United Kingdom itinerary, day by day

From London to the lochs of the Scottish Highlands, by train and then by car: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, travel times, and where to sleep at three budgets.

🗓️ 3, 7 or 14 days📍 4 stops☀️ Best time: May to September

Londres · Photo Clément Proust / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

United Kingdom in 3 days

2 stops · 12 things to do · ≈ 650 km

1London

Days 1-2

A city of nine million on the Thames, where the Tower has stood since the eleventh century and most of the great national museums are free to enter.

🎟️ Worth booking

Tower of London and the Crown Jewels2h30 · from €35
A royal fortress, prison and armoury for nine centuries, with the coronation regalia kept under guard inside.
Book on GetYourGuide →
London Eye at sunset30 min · from €32
One slow thirty-minute turn of the big wheel on the South Bank, 135 metres up at the top, timed for the last light.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The British Museum · Westminster and Big Ben · Camden Market · Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Generator London (€45 a night) · Mid-range: The Hoxton, Shoreditch (€190 a night) · Luxury: The Savoy (€480 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Amor Gastronomia ★ 4.9 · 2188 reviews
La Palombe Kensington ★ 4.9 · 477 reviews
Govinda's Soho Street ★ 4.8 · 29635 reviews · €
Osteria romana ★ 4.8 · 6289 reviews · €€€
Colonel Saab Trafalgar Square ★ 4.8 · 1987 reviews

Photo Vision plug / Pexels

🚆 Train · 4h30 · 650 km

2Edinburgh

Day 3

The Scottish capital, built over extinct volcanoes. The medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town face each other across a valley, and are UNESCO-listed together.

🎟️ Worth booking

Edinburgh Castle2h · from €22
The fortress on Castle Rock, home to the Honours of Scotland, the oldest crown jewels in the British Isles.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Scotch whisky tasting2h · from €30
A guided tasting that sets the smoky malts of the islands against the softer ones of Speyside.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Royal Mile and the Old Town · Walking up Arthur's Seat · Calton Hill · Dean Village

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Castle Rock Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: The Inn on the Mile (€175 a night) · Luxury: The Balmoral (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Dishoom Edinburgh ★ 4.8 · 20958 reviews · €€
Makars Mash Bar ★ 4.8 · 10165 reviews · €€
Society Bar & Kitchen ★ 4.8 · 6532 reviews · €€
Fogo de Chão Edinburgh - Original from Brazil ★ 4.8 · 5535 reviews · €€€
LYLA Restaurant & Rooms ★ 4.8 · 463 reviews

Photo Lisa Simpson / Pexels

United Kingdom in 7 days

4 stops · 24 things to do · ≈ 950 km

1London

Days 1-2

A city of nine million on the Thames, where the Tower has stood since the eleventh century and most of the great national museums are free to enter.

🎟️ Worth booking

Tower of London and the Crown Jewels2h30 · from €35
A royal fortress, prison and armoury for nine centuries, with the coronation regalia kept under guard inside.
Book on GetYourGuide →
London Eye at sunset30 min · from €32
One slow thirty-minute turn of the big wheel on the South Bank, 135 metres up at the top, timed for the last light.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The British Museum · Westminster and Big Ben · Camden Market · Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Generator London (€45 a night) · Mid-range: The Hoxton, Shoreditch (€190 a night) · Luxury: The Savoy (€480 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Vision plug / Pexels

🚆 Train · 4h30 · 650 km

2Edinburgh

Days 3-4

The Scottish capital, built over extinct volcanoes. The medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town face each other across a valley, and are UNESCO-listed together.

🎟️ Worth booking

Edinburgh Castle2h · from €22
The fortress on Castle Rock, home to the Honours of Scotland, the oldest crown jewels in the British Isles.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Scotch whisky tasting2h · from €30
A guided tasting that sets the smoky malts of the islands against the softer ones of Speyside.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Royal Mile and the Old Town · Walking up Arthur's Seat · Calton Hill · Dean Village

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Castle Rock Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: The Inn on the Mile (€175 a night) · Luxury: The Balmoral (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Lisa Simpson / Pexels

🚗 Car · 2h30 · 160 km

3The Highlands and Glencoe

Day 5

Mountains, lochs and empty glens, with Glencoe the most dramatic of them. Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis (1,345 m, the highest peak in the UK), is the base for the rest.

