Dover sits below the white cliffs, with Dover Castle on the hill above the town, the Roman Painted House and Dover Museum in the centre, and clifftop walks east to South Foreland Lighthouse.
Image: Roman Painted HouseThe Roman Painted House is a Roman building from around AD 200, discovered in Dover in 1970 and part of the town's Roman military site. It is known for its painted wall plaster and underfloor heating, and is often described as the finest Roman house on show in Britain. It is free, takes under an hour and suits anyone curious about Roman Britain.
Photo: Nessy-Pic, CC BY-SA 4.0Dover Museum in Market Square tells the story of Britain's historic port town through local history and archaeology. Its star exhibit is a prehistoric boat around 3,500 years old, found in Dover in 1992 and shown in its own gallery. It suits families and history fans, takes an hour or two and is free.
Image: Dover CastleDover Castle sits high above the White Cliffs, with a medieval Great Tower above ground and a network of secret wartime tunnels below. Climb the tower to discover the court of King Henry II, explore the Under Siege exhibition and let children loose in the siege play area. Give it a full day.
Image: Dover Sea SafariDover Sea Safari runs boat trips from Dover Marina aboard a British-built Humber RHIB, licensed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for up to 12 passengers. Trips speed past cross-channel ferries in the busy port before heading out to see the White Cliffs of Dover, watch grey and harbour seals or visit the Goodwin Sands. It suits families, couples and groups looking for a thrilling trip with plenty of wildlife.
Photo: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0On the Western Heights above Dover lie the low foundations of a small medieval chapel with a round nave, a shape linked to churches built by the Knights Templar. It may instead have been a wayside shrine on the old road to Folkestone. It makes a quick stop on a walk around the Western Heights fortifications.
Photo: David Anstiss, CC BY-SA 2.0The Western Heights is a huge network of forts and deep ditches begun in the Napoleonic Wars and finished in the 1860s to stop a French invasion of Dover. English Heritage looks after the Drop Redoubt and North Centre Bastion, which you can see from the paths that criss-cross the hilltop. For a look inside, time your visit with one of the volunteer-led tours.
Image: National TrustFan Bay Deep Shelter is a network of Second World War tunnels dug into the White Cliffs in 1940 and 1941, explored on a hard hat and head torch tour with National Trust guides. The visit also takes in two early sound mirrors and the excavated number 3 gun emplacement. It suits older children, teens and adults keen on history, and takes around 90 minutes plus the clifftop walk.
Photo: Mustang Joe, CC0This 4 mile there-and-back route follows the top of the White Cliffs from the National Trust visitor centre to the Victorian South Foreland Lighthouse. Look out for wartime gun emplacements, Channel views to France and a stop at the lighthouse tearoom when it is open. It suits confident walkers and older children and takes two to three hours.
Image: National TrustThe National Trust's stretch of the famous chalk cliffs starts from the visitor centre at Langdon Cliffs, with clifftop paths and big views over the Channel and the port. Walk as far as you like along the coast path, stop at the café, or carry on to South Foreland Lighthouse. It suits walkers, families and dog owners, and a visit easily fills half a day.
Image: Dover Transport MuseumDover Transport Museum is a volunteer-run charity museum near Whitfield with two large halls of vintage vehicles and recreated street scenes of old Dover. Alongside cars, buses and motorcycles there are shop fronts, ferry memorabilia and a large model railway that visitors can operate. It makes an easy family outing of an hour or two.
Photo: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0Samphire Hoe is a country park beneath the White Cliffs, created from spoil dug out during construction of the Channel Tunnel. Follow the sea wall and paths for cliff and Channel views, spot birds, butterflies and rare plants, and stop at the tea kiosk. It is a flat, family friendly outing of an hour or two.
Image: Kearsney ParksKearsney Abbey is one of three historic parks in the Alkham Valley near Dover, alongside Russell Gardens and Bushy Ruff, with lakes, the River Dour and a landmark Cedar of Lebanon. Stroll the grounds, explore the restored Russell Gardens, let children loose in the two play areas and stop at the Kearsney Cafe in the renovated Billiards Room. It suits families, dog walkers and anyone wanting an easy, free outing.
