Winchester attractions

This experience will allow you to explore ancient Stonehenge, which is a prehistoric monument built around 2500 BCE. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is known for its massive stones placed in a circular shape. Entrance to the site will be managed using a timed ticketing system. While there, you'll be able to walk around the renowned stone structure. An outdoor gallery featuring reconstructed homes from the Neolithic period can be seen as well. The tour will also offer access to the visitor center, which features several exhibits related to the history of Stonehenge.

At the heart of the World Heritage Site, you’ll find Stonehenge — the great, ancient stone circle whose visible remains are the substantial remnants of the last in a sequence of monuments built between about 3000 BC and 1600 BC. As you walk around the site you’ll see the circular arrangement aligned with the rising sun at the midsummer solstice, and get a clear sense of the scale and layout of this prehistoric landscape filled with ceremonial structures. You’ll also encounter the story of how the monument was made and the questions that still surround it. The stones show the ingenuity of people working with very basic tools: they were shaped, fitted with mortises and tenons to link uprights and lintels, and set into pits dug with antlers and bones. Moving and raising these stones required huge organisation, with some boulders carried tens and sometimes hundreds of miles by land and water. Why it was built remains debated — sun worship, a healing sanctuary, sacred burials or something else are all possibilities — and you can explore the site and decide for yourself what Stonehenge might have meant to its builders.

At Osborne you’ll see where Queen Victoria relaxed with her family away from the public eye. Wander through the opulent Royal Apartments and the private family bedrooms, and learn how the royal children entertained themselves during long summer months. Along the way you’ll see the desks where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert worked and explore the richly decorated Durbar Room. Furniture and artefacts reveal details about life at Osborne, from state banquets to family meals, and include the beautifully crafted Indian objects sent to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. You’ll also get a sense of how a fleet of servants prepared food for the royal table. With magnificent gardens rolling down to the beach, you can take in the view from the terrace. On the lower terrace you’ll see the Andromeda fountain fire and the restored Shell Alcove, decorated with thousands of individual shells. Down at the Swiss Cottage you’ll find the rooms where the royal children ‘played house’ and tended their own gardens, including a room dressed as it was on 11 July 1861, when the children prepared afternoon tea for their parents shortly before Prince Albert’s tragic death.

With this ticket, you’ll get to explore Salisbury Cathedral – one of England’s most famous churches, built in the mid-thirteenth century. As you stroll around the cathedral’s grounds, you’ll get to see elaborate Gothic-style features, like its pointed arches and flying buttresses. Inside, you’ll be able to get up close to the original Magna Carta, written in1215. You’ll also get to see the world’s oldest working medieval clock, which was built in 1386. To round off your trip, you’ll have the chance to climb to the top of England's tallest spire and enjoy sweeping views of the city and rolling countryside.

At Salisbury Cathedral you’ll explore an impressive early English example of Gothic architecture set within an 80-acre walled Close. The cathedral was built over a 38-year period between 1220 and 1258. As you move through the building you’ll see Britain’s tallest spire, rising to 123 metres, and the world’s oldest working mechanical clock, dating back to 1836. The cathedral sits around a one-hour drive from London, giving you a striking medieval setting not far from the capital. You’ll also encounter one of history’s most important documents. Salisbury Cathedral houses the finest surviving of the world’s four remaining original 1215 Magna Carta manuscripts. This UNESCO-protected charter is permanently displayed in the cathedral’s 13th-century, stone-carved Chapter House, which is decorated with sixty Old Testament scenes. Along the way you’ll learn that the Magna Carta was issued by King John in June 1215, and that it contains over 60 clauses outlining rights and legal protections, including the principle of a fair trial.

With this ticket, you’ll have the opportunity to get up close to Stonehenge, the iconic Neolithic monument and UNESCO World Heritage site on Salisbury Plain. You can listen to the included audio guide to hear all about the history and mystery of these 5,000-year-old standing stones. With the guide, you’ll be able to learn the theories of how the 13-foot-high stones, each weighing up to 25 tons, was transported to the site from over 300 km away. You’ll also get the chance to see the Visitor Centre, where you can find even more information about the landmark stone circle.

Spinnaker Tower soars to 170 metres and offers 23-mile views across Portsmouth Harbour, the city, the Solent, the South Downs and the Isle of Wight. From the high-speed lift you will reach three sky-high viewing decks where you can take in those wide vistas and learn more about the places you see through informative touchscreen displays. As you move through the attraction, you can cross the glass Sky Walk at around 100 metres above sea level and try the vertigo-inducing virtual reality experience. An open-air Sky Garden lets you breathe in the view, while The Clouds provides a place to relax with a coffee, a glass of bubbly or a decadent High Tea. The Waterfront Cafe serves meals made with locally sourced ingredients, so you can enjoy something to eat while taking in the surroundings.

