Photo: Des Blenkinsopp (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Surrey
The best holidays are planned around great days out. Here's what's on the doorstep in Surrey, from big-ticket attractions to rainy-day savers.
Showing museums, aquariums and attractions with indoor areas — the ones that work whatever the forecast.
🎟️ This weekend near Surrey
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 18:45
Stabat Mater by Pergolesi in Guildford
Guildford Cathedral, Guildford · 6.1 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 18:00
Christine Walters: Inside Voice
Prime Studios, Windsor · 17.5 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
Ra jah hifi and friends
Hayes Rugby Football Club, Kingshill Avenue UB4 8BZ, HAYES · 19.6 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:30
Nerina Pallot - Fire Escape Symphonies Tour
Norden Farm Centre For The Arts, Maidenhead · 22.4 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
17.2 mi from Surrey
Deep Sea Adventure
Deep Sea Adventure is a LEGO® City ride where you board a submarine and join the Deep Sea Explorers on a mission to discover a lost underwater city. Along the way you'll spot shark...
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22.5 mi from Surrey
SEA LIFE Aquarium London
SEA LIFE London Aquarium is a large underwater attraction spread across three floors, with 14 themed zones to explore, from the Gentoo penguin colony in Polar Adventure to the UK's...
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22.6 mi from Surrey
London Aquarium
SEA LIFE London Aquarium is a large underwater attraction spread across three floors in Lambeth, home to over 500 species in 14 themed zones. You can explore Polar Adventure with i...
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Museums & Galleries
2.1 mi from Surrey
Shere Museum
Shere Museum sits in the Tillingbourne Valley and tells the story of the people who have lived in Shere Parish, including Shere, Gomshall and Peaslake, over the centuries. You can...
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3.9 mi from Surrey
Send and Ripley History Society Museum
This small museum in Surrey is housed in a former bank building, moved in one piece to its present position near Ripley Village Hall. Inside you'll find numerous artefacts and a se...
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5.2 mi from Surrey
Dorking Museum
Dorking Museum is a small, volunteer-run local history museum in Mole Valley, telling the story of Dorking from prehistoric times through to the present day. Highlights include a n...
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5.4 mi from Surrey
13th Century Undercroft shop
The Undercroft at 72/74 High Street in Guildford in Surrey is a medieval undercroft or storage room. It has been described as one of the finest examples of its type in the country.... — Wikipedia
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5.5 mi from Surrey
Guildford Museum
Guildford Museum sits at the edge of the Castle grounds in a Grade II listed building just minutes from Guildford's historic high street, and entry is free. Inside you'll find disp...
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5.6 mi from Surrey
Dapdune Wharf
Dapdune Wharf is a National Trust visitor centre in Guildford telling the story of the River Wey and Godalming Navigations and the people who worked on them. You can see where the...
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5.7 mi from Surrey
Cobham Mill
Cobham Mill is a Grade II listed, early 19th-century watermill on the banks of the River Mole, the only surviving fully working watermill in Surrey. Once part of a larger mill comp...
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6.1 mi from Surrey
Leatherhead Museum of Local History
17th-century cottage in Leatherhead, Surrey, UK, since 1980 used as a museum
7.3 mi from Surrey
Mercedes-Benz World
Mercedes-Benz World is a facility open to the public at the historic Brooklands motor racing circuit in Weybridge, Surrey, UK. It is owned and operated by the Mercedes-Benz Group a... — Wikipedia
7.3 mi from Surrey
Brooklands Museum
Brooklands Museum sits in Weybridge, Surrey, at the site of the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit. You can explore classic vehicles, racing cars, motorcycles and his...
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7.4 mi from Surrey
London Bus Museum
London Bus Museum, at Brooklands in Weybridge, is home to the largest collection of working historic London buses in the world, spanning more than 150 years of public transport his...
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8 mi from Surrey
Watts Gallery
Watts Gallery is an Arts and Crafts site in the Surrey Hills near Guildford, founded by G F and Mary Watts and opened in 1904 as the first purpose-built gallery in the UK dedicated...
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9.1 mi from Surrey
Elmbridge Museum
Elmbridge Museum explores the history of the Elmbridge borough through a collection of over 40,000 objects spanning archaeology, art, costume and social history. You can browse the...
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9.3 mi from Surrey
The Great Barn of Wanborough
The Great Barn of Wanborough is the oldest and most important wooden building in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, built in 1388 by the Cistercian monks of Waverley Abbey to store the...
10.7 mi from Surrey
Dunsfold Collection
The Dunsfold Collection is a Surrey museum dedicated to Land Rover history, holding over 140 unique vehicles built up since 1968 by Brian Bashall and continued today by his son Phi...
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10.9 mi from Surrey
Sunbury Millennium Embroidery Centre and Café
11 mi from Surrey
Bourne hall
Bourne Hall Museum is a local museum in Epsom and Ewell, with a museum shop, educational services and local history on display, plus a children's club to help younger visitors get...
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Theme Parks
Zoos & Wildlife
9.6 mi from Surrey
Hobbledown
Hobbledown is a family adventure park and zoo in Epsom, Surrey, combining outdoor play villages, indoor play in The Great Barn, and animal encounters ranging from meerkats and gian...
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15.3 mi from Surrey
Fishers Farm Park
Fishers Farm Park is a family-run adventure farm park in West Sussex, open 363 days a year and best suited to children aged 0-12. You can meet farm animals, take on outdoor rides,...
