London is one of the greatest cities in the world to use as a home base, not just because of everything it offers within its own borders, but because of how much you can reach from it in under two hours. England is a small country in the best possible way: ancient stone circles, royal palaces, and wizard film sets are all within striking distance of the city. Whether you have one extra day or five, these are the day trips we think are genuinely worth it. (Plus 2 bonus 1/2 day trip ideas!)
Bath
You can feel the Roman history of Bath the moment you step off the train. This is one of England’s most beautiful cities. It’s a perfectly preserved Georgian streetscape built on top of ancient Roman baths, and it’s compact enough to explore thoroughly in a single day. It’s also one of our favorite day trips to recommend to first-time visitors to England, because it genuinely feels like nothing else in the country.
We have a full One Day in Bath itinerary that covers exactly how to spend your time there, but here’s the quick version.
How to Get There
Trains from London Paddington to Bath Spa run frequently and take around 1 hour 25 minutes. This is one of the easiest day trips to plan logistics-wise: the train drops you almost directly into the city center. You can easily access everything on foot after that!
What to Do There
The Roman Baths are the obvious centerpiece and worth the entry fee. Beyond the Baths, wander the Royal Crescent, stroll Pulteney Bridge, and block out time to just to wander. For any Bridgerton fans, you may recognize a lot of spots in the city that are used in the famous Netflix series! Bath is one of those places where the city itself is the attraction. If you have more time, Bath is worth a few days. Check out our Complete Guide to Bath, England for more details.
Stonehenge & Salisbury
There are very few places in the world where you can stand in front of something this old and genuinely have no idea how it got there. Stonehenge is the rare landmark that actually lives up to the hype, not because it’s massive, but because the mystery of it hits differently when you’re standing right next to it on an open windy plain. Pair it with a stop in Salisbury on the way back and you’ve got one of the most well-rounded day trips from London.
How to Get There
The easiest option is to take a train from London Waterloo to Salisbury (around 1.5 hours), then catch the Stonehenge Tour Bus from Salisbury train station, which runs directly to the site. Alternatively, several coach tour operators* depart from central London and include entry, which could be a good option if you’d rather not coordinate logistics yourself. By car, Stonehenge is roughly 1.5 to 2 hours from London via the A303.
What to Do There
Start at Stonehenge first while the morning is fresh and the crowds are thinner. Book your timed entry ticket in advance through the English Heritage website. General admission for adults runs around £25–£28 per person, and walk-up availability is limited, especially in summer. The audio guide is included and genuinely worth using; it fills in a lot of context that the stones themselves obviously can’t.
Travel Tip: Stonehenge is in an open field with no shelter whatsoever. Dress in layers no matter the season, it is almost always windy, and the wind has a way of cutting right through you even on a sunny day!
After Stonehenge, head into Salisbury for the afternoon. The city is anchored by Salisbury Cathedral, one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in England, and home to the best-preserved original copy of the Magna Carta. Entry to the cathedral is free, though a donation is suggested. The city center is compact and easy to walk, with a good selection of pubs and cafes for a late lunch before heading back to London.
Windsor Castle
Windsor could honestly be done in a half day since the castle itself takes around two to three hours to explore properly, and the town of Windsor is small enough that you could see it in another hour or two. That said, we’d recommend giving yourself the full day, because the town is genuinely charming and the kind of place that rewards slowing down rather than rushing back to London.
How to Get There
Windsor is one of the most accessible day trips on this list. Trains from London Paddington to Windsor and Eton Central take as little as 22 minutes (change at Slough). Alternatively, trains from London Waterloo to Windsor and Eton Riverside take just under an hour with no changes. You could also book a guided tour* that includes transportation, if that was more your style! Either way, you’re looking at a remarkably easy commute for a castle that’s been a royal home for nearly 1,000 years!
