Southampton campsites

Southampton has some of the best-preserved medieval town walls in England, and you can follow their route on the Old Town self-guided walk. 

Walk the QE2 Mile from the Cenotaph, down through the city, and you end up at the waterfront at Town Quay. Take the Titanic Trail. In just over an hour, you'll pass numerous memorials, and poignant mementos dedicated to those who died when the ship sank in 1912.

Or, take the Southampton Treasure Trail hunt with the kids where you can hunt for clues.  This trail will direct you through some beautiful parts of the city decorated with fountains, rose gardens and sculptures aka. perfect spot to stop and tuck into a picnic!

In terms of family entertainment Southampton Common covers some 326 acres, it's no surprise that the common covers a wealth of terrain types, each offering their own indigenous mini beasts and plant types, including woodland, parkland, rough grassland, ponds and the lovely sticky wetlands.

Looking for history, at the state-of-the-art SeaCity Museum, you'll learn all about Southampton's strong connection with the sea. There's an area dedicated to the Titanic tragedy which saw an unprecedented 500 homes in the city lose someone in the disaster.

While the Solent Sky Museum depicts the history of aviation in Southampton, the Solent area and Hampshire. There is special focus on the Supermarine aircraft company, based in Southampton, and its most famous products, the Supermarine S.6 seaplane and the Supermarine Spitfire. 

The timber framed Tudor House & Garden is the living embodiment of 900 years of English households. The Old Town property has been restored and now has extensive displays of their treasures and family-friendly facilities. English Heritage look after two notable Southampton properties, the Medieval Merchant's House and Netley Abbey. The former has been restored to its 14th century glory while the latter is one of the best examples of a surviving Cistercian abbey in England.

For sailing and rowing, powerboating and stand up paddle boarding, head to the Southampton Water Activities Centre. They have instructors on hand if you're inexperienced, and options if you're at a more advanced level and fancy a sail down the Solent.

Get a round of golf in… The Southampton City Golf Course is one of the best examples of a municipal course in the country, and you can play either the 18-hole course of the 9-hole course.

The Quays is one of only four High Performance Centres for diving in the UK and several of Team GB’s Olympic divers train here. They offer taster classes if you've never dived before, but if you don't fancy making that leap, there's a fun pool with flumes, fountains, slides and a whirlpool.

For a guaranteed fun day out, The Alpine Snowsports Centre is a great venue for new and experienced snowsports fans. It’s got an ideal artificial surface for Skiing, Snowboarding and a bit of fun with Donutting.

Marwell Zoo is equally brilliant, with more than 100 species including giraffes, zebras and tigers spread across the huge 140-acre site.

Looking for evening entertainment then check out The Mayflower, the South’s biggest theatre. It shows a mixture of touring productions, including many musicals direct from their West End run, as well as dance performances, operas and plays.

The ancient New Forest National Park is on Southampton's door step. Within a short drive or bus journey you can see thatched cottages, ponies and wildlife - find out more things to do here. Itchen Valley Country Park is also great for a family day out, with 440 acres, loads of picnic spots, and the River Itchen. If you're feeling energetic and like heights, try swinging through the trees on the Go Ape Tree Top Trail in the park.

The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is just a short journey southwest of Southampton through parts of the New Forest. Its many exhibits include the official collection of original James Bond vehicles as well as other famous movie cars, including the flying Ford Anglia from Harry Potter.