The 25 best things to do in the UK right now

At the start of each year, Time Out consults its local experts to compile a list of the UK’s best places to visit over the next 12 months. In 2026, the Scottish city of Stirling topped the ranking. Stirling has witnessed many of the nation’s most significant events – from William Wallace’s defeat over the English to the crowning of Mary Queen of Scots at just nine months old – making for a fantastic history-focused trip. In 2026, Stirling Distillery will release its first batch of Stirling whisky and independent venues will celebrate Stirling Cocktail Week with serious food and drinks deals all over the city (dates still to be announced). And every August there are the rollicking Highland Games featuring Highland dancing, the Stirling Stones competition and battle reenactments. 

See all of our top places to visit in the UK this year and the most underrated city breaks. 

Glastonbury is, of course, the big one, but Old Blighty is home to dozens of equally superb music festivals that cater to every possible taste. Outbreak in Manchester is a mecca for hardcore punkheads, Field Maneuvers in Norfolk is an ode to the outdoor raves of the nineties, FOCUS in Wales is full of emerging indie acts and AVA in Belfast is a feast of electronic tunes from some of the biggest names in the genre. For something extra niche and extra scenic, book a ticket for Krankenhaus, a micro festival on the grounds of Muncaster Castle on the edge of the Lake District. 

Browse our guide to Britain’s best fests here.

After 18 years of planning and £28 million of investment, the King Charles III England Coast Path formally launched in March 2026. It’s the longest managed coastal path in the entire world, spanning 2,674 magnificent miles (4,303 km) of cliffs, sand dunes, beaches, harbour towns and more. Assuming you walked 15 miles every single day, it would take two years to complete the entire thing. We’d recommend against that. Instead pick a section that you can spend the day on – hunt for fossils on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, look out for seals at Blakeney Point in Norfolk, admire the buttresses of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, dip your toes in the magnificently blue water in Cornwall or wander down a movie set on Camber Sands in Sussex. 

Explore the best beaches and seaside towns to see along the way.

A trip to Britain cannot be complete without swinging by at least one of our beloved pubs. With roughly 45,000 operating across the nation, you’re never too far from a boozer here. But for optimum pub charm, you’ll want to find one with convivial staff, a motley crew of regulars, decor that dates back centuries, classic pub sports and really, really good drinks. You’ll find all of that at Manchester’s Peveril of the Peak which is run by legendary live-in landlady Nancy Swanick, who’s now pushing 100 years old. Other establishments that rep the absolute epitome of the Great British Pub include the Old Neptune in Kent, the Doublet in Glasgow, the Old Dungeon Ghyll in the Lake District and the Golden Lion in Yorkshire. 

Discover the 22 best pubs in Britain here.

Every August, the capital of Scotland is taken over by comedians and performers for a month of shows, plays and theatre. Expect a mix of first-timers and big-name stars, new material, old favourites, snappy one-liners and unusual experimental comedy. It’s the world’s largest arts festival and transforms Edinburgh into a pulsating, exciting hive of energy. Turn up with a cluster of tickets in your pocket or plan nothing and see where the Fringe takes you.

Here’s our ultimate guide to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Lots of the greatest restaurants in the country aren’t in opulent Mayfair hotels or trendy Hackney dining rooms – they’re on vast estates in the middle of nowhere and down backroads of places you’ve never heard of. In fact, the UK's very best restaurant right now (according to our food editor) can be found in a 16th century inn on the outskirts of a small town in the West Country. Osip is a ‘field to table paradise’ with a tasting menu of experimental British cuisine. Think stuff like beetroot tacos, liquorice root ice cream and venison and quail pithivier. It’s not cheap but it’s spectacular. Stay overnight for the full experience. 

Discover our favourite restaurants in the UK here.

You’ve never seen anything quite like Margate’s Crab Museum, that’s a promise. The small space, billed as the only museum dedicated to the decapod, is crammed with crab trivia as well as a lot of hilarious tongue-in-cheek information panels. Did you know that hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs are ‘milked’ for their bright blue blood each year to be used to test human vaccines? Or that they poo out of their chest? But it’s not just somewhere to learn all the ins and outs of the crustaceans. Here, crabs are also used as a vehicle to discuss important socio-political themes and human decency in the most irreverent way.

See all of the best museums in the UK here. 

