Heathrow Airport 1 hr 25
Elmley National Nature Reserve (14 min)
Family-run farm with marshland rich in wildlife, plus nature trails and custom-made huts to stay in. Southend Pier and Railway (1 hr 24)
Seasonal museum on the pier with 19th- & early-20th-century train cars, slot machines & costumes. Rochester Castle (30 min)
Landmark 11th century Norman castle with large keep giving views over the River Medway, plus tours. Sealife Adventure (1 hr 22)
Sea life aquarium with sharks in walk-through tunnel tank, plus rays, turtles and insect displays. Hadleigh Castle (1 hr 14)
Ruined 1200s castle, refortified by Edward III in the Hundred Years War, affording marsh views. The Historic Dockyard Chatham (30 min)
Historic Royal Navy warships and shipbuilding heritage in an 18th-century dockyard museum. Old Leigh Studios Gallery (1 hr 16) Chalkwell Beach (1 hr 21)
Pebble & sand beach with a large granite obelisk from the 1800s & a promenade with snack kiosks. Adventure Island (1 hr 24)
Free-admission fun park with more than 40 rides and attractions from rollercoasters to ghost trains. Diggerland Kent (27 min)
Playful amusement park featuring life-sized diggers, excavators & more for kids & adults to operate. Rochester Cathedral (30 min)
Norman building with a Romanesque facade, a 14th-century library door and daily CofE services. Dickens World (31 min)
State-of-the-art animatronics, a 4D cinema and Victorian recreations expand on the work of Dickens. Thames Estuary (2 hr 10)
1 of the country's largest, this landmark estuary features shipping routes & various lighthouses. Upnor Castle (33 min)
Fort with tranquil grounds adjoining a riverside village with coin rubbing and canon firing. Royal Engineers Museum (29 min)
Interactive exhibitions and objects including photos, medals, a Harrier jump jet and a V2 rocket. | 