🎟️ Worth booking

Ben Nevis and Glencoe day tourFull day · from €55
A day through the western Highlands, with stops in Glencoe and at the foot of Ben Nevis.
Book on GetYourGuide →
The Jacobite steam train and the Glenfinnan ViaductHalf day · from €60
The steam train from Fort William to Mallaig, over the curved viaduct made famous by the Harry Potter films. It runs in the warmer months only and sells out early.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Glencoe · Loch Lomond · Steall Falls · Highland villages

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Glencoe Youth Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: The Glencoe Inn (€150 a night) · Luxury: Glencoe House (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Kitchen Food Truck ★ 4.9 · 358 reviews
River House ★ 4.8 · 1084 reviews · €€€
Moss ★ 4.8 · 276 reviews
Glencoe House ★ 4.8 · 240 reviews
Ben Nevis Inn ★ 4.7 · 3054 reviews · €€

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 1h45 · 110 km

4Isle of Skye

Days 6-7

The largest island of the Inner Hebrides, joined to the mainland by a bridge since 1995. Basalt pinnacles, sea cliffs, and weather that can turn in ten minutes.

🎟️ Worth booking

Skye tour: the Old Man of Storr and the QuiraingFull day · from €65
A day around the Trotternish peninsula, its rock pinnacles and its great landslip, without driving the single-track roads yourself.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Seal-watching boat trip1h30 · from €35
A short trip out to the rocks where common and grey seals haul out, with seabirds overhead.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Old Man of Storr · The Fairy Pools · The Quiraing · Neist Point and its lighthouse

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Skye Basecamp (€48 a night) · Mid-range: Cuillin Hills Hotel (€190 a night) · Luxury: Kinloch Lodge (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

The Shellfish Shack ★ 4.9 · 376 reviews
Café Cùil ★ 4.8 · 964 reviews · €€
Edinbane Lodge ★ 4.8 · 319 reviews · €€€€
The Ferry Inn ★ 4.8 · 315 reviews
Loch Bay Restaurant ★ 4.8 · 277 reviews

Photo Pexels

United Kingdom in 14 days

6 stops · 35 things to do · ≈ 1 350 km

1London

Days 1-3

A city of nine million on the Thames, where the Tower has stood since the eleventh century and most of the great national museums are free to enter.

🎟️ Worth booking

Tower of London and the Crown Jewels2h30 · from €35
A royal fortress, prison and armoury for nine centuries, with the coronation regalia kept under guard inside.
Book on GetYourGuide →
London Eye at sunset30 min · from €32
One slow thirty-minute turn of the big wheel on the South Bank, 135 metres up at the top, timed for the last light.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The British Museum · Westminster and Big Ben · Camden Market · Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Generator London (€45 a night) · Mid-range: The Hoxton, Shoreditch (€190 a night) · Luxury: The Savoy (€480 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Vision plug / Pexels

🚆 Train · 4h30 · 650 km

2Edinburgh

Days 4-5

The Scottish capital, built over extinct volcanoes. The medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town face each other across a valley, and are UNESCO-listed together.

🎟️ Worth booking

Edinburgh Castle2h · from €22
The fortress on Castle Rock, home to the Honours of Scotland, the oldest crown jewels in the British Isles.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Scotch whisky tasting2h · from €30
A guided tasting that sets the smoky malts of the islands against the softer ones of Speyside.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Royal Mile and the Old Town · Walking up Arthur's Seat · Calton Hill · Dean Village

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Castle Rock Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: The Inn on the Mile (€175 a night) · Luxury: The Balmoral (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Lisa Simpson / Pexels

🚗 Car · 2h30 · 160 km

3The Highlands and Glencoe

Days 6-7

Mountains, lochs and empty glens, with Glencoe the most dramatic of them. Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis (1,345 m, the highest peak in the UK), is the base for the rest.

