From glorious gardens to magnificent museums – discover the 40 best value days out in Britain, as voted for by Boundless members
When it comes to having an amazing day out, we Brits are spoiled for choice. Within the borders of our fair country are a plethora of fascinating museums, entertaining and thrilling attractions, and joyful experiences for all the family – and that’s before we even get to the myriad historical gems that punctuate our national landscape. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to make an impact on our spending habits, it’s good to know that many of these national treasures offer fantastic value for money – the question is, which ones?
Here, we aim to provide an answer. Boundless has been helping its members save money and make the most of their leisure time for 100 years and counting, and never has this been truer than here, where we count down the UK’s top 40 best-value attractions, compiled by four days-out experts and voted for by over 2,500 Boundless members. On top of this, many of the attractions that made the cut benefit from further discounts with your Boundless membership – you’ll find the details as you make your way down the list.
Remember, great value doesn’t always mean ‘free’. When we asked our experts to compile their lists of attractions, we asked them to consider whether admission prices offer an incredible return on entrance fees and any other obligatory expenses. This includes destinations where you could easily spend an entire day, gain access to other on-site benefits or similarly riveting attractions for a single entry fee, or benefit from an extended access period for the cost of just one visit. Read on to find out which British attractions offer hours of entertainment for less.
Please note: All of the prices mentioned in this article are correct as of 2024. To find out what accessible facilities are available at a certain attraction, visit the relevant website.
Our experts
Sophie Campbell – heritage days out
A travel journalist since 1990, Sophie has presented a series of BBC Two’s The Travel Show and writes for Telegraph Travel, with a focus on heritage.
Lottie Gross – adventure days out
From writing for Rough Guides to broadcast work for BBC Radio 4, Lottie has turned her expertise to most forms of travel journalism.
Richard Madden – outdoor activities
Whether it’s canoeing with Ray Mears in Canada or researching pub walks in the South Downs, most of this travel writer’s work involves getting outside.
Christy McGhee – family days out
Specialising in parenting and travel, Christy has been a journalist for more than 20 years and has contributed regularly to MadeForMums.
Discover Britain’s best value days out near you with our top 40 list
Go straight to a specific attraction by clicking on it below, or read on for the entire list.
• Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
• Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal
• Osborne
• Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens
• Go Ape
• The Holy Island of Lindisfarne
• Beaulieu
• Beamish: The Living Museum of the North
• Longleat
40. London Transport Museum
London
Great for: families
Adult annual pass from £24 (from £18 for local residents); child (under 17) free; concessions available
This award-winning Covent Garden attraction isn’t huge, but the reasonable annual membership fee, plus free entry for kids, makes it a good-value option on a day out in London. Covering more than 200 years of London transport, its highlights for kids include driving the ‘half bus’ and testing their reactions against a train computer in the Smooth Operator game. Regular exhibitions are included with your ticket, such as Legacies: London Transport’s Caribbean Workforce and the interactive Future Engineers gallery. If you’re local, try the Singing, Stories and Crafts sessions, which are run every Friday during term time for under-fives. And finding a picnic space and play area (the All Aboard playzone for 0–7 years) in central London is worth its weight in gold.
39. Jodrell Bank Observatory
Cheshire
Great for: heritage lovers
Adult annual pass £14; child (4–18) £10; under-4s free; family tickets from £33; concessions available
From the western edge of the Peaks above Macclesfield, you can see the huge white basket of the Grade I-listed Lovell Telescope, far away on the Cheshire Plain. This 76-metre-diameter steerable telescope, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019, was completed in 1957 thanks to Sir Bernard Lovell and the University of Manchester’s astrophysics department. Your ticket includes access to the First Light Pavilion – opened in 2022, it includes an exhibition on the four telescopes, an immersive planetarium and a café, all open daily.
