The best city breaks in the UK – and hotels for every budget

Bath has well-known draws – the honey-coloured Georgian streets, the Roman Baths, traditional afternoon teas – but it also has less-heralded pleasures. Of the city’s seven curvaceous Georgian crescents, only the Royal Crescent lures any visitors to speak of. There is a number of entertaining, quirky little attractions, such as the Herschel Museum – the astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781 when living in Bath – as well as hilly countryside right on the city’s fringes, ideal for an hour or two of gentle but scenic hiking. And Bath is nudging its way to being just a little bit trendy, with a growing number of boutique hotels and hip little cocktail bars. See more on Bath in our guide to the city, and hotels below. 

By Fred Mawer

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Bath

With the neo-classical architecture of Victoria Square now pierced by a modern tram network taking visitors to the dancing neon fountains and whitewashed sheen of Centenary Square and beyond, unkind images of Birmingham are firmly in the past. Flanked by the elegant Georgian houses of the Jewellery Quarter on one side and the jaunty industrial-chic character of Digbeth on the other, Birmingham’s ever-expanding skyline is brimming with energy and the city boasts more Michelin stars than any other UK city outside London. While institutions such as Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery explain its past, Birmingham’s story is now being written in its award-winning restaurants and wildly creative neighbourhoods. Here’s our guide to the city, plus where to stay when you visit.

By James March

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Birmingham

What’s not to love about Brighton? As seaside cities go, this vibrant resort offers style and sass in droves. Forget murky sea strolls, flabby candyfloss and collapsing windbreakers: in Brighton, your weekend city break could easily centre entirely around the newly revamped seafront. Sea-facing salsa classes? Tick. Volleyball, or sauna sessions in converted horseboxes? Tick tick. Add to these, cool cocktail bars, creative galleries, and the best Sussex has to offer in Masterchef-winner bites, craft drinks and live music served from our handsome sea-facing Edwardian rotunda, Shelter Hall. If you fancy something different, we’ve characterful pubs and clubs, cool shopping around the vibey North Laine – and of course that eccentric emporium to Regency extravagance, The Royal Pavilion. Here’s our guide to the city, plus where to stay.

By Louise Roddon

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Brighton

This is perfect pocket-size territory for short city breaks in the UK, with everything walkable (if you don’t mind the odd steep slope) and glorious countryside on the doorstep. Must-sees are the 11th-century castle (now part of the university) and cathedral; visit the latter at Evensong to appreciate both its size and grandeur. Often overlooked are the Oriental Museum, with its fabulous treasures, and the Botanic Garden with its collections from China to Chile as well as tropical glasshouses and art installations. Browse the artisan studios of Fowlers Yard or traditional stalls in the market hall before a riverside walk that loops the rocky promontory on which the city is built. Look out for enthusiasts from the university rowing club and pause at Prebends Bridge for its stirring cathedral views. Throughout the city there are dozens of coffee stops – try Flat White or Leonard’s Coffee House. Here’s where to stay.

By Helen Pickles

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Durham

There’s a reason more than 2,200 people visited Edinburgh Castle in 2019, rubbing Greyfriars Bobby’s nose to a shine on their way. But just as the Fringe isn’t the only festival (there are food, jazz, film and art festivals, to name a few), consider Craigmillar Castle – an uncrowded medieval masterpiece. Can’t get near the National Gallery’s Skating Minister? Try Edinburgh Printmakers for art you can take home. Guzzle gelato in the Grassmarket or try fish and chips in Newhaven. Explore the shops in chi-chi Stockbridge or hunt antiques in Leith. No matter how well you think know it, there’s always more to Edinburgh. See our insider guide to the city here, plus best hotels below.

By Linda Macdonald

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Edinburgh

Pack a larger-than-necessary bag for Leeds; this is a serious shopping city from the high-end stores in Victoria Quarter to the dazzling stalls in Kirkgate Market, one of Europe’s largest covered markets. Recover at the city’s art gallery, a surprise to some with its nationally important collection of 20th-century British art or take a walk along the regenerated riverside to the vast Royal Armouries Museum. Close to the river you’ll find cool cafés, cocktail joints and craft ale bars – check out Call Lane – and the city has a surprising number of rooftop bars, including Angelica and Sky Lounge. Catch big stars at the Arena, opera at the Grand Theatre and new writing and contemporary works at Leeds Playhouse. Discover more in our guide to the city, plus picks on where to stay below.

