Any date · All of Dorset
Open all year
A 250-passenger cruise vessel departing from Weymouth Harbour, sailing along the Jurassic Coast towards landmarks such as Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. Daytime cruises suit families, couples and groups, while evening sailings feature themed parties and live music, with indoor and outdoor seating and a licensed onboard bar.
Open all year
One of the Symondsbury Estate's two holloways, with Shute's Lane: an ancient sunken lane worn deep over centuries by people and livestock, with ivy-draped walls, gnarled roots and a high canopy of trees overhead. Look for carvings etched into the banks and rare plants such as navelwort, bellflowers and goblin's gold moss. Pick up a map at the Visitor Centre, and wear sturdy boots or wellies, as the ground can be uneven and muddy.
Open all year
Swanage's gently shelving golden sand and clear water have earned the Blue Flag and Seaside Award for 24 years in a row. RNLI lifeguards cover Central Beach in the summer season, 10am to 6pm, and there's a clearly marked area where boats and other craft aren't allowed. Dogs aren't allowed on Central Beach from 1 May to 30 September, but are welcome all year on Monkey Beach, between the Stone Quay and Swanage Pier.
Open all year
Wareham River Boat Hire, in the town centre, rents motor boats, kayaks, canoes, rowing boats and paddleboards for exploring the River Frome and its swans, ducks and herons. There is no need to book: just turn up, though larger groups can book. Life jackets are included and dogs are welcome aboard. Under-8s must share a craft with an adult, and motorboat hirers must be over 18. A wheelchair accessible boat can be booked in advance.
Open all year
A large arts centre in the heart of Poole offering theatre, live music, comedy, dance, cinema and exhibitions. It has multiple performance and exhibition spaces including a concert hall, theatre, studio and cinema, with children's theatre and family shows also on offer.
Open all year
Golden Cap is a flat-topped hill of orange sandstone on the cliffs between Charmouth and Bridport, the highest point on the south coast at 191 metres. Walkers climbing to the top pass through fields, wind-scoured oaks and heathland, with views to Portland Bill, Start Point and Dartmoor. The National Trust estate also includes the ruined church of St Gabriel's and a row of thatched cottages, remnants of the former fishing village of Stanton.
Open all year
A designated naturist area on Knoll Beach at Studland, where clothing is optional along a 900m stretch marked by green-topped posts and signs. The National Trust asks naturists to be clothed outside the marked area and everyone to respect others. It's about half an hour's walk from the Shell Bay and Knoll Beach car parks, and there are no toilets at the naturist beach itself. To avoid the area, use the Heather Walk trail through the dunes.
Open all year
A Blue Flag stretch of sand and shingle at the eastern edge of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, on the Hampshire border, popular with swimmers and body boarders. Grassy dunes and low cliffs sit behind it, with paths through to Steamer Point Nature Reserve. The cliff top car park has a café, toilets and disabled parking. Dogs aren't allowed between groynes H4 and H8 from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
A quiet cliff top grassed open space above Bowleaze Cove, with wide views across Weymouth Bay to Portland, good for a picnic, a dog walk or flying a kite. Bowleaze Coveway, the road down to the beach, has a café, shops, a family pub, an amusement arcade and a funfair. There's free on-street parking, public toilets opposite the Oasis Café, and wheelchair access, though some inclines are steep.
Open all year
A 64 mile long distance walking route that follows the River Stour from its source at Stourhead down to Christchurch Harbour, where it meets the sea. In Dorset it passes through Sturminster Newton, Wimborne Minster, Ferndown, Bournemouth and Christchurch, and is signposted with a kingfisher logo.
Open all year
A secluded pebble cove on Portland's sheltered eastern side, popular for swimming, snorkelling and fishing, and thought to be the site of the first recorded Viking attack on the British Isles. The main path follows the road past Portland Museum and under the arch of Rufus Castle, then down steps on the South West Coast Path; another runs through woodland and the ruins of St Andrew's Church.
Open all year
Mapperton is a Jacobean manor house in West Dorset overlooking award-winning Italianate gardens with fountains, statues, topiary and herbaceous borders. These flow into woodland walks, wildflower meadows and ponds, with the Mapperton Wildlands rewilding project beyond. The estate also has a café, children's play areas and free parking.
