Fireworks over the Edinburgh skyline, as seen from Calton Hill.

Fireworks over the Edinburgh skyline, as seen from Calton Hill.Getty

If you're planning a visit to the UK you'd do worse than consult the latest Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist from Lonely Planet - which names the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as the top attraction.

The Lonely Planet has scoured every inch of the UK, Northern Ireland, and Channel Islands to compile the ultimate UK Travel Guide, made up of 500 attractions with the Fringe Festival coming out first. With London's British Museum and Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway coming in third, in 2019.

Read more: 5 things to do in London

Speaking about its first choice, Lonely Planet said the Fringe Festival "floods the city with art and nowhere beats it for spectacle or scale. 

"There is theatre, comedy, dance, circus, cabaret, opera, music, and spoken word, and whatever the time of day, an acrobat, trapeze artist, contortionist or tried-and-tested bagpiping busker will be pleased to entertain you. Simply step through the looking glass and prepare to be dazzled by the greatest show of arts and culture on Earth.”

Lonely Planet Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist

    1. Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh
    2. British Museum, London
    3. Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
    4. Bath, Southwest England
    5. Hadrian’s Wall, Northeast England
    6. Sunday pub roast
    7. Tate Modern, London
    8. Stonehenge, Southwest England
    9. Windermere, Cumbria
    10. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, South Wales
    11. Punting in Cambridge, East Anglia
    12. Glastonbury Festival, Southwest England
    13. St Paul’s Cathedral, London
    14. The Scilly Isles, Southwest England
    15. Stratford-upon-Avon, Midlands, and The Marches
    16. Borough Market, London
    17. Glencoe, Highlands, and Islands
    18. Yorkshire Dales National Park
    19. Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh
    20. South Bank, London

* Originally published in Aug 2019.

Read more: Top tips to know before you visit Britain