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5 Things You Must Do in the United Kingdom on a Vacation

The United Kingdom is blessed with all forms of natural and man-made beauty.

5 Things You Must Do in the United Kingdom on a Vacation

With Great Britain covering the central and southern region, and Northern Ireland and Scotland occupying the western and northern regions respectively; it will not be wrong to call the UK as a geographically distinct part of the world. Throughout history, the United Kingdom was classified as one of the super powers in Europe.

With that background in mind, here’s a post dedicated to the most amazing things you can do while on vacation in the UK:

The Stonehenge

If you’re an archaeology enthusiast, then The Stonehenge must have always been on top of your travel list.

5 Things You Must Do in the United Kingdom on a Vacation
Photo courtesy of Loco Steve/Flickr Creative Commons

 

This historical site is one of the most bewildering places in the world. It gives a mixed look of both, the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.It was listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site in the year 1986. There is much speculation about when the Stonehenge was actually built.

According to an article published by the BBC, the Stonehenge was built in several stages starting from the Neolithic age (around 3000 BC). At that time it was constructed as a simple earthwork. Several changes were brought to the Stonehenge with the final touch up done during the Bronze Age (around 1500 BC).

Quick facts about the Stonehenge:

  • There are a total of 83 large and small stones in the Stonehenge. Sarsens are the larger ones and bluestones are the smaller ones.
  • Although it is still not sure why the Stonehenge was built, most archaeologists agree that Stonehenge was once used as a burial ground.
  • Britons in the medieval times thought that the Stonehenge was built by a legendary wizard called Merlin. It is also said that witchcraft and wizardry was practiced around the Stonehenge for several centuries.

The British Museum

The elegant British museum houses some of the most delicate pieces of monuments and relics from around the world.

365Tickets
Photo courtesy of Jose Maria Mateos/Flickr Creative Commons

 

There is no entry ticket for visiting the museum and visitors can come back as many times as they wish to. It is located in the Holborn area of Bloomsbury, central London. It was opened to the public in the beginning of the 20th century.

Some of the best monuments at the British Museum are:

  • The copper coffee token
  • The prosthetic toe
  • The Assyrian hunting reliefs
  • The colossal horse from Bodrum
  • The Elgin Marbles, ancient marble treasures from Greece, are on display at the British Museum (below)
Photo by Moorina/Flickr Creative Commons

 

Activities Around the Big Ben

Do not leave England without visiting Big Ben! The building is a combination of the Houses of Parliament and the Elizabeth Tower and was built somewhere around the 1850s. The structure stands at a height of 96 meters and it would take you around 399 steps to reach the top of the tower. Each dial on the Big Ben has a diameter of around seven meters.

Going inside the Big Ben is a complicated process which requires you to have a special permit from an MP or a member of the House of Lords. But there are several other things which you can do while visiting the Big Ben. For starters, you can hear the Big Ben clock strike the hour and visit the public galleries of the Houses of Parliament. Take a walk around the Piccadilly Street or visit the Piccadilly Circus. You can even do your shopping from the Oxford Street. Click photos at the Household Cavalry. Don’t forget to take a ride in the historical black cabs of London.

The London Eye

We all have seen this piece of engineering marvel on social media or on TV. It was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world until 2006. It is still the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe.

A ride inside the London Eye will give you a mind blowing bird’s eye view of the city of London. It is a paid tourist attraction, but don’t worry as you can easily buy the tickets online through 365Tickets. It has fantastic deals and vouchers also available for several other attractions in and around London.

Some facts about the London Eye:

  • The London Eye can give provide you with a view spanning almost 40 kms from its deck in all directions.
  • On an average the London Eye has more visitors than The Taj Mahal in India and The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt.
  • There are a total of 32 capsules numbered from 1 to 33. The number 13 has been omitted due to superstitious reasons.

For more about the London Eye, check out my earlier post: The London Eye Experience.

Madame Tussaud’s Wax Musuem

Most likely one of your favorite starts has their wax statue in this museum. It has many branches around the world but the one in London is the first of them.

It was named after its founder Anna Maria “Marie” Tussaud. It had once suffered the atrocities of war when it was hit by a flurry of bombs in 1940. It is an amazing combination of glamour, artwork and history with over 300 wax statues. The largest being The Incredible Hulk and Tinker Bell being the smallest one.

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Have you ever been to these must-see sights in London?

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5 Comments

  1. I was born in the UK and I would encourage anyone planning a visit to head ‘up north’ rather than staying around London. The hebrides in Scotland are fantastic – head up to Oban then hop across on the ferry to Mull. York and Harrogate are also fantastic, as well as the Peak District including Castleton, Eyam and Buxton.

  2. UK is such a nice place to visit with some wonderful attractions and nice places to visit. Some wonderful sightseeing’s and pictures looks fantastic. Specially the British Museum.

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