The best daffodil walks in the UK – 2026 guide

The bright yellow flowers of the daffodil are a sign that spring is on the way. They can be seen on the roadside and in gardens throughout March and April and there are beautiful gardens and fields of daffodils that can be visited across the UK.

Wild daffodils are found in damp wooded areas and meadows, favouring ancient woodlands. Most daffodils seen in huge carpets across the UK are now cultivated although there are still small pockets of wild daffodils that can be found.

detail of a daffodil flower

What is the difference between a wild daffodil and a garden daffodil?

While the wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) looks familiar it is much shorter than a garden daffodil and grows in clumps. The leaves are much greyer than the garden daffodil and while the flower is the usual trumpet shape the petals are pale yellow with a darker yellow trumpet.

Garden or cultivated daffodils in contrast come in a whole range of colours and sizes. From small narcissus to large ornate flowers, the range of variations appears endless. The most commonly cultivated daffodil found in hedgerows and for sale in shops has a single colour of petals and trumpets with long flat leaves that are dark green and almost shiny.

When is the daffodil season in the UK?

Daffodils are spring plants that start to bloom as early as late January depending on the weather conditions. A warmer winter will see them bloom earlier in the spring.

The main time to see displays of daffodils is in March and April. As with any flowers they will flower in the south of England first with the blooms opening later the further north you are. It is always worth checking before going looking in a specific area where they have actually started to flower.

daffodil in a field

Where are the best places to see daffodils in Wales?

Daffodils can be seen in roadside verges and in woodlands across Wales, but some of the best displays are seen in stately homes across the country. These include:

Why is the Daffodil the national flower of Wales?


Numerous tales surround the origins of the daffodil as one of Wales’s iconic symbols, but a prevailing narrative traces its roots back to the unassuming leek. Legend has it that during battles, St. David, the patron saint of Wales, advised his warriors to don leeks as a distinguishing emblem to set them apart from their Saxon adversaries.

This tradition persists to the present day, with both the leek and the daffodil being worn on St. David’s Day, observed on the 1st of March. The linguistic connection between the two symbols may provide insight, as ‘leek’ is referred to as ‘cenhinen‘ in Welsh, while ‘daffodil’ is known as ‘cenhinen Pedr‘ or ‘cennin Pedr,’ underscoring the intertwined cultural significance of these two plants.

Best daffodil walks in England

The wild daffodil was once a common flower but during the 19th century their preferred habitat was lost and now they are limited to the Black Mountains in Wales, Lake District in Cumbria, south Devon and along the border between Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.

Cultivated Daffodils on the Isles of Scilly and in Cornwall

The Isles of Scilly are full of daffodil fields and from late winter the islands are awash with colour. While most are cultivated and are usually the much smaller Narcissi, the effect on the landscape is stunning. Just wandering around the islands will allow you to see the fields of daffodils. The warmer climate means that they will flower much earlier than the mainland and even the wild daffodils will flower earlier.

If you can’t get to the Scillies, the Cornwall close to Rame Head on the south coast has large daffodil fields as far as the eye can see. These are usually in flower from February onwards so keep an eye on the company websites for updates.

narcissi in the Scillies

Daffodil walks in Scotland

The daffodils emerge in Scotland a lot later than in the south of England and Wales. Like the bluebell flowers, the blooms emerge in a wave across the country.

The best places to see daffodils in Scotland include:

Backhouse Rossie Daffodil Festival

The Rossie Estate is home to the National Collection of Narcissi. This collection was first started by William Backhouse in the 1800s. He was one of the first people to hybridise daffodils and his work changed the course of daffodil breeding in the UK.

Each year a festival is held on the estate where thousands of species of daffodils can be seen along with other spring flowers. The daffodils fill the gardens and woodlands across the estate and the open days in March allow you to wander, see the 4th largest beech tree in Scotland as well as look out for red squirrels.

orange narcissi in spring light

I'm Suzanne the traveller and photographer behind Meandering Wild. With over 30 years of experience travelling to different corners of the world in search of wildlife and remote locations nearly all of the advice on this website is from my own exploring.