What to do and see in Dorset, England: The Best Sightseeing Tours

March 5, 2022 Karren Gelb

Discover the best top things to do in Dorset, United Kingdom including Private Discovery Flight Around Bournemouth, Self drive boat hire in Weymouth & Portland (RIB Charter), Discovery Flight around Portsmouth, Glider Plane Tour of the Jurassic Coast, Poole Harbour and Island Cruise from Poole, Jurassic Coastal Cruise from Swanage or Poole, City Sightseeing Bournemouth Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall : Private Driver Guided 5 Day Tour from London , Award Winning Luxury 5 day South West of England Tour , DESIGN YOUR OWN TOUR | Minibus - Up To 8 | Dorset.
Restaurants in Dorset

1. Private Discovery Flight Around Bournemouth

Bournemouth International Airport, Parley Ln, Christchurch BH23 6SE, UK Wingly UK
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5.0 based on 3 reviews

Go on an unforgettable adventure and discover the beautiful coast of Bournemouth in the most unique way...from a private micro plane! You’ll see stunning views of Bournemouth beach and pier, the Jurassic Coast, Sandbanks, and many more incredible sights for you to discover with a local pilot! Your pilot is key to this adventure. They are sharing the flights' direct cost, not making a profit. They just love to fly and want you to understand their passion for aviation. So be sure to meet your pilot directly at the Bournemouth Airport. ++Confirm weather conditions with your pilot before++ --> Access a local airfield --> Discuss the flight route together with your pilot --> Pre-flight check --> Up you go, enjoy the view from a whole new perspective! The flight can depart between 9-17h, depending on the availability of the pilot, aircraft, and weather. Please let us know your flexible hours/days upon booking, and make sure that you've been in touch with us beforehand!

Inclusions: Access a private and exclusive airclub around Bournemouth, Discuss the route with your pilot, make it special, 1 Hour Private Sightseeing Flight, Pilot's headset

Exclusions: Transportation to/from the activity, Food & Drinks

Reviewed By Olivewhi

It was a great purchase. It was a well constructed tour and worth the money. We were shown numerous landmarks and we had full control of how rough the flight was. We chose the calm selection.

2. Self drive boat hire in Weymouth & Portland (RIB Charter)

Chargemaster Charging Station, Harbourside Car Park, 70 Commercial Rd, Weymouth DT4 8NA, UK Boats 247 - Jurassic Coast Boat Tours, RIB Charter & Powerboat Training
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5.0 based on 3 reviews

RYA POWERBOAT LEVEL 2 LICENCE REQUIRED FOR THIS SELF DRIVE! Charter one of our RIBS for you, Family & friends. Explore the beautiful coastline in your own time, drop anchor have a swim a truly memorable experience. A maximum of 6 people per boat with all safety equipment provided. The private self drive charter experience can be between 10am and 4pm. We do however welcome enquiries for longer charters Please note: Explore the coast as much or as little as you like, The price includes the boat, The fuel used is charged at Marina fuel birth rate. RYA Powerboat Level 2 licence required for non skippered use. We are able to train you in Just two days, Here in sunny Weymouth! Please contact us for full details.

Inclusions: Boat rental, Fuel surcharge, Safety equipment

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Reviewed By Gpatel25

Now this was the the best point of my holiday. A 4 day holiday in Dorset where most of the things were closed for tourists cause of Covid-19. The cherry on top was Elliot. He was a gem of a person. Did not show fake excitement and interest but also interacted in a way that made all of us become involved. He told us things that we would like to know and explained them well. The best part is he took time to show us dolphins and spent time to follow the two dolphins as well so that we could see them properly. He was a genuine human and a very good one. I would definitely recommend to everyone to experience this but moreover try and see if Elliot can take you in the ride. We loved the speed and he knew what we liked and did that to amuse and give us the value for the money. I have saved his details personally for my comp ay so that I can recommend him for my annual gatherings. Stay blessed Elliot!!!!!

3. Discovery Flight around Portsmouth

Solent Airport, Daedalus Drive, Lee-on-the-Solent PO13 9FZ, UK Wingly UK
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Go on an unforgettable adventure and discover the beauty of Portsmouth and the surrounding area in the most unique way...from a private micro plane! You’ll see stunning views of the city, Isle of Wight, Spinnaker Tower...and many more sights for you to discover with a local pilot! Your pilot is key to this adventure. They are sharing the flights' direct cost, not making a profit. They just love to fly and want you to understand their passion for aviation. So be sure to meet your pilot directly at Lee-on-the-Solent airport. ++Confirm weather conditions with your pilot before++ --> Access a local airfield --> Discuss the flight route together with your pilot --> Pre-flight check --> Up you go, enjoy the view from a whole new perspective! The flight can depart between 9-17h, depending on the availability of the pilot, aircraft, and weather. Please let us know your flexible hours/days upon booking, and make sure that you've been in touch with us beforehand!

