Hampton Court Palace

Where to go and what to see in London to get the most from your trip – a 3-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Annabelle Thorpe.

Where to go and what to see in London to get the most from your trip – a 5-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Annabelle Thorpe.

Where to go and what to see in London to get the most from your trip – 9 brilliant, bucket list-packed days recommended by destination expert and travel writer Annabelle Thorpe.

World-class culture, fashion, music, food and history – and a mind-boggling array of bucket list experiences – packed into one extraordinary, incomparable destination. 

Legendary botanical gardens dating back to 1759, now housing more than 30,000 species of plant. The original, biggest and best botanical garden in the world.

A great day out for car enthusiasts, with Mercedez-Benz cars dating back 100 years, driving displays, F1 and Concorde simulators and racing experiences.

Dinosaur skeletons, blue whales and chunks of meteorite set in a Romanesque, cathedral-like building – the world’s biggest and best such museum is a treasure trove of natural history.

The world’s largest science museum, with 40 galleries celebrating three centuries of major scientific advances.

Charles I’s deer-roamed royal park that remains little changed since the Middle Ages. Woodland, grassland, and cycleways make for a rural treat of a city retreat.

One of Britain’s best adventure parks, boasting thrilling rides, a sea life centre and an impressive zoo.

The UK’s second biggest theme park (behind Alton Towers). Main attractions include The Colossus, Nemesis and Inferno rollercoasters and the UK’s fastest rollercoaster Stealth.

An 18th-century mansion of masterpieces sitting pretty on Piccadilly, home to one of Britain’s oldest collections of fine art and regular blockbuster exhibitions.

The great civilisations of the past have left a legacy of constructions that still stand out and inspire. Built without the wonders of 20th-century technology, many are also monumental feats of engineering; others offer such grace and beauty, that they’ll literally take your breath away.

A Sultan’s palace in Istanbul, a royal palace in Vienna, a Moghul fort-palace in India – authentic palace stays offer a taste of royal and aristocratic life from bygone eras. Here’s our round-up of 15 of the best.

Here’s our round-up of 60 unique and unusual places to stay – from castles to palaces, treehouses to caves and even UFOs – that justify a place on any travel bucket list in their own right.