Who needs Machu Picchu? UK alternatives to the world's greatest adventures

You don’t need to jet off to the other side of the planet to embark on an adrenaline-charged adventure. In fact, there may be more to keep you entertained on this tiny isle than you first thought. So save those air miles, and leave those passports nestled safely in the bedside draw – the UK is taking on the big boys.   

Want to see the Northern Lights? Go to Scotland

Arctic Europe can get busy with tourists during winter, and there’s no guarantee that the once-in-a-lifetime holiday you’ve probably booked many months or years in advance will coincide with an overhead lightshow. For Scotland, however, there’s no need to book expensive flights ahead of time, and you can sometimes see them as far south as the Galloway Forest Park – the UK’s only Dark Sky Park, just an hour’s drive north of the border with England. For your best chance of catching the Northern Lights on home soil, keep a beady eye on Aurora Watch UK throughout the winter.  

Swimming with sharks? Try Cornwall

Granted, the Maldives may boast significantly balmier waters, but you don’t have to go all that way to swim with whale sharks when the world’s second largest fish can be found so close to home. Basking sharks pass through British waters between April and October, and they can be spotted off the coasts of Cornwall, Dorset, Cardigan Bay, the Isle of Man and the Scottish Hebrides. These five-tonne goliaths like sunny weather and calm winds, which is handy for us land-based softies. Day trips can be arranged with Charles Hood Photography and Shark Adventures.

Who needs the Inca Trail? We have Wiltshire

Built just 500 years or so ago, Machu Picchu is a mere nipper in contrast to our 5,000-year-old Stonehenge. Furthermore, the world famous Inca Trail has become oversubscribed and hectic – with the Peruvian Government taking measures to reduce the flow of tourists. So shun the scrum of the Sacred Valley and embark upon a significantly more tranquil hike through Wiltshire. Starting from Durrington Walls, the five-mile trail follows a series of bridleways and public footpaths, past Bronze Age barrows and First World War railway tracks.

Tour de France? Try a tour of the Brecons

Groups of keen amateur cyclists are often found clogging up the famous climbs of the Tour de France, such as the Col du Tourmalet, the highest mountain pass in the Pyrenees, was has featured in 57 editions of the race. But why cross the Channel when you could have southern Wales almost entirely to yourself? This year’s Tour of Britain started with a 108-mile ride from Pembrey Country Park in Carmarthenshire to Newport. Much of the route was relayed with smooth asphalt and the towns of Llandeilo and Llandovery specialise in lamb pasties covered in lashings of rich gravy. Tastier than an energy gel. 

Fancy the Trans-Siberian? Try Britain’s most epic rail journey

The Trans-Siberian railway may stretch an epic 5,772 miles from Moscow to Russia’s far east, but it’s not cheap (to do it in comfort) and if you’re travelling in winter you’ll need to invest in some serious clobber if you want to explore anywhere beyond the dining cart. The longest continuous train journey in the UK, meanwhile, comes in at a much more doable 722 miles – and 13 hours after leaving the northeast coat of Scotland you’ll chug into Penzance, just 10 miles from Land’s End – mainland Britain’s most south-westerly point.

Skip the Himalayas – and try some peaks in Northern Ireland

Trekking in the Himalayas is an unforgettable experience, but the distances can be gruelling, altitude sickness often debilitating and camping certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. In Northern Ireland, however, fit hikers can conquer six of the country’s highest peaks in just three days – including Slieve Donard’s summit at 2,798ft. There are spectacular views from every mountaintop and dozens of nearby hotels in which to rest weary legs. The Mourne Rambler Bus Service also stops at remote areas of this rural region, making it easy to get between remote trailheads without a car.

Cornwall to Norfolk – it is our answer to the Camino de Santiago

Having rapidly become one of the planet’s trendiest hikes, a record 301,036 people embarked upon Spain’s Camino de Santiago in 2017. But with popularity comes overcrowding and if you don’t fancy spending a month contemplating the heels of the person in front of you, then you might find the Mary Michael Pilgrims Way much more to your taste. The 350-mile trail connects a series of Christian and pre-Christian sites between the cliff tops of West Cornwall at Carn Lês Boel near Land’s End to Hopton on the Norfolk Coast.

The Great Ocean Road? We have one in the Highlands

You’ll part with a pretty penny and spend 24 hours cooped up in a plane to reach Australia’s Great Ocean Road – plus at peak season you’ll be sharing this 151-mile route with thousands of other cars. So how about heading north instead for a 516-mile road trip through one of the remotest corners of the UK on the North Coast 500? The Scottish tourist board has billed this as “Scotland’s answer to Route 66” – weaving through mossy glens and past shaggy highland cows, before expansive views of the ferocious North Atlantic.

Rafting in Arizona? Try the Welsh Borders instead

Rafting doesn’t get much more exhilarating than down the Colorado River, through Arizona’s Grand Canyon, however summer temperatures can be stifling and tourists need to either apply for a private permit via a lottery, or join an organised tour. If all that sounds like too much heat and hassle, then there are plenty of alternatives closer to home, including raft-touring adventures on the River Wye – Britain’s fifth longest waterway. In some spots there are 8ft waves and grade four swirls of white water; one being a trickle, six proving near impossible. Black Mountain run daylong, 15-mile tours.  

Ditch the “Death Road” – the Manx 100 is far more sensible

Mountain biking down Bolivia’s North Yungas Road – better known as the “Death Road” – is a regular stop off on the modern Gringo Trail. But despite its infamy and allure, the bikes are often dodgy, regulations are sketchy and your travel insurer probably won’t go anywhere near it. Best to fling yourself down a gravel slope much closer to home on one of the toughest endurance rides in Europe, the Manx 100. The next organised event takes place on 28th July 2019, but sections of this 100-mile route can be ridden all year.