By Helen Pickles

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Leeds

The post-industrial tourism heavyweight is ideal for a mini break in the UK and – if you’re not shy of a cool, windy autumn/winter, seeking solace in a pub, museum or one of the many trendy spots to dine and imbibe – it’s a good bet at any time of the year. With hip hotels, colourful events, concerts, a passion for live music, student gatherings and Premiership football, there’s always something going on (keep an eye out for new attractions, such as the 350-seater Shakespeare North Playhouse, opening 2022 in the Knowsley district). The city has a great range of hotels to match its diverse offering, especially in the compact city centre. But one of the best areas to try is the Georgian Quarter, where hotels are discreetly tucked away and offer a calmer alternative to the central party vibe (and yet are only a few minutes away on foot). 

By David Atkinson

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Liverpool

There can be few more cosmopolitan cities on Earth than London, and people pour in from across the world to visit, work or live there. The range of restaurants, bars, theatres, sports, pop-ups, performance art and large-scale events is astounding – but where do you start? Our London expert Alison Taylor shares her weekend guide here, from highlighting when’s best to visit a major attraction like the Tower of London followed by where to eat, to swapping honeypots like Borough Market for its grungier little sister, or expensive sightseeing tours for bus routes 9, 14, 15 and 22.

London is very much a collection of distinct neighbourhoods, she writes, each with their own flavour and characteristics so we’d advise you to play pick and mix with all it has to offer. There are wonderful parks dotted peacefully throughout the city, markets galore, a thriving culinary scene spanning street food, fine dining and global cuisine that rivals any city in the world. It’s also an established hub for fashion, art and music.

By Alison Taylor

• A complete guide to the best hotels in London

Manchester’s music and football scenes are world famous – and rightly so. But there’s a lot more to discover in this Northern powerhouse. You can complement exhibitions in cultural institutions such as The Whitworth and Manchester Art Gallery with those in smaller venues such as The Pankhurst Centre, where the first meeting of the suffragettes was held, or Manchester Jewish Museum. And you could dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant, feast on Indian street food in a brewery, or try spätzle under some railway arches. Manchester’s hotel scene is equally varied and ever-increasing with more than 4,000 hotel rooms having been added to the city centre since 2018, meaning that the choice and quality of places to stay has never been better. See below for ideas on where to stay, as well as our guide to the city here.

By Cathy Toogood

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Manchester

Newcastle surprises first-time visitors. Everywhere is walkable or a quick hop on the Metro; it’s a cracking blend of old and new architecture – elegant Georgian Grey Street, for example, and Sir Norman Foster’s glass-encased Sage Gateshead concert hall; the riverside hums with life and lifts the heart with its seven bridges; and the fabled warmth and humour really does exist. There’s modern art at the Baltic and natural wonders at The Great North Museum: Hancock; comedy gigs at The Stand and big stars at the Arena; big shops in Eldon Square; and bars along the riverside. Come evening, there’s fine dining, modern brasseries or neighbourhood eateries. It’s not so much a party city as a city that enjoys life.

By Helen Pickles

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Newcastle

Known as the City of Spires, Oxford is so much more than the Gothic towers that pepper its skyline, rising gracefully above its many historic university colleges. Beyond its lauded educational institutions it has world-renowned museums harbouring some of the most intriguing artefacts from throughout world history (the Pitt Rivers has the most curious collection); there’s the Covered Market and all manner of tiny bistros and wine bars in which to imbibe after a day’s sightseeing; and at its centre lies a vast, modern shopping complex that’ll satisfy any craving for retail therapy – all the ingredients for an exciting short city break in the UK. But best of all, Oxford has a hotel for everyone – from huge historic icons to understated luxury. Here’s our guide to spending a weekend in Oxford, plus our pick of hotels.

By Lottie Gross

• A complete guide to the best hotels in Oxford

York is not just for history buffs, though its rich treasures – from the mighty Minster (Britain’s largest medieval cathedral) to the newly restored Clifford’s Tower of William the Conqueror’s castle – are rightly impressive. Wander the ancient snickelways (little alleys) and you’ll pop out into hidden courtyards with cafés. Explore less-busy streets such as Walmgate and Micklegate and discover independent shops and eateries. Check out the latest exhibition at the city Art Gallery, or explore the Georgian elegance of Fairfax House (both often unfairly ignored by visitors). Always leave time for the jaw-dropping magnificence of the Railway Museum and, of course, for tea and cakes in the grand tearooms of Bettys. The city is less than two hours’ train ride from London’s King’s Cross, and is ideal for exploring on foot – so perfect for leaving the car at home. What’s more, its boutique hotel scene is thriving making it a wonderful and romantic UK city break for couples. Here’s our weekend guide to York, plus pick of hotels.

By Helen Pickles

• Discover more amazing places to stay in our guide to the best hotels in the UK