Top UK Spots to Tour on a Student Visa

Travelling to the United Kingdom on a student visa? As well as studying hard, you will want to take the opportunity to see some of the essential sites within the UK, but all on a student budget!

Not sure where to spend your weekends while in the UK? Check out our list of the top places to visit in the UK while staying on a tourist visa.

Buckingham Palace (and other Royal Palaces)

The British monarchy is central to UK history and is woven into the fabric of British culture. No visit to the United Kingdom would be complete without a look inside Buckingham Palace, the royal family’s official London residence.

The palace was created in 1826 and has 775 rooms filled with treasures. A large portion of the palace has been turned into a living museum, which is open to the public in August and September.

It is only one of several royal palaces in London worth visiting, and of course, there are more across the country. If you have time or miss the Buckingham Palace season, be sure to visit Kensington Palace, Kew Palace (attached to Kew Gardens), Hampton Court Palace (home to King Henry VIII, the beheader), and the Tower of London.

British Museum (and other Free London Museums)

London is home to some of the world’s best museums. While the museums display objects from around the world, arguably misappropriated through colonialism, this does mean that their collections are spectacular. And, due to a government-funded policy, all of the biggest museums in London are free to enter.

If you have to choose one, head to the British Museum, where you will find the Rosetta Stone, which helped unlock the secrets of hieroglyphics, the Parthenon Marbles from the famous temple in Greece, fantastic Egyptian collections, and modern objects such as Grayson Perry’s Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman.

Head to the V&A Museum for art and design collections, including Tippoo’s tiger and the first 3D-printed gun. It is known for its fashion collections and extravagant exhibitions, including shows dedicated to David Bowie and Alexander McQueen.

For modern art, go to Tate Modern, and for historic collections, head to the National Gallery, and then the National Portrait Gallery.

The Natural History Museum and Science Museum are both unmissable, with important historic displays and cutting-edge installations, including 3D dinosaurs and the Wonderlab gallery.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge emerges from the unbelievably green British countryside as if it were placed there by magic. We still don’t know exactly who made these stone circles, how, or why. They were constructed around 5,000 years ago, around the same time as the Great Pyramids of Egypt.

There are 1,000 stone circles across England and 120 of comparable size to Stonehenge. But the Salisbury circle is the most famous and well-preserved. Grab an audio guide to learn what we know about the ancient monolith and transport yourself back to the distant past.

Make it a day trip from Bath, a large historic city where you can visit 2,000-year-old Roman baths and Georgian architecture that inspired the likes of Jane Austen.

Oxford

Oxford is home to (arguably) the oldest university in the world. Founded in 1096, the university occupies the entire city centre with colleges, libraries, and department buildings, all constructed in different historic architectural styles covering a millennium. It is often called an open-air museum for its British architecture.

The city is also home to some fantastic museums, including the world’s first museum, the Ashmolean. All are free to the public. There are also traditional British pubs every few steps, and you can drink by the same fireplace where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis exchanged stories of elves and white rabbits.

From Oxford, you are only a short 30-minute bus ride from Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. The UK is full of stately homes worth visiting, but if you only have time to visit one, make it Blenheim.

Hadrian’s Wall

Hadrian’s Wall was built in the first century AD under the orders of the Roman emperor Hadrian to mark the far western limit of the Roman Empire. The wall still extends 73 miles across the north of England and was, when it was built, patrolled by 15,000 Roman soldiers.

As well as discovering archaeology and the history of Roman Britain, exploring the wall is an opportunity to walk through spectacular wide landscapes and encounter rare wild animals.

If you have the time, walking Hadrian’s Wall, or at least a portion of it is an experience akin to walking through Tolkien’s Middle Earth. But don’t worry, there are lots of pubs to stop at along the journey.

Edinburgh

While in the north, you should head to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, a historic city supporting a modern community. At its centre is Edinburgh Castle, on top of an extinct volcano and home to the Scottish crown jewels.

In the city itself, you will find the Royal Mile, a historic stretch with exquisite architecture, historic shops and faces, art galleries, and more, ending in the Palace of Holyrood. From here, you can hike to Arthur’s Seat for amazing views.

Scotland’s rugged countryside is worth exploring, as is visiting the many whiskey distilleries spotted around the countryside. However, it requires time and a car, as transport links and roads are still very rural.

The Lake District

The Lake District is located in Cumbria, in the northeast of England, and is a famous scenic national park covering almost 900 square miles. This is one of the best places in the world for camping, hiking, and trekking. Lake Windermere is the country’s largest and most picturesque lake, while Scafell Pike is the highest point in England. You will also find another of the country’s stone circles here, at Castlerigg.

Scafell Pike is one of the three peaks. It is the highest point in England, while Ben Nevis is the highest point in Scotland and Snowden, is the highest point in Wales. Snowden is a particularly popular hiking trail as it can be done by most moderately fit people. The super-fit might sign up for the “Three Peaks Challenge,” which is to hike all three within 24 hours.

The United Kingdom may be small, but it has a long history and is full of interesting things to see and places to visit. Our list only scratches the top of the iceberg, but it is a great place to start if you are looking for essential things to do while on a student visa.