We just got back from an incredible two weeks in the United Kingdom with our two boys and our U.K. itinerary was the perfect mix of movie magic, history, and beautiful natural scenery!
Before I jump in, If I could give you one piece of advice for your next big trip, it would be this: get out of the cities and explore the smaller towns and countryside! We have done several big trips with our kids and without fail the places we love the most are the ones outside the cities that aren’t packed with people.
Here’s how we broke up our two week U.K. trip to have a perfect mix of city sightseeing, kid-friendly activities, and beautiful scenery:
London (2 nights)
Day One: Arrival Day
We landed at 7 A.M. and headed straight to our hotel (The Standard London, booked on points!) to drop off bags, change, and rest a bit after an exhausting flight. We had planned to go to Borough Market but we were too tired so we had breakfast at the hotel before heading to our Paddington Tea Tour with Brigid’s Bakery. After that, we walked across the river to the London Eye and did a super fun boat tour with the Thames Rockets before heading back for dinner by the hotel and early bedtime!
Day Two: WB Studios Harry Potter Tour
We took the train to Watford Junction and then jumped in the free shuttle to the WB Studios (included with your ticket). Then we spent four hours or so exploring the studios and eating lunch! This was so much fun for our Harry Potter fans and had so many fascinating props, sets, and behind the scenes tips from the movies!
Edinburgh (Three Nights)
We stayed in the Premier Inn Edinburgh Princes Street and it was a great budget option for families! We loved that it had a queen bed/two twin layout since our kids don’t like sharing a bed if they don’t have to.
Day Three: Travel Day To Edinburgh
We took the 4-5 hour train ride from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh, arriving at Waverly Station around 2 PM and walking to our lodging, the Premier Inn Edinburgh Princes Street. We grabbed some pizza on Rose Street behind the hotel then walked across to the Princes Garden playground for ice cream and playtime.
Day Four: Edinburgh Exploring
After an early morning family photo shoot with Flytographer (see this post, we LOVE them and have used them multiple times), we met up with a private tour guide from Potter Trails and he walked us through old town Edinburgh sharing fun stories about the creation of Harry Potter.
We ate a delicious lunch at Howie’s on Victoria Street and then spent an hour walking through the National Museum of Scotland (totally free!). My husband hiked Arthur’s seat while we rested a bit and then we spent another evening in Princes Street Garden.
Day Five: Edinburgh Exploring
We started the day by visiting the Edinburgh Castle that sits on a hill above the town. It was so interesting and has gorgeous views of the city! We enjoyed some lunch and ice cream from Mary’s Milk bar in the Grassmarket area and then spent the afternoon walking to the beautiful Dean’s Village, Inverleith Park, and a tasty dinner at the Scran and Scallie!
Northumberland (3 nights)
We stayed in an Airbnb in Seahouses for three nights and it was such a lovely break from big city chaos! Northumberland is a really lovely region that we think should be included in more England itineraries because it wasn’t crowded, has beautiful mild weather even in the summers, and has so much to do and see!
Day 7: St Abb’s Head
We picked up the rental car from Arnold Clark and drive from Edinburgh to St. Abb’s, a beautiful small town that’s been in several movies. After a quick lunch we spent two hours hiking St. Abb’s Head, an incredible coastal hike with several coves perfect for rock-skipping and enjoying the views. Then we finished the drive and settled into our Airbnb in Seahouses!
Day 8: Alnwick Castle and Lilidorei
We drove to Alnwick Castle and spent several hours touring the grounds, enjoying some coffee and treats from the cafe, watching a falconry demonstration, then doing one of our kids’ favorite things: a Broomstick Training class! The first Harry Potter Quidditch scenes were filmed here along with several other movie scenes so this was so much fun for our Harry Potter fans!
We enjoyed lunch by the beautiful Alnwick Gardens and then walked to spend the afternoon at Lilidorei, a GIANT children’s playground with endless slides, tunnels, and climbing structure. It also has a fairy garden with scavenger hunts, mysterious huts and paths, and the kindest, warmest staff! This was such a fun and unique place and we loved it.
Day 9: Wildlife Cruise and Bamburgh Castle
We started the morning with a boat cruise through Billy Shiel’s Boat Tours and got to see seals, puffins, and so many birds at the Farne Islands. This felt like something out of National Geographic and was so incredible to see!
