Search
Close this search box.
We use cookies to deliver the best experience on our website. By using our website, you agree to use of cookies.  Learn more.

Top UK Holiday Destinations You Should Try this Summer

CATEGORIES
TAGS

Share:

It isn’t the easiest at the minute to travel abroad, but there’s no need to fear – your holidays can still be well-spent in some of the most beautiful and fun places in the UK!

London

London is one of the greatest places in the UK to go for sight-seeing and shopping! With the Tube, you will be able to get to all parts of London to see as much as this wonderful city as you can in a few days. There are some hugely significant attractions that you will be able to see, such as the Westminster and Big Ben, where the two houses of Parliament work. There’s also Number 10 Downing Street which can be seen from Adam Street and the Queens own Buckingham Palace. The royal home is also surrounded by Green Park, St James Park and Hyde Park, which are all public areas that make for a beautiful walk. On another day in your London trip, you can also go to The Sea Life Centre Aquarium, which holds the largest number of marine animals in the whole of Europe! Once you’ve done there, you can also walk over and have a ride in the London Eye. There’s also the London Dungeon for the fearless, which is located underneath the arches of the London Bridge.

There is an inexhaustible amount of things that you can do at London, so a holiday here will be full of adventures.

Cornwall

A golden sandy beach in Newquay

Cornwall is a fantastic holiday destination and is full incredible beaches and fun things to do all around the county.

In Newquay, there are lots of attractions that are perfect for the family. You can go to Newquay Zoo, the only zoo in Cornwall, and the Blue Reef Aquarium, which overlooks a surfing beach if you fancy going surfing afterwards! The kids will also enjoy the Jungle Jack’s soft play area, which is 1700 square feet of fun climbs, tunnels and a rope bridge. There’s also the immersive walk-through Pirate’s Quest which uses special effects, theatrical actors and detailed sets to add to the experience.

You could also visit Bude, which is also a seaside city. They have two impressive historical attractions: Bude Castle Heritage Centre, which is full of stories of Victorian inventors, shipwrecks, fossils and more, as well as the medieval Penhallam Manor, the ruins of which are covered in grass. Bude also has The Venue, a place for the family to go no matter the weather bowl 10 lanes of ten pin bowling, and also a soft play area.

Yorkshire Wolds

The Yorkshire Wolds spans all the way from Flamborough to the Humber Bridge and it is full of unspoiled scenery, country houses, market towns and coastlines. There will definitely be something for everyone! You can walk the whole 79 mile Yorkshire Wolds Way, which is hugely popular because of its picturesque destinations and the ability to explore lesser known areas of Yorkshire. You can also stay at the Wolds Edge lodges, which is on the edge of the small village Bishop Wilton. It is at the foot of the Wolds and also near York, so a perfect place for you to come back to after a day of discovering more of Yorkshire.

Lake District

A stunning view of Lake Windermere in the Lake District

The Lake District is a beautiful area that is famed not only for its lakes, but also its forests and mountains, as well as its historical links to William Wordsworth, Beatrix Potter and John Ruskin. One of the must-see attractions here is Lake Windemere, which is the biggest natural lake in England! You can walk around it but the best way to see it all is on a boat ride, and you can even row yourself across by getting a self-drive or row boat. On this tour of the lake, you will be able to see lots of famous areas on the coast, including Beatrix Potter’s house! If you want to get a better look at this famous writer’s home, you can follow the trail at Hill Top and you can also celebrate her stories with The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction.

As well as Windemere, there’s also Keswick. Here, you can make the thirty minute walk and see the Castlerigg Stone Circle. It is a collection of boulders from the Neolithic period, putting it on the same footing as Stonehenge. It’s quite the hike to get there but it is full of the scenic countryside. In Keswick, there’s also the Grasmere Gingerbread shop, which was the cottage of Victorian baker Sarah Nelson, who first made this recipe in 1854. If you prefer savoury treats, there is also the Lake District’s best cheese seller, the Keswick Cheese Deli. You can also stay over at the Wordsworth Hotel to get all of this done with some rest in between. Wordsworth was born in Cumbria and he has homes in Cockermouth and Rydal Mount in Ambleside which you can explore.

Pembrokeshire, Wales

Photo of Tenby Harbour by Beata Mitręga on Unsplash

The city of Tenby is a popular holiday destination in Pembrokeshire. It has four beaches: Tenby Castle Beach, Tenby South Beach, Tenby North Beach and Tenby Harbour, so you will be able to enjoy the sunshine with traditional seaside holiday activities. This includes an amusements park, as they have The Dinosaur Park, which is all dinosaur-themed. If you enjoy sight-seeing, there are the historical attractions of the Tudor Merchant’s House and St Catherine’s Island. For a bite to eat and a drink, you can also pop over to the Harbour Brewery.

