Heathrow Airport 2 hr 29
Shanklin Chine (19 min) Leafy, wooded ravine with waterfalls and abundant wildlife, plus arts heritage centre. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (1 hr 3) Nelson's HMS Victory plus HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose Museum, with simulators and harbour tours. Dinosaur Isle (12 min) Animatronic dinosaurs and 1000 of the island's best fossils in a pterodactyl-shaped building. Isle of Wight Zoo (11 min) Home of ITV's 'Tiger Island', with exotic animals, informative talks and 'meet the animals'. The D-Day Story (50 min) D-Day story told through archive films, landing craft, weapons and the 83-metre Overlord Embroidery. Southsea Castle (53 min) Naval and archaeological exhibits plus interactive schools' tours in Henry VIII's moated castle. Mary Rose Museum (1 hr 5) Museum for 16th-century Tudor warship, & King Henry VIII's favourite, built in 1510 & sunk in 1545. Robin Hill (15 min) Family rides, tractor train, nature trails, falconry and events, plus a woodland tree house. Clarence Pier (37 min) Seasonal rides and high-ropes aerial challenge course plus year-round arcades and indoor playground. The Garlic Farm (10 min) Home-grown garlic, plus garlic-inspired products and fare in a specialist farm shop with restaurant. Osborne (19 min) Italian-inspired mansion amid lush gardens and filled with Victoria and Albert's former possessions. HMS Victory (1 hr 3) Museum within the world's oldest commissioned warship which gained fame at the Battle of Trafalgar. Isle of Wight Steam Railway (13 min) Outfit preserving railway history via exhibits, train stations & rides on steam-powered locomotives. Carisbrooke Castle (23 min) Fine medieval castle and museum, where Charles I was imprisoned by Cromwell's Roundheads. Spinnaker Tower (59 min) Landmark tower with an on-site cafe and a glass-floored platform overlooking Portsmouth harbour. |