Climbing is a great way to test your strength, balance and agility. As both an indoor and outdoor sport it can be done whatever the weather! You can try out bouldering, climbing and traversing lower walls (around 3 meters) without the assistance of rope. Bouldering basics can be mastered in a few hours and climbing centers will have graded routes allowing you to start out on the easier paths and work your way up. Rock climbing or high ropes is climbing vertically with the assistance of ropes and using safety harnesses, the walls are around 15 meters tall. You will need a good nerve for heights for this activity! Again, beginner sessions are available as are graded routes.

Climbing

A leisure cycle is a great way to get the whole family out and exercising! It allows you to travel further whilst still getting to experience the local area. Why not take your family along the Camel Trail in Cornwall? Or Maybe go and hunt a Gruffolo in Delamere Forest, Cheshire, the possibilities are endless! Whether you are a family who loves biking together on relaxing forrest paths or a serious Wiggins type who prefers fast road cycling, there is no doubt that camping holidays give you the freedom to take your cycling hobby with you, wherever you decide to go in the UK.  Plenty of great campsites are near cycling paths and some may also offer bicycle hire too, showing you the best routes to take for a great day out cycling.  

Cycling

Kayaking and canoeing is a great way to get close to nature and experience lochs, lakes, rivers and canals in the UK. An easy way to start experiencing boat sports and go on an adventure. Kayaking and Canoeing are slightly different! When Kayaking you will be seated with your legs extended and you will use a double ended paddle. When you canoe, you can be seated or kneeling and often use a single paddle.

Canoeing and Kayaking

Weather is too nice to stay indoors? Want to stretch your legs? Children need to run wild?  Then head to one of the UK's fantastic parks and playgrounds on offer and breath in that fresh air!

Parks and Playgrounds

Explore the best caves, mines and caverns the UK has to offer! From the calm and the easy-going to the hard-core cave diving and abseiling, there is something for everyone. From Air Raid shelters and coal mining to discovering hidden Ice Age art and cathedrals, there is so much to uncover.

Caves and Mines

Discover the trees like never before. Scramble, climb and jump through high rope assault courses, don't forget to bring your courage!  A great outdoor activity for families and adults alike, and dotted throughout the UK. Why not try the adventure for a day out on your next staycation?   

High Ropes Courses

Why not consider learning to sail on your next staycation? Take to the sea and harness the wind to discover the joy of sailing.  Unlock new adventures and areas by learning to sail, or even discover more about your local area!  From age 8, children are allowed to participate in RYA learn to sail courses. Why not try sailing on your next staycation. 

Sailing

Whether you skate as a sport or just for fun, it's a great way to get your body moving when it's cold outside or to cool down during the summer months. It's also a wonderful activity to enjoy with your family or friends!  Ice skating has been a popular activity for centuries, and the act of gliding across ice on blades has probably been around for even longer! So why not head to the nearest rink today to have a fun filled session! 

Ice Skating

The UK has a huge array of museums and art galleries for you to enjoy. From the big hitters in London, such as the Natural History Museum, V&A, Tate Modern and National Portrait Gallery, to exciting living museums where your family can step back in time (such as the Black Country Museum in the West Midlands or the Highland Folk Museum in the Cairngorms). These Museums let your kids get hands-on with history, attending School and learning about farming, crafts, and much more. Art Galleries are not just for the grown ups! They now have workshops and child-friendly trails to inspire even the youngest artists to start drawing.  So why not try out one of our Museums or Art Galleries on your next holiday?   

Museums and Art Galleries

Looking for an easy access waterboard sport? Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) might be for you! Easy to pick up in just half an hour, glide across lakes, rivers and seas on your paddle board. Kids can start from as young as 5 and lots of our partners have child and teen sized paddleboards.

Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP)

The number of heritage buildings still standing proudly across the UK is quite remarkable. Most of the UK's stately homes have hosted kings and queens, prime ministers, actors and poets – all manner of illustrious guests. Why not visit Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire which was built for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and  explore 2,000 acres of gardens. It’s no wonder UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1987. Or Highclere Castle,  the backdrop to so many scenes of the Crawley family and their household in Downton Abbey!  Maybe Chatsworth takes your fancy? Better known to many as Pemberley in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley. Don't forget Longleat House in Wiltshire, and make a day of it visiting the incredible Longleat Safari Park!  Stately homes frequently provide tours throughout the day as well as audio guides and information packs. Of course, let's not forget the children! Many of these stately homes have prepared children's guides, packs and quizzes so be sure to ask on your way in!