Inclusions: 1-Hour Private Sightseeing Flight, Access a private and exclusive airclub , Discuss the route with your pilot, make it special, Pilot Headset

Exclusions: Transportation to/from the activity

Reviewed By kaneperry

Our flight was piloted by Chris. He was very informative and polite and took us over the Isle of White, the beach, Weymouth. The actual experience was AMAZING!! Everywhere we went he told us about it and the experience itself was amazing. I highly recommend this as it is definitely an experience you will never forget, one reason for that is that he handed me the controls and I FLEW THE PLANE! Everything was nice, chilled, very safe and easy. Overall, couldn't have been better ????

4. Glider Plane Tour of the Jurassic Coast

Dunkeswell Airfield, Dunkeswell, Honiton EX14 4LG, UK Southwest Motor Gliders
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Flying above the Jurassic Coastline in a motorglider is a truly unique experience. Our aircraft it is both very quiet and comfortable and offers unrivalled visibility making it perfect for taking aerial photographs of all the attractions along the beautiful South Coast Motorgliders by there nature are extremely safe aircraft to fly in as with their long wings they can glide very efficiently without the engine running. Your 1 hour trip will give you ample opportunity to see the cliffs and beaches along the coast as well as the chance to handle the controls and fly the motorglider if you wish. As your pilot is a fully qualified flying Instructor you will be able to receive some tuition on handling the controls of the aircraft and possibly flying us back to the airfield yourself.

Inclusions: Pre-flight briefing and option to receive some flying instruction if you would like

Exclusions: We are unable to accommodate people above 100kg

Reviewed By Fearless03823612193

To begin with; Ian was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and accommodating. It was my first time on a motor glider and I truly enjoyed the experience. Flying in a glider is an amazing experience and once Ian let me take the controls, it was outstanding. On top of that, stunning views of the Jurassic Coast are picturesque. I should add that compared to a standard light aircraft (Cessna or Piper) the views are better because of the canopy. I highly recommend it! Atilla

5. Poole Harbour and Island Cruise from Poole

City Cruises - Poole, The Quay, Poole BH15 1BQ, UK City Cruises Poole
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4.6 based on 99 reviews

Enjoy a spectacular and relaxing 75-minute cruise around the largest natural harbour in Europe, and get some great views of the beautiful harbour islands and world famous Sandbanks! With four daily departures, this popular cruise commences from Poole Quay, situated in the traditional harbour town of Poole on the picturesque Dorset coast, and starts with a trip through the harbour, formed in the last ice-age, and continues around Brownsea Island, before returning to Poole Quay.

Inclusions: Live commentary on board

Exclusions: Food and drinks, Gratuities, Hotel pickup and drop-off

Reviewed By Moboladejesu

I booked over a week just go get a call that morning that the trip was cancelled. I asked if I could get a refund as I was for vacation and couldn’t make the new date that was days away and was told to contact trip advisor that they had my money and the planner was going to let them know that the fault was theirs. I cancelled the trip on the web page and ticked that planner asked me to cancel. I got an email saying they couldn’t refund since I cancelled less than 24 hours. Very bad management.

6. Jurassic Coastal Cruise from Swanage or Poole

Poole Quay, The Quay, Poole BH15 1HJ, UK City Cruises Poole
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4.1 based on 79 reviews

Enjoy a fantastic 2-hour round cruise between Poole and Swanage, and experience over 2 million years of geological history. This popular cruise takes you through Poole Harbour, close to Brownsea Island (affording great views on its magnificent castle), continues past the exclusive houses of Sandbanks and out into the open sea! From there you sail through time and observe 2 million years of geological history in the breath-taking Jurassic Coast. Old Harry Rocks, Studland Bay and Swanage bay are just a few of the landmarks you pass before arriving to Swanage Pier and returning back to Poole Quay. Informative commentary included.

