The 15 best places to visit in the UK in 2025

For a while, Folkestone was something of an under-the-radar seaside destination – but those days are now long gone. In recent years the Kentish town has cemented its rep as a top-tier seaside spot, delightful for its colourful, cobbled Old High Street of indie shops, its ever-growing culinary scene, its balmy, sweeping beach and surrounding areas of natural beauty. And 2025 will see Folkestone in an even brighter spotlight: the town’s triennial, one of the most prestigious events in the UK art calendar, returns from July to October and will pack Folkestone full of public artworks. This year should also see the return of the Leas Lift, the town’s gorgeous Grade II*-listed funicular railway, after restoration.

Don’t miss walking from Sandgate down the seafront all the way to the Warren Nature Reserve, then back along the top; slowly crawling your way through the tiny galleries around Old High Street is a must, as is a pint at harbourside pub the Ship Inn.

Plan your trip The Folkestone Triennial will be from July 19 to October 19, giving you a wide window of time to visit and soak up some art. It’s also worth visiting on a weekend to make the most of the Harbour Arm market.

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I know what you’re thinking, but there’s a hell of a lot more to Stratford than an overstimulating shopping mall mainly frequented by secondary school students and lairy blokes on the way to a West Ham match. Thirteen years on from its starring role in the 2012 Olympics, the spotlight is back on this east London neighbourhood thanks to the imminent completion of two major new cultural institutions. First to arrive is Sadlers Wells East, a 550-seater sister venue to Islington’s hallowed centre of contemporary dance, which will more or less double the number of contemporary dance productions appearing on London stages when it opens in February. Just a few months later comes the V&A East Storehouse, a purpose-built venue housing more than 1000 archives from the V&A’s vast collections.

Don’t miss My football team trains on the nearby Hackney Marshes once a week, and in the summer months we often go for a post-training pint on the stretch of canal by creative hub Here East; there are several cute little bars and cafés where you can perch outside and enjoy the sun, including retro arcade bar Four Quarters, brunch spot the Breakfast Club and sporty boozer the Lock Inn.

Plan your trip Coincide your visit to Stratford with the opening of the V&A East Storehouse. Due to open on May 31, it promises to offer a fascinating insight into the operations of one of the UK’s most important museums.

➡️ Check out our guide to the 50 best things to do in London

2025 will mark 100 years of Stoke-on-Trent being a proper city – and there’s frankly no better time to visit. For a long time Stoke has been unfairly dismissed as one of Britain’s more downtrodden cities, but it’s time our opinions changed. Few corners of the country are as packed full of culture and heritage as the Potteries, and yet somehow, despite being world-famous for ceramics (and a nickname to boot) Stoke still doesn’t quite get the attention it deserves. The city’s six towns are a trove of odes to pottery-making past and present, from museums like the mighty Gladstone and all-encompassing Potteries Museum & Art Gallery to visitable working factories like Middleport and factory outlets for Royal Stafford, Wedgwood and Duchess China. On the non-ceramics front, tuck into one of many varieties of oatcake, a local delicacy, and venture out to nature spots like Trentham Estate, Manifold Valley and the Peak District.

Don’t miss an atmospheric heritage walk along the Trent and Mersey Canal, passing mammoth bottle-shaped kilns and red-brick potteries; stock up at the London Road Oatcake shop, where the cakes are so good I’ve got a freezer stocked full of them at home; outlet shopping for the world’s best ceramics brands at discounted prices.

Plan your trip Stoke’s 100th birthday celebrations will last all year and feature everything from exhibitions to music festivals, but they’ll reach fever pitch in June, when three days of celebrations, processions, street theatre and more will centre around the first ever Stoke-on-Trent Day on June 5.

Once you’ve made the long journey to the very tip of the mainland, you’ll have to hop on a ferry for more than an hour to finally make it to Orkney (or fly directly into Kirkwall airport from elsewhere in Scotland). It’s not exactly conveniently located, but this archipelago of 70 islands has a cultural identity so unique it feels like it’s in a world of its own. Hike wind-battered coasts, oggle over Neolithic archaeology and feast on a food and drink scene punching well above its weight. From July 12 to 18, the islands will host the free-to-attend 2025 International Island Games, with athletes from 24 island groups from across the world competing in sports, from swimming to gymnastics. It’s also set to be a great year to spot the Northern Lights, and Orkney is one of the best places in the country to see the show (keep an eye on the local Orkney Aurora Facebook Group for early warnings from the experts).

Don’t miss Orkney’s Highland Park whisky is famous for a reason, and in March, the distillery and visitor centre in the main town of Kirkwall is set to reopen after a swanky green upgrade. Stay in The Storehouse restaurant with rooms for Orkney-sourced seafood, then take a tour of the magnificent 12th-century St Magnus Cathedral.

Plan your trip for May. Weather is always temperamental here (come prepared!), but if you want to hedge your bets, this month historically has the lowest rainfall – it also welcomes the joyous sounds of Orkney Folk Festival into various venues across the islands on the last weekend.

