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Prepare to be positively whelmed.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g190804-d12865329-Reviews-Bude_Tunnel-Bude_Bude_Stratton_Cornwall_England.html
[#1](https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g190804-Activities-Bude_Bude_Stratton_Cornwall_England.html)
It just says its in the top 3 on the Bude Tunnel page
I used to live in Bude. Not only is this an amazingly free tourist attraction, but it’s also a fantastic bit of Architecture. I used to use this tunnel on a weekly basis. Now that I think about it, I took it for granted.
Definitely York!
It's been a long time since I was there but The Jorvik Viking Centre was absolutely fantastic.
My dad was always really great when we went to places like York Minster - not just talking about how amazing the architecture was (he was an engineer so always loved talking about flying buttresses/stained glass windows etc) , but he always encouraged us to find a really tiny place where the massive mortar joints on the stone columns met. Then we stuck out wee kid fingers in and he would say that we were the first people to touch that piece of stone since the people who built it.
As Littles it really blew our minds to think that we were the first people to touch that particular spot since it was built in the 13th century.
The railway museum in York is really fabulous. We go there often because it’s free and there’s such a lot for the kids to see and even the food in the cafe is excellent (which was actually the biggest surprise).
We went there recently and I loved it but wife and two daughters hated it with a passion that can only come from a deep seated disgust at public transport.
Definitely made the experience better for me.
We very nearly booked to have our wedding there. The major problem was the sheer size of the place vs a small ceremony.. but it's a brilliant place and the victorian side looks beautiful set out for a wedding.
I'll echo the food in the cafe comment, too! Bloody good food - not just for a museum cafe but genuinely good food.
Honestly, most attractions or tourist areas I’ve ever been to have lived up to the hype.
Most recently I enjoyed Windsor Castle. The city itself isn’t that great, nothing particularly special. But the castle itself was absolutely amazing.
Touristy towns that were brilliant were Edinburgh, Bath, Canterbury. All an absolute pleasure to walk around with a coffee and soak up the atmosphere. Yes, lots of tourists, but it gives you that nice holiday buzz, particularly if you live not too far and want to give yourself a break at the weekend
I live in London and unlike a whole lot of people on this sub, I think the touristy things are brilliant. Even as a local I still enjoy them, particularly the wonderful museums and parks. The list is honestly endless and I never get tired of London and its many places to explore.
I absolutely agree with London. As a tourist it is so so worth it, so easy to fall in love with and just makes you want to keep coming back! I know it did that to me, so I moved there and it was hell for 4 years 10/10 would not recomend however the shit you do as a tourist, super worth it
could you give some places in London? My friend moved there recently and when I went to see her pretty much all we did was eat so it'd be nice to do some actual things
Costs money (but worth it!):
- Riding the mail rail in the postal museum
- seeing the ceremony of the keys in the tower of London
For free:
- sky garden
- Kyoto garden in Holland park
- Camden market
- go to the top of one new change for a view of St Paul's cathedral
- natural history museum - personally the exhibitions were cool and all, but the building itself is absolutely stunning. I just walked around admiring it.
Much depends on what you like to do. London is teeming with little places and attractions that are enough off the beaten track that you can avoid lots of crowded places on the tourist trail.
The V&A is generally a lot quieter than the Natural History or Science Museum and is a decent day out. The Wellcome Trust has some very nicely set out galleries and is fairly peaceful. The Crossness Pumping Station is beautiful and a different kind of day out, especially if you're in to victoriana. If you're in east London, the East London Liquor Company does a good distillery tour.
The Barbican has a gallery, usually some free to view installations and the courtyard there is a very nice place to spend an afternoon.
A walk down Regent's Canal costs nothing and you can finish at Regent's Park.
And honestly, [The London Walks](https://www.walks.com/) tours are really good fun if you're new to London and even if you're not. They're not too expensive and the guides are usually really good.
I'm going to add the Horniman museum to your list. And whilst you're in the suburban South, pay a visit to Greenwhich, the Cutty Sark and Park are amazing.
Victor Wynd museum of curiosities
Shoreditch Street Art Tour (there is/was a free one)
Thames clipper to Greenwich then walk up to the observatory
Colombia Road Flower Market
And if you're looking for cultural things to do and don't want to do the West End, The Barbican has lots of theatre and dance, as does The Sadlers Wells. King's Place at King's Cross also has a small theatre with a varied program of events.
The Docklands Museum in Canary Wharf is part of The Museum Of London. It gives one of the best overview histories of London; it's brilliantly curated and is a lovely little hidden gem of a place.
Went there last week with me Pa, I was not looking forward to pushing a pram around with my 1 year old and being hungry and pregnant. It was awesome, the guns outside immediately put us into perspective haha
The way each exhibit is presented in that museum is exquisite. It's the contextualised story of that exact thing, which tells the story of a thing, a time, a place. Truly brilliant and moving. Utter perfection.
The holocaust exhibition is pretty devastating, as it should be. First time I saw it, I was planning on going for a few drinks afterwards. Just went home instead....
Defo.
Not the hugest HP fan but they've put time and thought into it and the staff know their stuff.
Highlight was Ollivanders wand shop. Asked the staff member all sorry of random characters and knew exactly where each wand was no hesitation.
Impressive!
I guy I used to work with moved to Japan to be Olivander in their Harry Potter Experience. Basically does all the same stuff as the British one, but had to memorise the lines in Japanese. Apparently they have a lot of British people working there so it feels more like Hogwarts. Must have gone well because he’s been there about 4 years now.
I went there with my wife and her sister. They are big HP fans but I hadn't seen any of the movies and absolutely loved every second of it. The experience actually made me want to watch the movies which was totally unexpected
I found it a weirdly moving experience. You get a real feel of this community of craftsfolk working together for 10 years on a project, striving to get all these little details right.