Inclusions: Commentary

Exclusions: Food and drinks, Gratuities, Hotel pickup and drop-off

Reviewed By CharlieB196

What an incredibly helpful and customer-focused company. We had originally booked on the Jurassic Coast cruise which was cancelled due to low numbers. They offered a refund or a longer harbour cruise with a free meal deal. They were very apologetic and worried about making sure we were happy. The cruise was great, the commentary was interesting and witty, and the customer service onboard put many other businesses to shame. Well done - brilliant

7. City Sightseeing Bournemouth Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

City Sightseeing Bournemouth
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3.9 based on 27 reviews

Discover the coastal resort town of Bournemouth with ease on a City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off tour! Choose between a 24-hour or 48-hour ticket and explore the city by open-top, double-decker bus - enjoying panoramic views around every turn. See all the main sights of Bournemouth on the 90-minute narrated loop, or hop on and hop off at any of the 25 tour stops to explore the places that interest you the most. The tour will take you to the city's most popular locations, including Bournemouth Pier, Sandbanks Beach, Old Poole Town and The Triangle.

Inclusions: Free headphones, On-board audio commentary, Vouchers valid for 12 months

Exclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off, Attraction entry fee's

Reviewed By Lynne A

We did this bus tour today October 8 2020. This is excellent value for money, it takes you all over Bournemouth and Poole to places you wouldn’t think of or know how to get to in your car or on foot. A real good informative tour with a friendly helpful driver.

8. Devon, Dorset and Cornwall : Private Driver Guided 5 Day Tour from London

Homer's Odysseys
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3.0 based on 2 reviews

Your experienced Private Driver Guide takes you to arguably the most beautiful counties of England and Britain. Dorset, Devon and Cornwall have some of the most picturesque and quaint English villages with thatched cottages, historic churches and welcoming country pubs serving excellent food and drink. There is also the opportunity to visit the dramatic Jurassic Coast with its steep cliffs, and breathtaking rocky outcrops. We also visit the wild and rugged terrain of Dartmoor and hear many stories that have originated from this spectacular landscape. The following day is spent on the northern coast exploring the beautiful villages of Clovelly and Port Isaac, where the TV series, Doc Martin is filmed and there are more opportunities to taste the local cuisine and try the local beers from this part of Britain. There are a range of things to to on the final two days - exploring St Ives and Mount St Michael or the Eden Project to name just a couple. The tour is tailor-made to your needs.

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation

Exclusions: All accommodation, meals, drinks and refreshments are not included in the price of the tour.

Reviewed By Zenzaro

We had met Nigel Homer earlier in December when he guided us on the Rabbies Oxford & Traditional Cotwold Villages 1 Day Tour. We had such a wonderful day that we booked Nigel again. Nigel has such a delightful manner, is extremely knowledgeable & has a very inviting sense of humour all of which enables him to deliver the most relaxed, comfortable, fun & enjoyable tour. Thank you so much & best wishes, Nigel. ????

9. Award Winning Luxury 5 day South West of England Tour

Travel England Tours

Travel England Tours are an award winning private chauffeur guide company. Explore the unspoiled countryside of the South West of England in one of our luxurious Mercedes S Class vehicles. With many World Heritage Sites located within the 8 counties covered within this tour you will see lots of outstanding coastlines, rolling landscapes and historical architecture. Relax and take in the beautiful landscapes while travelling in comfort and style with your own private chauffeur guide. Your local chauffeur guide has an abundance of knowledge of the areas which will ensure you have a memorable tour.

Inclusions: Private transportation, Air-conditioned vehicle, WiFi on board, Bottled water

Exclusions: Lunch, Snacks, Admissions to attractions, Accommodation

Reviewed By 782andreyk

We have greatly enjoyed our tour around Devon with Ian. We have seen the most interesting attractions in Devon (Plymouth, Weymouth, Exeter, Slapton Sands, Dartmoor) in just one day. Ian is an extremely capable and friendly tour guide, and we can only recommend Travel England Tours for anyone wanting to explore Devon! Andrey and Giulie

10. DESIGN YOUR OWN TOUR | Minibus - Up To 8 | Dorset

DayTrippa UK

This is a FULL DAY PRIVATE TOUR for up to 8 passengers with an itinerary of your choice! This is not a guided tour. Your driver will spend time only with you and the people you’re travelling with. Go at your own pace. See as much as you can or slow things down to a saunter. With your private driver, your day is flexible. Customize your tour. See the sights YOU want, learn about what interests YOU the most.

Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Bottled water, Private transportation

Exclusions: Gratuities, Lunch

Reviewed By sharon_farmer

I have to say I love it here. So beautiful what ever the weather. Admittedly stunning on a sunny day but even in the rain worth a trip to just take it all in

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