Tomorrow sees the start of English Tourism Week. Visit England are champions of English tourism, and this year is the fifth anniversary of the week long event. To celebrate everything that makes England such a special place for a break, a holiday, or just a day out, we’re highlighting some of the great places to visit in England with your family starting with some lovely experiences in London.
Great places to visit in England with the family
Tower Bridge
What could be more English than Tower Bridge? So iconic the Americans tried to buy it and take it home with them (allegedly!). Long-time venue for the final of the Apprentice, the walkways that stand 42 metres above the river Thames were once a popular haunt for local prostitutes, but now you’ll find families daring each other to step onto the glass panels for the best view in London. It’s a great day out, and gets even young children surprisingly hooked! Read more about our visit to Tower Bridge here.
The O2 on a Thames Clipper
When you think of the O2, you imagine an expensive gig, a famous band, and a huge event. But there’s more to this landmark venue than you’d imagine. As well as great restaurants, the dome plays host to the Sky Studios, and the Nissan Innovation Station, which are great fun for kids of all ages – including the Dads! And the Thames Clippers are a brilliant way to get there and see the sights of London from the river. Take a look for more information on our day at the O2.
The Faulty Towers Dining Experience
Remember the classic English sitcom Fawlty Towers from the seventies? Well it gets a genius makeover in a London-based interactive theatre production. Watch a little Netflix before you go, and the kids will be in stitches over false teeth in the soup, and bread rolls they have to catch while they have dinner with the cast. Just don’t mention the Germans! Check out our dinner at the Faulty Towers experience here.
More great places to visit in England from the UK’s favourite family travel bloggers
- Sam from North East Family Fun shares her top three English Heritage properties to visit with kids featuring Stonehenge, Bolsover Castle and Hadrian’s Wall
- Ting from My Travel Monkey looks back at her top three favourite National Trust’s sites in the South East of England, which not only combine majestic historic houses, but breathtaking gardens and landscapes. Fantastic day outs for the whole family
- Sarah from Extraordinary Chaos shares her favourite educational but fun family days out. Featuring Warwick Castle, Stratford-Upon-Avon and Blists Hill Victorian Town
- Jane from Practically Perfect Mums shows off three fabulously family friendly places to stay in the South West of England and they’re all spacious enough to accommodate a family of five!
- Karen at Mini Travellers shares 3 Child Friendly National Trust properties to visit with Kids near Chester
- Yorkshire Girl, Jo Addison, shares her favourite family days out in Yorkshire, her home county
- Over at Mums do travel, Gretta focuses on South East England in her post about the attractions of London, Kent and the Isle of Wight
- Erin from Yorkshire Tots shares three family adventure trails in Yorkshire where you can follow in the ‘footsteps’ of Stickman, re-tell the story of the Room on the Broom, and enjoy tunnels slides, bridges and beams on an amazing welly walk
- Cathy at MummyTravels heads to the coast with three of her favourite family-friendly seaside attractions in Devon, Cornwall and Brighton, including the chance to spot giant octopus and be an Elizabethan explorer
- Alison, Helen, Penny and Katie pick three of their favourite cool places to take kids, glamp at the zoo, hire a beach hut or be an outlaw in Sherwood Forest.
For more news and updates on great places to visit across England follow Visit England on Twitter.
I’ve been loving following your London adventures, isn’t it magical when the kids are a bit older and more independent, it’s like a whole new city opens up!
So nice, and although there are lovely places for young children in London, it really comes into its own as a city once the kids are old enough to appreciate some of the history.
I’d never heard about the Faulty Towers Dining Experience before but I SO want to go now!!
Honestly Jo, I can’t recommend it enough!
I recently joined English Heritage, and have a family pass now SO, as well as being officially OLD, I can get to so many amazing places with the kids. We’ve been to Bolsover Castle and intend to visit the… wait for it… COLD WAR BUNKER in York. Hundreds of places to visit and all for less than the price of a meal out. Superb value.
That picture at Tower Bridge though, that will always freak me out.
Great post, great suggestions.
I’m hoping to have a family rip to London this year so thank you for the family-riendly suggestions. The boys would love Tower Bridge and the Faulty Towers Dining Experience looks hilarious!
We’re visiting London over Easter and I LOVE the sound of A Faulty Towers Dining Experience – going to check it out thanks
Oh you will love it! It is just so funny. I’d recommend catching up on a few episodes beforehand though so that the kids get a feel for what to expect.
We haven’t taken the kids to London yet but we’re due a trip this year for their American passports. I have to admit, just looking at your Tower Bridge photo makes me a little bit queasy but I think I’d still like to try it. I like to torture myself a bit sometimes 🙂
Now this is a bit embarrassing – I live in London and have only done bits of your list. I’ve been on the Thames Clippers and love them (Greenwich trip planned for later this year), but only to the O2 once and I haven’t been up Tower Bridge (only wandering across). I did the Faulty Towers dining experience in Brighton and it was hilarious though – would definitely recommend that.
I’ve been here so long and only recently discovered what a great morning out Tower Bridge is! Too busy wandering along the South Bank normally, though you can easily combine the two. I have tickets to climb the O2, but I’m not sure I’ve got the guts for that!
Absolutely have to find a Faulty Towers Dining Experience near us!
They do tour, and pop up in places you wouldn’t expect, so keep an eye on their website for updates.
I have never been in Tower Bridge, but that is where we finished the London Bridge challenge, the tale of the American buying the wrong bridge makes me giggle? And I love the O2 it has so many great options x
The Fawlty Towers Dining Experience looks brilliant! We’ve also been meaning to catch the Thames Clipper for a while now, boys and boats are such a good combo! I’m lucky enough to see Tower Bridge everyday as it’s near work, but I do love actually exploring London, which I rarely do. Must make more of an effort!
OH how lovely! I know what you mean though. I lived in Bath for 4 years, such a beautiful city – and I never visited any of the key sights!
I’ll be visiting London over Easter!