Family holidays
Walk among dinosaurs on a fossil hunting tour or put nerves to the test at a thrilling theme park. Get close to nature and camp in protected woodland or stay aboard a lighthouse or a barge on your family holidays. Bike rides and picnics in a national park, long afternoons at the beach exploring rockpools, baffling mazes and hide and seek in the grounds of a stately home: England is packed with inspiring child friendly holidays and activities. If you think learning is for stuffy school rooms, think again. Discover the secrets of the Tudors and Victorians, marvel at Roman remains and re-live bloody battles and beheadings on days out with the kids.
Filter By:
- Regions
- Type
- Seasons
Take your senses on a trip back in time at Beamish
Touch, taste, hear, see and smell history on an unforgettable journey into the past at England’s largest open-air museum.
Location: Vale of Durham
Go under the sea at The Deep Aquarium
Get out of the rain and head... into the water? This underwater world features Europe's deepest viewing tunnel, offering unparalleled views of exotic fish, sharks and other sea creatures.
Location: Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
October events: Visit England's largest travelling fair in Hull
Hull Fair celebrated its 700th birthday in 1993 and has grown continuously, now attracting over half a million visitors every year.
Location: Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
Bag some bon bons at England’s Oldest Sweet Shop
Evoke happy childhood memories with hundreds of retro sweets at The Oldest Sweet Shop in England.
Location: Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Visit the largest Viking Festival in Europe
Immerse yourself in the gruesome world of the Vikings as the city of York celebrates its Norse past.
Location: York, North Yorkshire
Journey into the world of the dinosaurs at Dino-stone Park
Escape to the lost world of dinosaurs at this inventive theme park.
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
Unleash your inner explorer at Tropical World
Set off on a journey through the jungle, the desert and below the surface of the water to discover all of the creatures who call them home.
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
Rainy Day Activities: Explore mining history at Woodhorn Museum
Explore hundreds of years of mining heritage at this unique museum in Northumberland, built from what was once the largest pit village in the world.
Location: Ashington, Northumberland
Go camping in the grounds of one of England’s finest stately homes
Take the kids camping on a child friendly holiday at Castle Howard near York, where a thousand breath-taking acres await for you to explore.
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
Luxury camping in idyllic North Yorkshire
Enjoy the great outdoors in style at this luxury campsite where life is particularly good.
Location: Buttercrambe Moor Wood, near Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire
Enjoy a family day out at Wentworth Castle & Gardens
Wentworth Castle and Stainborough Park houses some of the earliest gothic follies in the country.
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Relive the sights and sounds of wartime Britain at Eden Camp
Be transported back through time from an ex-POW camp in Malton, North Yorkshire, to life in wartime Britain on both the home front and on the front line.
Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
Meet feathered friends at Lotherton Hall Estate
Get up close and personal with rare birds, tropical mammals and wild-roaming deer at Lotherton Hall in Aberford, near Leeds.
Location: Leeds, Yorkshire
Bathe in autumn colours close to the Falling Foss waterfall
If ever there was a magical woodland walk, it’s the two-mile circular trail through the trees from May Beck to the charming Falling Foss waterfall, all within Little Beck Wood Nature Reserve.
Location: North York Moors, near Whitby, North Yorkshire
Cycle along the old coastal railway line to Whitby
Ride 21 view-filled and traffic-free miles along the ‘Cinder Track’, the old coastal railway line between Scarborough and Whitby.
Location: Whitby, Yorkshire
Ride the Whitby train from moor to sea
Delightful villages, dramatic views and gentle country walks – do it all by train from Whitby on a ride through the delightful Esk Valley.
Location: Whitby, Yorkshire
Enjoy a family break in the artistic surroundings of Nelson Barn
Ramble around the Cumbrian countryside with the whole family and get a good night’s sleep at Nelson Barn.
Location: Kaber, Cumbria
Enjoy a family stay in a 14th century house in the Peak District
Spend the day ambling around mountains and fells of the Peak District before enjoying a relaxing evening with whole family at The Old Bakehouse.
Location: Hope Valley, Peak District
Rainy Day Activities: Get interactive on a family trip to Eureka!
Eureka! in Halifax is an indoor attraction that inspires children to learn all about the world around them by playing, imagining, experimenting and having fun.
Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire
Herald the coming of spring with a real old English knees-up
Marsden welcomes the cuckoo back to rural West Yorkshire with traditional English dancing, music and sunshine at the Marsden Cuckoo Festival in April.
Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Enjoy baby animals this Spring in the Peak District
Treat your family to a four-star break in luxury log cabins, enjoy safe cycling and feed the animals on a working Derbyshire farm.
Location: Brassington, Derbyshire