When you think of England, the first thing that pops in your mind would be London, right? But of course, there are more beautiful cities you could visit other than London. Here we put up list of cities and places of interest in each city.
Bath
An hour and half drive from London you will reach to the only UK city designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bath. It was known as “Aquae Sulis” in the first century which is a Roman name for Bath. This city is very famous quite a few historical buildings and the Roman Baths.
When you are visiting Bath, you should start by visiting the Royal Crescent, one of the most famous landmarks of Bath was built back in the 1770s. Few of the places there are private residence but the number 1 was turned into a museum so people could go see how the Georgians lived back in the 18th century.
Since Bath is known for their Roman Baths and also spa, you should experience Britain’s natural hot spring at Thermae Bath Spa at least once in your lifetime. Other than the modern spa, you could also visit the traditional and first bath that was built in the 70 AD. Take a tour at the temple of Sulis Minerva. After that, visit the Museum of Bath Architecture where you will learn how the city was built and stay for an afternoon or high tea session to enjoy the beauty of the spa.
Birmingham
Second most populous city and fourth most visited city in UK. Compare to London, it seems a lot smaller and it is home of Cadbury chocolate! You can visit quite a lot even if it is one day and from the train station, almost all are accessible by walking. At the main square which is seven minutes walk from the station, you can visit Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and also St. Philip’s Cathedral and further walking, you can find St. Paul’s Gallery where they exhibit art pieces that was signed by celebrities like Pink FLoyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who and so much more.
There’s also Jewellery Quarter which is one of the most tourist attraction in Birmingham, the reason why is because the architecture looks really pretty and there is a giant padlock structure that you can take picture with your partner.
Brighton
This charming city famous for the seaside resort is located on the south coast of England. It is also another place where you can visit for a day trip. When it comes to Brighton, first thing that pops into most people’s mind would be Brighton Pier, which is a place for you to play like you are a kid again. There’s a lot of food stalls, arcade games, rides but even if you do not feel like playing, you can just take a stroll on the pier, it has such a beautiful view of the beach. The world’s tallest observation deck is just right beside the Brighton Pier, known as British Airways i360 to get the wide panorama of the whole Brighton and sea in front of it. Another place that is near the pier is the oldest aquarium called Sea Life aquarium, a great place for families to bring their kids to see some aquatic animals.
Another thing you should not miss when in Brighton is the Royal Pavilion, at first it was just a simple place for King George the fourth to rest but it became a palace after 35 years. You can also tour inside the palace but best to be early unless you do not mind queuing or you have a lot of time to spare because the queue is usually long. After your visit to the Pavilion, go to The Lanes to grab something to eat or maybe a nice long meals as the place is pretty relaxing and do a little shopping while you are there.
Bristol
This oldest city is located in the south west of England and it is the 10th largest population of the country, it was voted as the best city to live in 2017. Bristol is famous for being the trading port since Roman Era and they have their own currency that is the Bristol Pounds. There’s a lot of places you can wander around in Bristol. The first and must-do when in Bristol is take a 45-minutes tour on the floating harbour at the Bristol Packet where they will bring you around to see Bristol. After that, you could go to Harbourside market for local handicrafts or some vintage items such as clothing, dolls, miniature statue and so much more. In Bristol, there are a lot of cafés so, it would be fun to do a café hopping activity, to relax, eat and also take picture for your social media.
If you are visiting Bristol in August, you should attend the largest Balloon Fiesta which is held annually around early August. In this event, people would bring their hot air balloon to showcase and there are a lot of types ranging from the classic hot air balloon to cartoon characters, you can also ride these hot air balloons to see the whole of Bristol. Clifton Suspension Bridge is also one of the place you should not miss because it is the symbol of Bristol
Cambridge
Home to top-ranked university in United Kingdom that is the University of Cambridge and also to some famous geniuses such as Stephen Hawking. One of the quick and laziest way to see Cambridge city is by punting through River Cam. If you are interested in pursuing your studies here then by punting, you could see some of the colleges from the river itself. King’s College Chapel is one of the best destination to visit in Cambridge. Due to its wide space in the chapel, world famous choir group performs there everyday.
You should also briefly visit the Corpus Clock, it is located outside Taylor Library of Corpus Christi College. While you are there, learn the meaning why it was built and admire the uniqueness of it because it does not look like ordinary clock.
