Day trips
Day trips guides
Where to go for a day away, with honest travel times.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
252 destination guides, grouped by region. Popular starting points: Paris, London, Rome and Barcelona.
Key facts
- Destinations
- 252
- Regions
- 7
Start here
France · best April–June and September–October
Paris
World-class museums, café terraces and walkable riverside quarters
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United Kingdom · best May–June and September
London
Free national museums, royal landmarks, West End theatre and riverside walks
Italy · best April–May and September–October
Rome
Ancient ruins, Vatican art, Baroque piazzas and long trattoria lunches
Spain · best May–June and September–October
Barcelona
Gaudí architecture, Gothic lanes, tapas bars and city beaches
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Netherlands · best April–June and September
Amsterdam
Canal rings, Golden Age art, brown cafés and a city made for bikes
Japan · best March–May and October–November
Tokyo
Neon districts, historic shrines, outstanding food and punctual trains
Europe
| Destination | Classic day trip | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Paris | Palace of Versailles | About 40 minutes by RER C |
| London | Windsor Castle | About 1 hour by train |
| Rome | Ostia Antica | About 40 minutes by train |
| Barcelona | Montserrat | About 1 hour 15 minutes by train |
| Amsterdam | Haarlem | About 15 minutes by train |
| Istanbul | Princes' Islands (Büyükada) | About 1.5–2 hours by public ferry |
| Lisbon | Sintra | About 40 minutes by train |
| Madrid | Toledo | About 35 minutes by high-speed train |
| Prague | Kutná Hora | About 1 hour by train |
| Vienna | Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey | About 1 hour by train to Melk |
| Berlin | Potsdam | About 25–40 minutes by train |
| Venice | Verona | About 1 hour 10 minutes by fast train |
| Florence | Siena | About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus |
| Athens | Cape Sounion | About 1.5–2 hours by coastal bus |
| Budapest | Szentendre | About 40 minutes by suburban train |
| Dublin | Howth | About 30 minutes by DART |
| Edinburgh | Stirling | About 50 minutes by train |
| Copenhagen | Louisiana Museum of Modern Art | About 35–40 minutes by train |
| Reykjavík | Golden Circle | A 6–8 hour loop by car or tour |
| Seville | Córdoba | About 45 minutes by high-speed train |
| Porto | Douro Valley | About 2–2.5 hours by train |
| Munich | Neuschwanstein Castle | About 2–2.5 hours by train and bus |
| Milan | Lake Como | About 40 minutes to 1 hour by train |
| Naples | Pompeii | About 35–40 minutes by train |
| Nice | Monaco | About 20 minutes by train |
| Dubrovnik | Kotor and the Bay of Kotor | About 2–3 hours each way by road |
| Santorini | Ios | About 40–60 minutes by high-speed ferry |
| Brussels | Bruges | About 1 hour by direct train |
| Bruges | Ghent | About 25 minutes by train |
| Kraków | Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial | About 1.5 hours by bus or car |
| Warsaw | Żelazowa Wola | About 1 hour by car or bus |
| Stockholm | Drottningholm Palace | About 1 hour by boat, or 30–40 minutes by metro and bus |
| Oslo | Drøbak | About 1 hour by bus, longer by summer boat |
| Helsinki | Tallinn | About 2 hours each way by ferry |
| Tallinn | Helsinki | About 2 hours each way by ferry |
| Riga | Jūrmala | About 30 minutes by train |
| Vilnius | Trakai | About 35–40 minutes by train or bus |
| Zurich | Lucerne | About 45 minutes by train |
| Geneva | Lausanne | About 40 minutes by train |
| Lucerne | Rigi | About 1.5 hours by boat and cogwheel railway |
| Interlaken | Bern | About 50 minutes by train |
| Salzburg | Hallstatt | About 2–2.5 hours by bus or train and ferry |
| Hamburg | Lübeck | About 45 minutes by train |
| Frankfurt | Heidelberg | About 1 hour by train |
| Cologne | Bonn | About 20–30 minutes by train |
| Lyon | Pérouges | About 35 minutes by train, then a 30-minute walk |
| Bordeaux | Saint-Émilion | About 35 minutes by train |
| Marseille | Cassis | About 30 minutes by train or bus |
| Valencia | Albufera and El Palmar | About 30–40 minutes by bus |
| Málaga | Caminito del Rey | About 1 hour by car or train |
| Granada | Sierra Nevada | About 45–60 minutes by bus |
| Palma de Mallorca | Sóller and Port de Sóller | About 1 hour by vintage train |
| Ibiza | Formentera | About 30 minutes by fast ferry |
| Tenerife | La Gomera | About 50 minutes by ferry |
| Bologna | Florence | About 35–40 minutes by high-speed train |
| Verona | Sirmione, Lake Garda | About 40–60 minutes by train and bus |
| Amalfi Coast | Capri | About 30–60 minutes by ferry |
| Cinque Terre | Porto Venere and Palmaria | About 30 minutes by bus from La Spezia |
| Palermo | Cefalù | About 1 hour by train |
| Split | Trogir | About 30–45 minutes by bus or boat |
| Ljubljana | Lake Bled | About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus |
| Bratislava | Vienna | About 1 hour by train |
| Belgrade | Novi Sad and Petrovaradin Fortress | About 35–40 minutes by fast train |
| Sofia | Rila Monastery | About 2 hours by car or bus |
| Bucharest | Sinaia and Peleș Castle | About 1 hour 45 minutes by train |
| Mykonos | Tinos | About 20–35 minutes by ferry |
| Crete | Santorini | About 2 hours each way by high-speed ferry |
| Rhodes | Symi | About 1 hour by fast catamaran |
| Antalya | Aspendos | About 45 minutes by car |
| Cappadocia | Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car |
| Bodrum | Kos, Greece | About 30–60 minutes by ferry |
| San Sebastián | Hondarribia | About 35–45 minutes by bus |
| Lake Como | Milan | About 40–60 minutes by train from Como |
| Sorrento | Capri | About 20–25 minutes by fast ferry |
| Innsbruck | Hall in Tirol | About 10 minutes by train |
| Hallstatt | Bad Ischl | About 30–40 minutes by bus or train |
| Rotterdam | Kinderdijk | About 30–40 minutes by waterbus |
| The Hague | Delft | About 10 minutes by train, 25 by tram |
| Antwerp | Brussels | About 40–50 minutes by train |
| Bergen | Norway in a Nutshell: Flåm and the Nærøyfjord | A full day, about 10–12 hours round trip |
| Tromsø | Sommarøy | About 1 hour by car |
| Manchester | Peak District: Edale and Castleton | About 45 minutes–1 hour by train |
| Liverpool | Chester | About 45 minutes by train |
| Bath | Bristol | About 12–15 minutes by train |
| York | Castle Howard | About 40 minutes by car or bus |
| Glasgow | Loch Lomond | About 45 minutes by train |
| Belfast | Giant's Causeway and the Causeway Coast | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car |
| Galway | Cliffs of Moher and the Burren | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car or tour coach |
| Madeira | Porto Santo | About 2 hours 15 minutes by ferry |
| Algarve | Seville | About 2 hours by car or coach |
| Azores | Nordeste and the east coast | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Ponta Delgada |
| Corfu | Paxos and Antipaxos | About 1 hour by fast ferry from Corfu Town |
| Thessaloniki | Vergina (Royal Tombs of Aigai) | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car |
| Valletta | Mdina and Rabat | About 30–40 minutes by bus |
| Kotor | Lovćen National Park and Njegoš Mausoleum | About 1 hour by car |
| Sarajevo | Mostar | About 2 hours by train or bus |
| Zagreb | Plitvice Lakes National Park | About 2–2.5 hours by bus or car |
| Hvar | Split | About 1 hour by catamaran |
| Strasbourg | Colmar | About 30 minutes by TER train |
| Cannes | Antibes and Juan-les-Pins | About 10–15 minutes by train |
| Chamonix | Courmayeur | About 30 minutes by bus or car |
Asia
| Destination | Classic day trip | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Kamakura | About 1 hour by train |
| Bangkok | Ayutthaya | About 1.5–2 hours by train or minivan |
| Singapore | Johor Bahru | About 1–2 hours including the border |
| Hong Kong | Macau | About 1 hour by ferry |
| Seoul | DMZ | Full-day organised tour |
| Kyoto | Nara | About 45 minutes by train |
| Osaka | Kyoto | About 15–45 minutes by train |
| Bali | Nusa Penida | About 45 minutes by fast boat |
| Phuket | Phi Phi Islands | About 1–2 hours by boat |
| Hanoi | Ha Long Bay | About 2.5–3 hours each way by road |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Củ Chi Tunnels | About 1.5–2 hours each way by road |
| Kuala Lumpur | Melaka | About 2–2.5 hours each way by bus |
| Taipei | Jiufen | About 1–1.5 hours by bus |
| Tbilisi | Mtskheta | About 30 minutes by car or minibus |
| Baku | Gobustan and the mud volcanoes | About 1 hour by car |
| Yerevan | Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery | About 45 minutes by car |
| Maldives | Maafushi | About 30–45 minutes by shared speedboat |
| Goa | Dudhsagar Falls | About 2 hours by road and jeep |
| Delhi | Agra and the Taj Mahal | About 2 hours by express train |
| Mumbai | Lonavala and Karla Caves | About 2–2.5 hours by road or train |
| Jaipur | Ranthambore National Park | About 2–3 hours by train or road |
| Agra | Fatehpur Sikri | About 1 hour by road |
| Kathmandu | Bhaktapur | About 45 minutes to 1 hour by road |
| Colombo | Galle Fort | About 1.5–2 hours by expressway; 2–3 hours by train |
| Chiang Mai | Doi Inthanon National Park | About 2 hours by road |
| Krabi | Koh Phi Phi | About 1.5–2 hours by ferry; 45 minutes by speedboat |
| Koh Samui | Ang Thong National Marine Park | About 1–2 hours by boat |
| Siem Reap | Kbal Spean | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car |
| Phnom Penh | Koh Dach (Silk Island) | About 45 minutes by tuk-tuk or boat |
| Luang Prabang | Kuang Si Falls | About 45 minutes by road |
| Da Nang | Hoi An | About 45 minutes by car |
| Hoi An | My Son Sanctuary | About 1 hour by car |
| Manila | Tagaytay and Taal Volcano | About 1.5–2.5 hours by road |
| Cebu | Bohol | About 2 hours by fast ferry, then 1 hour by road |
| Boracay | Bakhawan Eco-Park, Kalibo | About 2 hours by boat and van |
| Jakarta | Bogor | About 1–1.5 hours by commuter train |
| Yogyakarta | Solo (Surakarta) | About 1 hour by commuter train |
| Shanghai | Suzhou | About 30 minutes by high-speed train |
| Beijing | Badaling Great Wall | About 1–1.5 hours by train |
| Macau | Hong Kong | About 1 hour by ferry or bridge bus |
| Busan | Gyeongju | About 30 minutes by KTX, plus a bus into town |
| Jeju | Udo | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car and ferry |
| Sapporo | Otaru | About 35–45 minutes by JR rapid train |
| Okinawa | Kerama Islands | About 35–50 minutes by high-speed ferry |
| Hiroshima | Iwakuni and Kintai Bridge | About 1 hour by train and bus |
| Nara | Horyu-ji | About 30 minutes by train and walk or bus |
| Fukuoka | Dazaifu | About 30–45 minutes by train |
| Penang | Balik Pulau | About 40–50 minutes by car |
| Ubud | Mount Batur sunrise trek | About 1 hour by car, plus a 2-hour climb |
| Ha Long Bay | Yen Tu Mountain | About 1 hour by car |
| Palawan | Culion Island | About 1–1.5 hours by boat |
| Kerala | Athirappilly Falls | About 2 hours by car from Kochi |
| Pokhara | Australian Camp and Dhampus | About 1 hour by car, plus 1 hour's walk |
| Almaty | Charyn Canyon | About 3–3.5 hours by car each way |
| Samarkand | Shahrisabz | About 1 hour 30 minutes–2 hours by car |
North America
| Destination | Classic day trip | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | Beacon and Dia Beacon | About 1 hour 30 minutes by train |
| Los Angeles | Disneyland Resort | About 45–90 minutes by car |
| San Francisco | Muir Woods | About 40 minutes by car |
| Las Vegas | Hoover Dam and Lake Mead | About 45 minutes by car |
| Miami | Everglades National Park | About 1 hour by car |
| Orlando | Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex | About 1 hour by car |
| Chicago | Oak Park | About 25 minutes by L or Metra |
| Washington, D.C. | Mount Vernon | About 30–40 minutes by car |
| Boston | Salem | About 30 minutes by train |
| New Orleans | Whitney Plantation | About 1 hour by car |
| Honolulu | North Shore and Haleʻiwa | About 1 hour by car |
| Toronto | Niagara Falls | About 1.5–2 hours by car, train or bus |
| Vancouver | Whistler | About 2 hours by car or coach |
| Montreal | Quebec City | About 3–3.5 hours by train or car |
| San Diego | San Diego Zoo Safari Park | About 45 minutes by car |
| Seattle | Mount Rainier National Park | About 2–2.5 hours each way by car to Paradise |
| Portland | Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls | About 40 minutes by car |
| Austin | Lockhart | About 45 minutes by car |
| Nashville | Franklin | About 30 minutes by car |
| Denver | Boulder | About 40 minutes by car or 50 minutes by bus |
| Philadelphia | Valley Forge National Historical Park | About 40 minutes by car |
| Atlanta | Stone Mountain Park | About 30 minutes by car |
| San Antonio | Fredericksburg | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car |
| Dallas | Fort Worth | About 45 minutes by car or 1 hour by TRE train |
| Houston | Galveston | About 1 hour by car |
| Phoenix | Sedona | About 2 hours by car |
| Sedona | Grand Canyon South Rim | About 2 hours 15 minutes by car |
| Charleston | Kiawah Island | About 45 minutes by car |
| Savannah | Hilton Head Island | About 1 hour by car |
| Key West | Dry Tortugas National Park | About 2 hours 15 minutes by ferry, 40 minutes by seaplane |
| Maui | Hāna town and Hāmoa Beach | About 2.5–3 hours each way by car |
| Anchorage | Girdwood and Alyeska | About 45 minutes by car |
| Salt Lake City | Park City | About 40–50 minutes by car |
| Quebec City | Île d'Orléans | About 20 minutes by car |
| Calgary | Banff | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car |
| Banff | Icefields Parkway and Columbia Icefield | About 2 hours 30 minutes each way without stops |
Middle East
| Destination | Classic day trip | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai | Abu Dhabi | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car or bus |
| Abu Dhabi | Al Ain | About 1.5–2 hours by car or intercity bus |
| Doha | Khor Al Adaid (Inland Sea) | About 1.5 hours each way by 4x4 |
| Tel Aviv | Jerusalem | About 35 minutes by fast train |
| Jerusalem | Bethlehem | About 30–45 minutes by bus or taxi |
| Amman | Jerash | About 50 minutes by car |
| Muscat | Nizwa | About 2 hours by car |
| Riyadh | Edge of the World (Jebel Fihrayn) | About 2 hours by car, including an off-road track |
| Jeddah | Taif | About 2–3 hours by car |
| Petra | Wadi Rum | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car |
| Ras Al Khaimah | Dubai | About 1 hour 15 minutes–1 hour 30 minutes by car |
Oceania
| Destination | Classic day trip | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Blue Mountains | About 2 hours by train |
| Melbourne | Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles | About 4 hours each way along the coast |
| Auckland | Waiheke Island | About 40 minutes by ferry |
| Queenstown | Milford Sound | About 4 hours each way by road |
| Brisbane | Gold Coast | About 1–1.5 hours by train and light rail |
| Gold Coast | Springbrook National Park | About 1 hour by car |
| Cairns | Daintree and Cape Tribulation | About 2.5 hours each way by car |
| Perth | Rottnest Island | About 30 minutes by ferry from Fremantle |
| Fiji | Sigatoka and the Sand Dunes | About 1–1.25 hours by car |
| Christchurch | Akaroa | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car |
| Wellington | Martinborough | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car |
Latin America & Caribbean
| Destination | Classic day trip | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Cancún | Chichén Itzá | About 2.5–3 hours by car or bus |
| Mexico City | Teotihuacan | About 1 hour by bus |
| Rio de Janeiro | Petrópolis | About 1.5 hours by bus |
| Buenos Aires | Tigre and the Paraná Delta | About 1 hour by train |
| San Juan | El Yunque National Forest | About 45 minutes to 1 hour by car |
| Havana | Viñales Valley | About 2 hours 30 minutes–3 hours by car |
| Punta Cana | Saona Island | About 1.5 hours by road, then 30–60 minutes by boat |
| Nassau | Exuma Cays | About 1.5–2 hours each way by speedboat |
| Montego Bay | Negril | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car |
| Aruba | Southeast coast: Savaneta, San Nicolas and Baby Beach | About 40 minutes by car from Palm Beach |
| Barbados | East coast loop: Bathsheba and the gardens | About 45 minutes by car from Bridgetown |
| Cartagena | Rosario Islands | About 1 hour by speedboat |
| Medellín | Guatapé and El Peñol | About 2 hours by bus |
| Bogotá | Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral | About 1–1.5 hours by bus |
| Lima | Pachacamac | About 1 hour by car |
| Cusco | Machu Picchu | About 3.5–4 hours each way by train and bus |
| Santiago | Valparaíso | About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus |
| Quito | Otavalo market | About 2 hours by bus |
| São Paulo | Santos | About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus |
| Montevideo | Colonia del Sacramento | About 2.5–3 hours by bus |
| Tulum | Cobá | About 45 minutes by car |
| Playa del Carmen | Cozumel | About 45 minutes by ferry |
| Puerto Vallarta | Yelapa | About 30–45 minutes by water taxi |
Africa
| Destination | Classic day trip | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Marrakech | Imlil and Toubkal National Park | About 1.5 hours by car |
| Cairo | Saqqara | About 1 hour by car |
| Cape Town | Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car |
| Fes | Meknes | About 45 minutes–1 hour by train |
| Casablanca | Rabat | About 1 hour by train |
| Zanzibar | Mnemba Atoll | About 1 hour by road and 20–40 minutes by boat |
| Nairobi | Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island | About 2 hours by road |
| Johannesburg | Cradle of Humankind | About 1 hour by car |
| Mauritius | Port Louis | About 40 minutes from Grand Baie by car |
| Luxor | Dendera | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car |
| Sharm El Sheikh | Dahab | About 1 hour 15 minutes by car |
| Hurghada | Luxor | About 4 hours each way by road |
| Tangier | Asilah | About 45 minutes by train or car |
| Victoria Falls | Chobe National Park (Botswana) | About 1 hour 15 minutes by road, plus border formalities |
| Seychelles | Praslin from Mahé | About 1 hour by fast ferry |