Essential UK travel guides | the best places to visit
I’ll warn you now, these are not your usual UK travel guides.
Other UK travel guides will tell you about the most popular places to visit in the UK, like London, but I’m not.
I’m going to tell you about those places off the beaten path, those hidden gems.
And don’t get me wrong, there are more places that definitely could be included, but we’d be here all day.
I mean, some of these places you will have definitely heard of, but whether you have thought about visiting them is another matter.
All in all, if you’re wanting to visit the UK, a good idea is to visit a few different places so that you can get a full picture of the country.
The following UK travel guides that I’ve put together are in my opinion the best places to visit if you’re wanting to experience some traditional English places and get a taster of real life in the UK.
As I say, there are loads more great places, but I had to pick a few…
UK traditions you just can’t miss!
Before we get into the UK travel guides, you need to know a few things.
If you want a taster of UK life, then you HAVE to do some totally British activities.
It might be a fun idea to make a UK bucket list... make sure you do them all!
Here are a few ideas:
- Have fish and chips from a “chippy”
- Do a pub crawl- even if it’s one you’ve designed rather than an organised one
- Have a Sunday roast dinner – try and cook it yourself or even better, go to a pub!
- Get some traditional “pub grub”
- Have a cup of tea
- Have a full English breakfast
- Go to a car boot sale
- Order pie and chips
- Try mushy peas- you’ll either love them or hate them!
- Go for a walk in the country- preferably wearing a flat cap
- Watch a football match- get some tickets, or watch one in a pub
- Go to a music festival
- Go to a farmers market
- Get afternoon tea from a garden centre
- Get caught in the rain
- Talk about the weather with a stranger
Traditions and norms you need to know about
If you’re not fully aware of the British culture, then there’s some things you need to be aware of…
- Eating times- lunch time is from 12pm- 1:30pm, dinner time is from 5:30pm-6:30pm
- Restaurants close around 9pm or later if there is a bar
- Opening times- most shops are open everyday including Sundays, but during the winter, shops close around 5/6pm
- Public holidays- on public holidays most places are shut and that includes Christmas day and Easter
Why I wouldn’t suggest visiting London
If you’re planning a trip to the UK and you want a bit of a “cultural trip” then, I’d suggest not going to London.
I’m about to contradict myself here…
On the other hand, I would recommend visiting London to anyone, because it’s a fantastic place, BUT… if you want to know the REAL England, then visit other places.
Although you have Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and all those great sites, I don’t believe you’re getting a full picture of the British culture.
London is filled with loads of people from around the world, which makes it such a diverse and interesting city.
Related post: How to smash London on a budget, by a local
But if you’re visiting England for a bit of Beatrix Potter or Jane Austin type experiences, then London is not your place.
Ok, so what are these intriguing UK travel guides I’ve been harping on about…
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UK travel guides:
York
WHY YOU SHOULD GO: It is not so touristy, it is interesting and historical.
York is a great little Yorkshire city in the north of England. Everything is within walking distance so you can easily get around the city.
It’s quite a small place so you could pretty much do everything you want to in a full-on, jam-packed day or over a few days.
You could even do a day trip there from somewhere else, or you could use it as a base to visit other places.
It is close to the Yorkshire dales countryside which is beautiful!
There are loads of lovely walks and treks you can do and if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s plenty of campsites too!
Snapshot of things to do in York:
- Wander around the Abbey of St Mary ruins
- Visit the National Railway museum
- Go to York Minster cathedral
- Walk along the old City walls
- Go to “The Shambles”
Sheffield
WHY YOU SHOULD GO: You have easy access to the countryside, there is plenty to do if you’re on a budget and it’s a really friendly place.
I couldn’t give a list of top places to travel without mentioning Sheffield.
Home to the Arctic Monkeys and more importantly, fellow travel bug Michael Palin!
…And if you want a taster of British culture, then Sheffield is a great place to go.
In Sheffield there are 2 big universities, so the city has developed and become a really thriving place over the years.
There is a lot of quirky, up and coming areas like Kelham Island, Ecclesall Road and Abbeydale.
Best time to go to Sheffield:
Generally speaking, the best time to visit Sheffield is in spring (April-May) and summer (June-September) but it really depends what you want to get out of the trip.
You might want to tie your visit in with what’s going on in Sheffield.
Key events in Sheffield:
- Tramlines: music festival which usually happens in July
- Botanical gardens bonfire night: fireworks, decorated gardens in November
Quirky activities to do in Sheffield:
- Kelham Island, Peddlers Market- usually happens every month where you can buy all sorts of different food and drinks and sometimes they have live music on
- Holly Hagg alpaca farm – you can do walking trails with the alpacas
- Weston park
- Visit Chatsworth House– estate and gardens
- Eat at Cutlery Works food hall
Related posts: 22 Things to do in Sheffield when you’re broke
The Peak District guide to Padley Gorge walk
Pub crawl routes:
From Sheffield town center- Kommune- Frog and Parrot- Bloo 88- Cuba Revolution
Kelham Island Crawl- Riverside-Gardeners Rest- Pina- Kelham Wine Bar
How to get around:
You can easily walk around Sheffield as it’s such an accessible city and everything is within fairly close proximity.
