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England With Kids: 10 Ideas for the Best England Itinerary for Families

Visiting the country of England with kids is a must for any family’s bucket list. With its rich history, culture, and outstanding natural beauty, an England itinerary for families is sure to be packed with all sorts of unique and interesting activities.

Our family absolutely fell in love with the country of England. We spent over a month and a half in England and thoroughly enjoyed the food, the culture, and the people we met during our stay in England.

If you’re planning a trip to England for your family, then you’ll definitely want to read up on our ideas for things to do in England with kids. Take some time to see our wonderful suggestions for an itinerary in England for families. And then get ready for your own wonderful adventure in England!

This post was originally published on November 9, 2021.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase something. But don't worry, this will not result in any extra costs to you.

Table of Contents

England with kids highlights

Don't have time to read the whole post? Browse through these highlights for England itinerary ideas for what to do in each featured city during your trip to England with kids:

• London: Markets tour
• Greater London: Harry Potter Studio tour
• Brighton: Walking tour
• Salisbury: Stonehenge tour
• Bath: Bridgerton walking tour
• Cotswolds: Village tour
• Birmingham: Walking tour
• Stratford-upon-Avon: City sightseeing bus
• Oxford: University walking tour
• Lake District: Ten lakes tour

10 ideas for the best England itinerary for families

We normally like to do slow tourism , but from time to time, we do like to do shorter trips as well. Our time in England was a mix of slow travel and quick trips. We essentially did a big road trip around the country!

As we traveled throughout England with kids, I couldn’t help but take note of our favorite parts of this country so that I could share it with you all. Eventually, I ended up with this list of ideas and travel tips for an itinerary in England for families.

This is by no means an extensive list. There are undoubtedly many places that we missed. But it’s certainly a good introduction to England. My hope is that you use this England itinerary to give your family ideas of where to explore on your own family vacation to England. 

Take a look at our ten suggestions for places to visit in England with kids. I’ve highlighted things to do in each location. And I’ve also added a suggested number of days, to give you an idea of how long to stay. 

You don’t need to do everything on the list. For example, if you’re trying to plan for a 10 day England itinerary, you can pick three spots to really deep dive into. Or if you’re planning to spend two or three months in England, you can expand your time in each location, and explore other destinations too.

London has many family friendly points of interest, so you’ll want to use your time wisely while you’re visiting this city in England with kids. I suggest at least a week in the city if your England itinerary allows it. But if you have 10 days in England, or fewer, then plan for at least two full days to visit London with kids .

Many museums are free, such as the British Museum , the Victoria and Albert Museum , the Natural History Museum , and the Science Museum . This is great news if you're trying to visit England with kids on a budget. Famous landmarks, such as the Tower of London , Globe Theatre , and Westminster Abbey , however, will have an admission fee.

There are plenty of unique markets to visit such as Borough Market and Camden Market . You can also visit parks like Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens . We enjoyed walking along the River Thames, via the Jubilee Walk , or taking a boat ride along the Regent’s Canal .

For a good overview of London book one of these tours:

London In a Day: Tower of London, Westminster Abbey & Changing of the Guard

London in a Day - Private Custom Walking Tour

Camden Market, Borough Market and Covent Garden Market Private Tour

Suggested number of days in London for your England itinerary: 2-5

2. Greater London, England itinerary options

There are so many wonderful places to see outside of London as well. You should be sure to include spending time in this area while you're in England with kids. If you’re not limited to a 10 day England itinerary, you’ll want to plan for at least a day doing one or two of these things. Many of the places are accessible by train, or you can book one of the tours highlighted below, which includes transport.

The town of Windsor, to the west of London, is home to Windsor Castle . Visitors can stroll through the grounds and tour the home where the Queen of England spends most of her private weekends.

Book your Windsor Castle tour here:

Private Half-Day Windsor Castle, Park and Old Town Tour from London

If you’re more into a low key excursion during your time in England with kids, and you happen to be a Ted Lasso fan, take a visit to Richmond. Also situated west of London, Richmond is home to two beautiful parks: the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Richmond Park .

Book this tour of London, which includes a visit to Kew Gardens:

Amazing Kew Gardens & London Landmarks Tour

Harry Potter fans will want to book a walking tour of Harry Potter filming locations in London. And don’t miss visiting the Warner Brothers Studios in Leavesden, where you can learn how the movies were made. 

Book this tour to visit the Warner Brothers Studio, which includes transport:

Warner Bros. Studio: The Making of Harry Potter with Luxury Round-Trip Transport from London

If you have more time in the United Kingdom (and you absolutely love Harry Potter), then be sure to visit Edinburgh where you'll find even more Harry Potter tours .

Suggested number of days in Greater London for your England itinerary: 1-2

Get a 5-day itinerary to the city of London from our friends at Wanderlust Crew !

3. Brighton

Just south of London is the beach city of Brighton. This city is a must-visit for your England itinerary. However, if your time in England with kids is limited, you can also just spend a morning or afternoon here.

A popular beach holiday spot for Londoners, Brighton has the boardwalk atmosphere of Atlantic City, and the eccentricity of Venice Beach, with a touch of British charm thrown in the mix.

If you have time in your England travel itinerary, plan to spend at least one full day in Brighton. You’ll want to walk along Brighton Pier and also enjoy the beachfront path. Shelter Hall is a great food hall to enjoy a meal, with a diverse selection of cuisines that you can purchase through an app. Even though the weather wasn't too great when we were there, Brighton was definitely a highlight during our time in England with kids.

You also don’t want to miss walking through The Lanes, a collection of pedestrian lanes and small streets full of eclectic shops, cafes, and restaurants. There is bus service in Brighton, but we didn’t need to use it as the city is very walkable.

For a great overview of Brighton, book this walking tour:

The Brighton story - walking tour

Suggested number of days in Brighton for your England itinerary: 1-2

4. Salisbury

I like to think of Salisbury as the gateway to Stonehenge . The UNESCO World Heritage Site is only 9 miles away from Salisbury. But the city of Salisbury is interesting in its own right. And families who come to England with kids will enjoy visiting this ancient town. 

Stonehenge and Salisbury are great places to spend an afternoon if you have a limited 10 day England itinerary. But if you have more time, it’s worth adding a day or two to your England travel itinerary to explore Salisbury on its own.

The city of Salisbury is located west of Brighton and southwest of London. The Salisbury Cathedral is home to one of the best surviving original copies of Magna Carta. A historic legal document drafted in 1215, Magna Carta led to the establishment of Parliament and laid the groundwork for documents like the US Constitution.

Central Salisbury is fun to explore when you're in England with kids, with shops and restaurants along the River Avon. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, be sure to visit the Salisbury Market . The city is walkable. And if you have a car, you can park in one of the public car parks located in the center of the city.

Book this private tour to experience Salisbury and Stonehenge with your kids: 

Bespoke private tours of Stonehenge and Avebury by car with local guide

Suggested number of days in Salisbury for your England itinerary: 2-3

Ready for a change? Take the first step to living a life of full time travel.

If you’re a fan of Roman history (or a fan of the show, Bridgerton), then you’ll definitely want to include Bath in your England itinerary. The city of Bath dates back thousands of years. But it’s most well-known for the Roman baths that were created in 60 AD. 

Today, Bath remains a popular tourist destination for families who come to England with kids. The city is not just known for the Roman baths, which you can still visit and tour, but also for its beautiful architecture and parks. If you’re limited to a 10 day England itinerary or shorter, plan to spend a morning visiting the Roman baths.  

But if you have more time to spend in Bath, be sure to visit the Royal Crescent, a set of homes built in the 1700s laid out in a crescent overlooking a well-manicured park. The homes feature prominently in many scenes in Bridgerton . You can take a tour of one of the homes at No. 1 Royal Crescent .

Also while in Bath, spend an afternoon having tea at one of Bath’s many tea rooms and cafes. This is a must and gives you a glimpse into Britain’s tea culture while you're in England with kids. And don’t forget to visit Bath Abbey , located near the Roman baths and built over a thousand years ago.

Book one of these tours of Bath to fully experience all the city has to offer:

Walking Tour with Blue Badge Tourist Guide (90 Minutes)

Private Walking Tour with Blue Badge Tour Guide

2-Hour Bath Walking Tour of Bridgerton Filming Locations

Suggested number of days in Bath for your England itinerary: 1-2

6. The Cotswolds

One of the most picturesque parts of England is the Cotswolds. This part of the country was once famous for its wool, from sheep that were introduced to this part of the world by the Romans. 

Today, though, the Cotswolds are known for its well-preserved small villages that look like they’re straight out of a storybook. Wool is still an industry in the Cotswolds, but so is tourism. And no trip to England with kids is complete without a visit to the Cotswolds.

If you are on a limited 10 day England itinerary, plan to spend an afternoon at the Cotswolds. But if you have more time, it’s worth spending a day or two exploring the many small villages that make up the Cotswolds. 

We enjoyed Bourton-on-the-Water, with its shop-lined river running through the village. There’s also the Model Village , a 1:9 scale replica of Bourton-on-the-Water that’s well-worth visiting.

To explore the Cotswolds, book one of these tours:

Private Cotswold Village Tour

Tour of the Cotswolds from Moreton-in-Marsh

Suggested number of days in the Cotswolds for your England itinerary: 1-2

7. Birmingham

While Birmingham might not be an obvious choice to include in an itinerary for England with kids (unless you’re a fan of the show, Peaky Blinders ), it’s definitely a city not to be missed. Even if you’re limited to a 10 day England itinerary, I highly suggest including one full day in this city.

The second largest city in England, and located in the West Midlands region of the country, Birmingham played a large role in the Industrial Revolution. This is primarily due to its close proximity to the Black Country, named because of its many coal mines. Because of the coal mines of the Black Country, Birmingham became the epicenter of industry and metal crafts. 

For worldschooling families visiting England with kids, Birmingham is a great destination for learning about science, technology, and history. You can learn about the area’s industrial history by visiting the Black Country Living Museum , just outside of the city. And within the city, you can visit museums like the Pen Museum or the more popular Think Tank Birmingham Science Museum .

Birmingham is also near to two places of interest: Warwick Castle and Cadbury World . Warwick Castle is a Medieval castle constructed by William the Conqueror in 1068. And Cadbury World is a family-friendly exhibition tour run by the Cadbury Company showcasing the chocolate-making process.

Book one of these Birmingham tours to really get a feel for this unique city:

Discovering Birmingham Afternoon Walking Tour

From Canals and Victorians to Today's City: Birmingham Walking Tour

Suggested number of days in Birmingham for your England itinerary: 2-4

8. Stratford-Upon-Avon

For literary buffs, a visit to Stratford-Upon-Avon is a must in your itinerary for England with kids. The town of Stratford-Upon-Avon is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, one of England’s most famous writers. Plan to spend a morning in Stratford-Upon-Avon if you’re on a 10 day England itinerary, and at least a day if you have more time and flexibility. 

The town is small enough to walk around. There are shops around the town center, and you can tour Shakespeare’s actual house . Additionally, you can also visit the home of Anne Hathaway , Shakespeare’s wife. 

For a different activity, take a visit to the Stratford Butterfly Farm . Kids will especially enjoy seeing the wide variety of butterflies included at the butterfly farm.

To experience Stratford-Upon-Avon during your visit to England with kids, book this tour:

City Sightseeing Stratford-upon-Avon Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Suggested number of days in Stratford-Upon-Avon for your England itinerary: 1-2

For worldschooling families who love to incorporate learning into our travels , a visit to the town of Oxford during their time in England with kids is not to be missed. Oxford is home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world, the University of Oxford. And it’s also host to the Bodleian Library , the second largest library in the United Kingdom. 

The town of Oxford is referenced in countless pieces of literature and film. Most recently, Oxford has been the setting for several Harry Potter film scenes. If you’re on a limited 10 day England itinerary, spend an afternoon here. But if you have more days to spare on your England itinerary, then plan at least one full day.

We were unfortunately not able to explore Oxford during our England itinerary, although we did drive through the city. But we intend to come back and visit the next time we come to England with kids.

Book one of these tours of Oxford to experience the town and all its beautiful attractions:

Oxford University Walking Tour With University Alumni Guide

Private Oxford Walking Tour for the Discerning Traveler

Harry Potter 2 hour PUBLIC Tour + Self Guided Entry to Christ church

Suggested number of days in Oxford for your England itinerary: 1-2

10. Lake District

If your England itinerary allows, take a visit to the northern part of England to the Lake District . This area of England is filled with beautiful lakes, mountains, national parks, and small villages. It’s a wonderful option for experiencing the natural beauty of the country while visiting England with kids.

If you’re limited to a 10 day England itinerary, I wouldn’t suggest visiting the Lake District due to its distance from London. This was what happened during our first England itinerary. We simply didn't have time!

But the second time we were in England with kids, we did have a chance to visit the Lake District, and it didn't disappoint. This part of England is beautiful. The best time to go is in the summer, where you can fully experience the outdoors, and maybe even do some camping while you’re there.

Book this tour of the Lake District to fully experience the beauty of the area:

The High Adventure: Full Day Ten Lakes Tour of the Lake District

Suggested number of days in the Lake District for your England itinerary: 1-2

Want to explore other parts of Europe ? Click here for more posts.

Basic information for your England itinerary 

As you're preparing for your trip to England with kids, take some time to get acquainted with some basic travel information. England is part of the larger country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. There are four countries within the United Kingdom: England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Out of these four countries, England is the largest.

The language spoken in England is English, but each region of England has their own distinct accent. During our time in England with kids, we loved chatting with locals and hearing their accents! 

In terms of lodging, you'll be able to find plenty of Airbnbs and vacation rentals throughout England. You can also use Booking to find hotels across all budget ranges for your trip to England with kids. Alternatively, consider doing house sitting with kids to SAVE BIG on accommodations.

Before your trip, you and your kids can learn about England and the United Kingdom with this book: 

The Big Book of the UK: Facts, folklore and fascinations from around the United Kingdom

I also suggest buying a guidebook for your England with kids trip. We like this one from Rick Steves:

Rick Steves England

Best time to visit England with kids

If you’re planning to visit England with kids, the best time for your England itinerary is between the months of April to October. This is when the weather is the warmest.

However, be aware of when British children go on school holidays as that will impact the crowds during your trip. August is the summer vacation month for British school kids. But during the year, there are also one to two week-long breaks between school terms in April and December. Additionally, there are also week-long breaks in the middle of the term (called half term) during the months of February, June, and October.

As you’re planning your best England itinerary, be mindful of these school holidays so that you know what crowds to expect.

What to pack for your England itinerary

Depending on the time of year, you’ll want to make sure you’re packed for the weather for your England with kids trip. Having a lightweight sweater or cardigan may come in handy. 

Because England’s climate can be rainy, even in the summer, you’ll want to pack a waterproof jacket to prepare for the weather. We like bringing these jackets along for our trip to England with kids:

Columbia Kids & Baby Rainy Trails Fleece Lined Jacket

Additionally, you also want to make sure you have things like cloth tote bags for when you visit farmer’s markets or go souvenir shopping. Many stores in England, especially grocery stores, now charge for the use of plastic bags, so having your own tote bag is helpful. You can also consider bringing other eco-friendly travel products to make your trip more sustainable.

If there's a holiday or a birthday coming up, take it as an opportunity to give travel gifts for your kids that can prepare them for your England trip.

Take a look at our favorite backpacks for travel with kids to bring along for your trip.

Getting around England with kids

It’s surprisingly easy to get around England with kids. The country has an extensive rail system. And you can get to most cities and towns by train. Additionally, there are over 30 airports in England.

However, in our opinion, the best way to get around England with kids in tow is by car. International rental companies that service England include Hertz, Enterprise, Budget, and Thrifty. Use Expedia to find great England car rentals .

When driving around England, remember that drivers drive on the left-hand side of the road. This is different from other European countries that we’ve been driven through, such as Spain , Italy , or France . 

British roads and speed limit signs use miles, just like in the United States. Additionally, British roads will often use roundabouts instead of stop lights, so you’ll need to be familiar with how to get in and out of a roundabout. 

Get prepared for any emergency with the insurance made for digital nomads!

Making memories with your England itinerary

We had such an amazing time visiting England with kids. We feel like even a month and a half is not enough time to really experience this country and do all the England kids activities we wanted to do. Next time, we want to plan for a longer England itinerary, to really get a feel for what England has to offer.

If you’re planning a trip to England with kids, feel free to use this England itinerary as a starting off point for making your own memories of England. Whether it’s for a short 10 day England itinerary, or a longer three month stay, England is well worth a visit. This country is full of so much history, culture, and beauty, we know that you’ll love it as much as we did. 

Have you visited England with kids? What was your experience like? Share your family and kids England itinerary with me in the comments below.

Planning to use England as a starting off point for a family gap year? Use my ebook, Hey Kids, Let's Go Travel! for family travel advice on planning and prepping for a family gap year.

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The best days out for toddlers in the UK

If you are looking for the perfect days out with toddlers, we've got loads of great suggestions for 1-year-olds and above. From exploring Peppa Pig world to a medieval duel at Warwick Castle , to heading to one of the UK's best water parks , or London for a city adventure, there is something to spark the imagination in every child.

Toddler days out uk

Jurassic Live

Jurassic Live is a thrilling stage show following our team of rangers on the hunt for a missing dinosaur. This is perfect for any dinosaur obsessed tot and their family

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Balloon Museum

Looking for a unique experience for the whole family to enjoy in the school holidays? Visit the Balloon Museum at Old Billingsgate, London (10-minute walk from London Bridge station). The EmotionAir immersive exhibition (running until 18 Feb) explores the relationship between art and emotions through the medium of inflatables. Children (and adults!) will love diving into an enormous ball pit, crawling through a giant inflatable structure and swinging and rolling huge balls back and forth. There are Insta worthy photo opportunities galore, and the combination of lights and sounds make it a stimulating multisensory experience. There’s a sweet treats area at the end, selling popcorn, candyfloss, bagels, doughnuts, crêpes, and alcoholic drinks, and a gift shop. So, parents have your purse or wallet at the ready – two candyfloss will set you back £10, and a small flower balloon will cost you £7. Family tickets start from £90. But look out for 20% discount codes online. Go to balloonmuseum.world for more details.

balloonmuseum.world

Legoland, Windsor

Legoland boasts over 55 rides and attractions, as well as shows and events. There are plenty of areas suitable for tots, babies and adults - so everyone can join in the fun.

www.legoland.co.uk

Warwick Castle, Warwickshire

From epic bird shows to history museums to a medieval dining experience - there is lots of fun to be had at Warwick Castle for the whole family!

www.goldentours.com

Cbeebies Land, Alton

CBeebies Land is where your little one’s TV dreams come true. From In the Night Garden to Postman Pat, expect your tots to be star struck as you make your way around the attractions. CBeebies Land is part of Alton Towers, so there's plenty more to do if you have older kids too but if you are staying, we'd recommend a stay at the CBeebies Hotel !

www.altontowers.com

SEA LIFE Brighton

Whether your tot is up for feeding turtles or even Sharks (if they're brave), Sea Life Brighton is an aquarium like no other!

www.visitsealife.com

Glasgow Spy Mission Treasure Trail, Glasgow, Glasgow and Strathclyde, Scotland

An ideal safe day outdoors, follow the Glasgow Spy Mission Treasure Trail, solve clues on route as well as taking in the views and exploring the area.

www.visitscotland.com

Thomas Land, Staffordshire

Calling all Thomas and the Tank Engine lovers, Thomas Land will make all your dreams come true! Take a ride down the railway with either Thomas, Rosie or Percy, or take to the sky with James - there's plenty of Thomas and friends themed attractions to explore.

www.draytonmanor.co.uk

Gulliver's Land, Milton Keynes

This fun-filled park in Milton Keynes is well worth a visit with your tot! Pop into the Whispering Woods and take the Fairy Trail through the magical woods to turn all your toddler’s worries into wishes, and much much more at Gulliver's Land ...

www.gulliverslandresort.co.uk

Dublin Zoo, Dublin, Ireland

If you're based in Dublin, then why not head to Dublin Zoo? It promises a fun-filled day out for all ages and the place to learn more about animals too, with Dublin Zoo being one of the oldest zoos and home to 400 animals. You'll need to pre-book a timeslot to avoid disappointment.

www.dublinzoo.ie

The Deep Aquarium, Hull

Make some fishy friends at this award-winning aquarium in Hull, where your tot can learn about life under water and see a huge variety of sea life! Fancy some more water fun? What about an indoor or outdoor water park?

www.thedeep.co.uk

Aillwee Cave, Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Republic of Ireland

Aillwee Cave is located in the Burren In County Clare, with one of the best views of Galway Bay. It's one of the oldest caves in Ireland and has so much to offer. As well as a tour of the cave, you can sit down and watch flying displays at the Birds of Prey centre, the home to Eagles, Falcons, Hawks, and Owls from all over the world.

aillweeburrenexperience.ie

The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, Aberfoyle, Stirling and Falkirk, Scotland

Treetop adventures and scenic trails, the Lodge Forest Visitor Centre in Aberfoyle should be on the top of your list when you're in the area. With something that everyone can enjoy. You can even take a gentle stroll to a waterfall too.

Treetop Adventure Golf, Cardiff, Glamorgan and Cardiff, Wales

Treetop Adventure Golf is perfect for a wet day in Cardiff, and something for all ages. With a theme of a tropical rainforest, you won't be disappointed.

Willows Activity Farm (featuring Peter Rabbit!), St Albans

Come and play with the much-loved stars of the animated CBeebies series ‘Peter Rabbit’ at Willows Activity Farm, near St. Albans. Visit Peter’s Secret Treehouse, Mrs Tiggy-Winkle’s Kitchen and Lily Bobtail’s Nature Discovery at this first Peter Rabbit themed adventure play area of its kind.

willowsactivityfarm.digitickets.co.uk

Peppa Pig World, Hampshire

From Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter ride, to Muddy Puddles Water Splash Park, to George’s Spaceship Indoor Playzone - Peppa Pig World has all you need for a family fun day out! Nestled in The New Forest in Hampshire, you and your tot are bound to have a ball in this beautiful setting.

paultonspark.co.uk

Slimbridge Wetlands Centre, near Dursley, Gloucestershire

Take your tot to feed an array of ducks, geese and swans at Slimbridge Wetlands Centre. Visit the flamingos, explore the watery world of Toad Hall, splash about at Welly Boot Land or enjoy the indoor soft play, it’s definitely the perfect day out during the warmer months.

wwt.digitickets.co.uk

Still looking for ideas? Check out the below, for more inspiration!

The best theme parks for toddlers

From Chessington World of Adventures to Pleasure Island, to Digger Land, there are so many brilliant theme parks for toddlers in the UK !

Seasonal days out

Click on the below to get some season-appropriate ideas on where to take your toddler:

Summer days out ideas

Autumn days out ideas

Christmas days out ideas

Spring days out ideas

Easter days out and activities

London days out with toddlers

If you're looking for fun days out there are interactive experiences, museums, Royal parks, and playgrounds to keep them busy on a fun day out in London .

If you have an animal lover, there are zoos and parks packed full of cute and cuddly critters and kings of the jungle.

Row a boat in Hyde Park

During the spring and summer months, the Royal Parks are the place to be. Whether it's to find the perfect picnic spot with the kids or go rowing in the water , it's a great place to spend a relaxing afternoon.

Let their imagination run wild at the Diana, Princess of Wales' Memorial Playground

If they need to burn off some energy, the Diana Memorial Playground is the perfect place to do that. With a giant pirate ship in the middle, teepees and sensory trail, it's an ideal spot to let their imaginations run wild and it's located just next to Kensington Palace.

See the sights on The Toot Bus

If it's their first time in the city, then it's understandable why they might want to see all the sights on a simple hop on hop off bus trip with Toot Bus . Designed for kids aged 5-11, there's plenty of information for them to soak up on this journey.

The best family-friendly pub gardens

Summer afternoons are made for lounging around in the sun, but it can be difficult with several tots in tow. A safe and fun family-friendly pub garden is a great place for your little one to get outside and have some fun!

The best adventure playgrounds in the UK

There are many fantastic adventure playgrounds across the UK you and your family can visit, with some offering free entry.

Days out inspired by children's books

Story-time with children can often be a magical, mysterious and exciting experience, but you may be surprised to know that you and your family can visit lots of the places that inspired children’s literary classics , right here in the UK including Winnie the Pooh, Paddington Bear, The Chronicles of Narnia and Beatrix Potter!

The best museums in the UK for families

There are so many museums to explore here in the UK . Most are themed with particular interests in mind such as science or dinosaurs while others encompass a variety of exhibitions. Plus, for many, small children under a certain age go free. Bonus!

Best free outdoor activities for kids

You don't have to pay a penny to have a brilliant day out, with so many classic outdoor activities such as hide and seek, cycling, sculptures on the beach, bug hunting and more – you really can have fun with your baby for free !

Alternatively, you could grab a picnic and let them burn off some energy while getting some fresh air with our pick of the best parks and fun-filled outdoor spaces for the whole family.

50 BEST Toddler Friendly Holidays In The UK That Won’t Break The Bank!

#1. Sandymouth Holiday Park, Cornwall

Sandymouth Holiday Park is a fantastic toddler friendly holiday park with a swimming pool just a short walk from Sandymouth Bay and only 15 mins drive from Bude. Toddlers will love the indoor swimming pool, outdoor splash pool and fantastic pirate ship playground!

What makes this is a great toddler friendly holiday in the UK

• Close to Sandymouth Bay
• Swimming pool
• Outdoor splash area

Learn More – Sandymouth Holiday Park

Read More –   50 BEST Baby And Toddler Friendly Places To Stay In Cornwall

#2. Tattershall Lakes, Lincolnshire

• Lodges with hot tubs
• Adventure playground

Learn More – Tattershall Lakes

#3. Love2Stay Mid Wales

Love2Stay Mid Wales is a fantastic new resort in mid Wales with glamping pods and luxurious holiday homes and lodges which are perfect for families with babies and toddlers.  Families will love the cafe and indoor swimming pool and playground – plus there is a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room for parents to enjoy.  Families can also take part in watersports on the private lake at the resort.

Reasons why this is a great toddler friendly holiday in the UK

• Fantastic range of glamping pods and luxurious holiday homes
• Indoor swimming pool

Learn More –  Love2Stay Mid Wales

#4. Forest Glade Holiday Park, Devon

Forest Glade is a secluded holiday park surrounded by 300 acres of pine forest in the Blackdown Hills in Devon. There are loads of facilities for families with babies and toddlers including an indoor pool, 2 playgrounds, nature trail and an indoor soft play especially for children under the age of 6.   The park offers a wide range of caravan accommodation , camping pods and camping / touring pitches – it’s perfect for families who want to get back to nature!  There are also special rates for families with preschool children who stay in the term time.

• 2 playgrounds
• Nature trail
• Indoor soft play

Learn More –  Forest Glade Holiday Park

#5. Wooda Farm Holiday Park, Cornwall

Wooda Farm Holiday Park is an amazing 5* toddler friendly holiday park just outside Bude in Cornwall.  It’s a great place for a toddler friendly holiday in the UK!  Toddlers will love the friendly farm animals,  brand new playground, a pushchair friendly woodland trail and best of all –  tractor and trailer rides around the farm in summer! Check out the fantastic range of camping, holiday homes, luxury self-catering lodges  and  cottages  at  Wooda Farm  and there’s also a restaurant, farm shop and takeaway.  Bude and it’s beaches are just over a mile away.

• Farm animals
• Tractor rides
• Arts and crafts sessions

Learn More –  Wooda Farm Holiday Park

#6. Aberdovey Hillside Village, Wales

Aberdovey Hillside Village  is nestled in the heart of the picturesque seaside village of Aberdovey in the Snowdonia National Park, just metres from the water’s edge and a short walk to the beach, shops restaurants and pubs.  This  peaceful complex of holiday cottages and apartments  are set in extensive private grounds and all have their own terrraces and / or balconies so you can enjoy the amazing views of the estuary. There are excellent facilities for babies and toddlers at  Aberdovey Hillside Village , including an indoor soft play and children’s play area, and there is loads to do in the local area including days at the beach, trips on the Talyllyn Railway and of course trying out the famous Aberdovey ice cream!

