Can I Vape or Smoke at Tourist Attractions?
You’re off on a day out with friends. You’ve got your phone, your wallet, your keys – but what about your vape? If you’re here, you’re probably wondering whether vaping at tourist attractions is something that’s allowed, so what’s the truth?
Since 2007 and the introduction of the ban on indoor smoking, UK public indoor areas and businesses have been smoke-free. The laws, properly called the Smoke-free (Excemptions and Vehicles) Regulations 2007 and the Health Act 2006 , banned smoking in all enclosed public areas, including places such as pubs and restaurant. Some businesses will also have similar restrictions for vaping as they do for smoking, perhaps requiring vapers to go to a designated smoking area to use their devices, while others might have different rules. However, it’s best to check in advance before you go so that you know what the rules are.
Here, we’ll take a look at the top 8 tourist attractions, and their rules around vaping and smoking.
Top 8 Tourist Attractions and their Vaping Laws & Regulations
British Museum
At the British Museum, in London’s West End, vaping is not permitted. As per their visitor regulations, visitors cannot smoke or use e-cigarettes or vaping products anywhere in the museum, except for in the colonnade and on the forecourt.
National Trust Properties
As the National Trust’s rules cover all of their properties, it’s worth bringing them under one heading here. In their visitor FAQs they explain that smoking isn’t allowed in houses, restaurants or shops, and also ask that smokers “exercise restraint” in their gardens to allow other visitors to better smell the flowers.
While they don’t explicitly cover vaping here, where they set out rules for individual properties they often treat smoking and vaping the same, asking visitors to refrain from both, so it’s probably best to check online before you visit a particular National Trust property, or contact them directly.[1][2][3][4]
Natural History Museum
On the Natural History Museum website, they say that smoking isn’t permitted on the premises at their main South Kensington location and include electronic cigarettes and vaping products in this. The rules around vaping at their Tring location aren’t outlined online, however, so if visiting it may be advisable to contact them in advance to ask.
London Eye
Smoking and the use of e-cigarettes and vapes aren’t allowed on the London Eye itself, or anywhere in the London Eye Domain
Stonehenge
At Stonehenge, smoking and using vapes or e-cigarettes are not allowed when inside the stone circle, the Monument field, or on the visitor shuttle which takes visitors to and from the visitor centre and stone circle.
Warwick Castle
At Warwick Castle, both the grounds and the castle itself are non-smoking, with e-cigarettes also being prohibited. However, there is a designated smoking area near the Castle Dungeon.
Roman Baths
In the terms and conditions, it says that both smoking and using e-cigarettes are banned at the Roman Baths.
Tate Modern
At the Tate Modern, and the other Tate galleries across London, Liverpool and Cornwall, vaping is prohibited across all of the buildings.
Our list is a good starting point for finding out the rules on vaping at tourist attractions, but wherever you’re going it’s always advisable to check beforehand so that you’re completely clear on what the rules are. If you’d like to know more about where smoking and vaping are or aren’t permitted, why not check out our guide on the holiday destinations that are banning smoking, right here?
[1] https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/attingham-park/features/all-you-need-to-know-for-a-visit-to-attingham
[2] https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dyffryn-gardens/features/is-dyffryn-gardens-open
[3] https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote/features/useful-information
[4] https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wightwick-manor-and-gardens/features/visiting-wightwick-what-to-expect-for-your-visit
