Top Places To Visit In The UK

Although it is a relatively small island nation, the United Kingdom is home to a real wealth of attractions. If you enjoy culture and a vibrant arts scene, then there are several UK cities that should be on your radar. There are also amazing natural sights that await you if you venture away from the urban areas of the country. While there are so many places worth exploring in the UK, the following are eight of the best (in my opinion) to inspire your next trip there. While I haven’t visited all of these places myself yet (only in my dreams), they are at the top of my list and will definitely be visited in the near future (in real life).

Top Places To Visit In The UK - London England Phone Booth

London, England

Everyone should visit London at some point in their travels. It’s definitely one of my favourite cities in Europe! The UK capital has a vast heritage and the chance to visit famous sights such as Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and the iconic Houses of Parliament where you can hear Big Ben strike 12 o’clock. Beyond that, there’s the series of theatres on the South Bank and those that show musicals in the West End. Then of course there are the incredible markets, which is where I spend the majority of my time when I’m in London. You also can’t forget the talented street performers that you’ll find performing around the city. Add in the range of sport and music venues a long with fun little pubs, and you should never get bored here.

The Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland
Photo Credit: Stefan Klopp

The Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

The Giant’s Causeway is a great example of the magical scenes created by nature. The hundreds of rocky stacks here have formed to create a truly ethereal sight. You can follow the steps created by the stacks all the way down to the ocean. Along the way, you’ll see there are also a few columns out of sync that have become known as the Giant’s Boot as one is in the shape of a foot, and the Chimney Stacks which speak for themselves.

Glencoe, Scotland
Photo Credit: Ruaraidh McMahon

Glencoe, Scotland

This area appeared in the ‘Skyfall’ James Bond film as the lead character’s ancestral home. These hillsides of Scotland are exceptionally beautiful in the sunshine and have a brooding atmosphere when the rain and the mist roll in. If you love road trips, then you’ve got to add this destination to your list of epic road trips to take in your lifetime. Glencoe is also great if you enjoy hiking.

Barafundle Bay, Wales

Barafundle Bay, Wales

This remote beach in Pembrokeshire is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country. While it can take a little bit of a trek to get to, it’s well worth the effort. As you sit down and relax on the beautiful golden sand, you can admire the crystal clear waters that appear in front of you. Barafundle has been voted many times as one of the best beaches in Britain in the world and is often likened to a Caribbean beach!

Bath, England
Photo Credit: Treye Rice

Bath, England

This historic city has been recognized by UNESCO for its heritage. The name of the city itself comes from the Roman baths that have drawn people to the city for centuries. Today, attractions such as Bath Abbey and the Royal Crescent also keep people coming back to the enjoy the city.

Edinburgh Castle
Photo Credit: Craig Cormack

Edinburgh, Scotland

At the heart of Edinburgh is the series of streets known as the Golden Mile. This is a great place to start your exploration of the city as it will take you from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. The historic sites continue to draw people to this charming part of the country, while a hike up Calton Hill will reveal the best view in the city. Of course, if you’re looking for a great place to celebrate New Year’s Eve, Edinburgh should be at the top of your list.

 Snowdonia-Wales
Photo Credit: Wikimedia

Snowdonia, Wales

The beautiful mountains of Snowdonia are a truly amazing place to explore, and whether you travel there for hiking, rock climbing, white water rafting or any other sport, the backdrop to your activity will be truly remarkable. The steam train that takes you to the top of Snowdon, Wales’ highest mountain, is a breathtaking way to explore this area, while following the meandering roads by car is also a great option.

North York Moors purple flowers
Photo Credit: Freddie Phillips

North York Moors, England

This national park is famous for its captivating heather moorland. You can follow these purple flowers along the fields as far as your eyes can see. The North Yorkshire Moors railway also runs through this scenic area, and is one of the best attractions to visit for a journey that is a beautiful relic of a bygone era.

Have you visited any of these places?

