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.

5-summer_trains-jacobite-train-scotland.jpg
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
The just-opened Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration brings together thousands of examples of illustrations, including comic books, graphic novels, and documentary drawings.
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.
Sleep under the world’s darkest, clearest skies across six continents at one of these 19 dark sky zone hotels.
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 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.
Sleek design. Hot chefs. Prime location. The alluring new Mandarin Oriental Mayfair is the first new hotel to open in this London neighborhood in a decade.
RESOURCES TO HELP PLAN YOUR TRIP
The Seattle-based carrier has unveiled new flight routes to Europe for 2026, which is in addition to new service to Rome, Tokyo, and Seoul that had previously been announced.
From misty Scottish isles to cobblestoned Belgian streets, this journey brings Northern Europe’s fairytale charm to life.
Your city itinerary includes hidden basement bars, wide-open parks, and secluded mews with appealing restaurants.
At Park Hyatt London River Thames, creativity and discovery unfold around you as soon as you enter the lobby. A Charlie Whinney commission inspired by the iconic waterway outside the hotel, Ebb and Flow, welcomes guests. From there, explore a “park by water” art gallery, admiring pieces by more than 20 world-renowned artists throughout the property for a distinctive cultural experience that reflects London’s international appeal. It’s a significantly quieter, more personal journey than you might find at the nearby Tate Modern or other major institutions here, but no less impactful.
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.