Put The Wind in Your Sails this autumn

Treat yourself to a coastal getaway this autumn and let Portsmouth put the wind in your sails.

The UK's only island city is the ideal place to spend a few days enjoying sea air, coastal walks and world-class attractions. Plus, with the city well served by road and rail, you can enjoy an island break with ease - Portsmouth is less than 90 minutes from central London, with South Western Railway running three services per hour.

So why not treat yourself to a short break this autumn - exploring naval history, towering attractions and outlet shopping, right on the water's edge.

  

Heritage and history around every corner

Kings, queens, authors, admirals, scientists and sportspeople have all called Portsmouth home. It's why we have a rich heritage full of stories that changed the course of world history.

Take for example Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which is home to Admiral Lord Nelson's HMS Victory, as well as the flagship of Henry VIII's fleet - the Mary Rose.

Visitors to the dockyard can walk through centuries of history, seeing the most feared ships of Britannia's Royal Navy, smelling the Tudor timbers of the Mary Rose, and standing on the very spot where Nelson was fatally wounded during the Battle of Trafalgar. If you want to put yourself right in the story of British naval heritage, there's nowhere else to be.

One ticket gets you entry into all the dockyard attractions, where you can visit HMS Warrior 1860, HMS Victory, the Mary Rose Museum, Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower, and more. You can also see boatbuilding techniques through the years and head out on a harbour tour, where the might of the current Naval fleet sits alongside its predecessors.

   

Retail therapy at the coast

Mere metres from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard you'll find Gunwharf Quays, the waterfront outlet centre. Indulge yourself without breaking the bank at the 90+ designer outlets, offering up to 60% off RRP.

All the big names are here, including Nike, Joules, Le Creuset, Whittard's, Pandora, M&S, Cadbury, Lindt, and loads more besides.

If all that shopping works up an appetite, you'll also find more than 30 bars and restaurants on site - many enjoying glorious sea views out across the harbour. In addition to the classics (Pizza Express, Wagamama, Nando's, Five Guys, Carluccio's, Patisserie Valerie, Loch Fyne and more), you'll also find a host of independent or local brands offering something that little bit different.

You can also get a quick lunch break at the numerous coffee shops, with Costa Coffee, Cafe Nero, The Real Eating Company and Parade Tea Rooms amongs those happy to provide your caffeine fix.

And if all that wasn't enough, within Gunwharf Quays you'll also find a contemporary art gallery, bowling alley, multiplex cinema, marina, children's play area, MiniPort and, of course, the Spinnaker Tower...

   

A view to take your breath away

At 170m tall - and with three view decks offering stunning views out across city, coast and country - the Spinnaker Tower really is a modern icon. It has become emblematic for the city of Portsmouth, and a must-visit for holidaymakers and daytrippers alike.

After an introduction on the ground floor, you're whisked up to View Deck 1, some 100 metres above sea level, in the high speed lift. From here you can look out across Portsmouth Harbour, into the dockyard, out across the city and over to the Isle of Wight. On a good day you can see for up to 23 miles, in 350 degrees.

If you're feeling brave, you can even walk across the glass floor - where you can see down through the struts to the water below.

View Deck 2 is home to the Clouds Cafe, where you can enjoy a very high tea. Tuck into scones and sandwiches with a view like no other to really get a special experience.

Finally, View Deck 3 is the so-called Sky Garden, with plants and the open roof giving visitors a wonderfully stimulating experience.

   

A whole city to explore

As well as the biggest attractions mentioned above, there's a whole host of other fantastic activities and things to do at the Great Waterfront City.

For starters, enjoy a classic seaside stroll along Southsea Promenade. The sea views are ever-changing, with different ships, yachts, ferries and cruise liners coming in and out daily. What's more, the huge expanse of Southsea Common runs right along the seaside, offering plenty of open space to explore and enjoy.

