World Guide

United Kingdom

Country · Europe, Northern Europe

United Kingdom
Photo: Colin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The United Kingdom is a country in Northern Europe with a population of about 69 million and an area of 242,495 square kilometers. Its capital is London. The country offers a wide variety of historic and cultural attractions for travelers.

Highlights

The United Kingdom covers 120 sights in total. Key landmarks and cities include London, Edinburgh, Dover, Oxford, Stonehenge, Wembley Stadium, Buckingham Palace, Hadrian's Wall, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Cotswolds, Windsor Castle, St Paul's Cathedral, Sandringham House, Palace of Westminster, Blenheim Palace, British Museum, Balmoral Castle, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, The Shard, Giant's Causeway, 10 Downing Street, and Chatsworth House.

Food and drink

Local dishes and items include Cheddar cheese, chocolate brownie, chicken tikka masala, gelatine dessert, stout, Stilton cheese, scone, macaroni and cheese, chocolate truffle, baked potato, Yorkshire pudding, and perry.

When to go

The climate data reflects the weather at the capital, London. January sees daily highs of 7 °C and lows of 2 °C with rain on about 14 days. February has highs of 8 °C and lows of 2 °C with rain on about 12 days. March brings highs of 10 °C and lows of 3 °C with rain on about 13 days. April records highs of 13 °C and lows of 5 °C with rain on about 10 days. May features highs of 16 °C and lows of 8 °C with rain on about 11 days. June reaches highs of 19 °C and lows of 11 °C with rain on about 10 days. July is the warmest month with highs of 22 °C and lows of 13 °C with rain on about 11 days. August sees highs of 21 °C and lows of 13 °C with rain on about 11 days. September has highs of 18 °C and lows of 11 °C with rain on about 11 days. October records highs of 14 °C and lows of 8 °C with rain on about 13 days. November brings highs of 10 °C and lows of 5 °C with rain on about 13 days. December drops to highs of 7 °C and lows of 3 °C with rain on about 14 days.

Practical notes

The currency is the pound sterling. The official language is English. Driving is on the left side of the road. The time zone is UTC±00:00. Electrical plugs are type G with a voltage of 230.0.

Cities

Food and drink to try in United Kingdom

  • Cheddar cheese
  • Chocolate brownie
  • Chicken tikka masala
  • Gelatine dessert
  • Stout
  • Stilton cheese
  • Scone
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Chocolate truffle
  • Baked potato
  • Yorkshire pudding
  • Perry

