The best UK family winter breaks for all ages

Winter is here – but there’s no need to hibernate as soon as the clocks change and the frost settles in. Family holidays in the winter months can be the most magical of all – think chilly walks, wildlife spotting and holing up in cosy warm cottages. 

We love getting outdoors as a little family of three for blustery walks (ideally with lots of animals to point at) – and there’s lots on offer for older children during this season too. Sometimes you just need a peg to hang a break on, whether that’s a cottage with a fire for hunkering down and enjoying cosy family board games, or enjoying a blast of nature, and we’ve got plenty of suggestions here.

Read on for eight ideas for the best winter holidays for families, guaranteed to put a rosy glow in your cheeks.   

Already a Boundless member? Simply log in to gain full access to all the offers and benefits included in your membership. 

Not yet a member? If you're working in or retired from the public sector or civil service, Boundless has two great membership options to choose from: Boundless and Boundless Plus. Enjoy unlimited access or discounted entry to many of the UK’s top attractions, as well as year-round deals on restaurants, holidays, shopping and much more.  

1. Best winter holidays for frosty walks 

The spectacular Glenfinnan Monument in Scotland/Credit: Getty Images

For glorious winter landscapes, head to Scotland. Most of the National Trust for Scotland’s 100 beautiful places stay open throughout the winter, so you can explore castles, country parks and famous landmarks including Glencoe and the Glenfinnan Monument in beautiful cold clear light – then warm up in an NTS café afterwards. 

Boundless Plus members get unlimited access to NTS places, and also to Ramblers and its directory of walking routes too – so you could easily extend your walk if you wanted.  

Where to stay?

Boundless partners cottages.com and Hoseasons offer plenty of holiday cottages and lodges all over Scotland. Or if the winter’s relatively mild, you could opt for the freedom of the road, and hire a Swift Go motorhome to explore some National Trust for Scotland places, weaving in scenic spots in between. Boundless members save 10% with Swift Go, which has a collection depot in Edinburgh. 

2. Best winter holidays for ice skating fun

Hit the ice in style at Somerset House/Credit: Getty Images

Grab your skates for some winter wonderland fun. You could head to London, where Somerset House is a classic rink for a reason – set against a neoclassical courtyard, it glows with festive lights at Christmas time, and skaters can warm up after a session with hot drinks and festive treats. 

Further north, Another Place, The Lake, a hotel on the banks of Ullswater in the Lake District, is opening its first ice rink this winter and will be serving wood-fired pizzas (plus festive cocktails for the grownups) on the water’s edge.

Where to stay

Boundless members can save 10% on hotel stays booked through hotels.com, which has loads of options in London. 

3. Best winter holidays for cosy cottage escapes

Enjoy a cosy Christmas in the Cotswolds/Credit: Getty Images

If your ideal winter break requires a crackling wood fire, low beams, a snug sofa and a cup of steaming hot chocolate, you can’t beat a cosy cottage stay.

Where to stay

Cotswold Cottages offer a clutch of gorgeous boltholes in the village of Bourton-On-The-Water with 20% off for Boundless members – Stepping Stones, which sleeps five, is perfect for families with pets, and kids will love the Cotswold Motoring and Toy Museum next door (free for members).

Don’t forget, members can also save 5% all year round with cottages.com, too – choose from over 21,000 locations across the UK. 

4. Best winter holidays for blustery beach days

Sea, sun and sand aren’t just the perfect combo for summer – in winter, a bracing oceanside walk can really blow the cobwebs away. Stay at Bournemouth West Cliff Hotel (members get 20% off) to have the city’s seven miles of sands on your doorstep. Water babies will love the hotel’s two swimming pools, plus there’s a restaurant with kids’ menu and family rooms, making this a great break if you’re bringing your minis.

Alternatively you could head to a Haven Holidays Park, where Boundless members can save up to 20%. It has 38 sites dotted along the UK’s coastline, and several stay open into January, including Lystep Beach Village in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Hafan y Môr in North Wales, and Combe Haven in Sussex. 

