We’ve been lucky to travel all around the world and explore near and far, but we always say we have so much more of our own beautiful country to discover and we love to take UK holidays. UK breaks are more popular than ever, especially if you don’t want to travel abroad for obvious reasons, so I wanted to share with you some of the best places for UK holidays and give you some ideas if you don’t want to travel abroad but you’re not sure where to start here in the UK.
Best UK Holiday Destinations
Cornwall.
Ever since I was at school we have holidayed in Cornwall for weeks at a time, and I have loved taking my own family for the past 13 years too. It just had to take top spot for the best UK holidays destination. I used to have a few extra weeks off in the summer holidays due to my school terms so we would head down to the west country in June and enjoy the beautiful beaches before the crowds descended. That was way before Rick Stein moved in and things got even more crowded! Some of my top places to include on a UK holiday to Cornwall would be:
St. Ives, Carbis Bay. Portreath, Perranporth, Fristal Beach & Watergate Bay in Newquay, Polzeath, Wadebridge, Rock, Port Isaac, Padstow, Tintagel, Boscastle, Bude, Looe, St. Austell, Polperro, Mevagissey, Marazion (St. Michael’s Mount) Mousehole….the list could go on forever. Realistically, anywhere you go in Cornwall you’re sure to have a brilliant time and the beaches are stunning.
One tip for traveling in Cornwall: Everywhere takes ages to get to due to the Cornish country roads! Even if a beach is 10 miles away it will take you well over half an hour to get to it, so factor this in!
Swansea Bay.
I wanted to put this in right next to Cornwall because we found the landscape and whole feel to be very similar to Cornwall. As the crow flies it’s really close by, albeit with some water in between. But I would imagine the crowds to be less than those in the west country and Swansea Bay boasts some incredible beaches and beautiful scenery. Rhossili Beach, the pinnacle of the beaches, sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and it’s easy to see why visitors flock from around the UK and beyond to enjoy it but there’s so much more to do here such as:
Head to the cosy but cosmopolitan seaside village of Mumbles. Full of local character and charm. Visit Oystermouth Castle which boasts ancient graffiti art from the 14th century and a medieval maze of deep vaults and secret staircases, Head to beautiful Langland Bay. Enjoy Swansea Museum (the oldest museum in Wales) And Gower, the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or stroll around the National Waterfront Museum and Swansea Marina.
I have a few videos on my channel showing what Swansea Bay has to offer if you like seeing video guides.
Isle Of Man.
The only place in the UK where you can see all six Kingdoms of the British Isles – Isle of Man, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Kingdom of Heaven! We were really impressed with the Isle Of Man when we visited a couple of years ago. There’s so much to do and see and it was very simple to get to – admittedly we did take a 40 minute plane ride but this is an internal flight and you could easily get a ferry if you would prefer.
The Isle Of Man has been one of our best UK holidays, some of the top ideas for the Isle Of Man: Explore the House of Manannan, Watch the Annual TT Motorcycle Race, Climb the island’s only mountain coming in at 2037ft can easily be walked up – or take the scenic train! Step Back In Time In Cregneash, Visit Castletown and Castle Rushen, Climb The World’s Largest Working Water Wheel at Laxey, don’t forget to gaze up at the stars at one of the Isle’s 26 dark sky sites, for sensational stargazing opportunities, plus so much more.
Affordable UK Breaks Without Travelling Abroad.
Northern Scotland
I have family in the furthest northern town in the UK, Thurso, so I’ve visited quite a few places along this stunning coastline. Of course, I could recommend Edinburgh, Glasgow or Skye, but there’s so much more to explore in the lesser trodden paths that I think you’d love. I’ve been looking into the NC500 route quite a lot recently, the a route of more than 500 miles of stunning coastal scenery, I would definitely recommend doing it if you fancied an adventure holiday in the UK this year.
Whether you want to drive around in a hired motorhome, charter a yacht, Rent a cute b&b on one of the pristine beaches, camp out next to a loch or hike through the remote highlands, Scotland is a magnificent place to visit if you’re looking for the best UK holidays. Have a look at the Visit Scotland website if you want to plan a special trip this year.
North Norfolk
A place next on my list and somewhere I think you will love just as much as I think we will, is North Norfolk and specifically the spectacular coast. Miles and miles of impressive beaches, quaint market towns, rolling countryside and picturesque villages make this corner of the UK a fantastic setting for your 2026 holiday. It’s renowned for its wildlife too with birdwatching and even seal spotting top of the list of things to discover in this area of outstanding natural beauty.
Some places on my list that are highly recommended; Huntstanton, Wells-next-the-Sea, Cromer, Mundesley, North Walsham, Happisburgh and Holt. Check out Visit Norfolk for more ideas of where to include on your holiday.
So there’s a quick run down of some of the best UK holidays for 2026. Of course there’s so many more places in Ireland, coastal towns such as Brighton, Beautiful Bath & The Cotswolds, York & Yorkshire. The list goes on and on.
There really are some superb places to visit here in the UK, I hope this has given you some inspiration to explore the UK more and all of the delights it beholds.
Maura Zane
September 22, 2022Loved reading your experience. Indeed, exploring northern Scotland with luxury Yachts Charter is one of the blissful way to spend with your family and friends.