Whilst each city, town and village in the UK has its own unique and individual attractions, there are a few places that you should definitely visit whilst studying in the UK. Here are 5 places which should already be circled on your map...

London

London, England’s capital city, is one of the most vibrant, exciting and multicultural cities you will ever visit. Home to the King, you can go and visit Buckingham Palace and the beautiful stately parks around it. You can opt to use the London Underground for travelling, or you can simply walk. One of the most fun ways to get around and see things is by cycling - London has an extremely popular bike hire scheme. Plus, you can work off some of the weight from trying Britain's hearty cuisine. There are lots of bus tours and walking tours in London so you can really enjoy all the sights and sounds.

Local universities to check out: London Metropolitan University, University of the Arts, London South Bank University

Brighton

Known by some as “London by the sea”, Brighton is a bold and quirky small city on the south coast, just under an hour from the capital by train. Brighton is a haven for those a little alternative and who like to do things a little differently. You can see this in the energetic music scene and subversive art & graffiti around the city. Probably the most progressive city in the UK, Brighton is considered the LGBT capital of the UK with Pride taking place every August, drawing thousands from around the country and Europe.

Local universities to check out: University of Sussex, University of Brighton

Oxford

The beautiful regency city of Oxford is just an hour away from London and is home to the world famous Oxford University, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Oxford is definitely one of those places where you can wander around all day long, hurting your neck because you’ll be staring up at the gorgeous architecture and scenery so much! Christ Church Cathedral is a beautiful place to visit, and there are many incredible nature reserves and walks in the city. In fact the reason why Oxford boasts so many incredible buildings is because it avoided bombings in World War 2 as it was Hitler’s favourite city because of its architecture! You definitely won't be able to put your camera away!

Local universities to check out: Oxford Brookes University

Edinburgh

For a taste of Scotland, head to the capital of Edinburgh. Here you can enjoy the spectacular sight of Edinburgh Castle (Psst, Scotland has a lot of castles if you like that sort of thing). If you enjoy watching performances, whether comedians, dance or theatre, the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival is an incredible event to go to in the summer months. Running for the duration of August each year, it is the largest arts festival in the world with something there to suit everyone, whatever your taste; on the Royal Mile each day, performers do everything they can to grab the public’s attention and sell tickets to their show that night. Edinburgh also has plenty of shops and a great nightlife while also playing home to Scotland’s five National Galleries.

Liverpool

Voted as one of the European Cities of Culture, Liverpool is the home of the Beatles, and in some ways Pop music itself with a thriving music scene. So if you like your music, Liverpool has to be on your bucket list of places to go. It has a rich architectural history and many sites in its town centre are World Heritage Sites. Liverpudlians are known as one of the friendliest in the country, even if the accent is a little difficult to comprehend at first. Liverpool has two rival football clubs in Liverpool FC and Everton FC while the Grand National takes place annually on the outskirts of the city.

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