38. Minack Theatre
Cornwall
Great for: heritage lovers
Adult £10; child (2–16) £5; under-2s free. Prices for show tickets vary
The sheer audacity of building an open-air amphitheatre on a Cornish cliff is so inspiring that this 1930s gem is popular throughout its March to October season. Its creator, Rowena Cade, dug it out with a team of helpers, carving designs into the concrete as she went. If you can’t get to a show, you should still visit the Minack to explore the theatre and garden, and soak up the stunning views of sea, wildflowers and birds.
37. Slimbridge Wetland Centre
Gloucestershire
Great for: outdoor activities
Free with Boundless membership
There are 9 WWT sites in the UK. Slimbridge, the most well-known, was opened in 1946 by Sir Peter Scott. If you love wildlife, the guarantee of some epic sightings easily warrants a trip here, while Slimbridge’s 13 hides look out not only over the reserve, but also over the wildlife of the Severn Estuary. Depending on the season, you could see anything from sand martins and sedge warblers to cuckoos and kingfishers. The square-mile site makes a vital contribution to the conservation of threatened wetland mammals.
With a Boundless membership, you can get free entry to many top attractions and exclusive events – including unlimited access to all 9 WWT sites throughout the UK. Find out more about Boundless membership and how to join.
36. St Paul’s Cathedral
London
Great for: heritage lovers
Adult from £20.50; child (6–17) from £9; under-6s free; family tickets from £29.50; concessions available
Buy a ticket to Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece of English Baroque, completed in 1711, and you’ll get two for one: history and a genuine physical challenge. The instantly recognisable dome is actually composed of three layers, the innermost displaying trompe l’oeil paintings that depict the life of St Paul. Even the weariest teenager will be jolted into delight when they scale the steep, winding stairs to the Golden Gallery at the top. After taking in amazing views of London, descend to the gloom of Europe’s largest crypt to find tombs of artists, architects, scientists and heroes such as Nelson, not to mention Wren’s disarmingly simple memorial.
35. Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
Gloucestershire
Great for: outdoor activities
Free admission. Beechenhurst Car Park: £2 (exit before 10.30am); £3 (up to 2 hrs); £5 (up to 4 hrs); £7 (all day)
You’ll be hard pushed to find better value for money than a free display of artworks in a beautiful forest environment. Okay, so you do have to pay for parking, but the sculptures on this 4.8-mile trail are spread out along a winding pathway between oaks and Scots pines. All are inspired by the forest environment and are mostly constructed from natural materials. There are currently 18 sculptures, all designed to evolve alongside the forest, although some are temporary while others will last for years. Highlights include works by David Nash, Kevin Atherton (his Cathedral is pictured above) and Cornelia Parker, as well as more recent pieces by Kristina Veasey and Julian Wild.
34. The Alnwick Garden
Northumberland
Great for: outdoor activities
Adult from £12.10; child (under 17) free – up to four per adult; concessions available
It’s the variety of its contrasting spaces as much as its collection of 4,000 plant varieties that makes The Alnwick Garden such a good-value family attraction. It all started in 1750 with Capability Brown, but after falling into disrepair the garden was reimagined for the 21st century by the Duchess of Northumberland. Designed by Jacques and Peter Wirtz, it now offers everything from the meditative Cherry Orchard to the thrill of the Grand Cascade, the Serpent Garden’s mesmerising water sculptures, the intriguing Bamboo Labyrinth and Poison Garden, and one of the world’s largest treehouses.
33. Rutland Water
Leicestershire
Great for: adventure seekers
This huge reservoir, plonked in the centre of England’s smallest county, offers a wonderful day out for walkers, paddlers, swimmers and birdwatchers. On hot days, visitors flock to its swimming beach, where you need only pay for parking to spend the day on its sandy shores. Birders will want to head to the Lyndon Visitor Centre (adults £7; children £4; family £17; concessions available) in order to learn about the reintroduction of ospreys here, before hitting the waterside trails and hides with binoculars to spot them – and plenty of other wildlife, too.
