Things to Do in England

The medieval market town of Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of iconic wordsmith William Shakespeare. Visitors can follow in the literary giant’s footsteps by exploring some of his homes and gardens—there are five in town, each offering a fascinating insight into Shakespeare’s life and works.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust owns and maintains five historic properties in Stratford-upon-Avon: Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Hall’s Croft, Mary Arden’s Farm, and Shakespeare’s New Place. Each is preserved in period-style and features a variety of permanent exhibitions, live shows, and family activities. You can purchase tickets for the individual attractions or get a Full Story ticket, which offers access to all five sights. 

While you can visit four of the houses on foot, Mary Arden’s Farm is a short train ride away. Hop-on hop-off bus tours also link all five properties. To get to Stratford-upon-Avon itself, most visitors opt for a day trip from London. Full-day tours often combine nearby attractions such as Oxford, Warwick Castle, and the Cotswolds. 

 

Shakespeare’s Houses and Gardens are located in Stratford-upon-Avon, in central England. From London, it’s about a 2.5-hour drive northwest; direct trains from London’s Marylebone station to Stratford-upon-Avon take around two hours. 

Though always popular, Shakespeare’s Houses and Gardens are most atmospheric during the summer, when the houses host a range of special events, reenactments, and family activities. Make an early start or stay overnight in Stratford-upon-Avon if you want to avoid the crowds, especially in July and August; typically tour buses from London don’t arrive until mid-morning. Note that Mary Arden’s Farm is closed from November to February. 

 

The most popular of the five Shakespeare sights in Stratford-upon-Avon is Shakespeare’s Birthplace, where an impressive multimedia exhibition chronicles the life of the playwright. Highlights include a collection of his books and first editions, and a live theater where scenes from Shakespeare’s most famous plays are performed. Nearby, Hall’s Croft was the home of Shakespeare’s daughter Susanna and her husband, Dr. John Hall. The childhood home of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, is known for its stunning flower gardens. And the New Place, which opened to the public in 2016, is where Shakespeare spent his later years, writing plays like The Tempest. Just outside of town is Mary Arden’s Farm, the former home of Shakespeare’s mother; the attraction hosts fun activities from blacksmith and falconry demonstrations to animal feeding and traditional craft-making workshops. 

The geographical center of London’s East End, Shoreditch has long been the district’s beating heart – an eclectic, cosmopolitan, and ever-changing neighborhood favored by artists, students, and fashionistas. Sandwiched in-between the high-rise office blocks of Liverpool and the City to the west, and the vibrant Bangladeshi communities of Brick Lane to the southeast, modern-day Shoreditch is known for its lively markets, bold street art, and cutting edge nightlife.

The best way to explore the district is on a walking tour, taking in highlights such as Brick Lane, London’s ‘curry mile’; the famous Spitalfields Market; and the main thoroughfares of Old Street, Great Eastern Street and Shoreditch High Street. Alternatively, explore the district’s renowned street art on a photography tour of Shoreditch; discover the hip bars, music venues and clubs on a Shoreditch pub crawl; or tuck into some of the East End’s best street food on a food tasting tour of Shoreditch.

London’s most famous fictional detective is brought to life at the Sherlock Holmes Museum, located at 221b Baker Street, the legendary address from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, where Holmes and his famous sidekick, Dr. Watson, lived between 1881 and 1904.

Sherlock fans will delight in exploring the Sherlock Holmes Museum, a privately run attraction that faithfully re-creates the world of Conan Doyle’s books. For the full experience, opt for a Sherlock Holmes walking tour and visit filming sites from the BBC TV series Sherlock, or combine a Sherlock Holmes tour with a tour of the East London locations associated with Jack the Ripper. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the Sherlock Holmes gift shop, where you can pick up a Holmes-style magnifying glass or deerstalker cap.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum is located at 221b Baker Street—which is actually found between 237 and 241 Baker Street—in North London. It’s within walking distance of attractions such as Madame Tussauds and Regent’s Park, and the closest tube station is Baker Street on the Bakerloo, Circle, Jubilee, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines.

