Find inspiration in the countryside for your next family getaway from our ultimate guide to the best holidays for walking, wildlife, heritage and more.
From the rugged beauty of the Peak District to stargazing in Northumberland, wildlife adventures on the Isle of Mull, and exploring Cornwall's rich heritage, our curated selection of destinations, which also includes Herefordshire, Orkney, Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire, the Lake District and the Cotswolds, ensures a memorable getaway for the family.
Peak District
Best for hills and dales
Visit England’s Peak District National Park and you’ll have a full 555 square miles of hills, dales, rivers and streams, rugged gritstone escarpments, dramatic limestone gorges, windswept plateaux, picturesque towns, hardy little villages and uninhabited moorland to roam about in.
At 636m, the region’s highest point is Kinder Scout in Derbyshire, scene of the famous mass trespass of 1932, which helped bring about greater public access to the countryside.
If you like a hike, you can cross Kinder Scout and head out over the Peak District on the Pennine Way, the UK’s first ever long-distance footpath.
The area really is a walker’s must-visit, with numerous other trails such as the Peak Way Walk and Peak District Boundary Walk inviting visitors to pull on their boots and try out a section or two. There are paths for wheelchair users, buggy-pushers and cyclists too, including the High Peak, Monsal, Tissington and Longdendale trails, all of which are on disused railway lines. And after all that, a cup of tea and something sweet would definitely be in order.
Where to stay in the Peak District
Make for Bakewell and you can sample an authentic Bakewell pudding (be careful not to call it a tart). The YHA has a host of hostels in the park – most with a mixture of dorms and private rooms – making them an excellent means of exploring the area. They occupy an intriguing range of buildings too, from the grand 17th-century manor house of Hartington Hall to the former Cooperative Stores in Youlgreave.
- Find out more about the Peak District National Park, and check out our guides to the best walks in the Peak District, fairytale villages in the Peak District and the Stonehenge of the North, Arbor Low.
Isle of Mull
Best for birds and other wildlife
Sadly, when it comes to the natural world, the UK is horribly depleted. However, the Isle of Mull, the second largest of the Inner Hebridean islands, does at least represent an outpost for wildlife.
The island consists of 300 square miles of moorland and mountains with a crinkly 300-mile coastline.
Birds that call Mull home include the kittiwake, fulmar, short-eared owl, black guillemot and eider duck. The whitetailed eagle – the UK’s largest bird of prey – was reintroduced to Mull in 2005 and there are now more than 20 pairs on the island. It’s joined by other raptors, such as the golden eagle and hen harrier.
Around the coast you may see otters and seals, as well as minke whales and dolphins breaking the waves offshore.
There are plenty of companies offering island tours. The award-winning Nature Scotland, for example, runs low-impact tours on foot and is a leading light when it comes to education and nature recovery.
Where to stay on the Isle of Mull
Keep close to nature by staying at Kittiwake, a rustic hut with views over Calgary Bay
- Find other inspirational ideas for your holiday with our guides to Lunga, Duart Castle and Ardmeanach
Eryri (Snowdonia)
Best for mountain excitement
It will perhaps come as a surprise that the Mountain Bothy Association – known for its simple accommodation located in remote corners of the wilder parts of Scotland – also maintains four properties in Eryri (Snowdonia).
Its basic stone shelters are roughly at the four cardinal points of the compass and offer a great opportunity to take in less touristy parts of North Wales’ national park. To the west, there’s Cae Amos, which was once a very lonely farmhouse. It’s perfectly situated for a stroll up Mynydd Graig Goch (611m) or the smaller but more challenging Craig-y-Garn (363m) with its 360º summit views.
Heading south, Penrhos Isaf is another venerable farmhouse which is now in the midst of a forest and boasts a privy in the woods. It’s within easy strolling range of the National Trust’s 485-hectare Dolmelynllyn Estate, which plays host to the ancient woodland and rainforest of the Coed Ganllwyd National Nature Reserve, the spectacular Rhaeadr Ddu waterfalls and two 19th-century gold mines.
Out east, tiny Arenig Fawr sleeps two (three at a pinch) by an open fire with sheep ranging about outside. The small town of Bala and its lovely Bala Lake Railway make for a great day hike. But for really getting away from it all, there’s nothing to beat Dulyn bothy in the north, a Victorian construction in the middle of nowhere, built when the nearby reservoir was created.
Membership of the Mountain Bothy Association costs £25 a year, or £15 for children and concessions.
For other ideas and inspiration, check out our comprehensive guide to Snowdonia, along with our round up of the best walks in Snowdonia.
