The UK boasts more of the world's must-see destinations than anywhere in the world
While overseas travel might have eluded many of us this year, we don't have to travel as far as you might think to see some of the world's most unmissable spots. Lonely Planet has published its Ultimate Travel List 2020, naming the UK home to more of the planet’s must-see places than anywhere else.
Our often grey but beautiful island stormed the rankings with more spots than any other country in the world. In total, 34 UK attractions appeared on the chart of 500 travel experiences - a welcome slice of news given that staycations are, for obvious reasons, one of the only forms of getting away from it all this year.
The list proves that staying on British shores doesn't have to be compromise. While Petra, the ancient city in Jordan, was crowned top of Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List, Britain was well-represented. The Lake District was the highest ranking UK attraction to feature at number 40, followed by the British Museum at 56 and the Welsh Coastal Path at 82.
The longlist was compiled from all the highlights found in every Lonely Planet guidebook over the years. Each attraction and sight recommended by Lonely Planet authors was included, before being whittled down to a shortlist. Everyone in the Lonely Planet community was then asked to vote on their 20 top travel experiences, resulting in a score for each entry and a definitive ranked list of the top 500 places to see around the world.
See a list of 20 of the highest-ranking UK attractions and sights below:
40. Lake District, England
56. British Museum, England
82. Wales Coastal Path, Wales
102. Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland
116. Jurassic Coast, England
153. Brecon Beacons, Wales
161. Snowdonia, Wales
170. V&A Museum, England
172. West Highland Way, Scotland
212. Glen Coe, Scotland
219. Seven Sisters Chalk Cliffs, England
224. Loch Lochmond, Scotland
227. Stonehenge, England
238. Skara Brae, Scotland
248. Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Scotland
267. Bath's Roman Baths, England
283. Tower of London, England
291. St Paul's Cathedral, England
302. Scotland's Northeast 250, Scotland
314. Christchurch Oxford, England
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