Dorset Days Out

Things to do in Dorset

Next 7 days (9 to 15 Nov) · All of Dorset

Photo: Stefanie Jockschat

127 results · page 2 of 6

Open all year

Open all year
Boscombe Beach
Boscombe · Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole · Beaches
- Accessible
- Car-free friendly
- +1 more
Sandy beaches beside the historic Boscombe Pier, with views across Poole Bay and plenty to do: surf equipment hire, climbing boulders, slacklining and free electric barbecue hotplates. RNLI lifeguards patrol, and there's a pub, restaurants and kiosks. Boscombe Undercliff car park next to the beach has good level access, and a beach wheelchair and Mobi-Mat matting are available from May to September.
Open all year
South West Coast Path: South Haven Point
Studland · Isle of Purbeck · Walks
- Car-free friendly
A steel sculpture at South Haven Point, just before the ferry to Sandbanks, marks the end of the 630-mile South West Coast Path. The final leg from Worth Matravers passes Old Harry and three miles of sandy beaches, with views across Poole Bay to Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight. The last half mile of beach is popular with naturists. Bus 52 runs from the Sandbanks side of the ferry to Parkstone station.
Open all year
Hengistbury Head Beach
Christchurch · Beaches
- Dog-friendly
- Accessible
- Car-free friendly
- +2 more
A relatively unspoilt pebble beach below imposing clay and ironstone cliffs, within the Hengistbury Head nature reserve. There's plenty of parking, with toilets and cafés at both ends. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the beach, but keep them on a lead off the beach so they don't disturb rare wildlife. Barbecues aren't allowed anywhere on Hengistbury Head.
Open all year
Portland Bill Lighthouse
Portland · Heritage
- Family-friendly
A working lighthouse on Portland Bill, standing 41 metres tall with its distinctive red and white tower. Visitors can climb 155 steps to the lantern room for views along the Jurassic coast, and explore displays in the refurbished visitor centre. Climbers must be at least 1.1 metres tall.
Open all year
Forde Abbey and Gardens
Thorncombe · West Dorset · Gardens
A former Cistercian monastery turned private family home, set on the banks of the River Axe with around 30 acres of award-winning gardens and ponds. The gardens change through the seasons, from spring bulbs and tulips to summer roses and dahlias, autumn colour in the arboretum, and a working walled kitchen garden growing vegetables and pumpkins.
Open all year
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle · Isle of Purbeck · Heritage
- Family-friendly
Ruined hilltop castle in the Isle of Purbeck, partly destroyed during the English Civil War. Visitors can explore fallen walls, spot murder holes and arrow loops, and take in wide views across Purbeck. A thousand years of royal and family history, from Henry I to the Bankes family, unfolds across the site, appealing to both adults and children.
Open all year
Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens
Abbotsbury · West Dorset · Gardens
- Dog-friendly
A subtropical garden set in a sheltered woodland valley with its own micro-climate, close to the Fleet Lagoon and Chesil Beach. It holds notable collections of camellias, magnolias, rhododendrons and hydrangeas, alongside a Victorian garden, Burma Rope Bridge and views of the Jurassic Coast. There is a coffee shop, gift shop and plant centre on site, with free car parking and dogs welcome on leads.
Open all year
Abbotsbury Swannery
Abbotsbury · West Dorset · Nature and wildlife
- Family-friendly
A historic wildlife site on the Dorset coast where visitors can walk among a colony of nesting mute swans. Hand feeding sessions take place daily alongside a talk from the swanherd, and families can enjoy the Brambly Hedge Trail, a willow maze and pedal go-karts. There is also a herb garden, a reed cutter's display and a café.
Open all year
Highcliffe Castle
Highcliffe · Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole · Heritage
- Family-friendly
- Car-free friendly
- +1 more
A Grade I listed 19th-century castle set in grounds with direct access to a sandy beach and the nearby Steamer Point nature reserve. Room hosts share the history of the building and past residents, including department store founder Harry Gordon Selfridge, who once lived there. The grounds suit a relaxing stroll or a family picnic, and there are tearooms on site.
Open all year
Poole Museum
Poole · Heritage
- Free
- Family-friendly
- Rainy day
- +2 more
A maritime museum in Poole's Old Town telling the story of the town and its people shaped by the sea. Visitors can see three immersive galleries, an Iron Age logboat nearly ten metres long, interactive displays and family-friendly trails, with free entry. The site also includes Scaplen's Court, a preserved medieval merchant's house with a walled herb garden.
Open all year
Poole Quay
Poole · Outdoor activities
- Family-friendly
Poole's historic quayside, where tall ships, fishing boats and Sunseeker powerboats come and go, and boats leave for harbour cruises, Swanage and Old Harry, and for Brownsea Island every 30 minutes in season. Explore the Old Town on the Cockle Trail, head up to the viewing platform of the Sea Music sculpture, try crabbing or sit with the life-size statue of Lord Baden-Powell. Shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs line the quay.
Open all year
Greenslade Pleasure Boats
Poole · Outdoor activities
Pleasure boat trips departing from the quayside in Poole, giving views of Poole Harbour and the Dorset coastline. Cruises last around an hour, with booking preferred in advance though visitors can also turn up at the kiosk on the day.