Cotswolds
Best for nostalgia
When it comes to enjoying a trip back through time to a rural England as it once was, there’s little to rival the Cotswolds.
Spread over six counties, it’s an area that’s completely unashamed of its decision not to join the rest of the country in the 21st-century (and frankly, who can blame it?). Narrow winding lanes plunge through fords to arrive at somnolent hamlets of thatched cottages with smoking chimneys.
Many villages, such as the chocolate box Upper and Lower Slaughter (don’t be put off by the name), barely appear to have changed since the building of their Cotswold limestone houses. It’s no wonder the area is such a popular place for film-makers keen to add an authentic ‘merrie olde England’ backdrop to their work. Lacock in Wiltshire appeared in The Other Boleyn Girl and the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice, while Downton Abbey fans will recognise Bampton in Oxfordshire as ‘Downton’.
Gloucestershire highlights include Bourton-on-the-Water, the so-called ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’, where you can visit a model village built in the 1930s in 1:9 scale, depicting the Bourton of the time, and Blockley, once famed for its woollen and silk mills, whose labyrinth of paths tells of days before the car became king.
Where to stay in the Cotswolds
With all this nostalgia about, where better to stay than at a venerable establishment that’s a part of history itself? Try the Old New Inn in Bourton-on-the Water or Cheltenham’s Queen’s Hotel is on a fine Regency Street and claims to be one of Europe’s first purpose-built hotels, patronised by nobles and royalty alike.
Don't miss the chance to walk some of the beautiful Cotswold Way, and discover our pick of the best walks in the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire, as well as the best country houses in the Cotswolds.
Herefordshire
Best for medieval cycling tour
A veritable English backwater, much of Herefordshire appears not to have travelled forward in time since the Plantagenets were on the throne.
A number of locations in the north of the county sport so many timbered and half-timbered houses dating from the medieval period – their black oak beams a contrast to whitewashed walls – that they’ve been dubbed ‘the black and white villages’. Set in sublime countryside crossed by the glorious River Arrow, the whole area seems one of otherworldly enchantment.
You can tour the villages by car or bus, but there’s no better way of exploring the area than by bike. Starting in Leominster (pronounced Lemster), the 42-mile Black and White Villages Trail keeps mostly to quiet rural lanes. Travelling at a medieval pace allows plenty of time to sample the art galleries, cider orchards, tearooms and venerable pubs along the way.
Where to stay in Herefordshire
For the full Middle Ages experience, book yourself a four-poster at the Gables Guest House, an extremely handsome 14th-century black-and-white building in Weobley (Weblee), a pretty village on the trail.
Our experts have compiled a round up to the best walks in Hereford and the Tipi Trail.
Northumberland
Best for stargazing
As town and city dwellers the country over will testify, light pollution pretty much wipes out any chance you have of getting a really good look at the night sky.
Happily, it’s not a problem they suffer from in Northumberland, which has been officially judged to have the darkest skies in England. In 2013, Northumberland National Park and the greater part of Kielder Water & Forest Park was designated as England’s very first International Dark Sky Park.
On clear nights, you can observe the Milky Way and an array of constellations that are usually lost in the glow of artificial light – Pegasus, Perseus and Pisces.
During the day, you could seek out the national park’s assortment of avian life. Common birds there include the lapwing, snipe, red and black grouse, oystercatcher, golden plover and curlew. Meanwhile, dippers stalk the park’s rivers and streams in search of tasty insect larvae, and at dusk the ghostly forms of barn owls sweep the air.
Where to stay in Northumberland
The Twice Brewed Inn near Vindolanda Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall offers not only cosy rooms with views and slap-up breakfasts but also a comprehensive programme of star-gazing events, organised by the pub’s own team of astronomers.
You could enjoy a planetarium show or a laser-guided tour of the constellations, or look through a telescope at planets, galaxies and star clusters.
Check out our guide to the best walks in Northumberland.
Orkney
Best for island-hopping adventure
Given the thrilling remoteness of the Western Isles and the accessibility of the Inner Hebrides, Orkney is frequently disregarded by those seeking a Scottish island-hopping experience.
That’s a shame because this beautiful archipelago off mainland Scotland’s north coast offers up a treasure trove of little islands, each with their own distinct identity. And joining them all together is an inexpensive ferry service (adult foot passengers pay from £1.41 to £5.49 depending on the trip).
Aside from the mainland of Orkney – home to the world-famous Skara Brae Neolithic settlement – there are a dozen islands to explore.
To the south you can sail to tiny Graemsay, with its array of wildflowers and a population of just 22; and Hoy, whose famous towering sea-stack The Old Man of Hoy may collapse at any time, so see it while you can.