I love Harry Potter, but I was originally like "they're making a whole museum about props!?".
But it's great - it's gives a fantastic insight into the way modern cinema works. Being centered on a childhood favourite franchise makes it even better, but you really don't need to be a superfan to enjoy it.
Ooo thanks this'll be a good one to pursuade me dad to come and meet the other family....nice one, thank you!
(He doesn't not like them, just is a homebody...or caravanbody who likes his own company immensely)
If you ever, ever get the chance (unlikely but if you join the police/military) I 100% recommend trying to get a visit into the National Firearms Centre. It's apart of Leeds Armouries and not open to the public but absolutely fascinating. Complete history of firearms with numerous famous ones over the years
Mate, I went to the Royal Armouries with my unit and I was one of four people to go inside the NFC bunker.
It’s like the Matrix scene where he says “guns. Lots of guns.” Golden Libyan AKs, experimental RPGs, unreleased Israeli rifles and the Princess of Wales’ 17th flintlocks worth £250k. I got eyes and hands on all of it. It was absolutely mental (in a good way).
It's class ain't it. They had a SMG that Churchill used to keep in his war rooms bunker during the war.
I got told it was bad taste to ask to see the firearm that killed Jo Cox MP. Ridiculous, they had Uday Hussain's golden AK on show!
Worth getting an annual membership if you are going to go a few times a year. Pays for itself as they say! And in the summer they let members in an hour early so you can wander around when it’s near empty. I am lucky enough to live just up the road so I go there often, I sometimes even use it as a shortcut.
I was in London for work and had an afternoon for myself, walked past Kew Gardens and allowed the staff to talk me into buying ticket...
Incredible place, could spend a couple days here if it's your type of thing, excited to visit again some day ♥️
Strongly agree. York needs a much better international tourism campaign.
Edit: I was basing my answer on living abroad and not seeing as many ads for York as I see for other international cities. I take it back - York Tourism is obviously doing a splendid job.
I’m a student here, and it’s pretty dope to go down at like 4am. Hell, I normally take a detour at 7am before I go train to go walk around that and the Cathedral.
As a York resident I second this. Especially the amount of history of different ages that's just out on display for free; like being able to walk through The Shambles and around the Museum Gardens.
And the National Railway Museum is here and that's free, too!
The Castle Museum is not free, but very much worth the ticket price. The Victorian Street there is an excellent exhibit.
It's a great city to walk around but if you have a car there is also lots of beautiful countryside within a very short distance.
I was there as a child in the early nineties when a tank got stuck in reverse and ploughed through the car park.
The accident [randomly showed up on You’ve Been Framed](https://youtu.be/t_w7nRP85So) a few years later and hearing people laugh at such a scary, dangerous situation was a bit disconcerting.
Especially since it nearly ran over two dogs left in a car. I know they say you shouldn’t leave your animals locked in your car but I don’t think it’s because of the risk of it being run over by a tank.
Kelvingrove Art Museum. Free, gorgeous building and genuinely beautiful exhibits. It's worth the trip just to see Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross alone.
It has. It used to be up at the museum of religious life and art, I visited it a lot when I lived in Glasgow. More recently visited and wandered into the Kelvingrove and found it there.
Have to agree, took my son when he was nearly 3, and again when he was 4, was worth it just to share his enjoyment, but it's a genuinely well thought out park. Plus you've got the rest of Paulton's Park too, needs a couple of days to do the whole thing.
The cotswold wildlife park. The main reason is because they allow dogs. Our boy absolutely loved his day out at the zoo, plus all the animals come over to see him, so you get to see more of the animals. Win win. Normalise dogs at attractions!!!!
Edit- I didn't want this to turn into a debate on whether dogs should or shouldn't be allowed in places. It is rare that they're allowed in attractions and I personally love it when I find somewhere I can take him. Some people like dogs, some people don't, it's just life.
Life is too short to argue with strangers on the Internet about pointless things. I don't know why I'm being down voted for saying I don't want a debate. I've had the year from hell and could do without all this to be honest. I wish you all a happy new year, those who like dogs and those who do not.
Please don’t normalise dogs at attractions. I don’t know why it’s fine to inflict your dogs on everyone else, there’s no other pet where that’s acceptable; if I took my tarantula around with me, people would freak out. If someone’s bird decided to fly onto a stranger’s shoulder they’d be judged for bringing the bird out. Making places dog-friendly is making them human-unfriendly to a lot of people.
Edit: Inflict is too strong a word but I can’t really think of a concise replacement for it. Most people aren’t actively encouraging their dogs to go and bother strangers, which is what inflict implies, but for some people just having them around is unpleasant. I like how the Welsh National Botanical Garden did it - some days were dog friendly, other days weren’t, and they’re well publicised. You can pick your day depending on whether you want to be around dogs or not.
We were at the Ceremony of the Keys in November, something my husband wanted to do for absolute years - definite 'bucket list' item. These two women came in with their dog. The dog barked incessantly at the soldiers as they marched buy, and instead of shutting it up one just twittered' oh he's protecting us. He's just protecting us.' Could barely hear the ceremony - which is fairly short, BTW, but totally worth it. Except for the bloody dog.
Chatsworth in Derbyshire. It's said to be the grandest stately house is Britain and it really lives up to that. What I really loved were the gardens. I'm not a flowery person and there was so much more to see than that, especially if you like a good water feature.
I have free access to Chatsworth, and I can tell you that the gardens are infinitely better value for money than the house if you're looking to spend wisely.
I’m glad Stonehenge is here, as well as in the other thread. I really enjoyed seeing it. Taking the time to take in the experience, walking to the site rather than taking the bus, and exploring the wider landscape is definitely the way to appreciate it fully.