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Where to stay near Surrey
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around Surrey
Haunted Britain
Surrey is one of those counties that rewards a bit of planning. The big-ticket days out — theme parks, palaces, a hilltop tower — sit alongside small local museums and quiet National Trust corners, and the trick is not trying to cram a castle and a rollercoaster into the same afternoon. Here's how the main attractions break down, and how to build them into a day that actually works.
Family days out
Three theme parks headline the family list, and they're deliberately different from one another. Chessington World of Adventures mixes rides with animals, which suits mixed-age groups where not everyone wants to be strapped into something. Thorpe Park is the one for teenagers and thrill-seekers — go here if the point of the day is the queue for the biggest ride. Legoland Windsor skews younger, and works best for primary-school children who'll happily spend an hour on one model village.
All three are full-day propositions. Don't plan anything else around them beyond breakfast and a quiet evening. If you've got a wet-weather worrier in the group, remember that outdoor parks and a forecast of rain make for an expensive damp day, so keep an eye on it and shift your booking if you can.
Rainy-day options
Indoor days in Surrey lean towards the small and the local. Spelthorne Museum is the county's own entry on our museum list — the sort of place you can walk round in under an hour, which makes it a good filler between other plans rather than a whole day.
If you're willing to cross the county boundary, the museum list opens up considerably. Options include:
- Brighton Toy and Model Museum — model railways and toys, good with children who've grown out of soft play.
- Haslemere Educational Museum (listed under Chichester) — natural history and local collections in one stop.
- Dennis Severs' House and Chiswick House in London, both very different takes on stepping into another period.
- Twist Museum, also in London, for illusions and something more hands-on.
For animals under cover of a short drive rather than a roof, Beaver Water World and Trilakes Animal Park are both on the wildlife list, though as with any outdoor site, check what's open before you set off in bad weather.
Outdoors and walking
Leith Hill Tower is the obvious outdoor anchor — a National Trust site, a climb, and a view at the top, which is a good bargain to offer children halfway up a hill. Shalford Mill, the county's other National Trust property on our list, is a gentler proposition and pairs nicely with a slow morning rather than a route march.
A sensible outdoor day: Leith Hill Tower first thing while legs are fresh, lunch afterwards, then Shalford Mill in the afternoon when you want something you can look round without effort.
Heritage and grand houses
Hampton Court Palace is the heavyweight — gardens, state rooms and enough to fill most of a day if you let it. Windsor Castle is the other one that deserves a full visit rather than a squeeze. Pair either with a lighter heritage stop rather than another palace: Reigate Castle and Fort Belvedere are both on the castle and heritage list, and Beaverbrook covers the stately home end of things.
Two palaces in one day is a mistake most people only make once. Pick one, arrive early, and keep the afternoon loose.
Where to eat
We don't currently hold any verified five-star hygiene-rated places to eat for Surrey, so we won't send you somewhere we can't stand behind. In practice that means checking the Food Standards Agency rating yourself before you book — it takes a minute on your phone — and falling back on the on-site cafés at the bigger attractions, which is usually the easiest option at Hampton Court Palace or the theme parks anyway. A packed lunch is genuinely the better call for Leith Hill Tower.
Turning it into a short break
There are 294 places to stay on BritStays across the region, which is plenty of choice for a two- or three-night trip. A workable shape for three days: one big day out (a theme park or Hampton Court Palace), one outdoor day built around Leith Hill Tower and Shalford Mill, and one flexible day held back for weather — Spelthorne Museum or one of the London museums if it's wet, Reigate Castle or Beaverbrook if it isn't.
Practical notes
- Book theme park tickets in advance; gate prices and walk-up availability are rarely in your favour.
- Check opening days for the smaller museums — local collections often run limited hours.
- National Trust members should factor in Leith Hill Tower and Shalford Mill early, as they're the two properties that'll offset a membership.
- Pick your accommodation based on which anchor attraction you've chosen, then build outwards, rather than the other way round.
Frequently asked questions
Which theme parks are in the Surrey area?
Three appear on our list: Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park and Legoland Windsor. Chessington combines rides with animals, Thorpe Park is the thrill-seeker option, and Legoland Windsor suits younger children.
Are there any National Trust properties to visit?
Yes, two on our list: Leith Hill Tower and Shalford Mill. Leith Hill Tower involves a climb and a view; Shalford Mill is a gentler visit that works well as an afternoon stop.
What is there to do in Surrey on a rainy day?
Spelthorne Museum is the county's own museum on our list and takes around an hour. If you're happy to travel beyond the county, the museum list also includes Brighton Toy and Model Museum, Haslemere Educational Museum, Dennis Severs' House, Chiswick House and Twist Museum.
Which historic houses and castles can you visit?
Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle are the two that justify a full day each. Reigate Castle and Fort Belvedere are also on the castle and heritage list, and Beaverbrook covers the stately home category.
Where should we eat?
We don't hold any verified five-star hygiene-rated places to eat for this region, so we won't recommend a specific venue. Check the Food Standards Agency rating before booking, use the on-site cafés at larger attractions such as Hampton Court Palace or the theme parks, and take a packed lunch for Leith Hill Tower.
How many places to stay are there on BritStays in Surrey?
There are 294 places to stay listed in the region, which is enough choice to build a two- or three-night short break around whichever attraction you've chosen as your anchor.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Surrey.