Heathrow Airport 1 hr 38
Adventure Island (12 min)
Free-admission fun park with more than 40 rides and attractions from rollercoasters to ghost trains. Prittlewell Priory (13 min) Chalkwell Beach (12 min)
Pebble & sand beach with a large granite obelisk from the 1800s & a promenade with snack kiosks. Bell Wharf Beach (17 min) Westcliff Beach (7 min)
Modest, classic beach for swimming & walks at low tide, with a nearby casino & ice cream parlor. Southend Pier and Railway (13 min)
Seasonal museum on the pier with 19th- & early-20th-century train cars, slot machines & costumes. Thorpe Bay beach huts (6 min) RHS Garden Hyde Hall (35 min)
Site run by horticulture charity, including bird hide and Dry Garden with bold architectural plants. Dickens World (1 hr 7)
State-of-the-art animatronics, a 4D cinema and Victorian recreations expand on the work of Dickens. Old Leigh Studios Gallery (16 min) The Kursaal (5 min)
Known for its Edwardian architecture, this landmark complex features a bowling alley & casino. Southend Central Museum & Planetarium (10 min)
Exhibitions of local natural history and archaeological treasures including a haul of Saxon gold. Thames Estuary (1 hr 19)
1 of the country's largest, this landmark estuary features shipping routes & various lighthouses. Sealife Adventure (3 min)
Sea life aquarium with sharks in walk-through tunnel tank, plus rays, turtles and insect displays. Hadleigh Castle (25 min)
Ruined 1200s castle, refortified by Edward III in the Hundred Years War, affording marsh views. | 
