Location: Dover
Top Things to do in Dover
What to do and see in Dover, England: The Best Hidden Gems Things to do
Dover (/ˈdoʊvər/) is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. The town is the administrative centre of the Dover District and home of the Dover Calais ferry through the Port of Dover. The surrounding chalk cliffs are known as the White Cliffs of Dover.
Restaurants in Dover
1. Dover Sea Safari
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 661 reviews
Ahoy!...our fantastic scheduled trips operate everyday during July and August, as well as school holidays. A weekend only schedule operate outside of these times. Closed season is November thru to Easter. Step aboard one of our awesome boats for a fun filled and incredibly unique experience. Choose either one of our boats; 'Dover Explorer' which is our 450hp RHIB or 'Wetwheels' which is our 600hp sports catamaran; specifically designed to accommodate those of you with worries of mobility, in particular wheelchair users. Whichever boat you choose to venture out on, you can be assured of experiencing the beautiful and very iconic Kent coastline, fascinating seals or eery Goodwin Sands. All of that combined with an exhilarating close to the water experience that is suitable for everybody. 1.5hrs White Cliffs & Beyond - 1.5hrs Heritage Tour - 2hr Secret Seal Safari - 3hr Goodwin Sands - Private Charter to go wherever you like!
2. The Lanes Micropub
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 140 reviews
The Lanes Micropub is a small friendly family run free-house,our ale is kept in a temperature controlled room with a viewing window so you can watch your pint being poured. We offer a choice of five real ale straight from the cask. The majority of our ale is from Kent.There are over forty microbreweries in Kent so the choice and style are varied. The twenty + ciders are all from KENT made with beautiful varieties of apples and other fruits from the garden of England. Perry from the best Pears. Ciders and Perry can be either still or Sparkling the choice is yours. we also stock the finest Kent wines from three different vineyards. we offer a warm welcome with comfortable seating in a relaxing environment. we look forwards to meeting you. CAMRA award winning pub.Branch pub of the year 2017/2018 East Kent Pub of the year 2017 /2018 .runner-up Kent pub of the year 2017 Kent Pub of the year 2018
Reviewed By Mickmicro
Stayed in Dover for a couple of nights with a mate and we loved this gem of a micropub, Keith and Debbie could not have been more friendly or welcoming and the beer was top notch and very reasonably priced. Great place to have a proper conversation and unwind and the choice of drinks available very impressive. So glad we found this haven, near to the railway station. Can't wait to return. Thank you both. Mick & Martin
3. Get Lost Escape Rooms
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 777 reviews
Part game, part theatre, part reality, Get Lost offers a team building activity like no other. Clues and puzzles will lead you to physical keys, combinations or further mysteries to solve. Each room has it's own story and the reason you're there will vary. Be prepared to experience a roller coaster of emotions as frustration, elation and excitement propels you through the experience!
Reviewed By honeybeesstembrook
We had the BEST time playing Operation P•R•A•T! Highly recommend! *Great puzzles ✅ *Great attention to detail ✅ *Great way to kill time during lockdown✅ *Great fun! ✅ One word of advice, lay off the gin before you begin! ???? Enjoy!
4. Dover Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 245 reviews
Free entry to 4 galleries over 3 floors, covering archaeology, town history and the Dover Bronze Age Boat - the world's oldest known sea-going vessel - plus gift shop and Visitor Information Centre for Dover, Deal and Sandwich Fully accessible for wheelchair users
Reviewed By X5206QEpeterh - Palmerston North, New Zealand
I had wanted to go to Dunkirk and to Amiens and Le Quesnoy. However, I found that I would really not have enough time, so while initially having made Dover a port to cross the Channel, I decided to rather remain in Dover and explore. We stayed in a comfortable B&B and hired a car to get around. In order to decide what to do and see, we sought out the local information centre, which is housed in the Dover Museum. While there we decided to have a look at the museum. What a gem! Admission was free and the museum had some amazing exhibits, including much from the early Anglo - Saxon times with awesome artefacts. The top floor housed some aspects of the history of the port and also featured some aspects of Operation Dynamo - the Dunkirk rescue of the British Expeditionary Force, with some interesting video footage. ( So, although I didn't get to Dunkirk - I didn't miss out!) However, what was really amazing for us was the Dover Bronze Age boat gallery. Hardly advertised, we discovered that in 1992, while excavating for a road link, a wooden boat was found. It turned out to be about 3,000 years old dating from the Bronze Age. Afther seven pains taking years the boat has been restored as best as it can be and is now on display in the Bronze Age boat gallery. For us having come from New Zealand where history is only a matter of a few hundred years, looking at somthing this old was breathtaking and a priviledge. There were plenty of other things to see and do in Dover, but this museum is a must!
