10 Best Things to Do in Portsmouth

Portsmouth is best known as a historic dockyard, so where better to start your day than Portsea? Just south of the Royal Navy’s modern docks and north of the Portsmouth Harbour train station, Portsea is a hub of Britain’s proud naval heritage. Within a very small area is Britain’s first iron-hulled warship HMS Warrior, a World War I-vintage gunboat named HMS M.33, the remains of the a Tudor-era warship the Mary Rose and Admiral Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy is a good place to start, giving you a more general round-up of the surrounding warships and their place in British history.

The Victory is perhaps one of the most famous warships in Britain, if not the world. She has a number of battle honours to her name, but she’s best remembered for her part in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, where she was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson.

The Victory is technically still a serving ship in the Royal Navy, but her primary role is now as a museum ship, showing visitors what life was like at sea in the Napoleonic Wars.

With well over 100 stores and restaurants, Gunwharf Quays is a sprawling shopping complex right in the heart of Portsmouth. It’s an outlet centre, so you can expect luxury designer goods at quite considerable discounts. This makes it a perfect place to find bargains, souvenirs and entertainment.

Big brands available include Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Superdry, Paul Smith and more. Come back to the Quays after dark for one of Portsmouth’s best nightlife scenes, with plenty of great pubs and clubs.

The Spinnaker Tower is among the UK’s tallest structures, rising 170 metres above Gunwharf Quays. It has a striking sail-inspired design that makes for some incredible photos.

You can ride the high-speed lift, or take nearly 600 stairs, if you’re feeling extremely ambitious, up to the glass-floored Sky Walk or the Sky Garden, where you can relax on artificial grass and enjoy the view across the harbour. In between them is The Clouds, a café with an outstanding view. Naturally, it’s usually extremely busy, so pre-booking a table is recommended.

At the Mary Rose Museum, you can explore the remains of the Mary Rose battleship, which was the flagship of the English Navy during the reign of King Henry VIII. The ship sank during the Battle of the Solent in 1545 after 34 years in service, and it was only recovered in 1982. In addition to the ship, you’ll see thousands of artefacts from Tudor England on display at the Mary Rose Museum.

We recommend at least 2 hours to explore all these exciting exhibitions. Don't miss the guided tours, and kids will especially love the Hatch's History Detectives trail.

The Nelson Trail is a free self-guided walking tour of some of the older parts of Portsmouth, stopping at places of interest related to Vice Admiral Lord Nelson. It’s a very simple, easy route, starting at St George’s Road, heading right down High Street and then following the coastline to end at the anchor of Victory, by Clarence Pier.

Interesting stops along the way include Portsmouth Cathedral, the Spur Redoubt and The George Inn. It’s only a 1-mile walk, but it’s a good idea to wear comfortable shoes. You can find the route at tourist information offices and online.

Clarence Pier is a funfair near the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour, right next to the hovercraft port. The fair stretches along the beach, providing lovely ocean views as you experience thrill rides. Try the big wheel, rollercoasters, a mini golf course and the amusement arcade.

There's a cosy, winter wonderland vibe in the colder months, and it has that very typical British seaside atmosphere in summer. Come a little early on Sunday morning and you can check out the nearby car boot sale before the park opens.

D-Day in June 1944 saw a massive multinational army crossing the English Channel into occupied France, an awe-inspiring undertaking, which Portsmouth played a pivotal role in. The D-Day Story is a modern museum which tells the tale of that undertaking through archive films and photos, as well as period artefacts.

To give you an idea of the sheer scope of the operation, there’s an 83-meter-long embroidery showing the landing craft crossing the sea, like a modern-day Bayeux Tapestry. Within a short walk of the museum is Southsea Castle, which is also worth a visit.

The Hilsea Lines is an old and long-abandoned line of defence. The overgrown, crumbling brickwork dates back to 1871. The old moat and bombproof gun emplacements, or casemates, are certainly impressive, but it’s the natural habitat that has grown around them which makes it worth the visit.

There a nature trail in the park which takes about an hour to walk and will give you the best chance of spotting some colourful creatures like kestrels and kingfishers. There are also other self-guided walks shown on boards along the paths, so you can pick which works best for you.

The Portsmouth Guildhall is the home of culture and entertainment in the city. The events calendar is filled virtually year-round, with concerts, comedy and drama. Having been the first place to host a live performance of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album, it continues to attract big names to this day. There are also regular exhibitions and conferences you can visit during the day.

For smaller but edgier plays, the New Theatre Royal Portsmouth is just down the road and, as with most good theatres, there are several bars in the immediate area.