School's out and the sun's shining. If you're looking for something to do this summer, we've rounded up some of the best days out in the area for all the family to enjoy.
Sea Life London Aquarium - County Hall, Riverside Building, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB.
Home to one of Europe's largest collections of global marine life and the jewel in the crown of the 28 Sea Life attractions in the UK and Europe, it is situated in the heart of London and takes visitors on an immersive and interactive journey along the Great Oceanic Conveyor.
Admission: Adult (15+) £17.50. Children (3-14) £12.50; Concessions £16.50; Family ticket (2 + 2) £55.00. Discounts available online.
Opening Times: Mon-Thurs 10.00-18.00. Fri-Sun 10.00-19.00. Last admission 1 hour before closing.
Visit www.sealife.co.uk or call 0871 663 1678 for details.
The Hop Farm Family Park - Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, TN12 6PY.
Visit the World of Activities at The Hop Farm for maximum fun at one of Kent’s biggest family attractions. The award-winning family park is packed full of new features, rides and undercover wonders to entertain and fuel imaginations.
Admission: Adult 12.50; Children (3-15) £10.50; Senior £10.50; Family (2+2) £40.50 (2+3) £51.00. Discounts are available in advance and online.
Opening Times: 10.00 - 17.00 (last entry 16.00).
Visit www.thehopfarm.co.uk or call 01622 872068 for details.
Leeds Castle, Leeds, near Maidstone, Kent
Set in 500 acres of beautiful parkland, a visit to Leeds Castle in the garden of England is full of discovery. Open all year round, its special blend of heritage and history, glorious gardens, adventure playground, maze, labyrinth and grotto, events, falconry displays and licensed restaurant make it the perfect choice for a day out.
Admission: Adults £17.50; Children (4-15) £10; Concessions £15. Prices are for annual pass.
Opening times: 10am – 6pm daily, last tickets 4.30pm.
Visit: www.leeds-castle.com for details.
Eagle Heights – Hulberry Farm, Lullingstone Lane, Eynsford, Kent, DA4 0JB
Enjoy the spectacular view across the Darent Valley while watching Eagles, Hawks, Falcons and Vultures flying all around you. Eagle Heights is one of the UK's largest bird of prey centres, with a collection of approximately 150 raptors. This includes over 50 species, many of which are now breeding at the centre or can be seen flying in daily demonstrations. It is also an expanding wildlife park for many different species of animals, including cheetahs, meerkats, snakes, lizards and much more!
Admission: Adults - £8.50; Concession - £7; Child (4-14) - £5
Opening times: 10.30am - 5.00pm, daily.
Visit www.eagleheights.co.uk or call 01322 866 577 for details.
Bluebell Railway - Sheffield Park Station, East Sussex, TN22 3QL
The preserved steam railway in East Sussex is a superb attraction recreating the golden age of steam. The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers. It has the largest collection of steam locomotives after the National Railway Museum and a collection of carriages and wagons unrivalled in the south of England.
A through ticket to the Bluebell Railway via East Grinstead is available every weekend and daily during the school holiday periods. The facility includes rail travel to East Grinstead, return bus from East Grinstead to Kingscote station and unlimited travel for one day on the Bluebell Railway.
Fares: Through prices are available by asking at your local station. The appropriate train fares to East Grinstead are charged plus £10.00 for adults and £5.00 for children.
Visit www.bluebell-railway.co.uk or call 01825 720800 for details.
Knole – Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0RP
Set at the heart of a timeless deer park, Knole has fascinating links with kings, queens and nobility, as well as literary connections with the novelists Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf. Thirteen magnificent state rooms are laid out much as they were in the 18th century to impress visitors with the wealth of the Sackville family, who still live at Knole today. The house includes world-renowned rare furniture, important paintings and the prototype of the famous Knole settee. There are guided park walks and school holiday family trails and activities. Dogs welcome on leads and in the park.
Admission: To the house: Adult £9.50, child £4.75, family £23.75. Garden, limited opening: adult £5, child £2.50. Car park: adult £2.50. Park free to pedestrians
Visit http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-knole or call 01732 450608 for more details
Kent Life - Cobtree, Lock Lane, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3AU
Enjoy daily activities including Cuddle Corner, Ferret Racing, Piglet Racing or Pig Football, Groom-a-Goat, feeding the ducks and Tractor Trailer Rides. Extra paid activities include Quad for Kids, Paint-a-Pot Studio, Donkey Rides and Face Painting. Run ragged on the outdoor adventure playground and the indoor soft play barn and be on the lookout for the wooden piggies hidden around our ground, find them all and win a yummy treat!
Admission: Adults £8.50; Concessions £7.50; Children (4 – 15yrs) £6.50; Under 4s FREE
Opening times: 10am to 6pm
Visit www.kentlife.org.uk or call 01622 763936 for details
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve - O.S Map 188 TQ520565: Nr Sevenoaks, TN13 3DH
Within easy reach of London you will be surprised by the peace and tranquillity the lakes and woodland walks at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve have to offer. As you step away from the Jeffrey Harrison Visitor Centre, leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life behind you. The reserve covers some 55 hectares and includes five lakes and a mixed habitat of ponds, seasonally flooded pools, reed bed, and woodland. A spectacular array of birds reside within this special sanctuary and the different habitats support diverse communities of plants, fungi and animals. Special family events held throughout the summer.
Opening times: Visitors centre open 10-5 Sat – Wed. Reserve open 24 hours, toilet facilities available outside of visitor centre hours.
Call 01732 456407 for details
Farming World - Nash Court, Boughton, Faversham, Kent ME13 9HY
Farming World is a working farm park attraction in Kent and an excellent value family day out. Filled with animals and activities and set in the beautiful Kent countryside, Farming World's farm park is a great choice for a family day out.
Admission: Adults £8; OAP and Children (2-15) £7; Further concessions available.
Opening times: Daily from 9.30am – 5.30pm
Visit www.farming-world.com or call 01227 751144 for more details.
Historic Dockyard Chatham – Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TY
The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Kent is a great place to visit - on your own, with friends and family, or with your club, association or school. Set in an 80-acre estate with stunning historic architecture|, historic ships| and museum galleries|, the site offers a unique and rewarding visitor experience that will excite, educate and entertain you whatever your age. Look out for the Pirate Play Days throughout August with stimulating creative activities, family learning opportunities, story-telling, and costumed characters to delight all.
Admission: Adults £15.00; concessions (Senior Citizens, Students, Ex-Services, HM Forces with ID) - £12.50; Children - (5-15) - £10.50; family - (2+2 or 1 adult and 3 children) - £42.50 additional family child - £7.50
Opening times: Daily 10am – 6pm.
Visit www.chdt.org.uk or call 01634 823800 for details.
Dickens World - Leviathan Way, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4LL
DickensWorld has an assortment of attractions to keep the whole family entertained; jump on board the Great Expectations Boat Ride for splashing good fun, take a trip back in time to a Victorian School complete with nasty schoolmaster or get spooked in The Haunted House of 1859. Visitors will get the chance to come face to face with some of Dickens' literary characters in their magnificent rendition of a Victorian town courtyard! Then take a rest in the 4D cinema show at Peggotty's Boathouse or at the animatronic show in the Britannia Theatre - sit back and enjoy the story of Dickens' life and his literary works...
Admission: Adults 11.50, children (5-15) 6.50, children under 5 free. Concessions 9.50.
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday: 10am - 4.30pm (Last admission 3pm); Saturday & Sunday: 10am - 5.30pm (Last admission 4pm)
Visit www.dickensworld.co.uk or call 01634 890 421 for details.
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