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Planning places to visit and things to do

Two children carving pumpkins

Days out

Plan places to visit and things to do on holiday, or on a day trip closer to home.

Free or low-cost activities like enjoying a picnic on the beach, wandering through nature or exploring a nearby town. Simple moments like these can often become the most memorable moments of a holiday.

Top 10 family destinations in the UK

The most popular family holiday destinations are based on where families have booked on funded holidays with us, Family Holiday Charity. The holiday advice on this page will help you to find the top things to do or places to visit in each destination.

Select your holiday destination below to find out things to do in the area.

If your holiday destination isn’t listed, don’t worry – the find family days out near me section of this page has resources to help you discover places to visit and things to do in the local area whilst on holiday or when you get home for a day trip. 

Pottering around a market town, selecting burgers and sausages from a local butcher taking them back to our caravan and having a BBQ dinner. We bought local speciality cakes from the bakers and ate them in the market square.

Things to do in the top 10 UK destinations for family holidays

Skegness

  1. Skegness beach
    A blue flag beauty with golden sands, donkey rides, and all the ice cream you can eat.
  2. Fantasy Island
    A short drive away in Ingoldmells, this amusement park has rollercoasters, arcades, and a giant market.
  3. Natureland seal sanctuary
    See rescued seals, penguins, meerkats, and more. It’s educational, adorable, and supports a good cause.
  4. Skegness Pier
    The pier is perfect for a wander, with amusements, soft play, bowling, and a lovely sea view.
  5. Gibraltar Point nature reserve
    This peaceful nature reserve is full of birds, scenic walks, and wild coastline. 

Clacton-on-Sea

  1. Clacton Pier
    You can't visit Clacton without a stroll down its iconic pier – amusements, mini golf, rides, bowling, and even a seaquarium.
  2. Clacton beach
    A lovely stretch of sandy beach, perfect for paddling, sandcastle building, or a pic-nic.
  3. Holland Haven country park
    A quieter escape just outside the town – ideal for walking, cycling, and spotting wildlife.
  4. West Cliff theatre
    Catch a live show or pantomime depending on the season. This local theatre has a great community feel and hosts everything from comedy to musicals.
  5. Hasty's Adventure Farm
    Animal encounters, outdoor play areas, and activities for children aged 1–11.

Ayrshire

  1. Explore Ayr beach & promenade
    Ayr offers a long sandy beach perfect for walks, paddling, or just soaking up some fresh sea air.
  2. Heads of Ayr Farm Park
    Everything from animals and play parks to go-karts and indoor soft play. It’s a full day of fun whatever the weather.
  3. Culzean Castle & country park
    This clifftop castle is run by the National Trust for Scotland and offers grand rooms, beautiful grounds, woodland walks, and sea views. Plus, there’s an adventure playground for kids.
  4. Walk or cycle the Ayrshire coastal path
    This scenic trail offers views across the Firth of Clyde and even to Arran on a clear day. You can dip in and out of shorter sections, depending on your pace.
  5. The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory
    Located on the edge of the Galloway Forest Park, the observatory offers fantastic stargazing opportunities. It’s an exciting and educational experience for families, especially if you’re interested in space and astronomy.

Rhyl

  1. Rhyl beach & promenade
    A wide sandy beach perfect for paddling, a game of bat and ball or grabbing some fish and chips on the prom.
  2. SC2 (Sun Centre)
    A waterpark with flumes, splash zones, and a Ninja Tag arena. Great fun, especially on those typical 'Welsh weather' days.
  3. SeaQuarium Rhyl
    Right on the seafront, this aquarium features sharks, rays, seals, and more.
  4. Rhyl Miniature Railway
    Running since 1911, this is the oldest miniature railway in the UK, you can take a charming little ride around Marine Lake.
  5. Marine Lake
    A lovely spot for a walk, a bit of crabbing, or renting paddle boats. It’s Rhyl’s only saltwater lake and a peaceful place to wind down.

Scarborough

  1. Scarborough beach – South & North Bay
    South Bay is livelier with amusements, donkey rides, and arcades, while North Bay is a bit quieter and great for rockpooling or surfing.
  2. Scarborough Castle
    This historic clifftop castle offers views across the bay and plenty of fascinating history to explore.
  3. SEA LIFE Scarborough
    Set on the edge of North Bay, the aquarium has everything from penguins and otters to sharks and turtles. There's also a seal hospital and woodland walk.
  4. Peasholm Park
    A oriental-themed park with a boating lake, mini waterfalls, and lush gardens.
  5. Open Air Theatre
    One of the UK’s largest outdoor music venues, this place draws big names in the summer. If you time it right, you could catch a concert under the stars right by the sea.

