The United Kingdom has long been the destination of tourists from around the world, but recent years have really seen the tourism market boom, with London feeling the full force of this – though the capital does receive the most visitors, there are dozens of other popular spots through England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and everywhere in the UK offers an experience that can only be really described as ‘British’. The stereotypical fish and chips in the local pub is still available for those who pursue it, but modern Britain is home to the forefront of the arts, music scene and cuisine – it’s a delightful mix of tradition and forward-thinking that make the country so interesting.

England

London is the first stop off point for the vast majority of people who visit the UK, with Heathrow Airport offering a tourist attraction in itself – the busiest in the world. Whilst the actual City of London is small compared to other major British cities, the Greater London district – what people are actually referring to when they say ‘London’ – is very large indeed, and has more than enough in it to cover many visits. The iconic Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace attract visitors by their millions each and every year, among the many other architectural and cultural delights – throw in a city of cutting edge fashion, music, the best salt beef bagels in the world – visit Brick Lane – and venues and it’s a recipe for a successful visit.

Elsewhere in England are popular attractions such as the city of York and its historical beauty, the Lake District, near the Scottish border, which is near-unrivalled for natural glory, the ‘capital of the North’, Manchester, Britain’s version of Las Vegas (tongue firmly in cheek) Blackpool, the Beatles hometown of Liverpool or the country’s fastest growing city, Leeds. Each town and city has its own story to tell and its own places to see and things to do within, as well as the excursions that can be carried out from these central spots – 2,000 years of history is something that will take a while to digest, that’s for sure.

Scotland

North of the border and home of the fiercely proud Scots, Scotland is a maze of highlands, fields and castles, home to Nessie and one of the greatest festivals in the world at Edinburgh – which handily happens to be the capital. To the west of the capital sits Glasgow, a cultural centre and home of many oft-visited sites, as well as some legendary bars and restaurants. Stirling, Aberdeen and Dundee are all worth a look, and each have their own contribution to Scottish history and contemporary Scottish life that they are happy to share with all who visit. Throw in the wonderful natural sights that litter the Scottish countryside and it’s another reason why Britain is a fantastic country that ticks all the right tourist boxes.

Wales

Sitting on the west of England, Wales is a country of some contrast – the heavily populated south, with cities such as Cardiff and Swansea is the place to go for those seeking the cultural and architectural sights. Those wanting to explore, hike or climb can let themselves loose in the Welsh countryside all the way through the middle and north of the country, leading to Snowdonia National Park. There are even beach resort towns like Rhyl for those seeking the sunshine holidays – just don’t complain if it doesn’t have a Caribbean climate!

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is a popular tourist destination both internationally and domestically, and a summertime visitor is likely to see more English than Irish in the most popular tourist spots. The six counties offer a great deal of culture to absorb, and Belfast is at the centre of it all with some wonderful historic sites, museums and activities – not to mention the fantastic bars and night life. All of the counties – that’s County Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Londonderry and Tyrone – offer something for visitors to see or take part in, and Northern Irish culture is something that has to be experienced by anyone making a trip to the UK.

All of this isn’t even taking into account the UK’s offshore locales, such as the Isle of Wight or Anglesey – all easily reachable from the mainland, and all full of even more cultural nuances to take in.