7 Days in Dorset

Head for your sea view accommodation in Lyme Regis on Dorset's World Heritage Jurassic Coast.

Visit the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre and take a guided fossil hunting walk.

Explore Chesil Beach, one of the finest barrier beaches in the world, and Fleet Lagoon, a fascinating place to visit and a haven for wildlife.

Sample delicious freshly caught seafood in a local restaurant.

Punch & Judy, deck chairs and ice-creams - sample a traditional British seaside holiday at Weymouth.

Check out the famous sand sculptures on the beach and don't miss the historic harbour and restored Victorian fort.

Spend the afternoon at the nearby 'Isle' of Portland where you'll find wonderful views of Weymouth and beyond, the Portland Bill Lighthouse and the Stone Sculpture Parks.

You could take a sea bus that stops at several locations along this magnificent coast.

Visit the impressive Lulworth Castle or meet the apes at Monkey World.

Relax at the perfect horseshoe shaped Lulworth Cove and discover the beautiful arch of Durdle Door, one of Dorset's most recognisable features.

Stop by at the mysterious ruins of Corfe Castle and then catch a steam train on the Swanage Railway line.

See 6000 years of history in Dorchester, an important town in Roman times.

See Thomas Hardy's study at Dorset County Museum where you can also view fossil discoveries from the Jurassic Coast.

Discover Maiden Castle, one of the largest and most impressive Iron Age hill forts in Europe.

Visit Hardy's Cottage, the beautiful home and birthplace of the famous author.

Explore the quaint streets and hidden courtyards of Wimborne and discover one of the very few Chained Libraries in England in the magnificent Minster Church.

Travel to Christchurch to see the magnificent Priory Church which escaped demolition when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries.

Visit Highcliffe Castle, an 1830s Grade I listed romantic, picturesque seaside mansion.

Head away from the coast into the fantastic rural Dorset countryside. The beautiful historic market town of Shaftesbury, perched high on a hill overlooking the Blackmore Vale would make a good base.

Explore King Alfred's Shaftesbury Abbey.

Climb the cobbled street of Gold Hill, known to millions as the 'Hovis' hill from the TV adverts in the 1980s.

Rural Dorset is a great place to get active, with cycling, horse riding and walking readily available.

The chalk downlands at Win Green, Fontmell and Melbury Downs are home to rare flora and fauna as well as unbeatable views of the Dorset countryside.

Take on the high wires and adventure trails at the Moors Valley Country Park.