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Staycations are a great way to enjoy your home country and discover things you had no idea were here. This blog post is all about inspiring you with ideas that you could build a staycation around the idea. So many things that people travel to other countries for can be experienced right here in England. Hopefully this list of staycations in England will get you excited about taking a local holiday and help you plan an amazing England staycation packed full of experience and memories that will last a lifetime. If budget is a big thing for you this year, it’s worth taking time to actually read travel budget tips for England. Even if you’ve lived here all your life, there might be a few tricks you haven’t thought of.
If this is your first time planning a staycation in England and you have any questions, we would genuinely love to help, so feel free to ask any questions in the comments and we will get back to you. There really is so much more to travelling England than you can imagine.
If you are doing your best to be more eco friendly when it comes to travel you will be happy to know that staycations in England naturally lend themselves very well to being a sustainable way to travel. If you already quite a mindful traveller you may already be more eco friendly than you think, but just to help you, we have put together some quick tips on how to make your UK staycation more eco friendly.
1. Learn a new water sport
Summer is the perfect time to make the most of surfing, wake boarding, wild swimming and pretty much any water sport you have ever fancied trying. We love to be in the water and love board sports, so when summer time hits we love to find all the spots in England to enjoy the water. If you have never made the most of being in the water, look up the best wild swimming spots near you this summer. Summer is the best time to build up your confidence. If you enjoy wild swimming then maybe look into some water sports and start to plan a staycation around it.
England has some epic surf spots, especially down South, along the Southwest coastal regions. If you love surf or want to try it for the first time, make surfing in England your next staycation! When that summer weather hits, Newquey and Devon are stunning spots to enjoy some surf culture. Surf in these parts of England are so much more than just a sport, there is a real culture to it. You can book to glamp or wild camp whilst you learn to surf through an amazing little company called Cornish Wave. If you are looking for a fun staycation in England and have and love adventure this would be the perfect holiday for you this year. Ooo and if you can’t make it down South, don’t worry, there are also some good surf spots around Scarborough and Whitby on the East Coast of Yorkshire.
2. Sunrise hot air balloon ride over The Peak District
This may be the most serene yet adrenaline inducing experience you can enjoy in England. If you are planning a staycation in England you could spend weeks exploring The Peak District, hiking, biking, climbing, scrambling and discovering endless new adventures activities. You could easily build a full holiday itinerary around the peak district and then have the sunrise hot air balloon ride as the ultimate experience crowning an epic staycation in England that you may not have known possible so close to home. The Peak District and Derbyshire has some of the most beautiful picturesque villages to explore too. Our top recommendation is to stop for a traditional pudding and cup of tea in Bakewell, followed by a little walk around the bunting kissed stone built local shops. If you are exploring The Peak District you will find yourself wonderfully close to Sheffield. We have put together a great blog post full of fun things to do in Sheffield, some of them are pretty surprising.
3. Theme Park Getaway
verything from cute and creative tot-tastic theme parks to scary biscuit, white knuckle rides that leave your stomach at the start point. Many of Englands theme parks have either great resorts as part of them or near by accommodation dedicated to hosting people visiting the theme park. So, if you are looking for an exciting staycation, making one of England’s best theme parks the focus is a super fun idea. The big question you need to answer though is, which theme parks are the best? Our friends break it down in the blog dedicated to helping you find the best theme parks in England. This post includes beach town theme parks, terrifying roller-coast parks, Harry Potter parks and even animal focused theme parks, there really is something for everyone.
4. Abseil into a giant cave
This is by far the most epic thing you can do in England! In the Yorkshire Dales there is a place called Gaping Gill where you can abseil or be lowered down in a winch into a giant cave that has a waterfall running into it. You would need a local private guide to abseil down, but if you want a super unique and more accessible experience you can join the cavers clubs when they set up the winch. A few times a year various cavers clubs such as Craven Pothole Club set up a winch and charge around £12 per person for this epic experience. There is always a real buzz around the event as people camp out in the dales and spend time trekking, caving and ofcourse visiting Gaping Gill. The Dales is such a beautiful place that if you are wanting to plan a staycation in England around this I would highly recommend booking into a cute cottage for the week and then checking out all the best things to do in Yorkshire. If you love exploring caves in particular, we have also put together some information on the very best caves in Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
5. Stay on a farm
This is more fun and more wonderfully British than you may first realise. Staying on a farm makes for a great staycation in England for so many reasons. It is so iconic that international travellers travel to England especially for this experience. Many campsites are based on farms all over England and provisioning you are respectful, much of the farm will be open to you to explore. Many farms also offer cottage and hot tubs stays as well as cosy bed and breakfast set ups. If you are really wanting an active farm as the main focus of your staycation, Love Land may well be the perfect experience for you. They are a wonderful eco friendly farm offering hands-on farm and educational experiences whilst staying in stunning eco friendly dome tents.
6. Cycle through England’s largest forest
Kielder Forest in Northumberland is England’s largest forest and makes for an awesome staycation any time of year. Spring and summer are particularly epic for really enjoying hiking and cycling through this beautiful vast forest. Kielder forest also has a stunning array of cabins and eco friendly luxury lodges with hot tubs. It is perfect for everyone from solo adventurers to couples on a romantic break to families needing to take that much needed family holiday. If you happen to visit around winter you can even book a beautiful winter wonderland experience and stay in a cosy cabin.
