coast, you will find a series of picturesque harbour villages as Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. Follow the South West Coast Path and enjoy the towering cliffs of the northern Exmoor Coast and rock formations on the fossil-rich southern Jurassic Coast.
Read more on: Heather on her Travels // Pommie Travels // Mrs O Around the World // Skimbaco Lifestyle // The Little Backpacker // One Step 4Ward // Wanderlust and Lipstick // Oh, The Places We Will Go! // Four Jandals // Gotta Keep Movin’ // Mallory on Travel // Changes in Longitude
#27 BIRMINGHAM, WARWICKSHIRE, ENGLAND
Birmingham grew from a medium-sized market town in the medieval period to international prominence in the 18th century. Now it’s the largest and most populous British city outside London. During the 1960s Birmingham was the home of a music scene comparable to that of Liverpool with many groups gaining international success. We would love to check out the Selfridges Building (see below), which costed £60 million to build. It’s seen as a major contribution to the regeneration of Birmingham.
Read more on: Lines of Escape // Rhyme and Ribbons // Velvet Escape // Travel with a Mate
#28 JURASSIC COAST, DEVON TO DORSET, ENGLAND
This World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of South-England is amazing! We only saw part of it on our weekend break from London, but it stretches from Orcombe Point in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks in East Dorset, a distance of 96 miles / 155 kilometers. Incredible!
Read More on: Heather on her Travels
#29 KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES, GREATER LONDON, ENGLAND
Kingston was the ancient market town where Saxon kings were crowned and it lies just 10 miles/16.1 km south of Charing Cross in London. It’s a great place for shopping and eating out. The ancient market is still held daily in the Market Place and you can find fish, jewellery, exotic foods, local foods and flowers here. We visited here recently for a conference and really enjoyed the ‘Riverside Edge’: a converted multi-storey car park that features five ‘pocket kitchens’ which will change every 6-12 months.
Read more on: Lines of Escape // Suitcase Stories // Rexy Edventures
#30 STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, WARWICKSHIRE, ENGLAND
Ah, the 16th-century birthplace of William Shakespeare, what’s not to like? The Royal Shakespeare Company still performs his plays in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and adjacent Swan Theatre on the banks of the River Avon. I visited here as a child, would love to go back again!
Read more on: Rexy Edventures // Nomadic Matt // Oh, The Places We Will Go! // Rhyme and Ribbons
#31 STONEHENGE, WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND
On our South England road trip, we visited Stonehenge (Nienke almost 15 years after visiting it for the first time as a kid) and it’s one of those must-sees in England. This prehistoric monument in Wiltshire attracts millions of visitors, even though the reason for building this stone circle can only be speculated.
Read more on: Finding the Universe // Travels of Adam // A Dangerous Business // Goats on the Road // Jess-on-Thames // Lee Abbamonte // Rhyme and Ribbons // Seattles Travels // Solo Traveler Blog // Sophie’s World // Heather on her Travels // Travel with Bender // Travel. Experience. Live. // The Road To Anywhere // Wanderlust and Lipstick // Nomadic Matt
#32 DOVER, KENT, ENGLAND
You’ll know Dover from the iconic White Cliffs that you can see from the ferry coming across from France or Belgium, I remember loving that view as a child! The town itself features a medieval castle that overlooks the town and houses the extensive Secret Wartime Tunnels. Love to explore them!
Read more on: Brendan’s Adventures // House of Anaïs // The Travel Hack // The Fly Away American
#33 LIVERPOOL & BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND
Both Liverpool as Blackpool have a rich maritime history. On top of that, Liverpool is the hometown of The Beatles and a UNESCO world heritage site, whereas Blackpool features the ‘Blackpool Pleasure Beach’, an old-school amusement park with vintage wooden roller coasters. There is plenty more to see and do in both places, so take a good weekend and go explore!
Read more on Liverpool: A Dangerous Business // Nomadic Matt // Adventurous Kate // Camels and Chocolate // Global Grasshopper // Helen in Wonderlust // Jessie on a Journey // <a href="http://www.needanotherholiday.com/