• Within walking distance of the beach
• Loads to do in the local area

Learn More –  Aberdovey Hillside Village

#7. Trecco Bay Holiday Park, Wales

Trecco Bay is one of the most popular holiday parks in Wales, and for good reason. The whole site has been radically refurbished in recent years with all-new, awe-inspiring activities. Little ones will love the Active Tots activity sessions, along with Bike Tots balance bike lessons. There’s also Aqua Paddlers and Inflatable Jet Skis at the indoor pool. You can take your pick from modern or renovated lodges and static caravans with lots of stunning green space around you. Plus, you’ll be moments from the Blue Flag-awarded Trecco Bay Beach. There’s so much to do, it makes Trecco Bay a great choice for toddler friendly holidays.

• Direct beach access
• Splashland—a giant indoor swimming pool with a waterslide, pirate ship and an outdoor wet play zone
• Costa Coffee

Learn More  –  Trecco Bay

Read More  –  37 BEST Baby And Toddler Friendly Places To Stay In Wales

#8. Whitecliff Bay, Isle of Wight

Whitecliff Bay is a fantastic place for a toddler friendly holiday in the UK. It has loads of facilities for toddlers including 2 playgrounds, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, onsite entertainment – and best of all its own private beach within walking distance of the park.

• Walking distance to gorgoeus beach
• Outdoor swimming pool

Learn More –  Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park

Read More –  13 Places To Stay With Babies & Toddlers In The Isle of Wight

#9. Sandy Balls Holiday Village, The New Forest

• Outdoor heated swimming pool
• Near Peppa Pig World

Learn More – Sandy Balls Holiday Village

Read More –  Top 10: Britain’s Best Theme Parks For Toddlers

#10. Cofton Holidays, Devon

Cofton Holidays is a fantastic 5* holiday park with loads of facilities and activities for babies and toddlers! There is an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, soft play, 3 playgrounds, toddler friendly entertainment and the beach is nearby too.  There is a fantastic range of baby and toddler friendly accommodation at  Cofton Holidays  including  cottages ,  lodges ,  apartments ,  caravans  and an  award-winning campsite .  Midweek toddler breaks are available.

• Fantastic swimming pool
• Great range of accommodaiton

Learn More – Cofton Holidays

11. Sherwood Castle Holiday Forest, Nottinghamshire

What makes this a great baby and toddler friendly place to stay in the UK

• Indoor pool
• Farm animal corner
• Perfect base for exploring Sherwood Forest

Learn More – Sherwood Castle Holiday Forest

#12. Cardigan Bay Holiday Park, Pembrokeshire

• Indoor heated tropical pool complex with retractable roof
• Family entertainment

Learn More – Cardigan Bay Holiday Park

Read More – 20 Baby & Toddler Friendly Places To Stay In Wales

#13. Love 2 Stay Shrewsbury 

Set within 22 acres of picturesque countryside, Love2Stay Shrewsbury is a baby and toddler friendly resort overlooking the stunning Shropshire Hills, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  The resort has amazing  Woodland lodges and safari tents – some are pet friendly too!  There is also a fantastic range of family friendly facilities such as an outdoor swimming pool, beach area with children’s splash pool, play area and a fishing lake. Dining options include a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, serving tasty wood-fired pizzas.  The resort’s prime location allows easy access to explore the Shropshire Hills and the Welsh border.

• Gorgeous swimming pool

Learn More –  Love 2 Stay Shrewsbury

#14. Folly Farm Holiday Park, Wales

Check out  Folly Farm Holiday Park  which is located in 100 acres of beautiful Pembrokeshire countryside right next to the award winning Folly Farm attraction.  All stays include free entry to Folly Farm which has loads for toddlers such as a vintage funfair with 17 rides, a zoo with over 750 animals and 8 amazing indoor and outdoor play areas.  Folly Farm Holiday Park  has brand new lodges and Showman’s Wagons, and is just 10  / 15 mins from the popular resorts of Saundersfoot and Tenby with its amazing beaches.

• Free entry to Folly Farm attraction with zoo and fairground rides
• Brand-new bespoke luxury lodges and Showman’s Wagon

Learn More –  Folly Farm Holiday Park

#15. Ladram Bay Holiday Park, Devon

• Splash zone with spray guns and a pirate ship

Learn More –  Ladram Bay Holiday Park

Read More –  31 BEST Baby And Toddler Friendly Places To Stay In Devon

#16. Crealy Theme Park & Resort, Devon

• Guests get access to Crealy Theme Park with 200 animals, adventure play and over 60 family rides and attractions
• Wide range of accommodation

Learn More – Crealy Theme Park & Resort

Read More – 50 Awesome Baby And Toddler Friendly Places To Stay In The UK

#17. Holywell Bay Holiday Park, Cornwall

• Short walk from the beach
• Outdoor swimming pool wih waterslides
• Paddling pool

Learn More –  Holywell Bay

Discover More –  Click here to see our full range of places to stay with babies and toddlers in Cornwall

#18. West Bay Holiday Park, Dorset

Learn More – West Bay Holiday Park

#19. Ty Mawr Holiday Park, Wales

Ty Mawr is another holiday park that has enjoyed a huge refurbishment. That means its modern accommodation is looking better than ever, with a rich range of luxury lodges and fully kitted-out, static caravans. There are some brilliant activities here too, including Family Karts, hoverboards and sand art. Little ones will also love the soft play centre and enjoying a sweet treat at the ice cream station! That’s why Ty Mawr is considered one of the best toddler holidays in the UK.  The holiday park is also situated in a stunning part of North Wales, close to a sandy beach yet with awe-inspiring mountain views too.

Reasons why this is a great place for a toddler friendly holiday in the UK

• Lively park with plenty of activities

Learn More –  Ty Mawr Holiday Park

Read More –  Top 10 Toddler Friendly Holiday Parks In Wales

#20. Whitemead Forest Park, Forest of Dean

Whitemead Forest Park is a fantastic place to stay with babies and toddlers in the UK!  There’s an indoor swimming pool, nature trail and toddler activities such as painting crafts and teddy bear making so you definitely won’t get bored! Families can also relax in their cosy woodland lodge or log cabin – some of them have their own private hot tub and are dog friendly.  There’s loads to do in the local area including days out at Clearwell Caves and Perrygrove Railway.

What makes this a great toddler friendly place to stay in the UK

• Woodland lodges with hot tubs

Learn More –  Whitemead Forest Park

#21. Wild Acre Village, Sundown Adventureland, Retford

The Wild Acre Village is a brand new concept of family friendly cabins and lodges at Sundown Adventureland in Retford.  The cute Squirrel cabins sleep up to 5 people, and the larger Hedgehog lodges sleep up to 10 people.  Cabins with hot tubs are available and stays include free entry to Sundown Adventureland, which is a theme park specifically for children under the age of 10.  Toddlers will love the Monkey Mayhem driving school, Lollipoppet Castle, massive indoor soft play and the Angry Birds Activity Park!

• Free entry to Sundown Adventureland theme park
• Great range of accommodation

Learn More –  Wild Acre Holiday Village

Read More –  50 BEST Toddler Friendly Holidays In The UK That Won’t Break The Bank!

#22. Tummel Valley Holiday Park, The Highlands

• indoor swimming pool
• Family friendly restaurant

Learn More – Tummel Valley Holiday Park

#23. Ruda Bay Holiday Park, Devon

• Near Woolacombe beach

Learn More – Ruda Bay Holiday Park

#24. Fallbarrow Holiday Park, Lake District

• 5 mins walk to the centre of Bowness-on-Windermere

Learn More – Fallbarrow Holiday Park

Read More – 25 Places To Stay In The Lake District With Babies & Toddlers

#25. Billing Aquadome, Northamptonshire

• Set within 235 acres of beautiful lakes and parkland

Learn More –  Billing Aquadome

#25. Cresswell Towers Holiday Park, Northumberland

• Family friendly entertainment

Learn More – Cresswell Towers Holiday Park

Read More – 10 Amazing Places To Stay With Babies & Toddlers In Northumberland

#26. Smallicombe Farm, Devon

Smallicombe Farm  is  great choice for a toddler friendly farm stay in Devon! This working farm is set in 70 acres and has interactive daily animal feeding, egg collecting, lambs to bottle feed around Easter and also a farm trail where you can see friendly cows and sheep.  Little ones will love the toddler play area with a play house, slide and sandpit and there is a larger play area with a sunken trampoline, slide and large tractor.  There’s also 4 beaches within a 20-minute drive of the farm – what more could you want on a toddler farm holiday?!

• Animal feeding
• Fairy trail
• Large outdoor playarea

Learn More –  Smallicombe Farm

#27. North Hayne Farm, Devon

• Purpose built children’s farm
• Outdoor playground

Learn More – North Hayne Farm Cottages

Read More –  6 Best Toddler Friendly Days Out In Devon

#28. The Olde House Cottages, Cornwall

Learn More – The Olde House

#29. Cayton Bay Holiday Park, Yorkshire

Cayton Bay is a lively holiday park near the resort of Scarborough. The park is near to the beach but also has its own indoor swimming pool with waterjets, slides, fountains and flumes. Toddlers can let off steam at the soft play or make new friends at the outdoor playground. There are a variety of lodges and caravans for all family sizes and budgets.

• Near the beach

Learn More – Cayton Bay Holiday Park

#30. Kaleb the Combine Harvester, Lincolnshire

Calling all tractor-loving kids… welcome to Kaleb the combine harvester. Watch your children’s eyes light up when they see the converted Massey Ferguson 860 combine harvester, which has been transformed into a glamping pod. Set beside a picturesque lake, Kaleb offers a truly rare glamping retreat.   Kaleb has a king-size bed and a cool roof lantern so you can stargaze. Opposite Kaleb is a converted grain trailer, providing additional accommodation with a double bed and a well-equipped compact kitchen.  Explore nearby amenities and attractions, venturing out for daytime adventures and returning to your tranquil lakeside retreat each evening.

• King bed with roof lantern
• Separate trailer with double bed & kitchen
• Lakeside setting

Learn More –  Kaleb The Combine Harvester

#31. Camber Sands Holiday Park, East Sussex

Camber Sands Holiday Park was extensively refurbished and upgraded in 2021, so it’s time to discover what’s new! The holiday park now has a whole host of innovative experiences and activities, including the Bear Grylls Survival Academy, Adventure Bugz, and Arts and Crafts den and more. You could even look forward to enjoying tasty meals at the Thunderbird Fried Chicken restaurant or a sweet treat at the ice cream station! It’s not surprising Camber Sands is considered one of the best places for a toddler holiday in the UK.   There’s a 7 mile beach across the road opposite the holiday park  and 4 indoor heated swimming pools – you definitely won’t get bored here!

Learn More –  Camber Sands Holiday Park

Read More –   8 Best Places To Stay With Babies & Toddlers In Sussex

#32. Shorefield Country Park, The New Forest

• Indoor and outdoor swimming pool

Learn More – Shorefield Country Park 

Read More – 10 Best Baby & Toddler Friendly Places To Stay In The New Forest

#33. Oakdene Forest, Dorset

Oakdene Forest is an incredible choice for a holiday with a baby or toddler because it’s close to some brilliant attractions such as Peppa Pig World! There are fantastic facilities for little ones including an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, play area and a large playing field for letting off steam. Don’t miss the toddler activities in Woof’s Workshop including pottery painting, sand art and slime school!

• Beaches of Bournemouth and Poole nearby
• Stunning woodland setting

Learn More – Oakdene Forest Plus, get an additional 5% off per booking using the code AFFILIATE5!

Read More –  20 BEST Log Cabin Holidays For Babies & Toddlers

#34. Troedyrhiw Holiday Cottages, Wales

• 5* cottages in Cardigan Bay
• Loads of beaches in the local area

Learn More – Troedryhiw Holiday Cottages

#35. Southerness Holiday Park, Scotland

Southerness Holiday Park offers great value stays in Scotland with stunning seafront views. Choose from a range of high-quality lodges and static caravans with plenty of outdoor space close to natural countryside. There are lots of on-site facilities for families too, including an indoor swimming pool and a separate pool for toddlers, along with an outdoor adventure playground and a classic arcade. You could even enjoy a peaceful stroll on the Wildlife Nature Trail. S outherness Holiday Park is an ideal toddler friendly holiday park in the UK.

• Swimming pool with waterslides

Learn More –  Southerness Holiday Park

Read More –  41 Fantastic Places To Stay In Scotland With Babies And Toddlers

#36. The Wild Duck Holiday Park, Norfolk

• Woodland setting
• Outdoor play area

Learn More – Wild Duck Holiday Park

#37. Craig Tara Holiday Park, Scotland

• Toddler activities
• Splashaway Bay
• Adventure Village

Learn More –  Craig Tara Holiday Park

Discover More –  Click here to see our full range of baby and toddler friendly places to stay in Scotland

#38. Sunnyvale Holiday Park, Wales

Sunnyvale Holiday Park  is a toddler friendly holiday park in Pembrokeshire, Wales.  The beach is just 1 mile away, and there is also an indoor swimming pool, play area and family friendly entertainment at the ‘Stars’ Clubhouse.

• Just 1 mile from the beach
• Swimming oool

Learn More –  Sunnyvale Holiday Park

#39. Perran Sands Holiday Park, Cornwall

• Steps from Perranporth Beach
• Bushcraft activities

Learn More – Perran Sands Holiday Park

#40. Devon Cliffs Holiday Park, Devon

• Near an award winning beach
• Amazing toddler activities
• Fantastic food and drink

Learn More – Devon Cliffs Holiday Park

#41. Weymes Bay Holiday Park, Scotland

• Short walk to the ferry to the Isle of Bute

Learn More – Weymes Bay Holiday Park

#42. Lower Campscott Farm Cottages, Devon

Lower Campscott Farm is a fantastic choice for a toddler friendly holiday in the UK!  There’s loads for farm loving toddlers to get stuck into at Lower Campscott including helping Farmer Tony feed the animals, walking the Shetland ponies or collecting eggs.  Toddlers will also love the tractor and trailer rides around the farm, weekly farm tours and cuddling the guinea pigs and rabbits in the Pets Corner. Lee Bay is within walking distance of the farm, and Woolacombe and Ilfracombe are a short drive away.

• Hands on animal feeding every day with Farmer Tony
• Tractor & trailer rides around the farm
• Near Woolacombe and Ilfracombe. Walking distance of Lee Bay.

Learn More –  Lower Campscott Farm

#43. Nettlecombe Farm, Isle of Wight

The Isle Of Wight – the perfect place for a toddler friendly holiday in the UK!  Tucked away in rolling hills close to the seaside resort of Ventnor, Nettlecombe Farm has everything you need for a fantastic holiday. Stay in a cozy cottage with amazing views, watch your toddlers play in a safe, fenced off play area and best of all help out with the daily animal feeding which takes place on the farm. Don’t forget your wellies!

• Great location to explore the Isle of Wight and beaches
• Friendly farn animals

Learn More – Nettlecombe Farm

Read More – Discover the BEST Places To Stay With Babies & Toddlers In The Isle of Wight

#44. Mazzard Farm Cottages, Devon

• Near Sidmouth
• Children’s play areas
• 17 acres to explore

Learn More – Mazzard Farm Cottages

#45. Hall Farm Holiday Cottages, The Peak District

• Indoor play room
• Near Cbeebies Land

Learn More –  Hall Farm Holiday Cottages

#46. Trevorrick Farm Cottages, Cornwall

• Near Padstow

Le arn More – Trevorrick Farm Cottages

#47. Glamping At Humble Bee Farm, Yorkshire

Learn More – Humble Bee Farm

Read More – 25 Places To Stay With Babies And Toddlers In Yorkshire

#48. Warmwell Holiday Park, Dorset

Located in beautiful natural surroundings and hosting its very own fishing lakes, Warmwell Holiday Park is a rural idyll. There are lots of brilliant activities for younger children here too, such as Jurassic Crazy Golf, make a bear, sand art and even skiing! The holiday park is set in a stunning woodland setting, and following a £2.5 million investment, the accommodation here has also been extensively upgraded. Now you can choose from a wide range of luxury lodges and static caravans for an extra comfortable stay. The Jurassic Coast is nearby.

• Near the Jurassic Coast
• Widlife nature trail

Learn More –  Warmwell Holiday Park

Read More –  21 Best Baby & Toddler Friendly Places To Stay In Dorset

#49. Hopton Holiday Village, Norfolk

• Near Great Yarmouth

Learn More – Hopton Holiday Village

Read More – 15 Places To Stay With Babies And Toddlers In Norfolk

#50. Haggerston Castle Holiday Park, Northumberland

• Mini ariel adventure course
• Toddler activities such as bug hunt, slime creations and pottery painting

Learn More – Haggerston Castle Holiday Park

#51. Riverside Holiday Park, Northumberland

• Riverside Bar & Grill

Learn More – Riverside Holiday Park

#52. Loch Lomond Holiday Park

• On the banks of Loch Lomond

Learn More – Loch Lomond Holiday Park

Read More –  31 Best Places To Stay In Scotland With Babies And Toddlers

Can you recommend any toddler friendly holidays in the UK?

Cheryl | TimeToCraft

Lovely ideas. No toddlers, but always interesting to see other locations.

Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love)

What a fabulous list of toddler friendly holidays. I have very happy memories of holidaying at Whitecliff Bay in my teens although I suspect it has changed quite a lot since those days! Love the look of the converted train carriages and the Eurocamp holidays sound great too 🙂

I really love the thought of a train carriage stay but a Forest holiday looks perfect to get back into nature. Talk about an eclectic choice! #MondayEscapes

Newcastle Family Life

These are great ideas, we have two pre-schoolers aged 2 and 3 and I have been looking for some ideas. I think we will be booking a forest holiday, although I do like the look of that train carriage xx

Travelling With Our Kids

Great ideas. Duinrell has been one of our favourite places to stay. So much to see and do in the area as well! #MondayEscapes

Mini Travellers

Absolutely love the look of the train carriages in Pickering. Great post. Have scheduled to share on my fb page too! Thanks for linking up to #MondayEscapes

Thanks Karen!

This is such a useful post! We’ve been looking for a cheap break and this has given us lots of ideas – thanks!

Sarah Christie

That train carriage looks so cool, I have never been to Bluestone but keep hearing great things about it, and you cant beat a trip to London it is certainly one of my happy places. Thanks so much for linking up #Mondayescapes

Amazing selection of holidays! Made a long list for future reference.

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9 fantastic places to visit in the uk with kids for a perfect family holiday.

Fun, beautiful and interesting places to visit in the UK with kids: holiday destinations in the UK perfect for families with children.

The UK has been my favorite destination for years.

I first visited when I was a kid myself, during long summer road trips in England, Wales and Scotland in my parents’ Italian plated car, driven all the way from Rome!

I then explored several parts of it when I studied English on summer programmes and eventually realised my dream of living in London, an experienced I adored and that made London my first real city love.

It is important for me to show the UK to my kids.

There is a plethora of kid-friendly attractions in the UK, lots of exciting cities to explore, cultural sites and nature to be discovered, and I love that we never have to compromise of grown-up fun as there is, literally, a lot to do in the UK for all ages.

We live in Dublin, Ireland, and the UK is a short hop from here. In this roundup, I have put together our favorite places to visit in the UK with kids for a family vacation and suggestions for a child-friendly weekend away.

These are my, recommendations about the best UK destinations for a family holiday.

Please note: this post contains affiliate links. Should you make a purchase, we might make a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

The best places to visit in the UK with kids

London – the most exciting city destination in the uk for families with kids.

We open this list with London, one of the best cities in the world to visit with kids !

London needs no introduction; however, if you have visited the city before you have children, you may not realize how much there is actually to do for them here.

Find here >>> our guide to visiting London with kids

The list of things to do in London with kids is huge!

To discover the family friendly side of this city, I turned to my friend and local mum Katja from the family travel site Globetotting.com.

You can’t plan a family holiday to the UK and not visit London.

The capital is a big city with an even bigger personality, jam-packed full of fun things to do with kids.  

If it’s history that you’re after then London delivers by the bucketload.

The city is nearly 2,000 years old and is full of fun historical facts and stories – try the Tower of London for starters and a tour around the Houses of Parliament.  

For culture you have over 200 museums to choose from – many of them free.

Start with the Natural History Museum and its neighbours, the Science Museum and the V&A. But don’t forget some of the smaller, quirkier gallery spaces such as the Old Operating Theatre near London Bridge 

Make sure to catch a musical or play while you’re in town; there are a number of theatres dedicated to performances specifically for kids.

If the weather is on your side – or even if it’s not – take advantage of how green the city is.

London is home to hundreds of parks of varying sizes and almost as many playgrounds.

The Princess Diana Memorial playground is always a hit with children.  

Before you go, make sure to book a  kids’ afternoon tea .

London offers plenty of family-friendly themed teas – the perfect activity to round off your time in the capital.  

Edinburgh with kids – a perfect family city break in Scotland

If you are looking for a great family city break in the UK, then you will love Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is a very child friendly city with lots of things to do for kids and adults alike.

Iconic Edinburgh castle towers above the city and it is only the best knowns of the many places your kids are sure to love.

Other exceptional things to do with kids in Edinburgh include walking the Royal Mile, beautiful and full of fun shops and cafes, climbing up the Scotts monument for views, a visit to the national Museum of Scotland and of course the Harry Potter Trail, perfect for children age 5 and up!

Other fun kids’ activities include hiking Arthur’s Seat (in summer) and then rest and relax in the many cozy cafes and restaurants in the city.

You can get an hop on – hop off bus tour such as this one to help you navigate between all these attractions.

Edinburgh is also a fantastic base for a Scottish adventure in the beautiful nature of this stunning part of the world!

The Cotswolds – picture perfect location for a UK family holiday with kids

If, like me, you first fell in love with the UK through photos of quaint stone cottages and picture perfect  villages, then the best place for a family vacation in England is the Cotswolds.

Cotswolds is the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and a delightful place to visit with kids as well as grown ups.

Depending on the age of your kids and your taste, you can choose between a variety of things to see and do.

If you are visiting from abroad, you will love the sightseeing opportunities of this area.

Pretty towns such as Bourton-on-the-Water, with its canals, or Castle Combe and its chocolate box beauty are lovely to visit with kids and the area also have several National Trust properties that are fantastic to learn about the area and also well equipped for entertaining children.

Snowhill Manor for instance is stunning and has a hazel maze, a hidden den in the woods and a children garden trail.

There are many petting farms in the area, always a fantastic day out with little kids, and if you are visiting in summer, you will also be able to visit the stunning Cotswolds lavender fields, among the best fields of lavender to visit with kids in Europe!

If you and your kids love films, the Cotswolds will be a treat too.

Due to its quintessential English charm, many movies were filmed in this area.

Grown ups may recognize spots from Bridget Jones’ Diary, the Remains of the Day and Emma, just to name some of the most famous motion pictures filmed in the area, and children and teens won’t miss the fact that Harry Potter was filmed here.

Some of the most famous film locations in the Cotswolds are Gloucester cathedral, Castle Combe, Snowshill and Bampton, all easy to weave into a family friendly itinerary in this area.

The Cotswalds is one of the prettiest areas to visit in the UK with kids and great for an extended stay.

However, you can also visit with a day tour from London like this one , perfect if you don’t want the stress of driving your own vehicle..

The Peak District – fabulous UK holiday idea for outdoorsy families

If your family loves the outdoors, then you should explore the Peak District one of the most scenic areas of the UK.

We got insider tips to visit this area from travel loving mum and writer Jenny from  Peak District Kids , a fantastic resource for families visiting the area.

Nestled between the big cities of Manchester, Sheffield and Derby, The Peak District National Park is the oldest National Park in the UK.

With its green rolling hills, dramatic escarpments, quaint country villages and farms, it’s the perfect getaway for outdoor loving families.

The Peak District is our home, and of a weekend we love nothing better than a family walk in the hills.

Our favourites are the Nine Ladies Circle through Stanton Moor Peak or the walk starting next to The Robin Hood pub in Baslow, with spectacular views from Birchen Edge.

Alternatively, hire some bikes and ride the Monsal Trail or Tissington Trail.

Visit Blaze Farm in Wildboarclough for a free walk around the farm and a taste of the scrummy homemade ice-cream, or head over to Chatsworth House to marvel the grand gardens, play in the adventure playground or even go wild swimming!

A good family day out in the Peak District is taking the cable car up to the Heights of Abraham and venturing into the underground caverns, or riding the vintage trams at Crich Tramway Museum.

But if you’re seeking thrills head to Gullivers Kingdom, or nearby Alton Towers! 

There really is so much to do! But this isn’t a place to tick off attractions. The Peak District is a place to connect with nature and enjoy the slower pace of life together. 

If you are short on time, you can also explore the peak district with a tour such as this one , leading you to discover this beautiful area without the stress of driving.

Dartmoor, Devon – perfect holiday destination in the UK for families who love nature

Another fantastic part of the UK to visit with kids is Dartmoor, which we discovered thanks to local mum and travel writer Emma from Wanderlust and Wet Wipes.

I may be a little biased, having grown up on the edge of this National Park, but Dartmoor is truly one of the UK’s crown jewels.

Stunningly beautiful and with so much on offer, it’s hard to argue with! Since having children, we have loved heading back to visit as there is so much to do for families. Firstly, one of our favourite activities is to go for a hike.

We like nothing better than tramping along old railway lines and exploring ruins from forgotten times.

Depending on the ages and abilities of your kids, you can head up to the top of the tors and splash through streams.

There are also a good number of gorges to discover.

If you need a purpose to your walk, try something like geocaching or letter boxing to keep the little ones entertained.

If that’s not enough, head to a National Trust / English Heritage property near Dartmoor.

They’re historical and beautiful plus they offer a range of kid friendly activities. There are plenty of picture postcard villages and towns in or on the edge of Dartmoor too. 

All that should have worked up an appetite so grab a traditional Cornish pasty (easily found in Devon!) or a Devon Cream Tea.

If you need something more substantial, get some traditional pub fare like scampi and chips or enjoy a cold drink after a long walk (or a hot drink if it’s raining).

South Wales – wonderful UK family destination for castle lovers

We are based in Ireland and often make our way to the UK by boat which means the first part of the country we see is stunning Wales.

Wales is all outstanding in terms of natural beauty and it also has lovely towns and castles that are fantastic for kids.

One of the most family friendly areas of Wales is the South, which piqued our attention thanks to travel loving mum Catherine, author of Passports and Adventures , who shared why she loves South Wales as one of the best places to explore with kids in the UK

One of the best places in the UK to visit with kids is South Wales.

Host to the capital Cardiff , a wealth of amazing castles in Wales for kids, sandy beaches galore and both beautiful and rugged mountains, South Wales has it all.

There are lots of things to do in South Wales with kids and if you are visiting Cardiff, you’ll be spoiled for choice.

As well as Cardiff Castle in the city centre and Cardiff Bay, there are lots of family-friendly museums, St Fagans is a must and many parks to wander through and explore.

Venture further afield along the coast and you can enjoy the many beaches or enjoy a walk along the Wales Coast Path.

You should also take time to visit the Gower Peninsula, an area of natural beauty. Head to Rhossili Bay or Three Cliffs in this area. 

Along the coastline you can also discover some castle but to find the best you need to head a little inland.

Some of the best castles to visit in South Wales with kids are located north and east of Cardiff, with some on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Our favourites are Caerphilly Castle with its dragons (yes, dragons!), Chepstow, Raglan and Carreg Cennen in the west.

If animals appeal to your kids head to Cefn Mably Farm Park between Cardiff and Newport or to Folly Farm in West Wales.

Do your kids like the outdoors?

Then the Caerphilly Mountain Range might be just the place for them to enjoy. And if your kids are older, why not tackle the hike up Pen-y-Fan, the highest mountain in South Wales.