32. Ullswater Steamers
Cumbria
Great for: outdoor activities
Adult £10 one way, £15 return; child (3–17) £6 one way, £9 return; under-3s free; family return from £28.50
Some of the best views in the Lake District can be had from the comfort of Ullswater’s five vintage steamers, for a ticket price that’s worth every penny. The fleet includes the Lady of the Lake, built in 1877 and believed to be the oldest working passenger vessel in the world. The eight-mile route connects Pooley Bridge in the north-east and Glenridding in the south-west, stopping at Howtown and Aira Force (close to the stunning waterfall). Many visitors combine one of the shorter legs with a walk back to their starting point along one of the many lakeside trails.
31. Monkey World
Dorset
Great for: adventure seekers
Adult from £16.50; child (3–15) from £11.25; under-3s free; family tickets from £32.75; concessions available
Monkey World isn’t like most animal parks. This Dorset-based attraction has been rescuing primates since 1987, giving a good, healthy home to animals rescued from illegal pet shops, circuses and black-market traders. Today, you can see them all thriving in their enclosures, be it the thoughtful orangutans or the cheeky chimpanzees. There are gibbons, capuchins, ring-tailed lemurs, marmosets, squirrel monkeys and more, and keeper talks will teach you all about how these furry residents are fed, watered and looked after. When you’re done meeting monkeys, the kids will love the Great Ape Play Area.
30. Heights of Abraham
Derbyshire
Photo: Diamond Geezer / Creative Commons
Great for: adventure seekers
Adult annual pass £48; child (5–15) £34; under-5s free; family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £145Please note: this attraction is closed until February 2024
You’ll gain access to more than a dozen different attractions when you buy a pass for the Heights of Abraham, a 60-acre hilltop estate that you get to via an exciting cable car ride from Matlock Bath. Once at the top, you’ll be able to take guided tours around its two show caverns, follow the willow sculpture trail, look out over the Peak District and Derbyshire Dales from numerous viewpoints, and climb Victoria Prospect Tower for even better, 360-degree vistas. Indoor exhibitions and a new film theatre make this an ideal rainy-day destination, and the very reasonably priced restaurant is the perfect pitstop for a hearty lunch.
29. Zip World Llechwedd
Wales
Great for: adventure seekers
If you’ve got a need for speed, Zip World Llechwedd offers that and lots more. Set within a former slate mine and working slate quarry, where lorries regularly trundle in and out carrying the rock, it’s home to multiple attractions. Go 150 metres underground on a deep mine tour (hard hats and all), or bounce on trampolines or play adventure golf within the slate caverns. Above ground, there’s Europe’s first four-person zip line course, and Big Red, a 30-foot-high zip line for younger thrill-seekers that costs from just £10 a go.
28. Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal
North Yorkshire
Great for: outdoor activities
Adult £18; child (5–17) £9; under-5s free; family tickets from £27. Free entry with National Trust membership
Essentially a two-for-the-price-of-one experience, a day out exploring the ruins of the medieval abbey and the adjacent Studley Royal water garden represents excellent value for money. The abbey – Britain’s largest monastic ruin – was a final flowering of pre-Gothic Romanesque architecture on an epic scale, with its long nave surrounded by soaring arches and windows, and a vaulted cellarium. Must-see features of the garden include the follies (Banqueting House, Octagon Tower, Temple of Fame and Temple of Piety), the statuary, the eerie Serpentine Tunnel on a high path overlooking the valley, and the stupendous views across the canals, cascades and ponds to the abbey itself. Allow time to wander and explore.
27. Osborne
Isle of Wight
Great for: heritage lovers
Adult from £18.10; child (5–17) from £11.30; under-5s free; family tickets from £29.40; concessions available. Free admission for English Heritage members
When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built a summer home just east of Cowes, the Isle of Wight became an ‘it’ destination, while Victoria wrote that she could “never be thankful enough to have got this place”. They wanted an escape for their growing family, and children are always mesmerised by the scaled-down Swiss Chalet in the woods. In summer, your ticket includes a minibus ride between house, chalet and swimming beach, complete with Queen Victoria’s wheeled bathing hut and a café. Don’t miss the lavish Durbar Room, decorated by Rudyard Kipling’s father.
