8 Best Day Trips from London
If you’re like me, you have been to London more times than you can count. Maybe it’s time to leave the city and see some places nearby! Whatever your reason, I can only encourage you to plan some day trips from London when you visit.
There’s more than enough to see and you can get to most places within two hours. Super easy! Here’s my guide for the best day trips from London!
8 Charming Day Trips from London
Cambridge
London to Cambridge: 1 hour
Cambridge is a university city, and a beautiful one! I visited on a beautiful sunny spring day, and of course I couldn’t resist a boat tour through the canals. This is the only way to see some of the most beautiful universities as they aren’t accessible any other way (unless you study at Cambridge, in which case: how smart are you?!).
Aside from the beautiful and romantic sights, your guide (and punter) is most likely a local student trying to make some extra money by sharing the history and tales from his city with you.
Beyond a canal tour, there is also lots of shopping to be done in the city, and there’s too many affordable cafes and bars to count! Overall I found the atmosphere really relaxed, the city beautiful and I really considered whether I should move to Cambridge :-)
See all the best things to do in Cambridge on a day trip here
How to Visit
If you’re keen to visit both Cambridge and Oxford in one day, and you have no transport, it might be worth checking out this tour which will take you around both cities with a qualified tour guide. It departs in London and ends there too. Check here for rates & availability
Oxford
London to Oxford: 75 minutes
Obviously, Oxford is the other famous university city of England. Rivalry is still alive and kicking. In London, I went to a charity event with a goat race (in stead of the famous boat race). I mean, come on.
Oxford is a lot smaller than Cambridge, and after a few hours I had seen everything. But as far as visiting universities goes it’s much more accessible than Cambridge. Plus, if you want to experience the real Harry Potter vibe (parts of the film were filmed here), you have to be in Oxford!
How to Visit
If you’re keen to visit both Cambridge and Oxford in one day, and you have no transport, it might be worth checking out this tour which will take you around both cities with a qualified tour guide. It departs and ends in London. Check rates & availability here
Brighton
London to Brighton: 75 minutes
Brighton is the sea side town all Londoners flock to when the sun starts to shine. I’ve been there twice. Brighton not only has a famous pier, but it also has a really colorful and artistic city centre. During the sixties a big group of hippies established themselves in Brighton, which makes the city a beautiful hodgepodge of hip & high class people.
Don’t be mistaken though, the houses over here cost a fortune. Brighton is a really cool choice to get some fresh air at the beach, eat at great restaurants, and shop till you drop. I always like visiting.
How to Visit
Brighton is a lovely, relaxed place and if you’d like to discover more of it, it’s worth checking out this bike tour. You’ll get to cycle around all the lovely spots with a qualified tour guide showing you the way and telling you the history about the places you’ll visit. Check rates & availability
Bath
London to Bath: 90 minutes
If you want to visit a real classic English city, Bath is the place to go. It’s actually possibly my favourite English city after London. It’s just that pretty. Bath is stylish with beautiful Victorian houses and offers a lot in terms of dining and shopping.
Make sure to bring your wallet though :-) The biggest attraction in Bath are the Roman baths of course, which are really interesting to visit. Highly recommended!
How to Visit:
If you’re keen to visit both Bath and Stonehenge (below) in one day, and you have no transport, it’s worth checking out this highly rated tour which will take you around both cities with a qualified tour guide. It departs from London, and ends there again too. Check rates & availability here
Stonehenge
London to Stonehenge: 90 minutes
What can I say… you have to have seen this centuries old icon at some point, right? At least that’s how I feel. So to visit Stonehenge during our road trip through South England was a no-brainer.
I was actually more impressed than I thought I’d be. Just thinking about these stones that have been put here thousands of years ago, without the technology we have nowadays… it’s very special. After about 90 minutes you’ve seen everything at Stonehenge, so you can still choose to explore nearby Salisbury (where your train will arrive and depart from).
How to Visit
If you’re keen to visit both Bath and Stonehenge in one day, and you have no transport, it’s worth checking out this highly rated tour which will take you around both cities with a qualified tour guide. It departs from London, and drops you off there too. Check rates & availability
Cotswolds
London to Cotswolds: 90 minutes
If you’re going to Cotswolds, you’re best off reserving a whole weekend for the pleasure. But if you really want to, you can still see a lot in just a day. Choose about three city towns you’d like to see, enjoy the nature on your way there, and submerge yourself in the vibe of the cute and quiet English countryside villages. You’d have to rent a car if you want to explore the area.
For some more inspiration, here are my favorite villages in the Cotswolds and how to spend 3 days in the Cotswolds.
How to Visit
If you’d like to visit the Cotswolds but you have no transport, I can highly recommend checking out a tour. You’ll depart in London and get to experience the beautiful area with no stress of navigating traffic and be joined by a qualified tour guide.
