Are you looking for fantastic things to do in Weston-super-Mare but not sure where to start? Don’t worry; we’ve got your back.
We understand that deciding what to see and do can take time and cause stress and the odd family disagreement. With this in mind we’ve compiled a super-handy concise but comprehensive list of top fives that we think will make your time in Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset that little bit easier to plan and even more special when you get here.
Whether it's days out with the kids, wonderful walks or free days out you're looking for, we’ve got all you need to make planning your time in Weston-super-Mare that bit easier.
Top Five Walks
Walking is one of the best ways to see beautiful Weston and North Somerset because you can get to the parts of the coast and countryside that are not accessible by car, bus or train. Why not try one of our walks and experience some stunning scenery?
Here are our top five picks, the hardest part is choosing which one to walk first!
1) Weston to Uphill along the beach - Think you know Weston think again! Walking left as you face the Grand Pier will take you along Weston's main beach, past the Windzone where the kite and windsurfers have their fun and onto Uphill Beach which was crowned the Best Dog Walking Beach In The UK in 2023 and has been viewed more than 23 million times on Tik Tok.
2) Brean Down. If you only do one walk during your time in Weston then make sure it is this one. It's a specatcular three-miler along the Brean Down rock which dominates the western flank of Weston's main beach. It takes in spectacular views as well as Palmerston Fort from where the Bouncing Bomb was tested.
3) Sand Bay, Sand Point and Middle Hope offers spectacular walking country with amazing inland and coastal views just a ten-minute bus ride from Weston.
4) Uphill is a pretty village you can walk along the beach to from Weston. It boasts cliffs, rolling hills, a marina and a beacon. There's plenty of paths to freestyle your own walk or you can pick up the Brean Down Way from beneath the cliff.
5) Weston Woods offers a multitude of walking options and paths. You can freestyle your own walk or do a circular to Sand Bay, going out on the high route and returning via the lower route.
Top Five Day Trips
There's so much going on in Weston-super-Mare that you may not want to leave our wonderful resort at all, but if you do want to explore that little bit further afield here's five great day-trips you can do from Weston.
1) Cheddar Gorge & caves - Cheddar Gorge is one of Britain's most spectacular sights. Walk or drive through the breath-taking chasm looking up at the jaw-dropping cliffs and then descend deep into the show caves.
2) Shepton Mallet Prison - Visit one of the South West's best-loved and most chilling tourist attractions. It once housed the Krays and was Britain's oldest prison. You will go onto the wings, step into the cells, walk in the exercise yard and visit the execution area from which there was no return.
3) Wells - What England's smallest city lacks in size it more than makes up for in beauty and things to see. Cross the drawbridge over the moat to visit the stunning Bishop's Palace. See the swans who ring a bell when they're hungry, step back in time on the exquisite Vicars Close and visit the cathedral.
4) Glastonbury. There's so much more to this town than its famous music festival. Glastonbury is a town full of magic, mystery, history and intrigue and attracts visitors from all over the world. And if you can make it to the top of its famous tor, you’ll feel like you’re standing on top of the world.
5) Clevedon is a quiet seaside town which boasts an historic pier, Clevedon Court National Trust House and a historic cinema which first opened in 1912 to raise money for the families of the Titanic disaster.
Top Five Best Weston Views
1) We love the view from Weston Woods overlooking our town.
2) The view from the top of Uphill Beacon offers 360 degree views across Somerset and out across the Bristol Channel to Wales.
3) Walking along the Brean Down Way out of Uphill and beneath the cliffs make sure you look back as the path climbs for a gorgeous vista of the St Nicholas Church sitting on top of the Uphill cliffs and Weston in the background.
4) Tiffany's Restaurant is at the far tip of the Grand Pier and it is certainly a room with a view!
5) During the summer only, the seafront viewing wheel is the place to be for a bird's eye view over Weston-super-Mare and beyond.
Top Five Wet Weather attractions
1) The Grand Pier is an indoor adventure zone of play, thrills, excitement and experiences. It includes go-karts, simulators, laser mazes, a circus of horrors, mirror maze and more.
2) Weston Town Museum is a hidden gem where learning becomes fun. It even has a full sized Victorian cottage, Banksy's pinwheel and clothes you can try on, such as a swimming cap similiar to the one worn by Weston's Paolo Radmilovic who won four Olympic gold medals and competed at six successive Olympic Games.
3) Laser Quest is a futuristic indoor adventure zone loved by children, teenagers and grown ups. And if you don't find enough in there head next door to the Activity Dome where you can try your hand at axe throwing or smash things up in a rage room.
4) Weston Helicopter Museum is the largest helicopter collection in Europe and most of its exhibits are housed undercover in a giant hangar.
5) Clip 'n Climb offers you all the excitement of outdoor climbing but with advanced safety features as well as no worries about what the weather might do.
Top Five cycle routes
1) The Brean Down Way is an eight-mile cycle route from Weston Pier to Brean Down.
2) The Pier to Pier Way is a 13-mile route, or 26-miles if you're returning, linking Weston's Grand Pier with Clevedon Pier.
3) The Strawberry Line and into Cheddar Gorge is a ride of contrast. The Strawberry Line is a largely flat and predominantly off-road route, through the Thatchers Cider farm and into Cheddar from where you can add on some of the most spectacular cycling in the country, up through the jaw-dropping Cheddar Gorge.
