Things to do in United Kingdom

The 17 best things to do in United Kingdom

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1. 1London

   See the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London

   The Tower of London is a fortress, royal palace and former prison, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At its heart stands the White Tower, built between 1078 and 1100 by William the Conqueror, with Norman stonework, the 11th-century Chapel of St John and royal armor from the Royal Armouries inside. The Crown Jewels exhibition shows more than 100 objects set with over 23,000 gemstones; allow about an hour for it. Yeoman Warder tours, included in your ticket, leave every 45 minutes from 10:00 with tales of imprisonment and execution, and you will meet the Tower's ravens too. Tower Hill Underground station is about 5 minutes' walk away.

   Tip: Arrive at opening and see the Crown Jewels first, then join a Yeoman Warder tour, keeping in mind that the last tour leaves at 14:30.

   Adult, excluding donation: £38 (about $51) · Adult ticket excludes the optional donation.Fee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Historic Royal Palaces (official); Historic Royal Palaces (official); Historic Royal Palaces (official)
2. 2London

   Walk through 1,000 years of history at Westminster Abbey

   Westminster Abbey has been a place of worship since at least the 10th century, and every coronation since 1066 has taken place here. Inside you pass the 700-year-old Coronation Chair, the Grave of the Unknown Warrior and Scientists' Corner, where Newton, Darwin and Hawking are remembered among more than 3,300 burials and memorials. Further on are the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor, the tombs of Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, the fan-vaulted ceiling of the Lady Chapel, and Poets' Corner, where Chaucer is buried. You can see the highlights in under an hour with the multimedia guide. Westminster station is about 4 minutes' walk away.

   Tip: Plan your visit for Monday to Saturday, since on Sundays the Abbey is open only for services, and come back for free choral Evensong if you want to hear the choir.

   Entry: £32 (about $43)Fee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Westminster Abbey (official); Westminster Abbey (official); Westminster Abbey (official)
3. 3EdinburghBook ahead

   Climb the castle rock at Edinburgh Castle

   Edinburgh Castle sits on the rock at the top of the Old Town and is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe, a royal home, garrison and prison over the centuries. Its oldest building, St Margaret's Chapel, was built by King David I in honor of his mother, who died here in 1093. In the Royal Palace, Mary, Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI in 1566, and the Honours of Scotland, the oldest Crown jewels in Britain, are on show. Look for Mons Meg, the medieval cannon given to James II in 1457, and the vaults that held prisoners of war. Allow at least 2 hours.

   Tip: Book a timed ticket online well ahead, especially in summer, because tickets often sell out and none are sold at the castle once they are gone.

   Entry: £23.50 (about $32) · Online price; walk-up tickets cost moreFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Edinburgh Castle, Historic Environment Scotland (official); Edinburgh Castle, Historic Environment Scotland (official); UNESCO World Heritage Centre
4. 4London

   Meet the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum

   Founded in 1753 and opened in 1759, the British Museum was the first national public museum in the world, and its collection covers two million years of human history and culture. Its most famous object is the Rosetta Stone, carved in 196 BC with the same decree in hieroglyphs, Demotic and Ancient Greek, which became the key to reading Egyptian hieroglyphs. Elsewhere you can see finds from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, Egyptian mummies and the Islamic world collection. At the center is the Great Court, the largest covered public square in Europe. Entry to the collection is free, and Tottenham Court Road station is about 5 minutes' walk away.

   Tip: Book a free timed entry ticket online before you go, since it gives priority entry at busy times, and leave large bags and wheeled suitcases at your hotel because they are not allowed in.

   Free
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: British Museum (official); British Museum (official); British Museum (official)
5. 5Edinburgh

   Walk the Royal Mile down to Holyroodhouse

   The Royal Mile is the spine of Edinburgh's Old Town, running along a high ridge from the castle on its rock down to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Narrow closes and wynds branch off it in a medieval fishbone pattern, past tall tenements, 16th and 17th-century merchants' houses such as six-story Gladstone's Land, and St Giles' Cathedral. At the bottom, the palace is the King's official residence in Scotland. Inside you climb a narrow, winding stair to the rooms where Mary, Queen of Scots lived from 1561 to 1567, including the tiny supper room where her secretary David Rizzio was murdered in 1566. The ruins of 12th-century Holyrood Abbey stand beside it.

   Tip: Start at the castle in the morning and walk downhill, ducking into the side closes as you go, so you reach the palace with time for its multimedia tour.

