The UK’s many famous cities, landmarks and attractions attract millions of visitors every year. If you are planning a trip, where should you go and what are the must-see sights? Visit Britain has revealed that a record-breaking 36.1 million visitors travelled to the UK last year for a holiday.  It seems the staycation is also very strong with Britons spending £129.6 billion on visits around the UK. With so many fantastic places to visit on any holiday to the UK the choice of where to go can be overwhelming. We choose five of the top UK destinations – and suggest some great walking and cycling holidays nearby.

Five great UK destinations

Tower Bridge with The Square Mile in the Distance

Visit London

Top of the UK must-visit destination list is the capital city of London. It’s the city where many international travellers fly to and well worth spending a few days seeing a choice of the famous sights. Our advice is to try not to do too much too quickly. You could book a bus tour of the highlight attractions or simply choose some of the major attractions such as Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye.

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Oxford, a beautiful historic city well worth a visit in its own right, offers access to beautiful countryside. Oxford is just an hour by train north-west of London and is visited on a Shakespeare’s Way Walking Holiday. You could head south to Portsmouth (around 1.5 hours on the train from London) to access the south coast Isle of Wight. A rewarding Isle of Wight Coastal Path walking holiday is well worth considering. 
Edinburgh Castle

Visit Edinburgh

Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh boasts a wealth of historic and cultural places to visit. Top of the attractions will be Edinburgh Castle, St Giles Cathedral, the Museum of Scotland, Holyrood Palace, the Scottish Parliament and Arthur’s Seat, a hill within the city limits.

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It’s an easy train ride or car drive to many great walking and cycling options from Edinburgh. How about the Fife Coastal Path, the John Muir Way or St Cuthbert's Way?  
York Minster is one of Many Historic Buildings in York

York

You can reach the English city of York by train in around two hours from London. It’s a fascinating place to visit not least because the Romans built it in 71 AD. There is a huge wealth of history inside York’s historic walls and many stories are revealed at attractions such as York Castle Museum and the Yorkshire Museum.

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York also gives access to the Yorkshire countryside, where you could enjoy a stunning Coast to Coast Walk East walking holiday or the Inn Way to the North York Moors, or the Cleveland Way.
The River Avon, Bath

Bath

The beautiful spa town of Bath in southwest England is famed for its natural hot springs and 18^th century Georgian architecture. A stroll around Bath is fascinating with so many stunning buildings to see. No visit to the town is complete without a soak in the natural hot waters of the Thermae Bath Spa.

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Stay in the south-west for your choice of two lovely walking holidays, Downton Abbey to Bath and one of the South West Coast Path tours. Also see Walk of the Week: Downton Abbey to Bath. 
The Tall Ship in front of The Riverside Museum

Glasgow

Many visitors come to Scotland to see Edinburgh but overlook the vibrant city of Glasgow. The west coast settlement is Scotland's largest city and offers a very friendly and enjoyable destination. The 19th-century architecture always surprises visitors and then there’s Kelvingrove Art Museum, the Victorian Necropolis, the Glasgow School of Art, the People’s Palace, the Tall Ship, a Transport Museum, art galleries, the many parks and the brilliant pubs, among many other attractions.

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Glasgow is the gateway city to the southern Highlands of Scotland. It gives superb access to many walking and cycling tours of Scotland, especially Scotland’s Lochs and Glens cycling holiday, and walking holidays on the famous West Highland way, The Kintyre Way and the Arran Coastal Way.

City and urban delights await in the UK's top destinations - for advice on how to best combine a city break with a walking or cycling holiday get in touch with a member of the team on info@macsadventure.com.