Don’t Miss A Thing On Your Trip To England & Scotland
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My husband and I took our first trip to the U.K. last May. After months of planning, we came up with the perfect itinerary for our twelve days in England and Scotland.
Day 1: Fly from the United States to London Heathrow Airport
Day 2-5: Exploring London
Transportation: You can get around London entirely by walking or taking the London Underground, which is super easy to navigate. There are also taxis and ride share apps, but those are more expensive and really not necessary.
Take a walking tour - There are a million walking tours out there! Do a quick google search or check trip advisor for reviews. We did a tour that took us around the area near Buckingham Palace and the Mall.
Ride the London Eye - Get tickets ahead of time to avoid the line!
Take in a show - We saw Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre.
Take a day trip - We visited Stonehenge and the Roman Baths with Golden Tours. It was super interesting visiting and learning the history of these sights. Our guide was very informative on the bus, but we were able to explore on our own once we arrived at the sights. I definitely recommend this type of tour.
Visit some of the many free museums - We visited the Natural History Museum, which was a must see for me.
Lodging: The Qbic Hotel
This small hotel was cute, clean, and welcoming. There was a bar downstairs, and freshly ground coffee on each floor. It was conveniently located near a tube (London Underground) station, and not too close to all of the noisy hustle and bustle.
Day 6-8: The Cotswolds
Next up, we rented a car and drove into the English countryside to a small town called Chipping Campden. If you’re comfortable enough to try driving on the “wrong” side of the road, I highly recommend renting a car and doing this. It is a very scenic drive, and it’s just plain fun to try. If you do this, rent the car at Heathrow airport so you don’t have to drive through the city.
Explore the area - each town in the Cotswolds has its own charm. There are lots of little shops, restaurants, and pubs to try. There are also towers and castles in the area. A quick google search and you can find a few to visit. We visited the Sudeley Castle & Gardens and Broadway Tower.
Lodging: The Kings Hotel
We LOVED this hotel. We stayed in a rustic cottage behind the main building. The atmosphere was welcoming, laid back, and peaceful. There is a small restaurant in the main building, and many other delicious pubs a short walk away.
Day 9-12: Edinburgh
After returning our rental car at the airport, we took the underground back into the city to explore for a few more hours before catching a sleeper train to Edinburgh. What a great experience this was. The accommodations were very snug, but surprisingly comfortable, and it allowed us to get to Edinburgh without losing any daytime hours exploring.
Transportation: The bus system is very easy to navigate here.
Explore the Royal Mile - An area full of shops and restaurants leading up to Edinburgh Castle.
Tour Edinburgh Castle - This is a must, both for the history and for the views.
Hike Arthur’s Seat - I did not know about this before getting to Scotland, but once there, everyone kept telling us we should do it. It isn’t necessarily an easy hike (it is all uphill) but the views are well worth it. We completed the hike top to bottom within a couple of hours.
Visit the National Museum of Scotland - This is a free museum that has a little bit of everything - natural history, technology, anthropology, history, etc. They even have Dolly the sheep! I was starstruck to see her. For those of you that don’t know, she was the first cloned mammal back in 1996.
Whiskey tour and the highlands - Obviously you can’t go to Scotland without tasting the whiskey. I, unfortunately, am not a fan of whiskey, but this was a highlight of the trip for my husband. We joined Heart of Scotland Tours for a day trip to Stirling Castle, the Highland Lochs, and Glengoyne Distillery. Other than the slightly cramped “Wee Red Bus”, the tour was great. Our tour guide was personable, and he stopped at various points for scenic views and pictures. We even saw hairy highland cows, which I was very excited about!
Lodging: Dalhousie Castle
We really wanted to stay in a castle, so we spent one night here. Honestly, it was a neat experience, but the bed was really uncomfortable, and it wasn’t close to anything. We needed to take a 15-20 minute taxi to get back to central Edinburgh.
Lodging number two: The Murrayfield Hotel
This was probably our favorite hotel for the whole trip. The room was modern and comfortable, as well as spacious. The restaurant downstairs was delicious. The hotel was located close to a bus stop, which the front desk helped teach us to navigate. It wasn’t really walking distance to anything other than the bus, but it was on a calm, quiet street which was nice.
And that’s it. Day 12 we went to Edinburgh airport and flew home. It was a truly wonderful trip. Please comment if you have any questions about our itinerary, or want tips for planning your own trip!