No matter where you go in South Wales with kids, you will find something to entertain the kids and to enjoy with them. It is a stunning part of the UK and a must-visit.

Definitely a strong case for declaring South Wales one of the best places to visit in the UK with kids, wouldn’t you agree?

Cornwall – great UK holiday destination for beach lovers (and a great family road trip!)

Cornwall is one of the most beautiful parts of England and one of the spots in the country that gets the best weather.

If you are looking for a place where you can mix sightseeing, time at the beach and possibly even catch a bit of sun, Cornwall is the place!

There is plenty to see and do for kids in Cornwall: this area has many pretty towns, lovely sandy beaches, castles (Tintagel is here, famous for the King Arthur saga) and you also have many National Trust properties that are great for adults but also always very well equipped to entertain kids of all ages.

You can also learn to surf here !

My favorite way to discover Cornwall is with a road trip, so you can experience many different places and stay in the type of properties I love most: B&Bs! You can find the best Bed and Breakfasts in Cornwall here.

Devon – fantastic family friendly UK holiday destination for kids of all ages

Devon is one of the best holiday destinations for families in England, full of things to do for kids and wonderful towns and scenery for grown ups too.

No matter what you are looking for, in a Devon vacation, the area will deliver! In Devon with kids, you can have a fun beach holiday, go glamping, have an active holiday to keep the kids and yourself in shape or you can relax in one of the lovely family hotels in the area.

The resource to plan your family holiday in Devon is the site Devon with Kids by local mum Claire: It has absolutely everything you need to know about Devon and tons of info about things to do with kids, family hotels and activities for all ages and holiday styles.

Find all Claire has to recommend in her guide to the best family holidays in Devon for kids

Northern Ireland – fabulous UK road trip idea of families!

A family trip to Northern Ireland is my very own recommendation for a UK holiday with kids and a recommendation I give from the bottom of my heart as I find Northern Ireland simply stunning!

This is one of our favourite road trips for families !

The whole area is beautiful and has plenty of things to do with kids.

If you want to see stunning nature, then you have lots to choose from: the Giants Causeway, right on the very North shore of northern Irland is stunning and a real pleasure to visit with kids.

The paths to the causeway and teh causeway itself area easy even for little kids to tackle and there is a beautiful and informative visitors center that has lots of educational displays for kids, to teach them through play about this peculiar rock formation.

Not far from the causeway there is the scenic and stunning Carrick-a-rede bridge, which is great for adventurous kids (older ones, but little ones can easily walk to its access point) and you also have close to hear Dunluce Castle, which is one of the most scenic castles you can see in the whole of Ireland , North and South.

Last but not least, norther Ireland is home to wonderful towns such as Belfast, which has very cool museums and attractions for kids, and the wonderful Derry/Londonderry, which has an interesting and important history, beautiful city walls and incredible murals, both beautiful and significant.

I believe this is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the UK with kids for all families interested in nature and history.

You can spend many days in Northern Ireland and not get tired of it but you can also cover a good bit of ground with a weekend there. You can find our Northern Ireland weekend itinerary .

More places perfect for short break in the UK with kids

All the areas mentioned above are fantastic for family vacations and have plenty to keep you and your kids entertained all summer long.

however, there are many more fantastic place to visit in the UK with kids, which you can also cover in a weekend.

Some we love are:

Cambridge with kids – famous for its renowned universities, Cambridge is a treat for families.

The city has a delightful center easy to visit on foot and by bike and it has plenty to do for kids.

On a first visit, you should visit some of the towns’ most famous university, go punting on the river Cam , visit the fantastic Cambridge university Botanical gardens and the fun science center. Don’t forget to also just sit and relax in one of Cambridge’s many green spaces: if you fo in summer, you can relax while the kids play in one of the many splashpads around town!

Bath with kids – an ancient Roman town, Bath is fantastic for kids.

Located in a stunning part of England, close to the Cotswolds and Bath is a great destination for a weekend away with the kids because of the family attractions in town and the many easy day trips you can take from here.

The jewel in the crown in Bath are the Roman baths, which are easy and interesting to visit with children. thanks to the children’s audio guides and costumed characters that help make the site come to life.

For more kid-centered fun, you can go to the play area in Victoria Park or have a game of crazy gold at the Victoria Falls Crazy Golf course.

if you want to explore further afield, must-see UK attractions such as Stonehenge and Salisbury are a short drive out of Bath and you can also visit Stratford-upon-Avon, which is great if you have school age kids especially.

UK Theme parks – an easy win for families with kids is planning a weekend in one of the great theme parks that dot the UK.

There are several you can chose from, in several parts of the country.

For small kids, we highly recommend Thomas Land .

The park is simply fantastic for little ones as they truly feel like they they stepped into the world of their favorite, really useful engine and it is easy to manage for parents since it is big but not so vast to overwhelming.

The park is also close to the Leicester National Space Center , which is excellent for small and older kids and even teens.

I hope you enjoyed this quick list of the best places to visit in the UK with kids. Safe travel planning!

Looking for more places to visit in the UK with kids? Then you may also enjoy our review of our weekend at ThomasLand , a real fun family weekend away for little ones, and our visit to the UK National Space Center , a wonderful place for space loving kids (and adults)

Marta Correale

Marta Correale is the creator, writer and creative mind behind Learning Escapes. A travel loving mama of two from Italy, Marta currently lives in Ireland with her husband and two kids, they take frequent trips to European destination, the US and beyond. A professional travel blogger for over a decade, Marta is passionate about traveling with kids and helping others to travel more and better as a family.

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The Best UK Holidays with Toddlers

Travelling with toddlers can be challenging. From making sure you’ve ticked off everything on that packing list , to ensuring your road trip with toddlers run smoothly. You need to make sure that the children are well fed and that they get their beauty sleep each night so they don’t end up all cranky – really, it can be quite a task. And on top of all of this, you have to find one of the best UK holidays with toddlers so that you all enjoy your time away!

With all of that in mind, I’ve compiled for you a quick list of some of our best UK holidays with toddlers that we have had, and most of these have been with twin toddlers – I can guarantee, you will love each and every one!

Table of Contents

UK Holidays with Toddlers

Croyde bay   resort, north devon.

As we turned the final corner on our journey to Croyde Bay Resort, our breath was taken away. The sand was sparkling, the waves were crashing – this was going to be the best holiday in Croyde Bay and it was right ahead of us – Right on the beach!

Having stayed at Croyde Bay twice now, it honestly has  all the ingredients for a perfect family holiday. It is known as being one of the top holiday resorts in North Devon, being located right on one of the most beautiful beaches. This is the main reason we love it so much. It boasts a number of family friendly facilities on site such as swimming pool (including a children’s pool), crazy golf course, play areas, tennis courts and plenty of outdoor green spaces including a large playing field , as well as a huge games room with snooker, table tennis, table football and more.

We love that it has it’s own restaurant as it gives us some evenings off cooking and. the girls loved the evening entertainment. For the parents, there’s even a spa bath, steam room, sauna, and a gym. All of this is free to guests and which makes for a great holiday.

You can choose from 3 different accommodation options;   3 & 4 Bedroom   Lodges,   2 Bedroom Cottages or   Hotel Rooms which sleep 2-4 people ,  all of which   have different benefits to   cater for different family sizes and needs.

REVIEW: Croyde Bay Resort

North Bradbury Farm, North Devon

This has been one of our favourite UK holidays with toddlers. It’s a hands on farm stay where you can feed the animals day and night, splah in the stream, toast marshmallows around the camp fire, fly down the zip wire, play in one of many play areas and take a dip in the pool. This is a holiday you will want to return to again and again!

Devon also has some of the best beaches in the UK, and is packed with some of the gorgeous scenic views you can relish. Plus, should you want a day out, there are also some cool kid friendly activities and attractions to keep your toddler busy and entertained nearby!

REVIEW: North Bradbury Farm, Devon

Knockerdown Holiday Cottages, Derbyshire

Knockerdown Self Catering Cottages are located in an idyllic setting in the heart of rural derbyshire, close to the market town of Ashbourne and in walking distance to Carsington Water (which is perfect for water sports, cycling or a play on their amazing playground), and a stones throw from the Peak District. With 16 cottages in total sleeping between 4 to 12 people per cottage, it’s a great place to holidays in the UK for families.

Knockerdown Cottages stood out for us because  we just loved the facilities for our young family. The family friendly holiday cottages keep all ages entertained with an indoor swimming pool, kid’s play area and a communal games room too. Everywhere is really safe and fenced in making it the perfect UK holidays with toddlers  – we really had a blast!

Every morning we woke up to the girls eager to get outside to play, they loved the adventure playground and meadow to hunt for bugs or play ball games in. The view gave us some incredible sunsets!

REVIEW: Knockerdown Cottages

Spindle Cottage, New Forest

If you are on the hunt for a stunning, stylish retreat to the countryside with your toddler, then Spindle Cottage is a great option to consider. For your UK Holidays with Toddlers. Sink into the coziness and warmth of the cottage, while your children enjoy time in the heated playhouse full of toddler toys or outside in garden on the outdoor toys and adventure castle!

REVIEW: Spindle Cottage, New Forest

Darwin Forest, Peak District

Darwin Forest in Peak District is another excellent pick if you’re on the hunt for toddler friendly holidays in the UK. Spend some time close to nature in the cabin-like lodges (some of them even have hot tubs) and enjoy your evenings under the stars. With an on-site play area, an activity trail through the woods and an indoor pool, it is a great place for even a multi-generational holiday.

REVIEW: Darwin Forest, Peak District

Greenwood Grange, Dorset

Don’t mind indulging in a bit of luxury? Greenwood Grange has it all. Enjoy a relaxing stay in the luxury cottages here while your toddler has fun in the playroom, splashing in the indoor pool and the play areas outside.

REVIEW: Greenwood Grange, Dorset

Campden Yurts, Cotswolds

Looking to experience a bit of outdoor luxury with your toddler? Campden Yurts is the perfect place to go. Hammocks, campfires and pizza nights- this is one experience you wouldn’t want to miss out on – my girls all slept in until 7.30 every morning (such a rarity these days!)….must have been the fresh air! Pack all the right glamping gear , and you will love it!

REVIEW: Campden Yurts, Cotswolds

Bluestone, Wales

The Blue Lagoon water park, Folly Farm and Tenby Beach – there’s just so much to explore and do in and around Bluestone, you won’t be disappointed. No wonder it is usually among one of the top choices for those looking for child friendly holidays in the UK.

REVIEW: Bluestone, Wales

Bruern Holiday Cottages, Cotswolds

Oozing with elegance and luxury, Bruern Cottages are another excellent choice to consider. With an indoor pool, three outdoor play areas and a play cabin for children, and some of the most comfortable cottages to relax in, it is the perfect place to get that little break you’re craving for.

REVIEW: Bruern Cottages, Cotswolds

Kennel Farm, New Forest

Kennel Farm is an exciting and fun place for the entire family to discover. You will all all the space and the chance to feed the pigs, goats and if you are lucky (and not pregnant like I was), feed the lambs! Just a 2 hour drive from London, and 20 minutes from Peppa Pig World , it is a great place to stay for a weekend or a family holiday UK. You just can’t go wrong!

REVIEW: Kennel Farm, New Forest

Butlins – Just for Tots

I never thought I would say this but Butlins Just for Tots week is perfect for families with young children and a UK holidays with toddlers to look in to. Our girls loved it, there was always something to do, or a fabulous child friendly show to watch – you definitely won’t be disappointed. There is a plethora of activities to keep your toddler busy at Butlins , and you’ll also be able to enjoy some great food while you’re there!

ARTICLE: Butlins – Just for Tots

The Dandelion Hideaway, Leicestershire

If you want to keep a few luxuries, but are looking to take your toddler a bit closer to nature then this one’s just the right spot to hit! Despite living in a safari type tent , you will be treated to proper beds, leather sofas and roll top baths! Escape the hustle bustle of everyday life and truly unwind here while your toddler has a fun time too!

REVIEW: The Dandelion Hideaway Glamping, Leicestershire

Centre Parcs, Elvedon Forest

Centre Parcs is another excellent choice to consider if you’re looking for the best UK holidays with toddlers. From the swimming pools and kid friendly restaurants to arcades and playgrounds, everything is just a stone’s throw away and you won’t need to get in the car all week.

ARTICLE – TIPS FOR TAKING TODDLERS: Centre Parcs, Elvedon Forest

Trecan Farm, Cornwall

Trecan Farm can be found tucked away down a long tree lined driveaway, the perfect place for a fmily friendly countryside getaway where children are a key focus, with fabulous facilities to keep little ones happy and parents relaxed.

Facilities include daily animal interactions; feed the lambs in the spring, collect eggs from the hens, feed the ducks, sheep and goats. Say hello to the friendly ponies and have a cuddle with the rabbits!

Enjoy a game of tennis, let the little ones explore the adventure play area and simply enjoy getting away from the busy everyday life.

WEBSITE: Trecan Farm

Have you thought about buying your child one of the best travel products on the market – the Yoto Player?

Yoto Story Player – The Best Travel Product on the Market!

The Yoto Story Player is one of my girls favourite ever gifts. It is used every day!

The award-winning audio player fills your home with inspiring audio and lets kids lead the way. It’s the heartbeat of the family home.

Kids from 3-12+ use physical cards to explore the best audiobooks, music, activities and educational audio.

No microphone. No camera. No ads.

Yoto Player can let your kids know when it’s time to start the day! Use the Yoto App to set wake-up routines that work for your family.

Relax with the night light, unwind with white noise, or cosy up with Sleep Radio. Yoto Player will have night owls nodding off in no time.

If you have found this article useful, then you may like to take a look at some other holiday ideas for kids in Scotland, England and Wales. You will notice that most of these are under £1000 even in the school summer holidays .

You may also like to follow us on Instagram and Facebook where you will find plenty of travel tips , healthy snack ideas for travel and gift guides for kids under 5 .

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Hi, I’m Anna, a travel loving wife to Tristan and Mother to 6 year old twins Poppy and Tabitha, their 3 year old sister Matilda, and together we are Twins and Travels.

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These hotels are perfectly set up to ensure Mum, Dad and the kids all have the perfect stay. From upscale luxury in London to stunning views in Scotland, use our list to plan a memorable trip for the whole family… without leaving the UK!

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Activity Ideas

The world is one big adventure through the eyes of your child!

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Load up on ideas for your next adventure with our bucket list of fun activities for young kids.

Location Guides

Our UK location guides are perfect for planning a fun day out with your little ones.

Heading somewhere new? Want to plan a family-friendly itinerary of activities and adventures?

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Travel Tips

Travelling long distance with your child for the first time? Looking for ways to take the pain out of your next trip?

Our tips and hacks for travelling with young kids walk you through some of the key considerations before a long drive, a first holiday or any potentially stressful experience getting from A to B!

From packing lists to airport tips!

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Hi – I’m Steph! I’m a mum to two crazy toddlers and there’s nothing I love more than taking the girls out to explore both locally and further afield. Babies and toddlers benefit hugely from experiencing new places and it’s great for families to spend this quality time together outside the home.

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20 UK attractions to take kids to before they grow up

The UK is blessed with an abundance of amazing days out for families, from educational sessions at museums to wild-and-free days getting muddy in an enchanted woods. Some UK attractions for families are so magical, they deserve to be seen through a child’s eyes. Here are 20 unmissable places to take the kids before they hit those pesky teen years!

20 |  Hobbledown Farm, Epsom, England

Hobbledown calls itself a ‘mysterical adventure’ and it has more than enough for a packed day out with little ones. A huge indoor play barn makes it an ideal venue for rainy days, while farm animals, an aerial adventure course and gigantic jumping pillows are just a small selection of the outdoor activities on offer. If you want to get up close and personal with the animals, meet and greet 17 magnificent birds of prey at the Raptor Centre.

Price: Tickets start from £18 in the morning, £16 in the afternoon

Find out more about Hobbledown Farm

19 |  Eden Project, Cornwall, England

This haven of lush greenery and nature is perfect for a day of digital detox. Walk through the largest indoor rainforest in the world with over 1000 species of plants, enjoy the canopy walkway and even see how rubber is tapped from trees to make wellie boots. For the thrill-seekers, soar above the Eden Project on the zip wire or the high flying giant swing.

Price:  £75 for a family ticket (two adults, two children)

Find out more about the Eden Project

18 |  St Fagans Natural History Museum, Wales

This unique gem in the heart of Wales offers an incredible insight into traditional Welsh life hundreds of years ago. Take a wander through the recreated rural village and try your hand at pottery on the outdoor wheel at Wales’ most popular heritage attraction. Local craftsmen demonstrate their trade around the museum and the grounds of the beautiful Grade I listed castle is the perfect place for a picnic.

Price:  Free entry

Find out more about St Fagans

17 |  Corfe Model Village & Fairy Garden, Dorset, England

Nestled at the base of historic Corfe Castle, the model village gives visitors a to-scale idea of what the fort would have looked like before its ruin. Kids will love the lawn games and enchanted fairy garden, willow shelters and even a tipi. The Dorset apple cake is not to be missed!

Price: £13.50 for a family ticket (two adults, up to three children)

Find out more about Corfe Model Village & Fairy Garden

16 |  Woodlands Park, Devon, England

The largest family theme park in England has everything you need for a fantastic day out. Little ones will love the zoo farm and water slides, while older kids can get their thrills on the theme park rides. Every spring, look out for their Easter Eggstravaganza where there are thousands of chocolatey treats to be discovered.

Price:  From £30 for a family ticket

Find out more about Woodlands Park

15 |  Legoland, Windsor, England

What kid doesn’t love a huge pile of Lego to play with? Take them on the ultimate brick adventure with themed rides, an around-the-world Lego experience featuring iconic buildings from around the globe (complete with marching guards at Buckingham Palace) and an epic splash park for sunny days. If you’re feeling brave enough, you can accept Lord Vampyre’s invitation to the Haunted House Monster Party…

Price:  From £35 per person over 110cm

Find out more about Legoland and family stays

14 |  Knockhatch, Hailsham, England

Knockhatch is a farm, soft play, waterpark and small theme park rolled into one. Visit the owl sanctuary, take part in a hands-on little critters show or ride on the carousel when the weather is fine. Grab some lunch at the cafe before the kids burn off steam at not one but two indoor play centres, while the parents kick back with a coffee.

Price:  From £14.99 (2yrs+)

Find out more about Knockhatch

13 |  Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, Edinburgh, Scotland

Immerse yourself in optical illusions at Edinburgh’s historic Camera Obscura. The museum has been attracting visitors for over 150 years, with its mind-blowing effects, tricks and puzzles. The five floors hold interactive exhibits where your kids will enter an altered visual reality. A great blend of art and history, you and your kids can also learn all about the intriguing history of the camera’s invention.

Price:  £11.25 for children, £14.85 for adults

Find out more about Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

Image credit: Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, Edinburgh

12 |  Techniquest, Cardiff, Wales

This science museum is perfectly set up for children to enjoy hands-on experiments all day long. Test your reflexes, try and make a hot air balloon float and get messy with giant bubbles in the light and airy museum. There are Teddy Bears’ Picnic days for toddlers and a Planetarium for budding outer-space buffs.

Price: £28 for a family ticket (two adults, two children)

Find out more about Techniquest

11 |  Hever Castle, Kent, England

The childhood home of Anne Boleyn is a fascinating and fun-filled visit for children and parents. See where Henry VIII slept, explore a miniature medieval village, get lost in the wooden playground or try to avoid the jets in the water maze. If the suns out, hire a rowing boat and take in the beautiful surroundings from the lake. Jousting displays are also on in the summer.

Price:  From £42.75 for a family ticket (two adults, two children or one adult and three children)

Find out more about Hever Castle

10 |  Sea Life Centre, Brighton, England

Located next to the iconic Brighton Pier, the Sea Life Centre is an underwater world of fun and adventure. Walk through a glass tunnel underneath sharks, watch huge sea turtles having their dinner or enjoy an ice cream in the cafe surrounded by tanks of exotic marine life. Pay a little extra for a magical glass-bottomed boat ride with the turtles!

Price: From £12.95 for children, £16.40 for adults

Find out more Sea Life Centre

9 |  Mattel Play Centre, Liverpool, England

This character-themed play centre is 13,000 square feet of wonder. Kids will love playing in the different zones, with Fireman Sam, Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank themed play equipment in each one. Bring a camera so your little one can have their photo snapped with their favourite character. Maximum age limit: six years.

Price:  £12 for children, £3 for adults

Find out more Mattel Play Centre

8 |  Kidzania, London, England

This is the ultimate playground for the child who wants to be a doctor/chef/ballerina when they grow up. This indoor city is created to scale for children, with job roles for them to try out, including firefighter, photographer and journalist with international sponsors giving the zones an extra sense of reality.

Price:  From £76 for a family ticket (two adults, two children)

Find out more about Kidzania London

7 |  Natural History Museum, London, England

Although Dippy the Diplodocus has been relocated from its iconic position in the great hall, the Natural History Museum is still the place to come for a day of dino fun and historic adventures. See the amazing collection of animals and pick up fun facts about the ancient Egyptians in this English gem. A great educational day out and a chance for children to see that learning is fun!

Find out more about Natural History Museum

6 |  The Science Museum, London, England

If you have a budding Einstein in the family, the Science Museum in London is the perfect place to encourage their interests. Think like a scientist at the Museums Wonderlab, where you can immerse yourself in practical scientific experiments. Explore flight engineering, dive into outer space and even check out the iMax cinema for a fun-filled day of hands-on educational thrills.

Find out more about the Science Museum

5 |  Drusillas Park, Sussex, England

With a ride-on Thomas the Tank Engine and a pink Hello Kitty World, Drusillas is ideal for pre-teens. An extensive zoo will keep kids entertained for ages before they hit the banana boat swings, gigantic outdoor play area, indoor soft-play and rides.

Price:  From £70 for a family ticket

Find out more about Drusillas Park

4 |  Life Centre, Newcastle, England

Discover moments in history immortalised in Lego bricks, enjoy a 4D motion ride, try out some real science experiments and learn all about constellations at this dynamic science centre for under-12s. In the winter months enjoy a slippin’ good time at the Life Centre ice rink.

Price: From £6.50 for a child, £11 for an adult

Find out more about Life Centre Newcastle

3 |  Bewilderwood, Norfolk, England

Hailed as the anti-theme-park, Bewilderwood offers an unplugged experience full of fantasy and adventure. Explore treehouses, zip-wires, rickety bridges and meet some of the mystical creatures who inhabit the woods. Parents are encouraged to find their inner child and get stuck into the adventure too!

Price: From £14.95 for children, £16.95 for adults

Find out more about Bewilderwood

2 |  Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre and Aquarium, Scotland

Located just a 30-minute drive from Glasgow, Loch Lomond Centre offers visitors the chance to see some rare birds of prey in an up-close and personal setting. There are 35 species of birds and plenty of opportunities to meet them and enjoy a hands-on educational experience.

Price: From £4 for children, £8 for adults

Find out more about Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre

1 |  W5 Science & Discovery Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Divided into seven fun-tastic areas of exploration and learning, the W5 Science centre has something for everyone. Whether it’s paddling in a virtual rock pool, scrambling through the Spacebase climbing rocket or racing your own K’Nex car there is a world of discovery awaiting your little ones. There’s even amazing augmented reality technology that transports families to exotic locations to meet incredible (virtual!) animals.

Price: From £7.50 for children, £9.80 for adults

Find out more about W5 Science & Discovery Centre

Here are 11 more magical places to take the kids before they grow up

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The Top 18 Family Attractions in the United Kingdom

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The United Kingdom's top attractions for families run the gamut—from screaming thrill rides and totally immersive child-sized worlds to wonderful animal exhibits and family-friendly cultural attractions.

There's no need to put off a trip to the UK just because you have young children, either. Family travel can be fun for everyone as long as you remember to include child-friendly attractions in your itinerary. Fortunately, most of these attractions are also fun for teenagers and adults—everyone can find their inner child on a trip to the United Kingdom.

Tour the Making of Harry Potter

Harry Potter fans and anyone interested in a detailed look at what's involved in the making of movie magic will love the Warner Brothers Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter .

The movies' most iconic sets, including The Great Hall , Dumbledore's Office, Hagrid's Hut, The Gryffindor Common Room are open to the public at the studio, 20 miles northwest of London, where the movies were filmed.

The studio tour is conducted on foot and features costumes, props, and behind-the-scenes secrets of the franchise. While there are no rides or theme park thrills, kids old enough to have read the books and enjoyed the films will be enthralled, and there are interactive experiences including the chance to ride a flying broom.

Roleplay at KidZania

Picture a town where kids run everything: They work as doctors and dentists; train as actors and put on shows for their parents; and do the jobs of airline pilots, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.

Such a place exists at KidZania, a children's role-playing attraction that offers 100 different role-playing activities in 60 different establishments like shops, offices, hospitals, factories, and race car pit stops. Parents can watch from discreet windows, but kids run all the activities inside the play space. The tiny workers even earn KidZania's own currency (Kidzos) that they can spend in the shops. 

KidZania is monitored and safe. The play space only has one entrance and one exit, and once in Kidzania, children are fitted with RFID bracelets that keep tabs on them. Children can only be removed at the exit while in the confirmed presence of their parents. 

Watch Live Theater

 Gautier Houba / TripSavvy

What better place to introduce children to the experience of live theater than the West End? Kids Week , sponsored by the Society of London Theatres, has been held since 1998 and has grown from a one-week festival to an entire month of performances in August each year.

During Kids Week, a child under 16 can attend a performance for free with a paying adult ticket holder, and two more children can come along for half price. During the week, there's also an array of free events, workshops, storytelling, and activities.

Tickets go on sale in June, and the participating shows are announced near the start of the month. The best way to find out what's happening is to subscribe to the Society of London Theatre Family Bulletin . That way, even if you can't come for Kids Week in August, you can find out about other family-friendly shows, promotions, and competitions in London throughout the year.

Stay at Legoland Windsor Resort

Legoland has 150 rides, all kinds of shows, water slides, and boat trips, and everywhere you look, you'll find amazing creations made of Lego pieces. In Miniland, at the center of the park, 35 million pieces of Lego have been used to create scenes from London, Paris, Amsterdam, and elsewhere in Europe.

There are surprises everywhere, including a fire-breathing dragon at the entrance to the resort and an incredibly realistic Chewbacca guarding the entrance to the Star Wars exhibits.

The park is aimed at children between 2 and 12 years old, but some of the rides have height restrictions for the younger ones. You can also stay overnight at The Legoland Resort Hotel . The hotel, which opened in the middle of the park in 2012, includes two days of free entry to the park for each guest.

Get Lost in Longleat Safari Park

Mohamed Sadikeen/EyeEm/Getty Images

Longleat is one of the best safari parks in the world—and the oldest outside of Africa. The park has a huge maze, a boat ride on a lake full of seals, a train ride, and an adventure playground designed like a child-sized castle.

For the adults, there is a  stately home, garden, and park (landscaped by Capability Brown) to explore. Regularly voted the U.K. Family Attraction of the Year by all kinds of guides and domestic magazines, Longleat won't disappoint visitors of any age.

Wave at the Swans in Abbotsbury

Josie Elias/Getty Images

For more than 600 years, nearly a thousand mute swans have nested at the Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset each year, and as a result, they've become completely tolerant of, if not indifferent to, close up encounters with humans.

Spending a day with the world's only man-managed nesting colony of mute swans is a great activity for adults and kids alike. Watch the swans build their nests and tend to their eggs. Visitors might even get to see the cygnets hatching, especially in May and June, when hundreds of cygnets break free of their shells and wander around the paths of the nesting site. 

Observe Sharks

Europe's deepest aquarium is a magical exploration of the world's oceans with fascinating displays and utterly beautiful aquaria.

At The Deep , the main tank is more than 30-feet in depth and has manta rays, sharks, strange looking Australian sawfish, and schools of smaller fish (about 3,500) that, remarkably, don't get eaten.

Don't miss the "jewel" tanks that demonstrate the jellyfish cycle of life and the Twilight Zone with its strange, almost prehistoric critters. 