   Free to visit
   Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre; Royal Collection Trust; Royal Collection Trust (official)
6. 6Edinburgh

   Hike up Arthur's Seat for views over Edinburgh

   Arthur's Seat rises over Holyrood Park, right beside the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the foot of the Royal Mile. The hill and its crags are the remains of a volcano that erupted around 340 million years ago, later shaped by glaciers into the cliffs and valleys you climb today. In the 18th century the geologist James Hutton studied the rocks of Salisbury Crags, which helped him develop the idea of deep time. People have used the park since the Stone Age, and Bronze Age farming terraces still show on the eastern slopes when the sun is low. From the top you look out over the city and beyond.

   Tip: Wear shoes with good grip and pick a clear day for the views, since the summit is open to the weather.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Historic Environment Scotland (official); Historic Environment Scotland (official); Royal Collection Trust
7. 7London

   Watch the Changing the Guard at Buckingham Palace

   Buckingham Palace is the King's official London residence and a working royal palace, and the Changing the Guard ceremony outside it is London pageantry at its most colorful. During the ceremony, also called Guard Mounting, the New Guard marches from Wellington Barracks to the palace with a band and takes over as the King's Guard from the old detachment. The palace itself took shape when George IV had John Nash turn Buckingham House into a grand palace from 1825, and Queen Victoria was the first monarch to live there, from 1837. Its State Rooms, with paintings by Van Dyck and Canaletto and the Throne Room, open to visitors each summer.

   Tip: Check the Household Division's online schedule the day before, because the British Army sets the days and times, they change, and the ceremony depends on the weather.

   Summer 2027 adult, advance: £35 (about $47) · Summer 2027 adult, on the day: £39 (about $52) · Free to view outside. State Rooms prices below apply from July 8 to September 26, 2027.Fee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Royal Collection Trust; Royal Collection Trust (official); The Household Division, British Army (official)
8. 8London

   Climb to the Golden Gallery of St Paul's

   A cathedral has stood on this site in the City of London since 604. When the old cathedral was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, Christopher Wren designed the one you see now, crowned by its famous dome. Your ticket covers the cathedral floor, the crypt, where Admiral Lord Nelson's tomb lies, and the three dome galleries. It is 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery, 376 to the Stone Gallery and 528 in all to the Golden Gallery at the top, with wide views over London. The galleries are reached by stairs only, and St Paul's Underground station is the nearest stop.

   Tip: Visit Monday to Saturday, when the cathedral is open for sightseeing, and skip the dome climb if you have mobility problems or dislike heights and narrow stairs, as the cathedral advises.

   Entry: £27 (about $36) · Sightseeing Monday to SaturdayFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 3, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: St Paul's Cathedral (official); St Paul's Cathedral (official); St Paul's Cathedral (official); St Paul's Cathedral (official); St Paul's Cathedral (official)
9. 9London

   Graze your way through Borough Market

   Borough Market, next to London Bridge station, is one of the best-known produce and street food markets in the world, with around 1,000 years of history. It was once a wholesale market serving south London's greengrocers, and the railway viaduct that slices through it made it a major fruit and vegetable hub. Today it is a retail market for high-quality food, run by a charitable trust. It has three main areas: Three Crown Square for larger producers, the Green Market for small specialist traders, and Borough Market Kitchen for street food, with restaurants, bars and shops around the edges. Entry is free.

   Tip: Go on a weekday morning rather than a Saturday afternoon, the busiest time, and remember that the market is closed on Mondays.

   Pay as you go
   Sources: Borough Market (official); Borough Market (official)
10. 10London

    See modern art in Tate Modern's power station

    Tate Modern opened in 2000 in a former power station on Bankside, on the south bank of the Thames across from St Paul's Cathedral. You enter down the ramp into the vast Turbine Hall, then climb through galleries of modern and contemporary art in the Natalie Bell Building, or visit the underground Tanks, used for live performance and video. Entry to the collection is free; only special exhibitions are ticketed. The restaurant and bar at the top of the building look out across the river to St Paul's. Southwark station is about 600 m away and Blackfriars about 300 m from its south exit.

    Tip: Book ahead only for the paid exhibitions, since the collection needs no ticket, and pair your visit with St Paul's on the other side of the river.

    Free; some exhibitions cost extra
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Tate (official); Tate (official)
11. 11London to Edinburgh

    Ride the train from London to Edinburgh

    The two cities are linked by the East Coast main line, run by LNER from London King's Cross through York and Newcastle to Edinburgh. The journey takes about 4 hours 15 minutes, and you arrive at Edinburgh Waverley, at the east end of Princes Street, a short uphill walk from the castle, which you can see from the station exits. It is an easy way to see both capitals on one trip, and for night owls the Caledonian Sleeper runs overnight from London. If you plan to stay longer, ScotRail trains reach Glasgow in about 45 minutes.

