England Travel Guide

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From medieval cathedrals to postmodern towers, from prehistoric stones to one-pub villages, England is a spectacular tribute to the strength—and flexibility—of tradition. In the capital city of London and beyond, you can explore grand manors and royal castles steeped in history, and also discover cutting-edge art, innovative cultural scenes, and trendy shops. Quintessentially English treasures like the Georgian town of Bath, academic Oxford, and eccentric Brighton remain vibrant, and silvery lakes and green hills provide enduring grace notes.

Guidebooks for Every Journey

Fodor's Essential England

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Fodor's Essential Great Britain: with the Best of England, Scotland and Wales

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Fodor's London 2026

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Fodor's Pocket London: A Compact Guide to England's Capital

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Guidebooks for Every Journey

Fodor's Essential England

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Fodor's Essential Great Britain: with the Best of England, Scotland and Wales

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Fodor's London 2026

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Fodor's Pocket London: A Compact Guide to England's Capital

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Top Destinations

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The South

With cathedrals, stately homes, stone circles, the South–-consiting of the counties of Hampshire, Dorset, and Wiltshire—contains a variety of significant attractions, as well as several...

Bath and the Cotswolds

The rolling uplands of the Cotswolds represent all the beauty and charm rural England has to offer, as immortalized in countless books, paintings, and films.In...

East Anglia

One of those beautiful English inconsistencies, East Anglia has no spectacular mountains or rivers to disturb the quiet, storied land of rural delights. Occupying an...

Brighton

For more than 200 years, Brighton has been England's most interesting seaside city, and today it’s more vibrant, eccentric, and cosmopolitan than ever. A rich...

The Northeast

For many Britons, the words "the Northeast" provoke a vision of near-Siberian isolation. Although there are wind-hammered, wide-open spaces and empty roads threading the wild...

Stratford-upon-Avon and the Heart of England

The lyricism of England's geographical heartland is found in the remote, half-timber market towns of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire, as well as in the bucolic...

The Southeast

Surrey, Kent, and Sussex form the breadbasket of England, where bucolic farmland stretches as far as the eye can see. Once a favorite destination of...

Oxford

With arguably the most famous university in the world, Oxford has been a center of learning since 1167, with only the Sorbonne preceding it. It...

The West Country

England's West Country is a land of granite promontories, windswept moors, hideaway hamlets, and—above all—the sea. Leafy, narrow country roads lead through miles of buttercup...

Southampton

Southampton is England's leading passenger port. It is rich in historic embarkations, from Henry V's fleet bound for France and the battle of Agincourt to...

The Thames Valley

Easy proximity to London has made the Thames Valley a favored hangout for the wealthy, just as it has been for centuries. The rich and...

Yorkshire

A hauntingly beautiful region, Yorkshire is known for its wide-open spaces and dramatic landscapes. The hills of the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales...

Liverpool

A city lined with one of the most famous waterfronts in England, celebrated around the world as the birthplace of the Beatles, and still the...

Manchester

Central Manchester is alive with the vibe of cutting-edge popular music and a swank, often fancy café, cocktail bar, and restaurant culture that keeps evolving...

Manchester, Liverpool, and the Peak District

For those looking for picture-postcard England, the northwest region of the country might not top many sightseeing lists, but it has plenty to offer. Manchester...

London

History and tradition greet you at every turn in London; it's also one of the coolest, most modern cities in the world. If London contained...

Cambridge

With the spires of its university buildings framed by towering trees and expansive meadows, and its medieval streets and passages enhanced by gardens and riverbanks...

Arundel

The little hilltop town of Arundel is dominated by its great castle, the much-restored home of the dukes of Norfolk for more than 700 years...

Norwich

It used to be said that Norwich had a pub for each day of the year and a church in which to repent every Sunday...

Buxton

Just outside the national park yet almost entirely surrounded by it, Buxton makes a good base for Peak District excursions but it has its own...

Exeter

Exeter has been the capital of the region since the Romans established a fortress here 2,000 years ago, and evidence of the Roman occupation remains...

Whitby

A fishing port with a Gothic edge (it is host to an annual Goth Weekend), Whitby is also a busy tourist hub, but it handles...

Plymouth

Devon's largest city has long been linked with England's commercial and maritime history. The Pilgrims sailed from here to the New World in the Mayflower...