5. The Grand Shaft
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 52 reviews
Reviewed By pennie2016
we went to the open day, amazing! and all done by volunteers. well presented, well organized. what a lovely surprise, we live in dover and decided to visit the Grand Shaft, (nostalgia time folks!) we went to the Fort. the layout and information was extensive, the enthusiasm of the volunteers catching. More Open Days please
6. Dover Transport Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 231 reviews
Reviewed By muchado55
This is a real precious gem of a place. Plenty of great things to see big and small. We all had memory flash backs when walking around the displays. Really so much is packed into this small place. Fantastic staff make it even more if a must see. Good car parking great disability access too. Value for money. Very limited opening times so plan your visit carefully!
7. Samphire Hoe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 374 reviews
Reviewed By TheKentishWayfarer - Canterbury, United Kingdom
Samphire Hoe's website describes itself as, "...Eurotunnel’s nature reserve created at time of the Channel Tunnel construction at the foot of the famous White Cliffs of Dover in Kent (UK)." A beautiful spot, easy to access, with plenty of parking (£1 for two hours). There is an information centre (which was closed on our visit), a cafe and clean toilets. Picnic benches are scattered around the area. There are two walks. The first is along the human made sea wall (1.7km), and the second is through the protected waterside meadow and grassland. The view is stunning, with abundance of wildlife and sweeping majestic views out across the English Channel and France on a clear day. Roaming sheep and cows were an unexpected surprise. At the end of the meadow is the pebble beach, which extends for approximately another 1.5 kms, nestled under the towering chalk cliffs. If you enjoy the outdoors, photography, bird watching, rambling, and adventuring, you will love this place. Our 8 year old son said "I though it was really really great. I loved running around, seeing animals all around me, the beach was cool, and I loved looking at the massive chalk cliffs!"
8. St Margaret's Bay Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 519 reviews
Reviewed By pirate012015 - Chepstow, United Kingdom
Great little bay to just sit and watch the world go by , plenty of activity on the water watching the shipping, planes overhead and trains somewhere under the sea! car park next to sea ,refreshments on hand and the required facilities, take your chair with you and sit and enjoy this lovely little bay, but drive carefully the road down is tricky.
9. Silver Screen Cinema
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 55 reviews
Your local independent Cinema with the latest films. With our Tuesday and Thursday Classic Club and we also taking private bookings for birthdays, schools etc.
Reviewed By MyrtleSnowSupreme
Being from Dover myself I visit this cinema quite regularly and it had always had a welcoming atmosphere to customers. Although the cinema itself is rather small, being only one screen, it is full of character and has unique nuance to it that is lacking in most of the big cinemas, like cineworld. Aswell as all this the cinema is extremely affordable, with tickets being only £t per person and being cheaper for children, seniors and the disabled. Overall a lovely cinema with lovely staff and a great atmosphere.
10. Western Heights
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 108 reviews
Reviewed By Ziggy1973 - London, United Kingdom
No idea what to expect when we got here. It’s so hidden you can almost miss it! Not only is this a stunning vantage point over-looking Dover Port and English Channel, but it’s literally a hidden fort! Built during Napoleonic Wars to help protect English shores. Thus place is well and truly hidden but when you find its its stunning and eerie all at the same time! The fort can be access by a tuning hidden tunnel which you have to crouch in order to get to the other side. But once there it’s very quiet. Thus fort was occupied by the British Army until 1961 and remains exactly the same as when it was locked up. Once we finished with the port, there is a path that leads down to more fort areas and the beach below. But my favourite part was the stunning view from the top of the Channel. No tourists here. Very quiet and peaceful. I will come back! It was a great find!
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