Best UK City Breaks with kids

Are you looking for the best UK city breaks with kids?  We love a city break and the UK is filled with some great kids friendly cities. In this guide we round up some of our favorite family friendly cities in the UK with advice on what to do in each of them. 

UK City Breaks with Kids

London with Kids

When you start talking about doing a UK city break with kids, London has to be the first city to spring to mind and for good reason. It doesn’t matter whether you are traveling to London with a toddler, a baby or a teenager there is something on offer for everyone. 

From amazing museums on subjects as diverse as transport, dinosaurs to art, there is something for everything interest and age. And it really doesn’t matter as to whether you only have a weekend in the capital or a full 7 days in London, you won’t struggle to fill your time. And it’s a city where there are even loads of things to do at night from great family friendly restaurants, West End Shows to unique attractions such as the Ceremony of the Keys. 

And you don’t need to worry if you plan on doing London on a budget as there are plenty of free things to do in the city with kids. Really if you want the best kid friendly UK city break, London has got to be the answer. 

Oxford with kids

If you are looking for a more sedate city that is close to London then you really can not go wrong with Oxford.  It is smaller than London but has loads of museums whether you are visiting the city with toddlers or teenagers. It has a smaller but perfectly formed natural history museum which is perfect for dinosaur fans and the Story Museum is a fantastic immersive experience. 

But it is worth noting that there is a sweet spot for visiting Oxford. Personally my favorite time to visit is around September when the overseas tourists have returned home but before the students have arrived. And at this time you can still enjoy the gardens in the many Oxford colleges, such as Magdalen and New College or even touring the Botanic Gardens. 

And if you have a Harry Potter fan, they will love visiting the filming locations and touring them on a local walking tour. 

York with Kids 

York is my favorite Northern city, and one that is easily reached via public transport at only 2 hours from London by train. And it is a great city t explore on foot so you really won’t need a car with you even if you plan on doing some day trips from York. 

But with a weekend in York there is plenty to do within the city limits themselves. For instance, our toddler loves the National Railway Museum, a museum decimated to British trains and where is is possible to hop on board some too. There is also the beautiful York Minster, which offers unrivalled views of the area if you date to climb to the top of the tower. 

And again if you have a Harry Potter fan they will love to wander down the Shambles, said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley, and head into the Harry Potter shop. 

Other great things to do in York with kids include the Chocolate Story Museum, Cliffords Tower, a ghost tour and even taking a boat ride down to the River Ouse. 

Birmingham with Kids 

Birmingham is officially the second city of England has so much to offer for families. Despite being in the centre of the country Birmingham has one of the best Sea Life Centres in the whole of the country which is one of my toddlers favorite things to do in the city. 

Fans of Lego will also love the Lego Discovery Centre that can be easily combined with a visit to the Sealife Centre as they are practically next door to each other and have combined tickets available. 

But on top of that there are some incredible museums, including my little girl’s fave, Thinktank. This Science Centre blends traditional museum exhibitions connected to science and technology as well as hands on learning and experiments. We like to visit in the Summer when the outdoor garden exhibits are open. 

On top of that there are lots of great things to do with kids near to Birmingham. From the chocolate story told at Cadbury’s World in Bournemouth to Cannon Hill Park, a great zoo and of course Drayton Manor park a theme park near the city where teenagers will love the thrill rides and toddlers will love the dedicated Thomas Land. 

Birmingham is originally my home town so I go back fairly regularly. The city centre is remarkably baby friendly as it is accessible and relatively flat. There is plenty to do in the city centre from shopping to lovely walks along the canal but perhaps our baby’s favourite thing to do is visit the Sealife Centre (we won’t dwell on birmingham’s proximity, or lack there if to the sea). It also has great museums like the city museum and the Thinktank science centre. We also love the jewellery quarter for some window shopping and enjoyed the jewellery quarter museum. It It also has great parks outside of the city such as Cannon Hill which includes a wildlife centre and Sutton Park which is a great place to stroll around.

Given its location, Birmingham is fairly easy to access from all over the Uk,  has great train and road links and an international airport making it a really easy city to escape to.

Manchester with Kids

Manchester is another great city to visit with kids from toddlers to teenagers. The Manchester Museum of Science and Industry is always a highlight for my kids. And like Birmingham, Manchester also boasts a Sealife Centre and a Legoland Discovery Centre which my kids adore. 

And if you have a sports fan no visit is complete without touring the Manchester United grounds at Old Trafford or touring the City’s famous Sports Museum. 

Salisbury with Kids

Salisbury is a great city to visit with kids, not just because of the city itself but because of its nearby attractions. That is because while Salisbury Cathedral is beautiful, most visitors to the area are doing so because of its proximity to Stonehenge. 

My daughter recently asked to do this city break and visit Stonehenge to tie in with her Key Stage 2 school work on the topic of the Stone Age. 

Truro with Kids

If is no secret that we love visiting Cornwall as a family. Now there is technically only one city in Cornwall and that is Truro. It is a great small city that is full of lovely independent shops. It has a lovely local history museum, the Royal Cornwall Museum which is a great place to learn about Cornish life past and present. 

But my favorite thing about visiting Truro with kids has to be the day trips you can do from it. Cornwall has some beautiful beaches that are easily accessible from Truro such as Perranporth and St Agnes, and other lovely day trips such as Healys Cider Farm.

Although you can do a city break in Cornwall at any time of year we think Summer is undoubtedly the best time to visit.

Looking for other Cornwall inspiration? Check out our other posts:

• Best things to do in Penzance with kids 

Hull with Kids

Hull is a city that actually gets a bit of a bad reputation but is a city that I absolutely adore. One of the reasons I love it is because it is a great alternative and underrated city break that is good whether you are a teen or a toddler. 

When my kids were toddlers they loved visiting The Deep, an absolutely fantastic aquarium. They particularly loved the penguin exhibit and the frozen wall. But now they are older they love the museums in the Museum quarter. 

There is the street life museum which celebrates transport in the city, the archaeology museum and a fantastic museums dedicated to the life of the anti slavery campaigner William Wilberforce. 

You shouldn’t listen to anything negative you have head about the city in the pass and go and try a city break there for yourself – I think you are your family will be surprised. 

Bath with Kids 

Bath is one of our favourite city breaks with kids again because of the attractions in the city and those just outside. The Roman baths are a must for any visitor to the city and for those traveling with older children the Jane Austen centre is a must. 

However my kids also always insist on visiting Longleat Safari Park just outside of the city whenever we visit. 

Bristol with Kids 

A trip to Bristol can also be combined with a city break in Bath as the cities are in close proximity to one and other. It is a city that is full of museums from M Shed to the SS Great Britain and it also has an amazing aquarium. 

Do you have a favorite city to visit in the UK with kids? Then we would love to hear about it in the comments below. 

And if you are wondering about other great city breaks to do with kids around the world then feel free to check out our other family friendly city guides: 

• Best cities in Asia to visit with kids 
• Best cities to visit in Europe with kids