Explore Museums Near Ironbridge Gorge

joe daniel price/Getty Images

Ten museums over 80 acres illustrate the industrial revolution beside Thomas  Telford's cast iron bridge , the world's first. The Ironbridge Gorge , known as the Birthplace of Industry, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. At the location, visitors can learn about the first factory-made products and the tools and machines that made them.

Nearby, there's a Coalport China Museum , a tile museum, a pipe makers workshop, a reconstructed Victorian town, and more—if that seems a bit dry and grown-up, be assured the interactivity makes it a blast for children. Leave plenty of time because there is simply too much to see in one day.

Another option is visiting Enginuity , an interactive design and technology center where kids can learn how things work and design their own bright ideas. Also, don't miss Blists Hill Victorian Town , where your family can experience a day in the life of ordinary people during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Visit The Eden Project

Contained in a series of transparent geodesic domes that squat on the Cornwall landscape like sci-fi mushrooms, the Eden Project describes itself as a place that "is all about man's relationship with and dependence upon plants."

The Enden Project is a "green" theme park where issues and questions around nature and sustainability are explored. Although not specifically aimed at kids, there are plenty of child-centered activities including trails, restaurants with healthy children's menus, and play structures naturally "grown" from willow and bamboo.

Head Underground in a Mine Shaft

Mark Tighe/Creative Commons

The Llechwedd Slate Caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog, within the Snowdonia National Park, are at the heart of a feast of family-friendly activities. What began as a modest, illuminated attraction in a disused slate mine has grown into a multi-activity center.

On the Deep Mine Tour , the steepest cable railway in Britain plunges into the heart of Llechwedd mountain and back. Tour guides come from families with generations of links to the slate industry. Younger children love the hard hat experience.

Once underground, let the kids loose on the Bounce Below , a vast underground playground with bouncy, trampoline-like nets filling the caverns. For the adventurous, ZipWorld Caverns takes participants on a journey through otherwise inaccessible caverns on zip lines, rope bridges, via ferrata, and tunnels. The tour is limited to children older than 10, involves some onsite training, and can take about three hours.

Be Mesmerized by Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson

Great for visitors of all ages, Camera Obscura and World of Illusions is the oldest visitor attraction in Edinburgh, which first opened in 1853. Filled with tricks, puzzles, illusions, special effects, and all sorts of new and old technology alike, this unique attraction includes five floors of illusions as well as a spectacular rooftop view of the city.

Climb Into BeWILDerwood

Karen Roe/Flickr/CC BY-2.0

Nestled into the forests of Hoveton, Norfolk, the BeWILDerwood attraction is a 50-acre park filled with whimsical fun, head-scratching puzzles, zip-line adventures, interactive story-telling events, and puppet shows.

Appropriate for kids up to 12 years old, BeWILDerwood is the brainchild of kids’ author Tom Blofeld and features characters from his book including Hazel the Wood Witch, Moss & Leaflette, Swampy, Mildred the Crocklebog, and Snagglefang.

Marvel at the Giant's Causeway

A UNESCO-listed natural phenomenon, the Giant's Causeway in Bushmills, Antrim, in Northern Ireland gets its name from the large system of basalt columns that look like stepping stones for giants disappearing into the sea.

Features include walking trails, an interactive visitor's center, and the Wishing Chair—a natural throne formed from perfectly-arranged columns. Kids of all ages will enjoy climbing up and down the stone "steps" and learning about the history of the region on the Giant's Causeway Experience at the Visitor's Centre.

Step Back in Time in Beamish

 Paul Trafford/Flickr/CC BY-2.0

The world-famous open-air museum Beamish—also known as The Living Museum of the North—tells the story of life in northern England in the 1820s, 1900s, and 1940s.

Located in Stanley in County Durham, this unique attraction invites guests to dress in period garb and meet a cast of characters from England's past. From plowing the fields to descending into a coal pit, school-age children of all ages can enjoy this truly immersive experience.

Get Thrilled at Alton Towers Resort

 Wikimedia Commons

Located in Alton in Staffordshire, the Alton Towers Resort is an all-inclusive amusement park and hotel complete with a waterpark and kids' play place, making it the perfect destination for families of all ages.

Kids aged 10 and up can embark on thrilling rollercoasters, including the first vertical drop rollercoaster in the world, Thirteen, as well as fairground rides, playhouses, and haunted houses. Meanwhile, younger kids can spend the day in the Term Time CBeebies Land Hotel, a colorful world of rainbows and interactive exhibits.

Get Wild at Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo

If your kids are fans of animals and nature, head to Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo in Begelly, Pembrokeshire.

From learning how to milk cows and goats to petting goats, rabbits, miniature ponies and pigs, and donkeys, there's plenty of interactive amusement to be found on Folly Farm. Additionally, kids will get a chance to see wilder animals like lions, giraffes, meerkats, and Humboldt penguins up close.

Discover the World Museum

 Jonathan Oldenbuck/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

Housing everything from Egyptian mummies to an entire wing dedicated to insects, The World Museum in Liverpool, Merseyside, is a must-see attraction for natural history fans visiting the United Kingdom. Explore the cosmos in the planetarium, discover different traditions from around the planet in the World Cultures Gallery, and marvel at real casts of dinosaur skeletons in the prehistoric wing.

Be Mesmerized by Stonehenge

James O. Davies

One of the most famous and oldest attractions in the United Kingdom, Stonehenge is a must-see on any trip to the region.

Located near Amesbury in Wiltshire, Stonehenge is easily accessible from London, and many companies offer private tours of the prehistoric monument with transportation included in the cost. Other things to see and do near Stonehenge include exploring Neolithic houses, touring the Stonehenge exhibition at the visitor's center, dining at the nearby cafe, or buying a souvenir at the gift shop.

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London explorer (8 days), best of devon and cornwall (6 days), 2-day windsor, stonehenge, bath & oxford small-group tour from london, christmas in london (2024), london and bath explorer tour - 6 days, london and iconic england tour - 6 days, stonehenge, devon & cornwall - 5 days, spotlight on london (2024), stonehenge, devon & cornwall (hotel) - 5 days.

“The itinerary was great and bed and breakfasts we stayed at very comfortable. Would definitely do another Rabbies trip.” Karen Dondorf, traveled in August 2024

• In-depth Cultural
• Christmas & New Year
• Visit the historic Winchester, a former Anglo-Saxon capital
• Explore Launceston & wander the ruins of Tintagel Castle
• View Stonehenge, the most famous prehistoric monument

“The itinerary was excellent, saw everything that I had hoped to see, and there was plenty of free time to explore on my own.” Robin Brown, traveled in May 2019

• Coach / Bus
• Tour Stonehenge and Windsor Castle in a day
• Visit Westminster Abbey and Kensington Palace
• Explore London's vibrant history and dine with locals

“Wonderful tour. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute.” CHERYL MURPHY, traveled in June 2023

• Admire the picturesque scenery of Lacock
• Indulge in a dinner in a traditional English pub
• See the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur

“Having a driver-guide with a good sense of humour made the experience good. Though I did not realize I had to book the attractions in advance.” pavlo kaverzin, traveled in October 2022

• Uncover the mysteries of Stonehenge
• Explore Windsor Castle or stroll Windsor town
• Relax in Bath's historic Roman Baths

• Cruise on the Clipper to Greenwich village
• Enjoy afternoon tea in historic Covent Garden
• Shop at festive Christmas markets in London

• Stroll through picturesque Lacock village
• Visit Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral
• Discover Windsor Castle's royal history

• Witness the Changing of the Guard ceremony
• Discover the ancient Roman Baths in Bath
• Tour the historic Windsor Castle

“Stops along the way were wonderful.” Marcia Goldman, traveled in June 2024

• Explore Winchester's historic sites
• Visit the iconic Stonehenge circles
• Climb Glastonbury Tor for stunning views

• Explore London's iconic landmarks by bus
• Visit Westminster Abbey's royal site
• Tour the historic Tower of London

• See King Arthur's legendary Tintagel
• Discover Dartmoor's wild landscapes

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Best toddler holidays UK: 8 stylish family staycations we loved

Jayne Gorman

March 1, 2023

Since becoming parents we’ve road-tested some of the best toddler holidays in the UK and, as a result, enjoyed some truly stylish staycations. We’ve tried out chic cabins in Cornwall and Dorset, a designer barn in Norfolk, a cottage in the Brecon Beacons and a stylish treehouse on a safari park in Kent, to name a few.

So, for anyone planning a UK break with a young family, here’s my tried-and-tested list of best UK holidays with toddlers that offer a little luxury, some family-friendly fun and a truly memorable staycation.

Our holidays were self-funded but this post does include some affiliate links .

Best toddler holidays UK – Our favourite family staycations

Dorset & jurassic coast.

One of the first UK holidays we took with our toddler was to Dorset as it has so much to offer young families. From hiking and fossil-hunting on the dramatic Jurassic coastline, to dining in cosy inns, strolling around seaside towns and exploring one of the most famous, quintessential English streets in the country (namely Gold Hill in Shaftesbury ) – Dorset is perfect for a family staycation in the UK.

Some of the toddler-friendly activities in Dorset we enjoyed were:

Coastal walks between Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door (we recommend this child carrier or travel buggy !)

Monkey World -an ape rescue centre near Wool.

Ice creams on the sand at some of the gorgeous Dorset beaches such as Weymouth, Swanage , Bornemouth or Burton Bradstock.

Enjoying seafood sandwiches at Hive Beach Café in Burton Bradstock and the Boat Shed Café in Lulworth Cove.

Where to stay with a toddler in Dorset

We stayed in this simply adorable cabin in the quaint hamlet of Cruxton near Dorchester. With bi-fold doors that look out over sheep-filled fields it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, yet Durdle Door, West Bay and Lulworth Cove were all an easy drive away.

The owner could not have been more welcoming – she left a homemade Dorset Apple Cake on the doorstep and supplied directions to nearby walks along the beautiful Frome river.

The cabin has everything you need for a comfortable stay with a toddler including washing machine, cot and high chair. Our toddler particularly loved running around the fields and chatting to all the local wildlife. We loved sitting out on the terrace, stargazing with a glass of wine in hand once he’d gone to bed.

I feel like Norfolk is hugely underrated but it’s actually one of our favourite places to staycation in the UK – so much so we’ve been twice with our toddler.

We absolutely love the sandy Norfolk shores of Brancaster Beach, Holkam Beach and Wells-By-The-Sea. (Rent a colourful Happy Hut if spending a day at the latter.)

We’ve been delighted by seal pups on Horsey Beach and have our heart set on hiring a boat to explore the Norfolk Broads next time we visit.

Top toddler-friendly places to visit in Norfolk include:

Pensthorpe Natural Park

BeWILDerwood

The Ffolkes (a family friendly pub & boutique hotel with adventure playground)

Sandringham Royal Parkland (awesome playground & trails) 

Where to stay with a toddler in Norfolk

On our first trip to Norfolk we stayed in the stunning Great Barn Farm – a luxury barn conversion with access to a shared swimming pool. There are 6 different private holiday lets to choose from, including The Tack Room which is the generous 1-bedroom barn conversion with private garden that we stayed in.

We loved that the décor was stylish but sturdy (aka toddler proof), the gated garden was perfect for containing a runaway 2-year-old and the rural location is gorgeous too. We spent a super chilled evening at Duration Brewing , a local microbrewery that offers beer tasting and light bites at its property overlooking priory ruins.

More recently we stayed at the Riverside Retreat , a hidden gem in Medieval Norwich, which is not only stylish and cosy but has a large garden and private jetty that’s perfect for enjoying your morning coffee. The generous open-plan living and dining room was filled with books and board games to entertain the whole family, and the location is perfect for exploring the Norfolk Broads, seals at Horsey and BeWILDerwood Norfolk, which are all an easy drive away.

Head to my Instagram page for more tips on Norfolk staycations .

The Cotswolds

The first staycation we ever did was to The Cotswolds when our son was still a baby. We flitted from one postcard-worthy village to the next, enjoying cream teas and farm-to-table brunches along the way.

For toddler-friendly holiday activities check out the Cotswolds Motoring Museum & Toy Collection (home of Brum) and Birdland Park & Gardens in Bourton-on-the-water.

Parents should treat themselves to lunch, retail therapy and maybe even a massage at Daylesford Organic Farm .

Where to stay with a toddler in The Cotswolds

We stayed in a cosy glamping pod in Moreton-in-Marsh , which can sleep up to 2 adults and 2 children in bunk beds. (Ask to have the sofa removed if you need to fit a travel cot in.)

We loved the location of these pods, which are within walking distance of charming Moreton-in-Marsh, but sit within fields on the outskirts of the village. There are only a handful of these pods, which sit on a campsite that is also small and friendly, with pop up food trucks making an appearance on weekends.

With its historic harbour towns, wild, untouched beaches and bays that look like they belong in the Bahamas, Cornwall is definitely one of the most popular places in the UK for a toddler-friendly family holiday.

We visited Cornwall in August 2020 when our son was 2-years-old and had the best time exploring the historic fishing harbours and vast sandy beaches around the St Ives area.

You can read about our Cornwall family holiday here but, in short, the best places I’d recommend to visit with toddlers in Cornwall are:

Porthmeor, Porthcurno and Hayles Beaches

Mousehole and Polperro Harbour

The Eden project

And you must ride the St Ives Bay Line  from St Erth to St. Ives Station.

Where to stay with a toddler in Cornwall

We stayed not far from St Ives (15 mins in the car or 10 minutes on the train) in a cosy, Scandi-style cabin with views of St Michael’s Mount and would say this property is best suited to couples or a family with a young baby. The hosts are supremely welcoming and helpful and the cabin is well-equipped for whipping up easy meals and enjoying them with a glass of wine on the private deck overlooking nearby fields.

Check out this post to discover 5 stylish places to glamp with kids in Cornwall .

Cornwall’s neighbour, Devon has just as many beautiful golden beaches to its name. We took a trip to Ilfracombe when Miles was a baby and spent our time indulging in Devonshire Tea in quaint thatched cottages, while exploring the coastline, including the award-winning Woolacombe Beach and surfing hotspot Croyde Bay .

Toddler-friendly things to do in Devon include River Dart Country Park , which has playgrounds, assault courses, a play lake with a pirate ship, and the Dartmouth Steam Railway , which runs between Paignton and Kingswear.

Where to stay with a toddler in Devon

We stayed in the very spacious Salt House Devon in the heart of Ilfracombe, which offers views of both foodie Fore Street and Damien Hirst’s iconic Verity statue.

With 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, it’s very family-friendly, not least because it also comes with a washing machine, dishwasher and lots of handy plastic crockery and cutlery for the children.

It’s set out over 3 levels so you may want to enquire about stair gates, but I’m sure the hosts will be more than willing to help – they are the type of owners who leave boogie boards and buckets in the hallway.

Port Lympne Safari Park, Kent

For our son’s fourth birthday in January 2023 we treated him (and us!) to a stay at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve   and it was wonderful to get a little taste of a luxury safari right here in England.

Located in Kent, the 600 acre reserve is home to over 900 animals, including gorillas, bears and rhinos.

You can explore the reserve on a safari truck , delight toddlers with the Dinosaur Forest and stay overnight in luxury accommodation , which includes luxury lodges, tents, shepherd’s huts and treehouses.

Port Lympne is a registered charity so all profits from the parks and short breaks go back into their conservation work, more of which you can read about here .

Where to stay with a toddler at Port Lympne

The luxury lodges, some of which come with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lion, tiger and wolf enclosures, don’t come cheap so are definitely something we’ll be saving for a special occasion. Port Lympne also has some more affordable glamping pods and shepherd huts , which can sleep up to 4 people and start at £139 per night.

We booked to stay in one of their mid-priced accommodations – a luxury shepherd’s hut at Hog Deer Creek . These cosy huts offer views of the animals at a nearby watering hole, but come with lots of creature comforts, including an ensuite bathroom, log burner, TV, mini fridge and Nespresso machine, which is just the way I like to camp really!

Due to heavy rainfall,  however, we were actually upgraded to one of the Treehouses, which are modern 2-bedroom self-catering suites with sweeping views of the reserve. We were really impressed with the quality of the accommodation – it was well heated (a must in January!), stylishly decorated and fully-equipped down to the huge array of tea bags and Bamford toiletries.

The best part about staying in a Treehouse (for me) was access to The Clubhouse where we were given complimentary prosecco and a bag of marshmallows to roast on the open fire. We dined at their Babydoll’s Italian restaurant for dinner and had breakfast at The Garden Room and the food and service was excellent. Getting to dinner was quite an adventure as we had a good giggle driving the complimentary golf buggy through the hilly reserve in the darkness.

I will write about our stay at Port Lympne in more detail soon as it was definitely one of the best toddler holidays we’ve had in the UK. I’m quite keen to go back and stay in that shepherd’s hut next time!

Read also : Is Centre Parcs good for toddlers?

Hay-on-Wye & The Brecon Beacons, Wales

Our toddler is quite the little bookworm, which is why the quaint market town of Hay-on-Wye that is filled to the brim with bookshops, is on my list of best UK holidays with toddlers.

In May 2020 we enjoyed a family staycation in the Brecon Beacons and our toddler loved meeting the wild horses on Sugar Loaf Mountain and riding Blaenavon’s Heritage Railwa y . We also made it to Hay-on-Wye and our toddler came home with an armful of new books!

Where to stay in the Brecon Beacons with a toddler

We stayed in a remote, stone cottage in the Brecon Beacons National Park , where yet again we were greeted with homemade cake and maps of trails to explore around the property and local area.

Another unique property I shortlisted was this Shepherd’s Hut near Usk with a fire pit and honesty shop where you can stock up on local produce.

The Peak District

You’ll frequently find the Peak District referred to as one of the best UK holidays for young families and it’s easy to see why.

The UK’s first National Park is packed full of scenic walks and stately homes that you can combine with family fun such as riding a steam train in Ecclesborne Valley , scaling the Heights of Abraham in a cable car and giggling on the rides at Gulliver’s Kingdom , a theme park designed specifically for children aged between 2 and 5.

One of the most popular family days out in the Peak District is the Crich Tramway Village , where you can walk down a recreation of a period street and ride on vintage electric trams.

Of course, this sweet tooth won’t be able to resist a visit to Bakewell, home of the delicious Bakewell Pudding and a lively Farmers Market where livestock are auctioned on the last Saturday of the month.

Where to stay with toddlers in the Peak District

I’ve seen lots of recommendations for Landal Darwin Forest , a 5 star lodge holiday park that is set within 47 acres of stunning woodland between Matlock and Bakewell in the Derbyshire Peak District . They have 137 lodges that sleep between 2 to 8 people and come with generous verandas, some with hot tubs.

I hope this provides you with some ideas on where you can enjoy a great UK break with toddlers. Let me know if you have any favourite places you think should be on the list.

You may also like:

Toddler staycation essentials

Highlights from our Cornwall family holiday

Is Centre Parcs worth visiting with a toddler?

Family-friendly glamping in Cornwall

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I’m Jayne, a travel blogger, content creator and mum to a 4-year-old son. I’ve been blogging since 2010, travelled to 65 countries and share travel guides and tips to help you plan stylish, stress-free trips.

Best things to do in Marrakech: An affordable luxury 3-Day itinerary

Lisbon travel guide & tips, 6 thoughts on “best toddler holidays uk: 8 stylish family staycations we loved”.

A great reminder of how many beautiful places we have in the UK. My son enjoyed spotting some of the lovely places we’ve been.

That’s awesome! I always said I wanted to see more of the Uk and now I can’t wait to.

Wow I really want to explore UK ..it’s so beautiful .Dorset is in my list ..thanks for adding more to my list

It’s top of mine too. Hopefully we get to see it soon.

What a great guide! So many beautiful places to see. I sometimes forget how easy it is to pop over to the UK from Norway. I definitely need to plan a trip over there when we can finally travel again 🙂

Love this post! Thank you for sharing some amazing and helpful tips about traveling UK !

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The best things to do with kids in England

Jul 14, 2023 • 7 min read

Here are some of the best things to do as a family in England © Rebecca Spencer / Stocksy

You may have heard the old expression “children should be seen and not heard.”

Well, this dates back to 15th-century England , and unsurprisingly, some things have changed since then. Yes, of course there are still the occasional grumps who will turn up their noses at the sight of a child in a pub, or roll their eyes when a stroller laden with a babbling toddler is being pushed onto their train car, but for the most part, attitudes to kids in England are open and friendly.

Is England a good destination for kids?

One of the best things about traveling with children in England is that the bulk of the best museums have permanent collections that are completely free to visit and almost always have some kind of child-centric activity in progress, whether it's a table for coloring with markers and paper or something more elaborate, like a treasure hunt. 

Many mid-range pubs and restaurants have a children’s menu. Staples include nuggets, pizzas, burgers – all served with chips, aka fries – and pasta. It’s unusual to find much in the way of gourmet or healthy kids’ dishes, but if you have a more discerning little foodie on your hands, it’s worth asking about half-portions from the adult menu.

A relatively new development in many recently opened or refurbished places is that baby changing areas are not just found in a cubicle in the ladies’ toilets any longer, which means that carers of all genders can take their turn dealing with the dirty diapers.

On the transport systems around England you’ll find plenty of family-unfriendly foibles, such as steps or bus gangways that aren’t quite wide enough to fit a stroller down, but there are wide accessible ticket barriers at each train station and a dedicated storage area for strollers on long-distance trains. Old cities also often have cobbled streets, which can make you wish you had a baby carrier to transport your infant instead of a fancy set of wheels.

Where are the best places to travel in England with kids?

If you should be blessed to have decent weather (which locals will remark upon frequently ), then you’ll be delighted by the 10 national parks and many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England, all with vast landscapes that are free for you and your little people to explore.

Outdoor-loving kids will also appreciate time at any of the glorious beaches , with cliffs to gaze up at, sand or pebbles to dig in and rock pools to explore. If the natural coastal wonders don’t appeal, the flashing lights of the amusement arcades that line many seafronts or the old-fashioned piers that stretch out into the sea usually do.

Families looking less for landscapes and more for learning should head to the major cities. Places such as London , Manchester , Newcastle and Birmingham have got museums, theater and art galleries galore, perfect for those looking to load up their families with a culture fix . And given that England isn’t all that big, you can easily combine a city visit with the coast or the countryside.

The best things to do in England with kids

We’ve split these activities by age to help you plan the best things to suit your young adventurers, but in reality, whether you head out on a boat ride or to a theme park or a castle, each venue is likely to have something to appeal to all age groups. So let the children be loud and run free. Let them run, splash, dig, climb and explore as they learn.

From babies and toddlers to young children, tweens and teens, here are the best experiences for family travelers in England.

The best things to do with babies and toddlers: beaches, museums and raves

Babies, what do they know? They certainly didn’t get the memo about being seen and not heard. But luckily they’ll go where you take them, whether it's to the soft sandy shores  of a shallow cove in Kent or a dedicated baby morning in the Museum of Liverpool ’s Little Liverpool gallery. To stimulate them with light and sound, check out the joyful family-friendly raves run by Big Fish Little Fish at venues across England.

The best things to do with young children (ages 4 to 11): theme parks, wildlife and museums

There are major theme parks across the country, among the most popular being Legoland near Windsor , Alton Towers in Staffordshire and Paultons Park  (home to Peppa Pig World ) near Southampton. But look at those not-yet-redundant tourist brochures on display in the lobby of the reception wherever you’re staying and seek out the local gems.

Small-scale enterprises don’t have the big roller coasters, but they do have some curiosities that you won’t forget. Diggerland is a particular favorite – with four sites across England – where anyone over 110cm tall (43in) can be the solo driver of a JCB Skid Steer Loader through water and overland or the operator of a 5280kg (5.2-ton) giant digger, lifting dirt from one pile to another in a strangely hypnotic way. 

Animal-loving kids will merrily pass a day at one of England’s best wildlife parks or zoos, such as London  and Chester , or go out on a boat to birdwatch and look for marine wildlife at any of the coastal colonies. You can see puffins on Lundy Island off the North Devon coast or look out for minke, sei and fin whales off the north coast on a trip from Whitby with Whitby Coastal Cruises .

What if it’s raining? Don’t worry, it happens a lot, and this is when England’s many hands-on museums can be relied upon to capture imaginations. Nature-lovers will be wowed by London's Natural History Museum  and dazzled by the Eden Project in Cornwall, where they will learn about environmental matters in spectacular space-age greenhouses.

Other science and tech highlights include London's Science Museum (go to Wonderlab on the top floor for experiments or the Garden in the basement for water play, perfect for younger kids); Bristol's We the Curious (closed currently due to restoration work following a fire, expected to reopen by January 2024); the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester or the National Space Centre in Leicester . 

The best things to do with tweens and teens: historic sites and stadium tours

Notoriously hard-to-please teens and – to a lesser extent – tweens might not seem particularly engaged with literally anything you offer them, but guide them to the juicier details and some of England’s historic sites might just win them over.

Think the Tower of London is boring? Task them with finding out all about what happened to two princes in the Bloody Tower. Heading to Hampton Court Palace ? Well, the royal squabbling and backstabbing that went on there rivals popular soap-opera plotlines (and is even more scandalous than tabloid headlines about the current royals).

With thousands of castles each with their own gruesome or fascinating stories, there’s plenty to uncover. Failing that, they might recognize Alnwick Castle or Durham Cathedral as locations used in the Harry Potter films, or be captivated by Arthurian legends at Tintagel .

If there's a soccer (football) fan in your family, consider a visit to one of the many Premier League stadiums for a tour. They usually cover the history and achievements of the club and offer behind-the-scenes access to changing rooms, the press room, the commentary box and the tunnel to the pitch (field). Wembley in London is the home of the England national football team and hosts various competitions and finals.

Other big hitters include Liverpool's Anfield , Manchester United's Old Trafford  and  Manchester City's Etihad , plus in London,  Arsenal's Emirates Stadium ,  Chelsea's Stamford Bridge  and  Tottenham Hotspur Stadium . Sorry, kids: if it’s Ryan Reynolds' and Rob McElhenney’s Wrexham you’re after, you’re in the wrong country – Wrexham is in Wales , a few miles from the Wales–England border.

Planning tips for traveling in England with kids

Children between ages 0 and 4 travel for free on rail throughout the UK, providing they are traveling with a fare-paying adult. Once your little one turns 5, train tickets tend to cost half that of an adult ticket, although some train companies run a Kids for a Quid deal. Travel costs for children within cities varies depending on the network, so check locally. For long-distance train journeys, book three months in advance to get the most affordable tickets.

While many pubs are very welcoming of families during the day, not everywhere is kid-friendly – and certainly not later into the evening. If you’re keen to keep your little one out with you late, check with the bar staff before settling into your seat. Licensing laws vary, and it’s not always immediately obvious where and when children are allowed.

Glossary: Diapers are called nappies. Pacifiers are called dummies. Strollers can be known as prams, pushchairs or buggies. 

This article was first published Apr 27, 2021 and updated Jul 14, 2023.

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Attractions

Architecturally stunning glass domes house tropical plants and the visual surprise of one of the world's rarest and most fragile of butterflies. One of the best things to do with kids is to visit one of the purpose-built, often eco-friendly flora and fauna venues dotted around the country. Should your brood be wannabe scientists and mechanics, top of your ‘places to go with kids’ list should be science centres with practical interactive exhibitions, while model railway museums are among the most popular attractions in England.

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Get in touch with your inner Tarzan at Go Ape

Looking for some active fun? Stop monkeying around and spend the day at Go Ape where you can fly down a zip wire or leap off Tarzan Swings.

Location: Northwich, Cheshire

Savour your scoops at The Ice Cream Farm

Keep the kids happy with more than 40 delicious flavours of ice cream, an outdoor play area, farm, quad bikes, mini golf and more...

Location: Tattenhall, Cheshire

Enjoy splendiferous fun at the Roald Dahl Museum

Ever wondered where Charlie and the Chocolate Factory started? This family-friendly museum has answers for children and adults of all ages.