26. Brooklands Museum
Surrey
Great for: heritage lovers
Adult from £22.70; child (4–17) from £9.50; under-4s free; concessions available
It’s all about the va-va-voom at this charmingly updated collection of buildings from the earliest days of British motor racing and aviation. The ghosts of glamorous drivers and pilots, male and female, haunt the aircraft hangars and old timber paddock sheds, and the legendary 1907 concrete track, tilted to 30 degrees, is part of the scheduled monument. Don’t miss the snarling 12-litre Napier-Railton, built here, in the ‘Fastest On Earth’ exhibition.
25. Cotswold Water Park
Gloucestershire/Wiltshire
Great for: adventure seekers
This vast area of lakes, woodland and waterside trails is completely free to visit, making it an exceptionally good-value day out. Park at the Gateway Centre on Spine Road and you’ll have access to a network of footpaths that wind their way around the glassy waters of the lakes, where myriad adventure operators offer exciting activities from the shore, from paddleboarding and kayaking to archery and wilderness skills. Activities cost extra, but it’s free to bring binoculars for a spot of birdwatching (look out for nightingales, ringed plover and warblers), and swimming at Cotswold Country Park and Beach is great value, costing from £10 per car.
24. Dover Castle
Kent
Great for: heritage lovers
Adult from £20.90; child (5–17) from £12.70; under-5s free; family tickets from £33.60; concessions available. Free entry for English Heritage members
Talk about bang for your buck: not only is this massive 80-acre site crouched on a former hillfort, affording fabulous views across the English Channel; it also has a finely preserved Norman keep with lavishly recreated interiors, the remains of a Roman lighthouse (one of the oldest in the world), and WW2 tunnels with apertures looking out of the White Cliffs, famously visited by Winston Churchill. Elsewhere, be sure to check out the less-famous medieval siege tunnels, built to resist a serious French invasion in the time of King John.
23. Blenheim Palace
Oxfordshire
Great for: families
Adult palace, park and gardens ticket (converts to an annual pass) £38; child (3–16) £22; under-3s free; family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £99
The family day ticket price may seem steep, but converting it into an annual pass (for free) gives a year’s worth of days out for less than £100. The palace itself is a stunning testament to Baroque architecture, and you can download a free audio tour app as you walk through the historic, fabulously decorated rooms. Outside, it’s a beautiful setting to discover on foot in every season, be it the sweeping green lawns with views of the palace, tranquil Formal Gardens, or the more secluded tree-lined pathways. A miniature train ride (£1 per person), adventure playground and the Butterfly House are just some of the other activities to fill your day, or mark for a later visit.
22. Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens
Oxfordshire
Photo: Airwolfhound / Creative Commons
Great for: families
The spacious open pathways amid the animal enclosures make this a really pleasant way to observe wildlife with energetic children in tow. The park is home to a mix of familiar and unusual creatures, from giraffes and lions to one of the UK’s largest reptile collections, with plenty of birds, mammals and reptiles to keep little ones busy for a full day. And the live attractions aren’t the only draw – when you’ve ticked the must-sees off your list, rest your legs with a pleasant train ride round the park (£2 for adults; £1 for a child aged 3-17; under-3s free), or enjoy a picnic on one of the lawns overlooking the rhino, zebra, giraffe and camel enclosures. There’s also a brilliant adventure playground, conveniently located next to the restaurant so you can pick up a coffee while the kids enjoy the jungle bridges, tree houses and zip line.