Open all year
Maiden Castle
Dorchester · West Dorset · Heritage
- Free
- Dog-friendly
- +1 more
One of the largest and most complex Iron Age hillforts in Europe, its huge multiple ramparts, begun about 2,400 years ago, enclose an area the size of 50 football pitches. Entry is free at any reasonable time in daylight. The small car park gets busy at peak times. Chalk paths can be uneven and slippery, so wear sturdy footwear; the site is very exposed, and dogs must stay on a lead as sheep graze here.
Open all year
Northport Greenway and Sika Trail
Wareham · Isle of Purbeck · Walks
- Car-free friendly
A walking and cycling route starting at Wareham Quay, running past the town's railway station and into Wareham Forest. It links with a longer circular trail through heath and woodland, suiting those wanting a short stroll or a longer forest walk.
Open all year
Durdle Door Beach
Lulworth · Isle of Purbeck · Beaches
- Dog-friendly
A striking natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast, reached by a steep path and steps from either Lulworth Cove or the cliff-top car park. The shingle beach suits confident walkers rather than those with mobility difficulties, and swimmers should take care as the shore shelves steeply with a strong under-tow.
Open all year
Wessex Ridgeway
Dorset · Walks
The Wessex Ridgeway is a long-distance trail crossing Dorset's rural heartland along a chalk ridge. It passes villages such as Cerne Abbas, takes in views across the Blackmore and Marshwood Vales, and finishes at Lyme Regis on the Jurassic Coast. The walking route covers around 62 miles, with a separate multi-use section for walking, cycling and horse riding.
Open all year
Upton Country Park
Poole · Gardens
- Free
- Family-friendly
- +1 more
Upton House, a Grade II* listed Georgian mansion, stands in 160 acres of parkland, woodland and formal gardens with 2.6km of shoreline and plenty of wildlife. Wander the botanical Walled Garden, let children play at Spurrier's Play Park, or see local artists' work in the Gallery Upstairs above the Tea Rooms. Admission is free every day, all year, and the park is open until dusk; car parking charges apply.
Open all year
Colmer's Hill
Symondsbury · West Dorset · Walks
- Dog-friendly
A walk up the pine-topped hill on the Symondsbury Estate, along a permissive path from the estate's free car park. It takes about 45 minutes, with a steep but steady slope to the summit and panoramic views of West Dorset, East Devon and out to sea. Sheep graze in the fields and on the hill, so close every gate and keep dogs on leads. Wear walking boots or wellies on rainy days.
Open all year
Swanage Railway
Swanage · Isle of Purbeck · Heritage
A heritage steam railway running 12 miles through the Purbeck countryside between Swanage, Corfe Castle, Harmans Cross, Herston Halt and Norden. Trips offer views of Corfe Castle and a chance to break the journey at stations along the line, including a railway museum at Corfe Station. Steam trains run most weekends year round and daily from April to October, with vintage diesel trains also in use.
Open all year
Kimmeridge Bay
Kimmeridge · Isle of Purbeck · Beaches
A rocky bay of shale below layered cliffs, overlooked by Clavell Tower and known for rock pools, fossils and some of Dorset's best surf. Ledges of harder limestone let you walk out and see fossils in the rock. The clear water is good for swimming and snorkelling, and surfers and windsurfers come all year for the waves, including the reef break at Broadbench.
Open all year
Tyneham Village
Tyneham · Isle of Purbeck · Heritage
- Dog-friendly
A deserted village evacuated in 1943 for wartime military training, now part of the Ministry of Defence's Lulworth Ranges. Visitors can see the ruined Row of terraced houses and the restored church and school, which hold exhibitions about the village and its former residents. A picnic area is set among restored farm outbuildings, and a mile-long walk leads on to Worbarrow Bay.
Open all year
Cerne Abbas Giant
Cerne Abbas · West Dorset · Heritage
A 180ft chalk figure of a club-wielding man cut into a hillside above the village of Cerne Abbas. Its age is uncertain, though a recent archaeological study suggests it may date from around 700-1100AD, pointing to a late Saxon origin. A gentle walk leads from the village to a viewing area off the main road, with a picnic spot near the car park; direct access to the figure itself is restricted to prevent erosion.
Open all year
Sandbanks Beach
Sandbanks · Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole · Beaches
- Accessible
- Car-free friendly
- +1 more
Soft golden sand at Sandbanks, which has won the Blue Flag more times than any other UK resort. There's a café, mini golf, a children's play area and RNLI lifeguards. The beach can be reached by ramp, with a beach wheelchair and Mobi-Mat matting from May to September. Dogs aren't allowed on the main beach from 1 May to 30 September, but can use the stretch from the western end of the promenade to Haven Point all year.
Open all year
Bournemouth Beach
Bournemouth · Beaches
- Accessible
- Car-free friendly
- +1 more
Sandy beaches by Bournemouth Pier, on the edge of the town's historic gardens, with cliff top walks and views to the Isle of Wight. Restaurants, cafés, mini golf and amusements are close by, and RNLI lifeguards patrol. From 1 July to 1 September the free KidZone scheme helps reunite lost children with their families. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach from 1 May to 30 September.