There are a total of 59 racecourses across the UK, offering a huge range of incredible destinations to see and enjoy. In this article, we've highlighted the top ten racecourses to visit across the UK. 

Cheltenham

The home of National Hunt racing, Cheltenham is an absolute must-visit for anyone wanting to experience a proper day out to watch some top-class jumps racing. The venue itself is set ever so slightly outside Cheltenham, so has the perfect views in the background as the horses take to the track. The home of the Cheltenham Festival in March, it is essentially the pinnacle of the jumps season, where the very best get to battle it out over four days of top-level racing. With races like the Champion Hurdle, Stayers Hurdle and Gold Cup, you get to see a real mix of two-mile hurdlers who have the speed and grace, to the three-mile chasers who have the heart and determination. It really is one of the very best venues out there, and no matter the meeting, whether it be a cold wet day in January or at the Festival itself in March, Cheltenham has to be at the very top of the top racecourses to visit in the UK.

Ascot

There is absolutely no doubt that Ascot is one of the best experiences to have at a racecourse, with plenty of top-class racing action all year round, you have the luxury of getting the best of both worlds with flat and jumps racing gracing the Berkshire venue. With excellent races like the King George and Ascot Gold Cup for the flat fans, to the Long Walk Hurdle and the Ascot Chase for the jumps fans, Ascot has the perfect mix of the highest level racing for all to enjoy. The venue for the Royal meeting in June, Royal Ascot is one of the very best Festivals in the racing calendar, where the best flat horses go against each other, and thousands of racegoers get to enjoy their day and dress up for the occasion. 

Newmarket   

Newmarket is seen as the headquarters of racing, and their racecourse is one of the only tracks to have two separate “courses” with the Rowley Mile and July Course. Newmarket Racecourse has had racing there since the 1600s, making it one of the oldest tracks in the world of racing and full of racing heritage. They hold nine Group 1 races here during the turf season, including the likes of the 2000 and 1000 Guineas (the first British classics of the season), Dewhurst Stakes, July Cup Stakes and many more exhilarating contests. Due to the brilliant racing at the venue, it is one of the best-attended courses in the country and is a must-visit for any aspiring racing fan.   

Aintree   

Aintree plays host to one of the most watched spectacles in the sport - the Grand National, which is the longest jumps race in Britain and is considered a National Hunt tradition, something that has been a tradition in the sport since the early 1800s. The Grand National sees record TV viewings on a year to year basis, as well as crowds in excess of 70,000 every year. To go alongside the National itself, there is usually a plethora of Grade 1 races, where we sometimes get to see repeats of the excellent battles between horses from the month before at the Cheltenham Festival. With both Festivals being so close to each other, they can often throw up different results, but more often than not, the best horses tend to win once again as the best take on the best. With it hosting one of the biggest spectacles in racing and given its location up North, it makes for a fantastic day out with a real knowledgeable racing crowd.

Sandown Park

Another racecourse that hosts both flat and jumps racing throughout the year, Sandown is host to some major races in the racing calendar, including the likes of the Bet365 Gold Cup and the Tingle Creek, which are seen as two of the most important steeplechasing events for various different reasons. Sandown also plays host to two of the big military races of the season - the Grand Military Gold Cup and the Royal Artillery Gold Cup, won emphatically by Racing Club's Farceur Du Large in 2024. It was also the late Queen Mother's favourite racecourse and has seen some of the all-time great horses race there, including the likes of Arkle, Mill Reef and Desert Orchid. Described as one of the best-outfitted locations for thoroughbred racing in the UK, Sandown Park is set in a brilliant location and is a very pleasing racecourse to visit with some superb racing to boot. 

York    

York Racecourse is seen as one of the more underrated racecourses in the country, partly due to how tricky it can be at times in terms of a punting perspective. However, there is no denying the racecourse itself is brilliant and is comfortably one of the best racecourses to visit in the UK. The venue holds three Group 1 races there, which are races contested at the highest level:

• Juddmonte/International Stakes
• Nunthorpe Stakes
• Yorkshire Oaks. 

We have seen some of the truly great flat horses race at York, including the likes of Frankel and Sea The Stars, giving racegoers some special memories at the racecourse. The track is set in a stunning part of the world, in a city with plenty of heritage and it's certainly well worth it's place in the list of the top racecourses to visit across the UK. 

Goodwood

As far as major festivals go in the flat racing calendar, Glorious Goodwood is seen as one of the best, and it's easy to see why. The Goodwood Festival is run over five days and includes Group 1 races such as the Sussex Stakes, the Nassau Stakes and the Goodwood Cup. If you are looking for a horse racing festival that really celebrates the old-school style and glamour associated with British horse racing, then Glorious Goodwood is the festival for you. Situated just south of London, Goodwood is in an excellent location and has some stunning views overlooking the countryside. A wonderful venue to visit at any point during the flat season, Goodwood deservedly holds a place in the top ten racecourses to visit in the UK. 

Epsom

Epsom isn't one of the busiest racecourses in the UK, but it does play host to one of the most important and prestigious meetings in the flat season calendar. That meeting is the Derby and Oaks, which is arguably the biggest of the three classic races held during the turf season, races that have been won by some of the all-time greats in the past. The track is a real unique test for the equine athletes, as the back straight features a significant climb, where the runners have to negotiate the sharp turn of Tattenham Corner, which has caused plenty of problems for good horses over the years, before coming back downhill in the home straight. The home straight has a camber towards the inside of the track and is a real uphill finish. A very testing track for horses, but it has played host to some incredible performances from both horses and jockeys over the years.

Newbury 

Another racecourse in the list that hosts both codes of racing (flat and jumps), Newbury is an easy track to get to, with the racecourse even having its own train station! Like most on the list, the track plays host to plenty of first-class contests throughout the year, including the Lockinge early on in the flat season, as well as a few big National Hunt meetings in November, when the feature is the Hennessy Gold Cup. Late December sees the racecourse host the Challow Novices’ hurdle, which is a race that some of the top British trainers target to get their horses ready for the Cheltenham Festival in March. The racecourse has plenty of amenities for the racegoers to use and is certainly one to add to your list if you're looking for a good day out to enjoy some high quality racing. 

Chester

Notoriously seen as one of the trickiest tracks in the country in terms of punting, Chester does offer one of the best days of racing you can go to. Chester itself is an old historic city, and submerged into the city is the racecourse itself. It is the world’s oldest racecourse still in operation, and its historic look makes it so beautiful to the eye. The city walls at Watergate surround it, and you can get a terrific view of the racecourse whether there is an event on or not. It’s one of those tracks that doesn't necessarily have the best racing on offer all the time, but its sheer beauty and where it is situated means it is a must-visit track for anyone who appreciates the old historic beauty of the course itself.