There are also plenty of buses which take you around the city.
The tram is also a really efficient way to get to certain places.
Peak District National Park
The beauty of Sheffield is that you have both the city and you have the Peak District National Park right on the border.
There are SO many walks and trails around the Peak District, just a short distance from Sheffield centre.
You would need to get a bus or a car or even a train from the centre to the start of the trails.
If you want to know more about Peak District walks, I have a post about some great trails.
If you want to know about things to do in Sheffield when you’re on a tight budget go-HERE.
Related posts: The Peak District guide to Padley Gorge walk
6 Best hikes in the Peak District from Sheffield
Liverpool
WHY YOU SHOULD GO: It’s full of art, history and music, you’ll find something interesting on every corner.
Liverpool is a brilliant place to visit, there’s so much history, it’s such a vibrant city, and not to mention the Beatles connection!
There is always so much going on linked to art and music, so it’s worth checking whether there are any events that you can go to while you’re there.
Whether you’re a die hard Beatles fan or not, there’s a lot to appreciate in Liverpool when it comes to the Beatles!
When to visit:
Summer is the best time to visit Liverpool because the city really thrives in the summer.
Christmas time is also a lovely time to visit because the city becomes very festive and there’s a great christmas market set up too.
Beatles attractions:
- The Cavern club
- The Beatles Story museum on Albert dock
- Beatles childhood homes National Trust
- Strawberry Fields
- Penny Lane
Places to visit from Liverpool
Manchester
- Manchester as you’ve probably guessed is a big city with plenty going on. You’ve got the 2 big football teams, Media City a recording studio, The Tate art gallery and much more. There is a big Christmas market which happens in the centre, near to the central library where you can find German-type Christmas stalls. It’s always really crowded so not much fun because you can barely walk around, and definitely not at your leisure. If you want to go to a Christmas market in the UK, I’d suggest going somewhere less busy. The nightlife in Manchester is very good and there are some quirky bars in Deansgate in the Northern Quarter.
Southport
- Just a 40-minute train journey away from Liverpool is Southport by the sea. An old Victorian seaside town where you can enjoy the pier and visit Funland where you can go on the slot machines and eat cotton candy or candy floss…and don’t forget the southport rock!
You can do Southport in a day and if you have limited time there, I would recommend sticking to the seafront and doing a nice walk along the coast or through the dunes. There is also the botanical gardens in Churchtown which is about a 10-15 minute drive from the center. Chruchtown has some lovely cute bars and most of the houses have thatched roofs so you really feel like you’ve gone back in time!
Crosby
- Again, a short train ride away from Liverpool, you’ll find Crosby, which I would only visit for the beach because there are sculptures of these men looking out to sea all over. It’s quite a spectacle!
Formby
- Formby is a lovely village which is a 30-minute train ride from Liverpool. The pinewoods are a really nice place to wander around, which is run by the National Trust. There are lots of different trails through the dunes and pines which ultimately lead you to the beach.
Burscough
- About 40 minutes outside of Liverpool is Burscough, another cute village. I’d only recommend going here if you want to experience something a bit different from cities and towns. The only thing I’d recommend here is a canal walk which has a number of different pubs on route. If it’s a sunny day and you are stuck for something to do, walking along the canal and stopping at some of these traditional pubs on the way, like a little bar crawl would be fun!
Lake District National Park
WHY YOU SHOULD GO: If you’re outdoorsy and want a taste of British culture at it’s finest, then it’s the best place to go.
The Lake District National Park is a mountain region in North West England. There are loads of beautiful quaint towns within the Lakes. If you are looking for a REALLY traditional trip to the UK, then the Lake District is the place to be.
The scenery is incredible and it is so peaceful and truly somewhere you can wind-down and enjoy nature.
The best time to go:
Because it is so northern, the Lakes are a bit chilly in winter. I’d say the best time to go would be in the spring or the summer, although the summer is usually packed with people especially campers. A good time to go is off-peak time like in mid-September or October.
You really can’t beat the Lake District in the summer though! Such a beautiful place!
There are so many walks you can do around the lakes, in fact it’s THE thing to do!
There are some lovely little boutique gift shops and coffee shops to explore and plenty of outdoor activities, like skydiving, hot air ballooning and boating!
If you’re feeling daring, Scafell Pike is also in the lake District which is the largest mountain in England.
If you only have a short amount of time, I would highly recommend Windermere because the town is a decent size, so there are a few shops to explore and you can do boat rides around Windermere lake.
There is also a Beatrix potter gallery.
Buttermere is probably the nicest place I have been in the Lakes, the walks are lovely and it’s not as busy as Windermere.
Places to visit in the Lake District:
- Keswick
- Buttermere
- Ambleside
- Windermere
To conclude…
So, I’ve mentioned a fair few awsome places to visit and give you some ideas as to what to do in each place.
These UK travel guides will point you in the right direction when it comes to finding those places off-the-beaten path so that your experience of the UK is spot on!
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