From climbing Kilimanjaro to cycling the Tour de France route … readers’ favourite organised challenges

Whether it’s for the satisfaction of completing a tough physical challenge or to raise money for charity, our readers select their most memorable adventures

10 of the best learning holidays in Europe for 2026

From rock climbing in Derbyshire to honing your creative writing skills in Crete, why not take a break with like minds and fellow learners this year?

‘It’s bigger than Hogmanay’: Shetland’s Up Helly Aa Viking fire festival

The raucous celebration of the new year and the islands’ Nordic heritage culminates in the ritual burning of a longship – and much drinking

Tell us: have you been affected by the Channel tunnel rail disruption?

If you’ve been affected by cancellations to Eurostar services, we would like to hear from you

Saunas, electronica and air guitar: Oulu, Finland’s tech city, is European Capital of Culture 2026

This Nordic city and digital hub is having its moment in the (midnight) sun, offering cultural, arty events and pleasingly eclectic silliness

Kids’ own adventures: 25 free school holiday activities around Australia this summer

Drop in to gallery workshops to make plushie pals or shimmering sun catchers, design the first city on the moon, control a gigantic whale puppet or meet a mermaid these school holidays

‘A watery gold sunrise lights the turbulent water’: the wild beauty of the Suffolk coast

Coastal erosion may threaten the area around Southwold, but a new ‘movable’ cabin makes a great base for exploring its windswept beaches, remote marshes and welcoming inns

11 of the UK’s best winter walks – all ending at a cosy pub

Too much turkey and Baileys? Blow away the Christmas cobwebs on one of our rambles. And if that doesn’t work, they all end at a pub for a hair of the dog

‘Emerge from misty woods above a sea of clouds’: readers’ favourite UK winter walks

Readers revel in winter light, wildlife spectacles and cosy pubs from Norfolk to Northumberland

‘It’s a social hub more than a pub’: Scottish community reopens its local inn just in time for Christmas

As pubs nationwide buckle under soaring costs, one Argyll village spent three years buying and restoring theirs – and has ambitious plans for the future

A tent, an electric stove and -40C temperatures: the chefs who cook ‘on ice’ in Antarctica

During the southernmost continent’s darkest, coldest days, scientists and researchers turn to food for comfort

‘An unsung alternative to the Cotswolds‘: exploring Leicestershire’s Welland valley

This hidden gem has country inns, canalside walks, a stunning viaduct, the historic town of Market Harborough – and not a tour bus in sight

Stargazing in the Lake District: a new forest observatory opens in Grizedale

There’s no shortage of stunning scenery and daytime activities in the Lakes. Now, an observatory is offering stellar nocturnal events too

Come on in, all ye faithful: 18 of the UK’s best mass swims for Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day

Festive sea swims are pure joy – and also blow away the cobwebs, unite communities and raise money for charity. Here are some old (and new) favourites

I took my kids to Lapland on the Santa Claus Express – but would the big man deliver?

If meeting Santa Claus is on your children’s wishlist, this trip on a festive sleeper train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, with reindeer and huskies thrown in, is Christmas with jingle bells on