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At Time Out UK it’s our job to keep tabs on all of the greatest goings-on across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We spend our days meticulously judging everything from the country’s best pubs to its best music festivals, its finest wild swimming spots to its best waterparks. Now we’ve put all that knowledge together to compile a brand-new list of the top 25 things to do in the UK.
Of course, a guide to the UK’s greatest things to see and do must include the big hitters. Everyone should experience the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at least once, London’s world-class free museums and galleries are unmissable and landmarks like Stonehenge and the Giant’s Causeway are always worth the journey. But our guide also includes a few local gems and several new additions for 2026.
The number one thing to do in the UK this year is paying a visit to our top destination of 2026: Stirling. This summer, the UK finally got a train directly connecting London to the Scottish city, so it would be rude not to take advantage of it. Not only does it have the historic Stirling Castle and the National Wallace Monument but it also has a series of brilliant events happening over the next few months. There’s the annual Stirling Highland Games, the Interesting Things music and arts festival, Stirling Cocktail Week and in September Radio 2 in the Park, headlined by Chaka Khan and Simple Minds.
Other new additions to our guide include a hike along the brand new King Charles III England Coast Path, which spans all 4,328 km of the English coast; a visit to Time Out’s favourite museum right now, the utterly bonkers Crab Museum in Margate; a gig at the legendary Brudenell Social Club in Leeds and a castle-hopping trip around Wales with the game-changing Explore Wales pass.
📍 See Time Out’s full guide to the best things to do in the UK here.
ICYMI: Why Great Yarmouth is one of Time Out’s top UK seaside towns to visit in 2026.
Plus: Two of the world’s most difficult hikes are in the UK.
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