Visiting London for a holiday? London is definitely one of the top places to visit, but this small island known as the UK has so much more to offer than just the capital city. Why not get out for a day trip to the seaside, or a family day away from the hustle and bustle. We have some great places to offer with these best day trips from London.
London is definitely one of our favourite cities to visit. There’s the top tourist attraction that you must visit, the capital is steeped in so much history that you could discover, some amazing free museums and parks for those budget travellers and so much more.
But while you’re visiting London, why not spend a day out from the city and explore more of what the country has to offer.
The UK isn’t all about London, we have some beautiful seaside towns, the Jurassic coast offers some amazing scenery and you never know, you could find a dinosaur bone. What about mysterious stones of Stonehenge, or taking your family to Paris, which is possible on a day trip from London.
What are you waiting for, get out of the big smoke and explore more of what the UK has to offer.
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Best Day trip from London
London has to be at the top of anyone’s bucket list of places to visit, but London is only a small portion of what the UK has to offer, so here are some of the best day trips from London.
Most of these recommendations can be done on a day trip from London by Train or by car.
Best Day Trips for families
There’re so many places to choose from, but in our opinion the best day trips from London for families are:
Hastings
Of all the places in the UK, this is one of the best day trips from London with kids. There’s so much to see and do in this small seaside town of Hastings, that will keep the kids entertained for the day.
Young children will love exploring the smugglers Adventures. These caves would have once held all kinds of illegal commodities.
Learn more about the Hawkhurst gang and what they got up too over 200 years ago in the caves.
Only a short distance away from the Smugglers adventures is Hastings Castle. This once grand castle stood overlooking the ocean and the town below. Sadly, much of the castle has been left in disrepair, but it doesn’t stop you from admiring the views from the Castle down to the town below.
With so much more to see and do, including a ride up the funicular on the East Hill offering more views of Hastings below, your family won’t run out of things to do in Hastings on this day trip.
Don’t forget to stop off at one of the chippies (fish and chip shops) along the seafront. Our recommendations would be the fish and chip shop at the pier, alternatively the Fish Hut in the Old Town is another great place for the best fish and chips in Hastings.
Best hiking day trips from London
There is no better way of getting out of London than with a hike. A hike gets you out of the humdrum of the city limits and out into the open air.
Hikes are so rewarding with some of the most beautiful landscape in the country.
So where are the best hiking day trips from London?
Seven Sisters
The Seven Sisters cliffs are located on the south east coast of England about 1 hour from London, making this an ideal day hike.
The hike should take no longer than 8 hours to complete over a distance of about 13 miles.
Although the hike is a little challenging, it is so rewarding. As you take on the Seven Sisters, the landscape rewards you with some lovely views.
The rolling cliffs can be seen from Bell Toute Lighthouse, which continues on until that last peak you have to climb, but then Cuckmere Haven comes into view.
We’ve mentioned the views but there’s an abundant of wildlife that you could spot along the way.
Not many hiking routes have frequent facilities along the way, yet the Seven Sisters do. Enjoy a relaxing meal at Beachy Head Inn, before making your way to Birling Gap for refreshments at the café and public toilets.
The last stop before you reach the end of the trail is at the Tea rooms and public toilets in Exceat.
Keep to the coastal route from Eastbourne to Seaford or take South Downs Way to Alfriston.
Want an alternative way to visit the Seven Sisters from London, then check out this tour, which covers a day trip from London to the south coast of England, including the Seven Sisters:
Best beach day trips from London
If you’re visiting London during the summer months, you may want an excuse to get out of the hot city and visit a lovely beach location.
Well, why not, when you can relax back and soak up the sun.
Here are some of the best beach day trips from London:
Eastbourne
Eastbourne’s located on the south east coast of England and definitely one to recommend for a quieter day trip from London.
No party crowds here, just day trippers strolling along the seafront during the summer months making the most of the sunny weather.
Whatever time of year you visit Eastbourne, it is nearly guaranteed a day by the seaside with the sun shining. Yes, Eastbourne is known as the sunniest place in England, majority of the year the sun comes out.
If you are looking for a little bit of entertainment on your day trip from London, then check out the old band stand. Built nearly 100 years ago and still performing artists and tribute band play today.
Afternoon tea is a must at the Tea Room on Eastbourne Pier. Two grand chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Sit back, sip your tea with a warm scone, cream and jam while you admire the landscape views that surround the town.
Brighton
Compared to Eastbourne, Brighton is the party town on the south east coast of England.
The bright colours from the LGBTQ community dance the streets of Kemptown. Quiet during the day, but really comes to life once the sun begins to set.
But before you go out to paint the town multicoloured, what is there to do in Brighton during the day?
There is so much to do during the day that will keep you entertained for a long weekend. We know this is the best day trips from London and Brighton can be done in a day, but if you want to spend longer in the cultural city, then a weekend trip is ideal.
The grand Brighton Pavilion, that’s design looks much like the Taj Mahal, but was once a holiday home for royalty, until Queen Victoria hated the town and built her own holiday home on the Isle of Wight.
Enjoy shopping in the boutique shops in the Lanes and the North Lanes, before taking an evening stroll along Brighton promenade and the Pier.
Finish the day off, with a cooling drink in one of the bars along the seafront.
Best day trips from London to Paris
Yes, that’s right you can visit Paris from London on a day trip when you catch the Eurostar from St Pancras, stopping at Ashford International and then onto Paris.
Paris
Do you have your passport ready to go on a trip to Paris for the day?
If time permits, you’ll need to catch the earliest train from St Pancras, taking just over 2 hours to reach Paris Gare du Nord, before taking a later train from Gare du Nord back to London.
To really make the most of the city of love, it’s best to spend more than 24 hours in Paris.
But if you only have one day, then you really can’t miss visiting the Louvre Museum. The exterior of the museum with the iconic glass pyramid is one not to be missed.
Love art? Then get lost inside the Louvre Museum. But don’t lose track of time, as you’re only here for the day.
With such a short amount of time in Paris, pick out only the art work you’ll be interested in, especially the famous Mona Lisa, where everyone fights to get a picture with her.
Any trip to Paris must include admiring the architectural design on Notre Dame and the all-important Eiffel Tower.
You never know, someone might get all romantic and get down on one knee to propose.
Tour bus day trips
The UK have a number of day trips via a tour bus.
Tour buses are a great way to get you from one point to the next and back again all within one day.
Here are our favourite places to visit via a tour bus.
Stonehenge
These mysterious rocks, precariously standing in the middle of nowhere is definitely one you must visit on a day trip from London.
It is unknown how or why these stones were placed here. Some say it is a burial ground, or a time piece or it could be to help determine the seasons.
Whatever the reason, Stonehenge is still worth visiting on a day trip.
There’s plenty of parking if you’re road tripping around the UK. Although, you may favour a tour bus or guide to drop you to Stonehenge and return you to London in the same day.
There’s a number of tours available, that normally include Stonehenge, Bath, Oxford, Windsor and many more options.
If you wish to plan your day trip to Stonehenge, then check out these great tours. Don’t forget to book in advance to prevent disappointment.
Conclusion
Why spend your whole holiday in London, when you could easily get out of the smoke to explore some more wonders that the UK has to offer with these best day trips from London.
London is an amazing place to visit and we just can’t keep away. But it really is possible to get out of the city for just one day.
It’s even possible to visit Paris in just one day.
Will you book just a day trip, or will you plan a number of day trips from London? Do you have any recommendations for day trips from London? Is there a day trip you’d love to take, but not been yet? Let us know, by leaving a comment below.
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