Location: Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire

Tree top adventures and forest segways at Wendover Woods

Take to the trees for breath-taking views of the Chilterns and Black Park.

Location: Wendover, Buckinghamshire

Bronze Age living at Flag Fen Archaeology Park

Travel back 3,500 years to discover a prehistoric causeway at one of the finest Bronze Age archaeological site in Northern Europe, discovered 1982.

Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

Be at one with birds of prey at Rosliston Forestry Centre

There’s something special about being close to a bird of prey; those round watchful eyes on high alert, fixing you with a dominating stare.

Location: Rosliston, Derbyshire

Discover Cornwall's Eden Project

Five biomes nestled under five giant bubbles in the hills of Cornwall make for one of Britain's most impressive indoor eco-attractions.

Location: St Austell, Cornwall

Visit the Diamond Isle

Enjoy a 10 min trip on the Needles Park Chairlift and go dinosaur hunting.

Location: Isle of Wight

Travel back to the 1930s at Berkonscot Model Village

Bekonscot is the world’s oldest and original model village and model railway, and a tribute to one man’s eccentricity.

Location: Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire

Visit the home of the WWII codebreakers at Bletchley Park

Once Britain’s best kept secret, this major visitor attraction was also the filming location for The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

Location: Bletchley, Milton Keynes

Underground & over ground adventures at Go Ape

Release your Tarzan and journey to the centre of the earth on an epic double adventure in Derbyshire’s beautiful Buxton.

Location: Buxton, Derbyshire

Rainy Day Activities: Uncover underwater secrets at Blue Planet Aquarium

Discover clown fish, reef magic, giant octopus and plenty more indoor activities as you immerse in this underwater world.

Location: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire

Take the whole family to Chester Zoo

Venture to tantalising tropical islands in the heart of Cheshire with innovative exhibits at the UK’s most popular zoo.

Location: Upton near Chester, Cheshire

Get your thrills and spills at Gulliver’s World

With more than 50 rides and attractions suitable for the whole family, a short break to Gulliver's World is sure to leave you giddy with glee.

Location: Warrington, Cheshire

Swing through the trees at Leeds Castle

Clamber the treetops of 'the loveliest castle in the world'.

Location: Maidstone, Kent

Learn the ropes at Chatham’s The Historic Dockyard

Immerse yourself in 400 years of discovery at the world’s most complete dockyard from the Age of Sail.

Location: Chatham, Kent

Rainy Day Activities: Enter the magical Warner Bros Studio Tour

Step inside the wizarding world of Harry Potter at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London and feel the films magically come to life.

Location: Leavesden, Hertfordshire

Coast to countryside views from Arundel Castle

Explore Arundel’s rich history and heritage with re-enactments and family fun-days at Arundel Castle.

Location: Arundel, West Sussex

Have a great British seaside break at Butlin's Bognor Regis

Famous for long sunshine hours, royal visits and Billy Butlin, the seaside town of Bognor Regis, on the border of the South Downs National Park, is the perfect destination for a family-friendly short break.

Location: Bognor Regis, West Sussex

All aboard heritage steam trains at the Epping Ongar Railway

Pay a visit to Epping Ongar Railway, and ride on running steam and diesel engines between period stations, through countryside and forest.

Location: Chipping Ongar, Essex

Escape the clutches of Jack the Ripper at London Dungeon

You're lost in the streets of East London where Jack the Ripper is on the prowl. Will you make it out alive? Head to London Dungeon to find out.

Location: London Bridge, Greater London

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Home » Specials » 40 Places in the UK to See with Your Kids Before They Are All Grown Up

40 Places in the UK to See with Your Kids Before They Are All Grown Up

We’ve put together a list of the most fun, the most innovative and the most covertly educational days out in all of the UK.

Many are geared towards testing brains and coordination, and helping kids develop while having fun.

Others, like the UK’s biggest theme parks, are the sort of organised silliness and mayhem that all children need now and again.

There are places so magnificent and awe-inspiring that they might even bring you closer together, and buildings and museums so fascinating that parents won’t help but be engrossed as well.

Here’s our list of the best places to visit with your kids before they are all grown up!:

1. Science Museum

South Kensington, London

Why you’ve got to go: To enlighten inquisitive young minds about the physical world and the people who advanced our understanding. Well deserved one of the best things to do with your kids!

What to do: It could be civil engineering, robotics or vacuum technology: If there’s a certain sphere that your budding young scientist is just getting into, well, the cavernous Science Museum will have whole galleries devoted to it. The movies at the IMAX theatre will only enhance that sense of wonder.

Get there when kids are: All ages

More info: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/

2. Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Leavesden, Hertfordshire

Why you’ve got to go: To be enchanted by a trove of items and places from the Harry Potter series.

What to do: For a young Harry Potter fan , what could be more exciting than stepping into the Great Hall or boarding the Hogwarts Express? You can go behind the scenes for secrets about the special effects and animatronics, and browse a decade’s worth of costumes, sets and iconic props.

More info: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/

3. National Railway Museum

York, North Yorkshire

Why you’ve got to go: There’s a vast hall of engines that will cater to your young ones’ steam train fixation, and then some.

What to do: If steam engines are all the rage with your kids, this attraction will have them riveted. The Great Hall will be a kind of cave of treasures for them, packed to the steel rafters with golden age steam locomotives and a Shinkansen from Japan to hop aboard. You can even see a cross-section of an engine to understand how it works. And it’s all absolutely free to boot.

Get there when kids are: Up to 12

More info: http://www.nrm.org.uk/

4. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions

Edinburgh, Lothian

Why you’ve got to go: Six floors of puzzles, special effects, games and other interactive craziness at one of Britain’s oldest attractions.

What to do: The whole thing started in 1835 with the Camera Obscura, a live projection of a bird’s eye of Edinburgh from atop a tower. Like mini gods, kids can pretend to pick people up or smoosh them into the ground, if that’s their thing. The five floors below are a fabulous miscellany of optical illusions, light and magic and smoke and mirrors.

Get there when kids are: Primary school age

More info: http://www.camera-obscura.co.uk/

5. Eden Project

St Austell, Cornwall

Why you’ve got to go: To journey into landscaped worlds within futuristic domes and get immersed in botany on the way.

What to do: One of the best bits here is the Canopy Walkway, a raised platform high among the treetops in the rainforest biome. You can identify the various plants and trees, like cashew, rubber, banana and cocoa. For young thrills there’s England’s longest zip line, the SkyWire, and lots of interactive gadgets at the Core Building.

More info: http://www.edenproject.com/

6. Stonehenge

Amesbury, Wiltshire

Why you’ve got to go: One of the UK’s most special locations will seem even more magical through a child’s eyes.

What to do: Kids are trivia sponges, and the facts and figures of this site will blow young minds. It’s amazing to think what was achieved 5,000 years ago with just man and ox-power, ropes and stones. The very sight of this monument will also make a big impression on children and get them pondering an era that is mysterious even for grown-ups.

More info: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/

7. Bewilderwood

Hoveton, Norfolk

Why you’ve got to go: For all the energy-burning fun of a soft play park, in 50 acres of whimsical woodland.

What to do: There’s interactive story-telling and puppet shows for toddlers, as well as mazes, zip-lines and rope bridges for bigger kids. Like an Ewok village for children, BeWILDerwood adapts to mature woodland and poses a natural and healthy alternative to indoor play parks. It’s all the brainchild of kids’ author Tom Blofeld and the characters from his books show up to make things even more fun.

More info: http://www.bewilderwood.co.uk/

8. Giant’s Causeway

Bushmills, Antrim

Why you’ve got to go: It’s a UNESCO-listed natural phenomenon, an epic system of basalt columns that look like stepping stones for giants.

What to do: The name alone will spark kids’ active imaginations, but when they see the causeway their sense of awe will be off the charts. You can clamber over the rocks, picking out the weird and wonderful formations, and seeing if they match their old nicknames. Park up at the visitor centre and get to the site via the special shuttle, which has reduced rates for kids.

More info: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway

9. Legoland

Windsor, Berkshire

Why you’ve got to go: Because it’s a theme park made with 80 million Lego blocks. You can’t get cooler than that in a kid’s eyes.

What to do: Go on interactive adventures like Coast Guard rescue or the Lego City Driving School where little ones can get their Lego driving licence. Or ride Lego-themed rollercoasters like the Dragon, which swoops over the park’s plastic block rooftops. And shopping of course: The largest Lego store in the UK awaits you at the exit.

Get there when kids are: 10 or under

More info: https://www.legoland.co.uk/

10. Natural History Museum

Why you’ve got to go: To see the dinosaur fossils and eggs to teach kids about the real monsters that once walked the earth.

What to do: All children have a dinosaur phase, right? The moment you step into Hintze Hall and catch sight of the diplodocus you’ll know you’re in a place that can bring them to life, at least in a child’s imagination. Grown-ups can marvel at the museum’s architecture, while brave kids can confront an animatronic T-Rex and feel what it’s like to be in an earthquake.

More info: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/

11. National Space Centre

Leicester, Leicestershire

Why you’ve got to go: There isn’t a child that hasn’t dreamed about space exploration, and this attraction will make the dream a little more real.

What to do: There are six hands-on galleries for kids to get stuck into, as well as immersive shows at the largest planetarium in the UK. The Rocket Tower is 42 metres high and you’ll speed to the top in a glass lift. It’s one of those days out that is informative for adults, but also keeps kids’ attentions with kinetic exhibits and multimedia.

More info: http://spacecentre.co.uk/

12. Tintagel Castle

Tintagel, Cornwall

Why you’ve got to go: For King Arthur, who was born right here according to the famous legend.

What to do: Explore to your heart’s content, at a place where real Dark Age history and folklore collide. Children will have no trouble imagining knights and wizards at this awesome setting, in which the ghostly ruins of castle walls mingle with cliffs and sprawl onto a little rocky island.

More info: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tintagel-castle/

13. Tower of London

Tower Hamlets, London

Why you’ve got to go: The Beefeaters at the Tower can tell you more about the history of London and England than a week’s worth of school!

What to do: See Traitors’ Gate, where famous Tudor prisoners like Sir Thomas More and Anne Boleyn entered, never to leave with their heads attached to their bodies. Kids will be dazzled by the Crown Jewels, and gripped by the story of the Princes in the Tower, two young heirs to the throne who disappeared right here in the 15th century.

More info: http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/

14. Imperial War Museum Duxford

Duxford, Cambridgeshire

Why you’ve got to go: It’s all about the aircraft, with more than 200 machines to wow the bigger kids in the family.

What to do: Duxford will indulge that young fascination for high-octane hardware and feats of wartime daring. In the American Air Museum there’s an enormous B-52 Stratofortress filling the entire hall, and suspended above your head are jet and propeller planes from all periods. This is dreamland for kids who love big machines.

Get there when kids are: Around 12

More info: http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-duxford/

15. Hadrian’s Wall

Hexham, Northumberland

Why you’ve got to go: This was the northern boundary of the whole Roman Empire, a titanic wall between the civilised world and northern tribes.

What to do: Hadrian’s wall is the largest single Roman artefact in the world, and its length was marked with mile-castles and forts every five miles. One, Housesteads Fort, encourages children to dip into the ancient past by clambering over these evocative ruins. In a few minutes you can walk down to Sycamore Gap, a spectacular valley made famous by movies.

More info: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hadrians-wall-and-housesteads-fort/

16. Forbidden Corner

Middleham, North Yorkshire

Why you’ve got to go: For a spooky, offbeat and brain-teasing afternoon of discovery.

What to do: Little adventurers are encouraged to explore tunnels, mazes, a creepy mausoleum and hidden passages at a large garden where getting completely lost is all part of the fun. In this large folly you have a checklist of things to track down but there’s not a map to be found. Children will have a whale of a time solving problems, and grown-ups will fall in love with the garden’s wit and imagination.

More info: http://www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk/

17. Zipworld

Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd

Why you’ve got to go: For safe and challenging fun in an extraordinary underground environment.

What to do: A former slate quarry is now a fantasy-like subterranean space where bottomless sheer walls are fitted with zip lines, rope bridges, climbing grips and even a massive bouncy net. This activity centre is fun, awe-inspiring and exhausting all at the same time and includes the first four-person zip line in Europe.

Get there when kids are: Ten and up

More info: https://www.zipworld.co.uk/location/detail/blaenau-ffestiniog/

18. Warwick Castle

Warwickshire

Why you’ve got to go: To see living history at its best, at the most complete medieval castle in the UK.

What to do: Survey the scene from the walls, climb the towers, see the huge siege engines in action, watch birds of prey shows and solve the ‘Horrible Histories’ maze. And for the bravest souls there’s the Dungeon Experience, in which you go back to the plague-ridden 1300s to meet characters such as the judge, torturer and a cook with questionable culinary standards.

More info: https://www.warwick-castle.com/

19. Beamish

Stanley, County Durham

Why you’ve got to go: To drive trams and steam engines, dress up in old-time clothes and meet a cast of characters from the past.

What to do: There’s a breathless variety of activities to take part in, from ploughing fields, to attending Victorian school, baking bread and descending into a coal pit. Beamish puts kids in touch with the rigours of historic rural and city life in the most direct way possible. Just in case they think they have it tough now!

More info: http://www.beamish.org.uk/

20. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Portsmouth, Hampshire

Why you’ve got to go: For the warships and the tales of maritime life from real sailors on a genuine naval base.

What to do: Whippersnappers can board heritage ships like HMS Victory and hear accounts of the swashbuckling battles that were fought on these decks. Aboard HMS Alliance you can peep through the periscope of a real World War II submarine, while the Mary Rose is a real life shipwreck lifted from the depths of the Solent and displayed before your eyes.

More info: http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/

21. Llangollen Railway

Llangollen, Denbighshire

Why you’ve got to go: For the UK’s ultimate steam train ride, in the romantic landscape of the Dee Valley.

What to do: Steam engines hold a real fascination for many kids, and this 10-mile heritage line is powered by the hulking locomotives built for the Great Western Railway. Little passengers can meet a working Thomas the Tank Engine, while older parents can watch the beautiful North Wales scenery scroll by from the window.

Get there when kids are: Up to ten

More info: http://www.llangollen-railway.co.uk/

22. Alnwick Castle

Northumberland

Why you’ve got to go: So that kids can tell their friends they’ve been to the real Hogwarts.

What to do: Investigate one of the few medieval British castles that has remained habitable to this day. After the outside and inside of the building starred in the Harry Potter films, Alnwick Castle has reached out to younger audiences. Courageous kids can join the Knight’s Quest, dressing up in chivalric gear, visiting a medieval market and venturing into a dragon’s lair.

More info: https://www.alnwickcastle.com/

23. Llandudno

Why you’ve got to go: To treat children to an old-fashioned s day at the seaside.

What to do: Llandudno has way more than the average beach escape. You do have time-honoured favourites like the puppet shows on the promenade, amusements at Llandudno Pier and the vast open sands at West Shore Beach. But the resort is also set off by Great Orme, a monumental limestone headland, primed for visits via the sweet heritage tram and the cable cars that carry you to the top.

Get there when kids are: Up to 14

More info: http://www.visitllandudno.org.uk/

24. Alton Towers

Staffordshire

Why you’ve got to go: For exhilarating white knuckle rides that will meet the approval of even the most jaded teenagers.

What to do: Alton Towers has a menu of gravity-defying rollercoasters pitched at adolescents and young adults. Smiler sends you upside down more than any other ride in the world at present and Thirteen is the first vertical drop rollercoaster on the planet. There are old-school fairground rides, playhouses and activity centres for the youngest family members.

More info: https://www.altontowers.com/

25. Dorset Heavy Horse Centre

Verwood, Dorset

Why you’ve got to go: To meet, groom and bond with rescued working horses.

What to do: There’s never a dull moment for young animal lovers. You’ll meet, care for and get to know the pasts of the giant working horses, which are incredibly gentle despite their size. The centre has won accolades for its hands-on tractor rides, trips on horse-drawn wagons, petting zoo and a range of workshops blurring the line between fun and learning.

More info: http://www.dorset-heavy-horse-centre.co.uk/

26. Jurassic Coast

Devon and Dorset

Why you’ve got to go: For collecting fossils and impressing youngsters with wild coastal scenery .

What to do: If everything seems bigger through a child’s eyes the cliffs and gnarled rocks of the Jurassic Coast will be a craggy wonderland. Scenes like Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove will stay with them for the rest of their lives. But there’s an educational element on the Jurassic Coast, as you can pore over beaches like Chamouth for fossils freezing 185 million years of history in stone.

More info: http://jurassiccoast.org/

27. National Media Museum

Bradford, West Yorkshire

Why you’ve got to go: To broaden horizons about the possibilities of the moving image and the Internet.

What to do: There are eight floors of free, hands-on galleries explaining how video games, television and movies work and inspiring you about their potential. You can make your own animations, delve into the history of video gaming and track the latest Internet trends. There are always cool workshops and exhibitions in the school holidays and movies at the IMAX screen.

More info: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/

28. Fingal’s Cave

Staffa, Argyll and Bute

Why you’ve got to go: For a marvellous natural wonder that your kids will remember their whole lives.

What to do: Stare astounded at the towering basalt columns that look like they might have been made by an ancient race of giants. If your kids are reading Lovecraft they’ll be wild about this sight, which is the goal of a quest into the Inner Hebrides. On calmer days you can go right inside the cave in your boat, and go ashore to scrabble over the polygonal rocks.

Get there when kids are: 12 and up

More info: http://www.nts.org.uk/Property/Staffa-National-Nature-Reserve

29. Paultons Park

Romsey, Hampshire

Why you’ve got to go: One reason: Peppa Pig World .

What to do: Peppa Pig has taken over toddler society in the last few years, and Paultons Park is where you can feed that obsession . All the rides, play areas and shows have characters from the cartoon. Little nippers can jump in Muddy Puddles, walk the Rainbow Road in Mr Potato’s playground and go on seven gentle rides made for little Peppa Pig fanatics.

Get there when kids are: Five or younger

More info: https://paultonspark.co.uk/

30. Cornish Seal Sanctuary

Gweek, Cornwall

Why you’ve got to go: Because you’re never too young to learn about animal conservation and help injured seal pups.

What to do: It’s nice to be in an animal attraction where nearly all the residents are only there temporarily. The Cornish Seal Sanctuary rescues some 50 injured pups a year and nurses them back to health. Come to watch common seals, grey seals, otters and penguins feeding, and go behind the scenes in the seal hospital to see the great work being done.

More info: http://www.sealsanctuary.co.uk/

31. Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo

Begelly, Pembrokeshire

Why you’ve got to go: Little ones can make friends with farmyard animals, feed giraffes, groom ponies, and a lot more .

What to do: There’s a lot of interactivity at this multi-award-winning farm and zoo attraction. So that means befriending miniature pigs and finding out how to milk cows and goats. There’s a barn for petting goats, rabbits, donkeys and miniature ponies, as well as a zoo with wilder animals like lions, Humboldt penguins and meerkats.

More info: https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/

32. Matlock Bath

Why you’ve got to go: To bring kids to a place of magic, innocence and fun high in the Peak District.

What to do: Potter around this lovely gorge-side town and catch the cable-car to the Heights of Abraham atop Masson Hill. This attraction has been running since the 19th century and conducts you around two enormous show caverns that were mined since Roman times. Gulliver’s Kingdom is a theme park aimed at under 12s and the Victorian amusement halls in Matlock bath can provide hours of traditional fun.

More info: http://www.visitpeakdistrict.com/Matlock-Matlock-Bath/details/?dms=3&venue=6070460

33. Caernarfon Castle

Why you’ve got to go: To scale the labyrinth of spiral stairways and conquer the powerful Eagle Tower.

What to do: Be awed by a castle that was intended to make an impact. Caernarfon has UNESCO status and is a must for any child studying the bloody reign of Edward I, nicknamed Long Shanks by his foes. Even today every monarch’s first son has the Prince of Wales title because of this menacing hulk of stone built in the 13th century.

More info: http://cadw.gov.wales/daysout/caernarfon-castle/?lang=en

34. Windermere

Why you’ve got to go: For the majesty and outdoor fun of the largest lake in England.

What to do: A huge list of family-friendly activities is on offer, from rowing, sailing, swimming and canoeing on the water, to horse riding, climbing, abseiling and walking on the shore. And trips on the old steamers that criss-cross the water are sure to wow the youngest family members. The high fells that slope down to the lakeshore never cease to make your heart soar.

More info: http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/placestogo/explorewindermere

35. Culloden Battlefield

Inverness, Highland

Why you’ve got to go: This is where the last hand-to-hand battle on British soil was fought, in 1796, a turning point in Scottish history.

What to do: The high-tech new visitor centre is a dream resource for bigger kids keen to know more about the Battle of Culloden. There’s an immersive 360° movie of the battle, an animated battle table and a roof-top viewpoint of the site. The galleries have artefacts and firsthand accounts, and you’ll find out why life in the Highlands and Scottish islands would never be the same again.

More info: http://www.nts.org.uk/Culloden/

36. New Forest National Park

Why you’ve got to go: For the ponies! There are 3,000 wild ponies in the New Forest, going where they please and grazing in woodland glades.

What to do: The New Forest is a safe place for kids to get to know the natural world in person, with gentle country that young legs can handle and piles of kid-friendly attractions: There are bird and reptile centres, deer sanctuaries, tree-climbing adventure parks and activity farms. Be here in summer when the pony foals promise a cuteness overload.

More info: http://www.thenewforest.co.uk/

37. Ironbridge

Why you’ve got to go: At this one location you can trace the very genesis of the industrial Revolution at 10 incredible museums.

What to do: Don a hard-hat and journey underground in the Tar Tunnel, see where nearly all of the country’s tobacco pipes were once made, design your own tiles at the Jackfield Museum, dress up as a old-time potter at the Coalport China Museum. No single place can inform children about the upheaval of the UK in Georgian times like Ironbridge.

More info: http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/

38. White Cliffs of Dover

Why you’ve got to go: To conquer the immense chalk walls that have been England’s front porch for 2,000 years.

What to do: Amble along the gentle grassy trail and look across to France, see the South Foreland Lighthouse where Marconi conducted his radio experiments and put on a hard hat and head torch for a guided tour of the Fan Bay Deep Shelter. Precocious antiquarians can go on a history frenzy as three castles, Dover, Walmer and Deal, flank the cliffs.

Get there when kids are: Aged five and up

More info: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/the-white-cliffs-of-dover/

39. Llancaiach Fawr Manor

Caerphilly, South Wales

Why you’ve got to go: So kids can tell their friends that they’ve braved a real haunted house.

What to do: Young ones can engage with living history, meeting an array of historical characters from the top to the bottom of the social order. These residents are in fact knowledgeable guides who will dish the dirt on this fortified Tudor manor, its role in the English Civil War and all the eerie goings-on that have spooked visitors for centuries.

Get there when kids are: Five and up

More info: http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/llancaiachfawr/

40. World Museum

Liverpool, Merseyside

Why you’ve got to go: There’s a crazy miscellany of things to see, perfect for the shortest attention.

What to do: It’s not called the World Museum for nothing: Kids can be grossed out by Egyptian mummies, marvel at real casts of dinosaur skeletons, see authentic samurai armour and inspect the creepy crawlies at the Bug House. And if that’s not enough they can blast off on their own space odyssey at the planetarium.

More info: http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/

40 Places in the UK to See with Your Kids Before They Are All Grown Up:

• Science Museum
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour
• National Railway Museum
• Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
• Eden Project
• Bewilderwood
• Giant's Causeway
• Natural History Museum
• National Space Centre
• Tintagel Castle
• Tower of London
• Imperial War Museum Duxford
• Hadrian's Wall
• Forbidden Corner
• Warwick Castle
• Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
• Llangollen Railway
• Alnwick Castle
• Alton Towers
• Dorset Heavy Horse Centre
• Jurassic Coast
• National Media Museum
• Fingal's Cave
• Paultons Park
• Cornish Seal Sanctuary
• Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo
• Matlock Bath
• Caernarfon Castle
• Culloden Battlefield
• New Forest National Park
• White Cliffs of Dover
• Llancaiach Fawr Manor
• World Museum

• Work With Me
• The Shopping Edit
• South America
• Attractions
• Staycations
• Hotel Reviews
• Eating Out/Food
• Competitions & Product Reviews
• Destination Guides
• Travelling with Kids

An Epic Guide To The Best Toddler-Friendly Holidays in the UK

Table of Contents

I’ve often been asked if it’s easier to go travelling with a baby or with a toddler. Both throw up different problems from what to pack and bring , to how to keep them entertained on flights or long journeys. But the simple answer is, toddlers are harder work because they can move – and fast – and can express themselves in a much more forthright way than any baby can. Toddlers’ attention spans are short at best, and their explorative natures are heightened. With this in mind, I’ve pulled my resources to compile an epic round-up of the Best Toddler-Friendly Holidays in the UK – from those in the know… And with the coronavirus pandemic changing the face of travel as we know it, more families will be looking to domestic travel and having holidays in the UK. 

A guide to UK holidays for toddlers

It can be a minefield when it comes to choosing toddler-friendly holidays. But for those who live in the UK, there is a myriad of toddler-friendly options from accommodation, destinations, resorts and attractions that are great for the whole family. And without the added stress of taking a trip abroad, it’s easier to plan, organise and feel less worried, because you can essentially throw everything in the car. Just don’t forget the travel games !

Best UK Holidays For Toddlers by other parents!

So I, along with some of the UK’s best family travel bloggers have rounded up what we think are the highlights and must-sees for toddler-friendly holidays in the UK, from toddler-friendly hotels to specific destinations, attractions and resorts across the country. And hopefully, this comprehensive guide will give you some inspiration as to where to find your next favourite UK holidays with toddlers or short break in the UK.

Top Tip: To use this amazing guide for UK holidays with toddlers click on the links within the post for more information about each area or recommendations for hotels and family accommodation.

Bournemouth

If you’re looking for stunning stretches of coastline, some great accommodation options and some good old-fashioned seaside fun, then Bournemouth is a fantastic destination for a UK seaside break. While Bournemouth Pier has plenty of activities to amuse the whole family from crazy golf (there is two to choose from), a big wheel, plenty of ice-cream shops and pretty gardens to explore, it is the lovely swathes of sandy beaches that are the real draw. 

We stayed at Bournemouth Beach Lodges and had a wonderful break. Being able to step onto the beach from our luxury beach hut was sublime. And situated 10 minutes away from Bournemouth town, Boscombe Beach is less crowded and much more of a locals hangout. And as you can see in the photo above, the kids loved it too. Read my full review here . This is definitely a contender for one of the best places to go with toddlers UK.

On a recent long weekend in Bristol , we were blown away by the multitude of family-friendly activities, family-friendly restaurants , and things to do in the city. And with young kid and toddler in tow, we really did manage to fit a lot in – with much of the city flat, pedestrianised and very easy to get about. Bristol is a perfect city for a weekend break or even longer. Voted the best place to live in the UK a staggering three times, it is a city with a big heart and shaped by centuries of history. Full to the brim with artists and creatives, independent shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars – it’s a hive of activity where old sits in harmony with the new. We really enjoyed walking along the harbour front and along the river, exploring all the great street art, as well as HMS Britain – Brunel’s historic passenger ship.

For long car journeys…

Check out this post:

Cornwall has been one of our best UK holidays for toddlers over the years. From wonderful beaches and harbour towns to farm stays, as well as so much to discover and explore – you really can’t go wrong with visiting Cornwall.

Cathy from Mummy Travels agrees but it’s also about finding the right toddler-friendly accommodation and she found the perfect one when visited Newquay.

If you’re fans of camping and glamping then you can also find out where some of the best holiday parks are in Cornwall, too, over on this post .

We’ve been visiting the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire for many years and it’s a wonderful region for toddler-friendly holidays. Quite simply, there is as much or as little to see and do – from exploring the Cotswold Water Park to eating cream teas and ice-creams in pretty historic villages , feeding penguins and getting to see lots of cool motorcars .

We have stayed in self-catering properties in the Cotswolds, as well as luxury family-friendly hotels including Cowley Manor – which really welcomed our kids and gives ample opportunity to explore Cheltenham nearby.