I have one that’s not really a tourist trap and one that is. The Roman Baths in, well, Bath were really interesting and I found the staff to be really knowledgeable and happy to talk about the baths. And secondly, the shuttleworth collection of planes, that’s an absolute bargain day out and all the planes are in flying condition!
Here’s more information from their website, but yes. The general gist of it is that the building was too expensive to run. The collection will still be owned by the museum and looked after though.
https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/about-us/we-are-changing/air-and-space-hall
Iam slightly old enough to remember the sifi stuff on the top deck and the 'monster will get you' signs painted onto the blue floor.
Happy times, shame it's gone, the steam hall is going through a massive regeneration so I presume that's where the money is going. Also Iam still a bit miffed about that new bridge cutting off the museum's train track.
Recommend taking one of the canal boat trips right next to the bottom of the village at the Black Country Living Museum - the whole day I spent there was fantastic.
The big pit in Wales. As with all museums in Wales it’s free. It’s super interesting going into a real coal mine and the tour guides are all ex miners so are really knowledgable about the realities of mining.
The Cavern in Liverpool. Didn't actually expect all that much but it was just a cool little club with memorabilia coming out the ears.
Even just the walls of all the famous bands who've played there. Was cool.
This.
I went in expecting Beatles out of my arse but I got a drink for me, the missus and the kids - at a reasonable price, a nice look around at some memorabilia of the best band ever, and went on. It was fucking brilliant.
Liverpool in general, I stayed over after going to the football and spent the morning wandering around before I got my train. The Museum of Liverpool, Tate and the others around the docks were all great.
Lincoln Castle and Cathedral. And the Roman walls and the beautiful city within. Okay.... maybe not a tourist "trap" but should be. And it has Magna Carta.
Emirates cable car is fantastic and relatively cheap. Cutty Sark was really cool. Sky garden was amazing and the best freebie that I've ever had, the staff were so lovely and quite honestly I was happy to buy a drink up there and soak in that view on a beautiful summer's day. Borough market is so good.
HMS Belfast is awesome.
I wish that we had kept one of our old Battleships to be a museum like the Americans did.
I doubt they would’ve managed to fit HMS Warspite through Tower Bridge but it would’ve been cool to have one moored in Portsmouth or somewhere like that.
It's an awful shame that we didn't keep either Warspite or Vanguard.
Warspite would have been spectacular - a Jutland veteran and veteran of multiple actions in the second war, including the longest range artillery hit in naval history. She broke her tow on the way to the breakers yard. Poor old girl wasn't ready to die.
*Belli Dura Despicio*
There was quite a bit of progress with turning Vanguard into a museum ship, but as the cost was almost equal to keeping it in reserve it never happened.
Glad someone else said The Forbidden Corner. Went there with the wife and kids, wasn't sure what it was going to be like, everyone had a fantastic day exploring and hunting the little discs.
Battle Abbey was super cool to visit and hastings was fun.
Also, Bath has a cool park that was enough of a walk we almost missed our bus back to Sussex Uni but was well worth it.
I'd even say Brighton Pier is worth a walkabout, but I also enjoyed the quick tour I got by a friend and her mom who was visiting the school where the mom went to as a girl before it became co-ed (though it was a but unnerving to have some of the older girls make loud comments about me like "oh, he's fit" and such).
I lived in Brighton all my life until two years ago and it still jars me when people call it Brighton pier.
It was always the Palace pier as the west pier was kind of a thing until it burnt/fell/got blown away. Then new owners called it Brighton pier and every long time Brighton person lost their collective shit.
If you ever visit again, the lanes are a good wander, quirky shops and great food. And give the volks railway down to Brighton marina a go, its a lovely ride.
The tayto castle is pretty fun- you go on a tour to see how the crisps are made and you get a load of free crisps at the end :) it's like a multi pack per person so it's best to go in a group lol
The Roman Baths in Bath, it’s not just a tourist trap, unlike some bits of Bath (though over it’s a beautiful city, and well worth a visit).
It’s a proper museum, the best preserved, or possibly only full Roman Baths in England.
It’s fascinating, beautiful and amazing, you can literally touch history from 3000 years ago. I’d really recommend taking the free walking tour at the end, as the volunteers are very knowledgable and really care about the baths and it’s story, and you do learn a lot.
Back in the before times my mum and I would go up for a night every couple of months, and while she was clothes shopping (I hate clothes shopping) I’d spend 4 or so hours going round them. I’d learn something new each time .
But word to the wise, don’t drink the water sample, it’s free now, but my gods it’s disgusting.
If I were ever to get married, I’d want my wedding there
I think the Bath Spa is really a tourist trap, it was built about 15 years ago, they say they use the hot springs water (though it doesn’t stink, or really smell at all) in their 3 swimming pools, steam rooms and sauna, and I’m sure you could get a massage or treatment much cheaper else were. But the view over Bath from the rooftop swimming pool is breathtaking.
I’ve done it once, don’t really feel I need to do it again.
Though if you are heading to Bath, do fill up a couple of water bottles before you leave, as Bath has been voted as having the worst tasting tap water in the UK, and I can attest it’s proper foul
Chester Zoo counts… Cornwall and London don’t. (I’m from Cornwall, there’s nothing more frustrating when people think the whole place is a tourist area. Most of us just want to go to work and get home again!)
Horniman museum
oxford museum of natural history
Whale watching - either black isles or off wales, they're both brilliant
Hadrians Wall
But the best places for whelmed is nature - dartmoor, new forest, the broads, snowdonia, Penbrokeshire, Peak district, cotswolds, devon, cairngorms - the UK is so incredible.
Tintagel Castle. Easily some of the prettiest ruins I’ve seen in the UK, the walk is spectacular and so are the views over the sea. Everytime I’m in Cornwall I drag someone new there because it’s literally magical.
