Find out about the best family days out in the Home Counties to inspire quality time with your loved ones, with something for everyone to enjoy.
The Home Counties are famous for their beautiful scenery, stunning architecture, fantastic sense of community and proximity to London, but that’s not all these amazing areas have to offer. The Home Counties are the base for all kinds of incredible family days out for you to enjoy with your loved ones. If you’re looking to explore these areas in the coming months, are the best family days out in the Home Counties for your inspiration:
You can get a train from London to Canterbury in less than an hour, which means minimal time to keep the kids occupied during the journey.
It has a little bit of everything to enjoy, including historic buildings, cathedrals, shops, gardens and amazing walks.
If you want a family day out that is much more nature based, then Elmley Nature Reserve is a great choice. You can get there in less than two hours from London, and then a short ride in a taxi to the reserve. There is 3,300 acres of wetland and wilderness there, with all kinds of animals and plants to identify and enjoy. You can also pay for organised tours if you want a little more to your day out.
Best enjoyed when the weather is going to be nice, and although you should take some snacks there is also a beautiful restaurant there to enjoy, too.
Stonehenge will take you a good couple of hours to get to on the train from London, but it is well worth it to enjoy one of the most iconic monuments in the UK. It is an awe-inspiring site, and you also get to explore the Neolithic buildings on site, too. Most people also like to include a trip to Avebury Henge too, which is not far and offers a similarly impressive site to explore as a family.
Knebworth House is a lovely family day out, with a park and all kinds of play equipment for kids to enjoy. There is also a dinosaur trail, gardens, a house, deer park and other attractions to enjoy.
Whipsnade Zoo is the biggest zoo in the UK and is a fantastic day out for the whole family. There is a soft play centre, butterfly house, all kinds of animal attractions and talks throughout the day. It’s a really good choice for families with children of mixed ages.
You can explore two parts of the park, including the road safari and the walking safari. The road safari is a particularly great option when the weather is bad, especially as you can go around it as many times as you like.
If you want to take the kids out for the day and help a charity this is a really great choice. It is small, so better for children of a younger age, and needs to be enjoyed when the weather is good as so much of it is outdoors. There are birds, tortoises and hedgehogs and a section where you can see animals being cared for from behind the glass. It is a really good option for a dry afternoon that will benefit both the charity and your family.
Gullivers Land is a popular day out for families in the Home Counties because it has roller coasters, eateries and other family-friendly activities to enjoy. It does have limited options for much younger children, so it might only be better for slightly older kids. However, it does offer the average family a fun day out, and is thought to be great value overall.
Margate is a really great day out for the kids because it has so many different things for the whole family to enjoy. At the very least it is a day out at the seaside. At most, there are amazing eateries, art exhibitions, there is an amusement park, an outdoor stage, roller skate rink – the list is endless. Even better, it is always improving too, so there is always something new to enjoy in the area.
Bath is known for having all kinds of wonderful spa options for adults to enjoy as they relax. However, it is also a pretty good day out for the kids, too. There are art galleries and museums to enjoy, all kinds of shops and eateries and Bath City farm, a great option for smaller kids.
Cambridge is a great day out for the family, especially with kids who enjoy Harry Potter. The old colleges are stunning and all have a feeling about them beyond their intended purpose. They inspire the imagination, as does the general architecture and look of the entire place. The Jesus Green Lido and Botanical Gardens are great extras to enjoy in Cambridge in summer, as well as punting, although you should take a change of clothes as it is inevitable you will fall into the river!
Brighton is a fun day out for the whole family, with a gorgeous pebble beach, chips and ice creams galore, and all manner of quirky and cool shops to explore. The kids are likely to love the pier the most because of all the arcade games, fairground rides and snacks.
Oxford is a bit bigger than Cambridge and has a lot of the same charm and beauty, but with some extra activities and attractions to enjoy. The Pitt Rivers Museum is really good for older kids, and the Museum Of Natural History will impress all ages. Even better, the city is only an hour by train so it is an easy day out from London.
Where Will Your Next Day Out Be?
Hopefully the above have you inspired to plan a wonderful day out soon. With so much to do, and something for every age and interest, you can make plenty of memories with your loved ones in the Home Counties.
