United Kingdom

A four-in-one destination (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), the U.K. offers beautiful, memorable, and accessible nature, some of the best museums in Europe, and a flourishing food scene far beyond mushy peas or beans on toast. Its landscapes are unparalleled and diverse—think craggy mountain peaks, ancient forests dripping with moss and ferns, and cool glassy lakes increasingly popular for wild swimming.

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Overview

Planning your trip

Use these articles, resources, and guides to plan and inspire your next trip to the United Kingdom.

Related Guides
READ BEFORE YOU GO
HOTELS
The hotels on this list are as thoughtful about accessibility as they are about design, going beyond compliance to make travel more comfortable and intuitive for disabled guests.
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From Victorian London to Boston and Pasadena, Langham hotels continue to define timeless elegance and modern hospitality.
Afar editors share the 2025 hotel stays they didn’t want to leave—and would happily return to.
Opening in February 2026 just north of London’s West End, the Newman takes cues from Fitzrovia’s bohemian history, balancing thoughtfully designed rooms with street-facing spaces meant to be shared.
Whether it’s a villa in Italy, a dude ranch in the U.S. West, or a luxury all-inclusive in the Caribbean, here are places where accommodations and experiences are ideal for large family groups with a wide range of ages.
The British capital may be expensive, but there are affordable design hotels in every corner of the city.
The luxury hotel industry is changing fast. The Langham Hospitality Group CEO Bob van den Oord discusses how his brand is adapting—and what the future holds for high-end travel.
These are the 24 hotels we recommend most for wellness.
Open to the public who book hotel rooms and suites, the Twenty Two is also opening its second location in NYC this fall.
RESOURCES TO HELP PLAN YOUR TRIP
Only a short train ride from London, the Cotswolds Way immerses travelers in bucolic landscapes and villages.
Southampton is much more than a cruise port city.
Meander the cobbled streets, climb an historic volcano, and be sure to try a wee dram of whisky.
Afar’s picks for the 25 best new hotels in the world.
Celebrate the tastiest seasons of the year with asparagus queens, bean cannons, and tomato battles.
As of January 8, 2025, U.S. citizens traveling to the U.K. need to have an electronic travel authorization (ETA). Here’s how to apply, how much it costs, and how long it takes to be approved.
Nearly 300,000 air travelers who were scheduled to travel through London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday had their flights canceled due to a fire at a nearby electrical substation. Here’s what we know and how travel is being affected.
Set to launch in July 2025, Belmond’s 18-cabin Britannic Explorer will travel from London to Cornwall, northern England’s Lake District, and Wales in unprecedented style.
Italy isn’t the only place with awe-inspiring ruins from the Roman Empire. Avoid the crowds and see the broader picture of Roman history at these 10 destinations across Europe and northern Africa.
Great love stories don’t just unfold on the page or screen—they’re shaped by the places where they happen.