Cymru isn’t nicknamed the ‘land of castles’ for nothing. Even if you’re not actively searching, you’ll probably come across one of these magnificent stone fortresses at some point – there are 427 of them peppered across the Welsh landscape. And thanks to the Explore Wales Pass which was introduced in 2024 to offer unlimited train travel across the country, you can spend eight days hopping between them all. Thirteenth-century Caerphilly Castle is particularly worth a visit following its mega £8 million renovation which restored it to its former glory and introduced new interactive exhibits. 

See more of the best things to do in Wales here.

Notting Hill Carnival – the annual celebration of London’s Caribbean community, its culture and traditions – is Europe’s biggest street party. It takes place every August bank holiday weekend on the roads around west London, transforming the area into one huge, packed, pulsating party. The carnival, which runs over two days (Sunday is family day), features a colourful parade, fantastic live music, thumping sound systems, soca floats, steel bands and a whole lot of delicious Caribbean food.

Discover our full guide to Notting Hill Carnival.

The UK might be small but its countryside is mighty and incredibly diverse, from rolling green hills and ancient woodland to impressive mountain peaks, idyllic lakes and rugged moors. To see all the different kinds of landscapes the UK calls its own, take a tour of the UK’s 15 national parks, from the flat Norfolk Broads and the wilds of Exmoor to the high drama of the Lake District and Bannau Brycheiniog and the internationally recognised dark skies of Northumberland. 

Discover the most beautiful national parks in the UK.

The UK’s music scene is world-class. And that’s not least in thanks to the independent music venues where some of our biggest success stories were able to cut their teeth. One such place, and the one Time Out recently crowned the best in the country, is the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds. With an intimate low stage and a second 400-cap concert hall next door, there’s a gig to catch here most nights of the week. Indie royalty like Franz Ferdinand, The Fall and local legends The Cribs have all passed through its door. James Balmont of Swim Deep called the club the ‘beating heart of Leeds’ and Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins said that it has ‘passion that is evident in every flyer, every phone call, and every soundcheck’. 

Discover the best independent music venues in the UK. 

London is home to some incredible world-class museums and art galleries. Best of all? Most of them have permanent exhibitions that are totally free to visit. Kick things off on Exhibition Road in South Kensington with a visit to decorative arts giant the V&A, as well as the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Next, head to the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern for some incredible modern and classical art. Don’t forget to pop into the British Museum, to see historical artefacts from all over the world, and the Museum of London Docklands, for an insight into the capital’s past. 

Discover the best free art galleries and museums in London.

If you like being active and adventurous – think boating, biking and hiking – this countryside is your playground. The scenery is totally breathtaking, but the Scottish Highlands and islands are steeped in history, mystery, folklore and legend too. Take a trip to the Isle of Skye and visit the mystical fairy pools and hike the Old Man of Storr. Tour ancient castles, both standing and in ruins, explore the Highland Folk Museum, see the Glenfinnan Monument, which commemorates those who died during the Battle of Culloden, stop off at standing-stone burial mounds Clava Cairns and have a dram of whisky at one of the many distilleries in the area. Fuel your adventure with fine dining at Three Chimneys or trendy brunch place Café Cùil on Skye. 

Discover the best things to do in Scotland.

Being a groundling (that’s getting yourself a £5 standing ticket and watching Elizabethan-style) at Shakespeare’s Globe in London is unmissable, but it doesn’t get more special than sitting in the audience of one of the Bard’s beloved plays in his actual hometown. Head to pretty Stratford-upon-Avon to see a Royal Shakespeare Company production in the riverside theatre, before visiting Shakespeare’s birthplace and the church where his body was laid to rest in 1616.

Discover the best things to do in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland is a geological marvel. The dramatic coastal feature, made up of 40,000 basalt stone columns, has attracted visitors for centuries, but it became Northern Ireland’s first and only Unesco World Heritage Site in the 1980s and now also boasts a great visitor centre thanks to the National Trust. There are no museum ropes holding you back here. Wander over the shiny stones, sit on the Wishing Chair – a natural throne polished by thousands of bottoms – look out for rock formations the Camel and the Giant’s Boot. The result of volcanic eruptions over 60 million years ago or the remains of a pathway built by a giant? You decide.

Discover the best things to do in Northern Ireland.

Melton Mowbray has pork pies. Wensleydale has cheese. And Birmingham has the balti. Invented by the city’s Pakistani community in the 1970s, this take on curry is up there with Peaky Blinders, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and the Industrial Revolution as one of Brum’s most iconic exports. Spice lovers from far and wide make the pilgrimage to the UK curry capital to sample its baltis, thalis and dosas. Head to the famous ‘Balti Triangle’ – southeast of the city centre near Balsall Heath – to find a huge concentration of curry houses serving mouthwatering dishes from across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Discover the best things to do in Birmingham here. 