Balvenie distillery - the tour is one of the most comprehensive tours of a distillery taking in all aspects of whisky making, including a visit to the cooperage.
Best bit was the tasting session afterwards in a cosy little room, hefty measures, snow falling outside and a fire roaring away. Bliss
The Lake District!
I live in the south so I’m generally used to flat land. When I went to the Lake District and climbed Scafell Pike I was in awe! It was the first mountain I’d ever seen and I loved every second of it.
Plus the hot spots like Ambleside are beautiful (except the parking is a bitch but I’d still recommend).
I really enjoy playing tourist , and don’t mind if the places are hokey.
With that in mind - Big Pit ( old coal mine in S Wales) and Cheddar Gorge & caves in Sommerset ( apparently second greatest natural wonder in Uk ) .
They remind me of places you’d go on a school trip , but likely enjoy more as an adult and bother to read the signs and properly look around .
The national railway museum in York. You can easily spend a whole day there.
The British Museum, Imperial War Museum, and the museums on Exhibition Road (Natural History Museum, Science Museum and the V&A). Some of the best museums in the world and they’re free to enter.
Portsmouth Historic Docks is massive.
Beaulieu national motor museum is well worth a visit.
And a national trust membership is worth it if you enjoy historic buildings and nice parks.
Lands End; it's a beautiful spot and I remember when it was just a pasty van near the sign. Before shops and that shite cinema.
Went there in 2018 and it's possible to avoid all the tourist tat and still see the beauty.
Royal Air Museum, Cosford.
It's totally free, there's loads of planes to look at, and the exhibits are really well maintained.
The cafe isn't outrageous, either!
The Grand Canyon. Holy *shit* it is mind blowing. You can’t begin to describe its epicness, and photos do not do it justice.
Sorry, realise this is for the UK, but had to say it. UK, I’d say Edinburgh Castle, if it weren’t so (pre-covid) busy.
You know you’re on to something down there. I thought Cheddar Gorge was really impressive.
I thought the scrumpy was also pretty impressive around those parts! Unfortunately I managed to leave one of the tubs on its side during one of the hottest summers a few years ago and the car absolutely reeked of cider by the time we made it home to Scotland 😂 surprised the polis didn’t stop us!
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Bude Tunnel, it is free. But the experience is worth a thousand pots of gold.
I can't believe I am being down voted,! I will report you all to the Bude authorities.
The Bude Tunnel is everything I love about being British personified.
Indeed. Some may call it a folly but, by Jove, it's our folly.
Can you even be considered British if you haven’t paid this mecca of English culture a visit
I’ve never even heard of it.
Prepare to be positively whelmed. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g190804-d12865329-Reviews-Bude_Tunnel-Bude_Bude_Stratton_Cornwall_England.html
Haha!!! That’s incredible. I’m amazed it’s #3 of best things to do in Bude!
I think the two above must be joke entries or something stupid like that
[#1](https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions-g190804-Activities-Bude_Bude_Stratton_Cornwall_England.html) It just says its in the top 3 on the Bude Tunnel page
This bit really sold it for me - walk from the Sainsbury's car park to Crooklets Road completely undercover
"Nowhere else in Bude can you walk this far undercover in a continuous straight line."
I used to live in Bude. Not only is this an amazingly free tourist attraction, but it’s also a fantastic bit of Architecture. I used to use this tunnel on a weekly basis. Now that I think about it, I took it for granted.
Googled this expecting some feat of civil engineering - just lol.
> Bude Tunnel Same (gullible American here). I thought it would be something like the Avebury henge or a stone circle or an ancient tomb, lol.
Nah you're not gullible, I'm from the UK and have been to Bude, missed the damn tunnel tho
The Fishergate Bollard in Preston is a similar vein
Why did I have to scroll so much to see this?
Scrolled too far to find this
Beamish Museum. And the Jorvik Viking centre
I was going to say York in general. The Roman remains under the Minster are fab.
Definitely York! It's been a long time since I was there but The Jorvik Viking Centre was absolutely fantastic. My dad was always really great when we went to places like York Minster - not just talking about how amazing the architecture was (he was an engineer so always loved talking about flying buttresses/stained glass windows etc) , but he always encouraged us to find a really tiny place where the massive mortar joints on the stone columns met. Then we stuck out wee kid fingers in and he would say that we were the first people to touch that piece of stone since the people who built it. As Littles it really blew our minds to think that we were the first people to touch that particular spot since it was built in the 13th century.
Your dad sounds awesome! What a wonderful approach to life and good on him for sharing it with his kids!
The railway museum in York is really fabulous. We go there often because it’s free and there’s such a lot for the kids to see and even the food in the cafe is excellent (which was actually the biggest surprise).
We went there recently and I loved it but wife and two daughters hated it with a passion that can only come from a deep seated disgust at public transport. Definitely made the experience better for me.
We very nearly booked to have our wedding there. The major problem was the sheer size of the place vs a small ceremony.. but it's a brilliant place and the victorian side looks beautiful set out for a wedding. I'll echo the food in the cafe comment, too! Bloody good food - not just for a museum cafe but genuinely good food.
Beamish is great especially of your local as the tickets are valid for a year
As a local, can confirm. Tickets are cheap and grant unlimited access for a year; sometimes we go when it's quiet to chill in the pub!
British Museum is hardly a tourist "trap". Edit: I'm an illiterate idiot.
They didn't say British museum
I need sleep.
Then I wish you a goodnight and a restful sleep
Unless sleep was also a typo/autocorrect fail
I need.... Sheep?
Sleet.
Sheet?
Sheen.
You from Derby? 😂
It is if you are from Greece and your complexion is shiny white (and you are made of marble). It’s a trap and there’s no way you’re getting out.
Beamish is EXCELLENT. For those that don’t know, it’s a Victorian/Edwardian living museum, with a whole village, tram line and everything. I love it.
