Out of town
Day trips from London
Some of the best things to do from London are outside it. An hour or so on the train gets you to white cliffs, oyster shacks, sandy beaches and proper hills.
Each quest says how to get there and roughly how long it takes.
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Whitstable beach day (oysters & beach)Direct train Victoria to Whitstable (~1 hr 20, ~£15-20 return). Shingle beach; famous for oysters (Lobster Shack), huts & independent shops. Walkable from station.
Broadstairs / Margate beachesHigh-speed St Pancras to Margate (~1.5 hr) or Victoria. Margate Main Sands is sandy + Turner Contemporary (free). Broadstairs' Viking Bay is a horseshoe sandy bay. ~10 min walk from station.
Swim a tidal pool then see a TurnerWide sandy town beach directly opposite Margate station, with a tidal pool, arcades and the Turner Contemporary at one end.
Cross the stepping stones and climb Box HillNational Trust chalk down above the Mole valley, with the Stepping Stones path and walks from two to eight miles.
Camber Sands (proper sandy beach)Train St Pancras to Rye (~1 hr 15) then local bus/taxi to Camber. 5 miles of golden dune sand - rare near London; great for families & kitesurfing.
Brighton beach & seafrontDirect train Victoria/London Bridge/Blackfriars to Brighton (~1 hr). Pebble beach, pier, lanes, swimming. Promenade is step-free; shingle is not.
Devil's Dyke & South Downs (Brighton)Train to Brighton (~1 hr from Victoria/London Bridge) then the Devil's Dyke bus. Hilly downland views. Free walk.
Eat cockles on the sand at Old LeighSmall sandy beach beside the cockle sheds and cobbled high street of Old Leigh, on the Thames estuary.
Chiltern Hills (Ivinghoe Beacon)Train Euston to Tring (~40 min) or Marylebone to Wendover; walk up to the Beacon on the Ridgeway. Free. Few facilities - bring water.
Chess Valley walk (Chesham–Rickmansworth)Both ends on the Metropolitan line (Chesham & Chorleywood/Rickmansworth). ~10-mile chalk-stream valley walk; mostly gentle. Free.
Take the controls of a glider over the ChilternsA trial lesson in a two-seat glider with an instructor, launched off the Dunstable Downs ridge.
Get lost in 6,000 acres of ancient forestStarting point for walks in the 6,000-acre ancient forest on London's north-east edge, run by the Epping Forest Heritage Trust.Eat oysters on the beach they came fromShingle beach and working oyster town on the north Kent coast, with beach huts and seafood shacks along the front.
Cut your own sunflower bouquetCut-your-own sunflower field plus PYO sweetcorn, courgettes and beans on a Kent farm just outside the M25.
Dunstable Downs & WhipsnadeTrain to Luton/Leagrave then taxi/bus; NT visitor centre at Dunstable Downs. Kite-flying chalk hills. Some accessible paths - verify. Free (parking charged).
Surrey Hills / Epping Forest campingCountryside pitches under an hour from London - Surrey Hills (springboard for Box Hill) & near Epping Forest (Lee Valley). Book early; sites get busy.
Southend-on-Sea (longest pier)Direct train Fenchurch St to Southend Central (~51 min) or Liverpool St. 7 miles of coast, amusements, the world's longest pleasure pier. Promenade accessible.
Walk a chalk ridge to a 24-mile viewA four-mile circular hike over Box Hill and Happy Valley that tops out at the Salomons memorial viewpoint.
Walk the Seven Sisters cliffsThe chalk cliffs between Seaford and Eastbourne, up and down seven of them. Train to Seaford or Eastbourne and walk between. Exposed in wind, and there is no shelter on the tops.
Sauna on the pebbles between two piersPebble city beach with two piers, seafront bars, a sauna and watersports hire, under an hour from London.Have a retro seaside amusement day at DreamlandA restored 1920s amusement park in Margate with a Grade II-listed wooden scenic railway, roller disco and a gig venue. Ninety minutes from St Pancras, and the beach is right there.
