Portsmouth

About

With a rich maritime and naval history, Portsmouth's fortunes have long been intimately tied to the sea. Even today, many of Portsmouth's most stunning features and most popular attractions are found near the harbour.

From the imposing Spinnaker Tower standing tall and proud at the entrance to Portsmouth harbour, to the Mary Rose Museum and the historic ships HMS Victory, you'll find a huge range of things to see and do. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is home to some of the most impressive historic ships in the world – with the remains of Henry VIII's Mary Rose, Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship HMS Victory, and HMS Warrior 1860 the largest and fastest of all Royal Navy ships at the time, can all be found here.

If you love to shop, Gunwharf Quays is an absolute must. With over 90 premium retail outlets and up to 60% off the RRP, plus over 30 delicious restaurants, Gunwharf Quays really will leave you spoilt for choice. Visit today to experience the idyllic South Coast setting while you save on your favourite designer brands. But it doesn’t stop there…on top of late-night shop and restaurant opening there is a Vue Cinema, Bowlplex and Grosvenor Casino. You many come for the shopping, but you’ll stay for the views.

Kids will love the Blue Reef Aquarium. On sunny days the whole family can follow the Old City Walls and enjoy an ice-cream on the seafront. Portsmouth Guildhall provides one of the south's premier entertainment venues.

Things to do in Portsmouth

• Take a walk along the beach, dip your toes in the water and explore the area's two famous piers at Southsea Seafront.
• Discover historic Old Portsmouth, home to lamp-lit cobbled streets, historic fortifications and some great places to eat. You'll also find Portsmouth Cathedral and the resident artist-makers at the Hotwalls Studios.
• Follow in the footsteps of Henry VIII at Southsea Castle. 
• Shop till you drop in the wonderful Gunwharf Quays or enjoy the incredible views over the city from the top of the nearby Spinnaker Tower.
• Visit the D-Day Story to learn all about the incredible bravery and stories behind the D-Day Landings.  See the last survivng Landing Craft Tank from D-Day - LCT 7074 and the colourful Overlord Embroidery,  272 feet (83 metres) in length, the largest work of its kind in the world. 
• Step onboard the fantastic HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship during the Battle of Trafalgar and one of the oldest and best preserved ships in the country.
• Visit HMS M.33 one of just three British warships from World War I still in existence.
• Explore the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Hear My Story gallery tells the stories of ordinary men and women that served.
• Portsmouth is also the birthplace of Charles Dickens - find out more about one of Britain's most famous literary figures at the Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum.
• Visit Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery and discover the world's largest collection of memorabilia relating to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and an ever-changing collection of artworks.
• Enjoy a walk along Portsea Island's northern coast, to see the woods, historic monuments and lakes at Hilsea Lines. 
• Enjoy the relaxed pace of Southsea, where you can do a spot of boutique shopping, tuck into some global cuisine, or try out the local produce. After all the exploring you can relax on Southsea Common or take a walk along the miles of seafront.
• Find out what's on in Portsmouth this weekend in our Hampshire events guide.

Places to visit near Portsmouth

Explore the local area in these towns and villages near Portsmouth.

• Southsea (1 mile)
• Gosport (2 miles)
• Portchester (3 miles)
• Hayling Island (4 miles)
• Lee-on-Solent (5 miles)
• Fareham (5 miles)
• Havant (6 miles)

Visiting Portsmouth is easy. If you are travelling by road, use the Portsmouth Park and Ride, located on the M275 on the way into the city.  It's just a short hop - 7 minutes to The Hard Interchange (bus terminal) situated next to Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth Harbour Train Station, Gosport Ferry and Wightlink Fast Cat departure terminal (inside the train station). Its just £4 to park and ride for up to five people, quick, simple and sustainable.