The choice of family-friendly hotels in the Cotswolds is extensive as there are hundreds of family-friendly hotels in the area and Karen from Travel Mad Mum shares her experience of Calcot Manor:

“There are plenty of hotels to choose from in the Cotswolds but when it comes to travelling with kids, we stumbled across probably the most family-friendly hotel in the UK! There is a wealth of family-friendly activities and sites on offer and Calcot Manor Hotel and Spa strikes the perfect balance between a family-friendly hotel and true luxury. They are fully geared up to cater for kids, offering a range of services including an onsite Ofsted registered creche, a childcare centre, afternoon family pool hours and child-friendly high tea. For the adults, they have a beautiful hot tub, disk-golf and more! Ten minutes down the road from the Manor is Westonbirt Arboretum with its TreeTop Walkway and Gruffalo walk, the perfect place for little ones to burn off some steam.”

Some of the best beaches in the UK can be found in Devon and many of them are extremely toddler-friendly. Even in the rain, there are plenty of attractions and fun things to do with toddlers and kids, as we discovered when we spent a week near Ilfracombe . But one of the best toddler-friendly areas in Devon is Dartmoor National Park, says local resident Claire from Tin Box Traveller, and is full to the brim with beautiful landscapes and amazingly child-friendly activities.

“With its rugged tors and outstanding scenery, Dartmoor National Park in Devon is a haven for walking families. It’s also a place steeped in history and it inspired Arthur Conan Doyle’s  The Hound of the Baskervilles , so budding storytellers will thrill at the atmosphere. But aside from myth, legend and landscapes, what’s there to do on Dartmoor with toddlers? Plenty – so check out this post for more , including an otter sanctuary and castle.”

Dorset and the Jurrasic Coast

With over 95 miles of coastline, the Jurassic Coast Dorset stretches from Exmouth in Devon all the way to Studland Bay in Dorset and spans a staggering 185 million years of geological history. Not only is there the promise of fossil hunting and dinosaurs, but beautiful family-friendly beach resorts, attractions and breathtaking landscapes. We took a road trip along the Jurassic Coast and discovered many of the fantastic sights along the way – all the while, basing ourselves in a great, toddler-friendly holiday park which was also reasonably priced. Highlights for us included eating ice cream in Lyme Regis and seeing Durdle’s Door on a misty day.

Potty training Your Little Ones?

After spending a week exploring the North East and Durham, we were spellbound by the area. Not only in how much there was to see and do as a family, and the friendly welcome we received, but the sheer beauty of the region. From stargazing in the Pennines to learning about how we lived in the past at the highly recommended Beamish Museum, we even got to explore castles and walk with alpacas . Meanwhile, we ended our toddler-friendly holiday by staying a luxury family-friendly spa hotel Rockliffe Hall , which really knows how to put families first from a fantastical playground to splash park.

If you’re looking from a break from the norm, and one where you’re at one with nature then perhaps a Forest Holiday might be what you’re after. We spent a glorious break at Blackwood Forest in Hampshire , riding bikes, building dens and going on bug hunts. There is so much for toddlers and young children to do, and they’ll particularly like the spaces of the cabins – some of which, even have hot tubs. Imagine a home away from home but under a canopy of trees.

Isles of Scilly

Situated just off the coast of Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly is a small, unspoiled haven which is perfect for young families and toddler-friendly holidays in the UK, as Katy from Otis and Us explains:

“We wanted to visit the Isles of Scilly for so long and I am so pleased we decided to wait and visit with our three children. It is such a beautiful place and I would even say it is one of my favourite places that we have visited over the last couple of years. The Isles of Scilly is around 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall and  consists of a large number of uninhabited islands, and five inhabited islands: St Mary’s , Tresco , Bryher , St Agnes , and St Martin’s . All so different, yet equally spectacular.  We stayed at Karma Resort on St Martin’s. With its laid-back way of life, beautiful beaches, clear turquoise waters, and incredible sunsets it is a place that stole our hearts.  The islands are so family-friendly and the people welcoming. From St Martin’s we hopped on a boat to Tresco where we hired bikes and a bike seat and spent the day exploring the island, stumbling across honesty stalls, play parks and the beautiful Abbey Gardens . The girls still talk about seal spotting and kayaking!  I would return in a heartbeat.”

Lake District

The fact that the Lake District has been awarded UNESCO Heritage status isn’t the only reason why the Lake District is a must-visit destination for a family holiday in the UK. I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the natural surroundings which comprises of epic lakes, mountains, national parks and picture-perfect villages and towns. It truly is a sight to behold and there really is so much to do even with toddler or baby in tow. Highlights for us include taking a steamboat gondola on Lake Coniston and exploring the different National Trust sights which included waterfalls and mountain passes.

It may not be the most elegant resort in the world, but if you are looking for a cheap and cheerful break with your toddlers then Morecambe delivers in spades for toddler-friendly holidays in the UK. This small town in Lancashire is located on a stunning bay and offers simple, free pleasures like making sandcastles on the beach. The prom hosts some great annual events like the Catch the Wind Kite Festival and Vintage by The Sea. Brucciani’s has been making ice cream since 1939 – pop in and enjoy the old fashioned vibe. For a luxury art deco experience, have tea in the refurbished Midland Hotel. There are loads of things to wear the kids out before bed; bounce an hour away at Jump Rush, follow the bird art trail along the prom, go bowling and eat pizza at Soul Bowl and Vista Italian Kitchen and sing Bring Me Sunshine in front of the statue of Eric. For more ideas see The Family Adventure Project’s post on 30 family friendly  things to do in Morecambe.

Northumberland

Staffordshire peak district.

Penny from The Mayfield Hideaway recommends the Peak District as a fantastic toddler-friendly holiday in the UK.

“We recently moved to the Staffordshire Peak District and regularly host toddlers in our self-catering places at Mayfield Hideaway . Nearby National Trust Ilam Park and Dovedale are great for mini-adventures, you play pooh sticks, walk along the tree stump trail, roll down hills, paddle, cross the famous stepping stones and make the most of the flat and pushchair friendly walk to Dovedale. Meanwhile, Alton Towers , including C Beebies Land, is under 10 miles away. Matlock Bath has Gulliver’s Kingdom , another toddler-sized theme park.

Peak Wildlife Park is the perfect size for little ones to get close to animals from meerkats to penguins. RSPB reserve Coombe Valley was recently voted a Hidden Gem by Visit Britain, it has dens, fairy villages, tree walkways and pond dipping to break the walking up.

The Tissington and Manifold Trails , beginning in Ashbourne and Waterhouses, are excellent traffic-free cycle tracks, both with family bike hire, including trailers. For rainy days head to one of the Peak District’s four caves and caverns , to Sudbury Museum of Childhood .

Peak District

Nell from The Pigeon Pair and Me also agrees that the Peak District makes for a fantastic family-friendly UK break:

“ Landal Green Parks Darwin Forest , in England’s scenic Peak District, really is a treat for families who want to enjoy a peaceful, natural environment. All 120 of its wooden cabin-style lodges are made locally, in the town of Bakewell . Some even come with their own hot tubs. We really made the most of ours. From delicious morning soaks to quiet evening sessions under the stars, we might have broken the record for the number of hot tub dips a family can have in 48 hours. The cabin as well comes fully equipped – which is what you need when you have a toddler.

Darwin Forest’s 47 acres of mixed woodland is managed, with trails for walking or cycling – hire bikes which have seats for toddlers, too. But it doesn’t feel overly manicured. We spotted a fair number of the highly poisonous fly agaric mushrooms, which we warned the kids not to touch. But they looked just like fairy toadstools. My daughter called it ‘the Magic Forest’, and we really did have an enchanting long weekend there, searching for fairy doors at the bottom of trees, enjoying lazy breakfasts on our terrace, and doing a spot of water zorbing in the resort swimming pool. It was just what our London family needed, to get rid of the stresses of city life.”

For more Peak District information and places to visit check out this great site by Travelynn Family.

Pembrokeshire

We recently spent a week exploring Pembrokeshire in Wales and loved every minute, despite the weather. From eating fish and chips on Tenby Beach to spending the day at Folly Farm we found so much to see and do. In fact, here is my ultimate guide to Pembrokeshire with kids .

If you’re wondering where one of the best holiday destinations with toddlers is – then Reading may not instantly spring to mind. But after our stay at the fantastic Buckleberry Farm, we’d definitely add it to the list. Glamping in Feather Down’s rather luxurious tents, where you can hear deer rutting in the field next door, was quite an experience. But when you add in an adventure park, giant slides, a working farm, and deer safari – you won’t even have to leave the site. The kids absolutely loved it here, even in the pouring rain. So that’s saying something. You can read all about our stay at Buckleberry Farm here . 

Suffolk has so much to explore. From heathland and rolling countryside to miles and miles of coastline – including Southwold and Aldeburgh – is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

On our staycation to Suffolk, we stayed in the peaceful and pretty hamlet of Pin Mill  on the banks of the River Orwell. which we found was a perfect base to explore the nearby coastline. We even found quirky accommodation in the form of a houseboat. Find out all about Suffolk stay and what to see and do in Pin Mill . For my boys it was heaven – and my youngest would have easily claimed this was one of the best places to stay with toddlers in the UK. 

Meanwhile, Center Parcs has long since been a staple when it comes to providing families with toddler-friendly holidays in the UK. Lisa from Travel Loving Family loves them and in a particular, a stay at Elveden Forest in Suffolk .

“My husband and I have always been huge fans of Center Parcs, even more so since becoming parents.  We’ve been taking our boys to Center Parcs since they were babies and we’ve always had a brilliant time.  For toddlers, the parks work really well because everything is just so convenient.  Within a few minutes walk/cycle you can be in the village centre where you can go swimming, dine at a child-friendly restaurant, let them burn off some energy in the playgrounds, pop into the shops, have fun on the arcades or simply just enjoy a drink at Starbucks or a bar. One of the features we particularly love for toddlers at CenterParcs is the soft play areas in the restaurants.  It just takes the stress out of trying to keep a wriggly toddler at a table whilst waiting for food to arrive.  There are plenty of activities for toddlers too including kids clubs, Teddy Bear picnics, balance bikes, sports and art classes. All of these activities cost extra so a word of warning for parents, there are also many free activities so only book one or two and save your money!”

Because Sussex is close to our home, we often take short breaks and day trips to the county. Not only has it got miles of coastline and award-winning beaches from Brighton, Lewes, Littlehampton , Eastbourne and Camber Sands, but tons of attractions for the whole family. Some of our favourite spots include Seven Sisters Country Park and West Wittering Beach . I believe it is a great destination for toddler holidays in the UK.

You’re also spoiled for choice in terms of accommodation options including f amily-friendly camping sites – but we particularly loved our stay at Bailiffscourt Court in Climping . From a welcome basket for the kids to a treasure hunt around the hotel, it really caters for children of all ages. Plus the beach is just a short stroll away…

Staffordshire

With Alton Towers being one of the main attractions in Staffordshire, the theme park isn’t the only big draw in the region. When we were last there, we had a great time exploring Tamworth and its historic castle . Meanwhile, there is much to see and do in Stoke-on-Trent, including discovering all there is to know about the pottery industry as well as the stunning Trentham Estate – which Chloe from Picture-Taker Memory-Maker tells us about:

“Trentham Gardens is a fantastic day out for the whole family and there is plenty to do for toddlers, in particular, come rain or shine.  In fact, it might be tricky to know where to go first! You could head off on an adventure around the mile-long lake: completing the treasure trail along the way to find all sixteen  beautiful fairies and various impressive wooden sculptures; hopping  onto the Trentham Fern miniature train to save tired little legs; and maybe even enjoying a leisurely ride aboard the Miss Elizabeth ferry to see the lake from a different perspective. Or you could choose to make your way to the energising Barefoot Walk,  the challenging Maze, the delightful Sensory Gardens, the thrilling adventure playground and the nautically-themed sandpits before devouring a delicious Snugbury’s ice-cream or a hot chocolate in the cafe.  It’s a tough decision. It really is an action-packed and fun-filled day out that you’ll want to head back to time and time again.”

Elizabeth from Wander Mum wants to give a shout-out to toddler-friendly hotel Woolley Grange in Wiltshire.

“ Woolley Grange is a hotel which understands families – inside and out. The Jacobean manor on the end of the Cotswolds can give you a perfect family break in the UK. We went for three nights with our 6-year-old daughter and two-year-old toddler. The pair happily ran into the creche (you get two hours of free childcare) while we enjoyed some time together, got treatment at the spa and relaxed in front of its roaring fires. The cosy hotel has shelves filled with children’s books and games to play. It also has indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools and 14 acres of gardens to explore. Spot the giant Connect Four, trampoline and sheep statues placed throughout the grounds. There’s no shortage of kids activities and their mealtimes are catered for at appropriate times. The kid’s cinema club was also a hit. In the evenings they have a listening service so you can enjoy a meal as a couple while the little ones sleep. Located close to the village of Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, it’s a short journey to the city Bath but, really, there’s no reason to leave.”

Family-Friendly UK Breaks and Attractions

I hope that our suggestions for toddler holidays in the UK have given you inspiration on where you can visit with your little ones. However, you may not have the time to travel too far, or might just be looking for a fun family day out or weekend break? Here is a list of some brilliant toddler-friendly attractions around the UK, as well.

Drayton Manor Park

The one thing that my toddler wanted desperately was “Thomas the Tank Engine!” and a weekend visit to Drayton Manor Park was just the ticket! Thomas Land is pretty epic in the eyes of a two-three-year-old, and put that together with a large theme park with numerous rides, a zoo, and even a dinosaur park, as well as a themed hotel, it’s definitely one of the best children’s holiday parks in the UK. You can read all about our visit to Drayton Manor in this post .

Diggerland Kent

Diggerland is a kids’ paradise with big boys’ toys such as tractors, cranes, racing cars and the like! The benefit of visiting Diggerland apart from the obvious is that there it is fairly small – so perfect for toddler’s legs. You can read all about our visit to Diggerland here.

Howletts Wild Animal Park

Carrie from Flying with a Baby has fond memories of her time at Howletts Wild Animal Park and suggests it’s a great extension for any toddler-friendly holidays in the UK:

Legoland Windsor Resort

What child, big or small, wouldn’t love Legoland Windsor? For those who live far away from Windsor in Berkshire, visitors can make a real weekend break of it, the theme park is certainly big enough to explore over several days. With hotel breaks, there is much to enjoy with over 55 interactive rides, as well as shows throughout the day. It really is a child’s paradise. You can read all about Legoland Windsor here.

Longleat Safari Park

Get up close and personal with a wide range of exotic animals from tigers, lions and monkeys in the UK’s first-ever drive-through safari park located in Wiltshire. With over 500 creatures there is much to discover, as well as train rides, Postman Pat Village, a Jungle Cruise, huge outdoor play areas and much more – a great day out for toddlers and kids. You can read all about Longleat here.

Peppa Pig World

As any parent who has toddlers will know all too well, Peppa Pig and her family will be an integral part of life. So a trip to Peppa Pig World in Paultons Park in Hampshire will be inevitable. Like a moth to a flame, toddlers just love Peppa Pig World – after all, their favourite characters are brought to life through a mini-kingdom that is pink and colourful. And there are many places to stay nearby including the New Forest and Southampton. You can read all about Peppa Pig World here .

* Do you have any other suggestions for toddler-friendly holidays in the UK – I’d love to hear them?

About to fly with a toddler?

Best Places to Visit in the UK with Kids

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Planning to visit the UK with kids? Thinking about what to do in the United Kingdom? There are so many awesome places to visit in the UK and a mind-boggling number of things to do in the United Kingdom that might overwhelm you. Fret not. We have put together a list of the most beautiful places in the UK you must add to your UK itinerary so you can have the best UK vacation with your family.

The UK or the United Kingdom of Great Britain is a complete package deal for families. An unusually beautiful country packed with endless kid-friendly attractions and small enough to be explored without rushing around. What more could you ask for?

With such breathtaking cities and towns, lush countrysides, beautiful islands, and diverse attractions within small distances, it can be a daunting task to decide where to start.

We asked fellow family travel bloggers to share their expertise in compiling the list of best places to visit in the UK with kids to add to your UK bucket list .

Best Places to Visit in England

London, england.

David Angel from Delve into Europe

We knew London inside out before having our son five years ago, and we always thought it was somewhere he would enjoy. He certainly did – indeed, he absolutely adores the place. The beauty of London is that there is so much to do, and there’s something for everyone no matter what their niche or niches may be. London is unarguably one of the best cities in the UK . This is why we’d recommend London to anyone traveling with kids. London has many amazing attractions for kids, and this includes its many parks and playgrounds. Our little man loved the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens , one of the best parks and gardens in London . This brilliant playground is free but you may end up having to queue to get in sometimes. Nearby, the Museums in South Kensington are outstanding, The two that kids are most likely to be interested in are the Natural History Museum and Science Museum . Our son was so enamored of both that he wanted to return to them the following day.

The Science Museum has plenty of hands-on exhibits, perfect when you’ve got a curious little one wanting to explore.

He also loved visiting some of the famous buildings in London . He was particularly keen on St Paul’s Cathedral and joined me on a climb to the Golden Gallery , the viewpoint at the top of the famous dome.

South Kensington is a very convenient area to stay in London with kids, as it’s right next to the Museums and within easy striking distance of Central London. The Meininger Hotel London Hyde Park is, despite its name, across the street from the Natural History Museum, and an ideal choice for families. The best way to explore London is on foot. Here are some of the best self-guided London walks to explore the city like a pro.

Grab your London Oyster Card along with a London Pass to effortlessly get around and explore the town.

Tip: Take a self-guided walking tour with kids to discover some of the most beautiful neighborhoods and prettiest streets in London . Let your kids admire the colors and creativity.

Greenwich, England

Greenwich, a borough in London is located to the south of River Thames. Greenwich gives its name to the famous GMT or the Greenwich Meridian Time.

The Prime Meridian, where the Longitude Zero passes through is located in the Royal Observatory. Take the iconic picture by standing with one foot in the Western hemisphere and the other in the Eastern hemisphere across the Prime Meridian. The Prime Meridian has been used for reference of GMT time since 1884. 

The Royal Observatory Built way back in 1676 has a major role in the work in the fields of astronomy and navigation. Getting into the world of stars, it has one of the world’s greatest telescopes and other historic clocks and instruments in the museum. 

Royal Observatory, a part of Greenwich Park sits atop a hill overlooking the beautiful Park. Standing at the entrance of the Royal Observatory gives some mesmerizing vistas of the manicured landscape with backdrops of the National Maritime Museum and the London skyline.

Another great way to Enjoy soak in the beauty of the London skyline and the River Thames is the Emirates Air Line Cable car between the Greenwich Peninsula and Royal Docks.

Greenwich is a historic city and home to the Royals a long time back. It is eminent through the architecture and important buildings like the Queen’s House, Old Royal Naval College, and National Maritime Museum that can be visited.

The Queen’s house built in the 17th century is a living example of grandeur and stunning architecture. Entry to the Queen’s house is free and must be made.

On the Greenwich Pier is docked the Cutty Sark , a restored 19th-century tea trading ship considered the fastest ship of its time. It was used as a tea clipper to bring tea from China to England fast. Walk below the hull or check the history in the docks, it is surely going to be a great time.

Greenwich is easily accessible from London by tube, train, or bus. 

Cornwall, England

Victoria from Bridges and Balloons

Looking for Big Sur California vibes in Europe? Then head to the Cornwall coast where you’ll find some of the most beautiful beaches in the UK , if not Europe. The rugged cliffs, sweeping bays, and golden sandy beaches make for the perfect family playground, and it’s also home to gorgeous countryside and endless things for kids to do. You’d love to visit Cornwall with the kids . One of the region’s most popular attractions is the Eden Project , which features two huge biomes, housing plants from across the world – including the world’s largest indoor rainforest. Filled with fun and educational activities, it’s an ideal day out, come rain or shine. Other popular attractions include the Camel Bike Trail , Flambards Theme Park , St Michael’s Mount , and the Lost Gardens of Heligan . Plus there’s plenty to do on the many beaches, including learning to surf.

Cornwall is also home to some of the UK’s best family hotels . Watergate Bay is a favorite and is the ultimate  luxury Cornwall family holiday . Situated right on the beach at the picturesque Watergate Bay, it goes above and beyond to provide a holiday that both children and parents won’t forget. Everything from the hotel rooms to the restaurants to the children’s playroom is stylishly done, and highlights include an indoor infinity pool looking out to the ocean; a fabulous on-site spa; a free children’s club; a surfing school, and endless views of the epic bay. It’s also possible to arrange for a baby monitor in your room, so adults can have dinner together or enjoy some live music while the children sleep safely upstairs.

The Isles of Scilly, England

Annabel from Smudged Postcard

If you’re looking for a peaceful, old-fashioned seaside holiday for families, the  Scilly Isles  takes some beating. Located off the coast of Cornwall in southwest England, the Isles of Scilly are a bit of a secret. The archipelago is made up of five inhabited islands and scores of uninhabited isles. The main island is St Mary’s: it has a lively main town and scores of beaches to explore. There are also ancient ruins and an interesting museum charting the history of the islands. If you’d prefer a more escapist experience, the island of St Agnes is the most remote and has limited holiday accommodation. One of the highlights from our family holiday was spending our days on empty beaches, despite it being August. We loved exploring the islands by boat and bike: You can’t bring your car to the Scillies so it’s a really safe destination for young children. It’s possible to hire a golf buggy but most places can be reached on foot as the islands are so small. There are plenty of water sports in the Scillies: we enjoyed stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. It’s also possible to swim with seals and go diving. There’s a great range of restaurants and plenty of great places to stay in the Isles of Scilly. If you’re after luxury accommodation, try the Sea Garden Cottages on the island of Tresco, If you’re on a budget Longstone Lodge on St Mary’s is an excellent youth hostel. The Isles of Scilly are best reached by ferry from Penzance in Cornwall although there are also regular flights from a range of airports in southwest England.

Peak District, England

Jenny Lynn from Peak District Kids

When people think of England they perhaps think of Buckingham Palace, red phone boxes, historical towns like Bath or Cambridge, or fish n chips at a traditional seaside town like Blackpool or Brighton. But for me, it’s the green, rolling countryside that’s the true England, and overlooked by so many travelers is the Peak District nestled in the heart of the country with its stunning landscapes, drystone walls, and quaint villages. With the kids dressed in puddle suits and wellies, we love nothing better than a family walk in the Peak District. Our favorites are the Nine Ladies Circle through Stanton Moor Peak or the walk starting next to The Robin Hood pub in Baslow , with spectacular views from Birchen Edge . Alternatively, hire some bikes and ride the Monsal Trail or Tissington Trail . We always try to visit Blaze Farm in Wildboarclough for a free walk around the farm and a taste of the scrummy homemade ice cream or head over to Chatsworth House to marvel at the grand gardens. A good family day out in the Peak District is always The Heights of Abraham or Crich Tramway Museum . But if you’re seeking thrills head to the Gulliver’s Kingdom or nearby Alton Towers !

However, the best thing to do after a long walk across the dales is to warm up in front of a fire at one of the many old and characterful pubs with your favorite tipple and some home-cooked food. Pubs like The Bull in Monyash have a playground in the back garden, and almost all have a separate children’s menu. And as this is the Peak District, muddy boots and muddy paws are always welcome! Check out  Peak District Kids  for everything you need to know about visiting this beautiful National Park in the UK.

Public transport is VERY limited here and whilst there is the odd bus from Derby, or you could take the train from Sheffield or Manchester to Edale, a car is very much advised as the transport network is so limited.

Book a day trip to Derbyshire and the Peak District from Manchester

Lake District, England

If you are looking for natural beauty closer to London, then think no further and head to the Lake District. As the name suggests, this region is blessed with many beautiful lakes nestled by green mountains that make it a popular destination.

We chose to spend a few days in this beautiful area exploring some of the magical lakes and feasting on the magical vistas. Spending time in this countryside, away from the hustle-bustle of the city is so much relaxing and refreshing. We instantly fell in love with this place and its charm.

Some of the lakes that are a must-visit are Lake Windermere, Ullswater, Bassenthwaite, and Grasmere . Lake Windermere is England’s largest lake and the most popular in the Lake District.

This is a great place to travel with kids and enjoy multiple outdoor adventures. Take a cruise in Lake Windermere or kayak leisurely through the waters seeping in the beauty around, walk around the lakes , or just sit by the lake. Camping is a great way to enjoy the wilderness of the district. There are so many walking routes perfect for even kids to enjoy. And if walking is not your type, hop on a bus tour of the Lake District .

Also, don’t forget to visit the prehistoric Castlerigg Stone Circle thought to be built around 3000 BC which links to religious and astronomical activities and gives the kids a first-hand experience of history.

Yorkshire, England

Sinead Camplin from Map Made Memories

England’s largest county, Yorkshire, is one of the cheapest places to visit in the UK as well as one of the best family holiday destinations in Europe as there are lots of diverse, family-friendly attractions, many of which are free to experience.

Spend time in the historic city of York visiting the majestic Gothic cathedral, York Minster which offers weekly tours, especially for families with young children. Walk the impressive medieval city walls, (the longest city walls in England), or the atmospheric, cobbled street, The Shambles, which was voted ‘Best Street in Britain.’ Train fans will be free to enter the National Railway Museum or learn about York’s rich Viking and Roman history at the Yorkshire Museum or the Jorvik Viking Centre . York is a small city that can easily be explored on foot and has several urban green parks and playgrounds for a good runaround! One hour’s drive west of York brings you to the stunning green landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales .

Book your day tour from York to the Yorkshire Dales here. Take a guided trip into a cave at Ingleton or visit England’s highest single-drop waterfall, Hardraw Force . Attempt one of many family-friendly hikes in the Dales ; our family’s favorite is the circular hike around Malham Cove which is featured in the Harry Potter movies. Take a one-hour drive east of York to explore the wild, windswept landscapes of the Yorkshire Moors. Travel across the Moors on the North Yorkshire Railway steam train and make a stop at Goathland whose station doubled as the arrival point for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films.

Book your tour from York to North Yorkshire Moors and Whitby by a steam train here.

On the other side of the moors, the dramatic North Yorkshire coastline is dotted with picturesque fishing villages such as Robin Hood Bay or long stretches of sandy beaches like Cayton Bay . This Jurassic coastline is full of fossils so keep your eyes open for a lucky find! For an affordable, budget stay in York, I would recommend Travelodge or Premier Inn .

Best Places to Visit in Scotland

Edinburgh, scotland.

Editor’s Pick

Edinburgh is one of the best cities in the UK to take your kids to. From exploring Edinburgh Castle, visiting the Edinburgh Zoo, walking the hilly cobbled old town, taking a Harry Potter tour, to climbing the extent volcano, Edinburgh is no less than a live history lesson with fun for kids. Overall, the city is kid-friendly. It can be explored easily with a stroller except for some cobbled areas of the old town. Edinburgh Castle has to be the first attraction you visit when in Edinburgh. Kids will love the Great Hall, Mons Meg, and Honors of Scotland. Explorer Quiz is quite a powerful way to keep the kids engaged. Our kids particularly enjoyed Camera Obscura and World of Illusions , right next to the castle. Spy cameras, Light Fantastic, and Bewilderworld are some of the most enjoyable attractions here. How about climbing the extinct volcano right in the heart of the city? It’s not only fun to climb Arthur’s Seat but the views from it are to die for. Harry Potter fan or not, you can never go wrong with a Harry Potter Tour .

Taking one of the many Harry Potter tours is one of the best things to do in Edinburg with kids . You are sure to be transported to the Harry Potter world. There is an overwhelming number of family-friendly hotels in Edinburgh to choose from, our favorite remains Old Town Chambers .

Conveniently settled on the Royal Mile , Old Town Chambers offers easy access to most of the attractions and restaurants making it a perfect fit for families with kids.

Best Places to Visit in Wales

Cardiff, wales.

