Top 10 Things to See & Do in the United Kingdom

1.See some stacked stones
It almost goes without saying that you should visit Stonehenge when you visit the UK, but what most people don't know is that there are many different Stonehenge's throughout the UK, some of which are both older and larger than the famous one bearing the name.  Interestingly enough, most people think that millions of years ago the UK was a sandy bottom of an ocean.  As the waters, receded the sand dried out, became hard, and eventually cracked leaving stones that were easily found by early inhabitants to build the monoliths for whatever reasons they were built.  These reasons are still unknown, but you can go and lend your voice to the speculation.

2.Visit the British Museum
"The sun never sets on the British Empire," was once the phrase.  Well, nothing really displays that more than the British Museum.  Host to hundreds of pilfered items during empire, and there are still numerous cries for the British to return some of these artifacts to their "rightful owners."  The British aren't alone in these problems if you haven't read my post on the Top Things to See & Do in Italy.  Personally, I think the Brits have rights to these world treasures, and the world is better served by them being all in one place, but this is not a shared opinion especially when it comes to the reliefs of the Parthenon.  Whatever your opinion, however, the treasures inside this museum make it one of the must sees if you're in London.

3.Attend Evensong
These are the only two places from London I put on this list, even though wandering London should be a destination in itself.  There are many other things to do in the city from wandering markets (make sure to eat a hamburger with the most delicious bacon you'll ever taste), to touring parliament, seeing a play or musical, touring the tower, and going up in the eye(I only recommend this if you are looking for a romantic moment).  But one of the best things you can do is attend Evensong at Westminster Abbey.  Not only do you get to hear what the church was originally purposed for and listen to something from the Church of England, but you also get to enter the abbey for free.

4.Take a punt boat near Cambridge
Nothing quite shouts the idyllic lifestyle like slowly punting along near Cambridge.  Make sure to bring your favorite Tennyson, Wordsworth, or Keats.

5.Bask in the baths of Bath, oh and tour them too
While naturally occurring hot springs are all over much of mainland Europe, in the UK, this is the one place the Romans could find them.  The centuries old bath built here maintains some of the greatest archaeological finds from the Roman era in Great Britain, and the trip out to Bath is worth it just to see that.  Bath, however, also has working baths that you can still use.  Shimmy down to your skivies and enjoy a rooftop bath overlooking the city.  Sound dreamy?  Better hope it's just not the usual British rainy weather.

6.Chill out on the Cliffs of Dover
These white cliffs are one of the most spectacular sites in all of England, and well worth the trip to see the short distance between the channel and mainland Europe.  You can feel absolutely medieval standing there with the wind in your face, planning how to defend the fortress Britain.

7.Hike Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's wall is definitely a must-see if you make it to norther England.  If you are feeling particularly ambitious, however, and have the time, you should think about hiking along the wall.  There are also those that hike all the way north to the wall and then the 84 miles down the wall.

8.Visit Harry Potter's home
If you're in the area of Bath to see Stonehenge, you might as well take a wider tour and see some of the little hamlets in the area.  One of these holds Harry Potter's parent's cottage.

9.See York Minster
Another beautiful, architectural masterpiece, this great church is the largest Gothic Cathedral in Northern Europe and has been a ministering diocese since 314.  Yeah that's right for almost 2,000 years.

10.Find the Lizard Peninsula
This is the most southerly point of the British mainland, and is one of the prettiest parts of coastal Britain if you're looking for curvy beaches and strange rock formations.

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