Family days out for Summer
Find your next adventure with our best VisitEngland quality-assessed attractions.
Plan your next family day out
With warmer weather and lighter evenings, summer has finally arrived! What better way for the family to connect and create lasting memories than to take advantage of the longer days and explore the wide range of local attractions that have been rated by VisitEngland for the quality of their visitor experience.
With such a wide variety of visitor attractions to cater for all the family over the holidays, there is plenty to choose from, including adventures for little ones, animal experiences, museums, heritage railways, theme parks and more.
Take a look at some of our favourite attractions to inspire your plans over the holidays and into the summer months ahead.
Little ones
For families with younger children, there are a range of exciting, interactive experiences designed to spark imagination, inspire creativity and burn off energy.
From a charming role-play village where kids can step into the shoes of shopkeepers and firefighters, to immersive, storytelling exhibitions, there is something for you and your little one to enjoy.
• Little Town Adventures
• Space Adventurers
• Ocean Adventurers
• Discover – Children's Story Centre
Animal adventures
There are plenty of opportunities to experience unforgettable animal encounters across the UK at some of our favourite wildlife parks.
With opportunities to drive through safari parks, walk with Barbary macaques through beautiful woodland, and visit polar bears and lions in spacious enclosures, see if you can spot your favourite animals during your day out.
• Trentham Monkey Forest
• Longleat Safari & Adventure Park
• Yorkshire Wildlife Park
• Woburn Safari Park
• Knowsley Safari
Under the sea
For those interested in oceans and marine life, a visit to an aquarium to see sea life up close is a must.
The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth features over 5,000 marine animals across 4 zones, starting at the local waters of Plymouth Sound and ending in the Great Barrier Reef, while Sealife Adventure provides a unique ‘Zooquarium’ experience, blending aquatic displays with land-based animals like meerkats and penguins.
Museum discovery
Throughout the UK, there are a wide range of museums to explore to delve further into your kids’ favourite topics or encourage them to learn something new.
With tantalising chocolate-themed exhibits at Cadbury World, real-life digs and ancient artifacts at DIG, Hidden London Tours exploring secret parts of the underground network at The London Transport Museum, and 6 exciting zones to inspire learning through discovery at Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, there is a museum for every interest.
• Cadbury World
• DIG
• London Transport Museum
• Eureka! The National Children’s Museum
Heritage Railways
To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern engine-powered passenger railway, take a trip to one of our charming Heritage Railways.
From miniature railways with surrounding gardens and forest walks, to historic locomotives and steam train rides, these railways offer a taste of traditional rail travel surrounded by picturesque views.
• Audley End Miniature Railway Ltd
• Didcot Railway Centre
• East Lancashire Railway
• Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
Science and technology
Encourage your kids to spark their curiosity and creativity with our range of exciting science and technology experiences.
Visit Aerospace Bristol to get a fascinating glimpse into the evolution and science of flight or take a trip to Winchester Science Centre for exhibits on topics such as physics, technology and the natural world. Eureka! Science + Discovery features immersive galleries, including a mini-city and a large outdoor adventure area, and discover a fully restored steam engine and planetarium at Thinktank.
• Aerospace Bristol
• Winchester Science Centre
• Eureka! Science + Discovery
• Thinktank
Football fun
Dive into everything football with our selection of football stadium tours and museums. Whether you’re an avid football fan or enjoy seeing the setting of memorable sporting moments, these tours are perfect for the whole family to enjoy.
Get a behind-the-scenes look into some of the best stadiums, book a tour, check out the trophies and explore the history of some of the UK’s most iconic football clubs.
• Chelsea Football Club Stadium Tour & Museum
• Liverpool Football Club Tour & Museum Centre
• Wembley Stadium Tours
• Manchester City FC
• Craven Cottage Stadium Tour
Outdoor escapades
Be sure to soak up some sun and get outside with some of our favourite outdoor adventures. Whether you’re a thrill seeker or simply enjoy exploring, fresh air is the perfect plan for a fun family day out.
Climb over the iconic O2 arena, explore the Barefoot walk and Adventure play at Conkers, visit a Donkey friend for free at The Donkey Sanctuary, explore the iconic caves, views and cliff-top walks at Cheddar Gorge and Caves, or take a spectacular cable car ride to the Heights of Abraham.
• Conkers
• The Donkey Sanctuary
• Cheddar Gorge and Caves
• Up at The O2
• The Heights of Abraham
Thrilling theme parks
For all thrill seekers and adventurers, our theme parks and water parks are the perfect way to get a buzz of excitement and butterflies in your tummy.
Adventure Island offers over 40 rides and attractions including a ferris wheel, drop rides, waterslides, rollercoasters and more. One of the country’s leading accessible visitor attractions, Sandcastle Waterpark features the world’s longest indoor rollercoaster waterslide. Paultons Park has more than 70 rides and attractions spread over five themed lands including Tornado Springs and Peppa Pig World. And enjoy the rides at Wicksteed Park in the 147 acres of picturesque rolling parkland.
• Adventure Island
• Sandcastle Waterpark
• Paultons Park
• Wicksteed Park