Open daily year-round, the museum can get busy, especially during the peak summer months. The quietest time to visit is weekday mornings.

Visitors are welcomed to the house by esteemed landlady Mrs. Hudson before embarking on a journey into the world of detective Sherlock Holmes. You’ll see Holmes’ characteristic Victorian-style study on the first floor overlooking Baker Street, as well as Watson’s bedroom on the second floor. The “lumber room” is full of lodgers’ suitcases, and Holmes’ attic bedroom appears in typical disarray. Look out for Holmes’ favorite armchair by the fire, his treasured calabash pipe, his array of wacky disguises, and his collection of secret notebooks and papers scattered around the house.

If you’ve ever wanted to look behind the scenes of London’s royal stables or peek into one of the lavish carriages used in royal ceremonies, a visit to the Royal Mews is a must! Located on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, the Royal Mews is one of the finest working stables in the world and visitors can explore independently or as part of a free guided tour (offered several times daily from April to October).

A visit to the Royal Mews includes a chance to see the royal stables and horses—30 British Cleveland Bays and Windsor Greys live at the stable at any one time—and admire the royal collection of carriages and coaches, used for state events and parades. Among the highlights are George III’s dazzling Gold State Coach, which dates back to 1762; the Irish State Coach in which the Queen travels to the State Opening of Parliament; the glass bridal coach and the state-of-the-art Australian State Coach.

Also of interest is a collection of suits worn by The Queen’s coachmen; a variety of harnesses and horse tack, and a selection of state cars, including Bentley State Limousines, Rolls Royces and a rare 1950 Phantom IV.

Opened in 1881 in London’s West End, the Savoy Theatre sits on the site of the old Savoy Palace and adjacent to the Savoy Hotel. The original auditorium was demolished in 1929 and a new one was completed within just six months. Decorated in red and gold and often described as dazzling or gleaming, it is considered one of the most beautiful theaters in London. Built as a showcase for the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, the theater today seats more than 1100 over four levels. It was also the first public building in the world to feature incandescent electric lighting, with lights once being powered by a 120-horsepower generator. After being ravaged by a fire in 1990, its reopening in 1993 attracted worldwide media coverage.

Recent shows at the Savoy Theatre have included Legally Blonde, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls and, currently, Funny Girl.

A dramatic reminder of Bath’s Georgian heritage and one of the city’s most photographed historic landmarks, the Royal Crescent is aptly named, with its crescent-shaped row of terraced townhouses and regal architecture. Built between 1767 and 1775 by architect John Wood the Younger, the Royal Crescent features a row of magnificent terraced townhouses, looking out over a vast expanse of manicured lawns.

There are 30 houses along the crescent, each looming 47-foot (14-meters) high, fronted by gigantic Ionic columns and renowned for their beautifully preserved Georgian facades. Many of the houses are still private homes, but No. 1 Royal Crescent is now a museum, offering visitors a glimpse into life in Georgian-era Bath, while No. 16 is home to the luxurious Royal Crescent Hotel.

Located in the grand King’s House, in the shadows of the magnificent Salisbury Cathedral, the Salisbury Museum is as impressive from the outside as it is on the inside. The award-winning museum is home to one of the UK’s most treasured archaeological collections, the Stonehenge Gallery, which displays items excavated from the iconic stone circle. Many visitors choose to complement their visit with a tour of nearby Stonehenge, just five miles (eight km) from Salisbury.

It’s not just Stonehenge that takes center stage—the fascinating Wessex Gallery exhibition chronicles more than 500,000 years of human history in the region and includes some of the oldest gold objects ever found in Britain. The Costume Gallery displays a colorful collection of clothing and accessories dating back from the 1750s, while the Ceramics Gallery includes rare and unusual items from the Victorian era.

Visit Salisbury Museum on a day trip from London that includes additional stops in Stonehenge and Windsor.

