Top Things to do in Weymouth
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The 10 Best Things to do in Weymouth, England
Hit the beautiful beaches of Weymouth to soak up the surprisingly powerful U.K. sun—there are plenty of waterfront options to pick from. The quaint harbor of Weymouth bobs merrily with fishing boats, and, downtown, Hope Square and Brewers Quay bustle with shoppers and merrymakers.
Restaurants in Weymouth
1. Jurassic Safari
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 250 reviews
Sit back, relax and enjoy Dorset's spectacular scenery and wildlife on our 'Park Farm ATV Safari', venturing into 52 acres of beautiful countryside. Your guide will share some fascinating local history and a few quirky Dorset tales along the way. Refreshments, including homemade baked goods, are offered on every safari. Our aim is to leave you with unforgettable memories and an experience to talk about.
Reviewed By RF1979 - Kettering, United Kingdom
We did the Park Farm ATV safari as a family in August and it was great. We were a family of 5 - 2 adults and 3 children (6,9 and 11). Gary was a perfect host and made us all feel very welcome and comfortable and involved everyone in the conversation on the way round the tour. His knowledge of the local area and the farmland was brilliant and he definitely made you think about the wonderful wildlife we have in this country. The kids loved it as well. We would like to come back and do one of the Landdrover trips when all in the world is back to normal and we are allowed again. Well done, great experience!
2. Nothe Fort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,892 reviews
The outdoor areas of Nothe Fort are reopening to visitors every weekend until 17th May. On this date, the indoor areas will be reopened and the Fort shall be open 7 days a week from 11am till 4pm. This 19th century Fort includes a museum highlighting coastal defence. Built by the Victorians to protect Portland Harbour, Nothe Fort is one of the best preserved forts of its kind. The advances in technology that affected the fort are explained through many displays, exhibits and audio visual facilities located on the ramparts, gun decks and maze of underground passageways. Enjoy the stunning and far reaching views of the Jurassic Coast from the picnic areas on the Ramparts. These will provide one of the best vantage points on the south coast. Current annual passes have been extended by three months. Any new ticket now permits you entry for the rest of this year, and all of the next.
Reviewed By janicef806 - Melton Mowbray, United Kingdom
Nothe Fort can be seen from the beach in Weymouth and it is well worth a visit.The staff who were very knowledgeable and very helpful making time to speak directly to the 3 children we had with us.The mouse hunt captured their attention - a great way to keep the kids interesred, and the displays are well put together.we were lucky with the weather so the views were amazing.There is plenty of space to picnic outside the fort,grassy open space,but we had lunch at the cafe inside and it was voted out best lunch of the week!Anyone who has to please 3 very different children knows it isn't easy when it comes to food,but all 3 enjoyed it and so did the adults.We will definitely go again.
3. Abbotsbury Swannery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,346 reviews
Reviewed By Lilacwheaty - Nottingham, United Kingdom
We arrived 30 minutes before the 12 noon feed time (they feed at 12.00 and 16,00) which was lucky, as gave us enough time for a quick read of intro info and a 400m walk down to the feeding area. Hundreds of Mute swans were ready for their first feed and they co-operate well, whilst keeping all the migrating Canada geese at bay. The Swanherd team appeared to love their jobs and giving us all information about the life of swan and the sites 500 year plus history. In Mya and June the cygnets appear, adding to the delight of a visit. There is lots of information and kids activities also, so plenty to do in-between feeding times Combining the tickets with other Abbotsbury estate attractions and the village itself makes for good value also, and a full day out
4. Chesil Bank (Chesil Beach)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 945 reviews
Reviewed By MrsWYN-R - Somerset, United Kingdom
First visit to Chesil Beach from the Portland end. Still fabulous and interesting. Love all the pebbles and the sloping beach that stretches for miles. Great for photographs and to get the sea air. Car park and visitors centre with cafe located nearby. Great escape.
5. Weymouth Harbour
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,461 reviews
Reviewed By Sirpopple - Cannock, United Kingdom
This is a Gem of an English holiday place, fish and chip capital of the UK with the best beach in England, great atmosphere and great pubs and restaurants overlooking the harbor, with tradition restaurants like the Harbourside cafe offering value for money
6. Weymouth Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,783 reviews
Reviewed By JaneB27272727 - Weymouth, United Kingdom
Weymouth beach is beautiful. Very safe with great staff and lots to do - donkeys, rides, cafes, soft sand, warm water, life guards, kayaks, pedalos, beach huts etc. Classic English seaside fun!
7. Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,269 reviews
Voted the Historic Houses Association /Christie's Garden of the Year 2012. Acclaimed by Alan Titchmarsh as "one of the finest Gardens I have ever visited." Regularly featured on TV, most recently for a BBC Gardeners' World feature on camellias, with the excellent Carol Klein and expert Jennifer Trehane, and in James Wong's outstanding episode of the BBC's Great British Garden Revival series, on tropical gardens. Established in 1765.
Reviewed By kittyHove - Felpham, United Kingdom
A lovely day spent in these beautiful well kept gardens the sun was shining it was very relaxing to stroll around.Well laid out with arrows to follow.Such a clear day with great views over Chesil beach and beyond.
8. Sandworld Sculpture Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 854 reviews
Weymouth Sand Sculpture Festival aka Sandworld is a seasonal attraction set within Lodmoor Country Park, Weymouth - next door to the SeaLife Centre, and next to a large car and coach park. Sandworld is an all weather attraction created by local artists to showcase the talents of International and UK Sand Sculptors undercover in a huge marquee. There is a large covered sand pit. Visitors are encouraged to "have a go" at sandsculpting having been inspired by what they have seen. It is sometimes possible to engage with artists as they work on new pieces which are added to the site from time to time, and always possible to relax with a drink, snack or icecream at the on site cafe. Activities such as filling sand bottles are available at extra cost, and a gift shop completes the experience where you can buy a postcard of your favourite sculpture or a souvenier of your visit. The attraction has a link to Weymouths long tradition of Sand Sculpting, as Mark Anderson - co-founder of Sandworld - is the grandson of Fred Darrington, who began sculpting on Weymouth beach back in the 1920's. Mark is an International Master in his own right, and can often be found in the sandpit at Sandworld helping aspiring sculptors - young and old - to engage in this most therapeutic of activities. Length of visit times varies widely depending on the individual or groups' level of interest and/or engagement with the art, and of course the weather (although most of the exhibits are undercover, a visit in November will not be the same as a visit in August). Some visitors stay 10 minutes, some stay all day, either way is cool. All are welcome at Sandworld - please come and see us! Open between Easter and Halloween
Reviewed By C2LOU - Bournemouth, United Kingdom
You have to go here! We payed £22 for 2 adults 2 children 5-12 (under 5 free) and we had 3 hours of fun! The sand pit area is great, the cafe is great, the staff are great and the sculptures are AMAZING! The talent is beyond me! Thank you. We went back today after upgrading £3 for unlimited access until November.
9. Sandsfoot Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 329 reviews
Reviewed By Minkykiwi - Esher, United Kingdom
We stumbled upon this when going for a walk - gorgeous little garden which was beautifully landscaped, and a well restored castle overlooking the sea - with great signage and historical information we were delighted to have discovered this little gem. Do go if you are in Weymouth. There is also a little coffee shack nearby and it would be a fab place to have a picnic on a nice day.
10. Weymouth SEA LIFE Adventure Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 2,979 reviews
Come and join us for a fantastic SEA LIFE adventure both above and below the ocean! Your SEA LIFE adventure will take you on a fascinating journey from the coastline to the depths of the ocean. Discover a magical underwater world filled with a dazzling array of amazing creatures. Every step will reveal something new, from a face-to-face encounter with sharks to a hands-on rockpool experience. Explore our fantastic 7-acre site by the sea and discover the truth about the much misunderstood shark, the plight of the endangered sea turtle, the remarkable life of the seahorse plus countless surprising facts about these and hundreds of other incredible creatures. Meet the comical Humboldt Penguins and watch the shark feeding. Visitors can go behind the scenes and help the trainers target feed the sharks (Additional charges apply).
