Can’t-Miss Historic Experiences for Families in the United Kingdom

Explore the authentic side of Great Britain and Ireland with a guided family vacation that includes unbeatable itineraries perfect for active travelers looking to see some history and the scenic surroundings.

Dive into ancient Irish folk lore with the Irish Myths & Legends experience. The seven-night itinerary includes beautiful bike rides through a historic park, hands-on experiences with Irish cuisine and agriculture and a cruise to Spike Island.

After arriving in Dublin, your family is whisked away to Kildare, where you’ll be based for the next day or so. Travel back to Dublin for scrumptious Irish cuisine and visits to Trinity College, Dublin Castle and Phoenix Park. Board a train to Cork, where you’ll see Blarney Castle. Then, it’s a cruise to Spike Island, a day-long adventure of historic forts and family picnics. Travel up the coast, through the beautiful scenery, for the next few days, seeing historic stops along the way. It all ends with a day in the fresh Irish air, visiting a 150-year-old farmhouse, snacking on scones and walking along the Shannon River.

If you have a Harry Potter fan in your household, the English Knights & Wizards tour could be a great fit for your family as it caters to both history and fantasy fans.

The tour kicks off with several days of seeing the best sites in London, including a private viewing of the Crown Jewels, before heading west to Stonehenge and Bath. Cardiff isn’t far off, so you’ll make a side trip to Wales to tour Cardiff Castle. Enjoy the Welsh scenery before hopping a train a few days later for a ride through Snowdonia National Park. After you disembark, you can expect a private falconry experience, a theatrical surprise at Stratford-Upon-Avon and a tour of the largest inhabited castle in the world.

Climbing to Cadair Idris in Snowdonia National Park in Wales © Daniel Babusca | Dreamstime.com

If Scotland is more your speed, try the Scottish Lochs & Castles Tour, for a week crisscrossing the cities and Highlands.

Your tour begins in Glasgow, with a brief city tour and a ship-side welcome, before you head on to Stirling Castle, historic home of Mary, Queen of Scotts. See Trossachs National Park and Glencoe as you continue making your way to Ballachulish. From there, the Jacobite train (familiar from the Harry Potter films) takes you on to Loch Ness. If you don’t manage to catch Nessy, you can encounter a beast of a different kind the next day, during a trip to the Red Deer Encounter (red deer are Britain’s largest native land mammal). After trips to Blair Castle and Royal Yacht Brittania, you’ll end up in Edinburgh.