Any date · All of Dorset
Open all year
A pebble barrier beach running 28km from Portland to West Bay, part of the Jurassic Coast and the reason Portland is joined to the mainland. At the Portland end, Chesil Cove is a popular place to sit on the beach, swim, dive and even surf, and anglers come all along it. The Chesil Beach Centre, beside the Fleet Lagoon, has a boardwalk giving easy access onto the beach.
Open all year
A tropical aquarium on Bournemouth's seafront, home to thousands of creatures. Walk through the underwater tunnel with sharks and Carrie the loggerhead turtle, then see a crocodile, otters, jellyfish, clownfish and a colony of Humboldt penguins on the outdoor Penguin Beach. There are daily talks and feeding experiences, an outdoor terrace and a play area, and the indoor displays make it a good choice whatever the weather.
Open all year
A chain ferry crossing between Sandbanks and the Isle of Purbeck in around four minutes, offering coastal views along the way. It provides a quick link to nearby National Trust sites such as Studland Bay and Corfe Castle, running seven days a week with no need to pre-book. Foot passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists and cars can all travel, with foot passengers going free from Studland to Sandbanks.
Open all year
Kingston Lacy is a 17th century Italian-style country house with formal gardens and parkland. Visitors can view paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Titian, and see one of the UK's largest private collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts. The estate also includes woodland walks, a Japanese garden and Badbury Rings.
Open all year
A Blue Flag sandy beach in Mudeford, just east of Mudeford Quay, where Christchurch Bay begins and stretches towards Highcliffe. There's a café, a shop, the Noisy Lobster seafood restaurant and beach huts, plus showers, toilets and watersports hire and lessons in front of the car park. There is level access from Avon Beach car park to the promenade and beach. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
A 3.8 mile round walk from Studland village out to Old Harry Rocks, dramatic chalk sea stacks on the Isle of Purbeck coast. The route climbs Ballard Down, giving views over Poole Harbour and Swanage Bay.
Open all year
A 14th-century hilltop chapel above Abbotsbury, built by monks as a place of pilgrimage and retreat. Visitors can climb up for views of the abbey ruins and explore the chapel's nooks and crannies, including the 'wishing holes' where local women once prayed to St Catherine for a husband. The local parish still holds occasional services there.
Open all year
Part of Studland Bay's four miles of golden sand, with views of Old Harry Rocks, Knoll Beach is where you'll find the National Trust café, shop and a large car park. Beach wheelchairs and an all-terrain electric wheelchair are free to borrow, and there's a Changing Places toilet. The Purbeck Breezer 50 bus and the Sandbanks chain ferry make it easy to arrive without a car. From May to September dogs must be on a short lead.
Open all year
A family-run water garden on the edge of Chickerell, built on former clay pits and home to a National Plant Collection of water lilies. Grass paths wind through eight ponds, wetland planting and woodland, with a Monet-inspired bridge and a tropical house. There is a nature trail for children and a small museum on local history.
Open all year
An activity venue in Blandford Forum offering laser tag, archery, and axe and knife throwing. It caters for birthday parties, stag and hen groups, team building days and family sessions during school holidays.
Open all year
An aquarium and adventure park in Weymouth with over 2,000 sea creatures, including otters, rescued sea turtles and a colony of fairy penguins. Attractions include the Ocean Tunnel coral reef display, the Caribbean Cove adventure play area with a galleon and lookout point, and an outdoor Splash Zone pool during summer.
Open all year
Guided sea kayaking, stand up paddleboarding and coasteering trips based in Castletown, Portland, with easy access into Portland Harbour. Trips explore the fleet lagoon, Chesil Beach and hidden coves and caves. Suitable for individuals, groups and families, with no experience required and double kayaks available for children as young as five.
Open all year
An outdoor adventure park within Moors Valley Country Park offering high ropes, zip lines, all-terrain Segways and a multi-level nets playground. Experiences range from a gentle introduction for younger children to a longer treetop challenge with Tarzan swings for older kids and adults. Suitable for adventurers aged four to one hundred and four.
Open all year
A single wood-fired sauna for up to eight on the left as you enter Lulworth Cove. Book a 65-minute communal or private session, or a private guided ritual, and cool off in the sea, where pebbles, shingle and sand slope away; swim shoes help. Changing, lockers and a hot spring-water shower are at Lulworth Lodge, two minutes' walk away. The sauna is reached by a sea ladder, so it isn't easy for everyone. Guests must be 16 or over.
Open all year
The Etches Collection is a modern museum in Kimmeridge showing fossils of the marine life of Jurassic Dorset, and the story of life and death in the Kimmeridgian seas 157 million years ago, in the age of the dinosaurs. A Jurassic giant known as Big Sara can be seen at set viewing times. The museum is open every day apart from over Christmas, there is no need to book, and one ticket lets you return free for a year.
Open all year
This museum on the Isle of Portland recreates the wartime dockyard from which US troops embarked for the D-Day landings in 1944. Visitors can handle original WW2 artefacts and weapons, climb inside military vehicles, or read information panels while taking in the dockyard setting. It suits all the family, and visitors are encouraged to dress in 1940s attire.
Open all year
A family-friendly museum set in a historic town house off Wimborne's High Street, with 11 galleries covering local history and archaeology. Visitors can enjoy interactive exhibits, face-to-face encounters with figures from Wimborne's past, and a collection of Victorian Valentine cards. The site also has a walled garden, tearoom, second-hand bookshop and gift shop.
Open all year
Coastal Cruises Poole Ltd runs boat trips along the Jurassic Coast, to Swanage and around Poole Harbour. A uniformed crew provides commentary on the coastline and landmarks, and refreshments including a bar are available on board. Evening cruises and private charters can also be arranged, and dogs are welcome on all trips for a small charge.
Open all year
Skippered RIB boat trips along the Jurassic Coast, departing from Bridport Harbour in West Bay. Options range from fast-paced adventures to relaxing sightseeing cruises and private hire, suiting families, couples and groups. Trips run from Easter through to the end of October, weather and sea conditions permitting.
Open all year
A family-run farm park near Verwood built around a rare breed of heavy horses. Visitors can meet and feed the horses, take carriage and tractor rides, explore play barns and a trampoline barn, and see a vintage vehicle collection. The park is open from April to November, with a café on site.
Open all year
Sailing trips aboard the tall ship Moonfleet, a gaff rigged cutter based at Portland Marina, suited to both beginners and experienced sailors. Passengers can either relax and watch the coastline or join the crew in tasks such as hoisting sails and taking the helm. Trips run most days but depend on the weather.
Open all year
A guided tour of Britain's only thatched brewery, set beside the river Brit in Bridport and brewing ales since 1794. Visitors explore the historic brewery buildings, starting in the Malt Loft, and learn about the brewing process before sampling the finished ales in the Palmers Wine Store. Tours run Monday to Friday and last two hours; under-13s cannot take part and 13 to 17 year olds must be accompanied by an adult.
Open all year
A single-estate vineyard near Dorchester producing award-winning traditional method sparkling wine. Visitors can join guided or self-guided tours through the vines, then sample wines in a tasting room housed in a 19th-century former milking parlour, which also has a shop and cafe.
Open all year
Careys Secret Garden is a walled Victorian garden set against the backdrop of the Isle of Purbeck, rediscovered in 2019 and restored using rewilding and permaculture principles. The 3.5-acre site includes an arid garden, rose garden, orchard, wildflower meadow, tea and herb garden, food forest and wildlife pond. It suits families, with parent and toddler sessions on Friday mornings, and is open Wednesday to Saturday.