Attractions Nearby Salisbury, Day Trips and Excursions

(Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK)

There are many villages, towns and cities close to Salisbury that are rich in history and full of tourist attractions, landmarks and monuments.

Bath

Bath is one of England's most beautiful, elegant and historic cities, full of spectacular architecture and Georgian streets, and is actually classed as a World Heritage City. The Roman's were captivated by the area of Bath over 2,000 years ago, when Bath was a vast green valley with a miraculous stream of endless hot water. After 400 years, the Romans left Bath, but the remains of their stunning bath and temple complex are still a world-class attraction, which bring many thousands of tourists to Bath each year, and there are numerous Bath tourist information outlets in and around the central Bath.


Like so many major cities, Bath has a large river that runs through the town centre, the River Avon, and also has an impressive canal system, which has become a popular tourist attraction in its own right, with narrowboat trips, boat hire, cycle towpaths and walking trails. Other tourist attractions in Bath include Sally Lunn's House, the Pump Room, The Circus, the remarkable Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge - one of the few bridges in the world to be lined with shops, and of course the world-famous Roman Baths. Bath is situated close to Salisbury and can be easily reached by car, train, bus or coach, taking just over one hour.

Bath World Guide

Bristol

Bristol is the largest and most lively city in the south-west of England and Bristol's waterside location, lined with historic buildings, tourist attractions, boats and restaurants make the Bristol quite unforgettable. The city of Bristol is full of energy and excitement, and Bristol has been nominated as a European Centre of Culture. Every year, Bristol has an exceptional programme of events and festivals, which include balloon fiestas, kite flying, theatrical performances, art exhibitions, open-air concerts and street carnivals, reflecting Bristol's diversity and style.

Bristol has a large river that weaves its way through the city centre, the River Avon, and this forms part of a system of waterways that made Bristol a great inland port, bringing tremendous wealth to Bristol city. The Harbourside area of Bristol has become a popular tourist attraction in its own right, with boat trips, cafés, restaurants and walking trails. Other tourist attractions in Bristol include Bristol Zoo and Gardens - awarded the prestigious title of 'Zoo of the Year', Bristol's Clifton Suspension Bridge, the SS Great Britain, Bristol Cathedral, the famous Bristol Old Vic Theatre, the Bristol Hippodrome, the Colston Hall, the Bristol Clifton Observatory and Caves, and the Bristol Blue Glass Factory - which has been manufacturing handmade glass since the 17th century.

The award-winning 'At Bristol' family attraction is one of Bristol's newest tourist attractions and is situated in the heart of Bristol's harbourside area. Funded by the National Lottery and opened in 2000, At Bristol cost in excess of GBP 100 million and has a number of different, impressive attractions for tourists and visitors in Bristol. Bristol is situated close to Salisbury and can be easily reached by car, train, bus or coach, taking around one and a half hours.

Bristol World Guide

Bournemouth

Bournemouth is best known for its spectacular golden beaches, which stretch for over 11 km / 7 miles along the seafront. The beaches, combined with sheltered, clear bathing waters, have always been one of the major tourist attractions in Bournemouth and during the summer, the sunny Bournemouth beaches provide the perfect place for sunbathing, building sand castles, paddling, swimming, surfing, and general seaside fun in Bournemouth.

Bournemouth's spectacular Victorian Pleasure Gardens are situated in the heart of the town centre, next to Bournemouth's seafront and the shopping area. Created in the 1840s, Bournemouth's beautiful Pleasure Gardens have won many national awards and are now home to the famous 'Bournemouth Eye', an enormous helium-filled balloon that carries passengers to the highest public observation point in Bournemouth.

There are an enormous range of tourist attractions in Bournemouth, and these include the historic Bournemouth Pier, Bournemouth International Centre, the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth's Pier Theatre, Bournemouth's Sheridan IMAX Cinema, Compton Acres Gardens, Poole Harbour, and nearby Brownsea Island.

Bournemouth World Guide

Poole

The medieval port of Poole is situated just 50 km / 31 miles from Salisbury and is full of tourist attractions and activities, such as the famous Poole Pottery. These tourist attractions include Poole Harbour and the Sandbanks peninsula, with excellent facilities for boating and watersports, including windsurfing and jetskiing, a number of highly-acclaimed restaurants and cafés, many historic 18-century buildings, and some excellent hotels. Poole is also one of the most popular areas in the south-west of England for fishing and deep-sea fishing and mackerel-fishing trips regularly depart from Poole Harbour.

Poole World Guide

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is the perfect place for a relaxing break at any time of the year, and the Isle of Wight's extremely mild climate is well suited to outdoor activities. These include numerous golf courses, watersports, yachting regattas, popular sailing festivals and important boat races. Situated just 3.5 km / 2 miles from the Hampshire shoreline, there are almost 400 ferry and hovercraft crossings each day, the fastest of which taking less than 10 minutes from nearby Portsmouth. The Isle of Wight has a surprising variety of landscapes and coastal scenery on the island, including rivers, woodland areas and chalky downland.

The Isle of Wight has numerous popular beaches, combined with sheltered, clear bathing waters. With over 40 km / 25 miles of clean and unspoilt beaches, these have always been one of the major tourist attractions on the Isle of Wight. During the summer, the sunny Isle of Wight beaches provide the perfect place for sunbathing, building sand castles, paddling, swimming, and general seaside fun on the Isle of Wight. There are also a large number of cycle trails and over 800 km / 500 miles of well-marked walking paths and bridleways, which make the Isle of Wight one of the best spots in the United Kingdom for walking. Over half of the Isle of Wight is actually designated as an 'area of outstanding beauty'. The Isle of Wight is situated just 81 km / 50 miles from Salisbury.

Isle of Wight World Guide

Frome

The market town of Frome is full of history and was founded by St. Aldhelm in 685 AD. Frome has always been a prosperous town and gained much wealth from the wool and fabric industry in the 17th century, when Frome was actually larger than nearby Bath, and considered more important. Markets have been a major part of Frome history for over 10,000 years and there are still regular markets that are held in the centre of Frome every week.

This charming town is full of character and has a number of steep, winding, cobbled streets, and the River Frome winds its way through the centre of the town. Frome is home to more listed buildings that any other town in Somerset, over 350.

Frome World Guide

Mere

Situated on the western side of Salisbury Plain, Mere is a small and pretty town that is an ideal touring base. Mere's popular nature reserves, streams and hills can be easily explored on foot, by bike or on horseback, and there are also many historic buildings and gardens close to Mere.

Wilton

The nearby town of Wilton was once the capital of Wessex and still boasts numerous tourist attractions. Wilton has a superb stately home, a famous carpet factory and a large shopping village. The parish church of Wilton is particularly striking and is an impressive Italianate building, with medieval glass, unique marble and mosaics, and is open to tourists daily from April to September. Wilton is also home to one of the best collections of antiques in the west country.

Amsebury

Close to Salisbury's Stonehenge and also nearby Woodhenge, Amsebury is an attractive, small town on Salisbury Plain. To the south of Amsebury lies the scenic Woodford Valley, which provides excellent walking and cycle trails to Old Sarum and Salisbury.

Downton

Close to Salisbury, Downton is an attractive and charming village, with idyllic thatched cottage and village greens. Attractions for tourists visiting Downtown include a splendid Norman church of St. Laurence and also the Saxon Moot, set in an 18th-century ornamental garden.