Top sights in United Kingdom

  1. StonehengeUNESCOStonehenge
  2. Wembley StadiumWembley StadiumLondon
  3. Buckingham PalaceBuckingham PalaceLondon
  4. Hadrian's WallUNESCOHadrian's Wall
  5. Tower of LondonUNESCOTower of LondonLondon
  6. Westminster AbbeyWestminster AbbeyLondon
  7. CotswoldsCotswolds
  8. Windsor CastleWindsor CastleWindsor and Eton
  9. St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's CathedralLondon
  10. Sandringham HouseSandringham HouseKing's Lynn
  11. Palace of WestminsterPalace of WestminsterLondon
  12. Blenheim PalaceUNESCOBlenheim PalaceChipping Norton
  1. British Museum · London
  2. Balmoral Castle · Ballater
  3. London Bridge · London
  4. Tower Bridge · London
  5. The Shard · London
  6. Giant's Causeway · BallycastleUNESCO
  7. 10 Downing Street · London
  8. Chatsworth House · Bakewell
  9. Loch Ness
  10. Trafalgar Square · London
  11. Ben Nevis
  12. Kensington Palace · London
  13. London Eye · London
  14. Edinburgh Castle · Edinburgh
  15. Soho · London
  16. St James's Palace · London
  17. Coventry Building Society Arena · Coventry
  18. Millennium Stadium · Cardiff
  19. Sutton Hoo · Woodbridge
  20. Osborne House · Cowes
  21. Canterbury Cathedral · CanterburyUNESCO
  22. Madame Tussauds · London
  23. Victoria and Albert Museum · London
  24. Bletchley Park · Milton Keynes
  25. HMS Belfast · London
  26. The Gherkin · London
  27. Hampton Court Palace · London
  28. Lincoln Cathedral · Lincoln
  29. Lake DistrictUNESCO
  30. Cutty Sark · London
  31. Mayfair · London
  32. Arthur's Seat · Edinburgh
  33. Virgin Islands
  34. White Cliffs of Dover · Dover
  35. Antonine WallUNESCO
  36. Twickenham Stadium · London
  37. Christ Church, Oxford · Oxford
  38. London Stock Exchange · London
  39. Royal Observatory, Greenwich · London
  40. St Pancras railway station · London
  41. York Minster · York
  42. Uffington White Horse · Wantage
  43. Arundel Castle · Arundel
  44. Highgate Cemetery · London
  45. Hyde Park, London · London
  46. Alnwick Castle · Alnwick
  47. Falkirk Wheel · Falkirk
  48. Piccadilly Circus · London
  49. East End of London · London
  50. Notting Hill · London
  51. Abbey Road Studios · London
  52. Forth Bridge · South QueensferryUNESCO
  53. Holyrood Palace · Edinburgh
  54. Stirling Castle · Stirling
  55. Skara BraeUNESCO
  56. Camden Town · London
  57. Sherwood Forest · Edwinstowe
  58. New Forest
  59. Angel of the North · Gateshead
  60. SS Great Britain · Bristol
  61. Charing Cross · London
  62. Tate Modern · London
  63. Salisbury Cathedral · Salisbury
  64. Whitehall · London
  65. Warwick Castle · Warwick
  66. Winchester Cathedral · Winchester
  67. Royal Pavilion · Brighton
  68. Kew Gardens · LondonUNESCO
  69. Covent Garden · London
  70. Barbican Centre · London
  71. British Library · London
  72. Eden Project · St Austell
  73. King's College, Cambridge · Cambridge
  74. Hever Castle · Sevenoaks
  75. National Gallery · London
  76. London King's Cross railway station · London
  77. Westminster Cathedral · London
  78. Somerset House · London
  79. Royal National Theatre · London
  80. Jurassic CoastUNESCO
  81. Ely Cathedral · Ely
  82. National Trust
  83. Bodiam Castle · Robertsbridge
  84. Bodleian Library · Oxford
  85. Forest of Dean
  86. Caernarfon Castle · Caernarfon
  87. Downing Street · London
  88. Paddington · London
  89. Avebury
  90. Tintagel Castle · Tintagel
  91. Humber Bridge · Kingston upon Hull
  92. Temple Church · London
  93. London Wall · London
  94. Imperial War Museum · London
  95. Marble Arch · London
  96. Millennium Bridge, London · London
  97. Regent's Park · London
  98. Dover Castle · Dover
  99. St Giles' Cathedral · Edinburgh
  100. Tate Britain · London
  101. Wells Cathedral · Wells
  102. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct · Llangollen
  103. Conwy Castle · Conwy
  104. London Waterloo station · London
  105. The Iron Bridge · Ironbridge
  106. Jodrell Bank Observatory · Holmes ChapelUNESCO
  107. Lambeth Palace · London
  108. SaltaireUNESCO
  109. Ashmolean Museum · Oxford
  110. St Martin's Church, Canterbury · CanterburyUNESCO
  111. St Augustine's Abbey · CanterburyUNESCO
  112. Fitzwilliam Museum · Cambridge

UNESCO sites in United Kingdom →

Weather by month

The warmest month is July, with an average high of 22 °C. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high, °C781013161922211814107
Average low, °C2235811131311853
Rainfall, mm604447475348475457736762
Rainy days141213101110111111131315

Temperatures and rainfall: 1981–2010 averages for London (4 km grid), from CHELSA. Rainy days: 2015–2024, NASA POWER.

Also worth a look

Neighbouring countries and territories