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This price is shown in GBP . You’ll see the final price in your selected currency on the trip page.
This price is shown in GBP . You’ll see the final price in your selected currency on the trip page.
This price is shown in GBP . You’ll see the final price in your selected currency on the trip page.
Many see the UK as simply London - Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, cups of tea and Mary Poppins. The capital is an endlessly entertaining cosmopolitan behemoth and, yes, we do drink an awful lot of tea, but the UK is so much more.
England itself is a vast and varied land, from the surfer-friendly waves of the Cornish coast to the sheer beauty of the Lake District, quaint countryside towns in the south and spirited cities up north.
Then there's the magical, mystical beauty of Wales. With misty mountains, medieval castles and one of Europe’s oldest languages, it’s no wonder that the mythic quality of this land has inspired countless poets, bards and fabulists.
Across the Irish Sea is Northern Ireland, where the emerald greens of the countryside clash with the lively blues of its craggy coastline. There's Giant's Causeway, the Dark Hedges and Belfast, a capital with more character than most.
And last but certainly not least, stretching high into the North Sea, are the rugged wilds of Scotland. Some of the landscapes here are unlike any you'll find elsewhere in the UK, from the dramatic peaks of the Highlands to the otherworldly splendour of the Hebrides.
Summer, from June to September, has the hottest, driest months. Expect the beaches to be packed, pub gardens to overflow, and plenty of music festivals to be taking place. Opt for springtime for fewer crowds and cheaper prices, but wrap up warm if you’re planning to come in winter.
That very much depends on what you want to do. A city break to London or Edinburgh can be done in 3-4 days, while a week is enough to explore the smaller nations – Wales and Northern Ireland – or regions like the Scottish Highlands, southwest England and northern England. 10 days or two weeks means you can combine a few of your priorities together but, if you want a really thorough exploration of the UK, you probably need a good month to see it all properly.
The UK generally runs on four seasons. Winter (December to February) is chilly with regular ice and snow, particularly in the highlands of Scotland and Wales. Spring (March to May) can be cool with the odd warm day. Summer (June to August) is typically warm, with prolonged hot spells and occasional thunderstorms. Autumn (September to November) has the most rain and unpredictable weather, as the summer warmth fades away.
Pound sterling
English is spoken throughout the UK, but there are a range of indigenous Celtic languages still spoken across the country. In Wales an occasional “diolch” (“thank you”) will go down a treat with native Welsh speakers, while Gaelic is still spoken in some remote parts of Scotland. Some Irish Gaelic is spoken in Northern Ireland, and in the far southwestern region of England you can find the critically endangered Cornish language.
The UK all falls under one time zone, Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0), which is 5 hours ahead of New York, 8 hours ahead of LA and 9 hours behind Tokyo.
Almost but not quite! In many cases people do use the terms interchangeably, but technically that is incorrect. Great Britain, or simply Britain, is the island consisting of England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom is the official state of those three countries and Northern Ireland. Its full name is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – which you’ll notice during the Olympic Games – because Northern Ireland is on the island of Ireland, not Britain.
