Our guide to day trips from London

The stately façade of the Holburne Museum in Bath features in Bridgerton, recognisable to fans as Lady Danbury's house – however the cameras never set foot within. In real life, you can step inside the Grade I listed building to explore a collection of fine and decorative arts, discover temporary exhibitions and enjoy stunning views from the Garden Café onto lawns once walked by Jane Austen. With highlights including watercolour miniatures on elephant ivory, mourning jewellery woven with human hair and work by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, this is a must-visit museum in Bath. Home to elegant architecture and easy to explore on foot, the city itself couldn't be more perfect for a day trip by train.

With collections spanning over 7,000 years, make the Museum of East Asian Art your second stop in Bath. Here, you can discover the history and stories of communities from across East and Southeast Asia through objects spanning from 5,000 BC to the present. The museum is also home to temporary exhibitions and events such as craft activities, tours and tea ceremonies. Then, as you set off to explore more of this fascinating city, don't miss the magnificently restored Georgian townhouse No. 1 Royal Crescent around the corner.

Housed in a purpose-built, Grade II* listed gallery, the Royal West of England Academy is one of Bristol's star attractions. Exhibitions here feature work by leading contemporary artists alongside historic masterpieces – with the annual Open Exhibition still attracting prestigious submissions after more than 170 years. There's a stylish café with both indoor and outdoor seating, and a focus on local artists and producers in the shop. Better still, the gallery is only a short walk from the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery – itself close to the remarkable The Stradling Collection. With three brilliant venues in such close proximity, what more reason could you need to visit Bristol, a city renowned for its vibrant art scene and independent spirit.

Another major cultural venue that – alongside the independent shops, cafés and breweries – makes Bristol such an attractive day trip is the Arnolfini. This international arts centre and gallery is based on the city's harbourside, with views out across the water. Inside is a wide-ranging programme of exhibitions, talks, screenings, performances, workshops and tours, making it well worth having a look at what's on ahead of a visit, but also guaranteeing that there will be something to do if you drop in on a whim. There's an extensive bookshop, packed with books about arts and culture, and a Café Bar that's managed by an award-winning independent brewery. Sold? We thought you might be.

With its pebble beach, Grade II* listed pier, vintage shopping credentials and Victorian glamour, Brighton is already a great day trip from London – and that's before you add in the resort's brilliant cultural attractions. First on the list is the Royal Pavilion, the former seaside pleasure palace of King George IV. From the elaborate banqueting hall to its music hall and saloon, the Royal Pavilion is dripping with decorative details, including swagged curtains, patterned carpets and more gilding than you can shake a stick at. Explore gardens that are being lovingly restored and enjoy a light lunch in the café before heading out to discover more of Brighton's delights.

Originally a stables and barracks for the household cavalry of King George IV, the site that Brighton Museum and Art Gallery occupies has evolved a lot over the years. Now, the building is home to galleries spanning fine art, archaeology, Ancient Egypt, fashion, the story of modern Brighton and more – making it an essential stop on a day trip. Highlights include ceramics by Picasso, Salvador Dali's iconic Mae West Lips Sofa and Art Deco lift panels specially designed for Selfridges' flagship London store, all in the 20th Century Art and Design Gallery. You could spend hours discovering the stories behind the exhibits, just don't forget to check out the temporary exhibitions here too.

If Kettle's Yard looks unassuming from the street, that's perhaps because it was once simply someone's house. Originally the home of Jim and Helen Ede, the building is now the University of Cambridge's modern and contemporary art gallery – and up there with the top reasons to visit Cambridge for a day trip. The remarkable collection here originated from Jim Ede's days as a curator at Tate and is arranged as it was in his day, with works of art placed in amongst the house's furniture, with no labels. Envisaged by him as 'a living place' free from the formality of traditional museums, the gallery continues to be a warm, welcoming space to explore the treasures nestled in every corner. It's the ideal visit to pair with exploring the grandeur of the city's extraordinary medieval colleges.

Punting, historic pubs, a renowned student theatre – and Europe's largest collection of art by women. Cambridge has a lot to offer as a day trip destination. Established in the 1990s to redress the historic underrepresentation of women artists in museums and galleries, the Women's Art Collection has since grown to over 600 works by 300 artists, all housed in Grade II listed buildings at Murray Edwards College. The artists? Think Paula Rego, Barbara Hepworth, Lubaina Himid. Discover carefully curated temporary exhibitions and 14 acres of gardens in which to absorb the works you've just seen, all around an hour from London by train.

Did you know that Colchester was the former capital of England? It wasn't until Queen Boudica's revolt that the title passed to London. This is a city that's rich with history – discover Roman ruins hidden inside a barber shop (as well as encircling the city) and bullet holes from the Civil War marking The Old Siege House Bar and Brasserie. More visible still is Colchester Castle Museum, the largest Norman keep in Europe. Here, you can explore internationally-significant archeological finds spanning 2,500 years of history, get stuck into interactive experiences such as steering a chariot around a Roman racing track and take an expert-led tour into the Roman vaults. Alongside this extraordinary heritage, the Firstsite contemporary art gallery, Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens and more make Colchester the perfect cultural day trip from the 'new' capital of England.

Another must-see stop to add to your list on a Colchester day trip is Hollytrees Museum, an elegant Georgian townhouse surrounded by beautiful grounds and housing displays that showcase the domestic history of the city over the last 300 years. Discover what life was like for families of differing incomes, examine the exquisite Hollytrees Doll's House and find out how the nursery rhyme Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is connected to Colchester. There are also temporary exhibitions delving into topics related to the city. Only a short walk from both Colchester Castle and Firstsite, Hollytrees Museum is just one of the brilliant things to do on a day trip to this historic city.

Beloved by artists, Margate has winding streets full of independent shops, a long stretch of shorefront – and the Turner Contemporary art gallery. The carefully curated exhibitions here often explore current ideas and issues, featuring renowned artists as well as the most exciting contemporary names. There are also regular workshops and courses, plus the weekly Terraza sunset sessions on the terrace of the gallery's café, Louie on Sea, featuring DJs, live music and ice-cold aperitivo. Go for exceptional art and stunning views across the waves; Margate is a breath of sea air reachable by direct train from London St Pancras.

With its honey-coloured colleges and winding streets, Oxford can be a very beautiful place to explore. As you might expect from the city that's home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world, this is a place that's steeped in knowledge, with exceptional cultural institutions dotting its streets. Among them is the Ashmolean Museum, home to outstanding collections that span half a million years of art, history and archaeology across five floors. Among its treasures are Michelangelo's studies for the Sistine Chapel, works of art by Sickert, Manet and Pissarro and the lantern Guy Fawkes is said to have been carrying when he was arrested in the cellars underneath the houses of Parliament. Check ahead for temporary exhibitions and events – and be sure to stop for lunch at the museum's rooftop café for stunning views across the city before heading off for more exploring.

From ancient history, to modern art – it's less than a ten minute walk from the Ashmolean Museum to Modern Art Oxford, where you'll find over 500 square metres of galleries dedicated to contemporary art. The programme here is the stuff of legend, with contemporary greats such as Marina Abramović, Yoko Ono, Tracy Emin and more all having shown here over the course of the gallery's history, making this the place you might just discover the names of tomorrow. Recent exhibitions have included a presentation that went on to be awarded the Turner Prize, a showcase of rarely-exhibited aspects of Anish Kapoor's work, and the first major survey of work by Lubaina Himid. What more reasons could you need to visit Oxford on a day trip?