Stately Homes and Gardens

If you decide to take a holiday in the UK to an area you don't know (or maybe you do but want to know more), an excellent way of seeing around and actually getting to see the "best bits" is by taking a tour with a local guide or someone in the know. Walking tours, cycling tours, boat tours, pogo-stick tours (ok maybe not the last one) - whatever suits your family best, can be booked online or at local visitor information centres and make a real difference to your stay.  You can find out the history of a place, local facts or even go on something weird and wonderful like a ghost walk or follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes or Jack the Ripper.  Eek.  An open top bus journey can take away the hours pounding the pavement to look around a large city. Boat trips and river cruises are also a great way of seeing a lot of things in a small amount of time, giving you a completely different aspect of the town you are visiting.  Join a large boat or charter something smaller yourself and follow the river along to get a better look at all the surround countryside.  

Tours and River Cruises

Windsurfing is a surface water sport that is a combination of surfing and sailing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the early 1970s from the surf culture of California. Windsurfing is just an incredible sport. It’s a great way to get out on the water without an engine, so it's just you and your equipment, working with the elements. Whether it's an afternoon out with friends, a loved one or the whole family, this sport is a fantastic choice!

Windsurfing

There are a huge number of zoos, wildlife and safari parks all over the UK and most are well worth a visit and provide a really exciting and unique day out.  The broad difference between them is that Zoos tend to keep animals with their own species in smaller enclosures for a real up-close encounter, whereas a visit to a Safari Park usually involves driving around much larger enclosures to see groups of animals - maybe rhino, giraffe and gazelle all in one setting.  Some are self-drive (for a monkey snapping off your wing mirror type affair) or in others you are guided round in a truck, spotting lions and elephants from afar - similar to an African safari, just without the plus-size sunset, hot weather and flamboyant tribespeople (although lets not get too picky about this; most UK safari parks are just a couple of hours from home and do not involve remortgaging the house to go). Many zoos and parks now are great conservation pioneers and animal rescue centres, so by visiting, you are often contributing to real global issues, supporting endangered species or deforestation or other genuine threats to wildlife.  The parks usually have lots of information about these causes and it can be a great way to get the kids to learn about the world we live in, the animals from different continents and the dangers they face.

Zoos, Wildlife Parks and Safari Parks

Keswick in the Lake District National Park is one of the most popular holiday and day trip destinations in the North Lakes and is situated in an absolutely idyllic spot between Skiddaw Mountains and Derwentwater Lake.  A large number of tourists visit here every year and therefore there is a wide range of shops, cafes and restaurants on offer, as well as many different types of accommodation, from smart hotels to stunning Lakeside campsites.  Top things to do here include hiking some of the wonderful hill trails, a boat trip over Derwentwater Lake or visiting Keswick Museum, Castlerigg Stone circle or the Derwent Pencil Museum - the home of the first pencil!  

Keswick

Cumbria is a predominantly rural county in the North West of England and is home to the breathtaking Lake District, one of the most beautiful regions of the UK.  The Lakes - as it is known -  is world renowned for stunning stretches of water and mountain fells and is visited all year round by hikers and holiday makers looking for an adventurous and exhilarating break - watersports, mountain climbing and hiking are all on offer in abundance.  Cumbria also encompasses the pretty Eden Valley - a mix of lush green countryside, traditional towns and handsome villages, some dating back to Viking times - and the stunning landscape of the North Pennines, an area of Outstanding National Beauty.   There is also a stretch of coastline in Cumbria too.  Between the Lake District fells and Morecambe Bay lies the Furness Peninsula, a stunning area of lush farmland, small villages and market towns, nature reserves and historical buildings.  Barrow-in Furness on the Irish Sea coast is one of the popular towns to explore.   A small part of the Yorkshire Dales national Park also lies within Cumbria.

Cumbria, North West England, UK

Blackpool, North West England, UK

Cheshire West and Chester

Cheshire, North West England, UK

Lancashire, North England, UK

Liverpool, North England, UK

Manchester, Lancashire, North England, UK

Merseyside, North West England, UK

With the cities of Blackpool, Liverpool, Manchester and Merseyside to discover as well as the beautiful Cumbrian Hills, the North West of England is an incredible place for adventures and exploring!

North West England

East Midlands

East of England, UK

London, UK

North East England

South East England, UK

South West England, UK

West Midlands, UK

Yorkshire and the Humber, UK

England is a totally unique travel destination, well known for its history, natural beauty, vast range of attractions and beautiful countryside landscapes and coastlines. 

England, UK

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Wales

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland make up the extraordinary United Kingdom; home to mountains, caves, rivers, dramatic coastlines, medieval villages and vibrant cities.

Things to do in keswick