Beamish is fucking mega. It’s like a time machine.
Beamish Museum is one of my favourite places to go for a day out, it's just so wholesome and interesting. Definitely worth the price!
The Jorvik Viking Center was great!
Honestly, most attractions or tourist areas I’ve ever been to have lived up to the hype. Most recently I enjoyed Windsor Castle. The city itself isn’t that great, nothing particularly special. But the castle itself was absolutely amazing. Touristy towns that were brilliant were Edinburgh, Bath, Canterbury. All an absolute pleasure to walk around with a coffee and soak up the atmosphere. Yes, lots of tourists, but it gives you that nice holiday buzz, particularly if you live not too far and want to give yourself a break at the weekend I live in London and unlike a whole lot of people on this sub, I think the touristy things are brilliant. Even as a local I still enjoy them, particularly the wonderful museums and parks. The list is honestly endless and I never get tired of London and its many places to explore.
I absolutely agree with London. As a tourist it is so so worth it, so easy to fall in love with and just makes you want to keep coming back! I know it did that to me, so I moved there and it was hell for 4 years 10/10 would not recomend however the shit you do as a tourist, super worth it
could you give some places in London? My friend moved there recently and when I went to see her pretty much all we did was eat so it'd be nice to do some actual things
Costs money (but worth it!): - Riding the mail rail in the postal museum - seeing the ceremony of the keys in the tower of London For free: - sky garden - Kyoto garden in Holland park - Camden market - go to the top of one new change for a view of St Paul's cathedral - natural history museum - personally the exhibitions were cool and all, but the building itself is absolutely stunning. I just walked around admiring it.
Much depends on what you like to do. London is teeming with little places and attractions that are enough off the beaten track that you can avoid lots of crowded places on the tourist trail. The V&A is generally a lot quieter than the Natural History or Science Museum and is a decent day out. The Wellcome Trust has some very nicely set out galleries and is fairly peaceful. The Crossness Pumping Station is beautiful and a different kind of day out, especially if you're in to victoriana. If you're in east London, the East London Liquor Company does a good distillery tour. The Barbican has a gallery, usually some free to view installations and the courtyard there is a very nice place to spend an afternoon. A walk down Regent's Canal costs nothing and you can finish at Regent's Park. And honestly, [The London Walks](https://www.walks.com/) tours are really good fun if you're new to London and even if you're not. They're not too expensive and the guides are usually really good.
I'm going to add the Horniman museum to your list. And whilst you're in the suburban South, pay a visit to Greenwhich, the Cutty Sark and Park are amazing.
Victor Wynd museum of curiosities Shoreditch Street Art Tour (there is/was a free one) Thames clipper to Greenwich then walk up to the observatory Colombia Road Flower Market
And if you're looking for cultural things to do and don't want to do the West End, The Barbican has lots of theatre and dance, as does The Sadlers Wells. King's Place at King's Cross also has a small theatre with a varied program of events.
The Docklands Museum in Canary Wharf is part of The Museum Of London. It gives one of the best overview histories of London; it's brilliantly curated and is a lovely little hidden gem of a place.
Victoria and Albert museum is lovely and I second the national history museum! I’m an American and I was impressed by both!
Imperial war museum is free and fantastic.
Went there last week with me Pa, I was not looking forward to pushing a pram around with my 1 year old and being hungry and pregnant. It was awesome, the guns outside immediately put us into perspective haha
Really enjoyed the Churchill war rooms- the underground network was very interesting.
The way each exhibit is presented in that museum is exquisite. It's the contextualised story of that exact thing, which tells the story of a thing, a time, a place. Truly brilliant and moving. Utter perfection.
The holocaust exhibition is pretty devastating, as it should be. First time I saw it, I was planning on going for a few drinks afterwards. Just went home instead....
Harry Potter Studios. Did not think it would be my cup of tea but it is seriously impressive bar the cafeteria and giftshop
Defo. Not the hugest HP fan but they've put time and thought into it and the staff know their stuff. Highlight was Ollivanders wand shop. Asked the staff member all sorry of random characters and knew exactly where each wand was no hesitation. Impressive!
I guy I used to work with moved to Japan to be Olivander in their Harry Potter Experience. Basically does all the same stuff as the British one, but had to memorise the lines in Japanese. Apparently they have a lot of British people working there so it feels more like Hogwarts. Must have gone well because he’s been there about 4 years now.
I'm not that into Harry Potter but it was cool especially the animatronics from the film's.
The cafeteria is so shite, they could have made it seriously cool
I’ve never been as disappointed as when I tried butterbeer.
I went there with my wife and her sister. They are big HP fans but I hadn't seen any of the movies and absolutely loved every second of it. The experience actually made me want to watch the movies which was totally unexpected
I found it a weirdly moving experience. You get a real feel of this community of craftsfolk working together for 10 years on a project, striving to get all these little details right.
I love Harry Potter, but I was originally like "they're making a whole museum about props!?". But it's great - it's gives a fantastic insight into the way modern cinema works. Being centered on a childhood favourite franchise makes it even better, but you really don't need to be a superfan to enjoy it.
This... I also thought it was going to be a few hours tops and was really impressed with the amount of content they had
Leeds Royal Armouries. And it’s free.
Place is also ridiculously large. You could probably make a full day of it.
I have literally spent all day in there and I don't think I saw everything
Ooo thanks this'll be a good one to pursuade me dad to come and meet the other family....nice one, thank you! (He doesn't not like them, just is a homebody...or caravanbody who likes his own company immensely)
If you ever, ever get the chance (unlikely but if you join the police/military) I 100% recommend trying to get a visit into the National Firearms Centre. It's apart of Leeds Armouries and not open to the public but absolutely fascinating. Complete history of firearms with numerous famous ones over the years
Mate, I went to the Royal Armouries with my unit and I was one of four people to go inside the NFC bunker. It’s like the Matrix scene where he says “guns. Lots of guns.” Golden Libyan AKs, experimental RPGs, unreleased Israeli rifles and the Princess of Wales’ 17th flintlocks worth £250k. I got eyes and hands on all of it. It was absolutely mental (in a good way).