Image: National TrustSouth Foreland Lighthouse is a Victorian lighthouse on the White Cliffs, built to guide ships past the Goodwin Sands and the first to use an electric light. Take a guided tour, enjoy the views over the Strait of Dover and stop at the 1950s-style tearoom. It suits families and walkers, and pairs naturally with a clifftop walk from Dover or St Margaret's.
Image: Frampton FarmFrampton Farm is a small working farm near Dover that offers hands-on, pre-booked animal experiences, most of them exclusive to your group. Shadow the farmer on a feed round, walk goats or alpacas, or meet lambs, kids and piglets in spring. It suits families and animal lovers, and most experiences last 1 to 2 hours.
Image: Battle of Britain MemorialThe national memorial to the aircrew of the Battle of Britain stands on the White Cliffs at Capel-le-Ferne with wide views over the Channel. Alongside the memorial itself are the Christopher Foxley-Norris Wall, the Blade of Honour and replica Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft. Inside The Wing, the Scramble Experience tells the story of the summer of 1940.
Photo: Chris Gunns, CC BY-SA 2.0St John's Commandery is the flint chapel and hall of a 13th-century house of the Knights Hospitallers, later turned into a farmhouse. Inside, which you can only see on Heritage Open Days, are a medieval crown-post roof and 16th-century moulded ceilings. Most of the year it is a quiet stop to see from outside.
Image: East Kent RailwayThe East Kent Railway is a heritage line on the old Kent Coalfield route, running a four-mile round trip between Shepherdswell and Eythorne through chalk cuttings and the Golgotha Tunnel. Around the station there is a visitor centre, museum, model railway, miniature railways in The Knees Woodland and the Colonel's Café. It is a gentle half day for families and railway fans.
Photo: Helmut Zozmann, CC BY-SA 2.0On the cliff top at East Wear Bay in Folkestone, archaeologists and volunteers are racing coastal erosion to excavate and record a Roman villa and the older Iron Age landscape around it before the sea takes it. The community project, run with Canterbury Archaeological Trust, welcomes visitors by appointment during the summer dig and shares its finds through an online digital museum.
Photo: Roger Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0An interactive behind-the-scenes tour of the Victorian prison cells under Dover's Maison Dieu. Children hear about the treadwheel and the punishments faced by young prisoners, pose for a mugshot by the original height stick, handle real artefacts and dress up for a mini trial in the Council Chamber.
Photo: Roger Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0A first Christmas market at Dover's medieval Maison Dieu, from the organisers of the Solton Manor market. Local makers and community groups sell handmade gifts, festive decorations and more.
Image: White Cliffs Countryside PartnershipA morning workshop run by a ranger at The Mel Wrigley Hub in Dover, on Saturday 24 October 2026 from 10:00 to 13:00. It starts with a guided walk around High Meadow about managing invasive species, then participants make a broomstick from dried Canadian goldenrod and other local natural materials. It suits adults and older teenagers aged 16 and over, and no previous experience is needed.
Image: Future FoundryDover's lantern and giant puppet parade, organised by Future Foundry and Dover Town Council, has grown into one of the town's favourite winter traditions since 2021. Local people carry giant animal lanterns and chandeliers through the town.
Image: English HeritageEnglish Heritage hosts a Great Pumpkin Party at Dover Castle for half-term, with storytelling, games and a themed trail across the site. It is included in normal entry, so you can combine it with the tunnels and the Great Tower.
A free half-term session for young people as part of the Dover Youth Festival. Participants walk the castle's chalk grassland as the seasons turn, then make autumn artwork back in the Education Room.
Image: Dover CastleGhost Hunter Tours run an overnight ghost hunt through Dover Castle's tunnels and grounds on Halloween night, using spirit boards and EMF detection equipment. The castle's history spans over nine centuries, and the hunt includes local stories of a drummer boy on the ramparts and a woman in a crimson dress. It suits visitors who want a Halloween outing and are willing to test their nerve after dark.
Image: English HeritageChildren meet Father Christmas inside Dover Castle on December weekends and each receives a wrapped present to open. Sessions are timed throughout the day and must be booked ahead. Pair it with exploring the castle, which non-members need a separate admission ticket for.