If you can’t choose which site would suit you best, try their clever search tool to find the perfect park to suit your children’s age and what they’re into (do you fancy a swimming pool, water sports, walks on the doorstep…?). 

5. Best winter holidays for going wild in the city

Kew Gardens is a delight to visit throughout the year/Credit: Getty Images

Kew Gardens (with unlimited access for Boundless members) is a real urban oasis and makes for a perfect family day out in London if you need a bit of space. 

Kids can explore the Children’s Garden, designed for climbing, playing, and learning about plants, follow the Treetop Walkway for a thrilling perspective above the canopy or head into the Hive to discover the world of bees.

Read on to hear how Katy Stern from the family blog Otis and Us enjoyed her day out at Kew. 

Where to stay: Boundless members can get 10% off hotel stays when booking through hotels.com – there are many to choose from all over the capital, whether you want to stay in a central location or further out. 

If you’re planning a break with grown-up family members, why not book in for a stay at Boundless partner Warner Hotels’ newest riverside retreat, The Runnymede on Thames near Windsor? It’s a half-hour drive from Kew Gardens and offers lots of daytime and evening entertainment. Members can also save up to £80 per room on selected breaks with Warner. 

6. The best winter holidays for being in nature

Get lost in the enchanting woodlands of the Forest of Dean with a winter weekender at family-friendly Whitemead Forest Park. Choose from luxury glamping pods, log cabins with hot tubs (a dip in hot, bubbly water on a dark frosty night is glorious…), modern apartments or, if you fancy a spot of cosy van life, a campervan pitch. Little ones can hit the pool, try adventure golf or follow a nature trail in search of local critters.

7. The best winter holidays for wildlife

Watch waders and birds at WWT Slimbridge centre in Gloucestershire/Credit: Getty Images

Wetlands are a vital part of the UK’s environment and are home to a wonderful array of species even in the winter months, from kingfishers to swans and even elusive otters. 

This winter Boundless membership will nab you unlimited admission for an adult and up to five children, plus 50% off for one additional adult guest, at WWT centres around the UK. 

WWT Martin Mere in Lancashire is holding special Floodlit Swan evenings in January where you can get a fantastic view of wild swans and ducks from a hide while learning about whooper swans, which spend winter in the UK. And at WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, you’ll have the chance to watch waders and other birds come in to roost on one of the biggest tides of the year on 1 and 2 January. There’s always plenty going on at WWT – get a taste of it with our round-up of events. 

Where to stay

Check out the thousands of holiday properties offered by Boundless partners Hoseasons and cottages.com for a lovely stay within hitting distance of the nine WWT centres. Members can save 5% on Hoseasons and cottages.com stays all year round. 

8. The best winter holiday for exploring an epic landscape

For a real sense of space, plan a road trip around Northern Ireland’s Coastal Causeway Route, which is compact enough to explore over a long weekend. 

Stretching for 195 miles and hugging the Atlantic Ocean all the way from Belfast to Londonderry, this coast road winds past pastel-hued fishing villages, medieval castles, white sand beaches and the jewel in Northern Ireland’s crown, the Giant’s Causeway, where you may even spot resident giant Finn McCool.

Where to stay

Swift Go, the motorhome hire specialist, has a collection depot in Manchester, just an hour’s drive from Birkenhead - so you could take advantage of your Boundless saving (10%) and hit the road in a hired motorhome. And as a Boundless Member you can enjoy 10% off Economy, Flexi and Premium car crossings to Dublin, Rosslare and Belfast in Ireland with Stena Line. 

Do more with Boundless

If you're working in or retired from the public sector or civil service, Boundless has two great membership options to choose from: Boundless and Boundless Plus. 

With Boundless, you get unlimited access or discounted entry to many of the UK’s top attractions, including Kew Gardens and Wakehurst and WWT centres across the UK, as well as year-round deals on restaurants, holidays, shopping and much more. With Boundless Plus, you can enjoy additional benefits including unlimited access to Historic Royal Palaces sites, National Trust for Scotland places, access to The Ramblers' extensive walking community, and peace of mind with roadside assistance and local recovery by LV= Britannia Rescue.