11 ways to plan cheap days out in the UK in 2026

A day out for a family of four in the UK can easily cost well over £100.

But there are many money-saving tips, discounts and 2-for-1 deals that can help you plan budget-friendly fun.

In 1974, it cost 10p to visit the Tower of London. If the price had increased in line with inflation, admission would now be 96p. In fact, as of March 2026, it’s £35.80.

If you’re planning a visit to one of the UK’s top historic attractions, best museums and galleries, or top National Trust sites, be sure to follow our advice to keep costs down – whether you’re travelling during the Easter holidays, the May bank holidays or later in the year.

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1. 2-for-1 entry with National Rail

For many famous attractions in the UK you can get cheaper admission by taking advantage of National Rail’s 2-for-1 offer, which gets you a discounted entry if you present a valid train ticket.

Using this deal, you can currently get 2-for-1 tickets to many historic houses, castles, fortresses, parks and botanical gardens across the UK. The list includes Kew Gardens, where the walk-up price is £27 per adult ticket, Leeds Castle at £34.50 per adult ticket, Hampton Court Palace (£32 per adult at peak time) and dozens more.

You can also use the deal to get significant discounts (ranging from 15-30% off, or 2-for-1 ticket deals) at museums, zoos and other tourist attractions in the UK, including The London Eye and London Zoo.

For example, an adult ticket to London Zoo is £35 if you visit at the weekend, but by booking through via the National Rail Days Out website you can get one adult ticket free. 

To qualify, you need to show a National Rail train ticket (this does not include London Underground tickets or Oyster cards). Just head to the Days Out Guide website, book your attraction tickets in advance or get a pay-at-the-door voucher, and buy your National Rail train tickets. 

The deal is often worth redeeming even if you didn’t plan to arrive by train. Just buy a cheap ticket for the last stop of the journey to the attraction’s nearest train station, and the cost of the ticket is usually offset by the savings you’ll make on the attraction’s entrance fees. 

Read more on how to get freebies by travelling by train.

2. Visiting the Tower of London and Hampton Court this year? Get a membership to Historic Royal Palaces

If you fancy visiting the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace, it might make sense to make both trips this year and buy an annual membership to Historic Royal Palaces.

As we mentioned earlier, adult entrance to the Tower of London costs £35.80, and if you visit Hampton Court Palace at a peak time, you'll pay £32 for an adult ticket. A year’s Historic Royal Palaces membership, however, allows you to visit both – plus Kensington Palace, Banqueting House in Whitehall, Kew Palace and Hillsborough Castle – and costs £60 (paying by direct debit). 

For two people buying a joint membership, the cost comes down to just £47.50 each (and even less for a family membership still).

3. Group discounts to Legoland, Sea Life and more

If you can team up with one or two other families to visit an attraction on the same day, you could save on entry with a group rate. 

For example, we found tickets to Legoland costing £39 per person last year on Saturday 2 May 2026, but that price lowered to £32 per person for groups of 10 or more.

You can also find group discounts for West End shows via ATG tickets group booking website for popular musicals including Wicked, The Lion King and Mean Girls.

4. Use your reward card at Legoland, the London Eye and more

Some reward cards offer cheaper days out. 

For example, with a Tesco Clubcard, every 50p in credit you have can be turned into £1 off entry to Leeds Castle, Legoland, the London Eye and many other attractions.

If you’re a member of Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club, you can also transfer points to be used on Virgin Experiences, such as Go Ape or the view from the UK’s highest building, The Shard.

5. Got kids? Check holiday dates and teacher training days

Some attractions, such as Warwick Castle, Legoland and other places owned by entertainment giant Merlin, have higher prices depending on demand – so visiting during children's holidays can be more expensive. 

However, school holidays vary around the UK, so if you’re lucky enough to be able to take the kids out when others are still at school, you can save money.

Another option is to plan your excursions around your children’s school inset days. These are in-service teacher training days, and they vary not just by region but by individual school. 

For example, entrance to Warwick Castle currently costs £22 (16+ years) on Friday 22 March, but tickets are £9 more the following weekdays when most children are on their half-term break.

6. Get a free National Trust pass

Family membership of the National Trust costs £76.40, while one-off trips to some properties can cost £50 for two adults and children.

However, the National Trust occasionally offers the public a chance to get a free National Trust pass. We've seen the offer available to claim online or via vouchers in Reach newspapers. There’s no guarantee that National Trust will have this great deal again, but look out for similar offers throughout the year.

7. Buy annual passes on Black Friday

Some UK attractions have provided cheaper tickets if you book on or close to Black Friday, which will be on 27 November in 2026.

Merlin, which owns Madame Tussauds, Legoland, Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures and dozens of other attractions, has had a Black Friday deal in recent years. Some individual attractions, such as Legoland and Alton Towers, also had special offers.

8. Visit one of many great free attractions

In our annual survey of the UK’s best museums, galleries and other attractions, 17 of the top-ranked destinations are completely free. There are great free places to visit in Cardiff, York and Edinburgh, as well as in London, Liverpool and Glasgow.

Take a look at the best free attractions in the UK.

9. Check if it’s cheaper to book in advance

It can often pay to plan ahead. We've found that booking tickets for attractions is often cheaper when you do so online ahead of your visit. The savings can really add up for a family trip.

For example, at Legoland the ‘walk-up' adult price is £68, but advance tickets start at £34. Similarly, at Windsor Castle adult tickets cost £32 in advance, whereas they’re £36 on the day.

10. Buy ‘rush’ tickets for live events and shows...

Theatres sometimes offer last-minute tickets for live events at discounted prices to ensure a full house. For example, London's National Theatre offers Friday Rush tickets for £10, which can be nabbed between 12.30pm and 1pm on Fridays. You can also check out ticket lotteries on the TodayTix website, which offer last-minute tickets at reduced prices.

11. … or sign up to be a seat filler

Join a seat-filler agency such as Central Tickets, and you’ll get access to highly discounted and free tickets to plays, musicals, ballet and opera, many of which are family friendly.

Just create an account, search the UK-wide listings and book up to six tickets for the event of your choice. Seat-filler tickets are sometimes free, or range from £4 to £15.