21. Bournemouth Pier
Dorset
Photo: Tiia Monto / Creative Commons
Great for: adventure seekers
Where else in Britain can you get endless sea views, scale more than five different types of climbing wall, tackle an aerial obstacle course, delve into man-made caves, take a leap of faith from a six-metre-high pole, and whoosh down a vertical slide? Needless to say, adrenaline junkies will be well satisfied here, and the Ultimate Adventure ticket is good value for all of these activities. Finish off with a ride on the zip wire (from £17) from the end of the pier to the beach, then relax on the sand for the remainder of the day – you’ll be ready for a rest.
20. Black Country Living Museum
West Midlands
Great for: families
This open-air museum covers 26 acres of reconstructed shops, pubs and houses, complete with friendly historic characters to talk you through life living and working in one of Britain’s first industrialised landscapes. It’s an interactive experience, so be prepared to take part in some old-fashioned street games, ride a heritage vehicle and enrol the family in a 1912 school lesson (sorry kids, times tables were on the agenda back then, too) before enjoying some fish and chips or retro sweets. There are themed events throughout the year to make sure your first visit won’t be your last.
19. Brownsea Island
Dorset
Great for: outdoor activities
Adult admission and ferry fare from Poole Harbour £23.50; child (5–17) £11.75; under-5s free; family ticket from £35.25. National Trust members only pay the ferry fare – adult £13.50; child £6.75; family from £20.25
This attraction is closed until 16 March 2024
Well worth the cost of the ferry ride, Brownsea is a must for nature lovers of all ages. Just over a mile long and under a mile wide, the island is easy to navigate using trails and boardwalks. As an introduction to wildlife for children it’s hard to beat, with more than 200 red squirrels and 65 different tree species living here. More than one third of all British bird species have been spotted on Brownsea, with around 20,000 birds visiting each year. Groups can also camp overnight on the south side of the island, although pitches must be booked in advance.
18. The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Cornwall
Great for: families
There’s plenty to fill a day out with the family on this 200-acre estate, all set against a winning back story – somewhat neglected after staff were called away at the outbreak of WW1, this secret garden has been enjoying much-needed restoration since its rediscovery in 1990. Little ones will love running along the winding paths, discovering subtropical treasures, bamboo tunnels and ancient woodlands, not to mention spotting rare breeds or exploring the adventure play area. Whether you study the extraordinary range of plants as you walk, or simply enjoy the peace and quiet of this natural setting, with its Productive, Pleasure and Jungle gardens, it’s a delight for all ages. The Burmese Rope Bridge, suspended 100 feet above the Jungle floor and ancient tree ferns, is particularly memorable.
17. Stonehenge
Wiltshire
Great for: outdoor activities
Adult from £20.90; child (5–17) from £12.70; under-5s free; family ticket from £33.60; concessions available. Free for English Heritage and National Trust members
The cost of the ticket is a small price to pay for a visit to one of the world’s most famous tourist attractions. And reason enough in itself to join English Heritage or the National Trust. While the stones themselves with their magnificent trilithons (the three-stone structures) will always be the stars of the show, it’s worth remembering that they’re surrounded by other enigmas in the landscape, including the cursus with its parallel banks like a racecourse, the ancient, long and round barrow burial sites, and Durrington Walls, site of the largest Neolithic henge in the UK. All of these can be enjoyed during a visit which, as well as providing an exciting day out in the countryside for all the family, are clues to the still unanswered riddle of why Stonehenge was built.
16. Go Ape
Multiple locations
Great for: adventure seekers
As long as you’re over one metre tall, there’s an adventure for you at Go Ape. From lower, simpler rope courses for the little ones to forest-canopy-height adventures involving zip lines, ropes, nets and wobbly bridges, almost the entire family is catered for. Following a safety briefing, and once you’ve donned your fetching helmets and tightened those harnesses, you’ll be let loose in the treetops. Each course is set within a beautiful forest, so you can make a day of it and bring a picnic, or take a walk along the public trails afterwards.