- Option 1: On this highly acclaimed tour you’ll visit some of my favourite towns AND have a two course lunch in an old coach inn. Check prices & availability
- Option 2: If your main focus is visiting Blenheim Palace (which I LOVED visiting), I would recommend this popular tour which ensures a guided visit to Blenheim, as well as a tour of the Cotswolds. Check prices & availability
Windsor
London to Windsor: 45 minutes
Personally I only spent two hours in Windsor. Sadly, I did not get to visit the castle which is undoubtedly the highlight of your visit. But even so I could already tell Windsor is a really nice place to visit. It has a vibrant city centre full of pubs and eateries and you can also sit and stroll along the river.
Alternatively, you can get a beautiful 2 hour boat ride through Windsor over the famous Thames river. Of course Windsor is mostly known because of the castle where the royal family is often staying. The castle is publicly accessible and you can check ticket prices here.
How to Visit
If you’d like to visit Windsor but you have no transport, I can highly recommend checking out a tour. You’ll depart and return in London while spending a lovely day in the quaint town, flanked by a qualified tour guide.
- Option 1: For a quick half day tour from London, this tour is your best option. It comes included with the admission to the Castle and its gorgeous gardens. You’ll be back home in time for a relaxed afternoon and evening. Check rates & availability here
- Option 2: If you’d like to experience the best of England in a day (yes, really) I found this great tour for you. It’s highly rated, and brings you to Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath. Three birds with one stone! Pick up and return is to London, and you’ll have a lovely guide with you on the comfortable bus. Check rates & availability here
Manchester
London to Manchester: 2 hours
Just like the Cotswolds, Manchester is best when you spend the night there. But if you leave early in the morning you could still do a solid one day in Manchester. Let me start by saying it is not necessarily a beautiful city.
But it’s definitely a nice city where the atmosphere is really vibrant and fun. You’ll mostly find this in hip restaurants and a countless number of pubs. The city also has a huge shopping mall if that’s the thing you’re looking for.
How to Visit
Make sure to book your train seats as early as possible, especially when you’re going to Manchester. Otherwise the route will be very expensive. To check out train schedules and tickets for day trips from London you can visit Trainline.com.
Want more inspiration on day trips? Read this great post on cultural London day trips, from my friend Raphael.
Have you been on any of these day trips from London? What was your favorite?
General Travel Tips
- For accommodation, I always check Airbnb or Booking.com for the best prices.
- If your insurance at home doesn’t cover travel, you may want to look into SafetyWing for an affordable option.
- I always recommend checking Get Your Guide for the best tours in Europe and Tiqets for specific attraction deals.
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One of my favourite London day trips is actually quite close to the city; a visit to Hampton Court! In the summer, the gardens are the perfect place to roam around, the maze is always good fun, and I love the little plays they put on through-out the day! :)
Living within easy distance of the Palace I go a couple of times a year as there are often specific events on, so check out their website for details when you plan your trip.
Its easy to get to, either by rail to Hampton Court station a quick walk away or by car and there is a decent sized car park.
Situated on the banks of the River Thames the setting is fantastic and the Palace itself impressive. Very well maintained with lots of artefacts to show you what life was like in Henry VIII’s time.
Do your research on the period and Henry VIII’s court before you go and it will mean so much more.
I’ve been twice over this past year, the first time was on a spring evening for a formal banquet with actors staging cameos of Palace life, followed by a sumptuous banquet and then fireworks in the gardens. A truly memorable event which showcased the Palace perfectly.
The second trip was this winter with family members visiting from abroad.
Again, a wonderful experience which they loved and we toured the state apartments and the kitchens – a particular favourite of mine!
Very well-informed guides are all around for questions and they really bring it all to life,
Then no visit is complete without a look at the gardens, very well tended and especially worth a visit in the summer.
In the winter there is an ice skating rink in the grounds at the front of the Palace and in the summer the Hampton Court Festival is staged when you can take a picnic to the park and afterwards enjoy the acts in the Tudor Courtyard. The line-up is always impressive!
Thanks for this list! I’m studying abroad in Liverpool next spring and this gave me a good place to start when planning my weekend excursions.
You’ll have an amazing time I’m sure!
Absolutely agree that the Cotswolds can only be done with a car or by tour, since public transportation is pretty limited in that area. If you do have the car, then Waddesdon Manor is also really worth a visit – a spectacular country house with beautiful landscaped gardens that is nicknamed the “English Versailles”.
Thanks for this article, there is so much to do outside of London too. I would also add the Peak District (great if you’re into hiking / walks / nature) and Stratford Upon Avon to visit Shakespeare’s city.
Myself and my husband will be visiting UK from 5 to 24 September. We are thinking of visiting London, Oxford, Cambridge and Bath.
could you please send us a itinerary with train and hotel accommodation?
thanking you and best regards
Su Su Tin
Hi Su Su, I’m not a travel agent so unfortunately I cannot help you with this.