Best UK City Breaks

If you like discovering new towns and cities as much as we do, then you're in the right place! The UK is home to dozens of brilliant urban hubs, each with their own distinct histories, local culture, arts, nightlife and food scenes. From Brighton to Newcastle upon Tyne, Birmingham to Belfast, Bristol to Norwich, and Cardiff to Edinburgh, there's a part of the UK that we're sure you don't know as well as you should. Or maybe you're just heading back for a trip to a place you already love? Either way, spend some time exploring the best of the UK – from galleries to food trucks, and walking tours to neighbourhood bars – and enjoy a fantastic city break for your next weekend escape. Check out our best UK city-break guides here.

Best Places to Stay in City Breaks in the UK

City Breaks in the UK

Check out our Range of City Break Guides Here!

Bath

One-time hangout for English high society, the elegant city of Bath is home to Britain’s only natural hot springs. It’s these healing waters that put the city on the map, and in part continue to draw visitors today, both to the original Rom

Holidays in Bath featuring bath, somerset, south west, england, uk, guide, destination, travel, planet, uk, hotels, bars, restaurants, places, offers, united kingdom, museums, roman baths, antique shops, markets, bath spa, sightseeing, relaxing, cool places, gigs, music,

Belfast & Northern Ireland

One of the hottest places to visit in the UK right now, Belfast is a buzzing location for any kind of city break, with a huge range of accommodation from terrific boutique B&Bs to some top designer hotels as well as any number of desirable retreats in the nearby Northern Ireland countryside.

Holidays in Northern Ireland featuring belfast, things to do, places to stay, places to eat, accommodation, restaurants, Northern Ireland, united kingdom

Best City Centre Hotels in the UK

Who knew? There are no less than 59 official cities in the UK, not to mention any number of other interesting towns, all of which are well worth at least a couple of days and nights of your time, The

Best City Centre Hotels in the UK featuring hotels, city, city break, accommodation, bed and breakfast, style, luxury, boutique, united kingdom

Best City Hostels in the UK

The best city break hostels – expertly chosen by Cool Places – including value for money YHA hostels and independently owned hostels.

Best City Hostels in the UK featuring city breaks, yha, hostels, budget accommodation, weekend, united kingdom

Birmingham

There are some further north that would disagree, but Birmingham has long been regarded as England’s second city, a sprawling metropolis that has been through a dramatic renaissance over recent years, transforming from scabrous concrete jun

Holidays in Birmingham featuring major cities, united kingdom, england, west midlands, cities, city, birmingham, cool places, weekend break, shopping, jewellery quarter, bullring, shopping, sightseeing, nightlife, bars, clubs, music, restaurants, city hotels, luxury hotels, boutique, b&bs, hostels

Brighton

Stretched out along the nearest south-facing beach to London, Brighton is a complex mix of kiss-me-quick fun and bohemian style. It is London-by-the-sea, and as such has always boasted charm and sleaze in almost equal abundance. But the cit

Holidays in Brighton featuring brighton, east sussex, south west, england, sussex, uk, guide, destination, travel, planet, uk, hotels, bars, restaurants, places, offers, united kingdom, seaside, countryside, city,

Bristol

Squint a little into the sun and Bristol could be San Francisco. OK, it’s not next to the ocean, but its hills, artists, musicians and vaguely anti-corporate vibe do have something in common with America’s most radical city. Bristol’s most

Holidays in Bristol featuring city, hotels, restaurants, bristol, england, united kingdom, cool places, clifton, arts, music, theatre, gigs, culture, places to stay, cool, places to eat, bars, pubs, boutique hotels, b&bs, waterfront

Cambridge

Smaller and more immediately charming than its rival Oxford, Cambridge is a delightful city – a cornucopia of historical nooks, crannies and glorious vistas, and narrow cobbled streets full of bicycles.

