Travel is my passion, and sharing the best UK holiday destinations brings me immense joy. As a frequent traveller, there is nothing I love more than finding new destinations that are either on my bucket list or that I have never thought of visiting. In the past, I shared a post about ‘UK staycations being more expensive than travelling abroad‘, it resonated with a lot of people, but over the last couple of years, we have seen a rise in more affordable options. Everyone has different needs and budgets, some parts of the UK (like London) can be quite expensive, whilst other parts (most of the North) can be more affordable.
Over the last 8+ years, I have travelled to over 50+ countries and have loved every minute of it. There are so many countries that I frequently revisit, but I often exclude the UK because it’s my home, so I don’t often talk about it. Someone recently asked me to recommend the best UK holiday destinations, and I was so excited to give my recommendations that I thought I would share them with everyone. These are my recommendations, and other people might have different opinions on some of the destinations that I recommend.
*Disclosure – this is a collaborative post, all opinions shared are my own.
The Best UK Holiday Destinations
The UK is one of the most visited ‘countries’ in Europe, and as a resident of the United Kingdom, I have to share with you some of our best UK holiday destinations that we have. For this mini-guide, I will not be sharing the most obvious places, as I am sure there are plenty of guides out there covering them. I, too, have shared the popular places on this blog, but that is not the purpose of this particular travel post. This post aims to share some places that I consider to be ‘gems’ of the United Kingdom that people should add to their future bucket list when visiting the UK.
Portmeirion, North Wales
Sir Clough Williams-Ellis is the visionary, designer and Welsh architect who built the Italian village of Portmeirion in North Wales. It took over 50 years (1925 to 1976) to build this exquisite Italian-looking village on a naturally beautiful site. Today, Portmeirion in North Wales attracts over 200,000 visitors a year and offers complimentary guided tours.
I first visited Portmeirion back in 2018, and it is one of the best Welsh villages I have ever been to. I love Wales in general because its landscapes, people and food are some of the best I have ever encountered. Although the village can be accessed via public transport, I recommend driving as you also get to admire the landscape on the drive to and from.
Yorkshire Dales, North England
The Yorkshire Dales is a series of valleys located predominantly in North Yorkshire, and it’s famous for having some of the best walking trails in the country. I have been to a few villages in the Dales and even managed to hike up the dread Yorkshire Three Peaks. A couple of years ago, I visited with my friends and we rented a couple, which was just the best thing ever. If you are thinking of visiting, then let me recommend *Luxury Holiday Homes in the Yorkshire Dales, whether you are travelling as a couple or as a group, they have you covered.
Perth, Scotland
Perth, Scotland, not Perth, Australia, the UK has its version of the popular Australian destination, with completely different temperatures. The last time I visited the city was for church back in August of 2013, and to this day, I still remember the landscape, the haggis and the long drive back to England. There are certain places that you visit that leave an imprint on your heart, and for me, Perth is one of those places. It’s been years, but I can still easily visualise where we stayed, where we ate and what activities we did.
Cork, Ireland
For many years, I have wanted to visit the second largest Irish city because Fiona of Dolly Dowsie sold it to me with my beautiful blog. She was one of the first bloggers I ever followed, and I just loved seeing the city through her eyes; it was life-changing. The city was named the ‘European Capital of Culture‘ back in 2005 and everyone whose visited talks about its vibrancy and incredible people. I can not wait to one day visit the city for myself and tick it off my bucket list.
There is a long list of places in the UK that I could add to the best UK holiday destinations list, but if I did, we would be here all day, so I am keeping it short. Over the last couple of years, I have enjoyed discovering new places to explore within the UK and most importantly finding both affordable and with a touch of luxury. Do you have any places that you would add to the list outside of the usual suspects: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Dublin???
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