Suggested itineraries and daily travel plans for the U.K.

Frankly, if you only have a 3–4 days for visiting the U.K., you should spend them all in London.

In the London itineraries section are a bunch of plans for enjoying the city of London itself in time frames anywhere from a single afternoon to four full days.

Even if you have three or four days, I'd still suggest sticking to London—though you could, if you want, light out from the city for one day to visit Stonehenge, or Oxford, or whatever other place you are just dying to visit.

Even better, if you're just taking a day trip from a big city, I'd look into signing up for a tour—worth the slight extra expense as it saves time and the energy of the working out the logistics, plus you can usually squeeze in a whole lot more (not just Stonehenge, but combos like Stonehenge, Bath, the Cotswolds, and Stratford-upon-Avon). See the London Sidetrips page for a list of day trip excursions and one-day whirlwind tours of top U.K. destinations.

OK, on to the British itineraries designed for slightly longer trips in which you will be visiting more than just London.

• Viator.com - Offers a multitude of multi-day trips, from two days exploring beyond London, to three days of Welsh Castles, to five days of Cornwall or a week in the Scottish Highlands and Orkney Islands.Partner
• Cietours.com - Specialist in British Isles Tours—Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales.
• Bmit.com - Specialist in British Isles Tours—Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales.
• Gate1travel.com - Good generalist tour company.
• Realadventures.com - Several dozen tours from multiple companies and on various themes across the U.K.Partner
• Ricksteves.com - PBS superstar Rick Steves runs a highly successful tour company that really tries to highlight all the best of the independent travel style espoused in his books and TV show in a group format. I've bumped into several of his tour groups in Europe over the years, and the participants always gush about what a great time they're having. He also keeps his groups smaller than most (24 to 28 travelers versus the 40 to 60 many big companies cram onto the bus), and the smaller the group, the more authentic the experiences each member is going to have (to say nothing of more room on the bus). (Disclosure: I know Rick, but have recommended his product long before that, even if we were once guidebook competitors!)
• Sceptrevacations.com - Escorted and custom group tours of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, plus many great vacation packages.
• Roadscholar.org - The travel company formerly known as Elderhostels (and, briefly, Exploritas) is devoted to "Adventures in lifelong learning," and aimed at travelers 50 and over. These are educational trips, often coordinated by universities, with nearly 70 trips in or including England, Scotland, and Wales. Your days are packed with seminars, lectures, field trips, and sightseeing, all led by academics or expert tour guides. Programs range from one to four weeks. They also offer cruises, intergenerational trips (i.e.: bring the grand kids), and outdoors adventures.
• Abercrombiekent.com - One of the best tour companies in the world—with prices to match! If you can afford it, you will love it.
• Oattravel.com - Small group adventures, with a focus on mature solo travelers.
• Contiki.com - Tours of England, Scotland, and beyond, aimed at younger travelers.Partner
• STA Travel - Tours of England and Scotland aimed at students and other young travelers.Partner
• Goway.com - Good generalist tour and package company.
• Tripmasters.com - Another good generalist tour and package company.
• Smartours.com - Good, basic tour company with a smaller roster of carefully crafted tours at decent prices.
• Brendanvacations.com - Specialists in Ireland and Scotland.
• intrepidtravel.com -

  Though rarely do they have U.K. offerings, Intrepid Travel is well worth checking out. it is one of only two only major tour outfits I know (along with G Adventures) of that makes a concerted effort to travel like real independent travelers—small groups (max of 12 people), staying in mom-and-pop accommodations and getting around by public transport rather than a big tour bus.

  This fantastic Australian company marries an independent travel style with the expertise of truly knowledgeable guides and a focus on the cultural experience of travel.

  Intrepid really does run a different breed of group tour. Let me put it this way: When my parents—who travel widely and on their own and normally would never have even considered taking a group tour—suddenly found themselves with airfare to Japan but no time to plan a trip, I suggested they try booking with Intrepid. They did—and they have raved about it every since. Nearly seven years later, they were still in touch with their guide via email.

  Partner
• Gadventures.com - G Adventures is an excellent small-group adventurous tour operator. Not much on the U.K. at present—save for a small ship adventure sailing the Scottish islands and Norway coast—but worth checking out.Partner
• Backroadstouring.com - British-based tour company devoted to getting off the beaten path and avoiding the highways.

• Viator.com -

  This clearinghouse for activities and day tours also offers longer, multi-day trips—and, since it is essentially a middleman site liking you to local outfitters, it is often among the cheapest (Viator only tacks on a modest fee).

  From London:

  • 3-Day ​Edinburgh Weekend Break by Rail from London

  • 3-Day Rail Trip to ​Edinburgh, Loch Ness and the Highlands from London

  • 3-Day Kent Castles, Gardens and Coastline Tour from London

  • Overnight Lake District Rail Trip from London

  • Private 2-Day Cotswolds and Villages Tour by Luxury Car from London

  • Overnight Beatles Independent Rail Trip to Liverpool from London: Hard Days Night Hotel and Magical Mystery Tour

  • 5-Day Heart of England Tour from London: North Wales, Stratford-upon-Avon, Buxton and York

  • 5-Day Best of Britain Tour: Edinburgh, Stonehenge, York, Bath, and Cardiff from London

  • 5-Day Best of England Small-Group Tour: Oxford, the Cotswolds and Bath

  • 5-Day Devon and Cornwall Small-Group Tour from London

  • 4-Day England and North Wales Tour: Stratford-upon-Avon, Snowdonia and Cambridge