7. Scuba dive with Bear Grylls Adventure
Bear Grylls Adventure in Birmingham is full of epic adventurous surprises. You can do everything from high ropes and assault courses to flying and scuba diving. You’re not reading this wrong, you can a flying experience and scuba dive on site. There is so much to do here you can easily make it into a great mini staycation. If you wanted to spend longer, Birmingham has an epic history to explore and of course the ever delicious Cadburys factory. If you are looking for a staycation in England for around a week and would love a mix up of adventure and tasty treats, this would be perfect.
8. Chatsworth summer fair
Chatsworth House is our favourite stately home for so many reasons. It did of course start with the wonderful fact that it is where Mr. Darcy takes a swim in pride and prejudice, but it is now so much more. Every season Chatsworth House holds exciting and innovative events. My absolute favourite has to be their annual summer fair. It is the epitome of all good things, quintessential England. There are always traditional fairground rides, epic performances in the main arena,a spitfire display and even cooking classes from Mary Berry. If you can book yourself somewhere to stay in Derbyshire whilst it is on, it makes for a great English summer staycation.
9. Summer of Festivals
England has some of the best festivals in the world, especially over the summer season. If you are looking for a staycation in England over summer, hopping from festival to festival would be pretty awesome. Of course there are the huge famous ones like Glastonbury, Park Life, Wireless, Leeds Fest and Latitude, but every year, more creative festivals for every walk of life come to be. Some of the smaller festivals with local music, entertainment, activity and food areas make for the best summer getaways.
10. Explore Holy Island
Holy Island, also known as Lindisfarne is a beautiful part of England steeped in fun and tasty history. Honeymooners used to visit the Island to drink the honey mead in the hope that it would help with fertility. Now anyone that wants a good bottle of local liquor visits this beautiful little island. This beautiful little island has lots of cosy places to stay, beautiful ruins to explore, lots of hikes and of course many local and delicious treats to try. You could easily spend a week enjoying this beautiful little lesser known gem of an Island. Lindisfarne has one the most iconic castles, if you love seeking out English landmarks, you will love these famous landmarks in England.
11. Mysterious maze challenge
England is full of amazing mazes to explore. Everything from little traditional rose gardens mazes and hedge mazes through to super parks dedicated to mazes such as Forbidden Corner in the Dales. If you love mazes you could set yourself the challenge of completing all the best mazes in England during a road trip around England. If you are looking for a fun staycation in England, this is a great challenge that will naturally take you to England’s most beautiful parks and gardens,
12. Heli ride across The Lake District
You really do get a whole new perspective when you fly. A fun way to make this into a great England based staycation would be to plan some hikes in the area so you really connect with exploring The Lake District on the ground and then as a grand finale take to the skies and admire all the hikes you did. The Lake District is of course amazing for endless options when it comes to accommodation. Planning a staycation in the lake district is so much fun, they have some of the best unique eco lodges with hot tubs, quirky cafes and adventurous experiences in the country.
13. Wild camp
Wild camping is super fun and makes for a fun adventurous staycation. You do of course need to make sure you educate yourself on how to wild camp responsibly. Once your familiar with this, it is so much fun finding great spots for wild camping. Everything from finding caves such as robin hood’s cave to bivvy bagging on the beach under the stars, wild camping is a wonderfully wild and free way to England at its best.
14. Dune jump in Cornwall
Ok, so it’s a bit extreme to go all the way to Cornwall just to dune jump … or is it? The sand dunes in Cornwall are stunning, especially in summer when there’s a perfect blue sky backdrop. Running down to the sea, jumping over dunes has all the good vibes you need to make you feel like you’re having an epic summer holiday. Cornwall has to be one the best places to explore if you don;t mind splashing out a bit and want a beautiful adventurous beach staycation in England.
15. Northern city break
What, a city break outside of London ?? Yes, a city break outside of London. For a fraction of the cost, the Northern cities of England have incredible experiences to offer. For what you might spend during a weekend in London, you could easily enjoy a week-long staycation in one of England’s Northern cities. Liverpool has a great music scene, both historically and to date. Newcastle has fabulous interactive museums such as the life centre. Manchester is teeming with culture and has many beautiful waterside places to dine which make you feel as though you are in holiday mode. Our all time favourite Northern city has to be Sheffield. Known as the green city, full of adventure, cultural diversity, fascinating history and creative cafes you will love the amazing things to do in Sheffield city.
16. Llama trekking
Did you know Llama treks and Alpaca hikes are totally a thing all over England now!? So much fun and a great idea for a unique staycation in England. These sweet creatures make excellent hiking buddies. If you are looking for ethical animal encounters, all the registered places in England are run responsibly. It is a great fun and unique way to make a traditional walking holiday in England a lot more interesting. Once you have found an Alpaca or Llama farm near you, you can sure there will be great little cottages, B&B’s, glamping and camping nearby. Another great thing about a staycation in England is that you are never too far away from a traditional country pub and cute cafe, all great ingredients for a lovely local holiday.
17. Luxury glamping in a yurt
England has some of the best luxury glamping experience you will find in the world. As England has a strong emphasis on sustainability, eco friendly glamping experiences have been on the rise in recent years. Many of them are set in the most beautiful parts of the country, such as farms, forests and even beach areas. If you are open to exploring more of the UK during your staycation there are some stunning glamping experiences unique to England. If you are not familiar with glamping, it is based on the concept of ‘glamorous camping’. The idea is that you get to enjoy the joys of nature without having to think through everything you would need for camping. Many glamping experiences include meals and hampers or are part of a greater nature village with all the facilities you need to cook your own meals. You can book week long staycations all over England in yurts, bell tents, eco pods, timber tents and shepherds huts
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