Cath from Passports and Adventures

The capital of Wales is an extremely family-friendly holiday destination in the UK and families are well catered for in Cardiff.

With many of the streets in the city center pedestrianized and a great public transport system, the city is an ideal place for a family break. Cardiff is only two hours by train from London and has a range of hotels to suit all budgets.

Voco St David’s hotel in Cardiff Bay is a five-star hotel with an amazing spa and great views across the Bay but there are budget-friendly options like Premier Inn and Travelodge hotels in the city center. There is also a host of places to eat with kids in the city and there is a great choice in St David’s 2 Shopping Centre and around Mill Lane .

One of our favorites is Bill’s Restaurant . Keeping kids entertained in the city isn’t hard either as there is a huge range of things to do with kids in Cardiff . Within the city, you’ll find Cardiff Castle and adjacent to it, Bute Park . Once home to the Marquess of Bute, with the park being part of the castle grounds, Cardiff Castle offers kids the chance to let off steam on the grass, check out the Norman Keep, and discover the hidden secrets of the Castle walls. Outside the castle walls, Bute Park offers more grassy areas for playing and has a playground and an arboretum.

Further afield, St Fagan’s is a must-visit with kids. The Welsh National Museum of History is an extraordinary place to visit with kids with houses and buildings from across Wales painstakingly brought, brick-by-brick, to the site in Cardiff and they date from as far back as the 12th century. It is a chance to see Wales’ history close up. You will also find the National Museum interesting for kids and Techniquest in the Bay is worth a visit.

No matter what your kids are interested in, there is something for children of all ages in Cardiff.

Gower, Wales

Ric from Surfatlas

Gower was actually the UK’s first-ever Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s easy to see why it was right at the front of the queue way back in 1956!

Its south coast is a medley of long, scything beaches and rugged bays, all topped by gorse headlands and cut through by wiggling rivers.

The north coast comes dashed with pine forests and swamps, kitschy Celtic pubs, and small Welsh villages.

Spring, summer, and autumn visits can either be packed with adventure or – Welsh weather permitting – about lazing on the shoreline.

For the latter, check out Three Cliffs, which has big dunes where the little ones can run around while you get lost in your book.

Port Eynon is also worth a look at. The big tidal difference there opens up a tract of rock pools filled with all sorts of crabs and anemones – an aspiring Attenborough’s dream!

To get the adrenaline pumping, it might be better to head for Llangennith Beach. It’s home to some of the best  surfing Wales  has to offer.

Drop into PJ’s Surf Shop in the nearby village for info on the latest conditions and affordable rentals. Alternatively, there are strawberry farms on the South Gower Road, and hidden tree swings in the dune forests behind Nicholaston Burrows – a local’s favorite.

For sleeping, there’s arguably no better spot than the front-row camping pitches at the Three Cliffs Bay Holiday Park .

The folk there recently added a few yurt-style glamping tents if you’re after more luxury. Winter visitors might be a tad cozier at the King Arthur Hotel .

It’s a classic Welsh inn with a roaring fireplace, Gower-made ales, and quaint cottage accommodation. Nice.

Best Places to Visit in Northern Ireland

Belfast, northern ireland.

Cath from Travel Around Ireland

Belfast, as a city, is becoming a more popular holiday destination for families, not least because it is a great base for visiting the Game of Thrones filming locations in Northern Ireland but also for the Giant’s Causeway . But, if you don’t want to travel further afield and want to stay locally, it caters to families because there are lots of great things to do with kids in Belfast. Belfast is easily reached from within Ireland, the UK, or further afield and has a good public transport system for those wanting to explore the city without needing a car.

A great place to stay as a family in the city is the Clayton Hotel which is within walking distance to most of the sites and places of interest. And speaking of the places of interest for families, there are lots of things to see and do in Belfast. If your kids like animals, you could visit the Belfast Zoo or the Streamvale Open Farm .

Belfast Castle and Gardens are worth a visit, just be aware that the castle itself is not open to the public. Belfast is also a great place to visit if you have fans of the Chronicles of Narnia books with its CS Lewis Square , where you will find sculptures in homage to some of the famous characters of the books. And no visit to Belfast would be complete without visiting the Titanic Museum . While it might not be the first place you would think to bring kids, exhibits are well presented with lots of interactive elements to keep kids engaged.

These are just a few things that families can enjoy together in Belfast, making it a great holiday destination for families in the UK.

We sincerely hope that one of these kid-friendly countries in the UK inspires your next trip and the trip turns out to be one of the best UK vacations with kids 🙂

Recommended Reading:

• Things to do in Edinburgh with Kids
• Best National Parks in the UK for Families
• Best Family Day Trips from London
• Coolest London Quotes to Inspire Your Next Visit

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The best places to stay in the UK with a baby or toddler

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A hotel may trumpet its family-friendly credentials, but anyone who has  travelled with a baby  will know that it’s a completely different ballgame to holidaying with children. Babies refuse to observe etiquette codes or minimalist design appeal; they’re as unpredictable as the British weather, and their routines dictate the agenda of some – if not all – of their travel companions. So it takes a real expert, or at least a  hotel  willing to do its homework, to cater to the needs of babies and their sleep-deprived parents. The word here is convenience. Leaving the nest is stressful when the routine is thrown, baby paraphernalia is muddled in transit, and changing-feeding-sleeping stations are adjusting to a new context. Luckily, a handful of  family-friendly UK hotels  deserve this baby-friendly stamp by flawlessly navigating this convenience minefield and turning a trip into an actual holiday for weary parents.

The Mole Resort, North Devon

A picturesque haven deep in North Devon, The Mole Resort is an 1800s manor house turned multi-gen multi-accommodation-options bolthole. Choose from a stay in the manor house itself, the stable cottage, or one of the eco-lodges. We cosied up, with babe-in-arms, in the homely Energy Positive Lodge, the first of its kind in the UK to generate more energy than it consumes; roofs are covered in green moss and red succulents, and the wrap-around balcony overlooks the best of the British countryside, with wall to wall bifold doors opening up the space for sunset suppers.

Within the tot-friendly grounds is a kid's play area with a sand pit, plus two play rooms by the main reception, including a soft play area with bean bags and a bouncy castle for tinies. Older kids will love the danger zone (separate from the main communal areas), for axe throwing and archery while younger guests can take part in a pottery painting session. Just down the hill is the outdoor walled courtyard pool as well as an indoor pool – both are available for all ages to enjoy a splash. A short walk from here is the Mole restaurant, where a dedicated kid's menu is an ideal crowd-pleaser. Megan Wilkes

Prices: From around £400 for a two-night stay in a two-bedroom lodge.

Watergate Lodge, Cornwall

A five-minute walk from door to sea, this far-from-quaint, five-bedroom eco-lodge comes pre-primed for a cross-generational getaway in one of the UK’s most popular beach locations. Architecturally designed for groups, each section of the lodge caters for both communal and alone time with a large open plan dining, living and kitchen area at its core. All the family-friendly bells and whistles are here – two dishwashers, a large electric oven and a bottom drawer dedicated to children's utensils and plastic crockery. The bedrooms sit in their own wing with black-out curtains and a more shaded room closer to the house, ideal for that all-important nap time. At its core, the cinema room is a calming space ideal for toddler exploration, while the adjoining master bathroom provides the ideal setup for winding down the little ones with a bath and bed. A travel cot and high chair can be provided on request. Watergate Bay Hotel is just nearby and offers an appealing day pass option to the spa and restaurant for parents in need of some downtime. Megan Wilkes

Price: From around £3,094 per week

The Grove, Hertfordshire, London Arrow

It’s not especially well-known that The Grove , a place famous for its mega spa and serious treatment plans, also caters superbly to small children. The Anouska’s Kids Club is tucked behind the walled garden and is more like a full-blown nursery, open on Saturdays and every day during school holidays for three-hour sessions. There’s a dedicated children’s pool and splash pool for babies, plus woodland walks, a playground and even a musical trail in the grounds for toddlers. The property has had a major refurb of its rooms and dining spaces, but many come back for Ralph’s Beach, a retro-chic sandy set-up around the heated outdoor pool with mini candy-coloured deck chairs and buckets and spades.

Price: Doubles from around £325

Heckfield Place, Heckfield Arrow

Heckfield Place has scrupulously studied the pain points of travelling with babies. From nappy bins to baby baths, bottle warmers to muslin cloths, this elegantly unfussy country house hotel serves up a genuine restorative break for bedraggled parents. A polished, earthy design revives the building’s noble bones – within which young families can feel at home and not tip-toeing around Ming vases and dated decorum. The pronounced exhale and five-inch drop of parents’ shoulders must have something to do with Heckfield’s Executive Housekeeper, Florence Yorwarth, who is ‘constantly looking for goodies for our little guests.’ This is manifested in the baby baths, cots and newborn pods added to the stylish rooms overlooking the Georgian pleasure gardens, the arboretum and stately lake. The hotel even provides breast pumps on request – ideal for nursing mothers looking to buy a few hours for a spa treatment or simply a time out in one of Heckfield’s many armchairs. Organic design tones and textures reflect the hotel’s earthy ethos, particularly on Skye Gyngell’s menus in both the light-filled Marle and cockle-warming Hearth, where parents can refuel and nourish their exhausted bodies with plates of farm radishes with creme fraiche and wild nettle risotto.

Price: Doubles from around £600

Fowey Hall Hotel, Cornwall Arrow

This incredibly handsome Cornwall hotel overlooking the smooth-as-glass Fowey estuary is part of a tiny collection of properties that is geared entirely towards young families. Crucially though, they are still grown-up and aesthetically pleasing, so are a joy for adults too. Ninety minutes of childcare is included for every night of your stay (the service is Ofsted-registered and unusually takes very young babies) and there’s even a breakfast club on Sundays when nannies will pick up toddlers from their rooms and whisk them away so that you can enjoy coffee and the papers in bed. It’s also now one of very few properties in the UK that still offer a baby-listening service – put your little one to sleep in your room then carry the provided video monitors with you for the evening.

Price: Doubles from around £175

Gleneagles, Scotland Arrow

Whether you have toddlers, teenagers or none of the above, Gleneagles is one of those high-end, cosseting hotels that you will want to visit at least once in a lifetime. It happens to also be extremely family-friendly, so no need to steel yourself when arriving with a baby – they really are welcomed with open arms. For this specific age range (0-30 months), it’s super easy to add a cot to your double room, and they come full-size and with little wooden cars and a ferris-wheel toy. The childcare at The Little Glen creche, for 2-9 year olds, is superb (the first hour is free), plus it’s a beautifully designed space with an indoor treehouse , toy stables with hobby horses and a Gleneagles steam train.

The Four Seasons, Hampshire

Possibly the worst-kept secret among inner family circles, the Four Seasons – set on 500-acres of parkland just 90 minutes from London by car – shines head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to catering for families, babies included. New parents, already engulfed in the fog that dominates those early months, can relax – everything you could need for your newborn is already here, from bottle sterilisers and microwaves to nappies, and even special baby toiletries and bathtub, meaning the de-stressing starts even as you’re packing the car to set off for your staycation. Dogmersfield Estate, though vast, is surprisingly accessible for those looking for buggy-friendly walks, with a variety of routes carved out around the grounds. Older children are well-catered for too, with Sharkie’s Reef – a designated kid’s pool (meaning you aren’t limited to restrictive ‘childrens’ swimming hours’ – a highwire adventure course, a playground and all sorts of other activities included in your stay, so you needn’t worry about any younger members of your party getting bored while you’re inevitably busy feeding or trying to settle your newborn. Plus, your little one will head home with a special teddy, exclusive to the Four Seasons, for them to cuddle up to for years to come. Anya Meyerowitz

The Fairmont, Windsor

The Fairmont in Windsor would still be considered relatively new to the UK hotel scene. Indeed, some parts of the hotel are still being built, yet it has already embedded itself as a firm favourite among young families looking for a break. Space is the real key here: there are plenty of routes around the grounds for buggy pushing, meaning those endless naptime walks need never get dull, and the plethora of roomy restaurants and bar areas can all easily accommodate a buggy in a quiet corner. Rooms also come fully stocked with baby bath-time products, as well as at least one of the hotel’s special teddies to take home, and requesting a balcony room means you’ll be able to enjoy some vistas across the grounds or a sundowner in peace while your baby naps inside. A hotel deemed best for newborns couldn’t be considered, so if it didn’t also cater for the older children in the group, thus allowing tired parents a bit of a break where possible, this countryside property does so in abundance. From remote-controlled mini Land Rovers and bikes for exploring to children’s spa treatments, an outdoor playground and various other sporting activities, the family fun on offer here is endless. Anya Meyerowitz

Price: Doubles from around £374

The Langley, Buckinghamshire

Even outside of the launch of their latest family day, which took place over a sunny bank holiday Sunday in late August and saw animated children (and their parents) enjoy horse rides, retro fair games, a BBQ and all sorts of other revelries, The Langley’s reception to newborns and their parents could not be warmer. From elevated European-style dining at Cedar (where we dined among various pram-clad tables) and smoky cocktails at the sultry Churchill Bar to laps around the pool amidst a palatial subterranean spa, there is nowhere off limits to your babe in arms. Staff faces genuinely light up whenever a baby checks in, and the entire team are on hand to help carry buggies, car seats, or even the baby themselves, should you so wish. The neighbouring parkland makes for a scenic naptime buggy stroll, and if you’re bringing slightly older children along too, the hotel’s miniature goats are tucked away behind the outdoor pool, ready and waiting to make new friends. The atmosphere here feels generally much calmer than many other family-friendly hotels, a real commodity for new parents. Anya Meyerowitz

Price: Doubles from around £500

Artist Residence, Whitney, Oxfordshire

If holing up in a honey-hued Cotswold hotel with your little tiddler(s) is on the agenda, along with a roaring fire and kitsch-but-cosy interiors, Artist Residence Oxford is a stellar choice. This reimagined 16th-century inn honours its squire-era character with exposed beams, velvet touches and dark sultry hues, a cosy canvas for zeitgeisty tasselled benches and driftwood four-posters. The service mimics the hotel’s warming, home-from-home design agenda, with niche requests never too much trouble, say, for instance, sterilising bottles or mashing food up for tots’ teatime. While all Artist Residences share this trait (and the fabulous backstory), the Oxford outpost’s Stable room, Stable Suite and Barn Suite – all converted outbuildings – offer up oodles of space for cots and the inevitable cavalcade of baby clobber, as well as private entrances (a blessing for prams). Here, parents can sink into armchairs, warming their toes in front of the log fire while feeding the baby, or in summer months enjoy a glass of wine on the rooms’ private terraces. Focaccia with lashings of olive oil, baked scallops and double beef burgers with sweet potato fries can be delivered to parents for a cot-side supper – a popular style of dining for those without childcare provisions.

Price: Doubles from £120

Buxton Crescent, Derbyshire

By its very design, Buxton Crescent is one long, curvy, chic corridor, ideal for walking a restless babe during supper or breakfast without inordinately disrupting other restaurant guests. The staff certainly don’t mind a little grizzling, instead sharing sympathetic smiles and stories of their own kids. All areas of the recently renovated Georgian stunner are step-free and therefore buggy-friendly, bar the subterranean spa and thermal pools which are adult-only anyway. Instead, little rascals get to splash as much as they like in the show-piece half-inside, half-outside pool upstairs.

The children’s menu includes a generous number of simple options (fish, chips and peas suited our fussy one), and the pull-out bed and cot provided in the junior suite are just as unforgettably roomy and marshmallow soft as the king-size, which itself is (almost) large enough to fit all your extended family for long, lazy lie-ins. Are they already bored of frollicking in the beautiful waters? Pop to the playground, tea house and little train in the exquisite Pavilion Gardens next door, via the reassuringly quiet road right outside the hotel. Becky Lucas

Price: Doubles from £125

Another Place, Lake District

This smart country-house crash pad, one of our Best Hotels in the UK , is visually uplifting. A contemporary delight with its sleek pool, bold textiles, modernist furniture and exposed light bulbs, it also manages to remain very low-key – nobody cares what you’re wearing or blinks an eye when a baby cries or a toddler throws a tantrum. There are cute children’s menus in the Living Room (barbecued sticky wings, hummus dipping plates); in more formal restaurant Rampsbeck little ones are also very welcome and most dishes can be tweaked easily – if you want to eat on your own there’s a baby-monitoring service. You’ll also find clever little pantries dotted about the place with microwaves and fridges for storing or warming milk.

Price: Doubles from £269

Glebe House, Devon

It helps that the couple behind Devon ’s recently opened foodie guesthouse have their own little boy, so the baby phase challenges are fresh in their minds. Hugo and Olive have created a calm and stylish home-from-home, where young parents can cocoon themselves in pink and pistachio hues and snuggle their babes in one of many cosy armchairs (the bedroom chairs are ideal for breastfeeding). If solids are already on the agenda, Hugo and Olive’s agriturismo-style kitchen garden is a goldmine for organic vegetables, which can be mashed up and enjoyed in high chairs alongside more grown-up plates of seasonal bounty for parents (expect organic pork from a local farm and fresh fish from Lyme Bay). Travel cots can be added to the rooms, and while you won’t find sterilisers, the team are more than happy to sterilise bottles on request. For families travelling to this pretty former vicarage by train , the taxi to Glebe House is a golden 10 minutes (avoiding yet another stop off for changing and feeding). Read our full Glebe House review .

Price: Doubles from £129

The Pig on the Beach, Dorset

With pretty clifftop views of Studland Bay – some days with a calm, Mediterranean -grade sea, others, a capricious temper bashing the shoreline – The Pig on the Beach is the coastal reverie most parents hold on to when cooped up inside. Its team recognise this, and as soon as the pram wheels roll in or the car seat swings through the home-from-home hall, a palpable sense of support and nurture for parents is manifest. While it may not have the particulars (the sterilisers, baby bouncers and baby baths), the staff’s resolve to ensure parents are well fed and watered, with a flexible approach to time and place, makes this hotel and its county cousins genuinely relaxing escapes for young families. Trusted babysitting companies can be called on for parents in need of some ‘us time’, or single parents craving some well-deserved ‘off time’. Beach walks are easily accessible from the hotel (ideal baby carrier territory), without being too far, should any accidents or poor time planning demand a brisk walk home. And, as is so often the case with babies, if the day seems to melt into the late afternoon and very little has been achieved, an eclectic mix of Gothic grandeur and seaside Victoriana – open fires, velvet chairs and wallpaper rooms – provides a cosy nest with seafood small plates and Dorset Gin & Tonics to mark the occasion.

Price: Doubles from £265

Middleton Lodge, North Yorkshire

Rambling Palladian beauty Middleton Lodge Estate is a siren call for families with babies with its warm and upbeat sensibility, but also for restorative country walks through its 200 acres of rolling fields and the famously pretty Yorkshire Dales yonder. Crucially, these are easily accessible from the hotel without the dreaded car or taxi ride (and the necessity to then lug a car seat through the wilderness). Closer to home, a walled English garden with soft lawns offers up less arduous strolls and nature’s answer to ‘soft play’ for babies. New mums can take refuge in Coach House’s treatment rooms, opting for the gentle and restorative REN ‘Mama Massage’ or ‘Nurturing New Mum Massage’ before sauntering back through the courtyard stippled with lavender and apple trees. Highchairs are jovially pulled up at the lo-fi Coach House restaurant , whose estate-to-plate menu – Saltburn dressed crab and pillowy slow-cooked aubergine – can be kept well away from curious little fingers. Four family rooms with cots and on-request baby monitors give deserving parents their own space while well-fed babes doze off next door, sleepy after a blast of fresh Yorkshire air.

Price: Doubles from £215

Beaverbrook, Surrey

It's one of our favourite family-friendly hotels in London , and while it may be expensive to stay here, it's well worth it. The buttermilk pancakes at the Garden House for breakfast and the Bolognese linguini for lunch are a toddler’s dream and the service (iPads loaded with Hey Duggee or appropriate children’s books, pencils, paints, pens, paper delivered to your room/table/picnic spot) make for a captivated stay. If you’re travelling with a toddler and a baby and want interconnecting rooms so you can put them down to sleep with space for yourselves, go for the Coach or the Garden House. To cut down the spend on the activity bill, visit Bocketts Farm Park nearby, a popular attraction for kids.

Price: from £630 for one night

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Planning a First Trip to the UK with Kids and Teens: Our 10 Day Itinerary

July 14, 2019 by kokotg Leave a Comment

Before I get into recapping all the stuff we did in England on our trip, I want to talk a bit about the planning process and what worked and didn’t work well for us. This was our first trip overseas as a family, and I certainly don’t claim to be an expert, but I always find it helpful to read about how other people approach trip planning when I’m doing it myself and trying to nail down the elusive perfect itinerary for a new location.

In summer of 2018, my in-laws made the very generous offer to take the whole extended family (our family plus my husband’s sister’s family) to Ireland in summer of 2019. This left us with a year to plan, and we used all of that time. I’ll talk about Ireland planning later on; here I’ll stick with the ten days in England that we added on for just our immediate family at the beginning of the trip.

So first up I’ll just give you our final itinerary: where we went and what we did. Then I’ll talk about how we settled on it and how it worked out for us.

Day 0:  Atlanta to London

This actually bled over into Day 1, as we left our house at 9 AM our time and arrived at London City Airport, 3 flights later, at about 8:30 AM London time/3:30 AM EST.

Day 1: London

We were very tired, but we couldn’t check into our Airbnb until afternoon, so we dragged ourselves to the National Maritime Museum for a couple of hours.

Checked in to Airbnb and tried, with mixed success, to stay awake until a reasonable bedtime.

Day 2: London

Morning: British Museum

Lunch at Museum Tavern

Afternoon: Museum of London

Day 3: London

Vauxhall Farms

Westminster Abbey

Late lunch/early dinner at the Laughing Halibut

Treasure Trail in Westminster area

Day 4: London

Victoria and Albert Museum

Lunch at Honest Burger

Hyde Park/Diana Memorial Playground

Day 5: London

Tower of London

Day 6: London to Bath

Pick up rental car at Heathrow

Arrive in Bath and check into hotel

Dinner at Slug+Lettuce

Day 7: Bath

Roman Baths

Bath Treasure Trail

Dinner at Cosy Club

Day 8: Bath to Bakewell (Peak District)

No. 1 Royal Crescent museum in Bath

drive to Bakewell and check in to Airbnb

Day 9: Bakewell

Old House Museum

Bakewell Treasure Trail

Dinner at The Woodyard

Day 10: Bakewell

walk to Chatsworth House (bus back)

Try Bakewell Pudding

Day 11: Bakewell to Dublin!

Okay, so now for the ambitious part where I get into how we put the itinerary together and planned the trip in general.

Deciding where to go

The main decision here was whether to spend all of our time in London (with maybe some day trips to Stonehenge, et. al.) or to split the time between two or more different areas. And, as you can see, we opted for the latter. This was partially because staying in London was just far more expensive than anywhere else, but mostly because we didn’t know when we’d be back and we wanted to see as much as we could. Or as much as we could without packing up and going somewhere new every night, at any rate, because that’s not how we like to travel.

We did still spend five nights in London, which gave us a good amount of time to settle in, get over our jet lag, and hit a lot of highlights. Then we did two nights in Bath, with a stop on the way to see Stonehenge (which Dave REALLY wanted to do) and then three nights in Bakewell, in the Peak District. I can’t remember how we landed on the Peak District. I think I wanted something a little less obvious (and maybe less crowded) than, say, the Lake District or the Cotswolds, and I thought it might position us better for getting to Dublin after (although I’m not sure it really did). But, really, the kids and I had never been to England at all and Dave had been only briefly in college, so we could have gone pretty much anywhere and had plenty to do and see. As it was, we were really happy with all three of our stops and with how much time we allowed for each one.

Transportation: Getting there and getting around

I always expect living right by the busiest airport in the world to mean lots of cheap, direct flights, but it doesn’t seem to work out that way most of the time. For example, it was MUCH cheaper for us to fly out of Boston to Ireland or England than it would have been to fly straight from Atlanta. Our trip over ended up being three separate flights: Atlanta to Boston, Boston to Dublin, then finally Dublin to London. This was a lot of flights.

I was very nervous about my first transAtlantic flight, but it turned out to be no big deal. It was very smooth, and I caught up on some Doctor Who. The flight to Boston was much bumpier and less pleasant.

Getting around London via the tube is super easy and efficient. We landed at London City Airport–a tiny airport that you probably won’t see unless you’re taking a short flight from, say, Dublin like we were–and took the Docklands Light Rail first to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and then on to London. Our rental house was close to two different Underground stations, so it was very easy to get wherever we needed to go. Very often there was a train arriving right when we got to the station; I don’t think we ever waited more than ten minutes, and usually it was much less. It was definitely the best and easiest to navigate public transportation system I’ve ever used.

We rented a car at Heathrow when we left London. Dave lost his license (and credit card) on, we would discover eventually, the very first flight to Boston. We managed to have a replacement sent while we were in Dublin, so he drove in Ireland, but it was all me in England. I can say confidently that if I had known that was going to happen, we would have stayed in London the whole time and not rented a car at all. But I did fine! I didn’t hit anything or anyone (except the curb a few times the first day)! The wrong side of the road and car thing is not the hardest thing to deal with; it’s the tiny roads you often encounter in small towns and rural areas. That and the smaller than I’d like parking lots and spaces (I’m a nervous parker under the best of circumstances).

But the single worst part was driving in Bath at the end of my first day of driving. I had triumphantly taken us all to Stonehenge and then most of the way to Bath without incident. Then we took a wrong turn just before we got into Bath. “This CAN’T be right!” I shrieked as I started driving down a road about the width of the average bike path in the US. It was not right. We had to get turned around and make a very tricky turn to get headed in the right direction again, and it was all downhill from there. First I somehow managed to activate a setting on the rental car that prevented the car from going over 20 miles per hour, only it took me a long time to figure out that it was that and not just a suddenly broken car, so the people behind me LOVED that. Then we got into Bath itself, which is a very old city with a maze of tiny one way roads and a ton of traffic. We were just trying to find the carpark where we were going to leave the car while we were staying there, but it took way longer than it should have owing to our less than direct route. We finally made it, and I was very, very happy.

So narrow roads and all that aside, renting a car great if you want to see areas outside of London. We considered getting around with public transportation, but there really wasn’t a reasonable (time or money-wise) way to, for example, get from London to Stonehenge and then on to Bath. If you’re coming from the US or Canada, everything in England will feel very close together. I was nervous about gas prices in Europe, but honestly, between how short the drives were and how fuel-efficient the cars were (even the big 8 passenger van we had in England), it wasn’t a big deal at all. We pre-paid 70something pounds for the rental car in England and wished we hadn’t because we ended up using only about half a tank in the 5 days we had it (we were told it would save money to do it that way if we returned it with less than a quarter of a tank). We used it exclusively for traveling between towns; once we got to our destination we parked and explored mostly on foot.

And then we dropped off the rental car at the Manchester airport after leaving Bakewell and took three trains and a ferry to get to Dublin. We went back and forth about the ferry vs. flying to Dublin, but finally decided that it would be fun to take the ferry and save a little money over flying and that we were really getting plenty of airplane time in on this trip already. I’ll try to do a separate post about our Rail Sail experience. To sum up: the ferry itself was great, but the transportation on either end was a little logistically challenging.

Surviving the first day:

If you fly from the US to England, you’ll very likely arrive early in the morning, which is to say in the middle of the night according to your body. And this after a very long, tiring day of travel. We didn’t feel like doing anything except sleeping when we landed, but we couldn’t check in to our Airbnb for several more hours. We picked the National Maritime Museum for our first day activity for a few reasons: it was more or less on the way from the airport and wouldn’t add a lot of extra travel time; it was free, so we wouldn’t feel like we’d wasted a lot of money if we were too tired to enjoy it; it was something that we’d  like  to see but didn’t consider an absolute must see–so, again, we wouldn’t feel like we’d missed out by being too tired to explore thoroughly. This worked well for us. We sort of wandered aimlessly through the museum, saw some cool stuff through an exhausted fog, and spent a long time at the little restaurant drinking coffee and hot chocolate.