Located in a colonnade-fronted, early 20th-century County Hall building (the former headquarters for the Greater London Council), the Sea Life London Aquarium is one of Europe’s aquatic museums with 14 themed zones. Marine-life displays include walk-over glass shark tanks, transparent tunnels where sea turtles swim overhead, and kaleidoscopic coral reefs. Visitors also love the penguin exhibit, where it’s possible to observe adorable orange-beaked gentoo penguins waddling on land and swimming gracefully underwater.

 

Admission to the aquarium not only includes access to the themed zones but also allows visitors to attend various feedings and educational talks held throughout the day. Guests can opt for skip-the-line tickets to save time or combo tickets to save money, the latter of which access to the aquarium as well as other big-ticket London attractions, such as the London Eye, Madame Tussauds London, and DreamWorks Tours: Shrek's Adventure. Alternatively, combine a trip to the aquarium with a cruise on London’s Thames River to view major riverside landmarks such as Big Ben, the Tower of London, and St. Paul’s Cathedral from the water.

 

 

The Sea Life London Aquarium is located on the South Bank right beside the London Eye. Take the Tube to Westminster (Circle, Jubilee and District lines) or to Waterloo (Northern, Bakerloo, and Waterloo & City lines). Rail services also stop at Waterloo station.

 

The aquarium is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm and weekends from 9:30am to 7pm. The site is a kid-friendly and family-oriented attraction and is therefore busiest during school vacations and on weekends. Avoid waiting around by purchasing a skip-the-line ticket in advance.

 

More than 500 marine species of all shapes and sizes are represented here, from finger-length seahorses to giant Japanese spider crabs. You can spot flesh-eating red bellied piranhas and endangered Cuban crocodiles, pointy-toothed sand tiger sharks and a 6.5-foot-tall (two-meter-tall) lion’s mane jellyfish—the largest known jellyfish species in the world.

Built by master architect Sir Christopher Wren, whose later works included the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral in London, the Sheldonian Theatre stands out among Oxford’s many landmarks with its grand semi-circular design reminiscent of a classical Roman theater. The Grade I-listed building has been one of Oxford’s principal venues since it opened its doors in 1668, and it even hosted the first performance of Handel’s third oratorio Athalia. Today, the theater is primarily used as the ceremonial hall of the University of Oxford.

If you’re not lucky enough to attend a lecture, concert or graduation ceremony in the Sheldonian’s 950-seat auditorium, you can still admire the opulent interiors and magnificent hand-painted ceiling when the theater is not in use. Also open to visitors is the rooftop cupola, renowned for its impressive panoramic views of the city.

Shanklin is a seaside resort town on the Isle of Wight in southeast England. The town is on the east side of the island and includes a long stretch of sandy beach. This is a popular place for swimming, sunbathing, boating, and other water activities. Other activities in Shanklin include an amusement arcade, a crazy golf course, and a children's play area. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants, cafes, and pubs in the area as well. On High Street and Regent Street, you can go shopping for souvenirs, clothing, and anything you may have forgotten for your beach trip. 

The Old Village is a nice area for a stroll through thatched cottages that house tea rooms and unique gift shops. Visitors can also explore nature in the wooded ravine, Shanklin Chine, where there are many animals, rare plants, and waterfalls. It covers an area of three acres and is home to around 150 varieties of plants and at least 50 species of moss and liverworts. There is also a pond and an aviary.

Housed within the walls of his own home, Sir John Soane’s Museum was designed to inspire students of architecture and drawing by providing examples of different architectural styles and decoration. It has been open to the public since 1837.

 

Sir John Soane was a successful British neoclassical architect, responsible for designing several important Regency-era buildings, including the Bank of England. After becoming professor of architecture at the Royal Academy, he decided to create a museum within his home (made up of three buildings in Lincoln’s Inn Fields) for his students, and the result is a quirky collection of copies of famous statues, Soane’s architectural models, and artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

 

Visit independently or book a tour that visits the museum, like the secret gardens excursion of London that includes afternoon tea.

 

 

The museum is located at 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Holborn, London. The closest tube (subway) stop is Holborn (Piccadilly and Central lines) which is a short walk away. Numerous buses including nos. 1, 59, and 188 stop nearby on Kingsway.