Treetop adventure – Go Ape (other sites)Zip-lines & high ropes day out
Surrey Hills AONB (Box Hill, Leith Hill)Train Victoria/Waterloo to Box Hill & Westhumble (~50 min); ~1.5-mile uphill walk to summit. National Trust, free to walk. Unstaffed station - buy tickets first. Leith Hill = highest point in SE England.Hear Black British poets, then take a first-come open-mic slot, at a free Peckham poetry nightPoetic Unity's monthly Poetry Foyer at Theatre Peckham: booked performers plus a community open mic where poets sign up on a first-come basis, with a paid feature slot at the next edition up for grabs.
Find a chalk-stack beach at the quiet end of KentSandy Blue Flag bay backed by white chalk stacks, at the quiet end of the Broadstairs coast.
Walk miles of sand dunesThe only sand-dune beach in East Sussex — several miles of flat sand backed by dunes.Ride a cliff railway above a fishing beachShingle beach with the Stade fishing beach, net huts and the East Hill cliff railway up to the country park.
North Downs Way day hikes153-mile trail; walk single scenic sections. Easy access via Dorking, Box Hill & Westhumble, Otford or Guildford. Free.
Outdoor bouldering – Harrison's RocksSandstone outcrops ~1hr away; hire padsPeak District day trip (Mam Tor)Train St Pancras to Sheffield then to Edale/Hope (~2.5-3 hr total). Big-hill day for fit walkers. Free walk.
Glamping safari tent (Kent farm)Luxury safari-tent & bell-tent glamping on Kent farms near vineyards, speedily reached from London. Dark skies, campfires. Book early via Hipcamp/Canopy & Stars.Pick your own apples, plums and sunflowers150-acre pick-your-own farm where you walk the rows and cut or pick what is ripe that day.
Cast a fly line on a Surrey Hills trout lakeA coached fly fishing session on still water aimed at getting a complete beginner casting and hooking a trout.
Wild swimming day trip (lakes)Map of safe spots near LondonEat modern Ghanaian food on Old Kent RoadNamed for the year Ghana gained independence, at 660 Old Kent Road SE15 1JF. Traditional Ghanaian dishes alongside contemporary ones — a restaurant about a culture, not just a menu.
Off-grid glamping, High Weald (Kent/Sussex)Off-grid bell tents & cabins in the High Weald AONB - campfires, dark skies, farm shops. Some adults-only/vineyard sites. Book early.Alpaca walking (day trip)Lead an alpaca on a country walk
Jewellery making course – Flux Jewellery SchoolA dedicated jewellery school at 2F Vanguard Court, London SE5 8QT, open seven days a week. Courses run from a single day or a weekend up to year-long certificates, covering foundation through advanced silversmithing — take a short course first and see if it grabs you. Prices aren't published on the site; email or call to book. Trained jewellers can also buy 24-hour studio access as members.
Swim in the South East's biggest reservoirThe South East's largest reservoir, with open water swimming, paddleboarding, canoeing, an inflatable aqua park and 12.5 miles of shoreline path.
Questions people ask
- What are the best day trips from London by train?
- The Seven Sisters cliffs, Whitstable for oysters, Margate and Broadstairs for beaches and the Turner Contemporary, Brighton, Box Hill in the Surrey Hills and the Chilterns are all easy day trips by train.
- What's the closest beach to London?
- Southend-on-Sea is the quickest seaside trip, about an hour by train. For a proper sandy beach, Camber Sands is the classic, and Margate, Broadstairs and Whitstable are all around an hour and a half.
- Where can you go hiking near London?
- Box Hill and Leith Hill in the Surrey Hills, the South Downs above Brighton, the Seven Sisters, and Ivinghoe Beacon in the Chilterns all have good walks within reach of a train station.
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