3 days
3 days: 3 route options
Three days is enough for one city or two close ones. These routes keep moves to a minimum.
London in three days
Westminster, the Tower and the river, then the museums of South Kensington: three days in one city with no moves.
- Route
- London (3)
- Pace
- Steady. One base, no travel days.
- Best season
- April to September
- Suits
- First-time visitors, Museum lovers, Families (check each place)
Months scoring 3 or more of 4 for comfort (temperature, rain days, sunshine) across London, weighted by days. Met Office 1991-2020 averages, not a forecast.
- Step-free access reported at 9 of 9 stops
- 3 of 9 stops marked family-friendly in our guides
-
Days 1 to 3 · London
London: 3 days
Base: London
-
Westminster Abbey
-
Palace of Westminster
-
London Eye
-
Crown Jewels
-
Tate Modern

Nearby: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Photo: Paul Hudson from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 -
Shakespeare's Globe

Nearby: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Photo: Paul Hudson from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 -
Borough Market

Nearby: Southwark Cathedral. Photo: Stephen Armstrong, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
British Museum
-
Natural History Museum
-
Edinburgh and Glasgow
Two Scottish cities: Edinburgh’s castle and Royal Mile, then Glasgow’s Kelvingrove and Riverside Museum.
- Route
- Edinburgh (2) → Glasgow (1)
- Pace
- Steady. Two bases; the train takes under an hour.
- Best season
- May to September
- Suits
- Rail travelers, Gallery and museum lovers
Months scoring 3 or more of 4 for comfort (temperature, rain days, sunshine) across Edinburgh, Glasgow, weighted by days. Met Office 1991-2020 averages, not a forecast.
- No step-free information for these 9 stops
- No stops marked family-friendly in our guides
-
Days 1 to 2 · Edinburgh
Edinburgh: 2 days
Base: Edinburgh
-
Edinburgh Castle

Photo: Stephencdickson, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
St Giles' Cathedral

Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Palace of Holyroodhouse

Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Holyrood Abbey

Photo: LASZLO ILYES from Cleveland, Ohio, USA, CC BY 2.0 -
Scott Monument

Photo: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Princes Street Gardens

Photo: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0
-
-
Day 3 · Glasgow
Glasgow: 1 day
Base: Glasgow
Getting from Edinburgh to Glasgow. By train about 45 min at the fastest, as published by National Rail. It fits around a day. Check times and changes before you go. Source: National Rail: Visit Edinburgh by train (opens in new tab). All journeys between regions.
-
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Kelvingrove Park

Photo: Michael Dibb, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
The Hunterian

Photo: Ham, CC BY-SA 3.0
-
York and Manchester
York’s Minster, the Shambles and the city gates, then Manchester’s libraries, cathedral and canal basin.
- Route
- York (2) → Manchester (1)
- Pace
- Steady. Two bases; the train takes part of one day.
- Best season
- April to September
- Suits
- Rail travelers, History lovers
Months scoring 3 or more of 4 for comfort (temperature, rain days, sunshine) across York, Manchester, weighted by days. Met Office 1991-2020 averages, not a forecast.
- No step-free information for these 9 stops
- No stops marked family-friendly in our guides
-
Days 1 to 2 · York
York: 2 days
Base: York
-
York Minster

Photo: MatzeTrier, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
The Shambles

Photo: Vincej at en.wikipedia, Public domain -
Clifford's Tower

Photo: bryan..., CC BY-SA 2.0 -
York Castle Museum

Photo: Jitka Erbenová (cheva), CC BY-SA 3.0 -
JORVIK Viking Centre

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. CambridgeBayWeather assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5 -
York's Chocolate Story

Photo: Malcolmxl5, CC BY-SA 4.0
-
-
Day 3 · Manchester
Manchester: 1 day
Base: Manchester
Getting from York to Manchester. By train about 1 h 31 min at the fastest, as published by National Rail. It fits around a day. Check times and changes before you go. Source: National Rail: Visit York by train (opens in new tab). All journeys between regions.
-
Manchester Cathedral

Photo: 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Chetham's Library

Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0 -
John Rylands Library

Photo: Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0
-
Other trip lengths
Journey times are National Rail fastest times where we hold them (retrieved 2026-10-25); real journeys vary, so check times and changes. Up to 2 hours is treated as fitting around a day, up to 4 hours as half a day. Best season uses Met Office 1991-2020 averages, not a forecast. Opening hours, prices and tickets change: check each official site. Independent and unofficial.