Dorset Days Out

Things to do in Dorset

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

Photo: Stefanie Jockschat

127 results · page 3 of 6

Open all year

Open all year
Sculpture by the Lakes
Pallington · West Dorset · Arts and culture
- Dog-friendly
- Accessible
- +1 more
Sculpture by the Lakes is a sculpture park at Pallington, near Dorchester. Allow at least an hour and a half, with plenty of places to sit or picnic along the way. The park needs a ticket, best booked ahead, while The Makers Yard is free to enter. Children under 14 are not admitted because of the deep, fast-flowing water. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in most areas, and paths can be muddy in wet weather.
Open all year
Moors Valley Country Park and Forest
Ashley Heath · East Dorset · Nature and wildlife
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Accessible
- +2 more
A family-friendly country park and forest offering adventure play trails and tree-top challenges. Visitors can explore 1000 acres of woodland, meadows and lakes on foot or by bike, try adventure golf or a mini Land Rover course, or ride the narrow-gauge steam train. Dogs are welcome, and wheelchair and mobility tramper hire is available.
Open all year
Charmouth Beach
Charmouth · West Dorset · Beaches
- Accessible
A gently shelving beach of pebbles and sand, famous with Lyme Regis for its fossils, especially in the winter months. Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre runs guided fossil walks from February to September; collect only from fallen or beach material, never dig in the cliffs. After large cliff falls, stay away from the cliffs, and check tide times as you can be cut off. Dogs are welcome all year on East Beach.
Open all year
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum
Bournemouth · Arts and culture
- Rainy day
The Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum fills a historic clifftop house on Bournemouth's East Cliff. Its richly decorated galleries hold fine art, sculpture and treasures from around the world, gathered by the Victorian collectors Sir Merton and Lady Russell-Cotes, alongside a changing programme of exhibitions. The café looks out to sea. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday and on bank holiday Mondays.
Open all year
Weymouth Beach
Weymouth · Beaches
- Family-friendly
- Accessible
- +1 more
Weymouth's sandy beach sits below the Georgian seafront, with a gently sloping seabed and clean water for swimming and water sports, making it a good choice for families. In summer there are deckchairs, a land train, sand sculptures and Punch and Judy, and RNLI lifeguards patrol from May to the end of September. There's ramp and level access, and beach wheelchairs can be hired.
Open all year
Symondsbury Estate
Symondsbury · West Dorset · Walks
- Free
- Dog-friendly
- Family-friendly
- +2 more
A rural estate near Bridport offering miles of footpaths through hills, farmland and woodland, including a walk to the summit of Colmer's Hill with views towards the Jurassic Coast. Visitors can also explore The Holloways, a network of ancient sunken pathways shaded by trees. Entry and parking are free, and dogs are welcome across the estate.
Open all year
Rodwell Trail
Weymouth · Walks
- Accessible
A fully surfaced, signposted 2-mile route between Weymouth and Portland along a disused railway line, suitable for walkers, cyclists and mobility scooters. It passes old station platforms and Sandsfoot Castle, with views across Portland Harbour, and is rich in birds, plants and butterflies. The walk can be extended to 4 miles using the Wild About Weymouth and Portland Legacy Trail.
Open all year
The Tank Museum
Bovington · Isle of Purbeck · Heritage
- Family-friendly
- Rainy day
- Accessible
- +2 more
Around 300 tanks and military vehicles fill the halls of The Tank Museum at Bovington, the home of the tank. Nine exhibitions in seven large halls follow the story from the Somme to the beaches of Normandy and the deserts of Iraq, with stories from the soldiers who fought in them. Allow four to five hours. Parking is free, and there is a café, soft play and a shop. New exhibition work causes some disruption until January 2027.
Open all year
Nothe Fort
Weymouth · Heritage
- Family-friendly
Nothe Fort is Weymouth's historic sea fort, with a maze of underground tunnels, a Victorian gun deck and a secret nuclear bunker to explore. Up on the ramparts there is a Second World War gun and views along the Jurassic Coast. Volunteers are on hand, there are trails to keep children busy, and the café serves light lunches and cakes. The fort is closed for maintenance from 2 November 2026 until February 2027.
Open all year
Poole Park
Poole · Outdoor activities
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- +1 more
A large urban park beside a boating lake, with play areas, a café, tennis, bowls, minigolf, a fitness trail and water sports. The Poole Park railway runs through the park seven days a week. There are three free car parks with maximum stays, plus free parking on the park's roads, but cars can't drive in from 7.30am to 10am, Monday to Saturday. Dogs are welcome except in the fenced play areas.
Open all year
Badbury Rings
Shapwick · East Dorset · Heritage
- Free
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- +2 more
One of Dorset's finest Iron Age hillforts, set in chalk grassland that is home to ground-nesting skylarks, wild orchids and butterflies, with an avenue of beech trees and views across the Dorset countryside. It's free to visit from dawn to dusk, and parking is free for National Trust members. The ground is uneven and steep in places and there are no toilets. Sheep and cattle graze here, and dogs must be on a lead from late February to August.
Open all year
West Bay Beach
West Bay · West Dorset · Beaches
- Family-friendly
- Accessible
- +1 more
Two shingle beaches by the harbour: East Beach, below golden sandstone cliffs, and the smaller West Beach, sheltered and shallow for paddling and popular with young families. West Beach has ramps, summer beach matting and free beach wheelchairs. East Beach shelves steeply with a strong undertow, and after recent cliff falls you should keep well away from the base of the cliffs. Dogs aren't allowed on the main beaches from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
Coastal Vibes Cruises
Weymouth · Outdoor activities
- Family-friendly
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
Hell's Lane
Symondsbury · West Dorset · Walks
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 Beach
Swanage · Isle of Purbeck · Beaches
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
Wareham · Isle of Purbeck · Outdoor activities
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Accessible
- +2 more
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
Lighthouse Poole
Poole · Arts and culture
- Family-friendly
- Rainy day
- +1 more
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
Charmouth · West Dorset · Walks
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
Studland Naturist Beach
Studland · Isle of Purbeck · Beaches
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
Highcliffe Beach
Highcliffe · Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole · Beaches
- Accessible
- Car-free friendly
- +1 more
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
Bowleaze Cove
Weymouth · Beaches
- Accessible
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
Stour Valley Way
Stour Valley · North Dorset · Walks
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
Church Ope Cove
Portland · Beaches
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 House, Gardens and Wildlands
Mapperton · West Dorset · Gardens
- Family-friendly
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.