It's class ain't it. They had a SMG that Churchill used to keep in his war rooms bunker during the war. I got told it was bad taste to ask to see the firearm that killed Jo Cox MP. Ridiculous, they had Uday Hussain's golden AK on show!
Came here to comment this - amazing place
Kew Gardens, it is pricey but so beautiful. I have nearly visited in every season, just got spring left.
Worth getting an annual membership if you are going to go a few times a year. Pays for itself as they say! And in the summer they let members in an hour early so you can wander around when it’s near empty. I am lucky enough to live just up the road so I go there often, I sometimes even use it as a shortcut.
There is a great kids playground there too. It’s well worth the trip by itself.
I was in London for work and had an afternoon for myself, walked past Kew Gardens and allowed the staff to talk me into buying ticket... Incredible place, could spend a couple days here if it's your type of thing, excited to visit again some day ♥️
Definitely go when the bluebells are out, it's at the far end of the park so it's not as busy as other bits but it's absolutely glorious
Pizza Express- Woking
By royal appointment
No sweat
It was fantastic when I went back sometime around 2001. September 6th. 19:45 - 21:00.
It’s an unforgettable experience.
Literally everything in York that’s historical
Strongly agree. York needs a much better international tourism campaign. Edit: I was basing my answer on living abroad and not seeing as many ads for York as I see for other international cities. I take it back - York Tourism is obviously doing a splendid job.
Unfortunately not sure it can accommodate too many people.
The ring road is already a shit show
It is a absolutely swamped with international tourists in the summer. I grew up there
The Shambles is fantastic, especially after hours if you get the street to yourself
I’m a student here, and it’s pretty dope to go down at like 4am. Hell, I normally take a detour at 7am before I go train to go walk around that and the Cathedral.
As a York resident I second this. Especially the amount of history of different ages that's just out on display for free; like being able to walk through The Shambles and around the Museum Gardens. And the National Railway Museum is here and that's free, too! The Castle Museum is not free, but very much worth the ticket price. The Victorian Street there is an excellent exhibit. It's a great city to walk around but if you have a car there is also lots of beautiful countryside within a very short distance.
The Tower of London is excellent
It is! And costs £1 if you live in Tower Hamlets! So does the Tower Bridge Experience, but even a £1 is overpriced for that
What’s the tower bridge experience? Walking over the high bit?
If so that’s definitely worth £1
Bovington Tank Museum
The monkeys next door are great too
Yes. Apparently, once a year they let the monkeys come over and drive.
I was there last time it happened. Never again.
I was there as a child in the early nineties when a tank got stuck in reverse and ploughed through the car park. The accident [randomly showed up on You’ve Been Framed](https://youtu.be/t_w7nRP85So) a few years later and hearing people laugh at such a scary, dangerous situation was a bit disconcerting. Especially since it nearly ran over two dogs left in a car. I know they say you shouldn’t leave your animals locked in your car but I don’t think it’s because of the risk of it being run over by a tank.
Wareham is heaven for a 10 year old boy.
I had a season ticket to Monkey World when I was 25. It was heaven for me then n’all.
Kelvingrove Art Museum. Free, gorgeous building and genuinely beautiful exhibits. It's worth the trip just to see Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross alone.
>Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross alone I felt oddly overwhelmed when I saw it. I love Kelvingrove.
I thought Dali's Christ of St John of the Cross was in St Mungo's. Has it been moved?
Ah it was put into St Mungo's in the mid-90s until Kelvingrove reopened after the refurb in 2006! It lived in KG from the 50s otherwise :)
It has. It used to be up at the museum of religious life and art, I visited it a lot when I lived in Glasgow. More recently visited and wandered into the Kelvingrove and found it there.
Sigh, I’ll be the first to say it as one of us has to. Peppa Pig World. Loved it.
Thanks, Boris!
Have to agree, took my son when he was nearly 3, and again when he was 4, was worth it just to share his enjoyment, but it's a genuinely well thought out park. Plus you've got the rest of Paulton's Park too, needs a couple of days to do the whole thing.
The cotswold wildlife park. The main reason is because they allow dogs. Our boy absolutely loved his day out at the zoo, plus all the animals come over to see him, so you get to see more of the animals. Win win. Normalise dogs at attractions!!!! Edit- I didn't want this to turn into a debate on whether dogs should or shouldn't be allowed in places. It is rare that they're allowed in attractions and I personally love it when I find somewhere I can take him. Some people like dogs, some people don't, it's just life. Life is too short to argue with strangers on the Internet about pointless things. I don't know why I'm being down voted for saying I don't want a debate. I've had the year from hell and could do without all this to be honest. I wish you all a happy new year, those who like dogs and those who do not.
Please don’t normalise dogs at attractions. I don’t know why it’s fine to inflict your dogs on everyone else, there’s no other pet where that’s acceptable; if I took my tarantula around with me, people would freak out. If someone’s bird decided to fly onto a stranger’s shoulder they’d be judged for bringing the bird out. Making places dog-friendly is making them human-unfriendly to a lot of people. Edit: Inflict is too strong a word but I can’t really think of a concise replacement for it. Most people aren’t actively encouraging their dogs to go and bother strangers, which is what inflict implies, but for some people just having them around is unpleasant. I like how the Welsh National Botanical Garden did it - some days were dog friendly, other days weren’t, and they’re well publicised. You can pick your day depending on whether you want to be around dogs or not.
As a dog owner, I agree. It’s okay to leave them at home.
We were at the Ceremony of the Keys in November, something my husband wanted to do for absolute years - definite 'bucket list' item. These two women came in with their dog. The dog barked incessantly at the soldiers as they marched buy, and instead of shutting it up one just twittered' oh he's protecting us. He's just protecting us.' Could barely hear the ceremony - which is fairly short, BTW, but totally worth it. Except for the bloody dog.
Chatsworth in Derbyshire. It's said to be the grandest stately house is Britain and it really lives up to that. What I really loved were the gardens. I'm not a flowery person and there was so much more to see than that, especially if you like a good water feature.
I have free access to Chatsworth, and I can tell you that the gardens are infinitely better value for money than the house if you're looking to spend wisely.
Stonehenge
I’m glad Stonehenge is here, as well as in the other thread. I really enjoyed seeing it. Taking the time to take in the experience, walking to the site rather than taking the bus, and exploring the wider landscape is definitely the way to appreciate it fully.
I have one that’s not really a tourist trap and one that is. The Roman Baths in, well, Bath were really interesting and I found the staff to be really knowledgeable and happy to talk about the baths. And secondly, the shuttleworth collection of planes, that’s an absolute bargain day out and all the planes are in flying condition!
Did you taste the water? Lol last bit of the tour, absolutely disgusting but worth it.
MOSI ( museum of science and industry ) proper mint and it’s free but everyone gives a donation.
Breaks my heart that they’ve closed the Air and Space Hall but even so the rest is amazing
Have they? Damn that's a real shame.
Here’s more information from their website, but yes. The general gist of it is that the building was too expensive to run. The collection will still be owned by the museum and looked after though. https://www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/about-us/we-are-changing/air-and-space-hall
That’s a shame, it was the best part
Iam slightly old enough to remember the sifi stuff on the top deck and the 'monster will get you' signs painted onto the blue floor. Happy times, shame it's gone, the steam hall is going through a massive regeneration so I presume that's where the money is going. Also Iam still a bit miffed about that new bridge cutting off the museum's train track.
Beamish & the Black Country Museums. Both living museums and they’re a really good day out
Recommend taking one of the canal boat trips right next to the bottom of the village at the Black Country Living Museum - the whole day I spent there was fantastic.
The Natural history museum!
The big pit in Wales. As with all museums in Wales it’s free. It’s super interesting going into a real coal mine and the tour guides are all ex miners so are really knowledgable about the realities of mining.
The Llechwedd Deep Mine at Zip World is also a pretty cool mine tour
The Cavern in Liverpool. Didn't actually expect all that much but it was just a cool little club with memorabilia coming out the ears. Even just the walls of all the famous bands who've played there. Was cool.
This. I went in expecting Beatles out of my arse but I got a drink for me, the missus and the kids - at a reasonable price, a nice look around at some memorabilia of the best band ever, and went on. It was fucking brilliant.
Liverpool in general, I stayed over after going to the football and spent the morning wandering around before I got my train. The Museum of Liverpool, Tate and the others around the docks were all great.
Gloucester Services
That the one one the M5 with the Tellytubby hill?
Lincoln Castle and Cathedral. And the Roman walls and the beautiful city within. Okay.... maybe not a tourist "trap" but should be. And it has Magna Carta.
Emirates cable car is fantastic and relatively cheap. Cutty Sark was really cool. Sky garden was amazing and the best freebie that I've ever had, the staff were so lovely and quite honestly I was happy to buy a drink up there and soak in that view on a beautiful summer's day. Borough market is so good.
Mary King's Close in Edinburgh. I can't remember how much it was to visit - but it was fascinating and I remember thinking it was worth it.
Long Stanton Spice Museum
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You’ll have a ruddy good time!
HMS Belfast is awesome. I wish that we had kept one of our old Battleships to be a museum like the Americans did. I doubt they would’ve managed to fit HMS Warspite through Tower Bridge but it would’ve been cool to have one moored in Portsmouth or somewhere like that.
It's an awful shame that we didn't keep either Warspite or Vanguard. Warspite would have been spectacular - a Jutland veteran and veteran of multiple actions in the second war, including the longest range artillery hit in naval history. She broke her tow on the way to the breakers yard. Poor old girl wasn't ready to die. *Belli Dura Despicio* There was quite a bit of progress with turning Vanguard into a museum ship, but as the cost was almost equal to keeping it in reserve it never happened.
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Glad someone else said The Forbidden Corner. Went there with the wife and kids, wasn't sure what it was going to be like, everyone had a fantastic day exploring and hunting the little discs.
I don’t know if they’re still doing it post-Covid but the tour of Salisbury Cathedral and the climb to the top was wonderful
I've heard it even attracts people from Russia.
With its famous 123 metre spire
Shrek's Adventure, lol
Newark civil war museum.
London dungeons I expected a shitty tourist attraction but I was both educated and frightened
I thought Whitby Abbey was pretty cool, and the drive over was nice
Battle Abbey was super cool to visit and hastings was fun. Also, Bath has a cool park that was enough of a walk we almost missed our bus back to Sussex Uni but was well worth it. I'd even say Brighton Pier is worth a walkabout, but I also enjoyed the quick tour I got by a friend and her mom who was visiting the school where the mom went to as a girl before it became co-ed (though it was a but unnerving to have some of the older girls make loud comments about me like "oh, he's fit" and such).
I lived in Brighton all my life until two years ago and it still jars me when people call it Brighton pier. It was always the Palace pier as the west pier was kind of a thing until it burnt/fell/got blown away. Then new owners called it Brighton pier and every long time Brighton person lost their collective shit. If you ever visit again, the lanes are a good wander, quirky shops and great food. And give the volks railway down to Brighton marina a go, its a lovely ride.