Wemyss Bay

  1. Hop on the ferry to the Isle of Bute
    A short crossing takes you to Rothesay on Bute – perfect for a day trip. Explore Mount Stuart House, Rothesay Castle, or just enjoy a stroll along the promenade.
  2. Wemyss Bay railway station
    It’s famously one of the most beautiful in the UK, with a dramatic glass canopy and sweeping curves.
  3. Coastal walks
    Enjoy a gentle strolls with lovely views over the Firth of Clyde. The walk south toward Skelmorlie or north toward Inverkip offers peaceful paths, sea breezes, and plenty of photo ops.
  4. Lunderston Bay (near Gourock)
    Just a short drive away, this sandy bay is great for a beach walk, rock pooling, or a family picnic. It's part of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, so there's nature all around.
  5. Inverkip and Greenock
    Inverkip has a charming marina and waterside pubs, while Greenock offers shopping, museums like the McLean museum & art gallery, and great views from Lyle Hill.

Cleethorpes

  1. Cleethorpes beach
    At low tide, the beach seems to stretch for miles - ideal for a barefoot wander.
  2. Cleethorpes Pier & promenade
    A lovely spot for a stroll, a cone of chips, or a pic-nic with a sea view and the prom has that traditional seaside buzz.
  3. Cleethorpes Coast Light railway
    One of the oldest seaside miniature railways in the UK –  a charming way to get from the leisure centre area down to the boating lake.
  4. Boating Lake & Discovery Centre
    Hire a pedalo, feed the ducks, or just chill by the water. The Discovery Centre has exhibitions, a café, and a rooftop garden with views of the Humber.
  5. The Time Trap Museum (Grimsby)
    A quirky little museum just next door in Grimsby, inside the old town hall jail cells! It’s full of fun and slightly eerie history.

Great Yarmouth

  1. Great Yarmouth beach & Golden Mile
    A long sandy beach with donkey rides, deckchairs, and candyfloss. Along the seafront you’ll find arcades, fish and chips, funfair rides.
  2. Pleasure Beach
    This vintage amusement park has everything from wooden rollercoasters to dodgems and ghost trains.
  3. SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth
    Sharks, rays, jellyfish and even penguins – plus interactive zones to get hands-on with rockpool creatures.
  4. Merrivale Model Village
    This miniature world is beautifully made and full of fun little details. It also has gardens and a quirky old penny arcade.
  5. Time and Tide museum
    This award-winning museum explores Yarmouth’s fishing heritage and seaside life through immersive displays in a converted Victorian herring curing works.

West Bay

  1. Walk the Jurassic coast cliffs
    West Bay is famous for its towering golden cliffs (as seen on Broadchurch). Head east to Burton Bradstock or west toward Eype for a nice long walk.
  2. The beach
    There are two beaches: East Beach (by the cliffs) is iconic but pebbly and deep-shelving, while West Beach is sandier and more sheltered – better for kids and paddling.
  3. West Bay harbour
    Take a wander around the harbour – watch the boats, grab a 99 from the ice cream van, or try your luck at a bit of crabbing.
  4. Bridport (just inland)
    Only a mile or so away, Bridport is a lovely market town with indie shops, art galleries, and a great Saturday street market.
  5. West Bat Adventure Playground (near Birdport)
    Designed for all ages, it's an ideal spot for kids to expend energy while parents relax nearby.
Lake surrounded by countryside

Find family days out near me

Helpful resources to discover things to do when you're on holiday or looking for inspiration for a day trip once you're back home.

Visit Britain Discover attractions and experiences as Visit Britian reveal the top things to do in Britain.

Visit England Discover itineraries and travel information in England.

Visit Scotland Discover things to see and do and travel information in Scotland.

Visit Wales Discover days out in Wales. 

Days Out With The Kids Search by location, age, weather, or budget.

National Trust Discover more than 500 places to visit and lots of events to get involved in.

English Heritage Find out about family-friendly historic sites, trails, and events.

UNESCO Discover the UK’s extraordinary culture, nature and heritage.

Child queueing for ride at funfair

Discounts on attractions

Lots of attractions offer discounts for families, here are some we’ve come across. If you know of any others, we’d love to hear about them. Just drop us a note using the feedback tool below.

Max Card Offers discounts on family days out for for individuals caring for a child with special needs and/or disabilities, or for registered Foster Carers. Available through your local council or support worker, click here to see how to get a card in your area.

English Heritage Those on a low incomes can apply for concessions or reduced memberships. The annual membership for Universal Credit recipients is called the ‘Reduced Price Membership’.

National Trust Carers often go free when accompanying the person they care for. The card is called ‘Essential Companion Card’.

Family Holiday Charity accepts no responsibility for the content of third-party websites and cannot guarantee that all the services we are signposting may be suitable for your family. We offer the information to be helpful and in good faith. Please note that our list of resources is not exhaustive, it includes services that we know about.

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