Weekend maxxing – 9 wonderful ways to fill 48 hours with an adventure

2026 marks 100 years since the weekend was created, and it got us thinking about all the ways you can fill 48 hours with culture, food, and plenty of adventure.

Back in 1926, American industrialist Henry Ford formalised the five-day working week – and thus, the weekend was born! Of course, Saturdays and Sundays had been invented before then, but Ford’s strict delineation of weekends as leisure time was a pivotal point.

With many looking to get the most out of their spare time, we’ve thrown together some great itineraries to follow to get the most out of your weekend – or, equally, any 48 hour period, whether you work a traditional Monday to Friday, have a mid-week weekend, or you’re retired and simply want some short break inspiration.

See some art in the awe-inspiring Kielder region

AlamyNot all art experiences are indoor, you know. For three decades, the beautiful, little-developed Kielder region – comprising a namesake lake, castle, village and forest – in Northumberland’s northwest has been amassing a free-to-see, thought-provoking collection of interactive art and architectural works spanning wave chambers, giant rotating seats and connected wildlife hides. Most are found hugging the 27-mile shore of Kielder Water, with others secluded in the trees or up on fells.

AlamyWhether walking or cycling you’ll do well to see them all in one weekend, so choose whichever sounds most intriguing. For many visitors that includes Silvas Capitalis, a giant, open-mouthed head; James Turrell’s light-manipulating Kielder Skyspace structure; and Minotaur, a stone maze within the grounds of Kielder Castle. Details of each, along with helpful maps, can be found at the Visit Kielder website; Boundless members can also enjoy a discounted rate on Ordnance Survey Premium charts or app after a free trial as an additional resource.

With Kielder part of the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, some stargazing is also worth considering, as is a visit to Hadrian’s Wall and its crag-top Housesteads, Britain’s most complete Roman fort. Halfway between there and Kielder is the cosy Black Bull inn, known for its pies and available to Boundless members at cut-price Hotels.com rates.

Boundless offer: Save 8% on selected Hotels.com accommodation when booking through Boundless. Sign up to become a rewards member and get an additional 10% off on top.

Alternative 48 hour trip for culture vultures…

Begun in 1992, the Chichester Film Festival has welcomed such luminaries as Sir Alec Guinness and Ralph Fiennes while growing to encompass 150 screenings at seven locations from Priory Park’s lawns to city-centre drive-ins or inside glorious Chichester Cathedral. This year’s version runs from August 7-23.

When not gripped by cinema, any aesthetes descending on West Sussex’s ancient county town may also enjoy the Chichester Canal’s butterfly sculptures, the plethora of Roman floor mosaics at Fishbourne Palace and the close-by Goodwood Estate’s new, contemporary-focused Art Foundation gallery, which unites indoor and outdoor works.

Getty ImagesBristol is the home of Banksy, so where better to try stencil art yourself? Where The Wall offers introductory sessions for all ages every Saturday at its indoor venue.

Any family members not keen could join a concurrent walking tour to see works by Banksy and other legendary artists, before everyone re-unites for the rest of the weekend.

How about capitalising on your Boundless Art Pass by inspecting the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery’s Japanese porcelain for free, or visiting Wake The Tiger – the country’s largest immersive art experience – and its series of dimension-bending installations?

Boundless offer: Upgrade to Boundless Plus and activate your National Art Pass, gaining you free entry to over 200 museums, galleries, and historic houses, and 50% off major exhibitions.

Max out on foodie fun

frogses production via UnsplashHeld every summer, the Shropshire Good Food Trail spotlights producers, delis, pubs, markets, cafés and restaurants around the hilly, handsome county. There are activities or talks to enjoy, or just download its map for discounts at some of the 120-odd venues. To see as much as possible, rent a motorhome from Swift Go’s Manchester depot; members get 10 per cent off and all models come with a kitchenette and dining area.

One must-see is Ludlow, once declared “the loveliest town in England” by the poet John Betjeman and home to listed buildings galore, a ruined Norman castle and a 700-year-old market that features on the trail. Only three miles away (despite its name) is the Ludlow Farm Shop, a sort of deli-cum-supemarket whose wares usually include small ‘Shropshire fidget pies’ made from gammon, apples and cider.

Charles Darwin’s birthplace, Shrewsbury, is another non-negotiable stop for gastronomes. Wyle Cop, winding up from the River Severn, has one of Britain’s longest uninterrupted stretches of independent businesses; among them are the Left for Dead record store and Tanners, a half-timbered wine merchants opened in 1842. Its wares may include acclaimed red blends from the local Hencote Vineyard, which offers tours and tastings.