 

Sir John Soane’s museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am–5pm. Last entry is at 4:30pm. It’s also open on bank holidays. Weekends are the busiest time to visit.

 

Thought to have inspired Central Park in New York, the urban green space at Lincoln’s Inn Fields is a popular spot to stop and take a break on any busy day out visiting London’s museums. Close to Sir John Soane’s Museum and the British Museum, it’s the largest public square in the city.

From foot-stomping musicals like Burn the Floor and Rock of Ages, to classics like Hairspray, Fame, and Rent, as well as recent hit Motown: The Musical—the Shaftesbury Theatre has earned its stripes over the last two decades as one of the top theaters of London’s West End. The legendary theater has a history dating back to 1911, when it opened its doors as The Princes Theatre. It’s now a GradeII-listed building with a seating capacity of 1,400, and the largest independent theater in the West End.

It might be the grand centerpiece of the Southbank Centre, Central London’s renowned cultural hub, and among the capital’s most famous classical music venues, but the Royal Festival Hall is also an impressive landmark in its own right. Located in a Grade-I listing building on the banks of the River Thames, the concert hall first opened its doors in 1951 during the Festival of Britain and now boasts a newly restored 2,500-seat auditorium and the lavish Clore Ballroom.

The Royal Festival Hall is best known as the home of the prestigious London Philharmonic orchestra, and the venue is used throughout the year for a host of classical music recitals, pop concerts, operas and ballets, including a number of annual music and cultural festivals.

Looming 30 meters (98 feet) over the Avebury countryside, the steep grassy slopes of Silbury Hill are an incongruous sight against the backdrop of gently rolling farmlands. This is no ordinary hill, however – the fascinating man-made structure dates back to around 2400BC and is the largest prehistoric monument of its kind in Europe.

Experts have long debated the significance of Silbury Hill, but while there are few indications of its actual purpose, its size (comparable to the Egyptian pyramids) and careful construction are none-the-less impressive. The mysterious hill also makes an intriguing addition to England’s UNESCO-listed Neolithic monuments, which include the Avebury Ring, the West Kennet Long Barrow and Stonehenge.

Despite its diminutive size at just over 1 km long, Rydal Water’s strong literary connections have cemented its status as one of the Lake District’s most visited spots. Wordsworth’s Seat, overlooking the western bank, was renowned as the poet’s favorite viewpoint, while nearby points of interest include Nab Cottage, once home to Thomas Quincey and three of Wordworth’s former homes – White Moss House, Rydal Mount and Dove Cottage.

One of the few boat-free lakes, Rydal Water makes a perfect spot for open-air swimming during the warmer months, while the lakeside hills are at their most beautiful in spring and autumn, when fields of wildflowers and colorful foliage add a rich range of hues. 

Salisbury is a “city within the country” in the county of Wiltshire.  It is most famous for its cathedral — which has the highest spire in all of England — and its proximity to Stonehenge.  The Salisbury Cathedral houses an original display of the Magna Carta.

Visitors can also see Old Sarum, the ancient site of the original city, and the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum.  The city itself is laid out in a medieval grid pattern, surrounded by lush English countryside and numerous parks and gardens.

Tackling the mighty peak is a manageable challenge for hikers with a reasonable fitness level and can be completed in a day. The most popular route sets out from Seathwaite and follows the scenic Corridor Route from Sty Head to Lingmell Col, before climbing to the summit of Scafell Pike – an approximately 7-hour round-trip hike. 

With its dramatic Gothic facade and Britain’s highest church spire at an impressive 404 feet (123 m), the Salisbury Cathedral is one of the country’s most visited religious monuments, drawing some 250,000 visitors each year. As well as admiring the cathedral’s remarkable 13th-century architecture and exquisite stained-glass windows, visitors can climb the 332 steps to the top of the tower for a magnificent view of Salisbury.

The best way to discover the cathedral is on a 90-minute guided tour of Salisbury, with entrance included. Many visitors opt to visit on a day trip from London, often combined with a visit to nearby Stonehenge or Avebury stone circle.