Lincoln

Celts, Romans, and Danes all had important settlements here, but it was the Normans who gave Lincoln its medieval stature after William the Conqueror founded...

Leeds

Once an industrial powerhouse, Leeds has reinvented itself as a vibrant dining, drinking, and shopping destination with numerous trendy restaurants, sleek bars, and cafés, whose...

Birmingham

Though it doesn’t have the reputation of being one of the United Kingdom’s most visually appealing cities—thanks to the decline of heavy industry, bombing during...

Cirencester

A hub of the Cotswolds since Roman times, when it was called Corinium, Cirencester (pronounced siren-sester) was second only to London in importance. Today this...

Great Malvern

Great Malvern feels a bit like a seaside resort, though instead of the ocean your eyes plunge into an expanse of green meadows rolling away...

Canterbury

Just mention Canterbury and most people are taken back to memories of high-school English classes and Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, about medieval pilgrims making their...

Guildford

Guildford, the largest town in Surrey and the county's capital, has a lovely historic center with charming original storefronts. Gabled merchants' houses line the steep...

Ludlow

Medieval, Georgian, and Victorian buildings jostle for attention in pretty Ludlow, which has a finer display of black-and-white half-timber buildings than even Shrewsbury. Dominating the...

Aldeburgh

Aldeburgh (pronounced orl-bruh) is a quiet seaside resort, except in June, when the town fills with people attending the noted Aldeburgh Festival. Its beach is...

Chichester

The Romans founded Chichester, the capital city of West Sussex, on the low-lying plains between the wooded South Downs and the sea. The city walls...

Shrewsbury

One of England’s most important medieval towns, Shrewsbury (pronounced shrose-bury), the county seat of Shropshire, lies within a great horseshoe loop of the Severn. It...

Lewes

The town nearest to the celebrated Glyndebourne Opera House, Lewes is so rich in history that the Council for British Archaeology has named it one...

Stratford-upon-Avon

Even under the weight of busloads of visitors, Stratford, on the banks of the slow-flowing River Avon, has somehow hung on to much of its...

Henley-on-Thames

Henley's fame is based on one thing: rowing. The Henley Royal Regatta, held at the cusp of June and July on a long, straight stretch...

The Lake District

"Let nature be your teacher." Wordsworth's ideal comes true in this popular national park of jagged mountains, waterfalls, wooded valleys, and stone-built villages. No mountains...

Windsor

Only a small part of old Windsor—the settlement that grew up around the town's famous castle in the Middle Ages—has survived. The town isn't what...

Kendal

The southern gateway to the Lake District is the "Auld Gray Town" of Kendal, outside the national park and less touristy than the towns to...

Bristol

The West Country's biggest city (population 430,000), Bristol has in recent years become one of the country's most vibrant centers, with a thriving cultural scene...

Keswick

The great mountains of Skiddaw and Blencathra brood over the gray slate houses of Keswick (pronounced kezz-ick), on the scenic shores of Derwentwater. The town...

Land's End

The coastal road, B3306, ends at the western tip of Britain at what is, quite literally, Land's End...

Hexham

The area around the busy market town of Hexham is a popular base for visiting Hadrian's Wall. Just a few miles from the most significant...

Totnes

This busy market town on the banks of the River Dart preserves plenty of its medieval past, and on summer Tuesdays vendors dress in period...

Newcastle upon Tyne

Durham may have the glories of its castle, cathedral, and university, but the liveliest city of the Northeast is Newcastle, currently reinventing itself (with some...

Harrogate

During the Regency and early Victorian periods, it became fashionable for the aristocratic and wealthy to "take the waters" at British spa towns, combining the...

Bath

In Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’re surrounded by magnificent 18th-century architecture, a lasting reminder of a vanished world often described by the likes...

Scarborough

There’s no Scarborough Fair, and historians are divided on whether there ever was one, but don't let that stop you from heading to this classic...

Salisbury

The silhouette of Salisbury Cathedral's majestic spire signals your approach to this historic city long before you arrive. Although the cathedral is the principal focus...

York

For many people, the first stop in Yorkshire is the historic cathedral city of York. Much of the city's medieval and 18th-century architecture has survived...

Cheltenham

Although Cheltenham has acquired a reputation as snooty—the population (around 110,000) is generally well-heeled and conservative—it's also cosmopolitan. The town has excellent restaurants and bars...