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A survey of 500 people found that 70% of Brits have a staycation on the cards for 2024. Leonardo Hotels researched the best UK attractions across the country, breaking them down by cultural significance, iconic landmarks, and breathtaking natural landscapes.
43% of Brits prioritise sightseeing when choosing an attraction
The survey asked 500 Brits what kind of staycation-er they consider themselves to be.
- 43% considered themselves ‘Sightseers’, wanting to view the most iconic sites in their city of choice, such as castles and famous landmarks.
- 39% of those surveyed were ‘Adventurers’, preferring to explore scenic trails and natural beauties such as mountains, beaches, and UNESCO Sites.
- 18% identified as ‘Culturalists’, keen to experience culture and history during their staycation, often visiting museums and galleries.
The best UK attractions for Sightseers
| Rank | Attraction | Rating | Reviews | Location | Score |
| 1 | London Eye | 4.5 | 169,470 | London | 97 |
| 2 | Buckingham Palace | 4.5 | 162,602 | London | 95 |
| 3 | Tower Bridge | 4.8 | 149,483 | London | 94 |
| 4 | Trafalgar Square | 4.6 | 120,424 | London | 83 |
| 5 | Tower of London | 4.6 | 100,383 | London | 78 |
| 6 | Edinburgh Castle | 4.6 | 90,125 | Edinburgh | 75 |
| 7 | Windsor Castle | 4.7 | 52,545 | Windsor | 64 |
| 8 | Royal Albert Dock Liverpool | 4.7 | 48,917 | Liverpool | 63 |
| 9 | Stonehenge | 4.5 | 51,112 | Salisbury | 62 |
| 10 | The Roman Baths | 4.6 | 31,388 | Bath | 57 |
The London Eye takes the top spot with a score of 97/100. The world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel boasts an average rating of 4.5 across 170,000 reviews.
Buckingham Palace follows in second place with a score of 95/100. It has an average rating of 4.5 across 162,000 reviews.
London’s iconic Tower Bridge follows in third place with a score of 94/100. The world-famous attraction boasts a high rating of 4.8 across 149,000 online reviews.
Other notable mentions from the list include Edinburgh Castle, with a score of 75/100, Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock, scoring 63/100, and Stonehenge, with a score of 62/100.
The best UK attractions for Adventurers
| Rank | Attraction | Rating | Reviews | Location | Score |
| 1 | Giant’s Causeway | 4.7 | 24,382 | County Antrim | 98 |
| 2 | Whitby Beach | 4.7 | 6,654 | North Yorkshire | 63 |
| 3 | Malham Cove | 4.9 | 5,102 | North Yorkshire | 62 |
| 4 | Brimham Rocks | 4.8 | 5,524 | North Yorkshire | 61 |
| 5 | Perranporth Beach | 4.8 | 5,222 | Cornwall | 60 |
| 6 | Durdle Door | 4.8 | 5,067 | Dorset | 59 |
| 7 | Weymouth Beach | 4.7 | 5,488 | Dorset | 58 |
| 8 | Sandbanks Beach | 4.7 | 4,862 | Dorset | 57 |
| 9 | Loch Lomond | 4.8 | 2,698 | Dunbartonshire | 54 |
| 10 | Ben Nevis | 4.8 | 2,206 | Inverness-shire | 53 |
In first place is the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Giant’s Causeway, located in County Antrim, Northern Island. Scoring 98/100, the site has an average rating of 4.7 across 24,000 visitor reviews.
Whitby Beach in North Yorkshire follows in second place with a score of 63/100 for its two miles of golden sands. The beach has an average rating of 4.7 across 6,600 reviews.
Malham Cove, located in North Yorkshire, follows in third place with a score of 62/100. The curving amphitheatre-like cliffs boast a rating of 4.9 across 5,000 reviews.
Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire, takes fourth position with a score of 61/100. The impressive rock formations boast a rating of 4.8 across 5,500 reviews.
Finishing off the top five with a score of 60/100 is Perranporth Beach, located in Cornwall. The beach has an average rating of 4.8 out of five stars across 5,200 reviews.
The best UK attractions for Culturalists
| Rank | Attraction | Rating | Reviews | Location | Score |
| 1 | The British Museum | 4.7 | 147,186 | London | 99 |
| 2 | Science Museum | 4.5 | 64,382 | London | 69 |
| 3 | Victoria and Albert Museum | 4.7 | 54,454 | London | 67 |
| 4 | National Museum of Scotland | 4.8 | 44,615 | Edinburgh | 66 |
| 5 | The National Gallery | 4.7 | 47,219 | London | 65 |
| 6 | National Railway Museum | 4.7 | 25,875 | York | 58 |
| 7 | Beamish, the Living Museum of the North | 4.8 | 21,624 | Newcastle | 57 |
| 8 | Natural History Museum | 4.7 | 24,558 | London | 56 |
| 9 | Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum | 4.7 | 19,200 | Glasgow | 55 |
| 10 | Tate Britain | 4.7 | 18,294 | London | 54 |
The British Museum, the largest museum in the UK, comes out on top with a score of 99/100 thanks to an average visitor rating of 4.7 across 147,000 online reviews. This is followed by the National Science Museum, also located in London, with a score of 69/100 and an average rating of 4.5 across 64,000 visitor reviews.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, the world’s largest museum of decorative arts, takes third place with a score of 67/100 and an average rating of 4.7 across 54,000 reviews.
The National Museum of Scotland, located in Edinburgh, takes fourth place, with an impressive rating of 4.8 across 44,000 online reviews.
Completing the top five is the National Gallery, in London, home to one of Vincent Van Gogh’s world-famous sunflower paintings. The art gallery has an average review rating of 4.7 across 47,000 reviews.