What to Do There
Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, and it earns its reputation. Admission for adults is £32-£36 and can be booked directly through the Royal Collection Trust. The visit covers the State Apartments, as well as St. George’s Chapel, the burial place of multiple British monarchs including Henry VIII and, more recently, Queen Elizabeth II. Note that St. George’s Chapel is closed to visitors on Sundays.
After the castle, spend some time in Windsor town. The high street has a good mix of shops if you’re in the mood for browsing, and there are plenty of cafes and pubs for a late lunch or afternoon tea. It’s a quieter, more village-like town than you’d expect given its proximity to London, and that’s part of what makes it feel like a real escape.
Hampton Court Palace
Of all the day trips on this list, Hampton Court is the one we most often hear people say they hadn’t thought about, and the one that consistently surprises them most. This is Henry VIII’s palace: a sprawling Tudor complex on the banks of the Thames with 60 acres of gardens, a maze that’s been confusing visitors since 1700, and a level of grandeur that most tourists don’t even know about!
If you’re a Bridgerton fan, you’ll also recognize it: the palace and gardens have been used as a filming location for the series and its Queen Charlotte spinoff.
How to Get There
Hampton Court is straightforward by train from London Waterloo. Direct services run every 30 minutes and take around 35 minutes; Hampton Court station is a five-minute walk from the palace entrance.
What to Do There
Arrive early! The town of East Molesey, just across the bridge from the palace, is quiet and pretty in the mornings. We arrived before the palace opened and found a small cafe for tea and scones, which was such a relaxing way to start our morning. The streets around the palace are calm and unhurried in a way that central London never is.
Inside, adult admission is around £29 and can be purchased in advance through Historic Royal Palaces. The ticket covers the palace, gardens, and maze. Plan for at least three hours but you could easily fill a full day here. The Tudor kitchens, the Great Hall, and the formal gardens are all highlights. It’s important to note that Hampton Court is large, and some routes or rooms are periodically closed for conservation. Check the Historic Royal Palaces website before you visit so there are no surprises on the day!
Travel Tip: The gardens were our favorite part, and we recommend starting here! Everyone heads straight into the Palace, so when we visited the gardens first, it felt like we had them all to ourselves.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter
We have been to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour three times, and the honest reason we keep going back is that they keep adding things. New sets, new exhibitions, new sections of the wizarding world that weren’t there the previous visit. If you went years ago and assumed you’d already seen it all, you probably haven’t. And if you’ve never been and have any connection at all to Harry Potter: books, films, childhood nostalgia, or a kid in tow, this is one of the most worthwhile days out in England!
How to Get There
The studios are in Leavesden, about 20 miles northwest of central London. The easiest option is a coach transfer package* that includes both transport and entry. Operators depart from Victoria, Baker Street, and King’s Cross. You can also take a train from London Euston to Watford Junction (around 20 minutes), then hop on the dedicated shuttle bus to the studios. Driving is an option if you’re coming from outside London and there is free parking onsite.
What to Do There
Adult tickets start from £58.50 when booked directly through the official Warner Bros. Studio Tour website. You’ll need to book well in advance, especially for weekends or school holidays, as sold-out dates are common. Entry is timed, so arriving at your slot is important.
Set aside a minimum of four hours; most visitors spend closer to five or six. The tour is self-paced, which means you control how long you linger in the Forbidden Forest, how many times you try Butterbeer or how long you spend staring at the Hogwarts castle model, which is extraordinarily detailed and somehow more impressive in person than it sounds on paper.
A few things worth knowing: the seasonal editions are legitimately different experiences. “Hogwarts in the Snow” (November through January) transforms the aesthetic of the whole tour and is the most atmospheric version of the visit. If you can plan around a seasonal event, it’s worth it. And since the tour genuinely does expand and evolve, even a return visit holds up (trust us).
Bonus: Half-Day Trips from London
Not every day out needs to be a full itinerary. If you have a free afternoon, want something lower-key, or are trying to combine sightseeing in the city with something different, these two neighborhoods are worth the trip on their own.