🎟️ Worth booking

Ben Nevis and Glencoe day tourFull day · from €55
A day through the western Highlands, with stops in Glencoe and at the foot of Ben Nevis.
Book on GetYourGuide →
The Jacobite steam train and the Glenfinnan ViaductHalf day · from €60
The steam train from Fort William to Mallaig, over the curved viaduct made famous by the Harry Potter films. It runs in the warmer months only and sells out early.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Glencoe · Loch Lomond · Steall Falls · Highland villages

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Glencoe Youth Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: The Glencoe Inn (€150 a night) · Luxury: Glencoe House (€450 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 1h45 · 110 km

4Isle of Skye

Days 8-10

The largest island of the Inner Hebrides, joined to the mainland by a bridge since 1995. Basalt pinnacles, sea cliffs, and weather that can turn in ten minutes.

🎟️ Worth booking

Skye tour: the Old Man of Storr and the QuiraingFull day · from €65
A day around the Trotternish peninsula, its rock pinnacles and its great landslip, without driving the single-track roads yourself.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Seal-watching boat trip1h30 · from €35
A short trip out to the rocks where common and grey seals haul out, with seabirds overhead.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Old Man of Storr · The Fairy Pools · The Quiraing · Neist Point and its lighthouse

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Skye Basecamp (€48 a night) · Mid-range: Cuillin Hills Hotel (€190 a night) · Luxury: Kinloch Lodge (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 2h15 · 180 km

5Loch Ness and Inverness

Days 11-12

About 37 kilometres of deep, dark water along the Great Glen, with the ruins of Urquhart Castle on its shore. Inverness, at the northern end, is the capital of the Highlands.

🎟️ Worth booking

Loch Ness cruise and Urquhart Castle1h30 · from €28
An hour and a half on the loch, with a stop at the ruined castle on its headland.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Urquhart Castle (from outside) · Inverness and its cathedral · Culloden battlefield · The Clava Cairns

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Inverness Youth Hostel (€38 a night) · Mid-range: Rocpool Reserve (€190 a night) · Luxury: Ness Walk (€360 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Whitebridge Bar & Restaurant ★ 4.9 · 260 reviews · €€
River House ★ 4.8 · 1084 reviews · €€€
The Italian Job ★ 4.8 · 382 reviews
Highland Hideout ★ 4.8 · 354 reviews
Rocpool ★ 4.7 · 1240 reviews · €€€

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 3h · 250 km (back to the airport)

6Edinburgh

Days 13-14

The Scottish capital, built over extinct volcanoes. The medieval Old Town and the Georgian New Town face each other across a valley, and are UNESCO-listed together.

🎟️ Worth booking

Edinburgh Castle2h · from €22
The fortress on Castle Rock, home to the Honours of Scotland, the oldest crown jewels in the British Isles.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Scotch whisky tasting2h · from €30
A guided tasting that sets the smoky malts of the islands against the softer ones of Speyside.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

The Royal Mile and the Old Town · Walking up Arthur's Seat · Calton Hill · Dean Village

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Castle Rock Hostel (€35 a night) · Mid-range: The Inn on the Mile (€175 a night) · Luxury: The Balmoral (€420 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Lisa Simpson / Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

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Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

Fish and chips: white fish fried in crisp batter, with thick chips, salt and malt vinegar.
Sunday roast: roast meat with potatoes, vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy, the long pub lunch of the weekend.
Full English breakfast: eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, tomatoes and toast. North of the border it becomes a full Scottish, with black pudding and often haggis.
Haggis: sheep's offal, oatmeal and spices, served with neeps and tatties (mashed swede and potato).
Shepherd's pie: minced lamb under a baked crust of mashed potato.
Cream tea: scones with jam and clotted cream, a tradition of Devon and Cornwall.

⚠️ What to avoid

Skip the crowded pubs around Leicester Square: expensive, and rarely good.
Look right first when you cross the road: traffic drives on the left.
On Tube escalators, stand on the right and leave the left for people walking up.
Do not pay to enter the national museums: most are free, with a donation box at the door.
On single-track roads, pull into passing places to let others by, and never park in them.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable United Kingdom guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit United Kingdom, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

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