The many highlights of the northern isles include the ruins of the Old Norse Cubbie Roo’s castle on Wyre; the white sandy beaches of Eday; the Noup Head Lighthouse on Westray; the extraordinary Knap of Howar Neolithic farmstead on Papa Westray; and a heartthumping selection of seals, seabirds, otters, dolphins and whales that will keep you occupied.
Where to stay in Orkney
Conveniently located close to the ferry terminal in the Orkney capital of Kirkwall is The Storehouse Restaurant with Rooms, some of whose timbers were salvaged from local shipwrecks.
To visit Hoy and Graemsay, simply take the regular bus from Kirkwall to Stromness or Houton and hop on a ferry.
Pembrokeshire
Best for coastal delights
Britain’s only coastal national park is tucked away so neatly into the south-west corner of Wales that it’s often overlooked.
This is a pity, because not only is it a treasure trove of natural delights, it also boasts the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which is every bit as scenic as the South West Coast Path and quieter, too. But you don’t have to don your walking boots. There are more than enough secluded little beaches and coves where you can go rockpooling or simply laze about.
Among the numerous natural highlights are the wonderful lily ponds at Bosherston on the National Trust’s glorious Stackpole Estate. The seabirds of Skomer and Skokholm islands are a wonder to behold.
Or you can take a boat trip from the seaside resort of Tenby to watch seals or visit the monastery on Caldey Island.
Where to stay on Orkney
Rather thrillingly, it’s possible to stay at a working lighthouse. There are two former lighthouse keepers’ cottages to choose from at St Ann’s Head. The original light was the very first in Wales, a simple coal brazier kept going by a local monk or hermit.
For more inspiration, check out our comprehensive guides to Pembrokeshire, the best walks in Pembrokeshire and discover the blue lagoon at Abereiddy Bay.
Lake District
Best for farm stays
Before the Romantic poets of the late 18th century began to wax lyrical about its many charms, the Lake District was viewed as a wild and desolate region, where farmers scratched out a living in a landscape that most people considered to be harsh and threatening.
Now, of course, it’s one of Britain’s most popular travel destinations, a magnet for walkers and a UNESCO World Heritage Site to boot. The main difficulty is knowing where to start. Haystacks, perhaps – Alfred Wainwright’s favourite peak? Windermere, to enjoy a boat ride? The Old Man of Coniston, once the domain of copper miners? Dove Cottage, to pay homage to the Wordsworths? Cat Bells, the ‘family-friendly’ hill with its lush views of Derwent Water? Or Grasmere, to sample the village’s delicious gingerbread?
Where to stay in the Lake District
Perhaps the answer is to stay on one of the farmsteads that were outposts of civilisation before the beauty of the Lakeland landscape was recognised. Fornside, for example, is a 17th-century farm in the idyllic St John’s-in-the-Vale near Keswick.
Four stone barns there have been converted into holiday cottages, complete with ground-source heat pumps and solar panels. They’re located in the shadow of the Helvellyn range, which includes Blencathra, Great Dodd and, naturally, Helvellyn, England’s third highest mountain. Guests can use the farm’s private paths to access the neighbouring mountains.
The farm also has its own trail for guests, heading over streams to pass through fields and woods where red squirrels still leap from tree to tree.
Cornwall
Best for Heritage and culture
Think of Cornwall and probably the first images that come to mind are of beaches and clifftops. However, there’s another side to this fiercely independent county.
Cornwall’s history, culture, arts and crafts – combined with a Celtic language that has come back from the dead – give the peninsula its distinct character. The independent Cornwall Heritage Trust looks after 15 important historical sites in the county and is dedicated to saving others.
These range from Carn Euny, an extraordinary Iron Age village near Penzance with a mysterious subterranean chamber, to the majestic early-Victorian Treffry Viaduct in the Luxulyan Valley. When it comes to Cornish arts and crafts, the Tate Gallery at St Ives is the most famous name in the county.
However, there’s a plethora of lesser-known artistic hubs to seek out. Head to Launceston, one-time capital of Cornwall, and you can immerse yourself in the work of the Zebediah’s Makers Collective, a group of artists and crafters making fine art, ceramics, jewellery, mosaics, textiles and more, all with an emphasis on reusing.
Where to stay in Cornwall
Overnight at the relaxed campsite at Treen Farm on the coast near Porthcurno, and you’ll be within walking distance of two more classic slices of Cornish culture: the Minack Theatre and Logan Rock Inn, a 16th-century village pub.
Looking for other holiday ideas?
Check out our guides to best walking holidays for families, Britain's best crowd-free holidays and best wildlife holidays.