Richmond
Richmond is the kind of place you want to live. It sits on a gentle bend of the Thames about 10 miles southwest of the city center, with a proper village high street, a sprawling royal park, and a river walk that’s genuinely lovely on a clear afternoon. It also happens to be where Ted Lasso was filmed, which has earned it a devoted following among fans of the show (where we are).
Getting There
Take the District line directly to Richmond station with no changes needed from central London. It runs frequently. The journey from central London takes around 30 to 40 minutes depending on where you board. You can also take a train from London Waterloo, which takes around 20 minutes.
What to Do There
If you’re a Ted Lasso fan, head straight to The Prince’s Head pub on The Green. It’s the real-life Crown & Anchor, the local spot where Ted and the crew spend half the series, and it looks almost exactly as it does on screen. The street right outside is also where Ted is seen leaving his apartment and walking through the neighborhood and it photographs exactly as you’d expect. Even if you’re not a fan of the show, it’s a genuinely nice pub on a pretty village green, so the visit holds up either way.
After that, Petersham Nurseries is worth planning your afternoon around. It’s a garden center and restaurant tucked down a quiet lane near the Thames, and afternoon tea there is one of the more unique versions you’ll find in England! You’re seated inside a greenhouse, surrounded by plants and mismatched vintage furniture, with light filtering through the glass roof. It’s cozy and eccentric in the best possible way, and the kind of place that feels nothing like the formal hotel teas you’ll find in central London. Book ahead; it fills up!
If you have time after, Richmond Park is right there: 2,500 acres of ancient parkland where red deer roam freely. Even a 20-minute walk through the edge of it is worth it.
Greenwich
Greenwich sits on the south bank of the Thames about 5 miles east of the city center, and it packs a surprising amount into a compact, walkable neighborhood. It has the feel of a village that got accidentally folded into London and never quite lost its own identity. Home to a good market, good pubs, waterfront views of Canary Wharf across the river, and a genuinely impressive collection of historic buildings. It’s also a serious filming location: the Old Royal Naval College has appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean, Thor: The Dark World, Bridgerton, and several others, which makes a walk through the grounds feel oddly familiar.
Getting There
The most scenic option is the Thames Clipper river bus from central London piers (Embankment, Waterloo, or Blackfriars). It takes around 45 to 60 minutes depending on where you board, and the ride down the Thames past the City and Canary Wharf is worth it on its own. Alternatively, take the DLR to Cutty Sark station, which drops you right at the waterfront in around 20 to 25 minutes from Bank.
What to Do There
Start at the Old Royal Naval College, which is free to enter the grounds and one of the more striking pieces of architecture in the whole of London. Christopher Wren designed it, and the Painted Hall inside (often called England’s Sistine Chapel) is worth a look for a small additional fee. This is the building you’ll recognize from screen if you’re coming as a film location fan; the colonnaded courtyard in particular shows up repeatedly across different productions, including several Bridgerton scenes. We actually did an hour-long movie tour that was really fun. Check out our previous post The Best Movie Tour in London for more info!
From there, wander up through Greenwich Market, a covered market with independent food stalls and craft sellers that’s a solid spot for lunch. Then travel up the hill to the Royal Observatory if you have the energy. The view of London from the top of Greenwich Park is one of the best in the city, and standing on the Prime Meridian is a genuinely satisfying bit of trivia to take home.
Greenwich is easy to combine with a morning elsewhere, or to stretch into a leisurely half day on its own. Either way, the river journey home on the Thames Clipper is a nice way to end it.
Final Thoughts
England rewards travelers who use London as a launchpad rather than a destination unto itself. The five day trips above cover a real range from ancient history, royal grandeur, Tudor drama, Regency architecture, and outright magic. The best part is that each one is doable in a single day without feeling rushed. If we had to pick one for a first-time visitor to England, it would depend entirely on who they are: a history lover goes to Stonehenge and Salisbury, a royal family follower goes to Windsor, and anyone who grew up reading Harry Potter already knows their answer.
For deeper itineraries on several of these destinations, check out our full guides below:
