– This post was written by Callum Tyler –
At Tiqets, we’re lucky to help shepherd in the next batch of travel innovation. As travellers, we all look forward to the unexpected that going somewhere new can bring, if it’s a centuries-old holy place, or a museum showcasing unheard of talent – what matters is how it made you feel as you experienced it.
The Remarkable Venue Awards places the spotlight on the best attractions from around the world in the previous year. This isn’t done by us alone though, your reviews matter. Over 850,000 customers, as well as expert judges including Antony Amos, head of business development and membership at UKInbound; Jim Richardson, founder of MuseumNext; and Patrick O’Shaughnessy, industry manager at Visit Scotland.
There’s seven categories for our winners this year, including the coveted Most Remarkable Venue award. Find out who gets the honours this year in the UK and Ireland.
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Most Remarkable Venue: Royal Liver Building
“The tour was brilliant. The guide was full of knowledge and the views took your breath away.”
– Marie, United Kingdom
The Most Remarkable Venue award goes to the venue that is the most popular and top-rated with visitors, based on customer reviews on Tiqets.com.
Liverpool’s Royal Liver Building has blown away guests this year. Standing at the city’s iconic waterfront, the building is a symbol of the city, its history and its people. During a tour of the building, you’ll learn about the building’s heritage through in-depth exhibitions, before joining a guide to visit the 10th and 15th floors for breathtaking 360º views of Liverpool’s skyline.
Especially impressive are the state-of-the-art projections inside the historic clock tower. This audiovisual experience turns the walls of the West Clock Tower into a mindblowing show.
Best Museum: Old Royal Naval College
“Amazing sites, very knowledgeable guides for the Painted Hall and the outside sites. [The Guides] brought the whole experience to life. Majestic buildings and beautiful paintings, out of this world. Highly recommend it as a fantastic day out 🤩🤩…”
– Mona, United Kingdom
Situated in London’s Greenwich, the Old Royal Naval College adds even more beauty to this part of the city.
The building that now constitutes the historic college has been around since 1696, although the building – designed by Sir Christopher Wren, the very same architect responsible for St. Paul’s Cathedral – was originally built as a hospital for retired sailors.
In 1998, the buildings stopped serving its state functions and fell under the care of a charitable trust whose priority is to upkeep the building, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most impressive pieces of British architecture.
Tickets to the Old Royal Naval College open the doors to the historic site. You’ll have access to various buildings of the college, a multimedia guide (available in seven languages), the Victorian skittle alley, and of course the chance to stare at the college’s star attraction – the Painted Hall.
If you really want to make a day of your trip to the Old Royal Naval College, then you can even have afternoon tea there.
Best Attraction: The Scotch Whisky Experience
“Very informative whisky experience tour. Friendly staff and lovely whisky tasting. Definitely recommend to everyone visiting Edinburgh.”
– Lorna, United Kingdom
We’ve trawled the breadth and width of the British Isles for the top attractions, and up in Edinburgh there’s ambrosia… The Scotch Whiskey Experience brings out Scotland’s bold flavours and their proudest export.
Home to the world’s largest collection of Scotch whiskey, you’ll go on an audiovisual, and gustatory tour, through the wonderful world of whisky. There’s novelty to the tour, you won’t simply be walking through a museum and reading text on little cards beneath rare whiskey behind a glass case. Instead, you’ll be seated in a barrel and whizzed through the whiskey production process and the history of the refined liquor.
Of course, no tour is complete without tasting a dram of the good stuff. There’s six whiskeys to choose from, but regardless of if you choose a single malt or a blend, your whisky-expert guide will help you detect the flavours in your glass, teach you the proper etiquette for sipping on whisky, and offer you all the guidance you need to help find the Scotch that suits you.
Once you’ve warmed your insides, finish the tour with a stunning view of Edinburgh from the McIntyre Gallery.
Best Landmark: Tower of London
“A brilliant day out from start to finish. The guided tour was informative and entertaining and the Jewel house was amazing! Would highly recommend this excellent attraction.“
– Eve, United Kingdom
Did you know the White Tower in the Tower of London dates back to 1089 AD? That’s only two years after William the Conqueror popped his clogs. This attraction is as old as the incarnation of the country we know!
A visit to the Tower of London is your gateway to the city’s horrible history, as well as your chance to see the Crown Jewels and the Royal Armouries collection of armour and weaponry up close. If you’ve ever wondered how big Henry VIII’s breastplate was, then wonder no more.
The Tower of London houses the country’s oldest chapel, built in 1080 AD, and has served every function from royal residence to mint, menagerie, and observatory. As you wander this ancient location hearing tales of imprisonment, execution, and torture, keep your eyes out for the tower’s historic guards, the Yeoman Warders – more affectionately known as Beefeaters.
Best Onsite Experience: Windsor Castle
“Really beautiful from start to finish.“
– Janine, United Kingdom
From divine monarchy to an evolving royal role, kings like Charles II and George IV have had their influence on the UK’s most famous castle’s design. Most recently it was in the public eye for the wedding of Harry and Meaghan, and 1,000 years has only increased its fairytale charm.
With tickets to Windsor Castle, you can discover the castle’s rich history firsthand. Explore the Semi-State Apartments; see works of art from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rubens and Van Dyck; and visit St. George’s Chapel – the final resting place of numerous British Kings, as well as the choice location of many royal weddings.
Best Hidden Gem: Roald Dahl Museum
“V enjoyable. MY 7 year old grandson enjoyed v much.”
– Anonymous
Roald Dahl’s stories have touched generations of children and adults, whether it was night’s spent under the covers reading by torchlight, or gripping the arms of cinema seats as the Trunchbull threatened children with the Chokey.
The Roald Dahl Museum is located where the author lived for 36 years, the village of Great Missenden. You’ll get a first-hand feel for the locale that helped inspire the author, as well as the chance to see the interior of his famous writing hut – a magical, messy shrine to the imagination, and the very place where his iconic characters were born – restored just as he left it.
Inside the museum, there’s original manuscripts, notebooks packed with story ideas, galleries filled with facts, and plenty of Quentin Blake’s iconic illustrations.
Most Innovative Venue: RHS Garden Wisley
Once you’re inside the 240-acre plot that makes up RHS Garden Wisley, their award for Most Innovative Venue won’t come as a surprise. These sprawling grounds make one of the most impressive gardens in the world, and with events like Glow – which illuminates the gardens from November to January – their team’s creativity adds the cherry to what’s already one of the UK’s crowning botanical achievements.
From the moment you arrive and step beneath the cherry trees that usher you into the welcome building, you know that RHS Wisley has a treat in store for you. There’s 30 different areas to appreciate in the grounds, enough to make you come back time and time again. A few major highlights are the Glasshouse with its collection of plants from around the world; Battleston Hill with its rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias, hydrangea, and Chinese cedar; and the Mixed Borders, a 128-metre stretch of path with a plethora of colour growing on either side.
