Lonely Planet has selected 34 UK attractions and six attractions in the Republic of Ireland to feature in the latest edition of its Ultimate Travel List.  

Sliabh Liag in Donegal, Ireland © Tourism Ireland

The second edition of Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List features its top 500 “most thrilling, memorable and interesting travel experiences in the world”. With 34 experiences featured, the UK is home to more of the world’s best experiences than any other country.

The list of attractions in Ireland included were the Wild Atlantic Way at number 21 (the highest new entry of any new experience), the Ring of Kerry, Connemara, Brú na Bóinne, Sliabh Liag and Trinity College. In Northern Ireland, the Giant’s Causeway (number 102 and the fourth highest UK entry) and Titanic Belfast were on the list.

Titanic Belfast © Northern Ireland Tourist Board

In England, the Lake District came in highest, at number 40, while the British Museum in London was the second highest attraction at 56. Other English experiences included the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, the V&A Museum in London, the Seven Sisters Chalk Cliffs on the south coast, Stonehenge, Bath’s Roman Baths and the Tower of London.

Roman Baths and Bath Abbey © VisitEngland/Bath Tourism Plus

Seven of Wales’s top tourist attractions made it onto the list, with the Wales Coast Path the highest ranked at number 82. The other Welsh attractions included were the Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia, St David’s Cathedral, Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway, St Fagan’s National History Museum in Cardiff and Portmeirion.

Welsh Highland Railway

Nine of Scotland's attractions were included on the list with the West Highland Way the highest ranked at 172. The other attractions were Glencoe, Loch Lomond, Skara Brae, the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, the new Northeast 250 tourist route, Dundee’s Waterfront, Stirling Castle and Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow.

Skara Brae © VisitScotland / Paul Tomkins

The list contains “a mix of knock-out new openings, sights that have upped their game, or places more relevant to the way we travel now,” says Lonely Planet, and as the pandemic changes travel priorities, the company has changed how it calculates the list.

“For this edition, we awarded extra points to destinations and attractions that are managing tourism sustainably,” says Lonely Planet’s VP of Publishing, Piers Pickard.

The longlist is compiled from highlights found throughout Lonely Planet’s comprehensive archive of guidebooks, before being carefully whittled down to a shortlist. Everyone in the Lonely Planet travel community is then asked to vote on their top 20 experiences, to create a well-rounded mix of adventures.

“After seven months of staying at home, now’s the perfect time to start thinking about where and how to travel once normality returns,” Piers Pickard adds.

“It is great to see so many attractions in the UK and Ireland included in the latest edition of Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List,” says Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism. “As an inbound tour operator to these countries, we know just how special they are, but it is always rewarding when this is recognised by a leading travel publication. We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors back to these wonderful attractions soon.”

If you or your group would like to start planning a tailor-made tour of Ireland or the United Kingdom for when things get back to normal, please do contact our friendly team today.