15. Roman Baths
Somerset
Great for: heritage lovers
Adult from £19; child (6–18) from £11.50; under-6s free; family tickets from £38; concessions available
It seems incredible that this mighty complex – completed sometime around AD 70, after the Roman invaders discovered hot springs that were probably known to the Celts – lay undiscovered until the 18th century. Kids love the scary Gorgon’s head on the original stone pediment, the ‘curse tablets’ written by furious Romans, the steaming jade-green mineral pools, and free cups of sulphurous water in the Pump Room. For the rest of us, admiring Roman plumbing and envisaging the social life that took place here 2,000 years ago, overlaid with Georgian japes from the Pump Room’s heyday, is a treat in itself.
14. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne
Northumberland
Great for: heritage lovers
Car parks are pay and display. Admission charges apply to Lindisfarne Castle and Lindisfarne Priory
It’s a thrill just getting to this island off the Northumberland coast because its famous causeway completely disappears at high tide. This inaccessibility makes it easy to imagine St Aidan arriving on his Christian mission in AD 635, followed by St Cuthbert around 40 years later, and marauding Vikings in the next century. A ruined Norman priory and a Tudor fortress-cum-Edwardian country house face each other across the bay, there’s a 3,500-hectare National Nature Reserve, and you’ll also find numerous places to stay. The village has a population of around 160, good coffee and delicious food.
13. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
London
Great for: families
If you’re looking for a space where younger kids can burn off some energy and teens can take a screen break, Kew is a gorgeous natural wonderland with more than 50,000 living plants to enjoy. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to an incredible collection of plants from around the world, and the many areas to explore include an arboretum, peaceful Japanese gardens and a fascinating rock garden with waterfalls. Designed for those aged between two and 12 years, the Children’s Garden covers an area the size of 40 tennis courts, ripe for exploration. It’s packed with educational activities themed around earth, air, sun and water, and includes a fantastic four-metre-high canopy walk wrapped around an ancient oak.
With a Boundless membership, you can get free entry to many top attractions and exclusive events – including unlimited access to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and its sister attraction at Wakehurst. Find out more about Boundless membership and how to join.
12. Tower of London
London
Great for: families
One of the capital’s best-loved attractions, this stately icon can easily take a full day to explore, and you’ll leave with lasting memories. The Crown Jewels will wow visitors of all ages, and older children will enjoy intriguing tales of imprisonment spanning 1,000 years on the included Yeoman Warder tour. Day passes aren’t cheap, but if you’re interested in visiting all of the gems in the Historic Royal Palaces collection, annual membership is great value, starting at £70 for one adult and up to six children, or £110 if you want to add an extra adult. If you visit the Tower between May and September, you can enjoy the dramatic floral display in the Tower’s moat, created to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.
11. Ironbridge Gorge Museums
Shropshire
Great for: families
An annual pass for this World Heritage Site is fantastic value for families, bearing in mind you’ll need more than one visit to fully enjoy all it has to offer. The largest attraction, Blists Hill Victorian Town, is an open-air museum depicting the shops and trades of more than 100 years ago. It’s a wonderful way for children to explore history, and they can even swap their pocket money for shillings to spend. Best visited on dry days, it takes at least a morning to explore properly. Afterwards, enjoy family-themed activities at one of the nine other attractions – the Enginuity science and engineering centre has plenty of hands-on fun for all ages, for example. And don’t miss the chance to stroll across the mighty bridge itself.
10. Portmeirion Village
Wales
Great for: outdoor activities
Adult from £10; child (5–15) from £5; under-5s free; concessions available. Annual family memberships are available for £85
The surreal architecture, the beauty of its surroundings, and the variety of things to see and do at the destination make Portmeirion on the Dwyryd Estuary on the coast of North Wales exceptional value for money. Made up of a jamboree of architectural styles from Baroque, Classical, Italian and Jacobean to Gothic, Regency and Palladian, Portmeirion was built between 1925 and 1973 by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. Largely self-taught, Williams-Ellis rescued beautiful features from demolished period houses – including ceilings, facades, urns, columns, statues, and colonnades – to create a Mediterranean atmosphere on home soil. At its heart is the central piazza with its palm trees, fountains, blue-tiled pond, flower beds and columns supporting gilded Burmese dancers. A chess game with human pieces – one of the most memorable scenes in the surreal 1960s TV series The Prisoner, which was filmed at Portmeirion – is regularly re-enacted in the central piazza. Surrounding the village is the Gwyllt, a subtropical forest that shelters treasures including secret gardens and rare flowers – and there are the beaches. What a gem.