  • 5-Day ​Isle of Wight and New Forest Tour from London

  • 2-Day Liverpool and Manchester Tour from London

  • 4-Day Independent London to Dublin by Virgin Train and Irish Ferries

  • London to Dublin Independent Multi-Day Rail Trip

  • 2-Day Rail Trip to ​Paris from London

  • 3-Day Paris and Versailles Tour from London

  • Independent 3-Day Paris Short Break from London

  • Amsterdam and Bruges Weekend Tour from London

  Partner
• Sceptrevacations.com - Long the price champ on self-drive vacations in the British Isles (they provide airfare, rental car, and vouchers for hotels and/or B&Bs, all at a discount; your trip is your own), Sceptre now also offers rail journeys, chauffeur trips, and escorted tours ("Journeys"). Though it covers much of Europe now, Sceptre started with Ireland and Scotland, and still offers a wider range of British Isles itineraries than most, including plenty in England and Wales.
• City-discovery.com - Chief rival to Viator (though with a less spiffy interface and often sub-par text descriptions), representing many of the same tours (at the same prices). However, it also seems to cover more destinations, especially secondary ones. When it comes down to it, City-Discovery and Viator have maybe 70% the same inventory, but then 30% will be completely different (some Viator has City-Discovery does not, other vice-versa) so it pays to check through the offerings from both.Partner
• Viator.com -

  This clearinghouse for activities and day tours also offers longer, multi-day trips—and, since it is essentially a middleman site liking you to local outfitters, it is often among the cheapest (Viator only tacks on a modest fee).

  From Edinburgh:

  • 5-Day Best of Scotland Experience from Edinburgh

  • 2-Day ​Loch Ness and Inverness Small Group Tour from Edinburgh

  • 2-Day Highlands and Loch Ness Tour from Edinburgh

  • 2-Day Jacobite Experience including the Hogwarts Express

  • Outlander 2-Day Filming Locations Tour from Edinburgh

  • 3-Day Speyside Whisky Tour from Edinburgh

  • 3-Day Isle of Skye Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh

  • 3-Day Isle of Skye and Scottish Highlands Tour from Edinburgh Including 'Hogwarts Express' Ride

  • 3-Day Cairngorms National Park Tour from Edinburgh: Royal Deeside, Speyside Whisky and St Andrews

  • 3 Day Tour:​ Highlands of Scotland Whisky and Hiking

  • 3-Day Isle of Skye and Scottish Highlands Tour from Edinburgh Including Eilean Donan Castle

  • 3-Day Isle of Skye and Highlands Tour from Edinburgh

  • 4-Day Tour of the West Highlands and Isle of Skye from Edinburgh

  • 5-Day Orkney Islands Tour from Edinburgh Including the Scottish Highlands
  • 5-Day Iona, Mull and the Isle of Skye Small Group Tour from Edinburgh

  • 5-Day ​Highland Explorer and Isle of Skye Small Group Tour from Edinburgh

  • 5-Day Isle of Skye, Loch Ness and the Jacobite Steam Train from Edinburgh

  • 5-Day ​Hebrides and Highlands Tour from Edinburgh

  • 5-Day Tour from Edinburgh:​ York, Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and Hadrian's Wall

  • 7-Day Orkney Skye and Highlands Tour from Edinburgh

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You do not have to book everything before you travel—leaving some wiggle-room in any itinerary for delays, unexpected festivals, and spur-of-the-moment changes is key to a successful trip. However, there are a few things—oh, say, passports, plane tickets, etc.—that are pretty crucial.

I like to reserve at least my first and and last night's lodging (one less thing to worry about in the scramble and stress of the start and end of trips), as well as any special B&Bs along the way, tickets for marquee events or day tours, and a few other items.

In addition to the below, check out the Countdown Calendar for an idea of when to book what.

• Get a passport
• Buy plane tickets
• Reserve key hotels (at least the first and the final night)
• Book special activities and day tours
• Reserve a rental car (cheaper when done ahead from home)
• Check train times (to be sure your planned schedule will work)
• Learn more about the U.K.

I'm all for planning your own trip‚ and this website is set up to help you do just that—but some people might just as well prefer to leave all the planning, logistics, transportation, lodging, and gathering of information to the professionals and simply sign up with a guided tour.

Nothing wrong with that. Just take my advice and choose a tour that emphasizes small groups over large crowds, local transport over big tour buses, and fun cultural experiences over sightseeing checklists. You'll have a better time, and probably spend less for it. Under the "links" above are some of our favorite companies that can help you do just that.

I will freely admit to being as guilty as anyone of this, but: Please try not to over plan your trip. That's a two-fold plea:

1. Plan everything, but don't feel compelled to stick to the plan. I think it's a fine idea to work out all the details of what you plan to do—if nor no other reason than it will help you get a handle of what you are able to get done, and start making the hard choices of what you have time for and what you should leave for the next trip. (Always assume you will return!) 
   
   But then do not book absolutely every second in advance (that leaves no room to adjust things as you go to accommodate changing interests, sudden festivals, or unexpected invitations), and please do not attempt to stick to the schedule if it turns out to be overly ambitious and starts making you miserable. 
   
   Remember Clark W. Griswold, the Chevy Chase dad in the Vacation movies, always bound and determined to get to WallyWorld or see every sight in Europe come hell or dead aunties? Yeah, don't be that guy. No one in that family was having any fun
2. Don't try to pack too much in. A vacation is not meant to be all about checking sights off a list or dashing from place to place to fit in as much as humanly possible. It's about enjoying yourself. 
   
   So do that. Enjoy yourself. Take a break from the sightseeing every once in a while. Leave some time to stop and smell the English roses.