If you are looking for your next caravan holiday, or weekend break, there are plenty of things to do in Kent.
According to Lonely Planet, Kent is the best place in Europe to take your family on holiday.
If you are staying in a holiday park near London, Kent is easily accessible, making it perfect for a day out too.
From historic castles and cities to theme parks and nature reserves, there are a host of things for visitors to do in Kent.
Kent boasts a spectacular, varied coastline including the iconic White Cliffs of Dover.
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1. Canterbury
Canterbury is one of the most beautifully historic cities in the country and, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracts visitors from all over the world.
Westgate Towers is one of the main gates to the ancient walled city and, at nearly 640 years old, is England’s largest medieval gateway.
In the heart of the city is Eastbridge Hospital, a former pilgrims’ hostel with incredible architecture and the ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey date back to 613 AD.
The historic streets of the King’s Mile are vibrant with quaint shops, galleries, and cafes, or you could take a historic river tour on the scenic river Stour.
For the children, there’s Druidstone Park in Blean, with woodland walks, adventure play areas and friendly farmyard animals. There is so much to do!
🚶 Canterbury: Official Guided Walking Tour 🚶
2. Historic Dockyard Chatham
A visit to Chatham’s Historic Dockyard is a guaranteed day full of adventures.
Experience the ‘Age of Sail’ when the great navy warships including HMS Victory were built. Climb aboard a submarine, take command of a WW2 Destroyer, or ring the bell on a Victorian sloop.
Experience British naval history through the award-winning Command of the Oceans interactive galleries and workshops. Don’t forget the UK’s largest collection of historic RNLI boats!
3. Chapel Down Winery
Set amongst 22 acres of vineyards, in a designated ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, the Chapel Down winery has excellent facilities for visitors who are welcome to explore the beautiful grounds and herb garden and to enjoy a vineyard walk.
Chapel Down is home to England’s leading producer of sparkling and still wines from grapes grown across the South East of England. There’s a top-class restaurant and a shop selling fabulous local produce.
4. Chislehurst Caves
A guided tour through the labyrinth of tunnels buried 30 metres below Chislehurst is a great activity all-weather activity to do in Kent.
Chislehurst Caves have been dug over hundreds of years, originally for chalk used for brickmaking for the construction of London. History, ghost stories, tales of smuggling, murder and wartime England are related in entertaining talks guiding you from the Druids area, the oldest section of the caves, through the Roman and Saxon tunnels.
You’ll be given an oil lamp to carry as you walk through the reconstruction of what used to be an underground town which provided shelter for over 1500 people every night during the Blitz.
There’s good food at the café, and a gift shop to round off your tour.
5. Dinotropolis
With three storeys of soft play area featuring interactive dinosaurs, raptor racing and a host of dinosaur-related activities, there are endless adventures at Dinotropolis.
There are close encounters with huge animatronic dinosaurs in the Dino Jungle where you can take the Dino Escape Challenge. Build volcanoes, dig for fossils, and have lunch at the Fossil café.
Dinotropolis is a unique concept in soft play, a prehistoric world at Bluewater near Dartford and an unforgettable day out.
6. Hever Castle & Gardens, Edenbridge
Dating back to the 13th century, Hever Castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and mother of Elizabeth I.
Hever is everything a castle should be with a moat, panelled rooms, four-poster beds, 16th Tudor century portraits, tapestries, and ghosts.
The Book of Hours Room displays two signed prayer books belonging to Anne Boleyn. Hever castle is full of such treasures. The exhibition in the Long gallery presents the story of the Wars of the Roses and there’s always an interactive display to delight the whole family.
The award-winning gardens include Italian and Tudor gardens, the yew maze, splashing water maze and the scent of the 4000 rose bushes in the Rose garden is incredible.
The 38-acre lake, cascades and grottoes make a visit to Hever Castle the perfect English location for a summer picnic or a winter walk with your wellies.
There’s lots of fun for the family with activity walks and events such as summer jousting tournaments.
7. The Hop Farm, Tonbridge
400-acre historic Hop Farm Family Park, one of Kent’s leading attractions, features the world’s biggest collection of oast houses, is more than 450 years old.
Families across the south-east used to spend the summer harvesting crops on the farm and a life-size recreation of a period village with street scenes, shops and artefacts on display from the Victorian era to the 1970s is among the many activities.
There is a host of things to do including The Magic Castle, Children’s Driving School – track for small cars and trucks for children to drive, Hopper’s Animal World – petting farm and falconry centre. There are also shops and a diner, and an indoor soft play.
8. Howletts Wild Animal Park, Littlebourne
Howletts Wild Animal Park is a wonderful day out for the family in beautiful ancient Kent parkland, at a great price.
Featuring over 390 animals, including Kent’s only giant anteaters, the largest herd of African elephants in the UK, and more gorillas, leopards, and monkeys than any zoo in the county, a memorable visit to Howletts helps to support the Aspinall foundation’s conservation with gorillas.
You can visit Arina, the popular amur tiger, a whole family of western lowland gorillas. There are open-topped monkey enclosures, walking with lemurs and so many rare and endangered animals waiting to greet you.
9. Leeds Castle, Maidstone
Described as “the loveliest castle in the world” and considered to be one of the most romantic in England, Leeds Castle has become one of the most visited historic buildings in the country.
With 900 years of history, the castle tour is intriguing and outdoors there is a range of family activities such as the aviary, displays by the castle falconers, a golf course and a great playground. There´s a fun train ride, woodland walks, a maze and a lovely playground too.
Leeds Castle is a beautiful historic setting for exploring or a picnic in a beautiful historic setting.
🏰 Leeds Castle Admission – Ultimate Explorer Ticket 🏰
10. The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
A ride on a steam train on this 90-year-old narrow gauge track in Kent is sure to delight everyone.
The 13.5 mile line runs from the Cinque Port of Hythe via Dymchurch, St. Mary’s Bay, New Romney and Romney Sands to Dungeness, close to Dungeness nuclear power station and lighthouse.
Stop for a picnic on the lovely sands at Dymchurch or fish and chips at the Britannia, Dungeness. Everything is on a small scale. from platforms to the wooden carriages, an exciting adventure for all ages.
11. Dover – the White Cliffs and the Castle
The iconic White Cliffs of Dover on the Kent coast are symbolic of wartime defence and there is so much to do at this stunning location.
Cliff walks vary in difficulty, from a stroll to a long coastal hike, spectacular views, wild horses and historic buildings make the cliffs a popular visitor attraction.
Guided tours of the lighthouse, café and gift shop are available.
From the cliffs, you can see the magnificent, medieval Dover Castle with Henry II´s Great Tower. England’s greatest fortress is well worth a visit to walk along the battlements through 900 years of history and discover the castle’s role in WW2.