9. Science Museum
London
Great for: families
Its brilliant South Kensington location, close to Hyde Park, is just one reason to make the Science Museum a London sightseeing essential. It’s free to visit the huge galleries, packed with child-friendly information, modern displays and regular free exhibitions. Helen Sharman’s space suit, the Wells Cathedral clock mechanism (one of the oldest clocks in the world) and the BBC’s first transmitter are just some of the highlights. The Garden, designed for children aged from three to six, is a lovely space to discover science in four hands-on themed areas: construction, water, light and sound. You’ll be hard pressed to fit everything into one visit, but should you have time, the interactive Wonderlab experience, with live science shows and demonstrations for 7–14 year olds (from £9), is well worth a visit.
8. Hampton Court Palace
Surrey
Great for: heritage lovers
Adult from £26.30; child (5–15) from £13.10; under-5s free; concessions available
Another jewel in the Historic Royal Palaces collection (see no.12), Hampton Court’s silhouette practically bristles with ornate chimneys. It’s really two palaces: the Tudor powerhouse built by Cardinal Wolsey and swiped by King Henry VIII (whose long-awaited son, Edward, was born here), and the Baroque palace built by Christopher Wren in the late 17th century, with formal gardens and a superb art collection. Children love the maze, tennis court and kitchens, which served 1,600 meals a day in Henry’s time and are often working at peak times, and the ‘Tudor’ summer playground is fabulous. Adults, meanwhile, should go to a service in the richly decorated Chapel Royal if you can, and don’t miss the Great Hall. Arriving or leaving by boat, if possible, will really add another dimension to your visit – the palace was designed to look its best from the river.
7. National Railway Museum
Yorkshire
Great for: families
A must-visit on any family day out in York, this museum will suit everyone from Thomas-loving toddlers to budding engineers and fact-loving train fans. Visually impressive, the spacious halls showcase rail-themed treasures such as the fastest steam locomotive in the world. Step back in time as you enter the Station Hall, built in the 1870s and home to vehicles spanning a century of rail history (including the luxurious Royal Carriages). In the Great Hall, the under-fives play area is packed with interactive activities, while older kids can work up an appetite in the outdoor playground. You can also bring a picnic to save on expensive lunches out.
6. Beaulieu
Hampshire
Great for: families
Set in the New Forest, Beaulieu houses several family-friendly attractions on one site, offering something for car lovers of all ages. Start with the National Motor Museum, home to over 285 vehicles – highlights include iconic F1 cars and a replica 1930s garage. Your ticket also grants access to the World of Top Gear, Palace House and Gardens, Beaulieu Abbey and the Secret Army Exhibition. Afterwards, grab a coffee while the kids explore Little Beaulieu, a fantastic play area featuring a wooden replica of Palace House. The monorail is a lovely way to view the park before you get started, or rest little legs at the end of the day. If you’re a UK taxpayer, you can Gift Aid your ticket to receive an annual pass to the National Motor Museum.
5. Hadrian’s Wall
Northumberland
Great for: adventure seekers
A UNESCO World Heritage Site with some of Britain’s most exciting Roman history and enchanting landscapes, Hadrian’s Wall is a thrilling day out whichever section you choose to explore, and this year it’s 1,900 years old. Stretching 73 miles from Bowness-on-Solway on the Cumbrian coast to Wallsend in Newcastle, it could take an entire week to walk along its footpaths. But if you’ve just got a day, concentrate on the section that passes through Northumberland National Park, where a collection of fascinating English Heritage-run Roman fortresses offer glimpses into the past. Housesteads and Chesters forts are extensive, while at Corbridge Roman Town you can walk down the high street where traders would have set up their stalls beneath the colonnades, and see original mosaics and carvings at the highly insightful museum.