Reviewed By Kimsy1724 - Weymouth, United Kingdom
We visited today after a two year break. In previous years I’ve purchased the annual pass to be able to take my daughter but found that it was a bit lacklustre in recent years. The ticket price has now changed so that whether you purchase single entry or an annual pass it’s the same cost, so it makes perfect sense to get an annual pass. The only downside is they do stop entry on a Wednesday/Thursday during any holiday as these are apparently the busiest days? This is something new that’s never been in place before and I don’t see why you should be penalised as to what day you can go as that’s never been the case in the past. I had seen some negative reviews recently in regards to the fact that the ocean tunnel is currently closed while it’s being renovated and customers were not being made aware. However the young lady on the till made us aware of this and also provided a voucher for us to return at any time once the ocean tunnel had been fixed so it’s great that they’ve taken that feedback on board and are making the customers aware and compensating them. They also had a “top trumps” event on which meant each child was given a card and could battle any of the staff to try and win cards that were better and rarer. There was also the opportunity to look for cards that were hidden inside certain tanks. The children had to record information from the card, put them in order and they could win a prize at the end. As the weather was cold and windy, the park was relatively empty which meant we got to have a good look all of the tanks and exhibits and could spend as much time as we wanted. Time and effort has definitely been put in in regards to giving the park a much-needed facelift and the exhibits too. There was a great option to be able to touch starfish and hand washing facilities as well and the staff were very knowledgeable and provided information and encouraged the children with this. We also noticed that some of the existing exhibits had been given a facelift; one that we noticed in particular was the octopus tank that had been given a larger and more interactive tank which was really nice to see. Some exhibits have changed completely, still the same tanks but with different aquatic life in them so this kept it fresh for people like ourselves that are local and end up seeing the same thing again and again which I appreciate must be difficult to do when dealing with aquatic life. When we stopped at the Humbolt penguins, we were lucky enough that they were just about to feed them and whilst the gentleman that was actually feeding didn’t interact with the audience at all, there was a lovely young lady there who was very informative and friendly. We chatted to her both before and after the feeding and she was very friendly, knowledgeable and engaging with our daughter. The previous turtle exhibit has now been changed, this is good because we had felt in the past ourselves that the tanks were quite small but understood this is because most of the turtles have been rescued. However this has been updated and a lot of them currently removed and there is some interactiveDisplays which have been brought in to teach children about the ocean, the impact of humans and plastic on the ocean, what to do if you found a baby seal and an insight into products that we have in our food industry that can affect the ocean, so it was a really informative and interactive area to help teach the next generation about looking after the planet. The ocean tunnel itself was closed but a member of staff advised it was being turned into a night/day themed tunnel. We visited the fairy penguin walk-through which is new since the last time we visited but I think this is definitely something that needs to be visited during the feeding time as despite there being a colony of 19, we only saw one who did look quite scared and unnerved by the sound of people walking around. However they had a beautiful indoor and outdoor enclosure. Again we could not see the otters, these were not out in the pen and appear to have been shut away for the day despite it being only 3 pm. Whilst waiting for the seals to be fed, we decided to go and try out the Caribbean Cove outdoor play area. When we last tried this a couple of years ago, my five-year-old daughter did struggle with some of the play area and some areas in my opinion were unsafe and in particular I remember rescuing a young child who had begun climbing across the rope ladder and was at risk of dropping almost 5 foot to the ground. Thankfully it seems that these areas had actually been addressed and my daughter being 7 now, was able to enjoy this play area whilst me and her dad were able to enjoy a Costa Coffee. I imagine this will be a wonderful place to bring a picnic and spend all day out in the summer; there is also a sandpit area and generally it’s just a very nice place and play area for children. The last thing on our list was to go and see the seals being fed which previously we’ve always missed. This turned out to be the highlight of the show. Before the trainer came along, a young lady was doing a talk and was telling us the story of the seagulls who come to steal fish and giving us background history and once the trainer arrived with fish, we were able to watch her asking the seals to perform various different tricks for the reward of the fish. However these weren’t tricks for our public entertainment, these were encouraging the seals onto the land and touching the hand so that the trainers were able to check the body, their eyes, opening them mouth to check their teeth, rolling over for them to check their stomach and for them to be able to carry out an allover health check and it was fascinating to see; really makes you appreciate just how intelligent these creatures are. Once the feeding was finished, we decided to head home as the weather was starting to turn. We got to the gift shop and my daughter handed in her search sheet and was given a free magnifying glass (hoping this was a recycled and sustainable plastic after the emphasis put on throwaway plastics around the centre) and as we left, a lovely gentleman on the door engaged with my daughter asking what her favourite bit was and played a game of trumps with her. He then gifted her an extra card because her favourites were the penguins. We had a really wonderful day and where the park was quieter due to the weather being colder, we had a much more immersive experience. Understandably when the park is busy, there isn’t as much one-to-one interaction because of the volume of people but the staff are all very friendly, very knowledgeable, very engaging with the children and seems to really have a passion for what they were doing and a good knowledge. For the same price as a one-time entry, we were able to make advantage of an annual pass. The only exclusions or Wednesday/Thursday is during the summer holidays and half terms as it’s their busiest days and the Father Christmas event that they have on which is charged as extra. Where as normally an aquarium is all in doors, this is an outdoor type of venture much in the same way that a zoo is; walking around outdoors and going in to see the individual exhibits and themes and as a result it makes it feel like a much more immersive day out with more to do. The grounds are immaculately kept, there was lots of opportunity to take your own picnic and your own food, there were of course areas for refreshments, in the summer there is a splash pool zone, a sensory garden and in general it was a really good day out and I look forward to returning when the weather is warmer.
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