Surrey days out where you can easily social distance

Due to COVID-19, this summer is very different from previous years. Many of us will be staying closer to home and looking for local days out where we can still keep a safe distance away from others. With that in mind, I have put together a list of Surrey days out where you can easily social distance.

Bird World

Bird World is UK’s largest bird park but also has an Aquarium, Underwater World and a farm, so there’s lots to see!

Open daily from 10am-6pm. Entry with pre-booked tickets only.

Epsom Downs

Epsom Downs is a great place to spend a morning or afternoon. Pack a picnic, a kite, football and some outdoor games, and you can easily have hours of fun.

With the vast area of the downs, its very easy to social distance, there was an ice-cream van selling snacks and drinks as well as a food hut and parking is free.

Frensham Great Pond

A man-made beach in Surrey? Yes, you did read that right. An ideal place to picnic and enjoy the beach, afterwards you can try one of the many trails around the area.

Open daily, but car parks tend to get full by noon.

Hampton Court Palace & Gardens

Learn all about Henry VIII and his wives and safely explore the Palace and gardens. There’s also The Magic Garden which is a great place for kids to play. Capacity is currently reduced in The Magic Garden to meet social distancing guidelines, and you are limited to a 90 minutes time slot. Entry to the Magic Garden requires a palace admission ticket for non-members.

Open 7 days a week from August- September.

Mayfield Lavender

Mayfield Lavender is a great place to visit to capture some beautiful Instagram worthy photos! There’s no need to pre-book as they operate on a first-come-first-served system with social distancing measures in place. Children will have fun running around the Lavender fields, and older ones can go bug hunting.

Open daily from 9-6. Entry £4 per person, under 16s are free.

Boat Trips

GoBoat, Kingston

GoBoat is a self-drive boating experience where you can take in the views along the Thames from Kingston to Hampton Court and back. A max of 8 people can board the boat, although currently, GoBoat is limiting group sizes to two households/bubbles per boat or 4 individuals from different households. Pack a picnic and drinks and enjoy a cruise down the river with your family and friends.

Open 7 days a week from 9am – sunset. All bookings must be made in advance online. All ages a welcome and buoyancy aids and newborn life jackets are available for children.

Check out our review of GoBoat, Paddington.

Turk Launches

If you don’t fancy driving a boat down the Thames then how about a boat trip where you can just enjoy the views? Trips last 40 minutes and boats are sanitised between sailings.

Boats depart daily from either Kingston or Richmond.

Adults £8, Children £6 or half price on Thursdays over the summer holidays.

Parks and Gardens

RHS Wisley

Wisley is one of the UK’s most visited gardens and has been one of our favourite places to visit for years now. It’s somewhere we always look forward to visiting. They are currently open to visitors with advance bookings only so you will need to make sure you pre-book tickets online.

Open daily 9.30am – 5pm with pre-booked time slots only.

Alice Holt

With four walking trails, two cycling trails and even a Gruffalo to spot, Alice Holt makes a great day out. Children’s play areas are currently closed until further notice.

Open daily from 8am-9pm, car parking charges apply.

Painshill Park

Painshill Park is a beautiful 18th-century landscape garden with stunning views across the lake and plenty of open space for kids to run around.

Open daily 10am-6pm with three time slots. Tickets must be booked in advance for non-members.

National Trust

We’re lucky to be close to many National Trust places in Surrey. You have to pre-book tickets in advance online, and new tickets are released for the following week every Friday. Members can book for free, and parking is included. Non-members will need to pay online. It’s worth considering becoming a member if you are regularly visiting National Trust places. A Family Membership costs £126 a year or £10.50 a month.

gang-at-winkworth-aboretum — Winkworth Arboretum

National Trust places to visit in Surrey:

Pick your Own Farms

A great family day out fruit picking that both adults and children will enjoy and you never, your fussy eater may just surprise you by eating what they’ve picked with no fuss!

Garsons Farm, Esher

A PYO Farm Pass need to be booked in advance online before visiting the farm. Various time slots are available throughout the day. Farm Passes are £4 for adults, £1 for children. The farm pass will be deducted off the produce you pick at the farm. There are no toilet facilities located on the farm, but facilities are available in the Garden Centre.

Crockford Bridge Farm

No pre-booking required but Crockford will be operating a one in, one out system during busy periods. There is a £4 charge per person (over 16) which is then deducted off the produce you pick. There are currently no toilet facilities available.

Children’s Farms

Bocketts Farm

There’s lots of outdoor fun to be had at Bocketts Farm. Pre-booking your tickets online is essential so they can manage numbers. Currently, all indoor play areas remain closed but there is lots to do outside and you’ll still be able to meet the farm animals.

Open daily from 10am-5.30pm with pre-booked tickets only.

Hobbledown

Booking in advanced online is a must and you’ll be able to choose what time you’d like to arrive and be allowed to stay for four hours. Hobbledown are also taking part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme so you can receive 50% off food and drink orders (up to a max of £10 per head) Monday – Wednesday.

Open daily from 8.30am with pre-booked time slots only.

Godstone Farm

Godstone Farm will certainly keep the kids busy. It’s home to over 500 animals including horses, sheep, cows and Llamas. They also have one of the biggest outdoor play areas I’ve ever seen too.

Tickets to visit are strictly pre-book only and the farm is open daily from 10am-5pm.

Check out our review of Godstone Farm

Drive-in/Open-air cinemas

As an alternative to visiting a cinema – why not take the kids to experience a drive-in/open-air one? Don’t forget to pack the popcorn, snacks and drinks!