    Tip: Book a Standard Advance ticket on the LNER website or app at least four weeks ahead for the best savings.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: LNER (official); VisitScotland (official); Edinburgh Castle, Historic Environment Scotland (official)
12. 12London

    Spend a morning at the National Gallery

    The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square holds one of the greatest collections of paintings in the world. It was founded in 1824 with 38 paintings bought from the banker John Julius Angerstein, and moved into William Wilkins' building on Trafalgar Square in 1838. Today it has over 2,300 works spanning the main traditions of Western European painting, with more than 1,000 on display, from Uccello and Gentileschi to Turner and Van Gogh. Entry is free, apart from some exhibitions, and a free audio guide covers over 50 favorite paintings. It is open daily from 10:00, and until 21:00 on Fridays.

    Tip: Book a free timed ticket online for fast-track entry, or go on a Friday evening when the galleries stay open late.

    Free
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: National Gallery (official); National Gallery (official)
13. 13London

    Meet the blue whale at the Natural History Museum

    The Natural History Museum in South Kensington is free to explore. Its entrance hall, Hintze Hall, is the gateway to the galleries, where Hope, the skeleton of a blue whale, the largest animal on Earth, hangs overhead among meteorites, minerals, birds and other specimens from 4.5 billion years of natural history. The Dinosaurs gallery shows some of the most important dinosaur fossils in the world and explains what research has taught us about them. It suits families and anyone curious about the natural world. South Kensington station is about a five-minute walk away.

    Tip: Book a free entry ticket online if you are visiting on a weekend or in school holidays, when queues build up and ticket holders skip them.

    Free
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Natural History Museum (official); Natural History Museum (official); Natural History Museum (official); Natural History Museum (official)
14. 14London

    Cross the high walkways of Tower Bridge

    Tower Bridge has crossed the Thames beside the Tower of London since 1894, and its road still lifts to let tall ships through, around 500 times a year. Inside, you climb the North Tower, cross the two high-level walkways 42 m above the river, with views east and west along London, and stand on the glass floors to look down on the traffic below. The visit ends in the Victorian engine rooms that once powered the bridge lifts. Tower Hill station is a seven-minute walk from the ticket office on the northwest side, and London Bridge station is a short walk from the south side.

    Tip: Check the bridge lift times on the official website and plan to be on the glass floor during a lift, and pre-book since everyone queues outside on arrival.

    Towers and walkways: £18 (about $24) · Free to cross the bridgeFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 3, 2026

    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Tower Bridge, City Bridge Foundation (official); Tower Bridge, City Bridge Foundation (official)
15. 15Edinburgh

    Watch the sunset over the city from Calton Hill

    Calton Hill rises on Edinburgh's eastern skyline, a short climb by steps from Waterloo Place, and gives wide views over the Old Town, Arthur's Seat and the city skyline. In the 19th century the city dreamed of making it the Athens of the North, and its monuments show it. The National Monument, modeled on the Parthenon to honor the dead of the Napoleonic Wars, was left unfinished when the money ran out. The Nelson Monument remembers the victory at Trafalgar in 1805, and its time ball once signaled the time to ships in the Firth of Forth. The old City Observatory is now the Collective arts center.

    Tip: Go for sunset on a clear evening and bring a warm layer, because the hilltop is exposed to the wind.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Edinburgh World Heritage (official); Collective (official); VisitScotland (official)
16. 16Wiltshire, day trip from London

    Take a day trip to Stonehenge

    Stonehenge is perhaps the world's most famous prehistoric monument. It was built in stages: an early henge about 5,000 years ago, then the stone circle in the late Neolithic period, about 2500 BC, using large sarsens and smaller bluestones. Together with Avebury it forms the heart of a World Heritage Site. A visit includes the stone circle, Neolithic houses and an exhibition on how its builders lived. The nearest station is Salisbury, about 1 hour 30 minutes by direct train from London Waterloo, where the Stonehenge Tour Bus leaves hourly from the station forecourt; many coach tours also run from London Victoria.

    Tip: Pre-book your entry time online, and if you want to walk inside the circle itself, look for the separate Stone Circle Experience tickets.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: English Heritage (official); English Heritage (official); English Heritage (official)
17. 17Windsor, day trip from London

    Visit Windsor Castle on a day out from London

    Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. William the Conqueror founded it in the 11th century, and 40 monarchs have called it home since, including Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth II. Inside you tour the State Apartments, see Queen Mary's Dolls' House and visit St George's Chapel, where 10 kings are buried, among them Henry VIII and Charles I. Plan on at least 1.5 to 2 hours. Trains from London take under an hour, and afterward you can walk the Long Walk in Windsor Great Park, a tree-lined avenue of just over 2.5 miles, or cross the bridge to Eton.

    Tip: Book ahead and check the closure dates online, since the castle is a working palace that can close at short notice, and St George's Chapel is closed to visitors on Sundays.

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Royal Collection Trust (official); Royal Collection Trust (official); Royal Collection Trust (official)

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