5 Best Day Trips From London

Big Ben

St Paul’s Cathedral

The village of Burford

Stonehenge

Leeds Castle

The White Cliffs of Dover

When my family and I visited London last year we were overwhelmed by the number of things to do in and around the city. During our planning we made sure to consider how much time we had in London and how far out we wanted to venture out knowing the apartment we were staying in was in the city. we settled on these following five tours, and I can’t recommend them enough.

Number 1 - The Classic London City Tour

We did this tour in the beginning of our stay so that we could get a feel for the city and get to know where the biggest most iconic landmarks were. It was a great idea because along the way our guide not only told us the history but made sure we knew where the good places to eat and shop around us were. We wound up finding our favorite restaurant (Trafalgar Tavern) this way. Our Classic London tour included stops at

-Tower Bridge

-Big Ben

-Buckingham Palace

-Piccadilly Circus

-Kensington Palace

-St Paul’s Cathedral

Number 2 - The Cotswolds

One of my favorite tours we did the whole week was the tour of the Cotswolds. Visiting up to 5 different villages with a stop for a traditional pub lunch, this tour was perfect. It was a full day tour as the drive to the Cotswolds is about 2 hours. We made some shopping and snack breaks along the way and with our knowledgable guide telling us stories during the drive our time in the car felt quite short. After consulting with our guide about what we wanted to see during the day he made the perfect itinerary and got us there just in time to beat the big crowds. This tour was a complete opposite to our city tour in the way that it is much more laid back and quaint than sightseeing in the city. Overall I highly recommend adding the Cotswolds to your bucket list.

Number 3 - Stonehenge

On our third day we had to go with Stonehenge. There is so much history behind Stonehenge that our guide told us all about on our drive out there, again the drive is about 2 hours by car but we were able to add stops along the way to break it up. Once we were there we enjoyed looking around the visitor center and gift shop before hopping on the bus to catch a ride up to the stones. Again our guide was able to get us there at a time of day where the crowds were thinning out and we were able to go right in with no wait and not a lot of other tourists. Stonehenge’s proximity to Windsor Castle and Bath make them the perfect pair to add to your tour for a full day of sightseeing.

Number 4 - Leeds Castle

To be honest I didn’t think I was going to like Leeds Castle as much as I did. It was one of those things that going into I didn’t know much about. It was recommended to us by a family friend and we decided to go after getting a good deal on the tour. Only about an hour drive away this was one of our shorter days in the car so we were looking forward to doing some walking. Once we arrived they handed us a map of the grounds and we set off to the Castle. A short 10 minute walk later we arrived at this stunning castle we were not at all expecting. The inside was beautifully preserved and staged as it was back when it was built. We were able to explore all the rooms during a walkthrough of the castle, we left feeling like we got a glimpse of the past. While visiting the grounds you can also choose to walk the gardens and grab a snack from one of the stands.

Number 5 - The White Cliffs Of Dover

The White Cliffs were something we knew we wanted to see months before leaving for England. After seeing pictures on Pinterest during our planning stage we knew we had to find a tour to take us there. It just so happened to work out for us that our tour guide from the last four days was willing to put up with us for another day and take us down to Dover. After an hour and a half by car we arrived at the beaches of Dover, just across the English Channel you could see France in the distance. We spent some time here walking along the beaches and admiring the cliffs from below before our guide drove us up to the top for a better view. The pristine White Cliffs were absolutely stunning and unlike anything i’ve seen in my travels so far, I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who loves to admire natural beauty.