Royal London, misty highlands and a pub in every village.
The United Kingdom brings together England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each with its own character. London has world-class museums and theatres, Edinburgh has its castle and the Royal Mile, and the Scottish Highlands stretch into lochs and glens. Elsewhere are the Lake District, the Cotswolds, Roman Bath, Stonehenge, the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia) and the coves of Cornwall.
Days out often end in a pub, with fish and chips, a Sunday roast or a curry never far away. Trains connect the major cities, though a car helps in rural areas and the Highlands. May to September is the best stretch, with long evenings and the most reliable weather; December has festive cheer, while winter days are short and damp.
Best time to visit United Kingdom
May, June, July, August.
Places to visit in United Kingdom
London: A world city of free museums, royal landmarks, theatres, markets and villages stitched together by the Tube.
Edinburgh: Scotland's hilly capital, split between a medieval Old Town and a Georgian New Town, with a castle on top.
Scottish Highlands: Vast mountain landscapes of lochs, glens and castles, from Glen Coe to Loch Ness and the far north.
Stonehenge: A prehistoric stone circle on Salisbury Plain, built in stages over more than a thousand years.
Isle of Skye: The largest island of the Inner Hebrides, famous for the Cuillin mountains, sea cliffs and strange rock formations.
Bath: A honey-stone Georgian city built around Roman baths and still fed by Britain's only natural hot springs.
Oxford: The world's oldest English-speaking university, with honey-stone colleges, historic libraries and riverside walks.
Lake District: England's largest national park, a landscape of lakes and fells that inspired Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter.
Cotswolds: Gentle hills dotted with golden-stone villages, market towns and country pubs, west of Oxford.
York: A walled medieval city with a great Gothic minster, crooked timbered streets and Roman and Viking history.
Cambridge: A historic university town of grand colleges, green meadows and punting along the Backs.
Cornwall: England's far southwest, with surf beaches, fishing harbours, cliff paths and a strong local identity.
Snowdonia: A mountainous national park in north Wales, with Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), glacial lakes and slate villages.
Liverpool: A proud port city with a famous waterfront, the Beatles' legacy and two great football clubs.
Glasgow: Scotland's biggest city, with grand Victorian architecture, excellent free museums and a strong live music scene.
Belfast: Northern Ireland's capital, where the Titanic was built, with murals, pubs and the Antrim coast nearby.
Giant's Causeway: A UNESCO-listed headland of interlocking basalt columns on Northern Ireland's wild Causeway Coast.
Cardiff: The compact Welsh capital, with a medieval-to-Victorian castle, a lively waterfront bay and a rugby-mad stadium.
Essentials
Currency: British Pound (GBP)
Language: English; Welsh is also spoken in Wales
Plugs: Type G, 230 V
Driving: Left side
Time zone: UTC+0
Tipping: 10–12.5% in restaurants, often added as a service charge
Getting around: Good rail links between cities; a car helps in rural areas
Entry: Check the official rules for your passport before booking