4) Weston to Portishead via Clevedon is a varied route incoporating country lanes, coast roads and some great views.
5) Yatton, Clevedon and the Droves is a delightfully flat route which you can easily pick up from Yatton train station.
Top Five days out by bus
1) Catch the open top Coaster Bus service to Sand Bay. Feel the wind in your hair as you ride the number one bus along the coast road to Sand Bay. Here the ride is as much a part of the experience as the destination is..
2) Catch the 126 service to Cheddar and Wells. Cheddar is one of the country's most dramatic natural landscapes with jaw-dropping cliffs either side of this stunning gorge where you can also visit the famous Cheddar caves. Or alternatively alight at Wells and step back in time as you admire the beauty of England's smallest city.
3) Catch the bus to Burnham and see England's shortest pier, a lighthouse on stilts that has been described as looking like a Punch and Judy stand, and a church with a leaning tower.
4) Hop on board a bus to Clevedon to walk along the town's historic Victorian Pier which was described by Sir John Betjeman as the most beuatiful pier in England.
5) You can easily get to Bristol by bus or train. See The SS Great Britain, the Clifton Suspension Bridge or do a Banksy tour.
Top Five Events
1) Weston Carnival - Weston Carnival is the west-country's answer to Rio's carnival. This spectacular freebie is one of the biggest and most spectacular illuminated parades in the world drawing thousands of visitors each year.
2) The Beach Race - The world-famous Weston Beach Race has to be seen to be believed as hundreds and hundreds of daredevil bikers battle it out over man-made dunes and obstacles in a motorbike race which has to be seen to be believed. Completely bonkers and utterly brilliant.
3) GLOW Festival - This festival of light illuminates Grove Park for one magical week in January each year.
4) Sea Shanty Festival - every August the town is invaded by pirates as dozens of sea shanty groups descend on Weston for a joyous three-day festival which starts on the main stage and spills into pubs and bars across the town.
5) Weston Wallz Street Art Festival. Visitors to Weston can't fail to notice our impressive gallery of street art and it is even more impressive watching these brilliant street artists bringing their creations to life during the Weston Wallz Street Festival.
Top Five Exciting Experiences
1) See Weston from the air on a helicopter flight from Weston Helicopter Museum which is the largest helicopter museum in Europe
2) Take on the Wild Wookey Experience where you'll crawl, squeeze and wriggle your way through to parts of the cave that normal visitors don't get to see.
3) Try snow boarding, skiing, caving, climbing or watersports at the Mendip Activity Centre.
4) Have a go on the UK's highest vertical drop slide or take on the daring Leap of Faith at the Clip 'n' Climb Indoor climbing centre.
5) Ride the Sand Bay Dirt Jumps if you dare. Situated at bottom of Weston Woods, at the Sand Bay end, are some of the highest and scariest bike jumps you will ever see. Most weekends they lure thrill-seekers from all over the south of England.
Top Five Animal Experiences
1) Noah's Ark Zoo Farm is the home of the big zoo animals including African Elephants, White Rhinos, Giraffe, Lions, Zebra and Spectacled Bears. You’ll be amazed at the variety of nature you’ll see with over 100 species of animals, set in 100 acres of Somerset countryside.
2) Take an alpaca for a walk at Cadbury Alpacas
3) Court Farm is a real working farm with lots of friendly animals from ponies to pigs with lots going every day. From bottle-feeding baby lambs to a milking show and free tractor rides, there is something to suit all the family.
4) Donkeys have been part of Weston beach life since the 1800s. You'll see them offering rides to children throughout the summer.
5) Puxton Park offers you a great chance to get up close to lots of farmyard animals as well as giving you access to rides and attractions.
Top Five Things To Do With Younger Children
1) Take them to Little Town Adventures which is basically a model village re-creation of Weston-super-Mare complete with actors to help your kids get the most out of their play time.
2) Puxton Park offers a fabulous day out with farm animals, play zones, rides and activities.
3) Weston's Water Adventure Play Park offers fantastic summer value at just £3 per child all day when accompanied by an adult. The park has a splash pad triggered by sensors, a zip wire and swings. This is a summer-only activity. The park does remain open when the water is not on.
4) Grab a beach towel and head for Marine Lake where the tide is always in. Situated at the Weston Woods end of town, this sandy safe beach is just a few hundred yards away from Weston's main beach and provides a safe all-year-round swimming area which is perfect for youngsters.
5) Wookey Hole makes a fabulous day out for all ages - as well as being a massive hit with younger children. As well as the spectacular show caves, there play zones and dinosaurs.
Top Five Things To Do With Teenagers
1) Catch the 20 bus to Brean and hit the Brean Theme Park. With over 40 rides, it is the UKs biggest free admission theme park.
2) Climb aboard the number 20 bus to Brean and head for the Brean Splash Water Park.
3) Try out your go-karting skills, drive an F1 simulator or briefly experience that same feeling of weighlessness that astronuats get. It's all together under one roof at the Grand Pier.
4) Bring out the inner sports person edge with a game of ten-pin bowling at the All Stars Bowl complex, where there's also a private karaoke room for groups.
5) Fast forward into the future and battle it out out the Laser Quest adventure zone where it is a question of get zapped or do the zapping.