Holidays in Cambridge featuring cambridge, cambridgeshire, east, england, uk, guide, destination, travel, planet, uk, hotels, bars, restaurants, places, offers, united kingdom, stylish, B&B, boutique hotel, pub with rooms, Gothic, Tudor, cobbled streets

Canterbury

For all its fame and antiquity, Canterbury is an unexpectedly small place, one that can easily be explored on foot and in a long weekend. Above all the city is known as a religious centre, home of the Anglican church, seat of its archbishop

Holidays in Canterbury featuring canterbury, kent, south east, england, uk, guide, destination, travel, planet, uk, hotels, bars, restaurants, places, offers, united kingdom, cathedral, nightlife, cool places, places to stay, places to eat, walking, sightseeing, hostels

Cardiff

Cardiff’s extraordinary transformation over the past decade has been such that it now comfortably ranks alongside Britain’s most inviting cities. Today, the Welsh capital boasts a wealth of exciting, family-friendly attractions, high cultur

Holidays in Cardiff featuring united kingdom, wales, cardiff county, city, capital, welsh

Durham

Situated in the northeast of England, 15 miles south of Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham has long been a revered seat of learning – the university here is the third oldest in England. Boasting a heady mix of town and gown, Durham has plenty of p

Holidays in Durham featuring durham places to stay, places to eat, durham hotels, B&Bs, boutique hotels, gastropubs, durham cathedral, river walks, walking, country inns, country hotels, city breaks, county durham, things to do, places to see

Edinburgh

Rugged, intense and eye-catching, Edinburgh is one of Europe's most striking capital cities. Gathered around its craggy central castle, the medieval core is a breathtaking warren of cobbled streets, towering spires, turbulent history and on

Holidays in Edinburgh featuring edinburgh, city of edinburgh, scotland, uk, guide, destination, travel, planet, uk, hotels, bars, restaurants, places, offers, united kingdom, midlothian

Glasgow

Scotland’s largest city is a thrilling hub of creativity, the birthplace of such eclectic talents as Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Billy Connolly, with a palpable energy to its Celtic tinged culture that ripples through the grand Georgian a

Holidays in Glasgow featuring glasgow, scotland, uk, cool, places, guide, reviews, pictures, city, cultural, art, shopping, restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels, accommodation , united kingdom, city of glasgow

Hull

If you're looking for a new city-break destination and some world-class art and culture, Hull – surprised? – is the place to be. Designated as the UK's City of Culture in 2017, it pulled out all the

Holidays in Hull featuring city, hotels, hull, england, united kingdom, places to stay hull, places to eat in hull, city of culture, hotels, boutique hotels, cosy cottages, B&Bs, hull city, hull concerts, hull theatre, independent shops hull art

Leeds

It may have once been grim up north, but Yorkshire’s buzziest, brightest city is a full-on tourist destination these days, never mind a great place to live and work. As regional business, cultural, shopping and nightlife capital, there’s pl

Holidays in Leeds featuring leeds, uk, united kingdom, england, west yorkshire, city, bars, restaurants, museums, galleries, leeds united, leeds hotels, B&B, gastropub, good food, best pubs, boutique hotels, places to eat, places to stay, places to visit

Leicester

One of England's most multicultural and ethnically diverse cities, Leicester is not the most obvious choice for a weekend away. But you may be surprised by what it has to offer: not only is it home t

Holidays in Leicester featuring leicester, cool, places, cool places, cool places uk, where to stay in leicester, accommodation leicester, holiday leicester, city break leicester, hotel leicester, hostel leicester, cottage leicester, holiday cottage leicester, b&B leicester, national forest, national space centre

Liverpool

Has there ever been another city so defined by one band, one sound? Go to the furthest corner of the world and someone somewhere will be singing 'Hey Jude', and Liverpool is where it all started. The

Holidays in Liverpool featuring liverpool, merseyside, liverpool football, places to eat, places to stay, the beatles, cavern club, liver building, city hotels, boutique hotels, B&Bs, liverpool galleries, liverpool quay, cool hotels, liverpool cathedral, georgian architecture

London

London – the greatest city in the world? It's certainly Britain's biggest attraction and best city-break destination, guaranteed to give you a buzz whether you're visiting for the first or fiftieth t

