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Every year, the UK welcomes a whole host of shiny new things to see and do. And every year, writers and editors at Time Out take it upon ourselves to let you know which of those are most worth your time. Our list of the best things to do in the UK in 2026 includes a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, an exciting new theme park and a couple of big Celtic festivals. Also on the list is exploring one of the UK’s more underrated regions with the help of an unlimited rail pass.
The Explore Wales Pass is essentially Wales’ answer to an Interrail Pass. It gives holders unlimited train travel across the country on four days within an eight-day period, costing £149 for adults and £74.50 for kids (there are discounts for railcard owners). It also allows you unlimited bus journeys across all eight days.
Obviously, there are hundreds of different ways you could use the pass. You may want to stay within one particular region of the country or use it to travel as far and wide as you can in the given period. Let us offer you some inspiration.
An easy place to start things would be the capital city of Cardiff. Some of our favourite places there include the city’s only Michelin star restaurant Gorse, the packed National Museum and the buzzy Cardiff Docks, as well as cool neighbourhood Canton, which is home to Chapters Art Gallery and brilliant caffs like Hard Lines Coffee and Ffloc.
A 20-minute train ride from Cardiff Central will take you to the town of Caerphilly, which is home to one of our other best things to do this year. Caerphilly Castle is the largest fortress in Wales and in 2025 reopened after a two-year £8 million makeover. Go to see the medieval dining room restored to its former glory and to check out new interactive exhibits spilling the castle’s juiciest secrets.
From there, you could hop on train heading north to spend a while in Time Out’s second most underrated destination in Europe Machynlleth. Alternatively, you could use the pass to get to the mesmerising island of Anglesey or the whimsical folly town of Portmeirion, both of which appear on Time Out’s roundup of the UK’s best places to visit in 2026. If you happen to be in Wales in August, you could use your pass to take the train to Pembrokeshire and celebrate 850 years of the National Eisteddfod, a huge week-long festival of Welsh food, drink, music, art, language and culture.
📍 Read more about all the best new things to do in the UK in 2026 here.
See all of the most bucket-list-worthy things to do in Wales here.
Plus: the best places to visit in the UK in 2026.
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