23 Comments

  • One of the greatest pleasures of a UK vacation, however, is just how easy it is to explore this fascinating and diverse country. Thanks to its size-the UK could easily fit into the state of Texas (with room to spare)-you can base yourself in cities such as London or Liverpool and simply take a train or bus to explore other areas.

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  • MARCH 17, 2016 / 9:58 PM
    I’m not sure if I’m a big museum guy per se (I’m not super into art museums although I have visited a bunch of them) but it is one of my favorites because I love trains. The best thing about the National Railway Museum is it’s home to the only life-sized model of the Shinkansen outside of Japan. Inside the train, you can watch a 1980ish video about the Shinkansen.

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  • All places are beautiful to see and the way in which you have written about these places, everybody will want to come there. If i talk about then London and Glencoe are my favourite places

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  • I think wales is best place to visit . it is a beautiful place and i have always a dream to visit here And very soon it’s going to be complete because I’m going to come

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  • Hey Kristen, I just listened to your episode with Nadine on Smart Passive Income Podcast and it was extremely informative. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland so I couldn’t resist checking out if you’d visited here. I’m glad you put Glencoe on this list. It truly is magical! I just wanted to point out that in Edinburgh, it’s not called the Golden Mile, it’s actually called the Royal Mile. Although Golden Mile has a nice ring to it. 🙂

    I’m looking forward to your next video!

    – Kelly

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  • England is such a nice place to visit with some wonderful attractions and nice places to visit in England. One of the top tourist destinations is Buckingham Palace. The Queen’s official London residence has a whopping 775 rooms. It is one of the few working royal palaces remaining in the world today. The lavishly decorated State Rooms of the Palace are open to visitors during the summer months, and you can visit all year round to see the famous Changing the Guard.

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  • I’m secretly in love with the UK and their lovely people. I have been there a few times, but there are still many places to visit on my list like Cornwall. I love your picture of the London icons; Makes me wanna hop on a plane right now!

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  • I love England but I’ve only been in London and Brighton. When I visit London, going to a musical is always the highlight of my trip. Last time I was there I went to the lion king musical and it was incredible! Guess I have much more to explore in the UK for next time(=

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  • Those are all great places to visit! It’s terrific that you’re able to explore the incredible markets that capital has to offer. Some of the places you mentioned may not be famous but they would certainly make wonderful stops in a U.K. tour.

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  • I was born in the UK and I would encourage anyone planning a visit to head 'up north' rather than staying around London. The hebrides in Scotland are fantastic – head up to Oban then hop across on the ferry to Mull. York and Harrogate are also fantastic, as well as the Peak District including Castleton, Eyam and Buxton.

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  • Geez… these are some incredible places. I still haven’t been able to make it over to England. It’s one of those countries so full of history that I automatically add to the “later bucket” for when I’m more grown-up mentally, but these natural wonders might change my mind.

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    • England is pretty great. London has to be one of my favourite cities in the world. Definitely one of my favourite for people watching and exploring by foot. I’ve actually met quite a few avid travellers who haven’t been to England for the same reason as yourself. Definitely should get there someday but there’s so many amazing places in the world to explore. It’s hard to choose the ones you make a priority.

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  • I would also recommend York. I visited the city several times – Leeds is a short train/bus ride from York – and it’s quite lovely. The city has numerous places that would fascinate history buffs and it has lovely architecture. It’s a great city to cycle around as well. Finally, it is home to one of my favorite museums – the National Railway Museum.

    York is probably not far from the North Yorkshire Moors, but I have never been there.

    Reply
      • I’m not sure if I’m a big museum guy per se (I’m not super into art museums although I have visited a bunch of them) but it is one of my favorites because I love trains. The best thing about the National Railway Museum is it’s home to the only life-sized model of the Shinkansen outside of Japan. Inside the train, you can watch a 1980ish video about the Shinkansen.

        Reply

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