For years, my dad had dreamed of visiting the UK, especially London, where he could soak up the atmosphere of a British pub, ride the Tube, and explore iconic landmarks like Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey. Mark and I had both been to London before, so while we were excited to return, we also knew there was much more of the UK we wanted to experience. London is incredible, but it is only one piece of what the UK has to offer.
With that in mind, I set out to plan an unforgettable trip that would give us a broader taste of the UK. We spent 10 days traveling, starting in London, then making our way to Cardiff, Manchester, and finishing our journey in Edinburgh.
London
We’re lucky to have a direct flight from Philadelphia to London, so we headed to the airport for our overnight journey. We arrived bright and early at 6:30 a.m. local time, which is always one of the toughest parts of traveling to Europe. You land so early and cannot check into your hotel until midafternoon. We dropped off our bags and set out to explore the city. We were definitely tired, but it was still fun to wander around and start getting a feel for London.
Hi, we are very tired.
Changing of the Guard
One of the biggest highlights of our time in London was seeing the changing of the guard. If you are not familiar, it is a formal ceremony that takes place a few times a week, when the King’s Guard is replaced. It includes music, members of the military, and a procession to Buckingham Palace. It was something my parents really wanted to experience, and they absolutely loved it. I have to admit, it was pretty impressive to watch. Everything is incredibly precise, down to the second. It’s completely free, which means large crowds gather to see it. We definitely recommend arriving at least 30 minutes early to secure a good spot.
This photo gives a good idea of how many people gather to watch this.
Lucky Cat
Another highlight of our time in London was visiting Gordon Ramsay’s new restaurant, Lucky Cat. It is located in Bishopsgate on the 60th floor, so the views of the city are incredible. We went for afternoon tea, and the food was very good, as you would expect from a celebrity chef’s restaurant. Unfortunately, the service did not match the quality of the food. Our server seemed unsure of what was going on, and it felt like no one was willing to take responsibility for the issues. Because of that, we cannot recommend it at this time. It recently opened, so it may still be working through some growing pains, but you would expect a restaurant associated with Gordon Ramsay to run smoothly. It did not. The view of the city almost made up for the shitty service though.
Beatles Walking Tour
Our favorite thing we did in London was the Beatles walking tour. My dad is a huge Beatles fan, so seeing some of the iconic Beatles spots was a must while we were in the city. Our tour guide, Richard, was fantastic. He was extremely knowledgeable about the Beatles and really made the experience fun and engaging.
Walking tours are a great way to explore a city, and this one took us to several areas of London we likely would not have visited on our own. It was definitely worth the $25 price. In an hour and a half, we covered so much ground.
Abbey Road Studios
The iconic Abbey Road crosswalk.
Where John Lennon (and several other musicians) lived.
Cardiff
After spending three days in London, we took a train to Cardiff. It was everyone’s first time in Wales. The train ride was smooth and relaxing, and when we arrived in Cardiff, we immediately fell in love with the city. Cardiff is much smaller than London, but it has a lot of charm and was incredibly fun to explore. The buildings feel older and the people in Cardiff really know how to enjoy themselves.
The restaurants and streets were all beautiful. Every place we went into had their branding on point, something I really appreciated as a brand designer! We visited Cardiff Castle, enjoyed a traditional Sunday roast at a pub (our favorite meal of the trip) and spent time exploring and having lunch in the Cardiff Bay area.
We were incredibly lucky with the weather. It was sunny the entire trip with no rain at all, which is pretty surprising for the UK.
Possibly the most beautiful dessert we’ve ever eaten. Everything is edible!
Manchester
After two amazing days in Cardiff, we took another train to Manchester. The city had a very different vibe from the other places we visited. It feels more industrial, although there are still plenty of historic buildings throughout. Overall, it gave off a more working-class energy.
Manchester reminded me a lot of Philadelphia because of the similarities between the two cities. We stayed very close to the Gay Village and Chinatown, both of which we also have in Philly. The city felt very working class overall, which made it feel familiar.
Some of the highlights included visiting the John Rylands Library and Manchester Cathedral, both of which were absolutely stunning. I do not think I have ever been in a library so beautiful. What a dream!
Edinburgh
Our last stop on our UK tour was Edinburgh. We saved the best for last because it ended up being everyone’s favorite stop. Edinburgh is an incredible city. Not only is it beautiful, but the people are also so much fun. Everyone was always joking around.
Of course, we visited Edinburgh Castle, one of the city’s main attractions. We also explored the Royal Mile, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, saw traditional bagpipers, and ate at classic Scottish pubs. (Haggis was actually really good.)
We loved Scotland the most, even though every place we visited was amazing. There was just something special about Edinburgh and Mark and I both said we would love to come back and see more of Scotland. Luckily, there are now direct flights from Philadelphia to Edinburgh, so that makes traveling there pretty easy.
A Trip We Will Never Forget
This was a very special trip for everyone. Both of my parents have had some serious health issues over the past year and a half, so being able to take this trip with them meant a lot. For a while, we were not even sure it would happen. I am grateful we were able to do it together and create these memories. That is really what life is about.
Yes, it was more expensive than any trip we have taken before, especially with the pound being so strong against the US dollar right now. And yes, there were moments when we were tired and things felt difficult. But those are not the things we will remember. We will remember the good times.
If you are making excuses about why you cannot travel, try to let that go. You may not always get the chance, so just go. You will be glad you did. In the end, you are not going to look back and think about how expensive everything was. You will remember the experiences and the people you shared them with.
