Heathrow Airport 2 hr 27
Spinnaker Tower (1 hr 10) Landmark tower with an on-site cafe and a glass-floored platform overlooking Portsmouth harbour. Carisbrooke Castle (12 min) Fine medieval castle and museum, where Charles I was imprisoned by Cromwell's Roundheads. Isle of Wight Steam Railway (6 min) Outfit preserving railway history via exhibits, train stations & rides on steam-powered locomotives. Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway (1 hr 44) Expansive woodland gardens with abundant rhododendrons and azaleas, plus steam train rides. The Garlic Farm (9 min) Home-grown garlic, plus garlic-inspired products and fare in a specialist farm shop with restaurant. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (1 hr 13) Nelson's HMS Victory plus HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose Museum, with simulators and harbour tours. Amazon World Zoo (12 min) Conservation-minded venue with over 200 species including tropical birds and meerkats. Shanklin Chine (22 min) Leafy, wooded ravine with waterfalls and abundant wildlife, plus arts heritage centre. Dinosaur Isle (18 min) Animatronic dinosaurs and 1000 of the island's best fossils in a pterodactyl-shaped building. Isle of Wight Zoo (17 min) Home of ITV's 'Tiger Island', with exotic animals, informative talks and 'meet the animals'. Mary Rose Museum (1 hr 16) Museum for 16th-century Tudor warship, & King Henry VIII's favourite, built in 1510 & sunk in 1545. National Motor Museum, Beaulieu (1 hr 38) 250-plus vehicles and World of Top Gear, plus each ticket gives access to Abbey and Palace House. Blackgang Chine (24 min) Cowboys, pirates, dinosaurs and fairies in themed spaces, along with roller-coasters and rides. Osborne (11 min) Italian-inspired mansion amid lush gardens and filled with Victoria and Albert's former possessions. Robin Hill (9 min) Family rides, tractor train, nature trails, falconry and events, plus a woodland tree house. |