The seafront is also where you'll find a number of other top attractions, including The D-Day Story (you can't miss it, thanks to the enormous LCT 7074 sat just outside). The museum puts visitors in the shoes of the soldiers who took part in the Normandy Landings, through their personal artefacts and testimonies.

Along the promenade you'll find LCT 7074, the last surviving Landing Craft Tank from D-Day. The craft was big enough to transport up to 10 tanks and their crew across the channel, and has now been painstakingly restored to its former glories thanks to a multi-million pound project by the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

Elsewhere in Portsmouth you can find the birthplace of Charles Dickens (now a museum), independent boutique shopping in Southsea, and places to try out a vast array of watersports (from stand up paddleboarding to windsurfing, wakeboarding, rowing and kayaking, to name but a few).

There's more culture to explore at Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery, where you'll find a display of the city's Civic Silver, as well as the largest collection of memorabilia in the world relating to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - the creator of Sherlock Holmes.

   

Food and drink

After you've explored Portsmouth's world-class museums, enjoyed a day at the beach, or shopped 'til you've dropped, you'll need somewhere to relax and recharge. Thankfully, the city's huge selection of pubs, bars and restaurants can take you anywhere in the world you want to go.

As well as the international dishes on offer at Gunwharf Quays, you can enjoy Asian flavours along Albert Road, quality pub grub in Old Portsmouth, or fresh seafood right on the water's edge.

A number of Portsmouth's restaurants are also award winners. The King Street Tavern secured a rare Gold Seal in 2022, having won a Good Food Award (itself an illustrious honour) not once or twice, but three years in a row. Elsewhere, Restaurant 27 is consistently named in the Michelin Guide, the most recent iteration calling it 'elegant', and 'professionally and passionately run'. The Briny on Southsea Seafront also got in on the awards recently, joining the top 10% of restaurants nationwide when it was awarded an AA Rosette.

   

Events and evening entertainment

The fun doesn't stop when the sun goes down. In fact, there's plenty to keep you entertained well into the small hours, whether you want to catch some live music, lose yourself in theatre, or simply dance the night away.

For starters, why not check out our events listings, where you can find everything going on at the Great Waterfront City. We have the immensely popular Great South Run coming up - the world's premier 10-mile race welcoming world famous athletes as well as tens of thousands of fun runners. It's a flat, fast course, making it ideal for newbies and PB-setters alike. We also have a series of events to mark the 40th anniversary of the raising of the Mary Rose, a host of craft fairs and markets, firework displays, and live music from chart-topping icons.

If you are looking to see a touring show or performance, Portsmouth's music venues are legendary. The Wedgewood Rooms has hosted many of the biggest names on their way up - and even a few stadium-fillers on rare, very intimate appearances. Over the years, the 400-capacity room has played host to such giants as Oasis, Muse, The Killers, Pulp, Kasabian, Paramore, The Strokes, Elbow, Keane, The Script, Wolf Alice, Placebo, Scissor Sisters, The 1975 and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

Meanwhile, Portsmouth Guildhall has gone down in music folklore for being the venue where one of the most iconic albums of all time was given its live debut: Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. Other huge names to have graced its stage include Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, U2, Blondie, Elton John, The Beach Boys, Take That, Johnny Cash, The Cure, The Bee Gees, Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. Today it hosts top music acts and the best in stand-up comedy. There's also the Guildhall Studio, for smaller acts or intimate sets.

If a different kind of treading-the-boards is your thing, we have not one but two Matcham theatres. The revered architect lent his talents to both the Kings Theatre and the New Theatre Royal - giving the city two beautiful buildings that are worth the ticket price alone!

From touring West End shows to live comedy and dance, the two theatres offer much to enjoy.

Alternatively, head to the slightly smaller Groundlings Theatre, where community theatre groups perform alongside bigger names, all within the stunning Georgian building.

For more information, take a look at the great things to do in Portsmouth, or take a tour of the city from home with our latest destination film: