The best city breaks in the UK to escape to this autumn

Summer is winding down (sob), so it’s time to plan your autumn adventures. Why not wrap up this year of great British staycations with a UK city break? Clubbing in Leeds, brunching in Glasgow or spa-hopping in Bath, this is your cut-out-and-keep city guide.

Do: Leeds is the best city in the UK to party. Fact. So pack your glad rags and book one of the many nights on offer that cater to all tastes. Start with drinks on Call Lane or Greek Street. Head to Sheaf St, Mint Club or The Warehouse for electronic music, HiFi for soul and Wire for indie. The city is also home to one of the UK’s biggest shopping districts and fantastic vintage stores for retail therapy (if the hangover allows).

Stay: Just a five-minute walk from Leeds train station and the Victoria Quarter, Dakota Leeds (dakotahotels.co.uk) is well-positioned for an action-packed weekend, with sumptuous beds and monsoon showers.

Eat: Leeds is famous for its curry houses. Tharavadu (tharavadurestaurants.com) and Aagrah (aagrahleedscity.co.uk) are some of the best. Meanwhile, Ox Club (oxclub.co.uk) offers an excellent wood-fired grill menu. Head to Kirkgate street food market for banh mi, Yorkshire pudding wraps and jerk chicken.

Insider tip: Harrogate, where you’ll find the iconic Betty’s tea room (bettys.co.uk), is only a 35-minute train ride away. Or head to Ilkley Moor for some Yorkshire Dales country air and a hearty meal at The Cow and Calf pub (vintageinn.co.uk).

Do: Once you’ve explored the ancient Roman baths, it’s time to take a dip yourself at the Thermae Bath Spa. Clad in fluffy robes, you’ll explore the infrared room, ice chamber and aromatic steam rooms before making your way up to the rooftop pool for fantastic views across the city — go at sunset if you can (thermaebathspa.com). Delve into the fascinating life behind one of Britain’s most celebrated authors at The Jane Austen Centre (janeausten.co.uk) or take on the six-mile Bath Skyline Walk, which takes you through meadows and woodland for a slice of the countryside.

Stay: Continue the pampering theme at The Gainsborough Bath Spa (thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk), which has access to Bath’s original mineral-rich thermal waters for extra healing, or for rural digs, check into Lucknam Park (lucknampark.co.uk).

Eat: Head to Clayton’s Kitchen (claytonskitchen.com) for unparalleled classics or Sotto Sotto (sottosotto.co.uk) for simple Italian dishes served up in a romantic, candlelit vaulted cellar. The Pump Room, located at the Roman baths, is a perfect spot for a fizz-fuelled afternoon tea.

Insider tip: Movie lovers should set aside a night for a flick at the Tivoli cinema (tivolicinemas.com), where you can sink into plush seats and sup on a cocktail.

Do: Grab a bite and a few bevvies at Liverpool’s iconic Royal Albert Dock where you can also peruse Tate Liverpool and The Beatles Story, the world’s largest permanent exhibition paying homage to the band. Explore the city’s historical architecture from afar with a ferry ride across the Mersey (warming bowls of scouse are available on-board), take a wander through the Georgian Quarter, visit the city’s two cathedrals and squeeze in a pit stop for tea and cake at The Bluecoat contemporary arts centre (thebluecoat.org.uk). The Hot Water Club (hotwatercomedy.co.uk) is where it’s at for world-class comedy acts.

Stay: Culture vultures should check into the four-star Hope Street Hotel (from £92/night, hopestreethotel.co.uk), which offers generous loft-style rooms and proximity to the Unity Theatre and Everyman Theatre. For endless panoramic views of the city, Innside, by hotel chain Meliá, is a new hotel opening on Old Hall Street in September. Worth it for the rooftop sky bar (from £79/night, melia.com).

Eat: Head to Röski Restaurant (roskirestaurant.com) by MasterChef winner Anton Piotrowski for fine dining in an intimate setting. The £85 seasonal tasting menu is available for lunch or dinner. For something casual (but delicious) on the go, Baltic Market is Liverpool’s first street food market.

Insider tip: Follow Independent Liverpool (@independentliverpool) for the city’s cool vintage shops and best watering holes.

Do: Where to start in Scotland’s biggest city? With 22 galleries, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery is a must for art lovers. A stroll around the Botanic Gardens and the Necropolis, a Victorian cemetery modelled on the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, is a delightful way to spend the day. The Pollok Country Park, set on 146 hectares and home to its very own roaming Highland cattle provides a nature fix. For a day trip from the city, history buffs should hit up Stirling Castle, half an hour’s train ride away.

Stay: Kimpton Blythswood Square is a five-star boutique hotel full of original features, with its own private gardens, a spa and lashings of grandeur (£218/night, kimptonblythswoodsquare.com).

Eat: Scran (scranglasgow.co.uk), in Dennistoun, Glasgow’s east end, is worth the trip for brunch (which is big here) and serves up a fantastic selection of breakfast buns — think confit duck leg, Stornoway black pudding, with folded egg and sweet tomato chutney. For modern Scottish fine dining, meanwhile, The Gannet (thegannetgla.com), in Glasgow’s Finnieston neighbourhood, celebrates locally sourced, seasonal produce, while Glaschu (glaschurestaurant.co.uk) offers its own twist on traditional ingredients, with herb-crusted lamb cannon and truffled potato gnocchi.

Insider tip: Whisky aficionados should tuck into a tasting at Glengoyne Distillery, half an hour’s drive from Glasgow and reachable by a bus — it’s considered one of Scotland’s bonniest (glengoyne.com, from £18/person).

Do: Soak up the salty air with a wander along the seafront and along the Palace Pier. Hunt down rare finds in the winding Lanes, and bargains on clothes and bric-a-brac at the infamous vintage shops.

Stay: Hotel stays in Brighton are notoriously pricey. For something a little different, try the new(ish) Selina Brighton in Hove. Smack bang on the seafront, each room boasts glorious ocean views. The hotel hosts regular drag bingo parties, beach yoga and beach cleans for the eco-conscious (from £50/night, selina.com). The Artist Residence, a 23-bed townhouse, is full of quirky artwares and overlooks the seafront (artistresidence.co.uk). Another guaranteed hit.

Eat: Treat yourself to a slap-up seafood platter at champagne and oyster bar Riddle & Finns (riddleandfinns.co.uk). There are two, make sure you book the one in The Lanes, which oozes atmosphere, featuring original tiled walls and is lit by candelabra even by day.

Insider tip: Lewes is a half-hour drive from Brighton from where keen hikers can explore the South Downs and Ouse Valley.

Do: If it’s warm enough, take some supplies and punt along the River Cam around the backs of Cambridge university’s colleges or head to quaint Grantchester in the other direction (both can also be done on foot or bike). The Junction (junction.co.uk) is the city’s best venue for live music and gigs.

Stay: Set in the heart of bustling Cambridge, minutes from the shops, pubs and iconic colleges of King’s and Trinity, University Arms is hands down Cambridge’s fanciest hotel. Expect quintessentially British interiors, with tiered chandeliers and roll top baths (universityarms.com).

Eat: Head to The Eagle pub for a heart-warming lunch of homemade pies and chunky chips with atmosphere. Look out for the RAF bar at the back where Second World War fighter pilots have written their names on the ceiling.

Insider tip: Download the Voi app so you can zip around the city on one of its new e-scooters.