Celebrating English Tourism Week 2025 with our Best Days Out

Tomorrow sees the start of English Tourism Week, a week-long celebration of the diversity and vibrancy of the tourism industry here in the UK, which has always been one of the most important.

Tourism contributes £71.6 billion annually to the economy in domestic visitor spending, and this week is about highlighting its importance both locally and nationally, particularly at the start of the spring / summer season for bookings.

So, it's with this in mind that we've hand-picked a selection of our best Days Out Experiences that will let you get out and explore the UK as it deserves to be…

• Full Day London Tour with Harrod's Cream Tea (£183, London)

And of course, there's no better place to start than in the capital. London is not short of exciting places and sights, and this full day's coach tour has a complete schedule which will take in all the main interest points, starting with an early access tour of St Paul's Cathedral.

From there, you'll get to take in other key landmarks such as Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye. And there's more, because depending on the day you go, you'll either get to see the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace, or enjoy a photo opportunity outside the Palace itself.

All this, plus a visit to the Tower of London to see the crown jewels, a private boat trip down the River Thames, with the day ending with a chance to rest and reflect on the day in the fine surroundings of Harrod's in Knightsbridge, enjoying their freshly served cream tea!

• Family Rover Steam Experience (£49, Somerset)

One thing the British Isles is still full and plenty of is a good heritage steam railway - and the East Somerset Railway down in the south west of England is just about one of the best. And now this family 'rover' day ticket will let you take a trip back to the golden age of steam train travel.

The great thing about this rover ticket is that you and your family can hop on and off as many trains as you like between the main station at Cranmore near Shepton Mallet to its current terminus at Mendip Vale.

And there's no end to the brilliant sights you can take in, from the museum to the miniature railway, to the signal box and model shop, as well as an on-site gallery and restaurant and a designated picnic area perfect to watch the trains go by on a nice day!

• Dreaming Spires And Extended Oxford City Tour For One (£175, Oxford)

The learned and historic university city of Oxford has attracted scholars from all over the world over many centuries. And you can get a stunning birds eye view over it all on this extended helicopter sightseeing tour!

Departing from Oxford Helipad at Waterperry, you'll chopper away over the picturesque Oxfordshire countryside, past Blenheim Palace and following the route of the River Thames (Isis) that flows all the way to the city itself, as you approach the famous “dreaming spires” as Matthew Arnold described the university's buildings as in his 1865 poem Thyrsis.

Your on-board pilot will also be able to communicate with you over the intercom set to point out all the main landmarks from the air and offer many interesting facts and anecdotes to really make this an unforgettable time in the air over Oxford!

• York Sightseeing Cruise - Adult and Child Tickets (£9 - £15, York)

For under £20, you can enjoy a leisurely river tour of the ancient walled Roman city of York in North Yorkshire. Sailing along the beautiful River Ouse that flows through the city, there's both adult and child tickets available for this trip, which departs from King Staiths Landing.

Round trip journeys of both 45 and 60 minutes are available to go on, with a gentle cruise ride taking you past the many esteemed landmarks of the city including York Minster, the Victorian Bridges, the Guildhall, Clifford's Tower and much more besides.

Plus, it's available to book in all weathers, so you can take in all the sights from the open deck if it's a nice day, or from inside in the plush interior saloons if it's a little bit damper, where there is a well-stocked on-board bar offering drinks and snacks, with the crew offering live commentary throughout the journey!