Just like Tenby, Pembroke is also in possession of many lovely beaches, including Freshwater East Beach and Barafundle Beach. As well as that, there are lots of historical sites, in particular Pembroke Castle, which is full of fascinating stories. You can also go visit St Govan’s Chapel and its stunning views, Monkton Old Hall and Lamphey Bishop’s Palace. For some beautiful natural exhibits, you can visit Stackpole Walled Gardens. Pembroke also has speciality shops- foodie will be in heaven at Wisebuys, which has an assortment of foods and specialised alcohol and sweet shops, and there’s also Saltwater Studio where you can buy handmade gifts that will make a unique souvenir from your holiday!

The Cotswolds

The Costwolds is a large area which runs through five counties, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire, and each one has their own attractions to explore. There are lots of tours that guide you through the Costwolds, or areas of it, which you can chose from if you want a guide through. It’s home to lots of beautiful castles, such as Blenheim Palace where Winston Churchill was born. There’s also Sudeley Castle, which has the Queen’s Gardens, named after the four of English queens- Anne Boleyn, Katherine Parr, Lady Jane Grey and Elizabeth I- once walked through the original Tudor Pareterre. It is also the burial place of Katherine Parr. You can also look at all of the Costwolds through the Broadway Tower. The Costwolds are also famed for their picturesque and traditional villages, such as Cheltenham, Wiltshire’s Castle Combe, and Lacock, which is known for being unusually preserved but also for Lacock Abbey being filmed in Harry Potter!

Whitby

Whitby is a fantastic seaside holiday as it has many beautiful beaches, including Robin Hood’s Bay. There are also lots of shops and cafes in the area for you to stop at and look. Some of these shops are particularly influenced by Whitby’s gothic attractions, and you will see many odes to Dracula (which was set here). You may want to explore the local legendry a bit more and go on the Dracula Experience or the Ghost Walk. There’ also a lot of famous monuments you will want to see, such as the ancient ruins of Whitby Abbey, or Captain Cook’s Whalebone. You can also count the 199 steps from St Mary’s Church into Old Town, which is full of unique shops such as Whitby Glass Ltd, where you can get your own Lucky Duck!

Loch Lomond, Scotland

Conic Hill

Loch Lomond is a beautiful place to go to with an assortment of walks that you can go on to discover the natural landmarks, such as the Falls of Falloch, and the chance to go hiking up the many mountains and hills. If you aren’t up for walking, they also offer pony treks for the experienced and the not. This area also has lots of bodies of water and lakes, so you are able to go for boat trips and tours, or you can get in the water with the Water Ski Club. On the shores, there are lots of stalls and activities as well as the Luss Pier landmark. Loch Lomond also has a Birds of Prey Centre, which has a host of British birds and some less familiar, which you will be able to learn all about with their falconry activities and information about their rehabilitation work. If you love animals, you can also see the Sealife Aquarium that they have. For the adventurous, you will be able to explore more of Loch Lomond’s natural sights with the TreeZone Aerial Adventure Course, which has all kinds of activities for you to reach the final zip wire. A few days here will be well spent!

Norfolk

In Norfolk, you can go to Norwich. In this city, there are lots of different places that make for picturesque walks and adventures, such as Riverside Walk. There’s also The Broads National Park, which has all kinds of wildlife, boating activities and culture and heritage attractions, and you can even stay there! You can also go to one of Norwich’s most beautiful historic parks, Eaton Park, that has 80 acres full of things to do. For those who like nature and gardening, you will enjoy the beautiful East Ruston Old Vicarage Garden. You could also visit historical places such as Norwich Cathedral (the second largest cathedral in England!), Norwich Castle and Felbrigg Hall. There’s also the opportunity for you to have a tour and tasting at Winbirri Vineyards.

You can also go to Great Yarmouth, which is a traditional seaside town. They have a Time and Tide Museum to celebrate and remember the history of fishing in their city, as well as a Sea Life Centre dedicated to all kinds of marine life. The historic amusement park Pleasure Beach is also very popular and will be great fun this summer, or you could go to Joyland Children’s Fun Park to find lots of child-friendly enjoyable rides. This city also has an Elizabethan House Museum that you are able to go in and look at. Great Yarmouth also has four beaches- Central Beach, Garlston-on-Sea Beach, Hemsby Beach and Calster-on-Sea Beach- so you will be able to find somewhere to enjoy the sun.

Hull news, events & special offers

Our weekly digest rounds up the best things happening around Hull & East Yorkshire.

Featured

Got something to share?

We want to share everything positive that’s going on around Hull. We have loads of great ways to share your stuff:
Click the button above or email us at events@hullwhatson.com
*Registration required
Featured Hull Events
Unmissable offers!
Places you should visit

Hull news, events & offers by email

Stay up to date on everything good happening locally!