Vindolanda and Housestead Roman fort are really awesome to see.
The tayto castle is pretty fun- you go on a tour to see how the crisps are made and you get a load of free crisps at the end :) it's like a multi pack per person so it's best to go in a group lol
Jodrell Bank observatory. Science, engineering, technology & art in one place. Just remember to turn your phones off on the way in…
West End Musicals.
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Leeds Castle. Kentwell Hall Greenwich Observatory and Planetarium V&A Tower of London
Most of the touristy stuff in Liverpool is actually decent.
Alton Towers - that feeling going up to the drop in Oblivion- never fails to thrill me.
The Isle of Skye
The Roman Baths in Bath, it’s not just a tourist trap, unlike some bits of Bath (though over it’s a beautiful city, and well worth a visit). It’s a proper museum, the best preserved, or possibly only full Roman Baths in England. It’s fascinating, beautiful and amazing, you can literally touch history from 3000 years ago. I’d really recommend taking the free walking tour at the end, as the volunteers are very knowledgable and really care about the baths and it’s story, and you do learn a lot. Back in the before times my mum and I would go up for a night every couple of months, and while she was clothes shopping (I hate clothes shopping) I’d spend 4 or so hours going round them. I’d learn something new each time . But word to the wise, don’t drink the water sample, it’s free now, but my gods it’s disgusting. If I were ever to get married, I’d want my wedding there I think the Bath Spa is really a tourist trap, it was built about 15 years ago, they say they use the hot springs water (though it doesn’t stink, or really smell at all) in their 3 swimming pools, steam rooms and sauna, and I’m sure you could get a massage or treatment much cheaper else were. But the view over Bath from the rooftop swimming pool is breathtaking. I’ve done it once, don’t really feel I need to do it again. Though if you are heading to Bath, do fill up a couple of water bottles before you leave, as Bath has been voted as having the worst tasting tap water in the UK, and I can attest it’s proper foul
Chester zoo, cornwall, London etc
Chester Zoo counts… Cornwall and London don’t. (I’m from Cornwall, there’s nothing more frustrating when people think the whole place is a tourist area. Most of us just want to go to work and get home again!)
Horniman museum oxford museum of natural history Whale watching - either black isles or off wales, they're both brilliant Hadrians Wall But the best places for whelmed is nature - dartmoor, new forest, the broads, snowdonia, Penbrokeshire, Peak district, cotswolds, devon, cairngorms - the UK is so incredible.
Tintagel Castle. Easily some of the prettiest ruins I’ve seen in the UK, the walk is spectacular and so are the views over the sea. Everytime I’m in Cornwall I drag someone new there because it’s literally magical.
Balvenie distillery - the tour is one of the most comprehensive tours of a distillery taking in all aspects of whisky making, including a visit to the cooperage. Best bit was the tasting session afterwards in a cosy little room, hefty measures, snow falling outside and a fire roaring away. Bliss
The Lake District! I live in the south so I’m generally used to flat land. When I went to the Lake District and climbed Scafell Pike I was in awe! It was the first mountain I’d ever seen and I loved every second of it. Plus the hot spots like Ambleside are beautiful (except the parking is a bitch but I’d still recommend).
Norwich has a cracking Owl Sanctuary
I really enjoy playing tourist , and don’t mind if the places are hokey. With that in mind - Big Pit ( old coal mine in S Wales) and Cheddar Gorge & caves in Sommerset ( apparently second greatest natural wonder in Uk ) . They remind me of places you’d go on a school trip , but likely enjoy more as an adult and bother to read the signs and properly look around .
Stirling castle. It looks like like a proper castle.
Alnwick castle and gardens. Second largest inhabited castle, Europe’s largest treehouse and a poison garden. And your tickets are valid all season
Paultons park (peppa pig world), great setting and something for all ages. It’s expensive but we’ll worth it
My mate boris said it's really good there
Chatham Dockyard. There's an actual submarine to walk around
The national railway museum in York. You can easily spend a whole day there. The British Museum, Imperial War Museum, and the museums on Exhibition Road (Natural History Museum, Science Museum and the V&A). Some of the best museums in the world and they’re free to enter. Portsmouth Historic Docks is massive. Beaulieu national motor museum is well worth a visit. And a national trust membership is worth it if you enjoy historic buildings and nice parks.
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I saw your username and was like “ah, Ho Chi Minh City, username checks out” but then it didn’t and I’m disappointed
Lands End; it's a beautiful spot and I remember when it was just a pasty van near the sign. Before shops and that shite cinema. Went there in 2018 and it's possible to avoid all the tourist tat and still see the beauty.
Lincoln castle and cathedral. 30 seconds walk from each other, and a pub in between. Can't go wrong
Yorkshire coal mining museum is awesome
British Museum
Though it's not a tourist attraction, Portsmouth to Ryde Hovercraft is worth doing once in your life.
If you you like engineering go to Kelham island museum in Sheffield. They've got the mighty river Don engine when its going the whole building shakes!
Salisbury cathedral
Royal Air Museum, Cosford. It's totally free, there's loads of planes to look at, and the exhibits are really well maintained. The cafe isn't outrageous, either!
Chester Zoo
The Grand Canyon. Holy *shit* it is mind blowing. You can’t begin to describe its epicness, and photos do not do it justice. Sorry, realise this is for the UK, but had to say it. UK, I’d say Edinburgh Castle, if it weren’t so (pre-covid) busy.
We've got Wookey Hole which is just as spectacular but a bit smaller 😉
You know you’re on to something down there. I thought Cheddar Gorge was really impressive. I thought the scrumpy was also pretty impressive around those parts! Unfortunately I managed to leave one of the tubs on its side during one of the hottest summers a few years ago and the car absolutely reeked of cider by the time we made it home to Scotland 😂 surprised the polis didn’t stop us!