Lace up your walking boots to take on Ben Nevis which, at 1,345 metres above sea level, is the highest mountain in mainland Britain. There are two main routes up – the Mountain Track which is used by most walkers or Carn Mor Dearg Arête, a more challenging ascent for experienced scramblers which can take more than 10 hours to complete. If you really love heights, consider taking on the National Three Peaks Challenge. Plan your own or join an organised event to climb Yr Wyddfa, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, the tallest mountains in Wales, England and Scotland respectively, usually within 24 hours.

Discover the best hikes in the UK.

Sure, Factory Records and the Hacienda might be long gone. Yeah, Happy Mondays might be a more common sight on daytime telly than on stage. But from the gay clubs of Canal Street to the ever-popular Parklife weekender in summer, this northern powerhouse still has a varied and vibrant clubbing scene that attracts partygoers from all over the country.  To experience the best of it, head to the Warehouse Project, a clubbing series held each autumn and winter in the mammoth Mayfield Depot, just around the corner from Piccadilly station. 

Discover the best club nights in the UK.

The world-famous prehistoric stone circle on Salisbury Plain attracts millions of visitors a year, but its popularity doesn’t detract from its intrigue. Were these imposing standing stones – bluestone from more than 150 miles away in Wales – a celestial calendar, a burial ground or a site for sacrifice? Was it built by Merlin the wizard and a band of giants? Are its origins supernatural, or even extraterrestrial? Or just an incredible feat of human will? Visit to figure out what you think the true story of the monument is.

Get a ticket to ride around the city The Beatles called home. Liverpool is the place the Fab Four met and started performing. Learn about their incredible musical career at The Beatles Story before visiting Mendips and 20 Forthlin Road, the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, now managed by the National Trust. Finish off your visit with a night out at the rebuilt Cavern Club which sits near where The Beatles first started to play in the early ’60s.

Discover the best things to do in Liverpool.

British wine has really been making a name for itself over the past few years. And lots of the country’s best vineyards are open to the public, offering set menus, pairings and gorgeous countryside views. One of our faves is Tillingham in East Sussex. Formerly a hop barn, it specialises in natural and biodynamic wine, to be sipped against a backdrop of 70 beautiful acres of green fields and rolling hills. Their restaurant, serving up uncomplicated, wood-fired pizzas has a green Michelin star. Book a 90-minute guided tour with a wine expert, or just eat and sip away to your heart’s content.

Check out our favourite vineyards across the country. 

Twice a year, the wind-battered abbey in the pretty Yorkshire fishing town of Whitby is overrun by goths from all over the world. Why’s that, you ask? Well, Whitby Abbey starred in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, thereby endearing itself for ever to the vampire, bat and eyeliner-inclined. The biggest event of its kind in the world, Whitby Goth Weekend has been running since 1994, and is a celebration of goth culture, music and fashion. Shop at the Bizarre Bazaar, rock out on the main stages or just soak up the gothic vibes: whether you’re a goth or not, it’s one hell of an experience.

Discover the best things to do in Whitby.

It may not have the white hot sands of Miami, but Cornwall is one of the best surfing destinations in the world (and we're not just being biased). And Fistral Beach in Newquay is widely thought of as the jewel in Britain's surfing crown. Whether it’s your first time on the board or you’re a wave-riding veteran, this natural playground is perfect for anyone to give surfing a go. The Cornish coast is also just really, really beautiful. 

Discover the best things to do in Cornwall.

Sitting on a seaside promenade with a box of battered cod, chunky chips and tartare sauce while dodging the greedy gulls above you is a quintessential British experience. Cornwall, Brighton and north Yorkshire are prime chippy destinations with places like Seasmiths, RYBKA and the Magpie Café all masterfully demonstrating how proper fish ‘n’ chips should be done. 

Here’s where to find more of the UK’s best fish and chips. 

Thousands of years ago, the Romans discovered mineral-rich hot springs in the area that would become the city of Bath and built a lavish bathing complex around them. Today, that complex remains impressively intact and it still flows with natural hot water. No one’s swimming in it these days but you can wander through and explore ancient artifacts in the adjoining museum . Once you’ve wandered around the historic site, head to Thermae Bath Spa for your own chance to wallow in Bath’s warming waters. 

Discover the best things to do in Bath.