Open all year
A historic manor house in the Piddle valley between Tolpuddle and Puddletown, continually lived in since Saxon times and mentioned in the Domesday book. Its Great Hall, built in 1485, is considered a fine example of Tudor architecture, with an original hammer-beam roof and stained glass. The surrounding gardens were created in the 1890s and have won a Christies' Garden of the Year award.
Open all year
A pebble beach in a sheltered cove on the Jurassic Coast, popular for its blue waters and rock pools that are good for exploring with children at low tide. Walkers can reach it via the South West Coast Path, with nearby landmarks including Stair Hole and Durdle Door. A visitor centre by the car park offers information, toilets and baby changing facilities.
Open all year
Monkey World is a 65-acre rescue centre for primates near Wareham, home to rescued and endangered apes and monkeys. Visitors can watch keepers' talks, take guided or self-guided tours, and let children play in the Great Ape Adventure Play Area. Cafés and picnic areas are also available on site.
Open all year
A nature reserve on the edge of Poole Harbour with heathland, ancient oak woodland and shoreline habitats. Visitors can spot all six native UK reptile species along with birds such as White-Tailed Eagles and Dartford Warblers, and there is a café and shop on site. Pushchair friendly paths and baby changing facilities make it suitable for families.
Open all year
The smallest of Studland's beaches, popular with locals and visitors, with sheltered water that suits paddleboarders and kayakers. There's a swimming-only zone in summer, good rock-pooling at low tide and Joe's Café, which isn't run by the National Trust. Park at South Beach car park, which has toilets nearby, and walk through the village. Dogs are welcome all year, with restrictions in the summer months.
Open all year
A sand and shingle cove just east of Durdle Door on the Lulworth Estate, with aquamarine water and calm seas for gentle swimming and paddling. The final descent is steep and not suitable for people with disabilities, so wear trainers or walking boots. Refreshment kiosks, souvenirs and toilets are in the car park area, and dogs are allowed.
Open all year
A Blue Flag sandy beach with wide views along the coast, a car park right beside it, a beach shop and a popular restaurant. RNLI lifeguards are on duty from late May to early September, 10am to 6pm. The beach can be reached by ramp, and a beach wheelchair is available from the beach office from May to September. Dogs aren't allowed on the main beach from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
A hands-on aviation museum with many interactive exhibits, where you can sit in most of the aircraft cockpits and see the English Electric Lightning and the Westland Wessex helicopter up close. It suits families, children and young people, and the shop of aviation gifts and memorabilia can be visited without entering the museum. It's open daily all year except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with last admission 40 minutes before closing.
Open all year
A clifftop Local Nature Reserve of broadleaf woodland, grassland, ponds and sea cliffs between Highcliffe Castle and Friar's Cliff, and a stopping-off point for migrating birds and insects. Look out for nuthatches, woodpeckers, white admiral butterflies and fungi, or rest on the clifftop benches with views to the Isle of Wight and Hengistbury Head. Most paths are flat, and an unmanned information centre has an interactive display for children.
Open all year
A museum and art gallery in Dorchester covering 250 million years of Dorset's history, geology and art. Visitors can see Jurassic Coast fossils, Iron Age finds from Maiden Castle, a recreation of Thomas Hardy's study, and works by sculptor Elisabeth Frink. The Victorian hall features a Roman mosaic floor visitors can stand on and a Learning Centre offers activities for children.
Open all year
A quiet pebble and shingle beach below flower-covered cliffs, with clear water that's safe for bathing and views across Weymouth Bay to Portland. Steep ancient tracks lead down from the National Trust car park at the top of the cliff, and there are no toilets. Dogs are welcome; use a short lead near sheep and nesting birds. The X54 bus stops at Kit Lane, about 3 miles away.
Open all year
A 25-acre heathland and woodland nature reserve set around a lake, with paths to explore and the UK's longest rope bridge to try. Families can follow the Trail of Enchanted Doors to a play area with swings and climbing frames, then visit the tearooms, gift shop and plant centre.