United Kingdom — Royal Heritage & Rugged Landscapes
The United Kingdom packs extraordinary variety into a compact geography. London alone deserves a week: the British Museum, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, National Gallery, Tate Modern, West End theatre.
The Lake District, Cotswolds, Bath, and Stonehenge offer classic England; Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway and Edinburgh's medieval Old Town complete the picture.
Highlights
- ◆London — British Museum, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, West End, world-class food
- ◆Scottish Highlands — NC500 coastal drive, Glencoe, Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness
- ◆Edinburgh — Castle, Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat, Fringe Festival (August)
- ◆Cotswolds — Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Chipping Campden
- ◆Bath — Georgian architecture, Roman Baths, and a UNESCO World Heritage City
- ◆Stonehenge & Salisbury — 5,000-year-old Neolithic monument on Salisbury Plain
- ◆Giant's Causeway — Northern Ireland: UNESCO basalt column coastline
Key Destinations in the United Kingdom
London
One of the world's great cities. The British Museum's Elgin Marbles and Rosetta Stone, the National Gallery's Impressionist collection, and the V&A's decorative arts are world-class.
Scottish Highlands
Europe's last great wilderness. The North Coast 500 is Scotland's answer to America's Route 66 — a 516-mile coastal drive.
Edinburgh
Scotland's capital divides into the medieval Old Town (Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace) and the Georgian New Town.
The Cotswolds
150 square miles of honey-coloured limestone villages, gentle hills, and ancient market towns.
Bath & Stonehenge
Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage City of honey-coloured Georgian terraces built around the only natural hot springs in Britain.