Dorset
Dorset, home of England’s first natural UNESCO world heritage site, Jurassic Coast. There’s a few places to visit while you are at the Jurassic Coast, such as Dinosaur Museum which is perfect for families with kids and also Museum of Jurassic Marine Life where you can see how fossils are being cleaned and conserved. You can also take part in the supervised fossil hunting and discover fossil on your own.
Another historical place is Corfe Castle, it has been around since the 11th century and part of it has been demolished in 1645. Go back in time by visiting the ruins of the castle and discover how it looks and feels like before it was destroyed at the model village. Family events are usually held at the castle so, have fun and participate with your family while you are there.
For those who seek for relaxation, Isle of Portland is definitely a must. Not only limited to relaxation island but you could also discover some by visiting Portland Bill Lighthouse which was opened officially in 1906. It was originally the lighthouse keepers’ home but they renovate it and opened it as a visitor’s information center where people can learn the history of how they keep mariners safe for almost 500 years.
Liverpool
Liverpool, the fifth largest city in England. It is famous for being the hometown of the Beatles and also the Liverpool Football Club. For fans of the football club, Anfield is a must because they do Stadium tour where they will bring you to the main stand where you can view the whole pitch then you also get to visit the changing room where the players change their clothes before and after their match, lastly get the chance to touch the famous “This is Anfield” sign and walk down the tunnel before entering the stadium.
For the Beatles band fans, Liverpool is definitely a place you should be because it is the home of the band. The Beatles story is the world’s largest permanent exhibition which showcases the story and history of The Beatles. It is located at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Albert Dock. Join and participate in the tour where they take you to the history of the Beatles from their childhood to being the greatest band of all time to their solo careers. You should also hang out at the cafe and also the model of the Cavern Club, a jazz club made famous by the Beatles.
Manchester
Another city that is famous for football, home for the Manchester United and Manchester City Football Club. Manchester also have a stadium tour just like in Anfield, Liverpool. For Manchester United fans, best to go to Old Trafford, the largest football club stadium in England. You could sit in the managers’ seats, walk through the tunnel where the players go through, visit the locker of your favorite player at the changing room.
As for Manchester City fans, they offer stadium tour too but it is at Etihad Stadium instead of the Old Trafford. Sponsored by Etihad Airways, the stadium is the eighth largest in England. These stadiums are sometimes used for concerts and other events too, not just for football matches.
Manchester is not only for the football fans. Family with children can bring their children play and learn at Legoland Discovery Centre, there is a 4D cinema, play zones and rides that are all suitable for kids, other than Legoland, there’s Museum of Science and Industry where kids can learn how Manchester’s famous inventions are made and how the invention changed the world.
Newcastle upon Tyne
Commonly known as Newcastle, famous for the first and only tilting bridge, Gateshead Millennium Bridge an iconic landmark of Newcastle or also known as the winking eye bridge because of the shape when it tilts to give way to the passing by ferries. The bridge is usually used for pedestrians and almost all who visit the River Tyne enjoyed the beautiful scenery and weather especially at night during the summer with view of the Tyne Bridge
Angel of the North is also another iconic landmark of Newcastle as people believed that it is the biggest angel sculpture in the world. There are a lot of version to why the sculpture was built but nothing is certain as to some it is just a contemporary art designed by an sculptor named Anthony Gormley. Beamish, a famous open-air museum should definitely be in your list to go when in Newcastle. This is where people can experience how is it like in Newcastle back in the 1900s. They have some exciting events daily for visitors to participate.
London
How can you not visit London when you are in England. London as many know is the capital of England and the largest city in the world. According to some, one day visiting London will not be enough but you can still explore a lot even if you have only a day. Start off by crossing the Thames on Tower Bridge, the most famous London Bridge. Then grab food to eat at Borough market before going to the London Eye. Ride the Ferris wheel for the entire beautiful view of the whole London and a fine-dining experience.
You can see a few iconic landmarks from the Ferris wheel which includes Big Ben, the clock’s great bell, you could also see the Shard, also a place where you can see the entire view of London. Watch the changing of guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace where the queen lives but better be there early as they start around 11 am, do check their website for the ceremony updates. Wrap up your day by having a picnic or just relax and enjoy the view at Hyde Park.
Of course, there are more places and cities to visit in England, even one month is not enough to cover all the iconic places of England. Planning to go England? Check out for our deals on Sutra.my
