Essex Days Out Guide (2026)
Essex tourist attractions - Top things to do in Essex, England
Essex offers coastal walks, beaches, museums, gardens, wildlife attractions and historic sites across Colchester, Chelmsford, Southend and Saffron Walden. There’s plenty to explore throughout the year.
Use our Essex days out guide to find things to do, places to visit and days out.
Browse by attraction type
Offers & Ideas for Things to Do in Essex
- Adults & Couples Days Out - Save up to 50%
- Cheap Days Out and Tours - Save up to 60%
- Family & Kids Things To Do - Save up to 60%
- Afternoon Tea for Two - Save up to 40%
- Romantic Getaways - Cottages & Lodges with Hot Tubs
- Go Ape - Treetop Outdoor Adventure
- Family Holidays - Lodges, Cottages & Holiday Parks
Active & Adventure in Essex
Caddies Crazy Golf Southend - Southend-on-Sea
Caddies Crazy Golf Southend in Southend-on-Sea, SS1. Find the latest opening hours, map and contact details... read more
Active (sporting) things to do • Indoor
Rollerworld - Colchester
Rollerworld is an Olympic standard, maple wood floor roller skating rink plus a Quaser laser tag game arena and an amusement arcade... read more
Active (sporting) things to do • Indoor
Animals & Nature in Essex
Barleylands Farm Park - Billericay
Barleylands Farm Park is a children's activity farm and craft village between Basildon and Billericay in Essex... read more
Animals & Nature
Colchester Zoo - Stanway, Colchester
Colchester Zoo in Stanway, Colchester, Essex has some of the best cat and primate collections in Europe and has over 200 species of animals... read more
Animals & Nature
Cudmore Grove Country Park
County Hall, Market Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1QH
Animals & Nature
Sea Life Adventure - Southend-on-Sea
Sea Life Adventure is an indoor aquatic life attraction with displays of lots of creatures that live under water from around the world... read more
Animals & Nature
Historical & Heritage in Essex
Audley End House and Gardens - Saffron Walden
Audley End House and Gardens is a 17th century Jacobean stately home with gardens and parkland in Saffron Waldon in Essex... read more
Historical tourist attractions
Bourne Mill - Colchester
Bourne Mill is a Grade I listed building built in the late 1500's and converted to a watermill in the 19th Century... read more
Historical tourist attractions
Hedingham Castle - Castle Hedingham, Halstead
Hedingham Castle is a Norman keep dating from around 1140AD and 160 acres of gardens and woodland a few miles North West of Halstead in Essex... read more
Historical tourist attractions
Hill Hall - Epping
Hill Hall is an Elizabethan mansion dating from the 1500s with Renaissance architecture and two rare 16th century wall paintings near Epping... read more
Historical tourist attractions
Lexden Earthworks and Bluebottle Grove
Fitzwalter Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 5EF
Historical
Mistley Towers
The Walls, Mistley, Essex, CO11 1HB
Historical
Paycocke’s House and Garden - Coggeshall
Paycocke’s House and Garden is a 16th century Gothic timber-framed house once owned by a Tudor merchant located in the village of Coggeshall... read more
Historical tourist attractions
Priors Hall Barn
2 Miles Se Of Newport Off B1383, Widdington, Essex, CB11
Historical
Tilbury Fort
The Fort, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 7NR
Historical
Family & Kids Activities in Essex
360 Play Basildon
Festival Leisure Park, Festival Way, Basildon, Essex, SS14 3WB
Kids • Indoor
Crazy Kids Adventure Play - Braintree
Crazy Kids Adventure Play is an indoor air-conditioned play centre for children up to the age of 12 in Braintree in Essex... read more
Kids days out • Indoor
Kids Kingdom - Southend-on-Sea
Kids Kingdom is a children's indoor soft play centre in Southend on Sea in Essex... read more
Kids days out • Indoor
Museums & Galleries in Essex
East Anglian Railway Museum - Wakes Colne
East Anglian Railway Museum is a museum about the locomotive history of the region located at Chappel railway station 8 miles from Colchester... read more
Museums & Galleries
Hollytrees Museum - Colchester
Hollytrees Museum is a museum about domestic life and childhood during the last 300 years in the town of Colchester... read more
Museums & Galleries • Free entry • Indoor
Rayleigh Town Museum
1st Floor, 91 High Street, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 7EJ
Museums & Galleries • Indoor
Southend Pier Museum - Southend-on-Sea
Southend Pier Museum is a museum about Southend pier located in Southend in Essex... read more
Museums & Galleries
Tiptree Jam Museum - Tiptree
Tiptree Jam Museum is a museum about the history of the jam-making business at Tiptree... read more
Museums & Galleries
Warner Textile Archive - Braintree
Warner Textile Archive is a textile and design museum 5 minute walk from Braintree town centre in Essex... read more
Museums & Galleries • Indoor
Theme Parks in Essex
Adventure Island - Southend-on-Sea
Adventure Island in Western Esplanade, Southend-on-Sea is a free entry Fun Park. Buy a wristband to go on the rides... read more
Theme Parks
Transport & Railways in Essex
Audley End Miniature Railway - Saffron Walden
Audley End Miniature Railway in Saffron Walden. Find the latest opening hours, map and contact details... read more
Transport
Barnards Miniature Railway - West Horndon
Barnards Miniature Railway runs miniature train rides the grounds of Barnards farm near Basildon in Essex and 10 minutes from junction 29 and 30 of the M25... read more
Transport days out
Essex Gift Experiences
Essex offers something for everyone, with attractions suitable for families, children, adults and couples throughout the county.
Page Updated: 19th May 2026