Other courses of foodie 48 hour itineraries

Sail away to the Isle of Wight

London Aaga Bits - LAB via PexelsGourmands have much to discover during an Isle of Wight weekend, from island-made gins, cheeses and honeys – try the Orchard Bros’ deli or Jireh House tearooms in Freshwater Bay, near The Needles – to sunset-facing Sunday roasts at The Cow, a converted barn on Tapnell Farm, and seasonal fare with fine Solent views at The Rock.

For its own good homemade food, stay at the 260-year-old Norton Grange: a naval base turned entertainment-crammed Warner Hotel and holiday village.(If you decide on a longer break, Boundless members can enjoy discounts of up to 10% on Warner stays.)

Before any of that, catch a Wightlink ferry across from Portsmouth or Lymington.

Boundless offer: Boundless members can save up to 20% on Wightlink fares. If you’re a foot passenger, get 20% off your journey. Travelling with your car or motorbike? You can save 15% on fares.

Try out foraging

Hawes Villa, a working farm within Lancashire’s portion of the protected Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape, doubles as a base for Totally Wild’s family-focused foraging walks.

Relaxed and fun, these teach participants to identify and harvest wild herbs, seaweed and fungi. A stand-alone stroll runs on Sunday 5 July, with August 19 and 26’s editions also incorporating a subsequent cooking class.

Your Saturday, meanwhile, could be spent trying one of the famously good chippies in the resort town of Arnside itself, or by following its namesake viaduct across Morecambe Bay to Cartmel – whose village shop produces sticky toffee puddings sold around Britain.

Spend 48 hours rediscovering nature

Getty ImagesBack in 2001 the pioneering owners of Knepp, a 3,500-acre estate south of Horsham in West Sussex, decided to ‘rewild’ their 3,500-acre tract. Rare species quickly returned and nature now prospers with little intervention.

Besides signing up for guided safaris – general ones at dawn or dusk, plus those themed to species such as bats, butterflies and beavers – by car or on foot available to anyone 12 and over, visitors can follow an array of walking routes.

Look out for treehouse-style viewing platforms, Knepp Castle’s single remaining tower and the windmill in which Jonathan Creek’s eponymous magician lived.

Two more nature reserves await nearby. Pulborough Woods delivers glistening glowworm and good odds of hearing nightjars’ haunting refrain at dusk on summer days, while the ponds and wild hedgerows of Wood Mills tend to be soundtracked by nightingales’ more melodic song during early June evenings.

As single-night stays aren’t available at Knepp’s on-site glamping options, consider instead the adults-only Cattlestone Farm’s luxury bell tents amid wildflower meadows, or the Crown Inn, whose four-first floor bedrooms pair Farrow & Ball hues with Emma mattresses. Children aged 8 and over are welcome.

Alternative itineraries for naturists

Explore Pembrokeshire

Marc Pell via UnsplashA range of exciting small-boat cruises are available along Pembrokeshire’s coast every summer. Just 20 minutes from Wales’ southwestern mainland is Skomer island, whose seabird colonies include puffins (April-July), guillemots and razorbills.

Boat trips to land on Skomer tend to sell out months in advance, but you should still be able to book thrilling sailings around its squawky shores. Do that on Saturday, then set out early on Sunday for a trip to Grassholm island’s gannets and The Smalls, a lighthouse 20 miles offshore; along the way, dolphins and porpoises are almost always encountered.

Get a dose of nature with WWT

So tranquil is the WWT’s London Wetland Centre that you won’t believe you’re in the capital. Summer is a great time to spy butterflies, water voles – listen out for a distinctive ‘plop’ noise as they submerge – and darting sand martins.

Boundless offer: Boundless members can enjoy unlimited access to all nine WWT centres across the UK, including WWT’s London Wetland Centre. You can also save 50% on one additional adult per visit, with free admission for up to five children per visit. This is on top of a 10% discount at WWT’s on site cafés and shops.

Dawn Sterry via PexelsKids ought to love the adventure playground’s zip line and jungle-like rope bridges, as well as short pond-dipping classes. Members get free admission, extending to up to five children. That’s true too of Kew Gardens, 40 minutes away by bus and home to grand glasshouses, an 18-metre-high Treetop Walkway and The Hive – an installation that recreates life inside a beehive.

Boundless offer: Members can enjoy unlimited access to both Kew Gardens and Wakehurst. You can save 50% on an additional adult and gain admission for up to five children per visit, as well as 10% off all Kew shops.

^{This article was accurate at the time of publication. Please note information and offers shown may change over time.}