Bradford has been a slow burner when it comes to the UK’s best cities, but 2025 is its time to shine. Just three hours by train from London, it’s an accessible weekend getaway brimming with industrial-era architecture, a thriving performing arts scene and revered Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisine. As the UK’s City of Culture 2025, it’s embracing a jam-packed calendar of exciting openings and events from the get-go. First up was the National Science and Media Museum (NSMM), which threw open its doors on January 8 after heavily-anticipated renovations. Later, spring will welcome the brand-new Darley Street Market.

Don’t miss When showing friends around Bradford, I pair an Alhambra Theatre show with Sunbridgewells, a nightlife-meets-foodie arcade winding through historic city tunnels.

Plan Your Trip If you want to catch David Hockney’s landmark exhibition at NSMM, head to Bradford any time between January 11 and May 18. 

While Southampton is often overlooked by holidaymakers, Europe’s cruise-ship capital is more than just a passing place. From a walking tour of its fourteenth-century walls, to the preserved Tudor house museum and England’s first ever capital city of Winchester, which is a short drive or train journey away, it’s a must-visit for any history buff, and there’s never been a better time to make the trip. Being the former hometown of Jane Austen, Hampshire is currently celebrating her 250th birthday, with statues, exhibitions, and a comedic performance of Pride and Prejudice at Mayflower Theatre all happening in Southampton. 

Don’t miss My top tip? Use Southampton as a base as well as a destination. I loved visiting the local Manor Farm, a petting-zoo-agricultural-museum hybrid with a very cute café. You can also easily zip across to the Isle of Wight or wander through the New Forest – both are equally easy to get to.

Plan your trip Coming to the Mayflower Theatre from June 10-14 is ‘Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of)’, a not-so-faithful retelling of the Austen classic for the modern age. 

➡️ Check out our guide to the 10 best things to do in Southampton

It’s not every day that a British city makes it to the UNESCO shortlist. But with its historic heritage and cultural vibrancy, it’s no surprise York is trying to snatch the title. 2025 will be a big year for the city, which will see the iconic Railway Museum reopening its revamped Station Hall, and a bustling calendar of Railway 200 celebrations – from unique trips across the Moors to scenic journeys to the coast.

Don’t miss At whichever point (or ‘gate’) of the unmissable Roman walls you hop off, you’ll be treated to museums, local eateries, and the stunning cathedral. My favourite trundle is by the Museum Gardens, an open-air space mixing majestic medieval ruins, a museum complex and lush gardens by the glistening River Ouse.

Plan your trip November will be a top time to visit; it’s when York’s media city festivals are in full swing, from cinema and visual arts to poetry events.

➡️ Our guide to the 20 best things to do in York right now

Whitby remains a gem in the crown of North Yorkshire’s tourism scene. And why shouldn’t it? With everything from beach side fish and chips to gothic ruins, there’s something for everyone in the seaside town made famous by Dracula. Despite its rich shipping heritage and streets filled with history, Whitby continues to build on its cultural offerings with micropubs, breweries, distilleries and even a state-of-the-art spa just down the road.

Don’t miss My first stop in Whitby is always Mary’s Sandwich Shop in Sandsend for a crispy dry cured bacon sarnie and a coffee. This gets me going for a day of meandering the cobbled streets, ending with a climb of the 199 Steps for beautiful views across the seaside town. Building up an appetite often leads me to fish and chips, usually at The Magpie Café, followed by a few old-fashioned arcade games on the strip, and a lemon top, a classic Mr Whippy-style ice-cream with a dollop of lemon sorbet on top. If staying over, it’s without fail in one of the plush rooms at wellness sanctuary, Saltmoore.

Plan your trip Whitby is home to its fair share of festivals from steam punk gatherings to Northern Soul weekender. However, its most famous is the twice-annual Whitby Goth Weekend: head to the one around Halloween time for extra-special fun and to see the illuminated ruins of Whitby Abbey.

➡️ The best things to do in Whitby, appoved by a local

Small in size but mighty in its ambition, Cardiff has long had big dreams: to become one of Europe’s most ‘liveable’ cities and to be a hotspot for musical development. In recent years, the Welsh capital has achieved both accolades, while also expanding its diverse grassroots activity (community arts hubs such as Corp Market and Sustainable Studio) and number of epic food markets (don’t miss Cardiff Bay’s Tiger Yard). By blending rich heritage with modern eccentricity, Cardiff’s thriving cultural ecosystem spills out into buzzy suburbs including Canton and Whitchurch Road, making for a fast-growing city defined by its warm, inclusive global outlook.

Don’t miss With more Victorian and Edwardian arcades than any other city in the UK, Cardiff is home to a dazzling alternative to the high street. I love exploring the Castle Quarter: this ‘city of arcades’ contains more than 100 independent retailers, selling everything from brogues to dino fossils alongside housing the world’s oldest record shop.

Plan your trip St David’s Day celebrations on March 1 are a feast for the senses. Immerse yourself in parades and eisteddfodau (festivals of music and language) and spot young ’uns donning traditional Welsh dress.

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Millions visit Birmingham each year, and with good reason – the UK’s second city is teeming with nightlife, nature and culture. The centre is defined by top-class shopping and winding canals, but it’s the outskirts that really shine: pick out a diamond in the historic Jewellery Quarter, catch a top-flight match at Aston Villa’s hallowed ground or indulge your Wonka fantasies at Bournville’s Cadbury factory.