4. Beamish: The Living Museum of the North
County Durham
Great for: heritage lovers
Adult unlimited annual pass £24.95; child (5–16) £15.45; family tickets from £42.50; concessions available
An open-air museum celebrating ordinary life and industrial heritage is not that unusual today. But when Beamish opened its gates in 1970, thanks to its founder and first director, Dr Frank Atkinson, it was unheard of. Today it’s a sprawling hymn to Britain’s recent past: explore centuries of farm buildings, houses, villages, towns, shops and rural and industrial landscapes, brought to life by ‘real’ residents. If you have kids in tow, they tend to love Joe the Quilter’s (recreated) Cottage because he was murdered there. Otherwise, head for the printing shop and chemist in the 1900s village, explore the Mahogany Drift Mine (a horizontal tunnel), and end with beef dripping fish and chips in the Pit Village. Getting around is fun, too: choose from the Beamish Tramway or vintage buses.
3. The British Museum
London
Great for: heritage lovers
Free admission (donations can be made). Entry to temporary exhibitions varies
Even the facade of the British Museum is overwhelming, as befits the world’s first public national museum, now home to around eight million objects. Its central courtyard was glassed over in 2000, creating a hub of light, energy and events. See the big-ticket items – the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon Sculptures, the Assyrian Lion Hunts, the Egyptian Galleries, the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial – but set yourself other challenges as well. Go on a hunt for the tiny coin of King Croesus, say, or the gigantic quartzite scarab (dung beetle). Find anoraks made of guts, or Egyptian make-up accessories, including a tiny statuette of a woman wearing shades. And look out for sleepovers for kids, BSL tours for deaf visitors, hands-on sessions for the visually impaired, and the brilliant late-opening Fridays for all.
2. Longleat
Wiltshire
Great for: adventure seekers
If you’ve ever dreamed of taking an African safari, this is the closest you’ll get on British shores. Longleat is a 9,000-acre estate of manicured lawns, thick ancient woodland and an opulent Elizabethan mansion – oh, and a 500-strong collection of exotic and rare animals from all over the world. The highlight here is the safari drive-through, of course, offering that savannah experience from your own vehicle. You’ll drive past stalking tigers, lounging lions, and get to see the fastest animal in the world: the cheetah. Elephants, zebras and rhinos top it all off, and only the brave should tackle the Monkey Mayhem section, where a troop of cheeky macaques might just make a dash for your windscreen wipers or help themselves to luggage on your roof rack – it’s been known!
1. Eden Project
Cornwall
Great for: outdoor activities
Adult from £33 (tickets are priced seasonally); child (5–16) from £11; under-5s free; family annual passes from £93; concessions available
Its annual family membership makes the Eden Project impossible to beat for a best-value day out, while its size and the sheer number of its features makes it somewhere you’ll want to return to on multiple occasions. This 21st-century Eden with its huge geodesic domes Is filled with thousands of plants and trees recreating both a tropical rainforest and the micro-climate of the Mediterranean. The 35-acre site has something for all the family, with sculptures, play areas, vegetable gardens and restaurants. The outdoor garden has more than 3,000 plant varieties alongside various artworks: Eve, the garden sculpture; Bombus the giant bee, reminding us how much we depend on our friendly pollinators; Chris Drury’s Cloud sculpture; and Julian Opie’s Crowd 4 installation. Flying above them all is the Skywire, England’s longest and fastest zip line, reaching speeds of up to 60mph. If you book one of the concerts, exhibitions or other events that take place here, you might want to stay on site – the YHA Eden Project offers glamping accommodation in bell tents, Airstreams or land pods, or you could opt for wild camping if you want to keep costs down.
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