Traveling to England and Scotland with kids in June 2023

What do you like to do? What are you/your kids interested in?

They love Harry Potter so we are planning to do that. I think they'll like seeing the iconic stuff but what other fun things are there to see and do?
Kids museums, hands on activities, etc. What other places in England are good for families?

Castles, and there are many to consider. Walled cities that allow you to walk on the walls. For many American children, just experiencing public transportation is fun. Any museum with armor and old weapons. Massive old churches and be sure to go down into the crypts.

You haven't told us how long you plan to be on vacation or how you plan to move from place to place. Just as a rough plan, I'd start in Edinburgh, train south to York, then south to London,.

We did four weeks driving around south Wales and England in 2017 and visited Warwick Castle. We saw more kids there than anywhere in the UK.
Check it out.

Stonehenge and Windsor Castle would be good.

Thanks for your response! We are planning a trip for 10-12 days depending on our itinerary. We are hoping to move around by train, but are not against renting cars to go from area to area.

With 10 to 12 days, I’d base in London for 7 to 8 nights and base in Edinburgh for the rest. London alone has so much to see and do that a week is hardly enough, but you can also day trip easily to lots of places by train. I believe Oxford and Cambridge both were used as HP filming locations, so you could spend a day in either.

I'm assuming you've discovereed the website for the Harry Potter Studio Tours? They are very popular and get fully booked up, so make sure you plan well ahead to make sure you get a ticket! Grandsons loved this and could have spent the day there.

With only 10-12 days, don't try and cram in too much and you will need to be focused on what you want to do and see.

As well as HP studios done as a day trip from London, there are places like the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace (don't miss the Maze), Natural History Museum, Greenwich with the Cutty Sark...

Do a day trip to Portsmouth for the Mary Rose (remains of the wreck of Henry VIII's warship) as well as Nelson's Victory.

If you want a break between London and Edinburgh, then York is the obvious place with its walls, Castle, Minster, National Railway Museum, Castle Museum (see the cell where highwayman Dick Turpin was kept in before his execution).

Edinburgh you have the castle (don't miss the firing of the one o'clock gun) as well as Holyroodhouse. Walk the Royal Mile

I agree with the previous poster that a day trip to Portsmouth historic harbor would be a good family activity. It is about 1-1/2 hour train ride from London so it would be a long day. We spent several days there and explored multiple ships and submarines, museums, and enjoyed the harbor tour.