Based at Laverstoke Mill near Winchester, the Bombay Sapphire Distillery experience begins at the Turbine Bar, where you will choose a Bombay gin and make a gin & tonic. You will then move to the cinema room for an immersive introduction to Bombay Sapphire to prepare you for the tour. As you move through the distillery, you will hear about the history of Bombay Sapphire and the paper-making heritage of Laverstoke Mill. Your guide will explain the rare production processes used to make Bombay Sapphire and will talk about the botanicals that go into the gin as you visit the Botanical Glasshouses and the Botanical Dry Room. Along the way you will learn how those botanicals contribute to the spirit you’ve tasted.

Starting at the Westgate, the medieval entrance to Winchester, you will walk the streets that have shaped the city’s history. As you move through the town, you will trace layers of Winchester’s past — from the Romans to Alfred the Great, and on to figures such as William the Conqueror, Oliver Cromwell and Henry VIII. The route will place these historical characters in the context of the streets and places they knew. Along the way, the experience will bring Winchester’s literary side to life. You will encounter the names and stories of Jane Austen, John Keats, Thomas Hardy, Sherlock Holmes and King Arthur, and learn how the city features in their lives and legends. The walk stays focused on the characters and the streets they walked, offering a compact, people-centred view of Winchester’s past. You will be in a small group limited to 10, keeping the experience intimate and easy to follow.

Explore Old Portsmouth and its more than 800 years of history through the lives of the people who lived and worked here. The tour focuses on human stories — their loves, losses and daily lives — rather than dates or dry descriptions of buildings. Along the way, your guide will bring the past to life with memorable anecdotes and fun facts that make the history stick for children and adults alike. Please note the tour does not enter the Historic Dockyard or go on board its ships. Your guide has extensive knowledge and can tailor the content to your interests, whether you are curious about World War 2, industrial archaeology or the social history of Portsmouth’s people. The commentary is suitable for all ages and is made relevant for children and teenagers with age-appropriate stories. The route is accessible for people using wheelchairs or mobility scooters, and dogs are welcome.

With this audio guide podcast, you’ll learn about the history and engineering of Stonehenge during a self-guided tour. As you explore this prehistoric monument, you’ll hear stories about this UNESCO-listed Neolithic monument’s constructions and spiritual uses. You’ll also find out about the ancient society behind the site’s creation and the myths and legends associated with it.

On the Isle of Wight you'll explore a variety of landscapes, from dramatic cliffs to long sandy beaches. You’ll take a stroll through Godshill, a quintessential English village with a medieval church, charming thatched cottages and traditional tearooms. Along the way you’ll enjoy the relaxed village atmosphere and classic coastal views. You’ll then travel to Alum Bay, known for its multi‑coloured sand cliffs and striking scenery. From there you can soak up panoramic views and choose to ride a chairlift down to the beach or walk instead. The area offers a range of attractions for all the family, and on the beach you’ll see a close view of The Needles, one of the most photographed groups of rocks in the world. As your ferry departs from and returns to the mainland, you’ll also get a clear photo opportunity of Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower and the Historic Dockyard.

With this admission ticket, you can visit the iconic Spinnaker Tower, soaring 558 feet high and offering stunning views across a 23-mile radius over Portsmouth, the Solent, and beyond. You can venture across the glass ‘Sky Walk’ 328 feet above sea level, and discover local stories on informative touchscreens. You can also soak up the views from the open-air ‘Sky Garden’. From locally sourced treats in the cafés to virtual-reality experiences and fun-filled events, you can choose from a range of interesting experiences set against a breathtaking backdrop.

On this day trip from London you'll visit the prehistoric UNESCO World Heritage Site of Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain. The experience is a self-guided tour and includes commentary from an expert archaeologist, who will provide in-depth insight into Stonehenge’s history that spans over 10,000 years. Along the way you’ll hear about the Neolithic Village, the Cursus Barrows and the Aubrey Holes, and learn how these features fit into the wider landscape. As you move through the site you’ll explore the many rituals and mythical tales that surround Stonehenge. The guide will examine the big questions that still puzzle researchers — from how the massive stones were transported to why the monument was built — so you can follow the story through different layers of time. The visit finishes with a chance to get up close to the Ancient Monument, rounding off this cultural experience at one of the UK’s most iconic historic sites.

This self-guided audio tour lets you explore Hengistbury Head at your own pace while an audio narration explains the headland’s past and present. As you move through the site, you’ll hear about how the area was used after World War II and what the landscape looked like around 200 years ago. The commentary also points out the rock and timber projections that extend into the sea and how they have influenced the shoreline. Along the way you’ll learn how bird migration is tracked at Hengistbury Head and about the birds that stop to visit. The audio includes local stories too, including the account of the ghostly rider of Hengistbury Head, and offers many other insights into the landscape, wildlife and human history. The route is suitable for a wide range of interests, so there’s something for everyone to discover.