We left as soon as we could to get to our Airbnb close to check in time, and then Gus and Abe immediately fell asleep on the couch:

But we managed to wake them up after a little while, head out to the store for some dinner stuff (I think we did rotisserie chickens that first night), and keep everyone up until around 8 so we could get back on schedule. Which mostly worked. The first couple of days we were still pretty tired, though.

Oh! Ideally you’ll sleep on the plane to make that first day a little easier. But our plane from Boston took off around 6 PM, which isn’t really our bedtime, and landed around midnight our time (which is closer to our bedtime). So it wasn’t really the best window for sleep. Some of us slept a little, but certainly no one got in anything resembling a night’s sleep. Here’s what my Fitbit looked like that week; see if you can spot which night we traveled and which night was our first in London!

Where we stayed:

Finding places to stay with six people, particularly in Europe, is not always easy. I didn’t get very far into looking at hotels in London before realizing the prices for the two or even three rooms we’d need were out of reach. So an Airbnb it was! You can spend plenty on an Airbnb, too, though. We kept things relatively affordable by expanding our search outside of the typical tourist areas (while still making sure to find somewhere with good transportation options).

We ended up staying in a townhouse in Kennington (not Kensington! Important distinction when it comes to price!) It was in a nice neighborhood that was convenient to everything but not at all touristy. We could walk to some things (Westminster Abbey/Big Ben, the London Eye), or it was a 5 minute walk to the closest Tube station (or a 10 minute walk to Vauxhall, which was sometimes more convenient, depending on our destination) for anything else. Plenty of shopping and restaurants in the area. And the house itself was lovely, with 3 bedrooms, laundry, and a full kitchen. It came in under $300/night after all the fees.

View from the window:

For Bath, we made good use of our Chase Sapphire credit card points and booked a 2 bedroom apartment at the Halcyon Hotel . We loved it here: great central location, everything within easy walking distance, nice apartment, and it came with a “breakfast hamper” which means there was tons of food that was refreshed every day (cereal, muffins, coffee, milk, orange juice, eggs, bacon…it was magical!) This was our view:

Couple of things to note: there are several flights of stairs to walk up to get to the apartment. That’s how you get that view! There’s no dedicated parking, but there is a car park with long term parking a few blocks away. It’s 15 pounds/day, so be sure to factor that in to pricing if you’re planning to drive. And lastly, there’s no office onsite, so you’ll need to make sure to let them know when you’re planning to check in so they can make arrangements to let you in. We were running late (see above re: getting lost on the way to Bath) and had no data on our phones, so we didn’t see the e-mail they sent about how to get in once we missed our check-in window. This caused a bit of panic, but eventually we found someone at the bar downstairs who was able to help us out.

Then it was back to Airbnb-ing it in Bakewell . That’s actually how we wound up in Bakewell: I searched for Airbnbs that would fit all of us in the Peak District and Bakewell had the best one I found. This was again very centrally located and and easy walk to anything in the town. It was a tiny little place spread over 3 floors, but everything we needed for the few days we stayed. And it was only $130/night including fees!

Our only issue was that tiny parking space you see right in front of the house. I didn’t think there was any way to fit the big van we’d rented in it (and there was a smallish gate opening to get into the parking area and other cars parked right across from that space). Our host came over to make sure we’d gotten settled and direct us to some free on street parking at the edge of town….and when he did this he swung expertly into that tiny space in his big SUV like it was nothing at all! But I’m not experienced with UK parking, so I was happy to leave it outside of town and walk. There did not seem to be any overnight paid parking available anywhere in Bakewell (there are several car parks, but as far as we could tell they all prohibited overnight parking), which was a little frustrating.

How we plan:

I’ve given you the final itinerary meaning what we actually did. But, of course, it bears little resemblance to the first draft itinerary or, in fact, to the proposed itinerary the day we arrived in London. I’m an obsessive planner, and I love nothing more than spending winter evenings planning every detail of summer trips. But I believe that the key to being a happy obsessive planner is being flexible when it comes to the actual execution of said obsessive plans.

A bit more about what the whole process looks like (I’ll focus on London, for simplicity’s sake): First I made a list of all the things I wanted to see in London, divided into “must sees” and “maybes.” Then Dave broke out the map (virtually speaking) and we started to group things together by geographic area and figure out what things it would make sense to do on the same day. Then we added potential restaurants in the area for each day. Dave likes spreadsheets, so he put all of this into a spreadsheet. I don’t like spreadsheets (at least not making them), so I did a more narrative day by day with more extensive notes about each day’s plan. Then when we got to London everything went totally out the window! Just kidding. But things did get moved around quite a bit depending on our moods and the weather, and we ended up doing way less than what we had on the itinerary (the itinerary is intentionally more aspirational than realistic).

How the obsessive planning worked out for us/what we’d change:

We were all pretty happy with our London experience. I wish we’d managed to see more but 1. I always wish we’d managed to see more and 2. We were really tired the first couple of days. Beyond that, a few fairly random notes:

*The British Museum was one of the first things we did, and we weren’t quite prepared for how SUPER crowded it was. We were also worried that everything in London was going to be that crowded and relieved to find out that was not the case. In retrospect, we might have saved the British Museum for later in the trip when we were a little more well rested and able to get an earlier start to beat the crowds. Going later in the afternoon might have been another option.

*We had tickets (free) for the Sky Garden, which we’d planned to see as an alternative to the very pricey London Eye. We’d booked the tickets weeks in advance, but when the day arrived it was rainy and cold; we’d spent the morning shivering at the Tower of London and just wanted to get inside…so we skipped it, reasoning we likely wouldn’t be able to see much anyway through the clouds. I have some regrets about not seeing London from up high, but given that the tickets needed to be booked in advance, I’m not sure how we could have done things differently.

*The Victoria and Albert was the surprise hit in London. It was like a way less crowded British Museum! It was a last minute addition to the itinerary; originally we’d planned on doing the Natural History Museum instead, but Gus really doesn’t like taxidermy, so we thought this might be a better plan.

*We did the Tower of London all wrong. We somehow ended up going on the most miserable day of the trip, weather-wise, which made things unpleasant. And then we had big plans to get there right when it opened, only we went on a Monday when it opened an hour later than usual, which meant pretty much everyone got there at the same time and the lines and crowds were huge.

A few kid-specific tips:

*You’ll note that our itinerary was pretty museum-heavy. But we found that nearly every museum in London had some way or other to make for kid-friendly visits. I’ll talk more about specifics as I get to individual posts, but, for example: the British Museum has scavenger hunts you can print out before you come. The Tower of London has an app you can download with “missions” to complete while you’re there. The Victoria and Albert has  great  backpacks you can check out with tons of activities in them. And most places we encountered with audio tours had a kid or family friendly option (Westminster Abbey, Stonehenge, the Roman Baths).

*I mentioned that we did several Treasure Trails in the itinerary. I came across these in some blog post or other pre-trip and ordered a few because they weren’t too expensive. These are scavenger hunts that take you all over a town or part of a city solving clues. I wasn’t sure how much we’d get into them, but they turned out to be a great addition to the trip. I always feel like we should spend more time just wandering around when we’re in new cities, and this was kind of a way to do that but with a little direction so it didn’t feel aimless (which equals fewer complain-y kids) and so that we were actually seeing very cool stuff–little tucked away streets, pretty parks, etc. The theming (a treasure hunt! a spy mission!) was VERY loose, but no one much cared. Super fun. I wish I could find something similar for everywhere we visit!

*In the UK, Ireland, and Canada, we’ve found family rates at museums and attractions to be very common. Make sure to check for these wherever you go! And if your kids are too old to be kids for admission purposes, most places at least have a student rate.

I’ll end this (very long!) post here. Much more to come about specific places we went!

Any questions about things I’ve left out? Any planning tips of your own you’d like to share?

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15 Best UK Road Trip Ideas With Kids

Although the UK is 1/40th the size of the USA, there is no shortage of beautiful places to travel to. From metropolitan cities to amazing California-like beaches and Jurassic coastlines, the UK doesn’t disappoint in variety and magical places.  Plan a UK vacation with one of these 15 road trip ideas with kids.

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As an American expat, I’m still amazed by how different the areas can be in the UK despite how small it is in comparison to the USA. But because of this, it allows families to travel far more easily and therefore experience it all without ever boarding a plane – whether a day trip, weekend getaway, half term, or summer holiday. ☀️

You can easily drive to all of these places in the UK. Many aren’t far at all from London, making them the perfect family road trips with kids, especially for those who tend to get car sick or need a few stops in between.

With the exception of Edinburgh, York, and Durham, these UK trips were all done by car and easy, too. It’s not that these 3 destinations aren’t great trips by car, we simply had more passengers than cars to fit our two families of 8. Besides, who can resist an excuse for sipping wine, and nibbling on cheese and crisps while navigating the edge of the British coast. The train ride is quite spectacular up north! Super easy for kids, too.

So, if you’re looking for staycation ideas in Great Britain, here’s travel inspiration on 15 of the very best family road trips.

(This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  For the full disclosure, read it here .)

Table of Contents

15 UK Road Trip Ideas With Kids

After tackling a very thorough expat bucket list for living in the UK, these places rank as the best road trips in the UK due to scenery, options for kids, easy to get to, and something of interest for the whole family. Just be sure to pack the car (or train) with plenty of water and snacks for the ride!

1 – Newquay, Cornwall

Cornwall Road Trip

Still our family’s favorite destination in the UK, possibly Europe. It might be that we managed to visit during perfect weather conditions but even so, Newquay offers it all for the entire family.

Even after planning days’ worth of activities to explore the entire region of Cornwall, we never left Newquay. That never ever happens for my family. Newquay is just that good.

Newquay is located at the northern end of Cornwall, which makes it a super easy UK road trip without fear of winding roads and 90-degree turns.

Read more: Where to stay, eat, and things to do in Newquay with kids

2 – Jurassic Coast & Dorset

Jurassic Coast Road Trip

Dorset and the Jurassic Coast is a “you’ve got to see it to believe it” place. The coastline views are breathtaking and walks can be as easy or as hard as you want them to be.

If you think the Jurassic Coast is only for nature lovers or fossil diggers, guess again because I’m neither. There are so many activities to do in Dorset with families of all interests.

Nearby villages like 8,000 year-old Corfe Castle and downtown Dorset offer the cutest shopping scenes and treasures. A visit to the Jurassic Coast and Dorset area is one of the best and easiest UK road trips with kids you can possibly take.

Read more: Where to stay, eat and things to do in Jurassic Coast with kids

3 – Norfolk

Norfolk England Road Trip

For a peaceful beach staycation in England that involves long walks on the beach, shell hunting, farm-to-table restaurants, and just good ol’ fashion fish and chips by the sea, a family road trip to Norfolk is the answer.

Norfolk beaches are so pristine it’s hard to not take a million photos. Between the different fishing stops and seaside villages for kids to explore, quaint shopping, over-the-top mussels (even for kids), and coastal walks (or dune jumping more like it for kids), a road trip to Norfolk any time of year is a must.

Read more: Where to stay, eat, and things to do in Norfolk with kids

4 – Stratford-Upon-Avon

Stratford-Upon-Avon England Road Trip

Despite the impression that Shakespeare’s birthplace might not be all that interesting to kids, Stratford-Upon-Avon is actually one of those places that over-delivers.

In fact, although we only spent 2-3 days there, we could easily see ourselves spending several more.

Between Harry Potter inspired shops, kid-friendly museums, markets, and Warwick Castle , Stratford-Upon-Avon is a fabulous family UK road trip. Super easy to get to from London, too!

Read more: Where to stay, eat, and things to do in Stratford-Upon-Avon with kids

5 – Bath

Bath England Road Trip

Bath was our very first family UK road trip.  It’s an extra special place because our American born dog joined the road trip, too.

The Roman Baths are a must-see for all ages, but it’s other non-famous Bath stuff that make it a fab UK road trip with kids.

The city offers some of the finest foodie experiences in the country. It wins for having the best pizza (Italian) restaurant in the UK from my kids’ perspective (and I don’t disagree) and the hotel was top-notch. Between fresh milk from the hotel fridge for the kids whenever they wanted, a park for the dog directly across the street, and easy access to all the main sites, Bath is a no-brainer road trip for the entire family. And it really is one of those places you just have to see.

Read more: Where to stay, eat, and things to do with kids for a Bath, Cotswolds & Blenheim Palace road trip

6 – Cotswolds

Broadway England Road Trip

Possibly home to the quaintest villages and cottages in England, the Cotswolds are super easy to get to and perfect for combining with a trip to Bath. The Upper and Lower Slaughters appear more like villages from Disney-themed movies than real working homes. As an American, it’s hard to imagine that places like this truly exist until you visit yourself.

The Cotswolds is a wonderful UK road trip for city kids that need a bit of country.

Bibury is an easy road trip from London while Broadway and the Slaughters are fun for a longer road trip if traveling from London.

7 – White Cliffs Of Dover

St Margaret’s Bay England Road Trip

White Cliffs of Dover makes the UK road trip ideas list because it’s an easy weekend getaway for 1-2-3 days.

The awe-inspiring White Cliffs are the main draw but it’s everything else about Dover that makes it a fun road trip with kids. St Margaret’s Bay is an absolute must and the White Cliffs Hotel is, too. Dover Castle is an obvious win, but the town offers so much more. Just don’t forget to pay the Dart Charge. 😜

Read more: Where to stay, eat, and things to do with kids in White Cliffs of Dover

8 – Edinburgh

Edinburgh Scotland Train Trip

Edinburgh suits as a family road trip, but is also one of those places that’s just far enough to opt for the train. No matter how you decide to travel to Edinburgh, you really must go. It’s the perfect UK destination with kids and offers so much to do for everyone of all ages. If you do opt to go by car, be sure to drive to Blackness Castle on the south shore of the Firth of Forth.

Read more: Where to stay, eat, and things to do with kids in Edinburgh

9 – Durham

Durham England Train Trip

Durham isn’t as widely known to Americans as some of the other UK travel ideas on this list, but that’s what makes it so special. It’s another one of those UK towns that totally surprises you. In fact, I had no idea that Durham Cathedral was voted as Britain’s most favorite building until I was in it. And in 2020, National Geographic named Durham 1 of Great Britain’s 8 most beautiful cities . Now, THAT says a lot.

Read more: Where to stay, eat, and things to do with kids in Durham

10 – York

York England Train Trip

Quite possibly one of those UK cities that you can never get enough of, York England is an amazing staycation destination.

With its city walls and monuments to climb, there’s more than enough to do here for the entire family. Between the plethora of activities to do after a long drive, the food scene, and Harry Potter galore, York is a must-do with kids.

Read more : Where to stay, eat, and things to do with kids in York

11 – Lake District

Lake District England Road Trip

The Lake District is home to 16 different lakes, making the drive time from London to really vary. The hardest part about a road trip with kids to the Lake District is deciding which lake to use for basecamp.

I’ve narrowed which lake to stay at down to these two: the largest, Windermere, or the smallest, Ullswater. They are completely opposite in size and demeanor. Windermere is the busy water sports destination, whereas Ullswater is the total calm and take-it-all-in watercolor spot. If you have the time, road trip the two.

Read more: Where to stay, eat, and things to do in the Lake District

12 – Wales

Portmeirion Wales Road Trip

Whether you’re up for a family hike to the UK’s second-highest peak or prefer a low-key sightseeing holiday with an Italian inspired twist, Wales covers both. Between Mount Snowden and Portmeirion, a Wales road trip offers the extremes. Learn to surf on a continuous wave, too!

Read more: Where to stay, eat, and things to do in Wales

13 – Margate, Ramsgate & Broadstairs

Ramsgate & Broadstairs Road Trip

Perhaps the easiest road trip trifecta from London is visiting the beach hut towns on the Isle of Thanet in east Kent, England.  With no shortage of beach huts, flip-flops, and ice lollies, the entire family will enjoy this easy UK road trip in just 1-2 days.

Read more:   16 Things To Do In Ramsgate And Broadstairs With Kids

14 – Canterbury

Canterbury & Whitstable Road Trip

Possibly the easiest family road trip from London is Canterbury.  The historical Cathedral town offers sightseeing for a lovely day trip.  Combine Canterbury with a drive to Whitstable for a sunset walk on the beach and oyster dinner.   This road trip can be completed in 1 day.

Read more:   10 Best Things To Do In Canterbury That Make A Visit Worth It (+ map)

15 – Isle of Wight

For a road trip idea completely off Britain’s mainland, take a ferry from England’s southern coast to the Isle of Wight.  This UK destination is packed with Mermaid sightings (a rock), the Needles, Godshill Model Village, and other Isle of Wight highlights destined only by a car.

Read more: Get the Isle of Wight travel details in  10 Best Things To Do On Isle Of Wight

Save for your next UK road trip!

Final Tips On UK Road Trip Ideas With Kids

If you got through this list and have traveled them all, head north for an epic UK road trip through the Highlands and Isle of Skye.  And for a destination a bit closer to London, the New Forest family road trip surpassed all expectations.  Find even more inspiration with this illustrative Great Britain book from one of my favorite UK bloggers.

With so many amazing options for a UK staycation, I hope this list has inspired you to plan your next road trip.  Where’s your favorite place on the island to road trip with kids?

Looking for more UK bucket list travel ideas with kids?

• Things To Do In Oxford
• St Albans: An Awesome Day Trip From London
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12 comments

I appreciate you providing this highly informative information! You have a wealth of knowledge and opinions on the subject, and I’m honored to have had the chance to study under you. Reading your articles is enjoyable due to your fascinating, easy-to-read writing style.

I appreciate you for sharing such valuable and helpful information.

Thank you, Mike! I appreciate your feedback! I hope you found a round trip here that inspired you. x

I appreciate you for sharing amazing information and ideas about road trips and travel in the UK. Regards: Lux Transfers UK

This is the kind of trip I can’t wait to take my kids to. The Cotswolds and the Lake District are two of the destinations I can’t wait to get to:) Thank you for this fantastic post.

Thanks, Madi! A UK road trip is something I look forward to very soon! xx

Such a good list! My kids are almost old enough to go to Europe and so this info is going to be SO helpful for us.

Thank you, Kate! The UK is amazing for families and given the size relative to the USA, there really are so many places to see and road trips with kids you can do. xx

These are fabulous ideas and so varied. Something for everyone to plan for once we can travel again!

Indeed! Thank you, Christine. I have the Lake District 3-day itinerary ready to conquer. Happy to share with anyone that needs a plan for that, too.

Amazing places and I’ve only been to around half! Can’t wait to tick them off the list with the family

Thank you, Toni. As soon as the lockdown lifts, we’ll be taking a UK road trip with the kids for sure.

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13 best family day trips from London to do with the kids (or the dog)

Looking to get out of the city? These brilliant family days out are all within easy reach of London

While London has stacks of  family-friendly things to do  – from  parks and museums to play areas and activity centres  – it’s always nice to treat the kids (and yourself) to a day trip. Luckily,  you'll find fresh air and adventure just an hour or two outside the city's hectic centre. Whether you’ve got a Saturday, half term or summer holiday to fill, we’ve got plenty of ideas for London day trips with kids, by train or by car.

You’ll find brilliant ideas for animal lovers, daring adventurers and youngsters (and parents) who just want to run free in the  great outdoors . From ancient castles and retro theme parks to enchanted trains and real-life steam engines, these are London’s best family-friendly day trips, all within easy reach of the capital.  

RECOMMENDED: The best day trips from London

RECOMMENDED: The best areas of natural beauty near London

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

Family day trips from London

1.  bekonscot model village.

Opened in 1929, this is the oldest original model village in the world, and it feels like nothing much has changed in the past 95 years. My pint-sized toddler loved spending the afternoon as a giant, striding around the hundreds of dinky buildings, dotted with mini people and set up like a series of tiny towns. Look out for the weeny London-themed zone, with a miniature tube station and scaled-down Hoover Building – and keep an eye open for the pun-tastic names of the tiny shops dotted around: anyone for ‘Sam and Ella’s Meats’?  A complex miniature railway network chugs its way around everything, and various mechanical windmills spinning,  fairground rides whizzing and funiculars gliding add extra pizazz. There’s a (human child-sized) ride-on railway and play area, too. Plus, the whole thing is wrapped in glorious green gardens, which makes for both a seriously sedate and gloriously old-school day out.

Get there : Around 30 minutes from London Marylebone to Beaconsfield by train, then an easy walk; or one hour by car.

2.  Maldon

If you think Maldon is nothing but vast, inhospitable, barren salt flats for supplying posh sodium to posh people, you've clearly never been to Maldon Promenade. There's enough to do on this lovely boardwalk to fully wear out any child and send them into a blissful stupor on the way home. There's a vast splash park in the summer, a huge sandpit and playground, a crabbing lake, a model boating lake, there are beach huts, there’s mini golf, there’s street food, and last time we went there was even an antique market. The ice cream is local and excellent, but be warned, if you opt for the mini doughnuts you will become a target for thousands of avian predators. Ours were nicked by a swallow, and it was profoundly unedifying.

3.  Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

Roald Dahl lived in the village of Great Missenden for 36 years, and is buried in the parish church. The small museum dedicated to his work is packed to the rafters with info on his life and the inspo behind his famous characters, with plenty of dressing up, interactive exhibitions – including a chocolate-scented Wonka wall – and lots of live storytelling. When you’re done, stop by the café then follow one of the walking trails around Great Missenden via the author’s grave and the surrounding woods. A splendiferous day out indeed.

Get there: 46 minutes by train from London Marylebone to Great Missenden; around one hour 30 minutes by car.

4.  Spa Valley Railway, Kent

Trundle through the Kent countryside on this heritage railway line from Tunbridge Wells to Eridge or Groombridge. You can stop off at High Rocks, where ancient sandstone boulders cover every inch of the landscape, visit Eridge Rocks nature reserve, or hop off at Groombridge for the Groombridge Place Estate – home to a fantastic Enchanted Forest with playgrounds and a treetop walk. Treat the kids to a cream tea en route or stop off for a pub lunch before the return leg. Just check the steam trains are running on the day you visit – the line is run by volunteers, so services can change at short notice. Get there: 50 minutes from London Bridge to Tunbridge Wells; around one hour 20 minutes by car.

5.  Hever Castle

Anne Boleyn’s childhood home is well worth a visit, and a tour will give you an insight into the workings of this elegant thirteenth-century castle. But it’s actually the surrounding gardens that steal the show, particularly where kids are concerned. Start walking and you’ll find several mazes – including a water maze – a playground, a boating lake and a collection of tiny model houses all tucked away in 125 acres of perfectly manicured greenery. Kids can book in for activities like archery lessons, too, and there’s an open-air theatre in summer.

Get there: 42 minutes by train from London Bridge to Hever; around one hour 30 minutes by car.

6.  Dreamland Margate

For a dose of nostalgia-on-sea, take them to Margate ’s traditional funfair. Regenerated, rebranded and reopened in 2015, it’s got all the charm of the original 1920s park – including the Grade II-listed Scenic Railway rollercoaster – and a hefty dose of kitsch, courtesy of a retro roller disco. If you’ve got the energy, Margate’s got a brilliantly bonkers underground Shell Grotto, too, and the Turner Contemporary gallery is good for kids. See if they recognise Tracey Emin’s neon pink ‘I never stopped loving you’ slogan on next-door Droit House, having seen the ‘I want my time with you’ one they saw back at St Pancras.   Get there : One hour 25 minutes from St Pancras International to Margate; around two hours by car.

7.  Ruislip Lido

This 60-acre lake on the edge of a vast nature reserve hides a sandy beach that’s all geared up for families. There are two kids’ playgrounds on the sand, a splash park, café, walking trails in the surrounding woods and even a little train that loops around it. Although you can’t swim in the water these days, it’s a nice place to take children fishing, and there’s also a decent pub that overlooks the lake. The best bit is that you can reach this place by tube and bus. Great news, because parking is a hassle when it’s busy. Get there: Just under an hour via the Piccadilly or Metropolitan line to Ruislip then bus; one hour 10 minutes by car.

8.  Brighton Beach and Sea Life Brighton

On a sunny day, few things beat hopping off the train at Brighton , walking down the hill and finding yourself a spot on the sun-warmed pebbles of Brighton Beach. Skim stones, paddle and sunbathe all morning, have a chippy lunch, then head over to Brighton Palace Pier for old-school rides including dodgems and waltzers. Get wristbands for unlimited rides if you’re going to be here a while. And if the weather’s not playing ball, duck into Sea Life Brighton. The world’s oldest operating aquarium is teeming with technicolour tropical fish. Get there: Around one hour from Victoria or London Bridge to Brighton; two hours by car.

9.  Legoland Windsor

Set aside a whole day to explore Legoland Windsor, and as the vast majority of it is outdoors, try and pick a dry one. Highlights include teeny-tiny Lego landmarks in Miniland, live pirate-themed shows at Heartlake City, and family rides like Fairy Tale Brook and Atlantis, which cater to all ages. The rest are divvied up by height – 1m is the minimum for the bulk of the best rides – and Duplo Valley is good for smaller guests. Bring swimsuits for the Drench Towers splash zone if you’re visiting in summer and use the Q-Bot booking system if you’re here in school holidays. Get there: Around one hour by train from Paddington to Slough then bus; around one hour by car.

10.  Verulamium Park, St Albans

This 100-acre blanket of parkland lies across the Roman city of Verulamium, which is of course where the name comes from. You can still see bits of the original city walls, along with hundreds of excavated finds now rehomed in the Verulamium Museum. The park itself is so big you can find peaceful pockets of grass even on a busy bank holiday weekend, and wander around the giant lake marvelling at how serene it is. But if that all sounds a little too quiet, there’s also a brilliant children’s playground and a free Splash Park open from May to September. Serene it most definitely isn’t. Get there: Around 45 minutes by train from St Pancras International to St Albans City then bus; around one hour by car.

11.  The Lodge RSPB nature reserve

Bedfordshire’s biggest stretch of heathland is teeming with wildlife – from resident woodpeckers and falcons to all manner of creepy crawlies. Kids can see it all via five miles of winding walking trails, and borrow a rucksack with binoculars, bug-viewers, wildlife guides and activities to take on their trek. It’s all free – apart from parking – and it’s walkable from Sandy train station. Plus, you can pop over to nearby Bedford on your way home. Follow the town’s picturesque embankment for a clutch of riverside cafés and a decent park. Get there: 48 minutes from St Pancras International to Sandy; around one hour 30 minutes by car.

12.  Warner Bros Studio Tour London

If they’ve read the books and seen the films, it’s probably time to tick off the Harry Potter studio tour. It’s a behind-the-scenes walking tour of the Watford studio where the movies were shot, which means original sets, costumes and props galore. Fans of the films can step into Gringotts Wizarding Bank, Platform 9¾ and Diagon Alley, and older kids will get a kick out of seeing the SFX, VFX and art departments. Tours are pre-booked in slots with limited numbers, and a sugary pint of butterbeer at The Backlot Café helps to soften the blow of the ticket price. Get there : Around 45 minutes from London Euston to Watford Junction by train then a shuttle bus; around one hour by car with free parking for ticketholders.

13.  Fishers Adventure Farm Park

You get the measure of Fishers from its name. Part adventure playground, part family-run farm, part gigantic play park, it ticks all the boxes for a full-on family day out – and then a couple more for good measure. Kids can spend the day petting the animals, riding the go-karts and bouncing on the trampolines. The tractor and trailer ride is always popular too. Most rides are included in the ticket price, although a few are an extra £1. There are indoor play and picnic areas, and you can buy indoor-only tickets on rainy days. Either way, they’re pretty much guaranteed to conk out in the car on the way home. Get there: Around one hour 30 minutes by train from London Victoria to Billingshurst Station then bus; one hour 30 minutes driving.

Rather stay in the city?

101 things to do in london with kids.

Whether you’ve got a restless toddler, a curious five-year-old, a noisy ten-year-old or a bored teenager to amuse, you’ll find plenty of great things to do in London

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