Don’t miss I take all my friends to Stirchley, which was voted a Sunday Times ‘best place to live’ for its independent businesses. Savour noodles at Eat Vietnam then linger over top-class cocktails at Couch.

Plan your trip Boxpark is set to open in Digbeth in 2025. While you’re there, go location-spotting: it’s where scenes from the Peaky Blinders movie, set for release next year, were filmed.

➡️ Our guide to 27 brilliant things to do in Birmingham

There’s more than meets the eye to this quaint fishing village on Cornwall’s south coast, and most exciting for 2025 is its burgeoning foodie scene. Must try restaurants include Argoe (Dua Lipa was even spotted dining there in the summer, so you know it’s cool) for its seafood small plates and natty wines, and the Tolcarne Inn, a more trad-leaning seafood oriented gastropub. 

Don’t miss When I go back to Cornwall I love to catch a flick at the Newlyn Filmhouse, one of the county’s best indie cinemas. This is a good one for A24 fans and Mubi heads. 

Plan your trip The Penzance May Horns is one of the many May Day celebrations that takes place across Cornwall. On Sunday May 4, people will gather outside the Tolcarne Inn with horns and whistles to make as much noise as possible. The festival is rooted in pagan traditions, and stems from an old belief that the noise will ‘drive out the devil of winter’. Make sure to dress in green and white.

➡️ The 20 best places to visit in Cornwall, from coast to cove

Liverpool has been undergoing some serious renovations over the past couple of years, and 2025 is when they will all be revealed. Not only did the city recently welcome the UK’s first floating sauna, but it will soon see the reopening of the Tate Liverpool, and host the Liverpool Biennial, a huge arts and culture festival. 

Don’t miss Named one of the best cities for food in the world in 2024 by Time Out, one of the best things to do in Liverpool is eat. The first place I take visitors is the Middle-Eastern-inspired Maray for their disco cauliflower. Afterwards, wander along the riverfront to the amazing Lark Lane. This street is filled with quirky shops, wine bars, and is home to the deliciously popular Lunko bakery. Grab a huge pastry and a coffee and enjoy a walk around neighboring Sefton Park.

Plan your trip Visit between June 7 and September 14 for the Liverpool Biennial. This should also coincide with Tate Liverpool reopening after its refurbishment.

➡️ Check out our guide to the 25 best things to do in Liverpool in 2025

For what’s considered a pretty small city (with a population of roughly 135,000), Norwich has a lot packed in. It’s perched on the River Yare and its banks are lined with pretty houses and pubs, but it’s also home to landmarks dating back to the Norman invasion, like Norwich Castle. The site has been closed since 2020 for a £15 million refurbishment, but the first phase finally reopened in July 2024 and the second phase will do so in 2025, with a new immersive experience of Norman living. However, if you’re more interested in a movie-set experience, check out Belmont Nurseries, the farm featured in Wicked where a staggering nine million tulips were planted to create real-life Munchkinland.

Don’t miss I found some great spots in Norwich on a recent staycation: I’d recommend heading to Maker’s House for a cocktail, then booking a table for a cracking vegetarian dinner at The Bicycle Shop, before nipping across the road for a bottle of wine (and some incredible homemade mint liqueur) at The Corkscrew.

Plan your trip The final phase of Norwich castle’s reopening is in spring 2025, as are the open days at Belmont Nurseries. I’d head here on one of the May bank holidays and try and fit in a visit to both.

➡️ Check out our guide to the 10 best things to do in Norwich

Belfast is a city with a fascinating history, lively bar scene and thriving music community. In recent years, local band Kneecap have brought it further attention with their outspoken Irish rap music and semi-autobiographical film, which showcases the city as if it were a character itself.

Don’t miss One of my favourite memories of Belfast was the Touring Around Belfast Black Cab Tour. Billy is an excellent guide who seems to know everything about his hometown, and he even threw in the odd poetry recital during our two-hour whizz around the city.

Plan your trip Visit in the spring for milder climes, longer days and St Patrick’s Day on March 17, meaning even more Guinness and live music than normal.

➡️ Check out our guide to the 11 best things to do in Belfast

According to the city’s tourist board, 2023 saw a whopping 47.3 percent increase in visitors to Glasgow. What has got tourists flocking to the city? Major sporting events, world-class concerts, great arts and culture venues, and an up-and-coming food and drink scene, that’s what. Plus, for a city that’s often made out to be grey thanks to the questionable weather, it’s surprisingly green: no visit would be complete without a stroll through one of the city’s many beautiful parks. Pray for sunshine, but don’t let a little rain stop you.

Don’t miss No trip back home is complete until I’ve visited the impossibly chic Outlier – great coffee, great food and endless home décor inspiration. And I always check out an exhibition or performance at Tramway, too.

Plan your trip While it might not be as famous as Edinburgh’s, Glasgow has a comedy festival all of its own, running from March 12-30. Headliners include Frank Skinner, Ed Gamble and hometown favourite Elaine C Smith.

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