Holidays in London featuring london, places to stay, hotels, neighbourhoods, boroughs, attractions, luxury hotels, cheap hotels, budget accommodation, sight seeing, boutique hotels, places to eat, places to stay, cool things to do, museums, art galleries, music, gigs, concerts, pubs with rooms, gastropubs

Manchester

Welcome to Manchester! Known for being the largest urban hub in the North of England, and the catalyst city of the industrial revolution, Manchester has come a long way since those sooty times. It's now an incredible city with all you could

Holidays in Manchester featuring manchester, cool, places, cool places, cool places uk, where to stay in manchester, accommodation manchester, holiday manchester, city break manchester, hotel manchester, hostel manchester, cottage manchester, holiday cottage manchester, b&B manchester

Newcastle upon Tyne

Biggest city and capital of northeastern England, former industrial powerhouse and now arts and culture hub on the fabled River Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne gets under your skin quickly. From the famous bridges and revitalised riverscape to th

Holidays in Newcastle upon Tyne featuring newcastle upon tyne, newcastle, gateshead, northeast england, united kingdom, northumberland, newcastle art, newcastle culture, newcastle nightlife, places to eat, place to stay, places to see, newcastle highlights, city hotels, boutique hotels, B&Bs, budget hotels, youth hostels

Norwich

One of England’s most attractive cities, Norwich sits in a wide bend of the River Wensum, an ancient place that in its medieval heyday was the second largest city in the country. These days its cobbled lanes and narrow alleys zero in on the

Holidays in Norwich featuring norwich, norfolk, east, england, uk, guide, destination, hotels, bars, restaurants, places, offers, united kingdom, Wensum, largest city, B&Bs, boutique hotels, cathedral, pubs, getaway, Norwich castle, William the Conqueror

Nottingham

Nottingham is a vibrant, bustling East Midlands city of around 350,000 people, with a flourishing art scene, top–quality restaurants and a boisterous nightlife, driven by a large student populati

Holidays in Nottingham featuring nottingham, notts, uk, , united kingdom, england, nottinghamshire, city, places to eat, places to stay, hotels, boutique hotels, B&Bs, Robin Hood, nottingham lace, oldest pub, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, nottingham forest

Oxford

Oxford is a town of two halves: a venerable university city, steeped in history and dominated by the honey-coloured buildings of its ancient colleges; and a regional industrial centre, home to one of the UK’s largest car plants, in Cowley.

Holidays in Oxford featuring oxford, oxfordshire, south east, england, uk, guide, destination, travel, planet, uk, hotels, bars, restaurants, places, offers, united kingdom

Rye

Funny old place, Rye. In fact, if Doctor Who crash-landed his Tardis in the centre of town, he would be hard pressed to say what century he was in. Rye dreams dozily through the years, sat atop a sandstone promontory and gazing across the K

Holidays in Rye featuring rye, wincheslea, camber sands, east sussex, south east, england, sussex, uk, guide, destination, travel, planet, uk, hotels, bars, restaurants, places, offers, united kingdom, east sussex, gastropubs, good food

at Best UK City Breaks, If you like discovering new towns and cities as much as we do, then you're in the right place! The UK is home to dozens of brilliant urban hubs, each with their own distinct histories, local culture,

Best UK City Breaks

Check out our Range of City Break Guides Here!

Bath

Belfast & Northern Ireland

Best City Centre Hotels in the UK

Best City Hostels in the UK

Birmingham

Brighton

Bristol

Cambridge

Canterbury

Cardiff

Durham

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Hull

Leeds

Leicester

Liverpool

London

Manchester

Newcastle upon Tyne

Norwich

Nottingham

Oxford

Rye

What Customers say about Cool Places

Everything I needed for a stay

Nathan, Verified Customer

6 out of 5!!!!

Barbara, Verified Customer

Easy to navigate

Patrick, Verified Customer

Such a great variety of properties

CT, Verified Customer

Great, simple, straightforward

SM, Verified Customer