Image: English HeritageSeasonal activities across Dover Castle on the four December weekends before Christmas, included in a normal day ticket. You can add a separate ticket to visit Father Christmas on the same days.
Image: Roman Painted HouseThe Roman Painted House is a Roman building from around AD 200, discovered in Dover in 1970 and part of the town's Roman military site. It is known for its painted wall plaster and underfloor heating, and is often described as the finest Roman house on show in Britain. It is free, takes under an hour and suits anyone curious about Roman Britain.
Photo: Nessy-Pic, CC BY-SA 4.0Dover Museum in Market Square tells the story of Britain's historic port town through local history and archaeology. Its star exhibit is a prehistoric boat around 3,500 years old, found in Dover in 1992 and shown in its own gallery. It suits families and history fans, takes an hour or two and is free.
Image: Dover CastleDover Castle sits high above the White Cliffs, with a medieval Great Tower above ground and a network of secret wartime tunnels below. Climb the tower to discover the court of King Henry II, explore the Under Siege exhibition and let children loose in the siege play area. Give it a full day.
Image: National TrustFan Bay Deep Shelter is a network of Second World War tunnels dug into the White Cliffs in 1940 and 1941, explored on a hard hat and head torch tour with National Trust guides. The visit also takes in two early sound mirrors and the excavated number 3 gun emplacement. It suits older children, teens and adults keen on history, and takes around 90 minutes plus the clifftop walk.
Image: Dover Transport MuseumDover Transport Museum is a volunteer-run charity museum near Whitfield with two large halls of vintage vehicles and recreated street scenes of old Dover. Alongside cars, buses and motorcycles there are shop fronts, ferry memorabilia and a large model railway that visitors can operate. It makes an easy family outing of an hour or two.
Image: National TrustSouth Foreland Lighthouse is a Victorian lighthouse on the White Cliffs, built to guide ships past the Goodwin Sands and the first to use an electric light. Take a guided tour, enjoy the views over the Strait of Dover and stop at the 1950s-style tearoom. It suits families and walkers, and pairs naturally with a clifftop walk from Dover or St Margaret's.
Image: Roman Painted HouseThe Roman Painted House is a Roman building from around AD 200, discovered in Dover in 1970 and part of the town's Roman military site. It is known for its painted wall plaster and underfloor heating, and is often described as the finest Roman house on show in Britain. It is free, takes under an hour and suits anyone curious about Roman Britain.
Photo: Nessy-Pic, CC BY-SA 4.0Dover Museum in Market Square tells the story of Britain's historic port town through local history and archaeology. Its star exhibit is a prehistoric boat around 3,500 years old, found in Dover in 1992 and shown in its own gallery. It suits families and history fans, takes an hour or two and is free.
Photo: Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0On the Western Heights above Dover lie the low foundations of a small medieval chapel with a round nave, a shape linked to churches built by the Knights Templar. It may instead have been a wayside shrine on the old road to Folkestone. It makes a quick stop on a walk around the Western Heights fortifications.
Photo: David Anstiss, CC BY-SA 2.0The Western Heights is a huge network of forts and deep ditches begun in the Napoleonic Wars and finished in the 1860s to stop a French invasion of Dover. English Heritage looks after the Drop Redoubt and North Centre Bastion, which you can see from the paths that criss-cross the hilltop. For a look inside, time your visit with one of the volunteer-led tours.
Photo: Mustang Joe, CC0This 4 mile there-and-back route follows the top of the White Cliffs from the National Trust visitor centre to the Victorian South Foreland Lighthouse. Look out for wartime gun emplacements, Channel views to France and a stop at the lighthouse tearoom when it is open. It suits confident walkers and older children and takes two to three hours.
Image: Kearsney ParksKearsney Abbey is one of three historic parks in the Alkham Valley near Dover, alongside Russell Gardens and Bushy Ruff, with lakes, the River Dour and a landmark Cedar of Lebanon. Stroll the grounds, explore the restored Russell Gardens, let children loose in the two play areas and stop at the Kearsney Cafe in the renovated Billiards Room. It suits families, dog walkers and anyone wanting an easy, free outing.
The rest of the 20 places we list within 10 km, closest first.