We headed up the coast for a tasty seafood lunch at the Potted Lobster and then spent a few hours walking through Bamburgh Castle, a medieval castle that sits perched on a hill overlooking both the town of Bamburgh and a beautiful beach. This estate has been around over 1,000 years and was such a fascinating place to explore!
Day 10: Travel Day
We drove from Seahouses to Aviemore. We were hoping to stop and do the alpine coaster outside Edinburgh but it was booked up so we made a quick stop at Conifox Adventure Park and then drove to Aviemore!
Aviemore (2 nights)
We weren’t able to explore Cairngorms National Park like we’d planned due to wildfires but we saw an incredible sheepdog demonstration and visited Landmark Forest Adventure park. Our Airbnb was just outside of town and was a solid budget option with good space and a co-op and tasty pizza shop next door!
Day 11: Adventure Park and Sheepdog Demonstration
We started the morning with several hours at Landmark Forest Adventure Park just outside Aviemore and this got two big thumbs up from all of us! It was a rare place where my kids enjoyed every single part of it – a dinosaur kingdom with life-size moving dinosaurs, multiple climbing and adventurous play structures, water slides, go-carts, hiking areas. It was incredible and just what the kids needed! I can’t recommend it enough as a stop that will give the kids some much-needed space to PLAY on a long trip like this.
For the afternoon, we drove to Kingussie and watched a sheepdog demonstration by Neil at Working Sheepdogs. This was so fascinating to watch and the kids loved getting to hold sheepdog puppies and help feed a lamb and calf afterward!
Isle of Skye (3 nights)
We stayed in Staffin, a small town on the north of the island, and did hikes like the Quiraing, the Old Mann of Storr, Brother’s Point, and more. We also visited some beautiful beaches, waterfalls, and viewpoints! Our Airbnb was absolutely stunning and one of the highlights of our trip.
Day 12: Travel Day
We drove from Aviemore to the Isle of Skye, making a quick morning stop to enjoy some treats and feed Highland Coos at Quila Cridhe and then a lunch stop at Eilean Donan Castle before reaching the Isle of Skye. We made a quick stop in Portree for groceries before driving up the coast to Staffin where our Airbnb was (with quick pullover breaks to see Bridal Veil Falls and Mealt falls along the way!). After settling into the Airbnb we walked down to Staffin Bay and let the kids play with rocks and explore until the tides came in.
Day 13: Brother’s Point and the Quiraing
We started the day with a hike to Brother’s Point, a nice kid-friendly hike with lots of sheep, some good spots for rock skipping, and even a place where you can search for ancient fossilized dinosaur footprints.
We made a quick stop for crepes at the Wind Cafe for lunch, took a little rest time at home, then packed up some sandwiches for an afternoon of hiking at the Quiraing. Our Airbnb was close to the backside of this famous mountain hike which meant we had the entire place almost to ourselves. It was absolutely breathtaking!
Day 14: The Old Man of Storr and Rubha Hunish
We drove down to Portree to grab some coffee and greet some Harry Coos at Untethered Skye Co then headed to the Old Man of Storr, another famous hike!
This was beautiful but the weather started to turn so we headed back to Portree to grab pizza and some more groceries before heading back to the Airbnb. That evening we drove to the Northernmost part of the island and walked Rubha Hunish, a beautiful, mostly flat trail that takes you to the edge of a cliff with incredible views of the water. We didn’t spend much time there because the midges started to bother us (tiny Scottish mosquito-like bugs) but this is a spot where you can see whales, dolphins, and other wildlife!
Day 15: Glencoe and Drive to Edinburgh
We packed up our stuff and drove out of the Isle of Skye, taking the route through Glencoe so we could enjoy those beautiful views. It was an absolutely stunning drive! We stopped at the Red Shed Pizza in Glencoe for lunch and then rode the chairlift up the Glencoe Mountain Resort to see the scenery from above.
After that stop we made our way back to Edinburgh and stayed in an airport hotel (booked by transferring points to Hilton) then flew out early the next morning and were back home in the states by 4:30 PM local time!
This family-friendly U.K. itinerary had such a great mix of sightseeing, kid-friendly experiences, and beautiful nature and I’m so glad we got our of the more crowded areas to enjoy it! If you want a full recap with lots of pictures and videos, make sure to follow us on Instagram and check out our highlights from this trip and so many others!
