Fancy getting out of London for a day, but not sure where to head? Here are a few reasons to (temporarily) leave London in April 2025 — including Easter weekend and Easter holiday entertainment.
See our Beyond London section for further inspiration for trips out of London for a day, a weekend or longer.
SCOTT'S GROTTO: In a chalk hillside in Ware, Hertfordshire, you'll find a series of interconnected manmade chambers, collectively known as Scott's Grotto. It took 30 years to complete, and the walls are lined with shells, flints, and coloured glass. It opens to the public on Saturdays and bank holidays between April and September — and has a special Monster Mania event on Easter Monday this year. 1 April-30 September (Hertfordshire)
BLUEBELL WALK: Hole Park Gardens in Cranbrook has one of the best bluebell displays in the country. Go on a woodland walk and enjoy the spectacle — check the 'bluebell barometer' on the website in April to find out when the flowers are looking their best. Take a few snaps and watch the Instagram likes roll in. Oh, and have a read of our guide to other places to find bluebells in and near London. Open from 1 April, bluebells from mid-April (Kent)
NOWRUZ CELEBRATIONS: Join Peter Dear, head ranger at Sissinghurst Castle and Gardens, for a spring nature walk celebrating Nowruz (Iranian New Year). Look out for emerging signs of spring around the site, and walk down to the Frogmead, a nature project to restore the historic floodplain. 2 April (Kent)
TAKEDOWN FESTIVAL: The Kris Barras Band, Ferocious Dog, Elvana, Dream State, The Raven Age and Scarlet Rebels are among the bands playing at Takedown, a rock and metal music festival at Portsmouth Guildhall. 4-5 April (Hampshire)
THE TWITS: Wakehurst, sister site to Kew Gardens and located in the Sussex countryside, offers a family-friendly trail themed on Roald Dahl's The Twits. Pick up an activity sheet and fill it in as you follow the trail, finding hidden letters and solving puzzles to earn a badge at the end. 4-22 April (Sussex)
HERITAGE TRANSPORT SHOW: Classic and vintage cars, motorcycles, tractors, steam, stationary engines, commercial and military vehicles are on display at the Heritage Transport Show, taking place at the Kent County Showground. Wander among thousands of vehicles, including buses (the South East Bus Festival is incorporated into the event), with free bus rides available. 5 April (Kent)
DOGGY CHOO CHOO: Dogs and trains are two of our favourite things so we're a bit excited for Canines Ride The Train Lines (AKA 'Doggy Choo Choo') at the East Anglian Railway Museum. For one day, dogs can take unlimited rides (with their owners) on a train hauled by a vintage steam locomotive — though note that dogs aren't allowed to sit on the train seats. The railway's located about eight miles north of Colchester. 6 April (Essex)
DAFFODIL SHOW: Yellow is the order of the day at the RHS Wisley Daffodil Show (8-9 April), which has 100 different species of the spring flower on show, including some white, orange and pink varieties. It's a busy month for RHS Wisley as it also hosts an evening opening for dog owners to bring their pooches along (19 April) and a Cactus & Succulent Show (26 April) (Surrey).
ST GEORGE'S CHAPEL: Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel has hosted events including Prince Philip's funeral, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. Learn more about it at a manuscripts open day, with an introduction to the mediaeval manuscripts that St George's Chapel owns. Attendees will visit areas which are not usually open to the public. Had enough of the pomp and circumstance? Here are 14 things to see in Windsor which don't involve the castle, to help you make a day or weekend of it. 12 April (Berkshire)
SUSSEX FOOD FESTIVAL: The largest indoor food and drink festival in Sussex takes place at the Brighton Metropole hotel. The lunchtime session is family-friendly, with family entertainment, a kids' cooking club and a youngsters' version of Bake Off. The evening session is adults-only, with cooking demos, a food market, live music and ample food and drink stalls throughout the day. Find other things to see and do in Brighton while you're there. 12 April (Sussex)
PALM SUNDAY PROCESSION: St Albans Cathedral marks Palm Sunday with a procession through the town, beginning on the high street and ending at the cathedral, remembering Jesus' journey through Jerusalem. Everyone's welcome to attend, and encouraged to bring some greenery to wave as the procession passes. FREE, 13 April (Hertfordshire)
SPRING STROLL: The magnificent Penshurst Place, former hunting ground of Henry VIII, hosts a guided spring walk around the estate. The two-hour stroll is followed by a two-course lunch in the Sunderland Room (normally off-limits to the public) and includes access to the formal gardens and historic house in your ticket. 13 April (Kent)
LULLINGSTONE CASTLE: The World Garden at Lullingstone Castle (which we visited last summer) reopens for the season with a special weekend of Easter events, including a trail and a quiz. The garden itself is fascinating, laid out like a map of the world with plants from each region growing in the corresponding area. Look out for the world's most poisonous plant, and a very special mulberry bush too. From 17 April (Kent)
LAMBING DAY: Like farms all over the country at this time of year, Four Winds Farm is getting ready for lambing season — and inviting the public in to see the action for themselves on a Lambing Weekend. See the newborn lambs, watch older sheep being sheared, and if the weather's on your side, take a ride on a tractor. 18-19 April (Kent)
BROADSTAIRS FOOD FESTIVAL: Another one for foodies: seaside town Broadstairs holds its own food festival over Easter weekend, celebrating produce from across Kent and other nearby counties. Sounds like an excuse for a trip to the seaside if you ask us. 18-20 April (Kent)
EGG ROLLING: Many places hold Easter egg hunts at this time of year, but National Trust-owned Box Hill does things a bit differently, with a weekend of egg rolling. Bring your own fabulously decorated egg to join in with the twice-daily rolling races down the hill. The fact that type of egg isn't specified has us thinking that things could get rather messy. 18-21 April (Surrey)
SPACE SAFARI: Eyes to the skies at Royal Windsor Racecourse for Space Safari, a drone light show experience which uses a blend of AI and drone-swarm technology to tell the story of the first animals sent into space by mankind. 19 April (Berkshire)
MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL: The Plantagenet Medieval Society takes over the Chiltern Open Air Museum for a medieval festival with knights, ladies and squires, have-a-go archery, combat horse-riding demos, 14th-century dancing, and medieval live music. 19-21 April
MODEL BOATS: Leonardslee Gardens reopens Model Boats on the Lake. On selected dates throughout the spring and summer, the Schooner Radio Control Group is in action on the lakes in the garden, showcasing a range of model radio control boats, yachts, steamboats and warships. 19 April-21 September
JOUSTING: Travel back to medieval times and watch knights go head to head in a jousting tournament at Hedingham Castle. The display takes place in a bustling arena, surrounded by food, drink and craft stalls. 20-21 April (Essex)
ASTON MARTIN DISPLAY: Start your engines: The Aston Martin Owners Club parks up in the grounds of Hatfield House, allowing the public to get a closer look at some of its members' vehicles. Access to the event is included in a gardens ticket. 21 April (Hertfordshire)
BLUEBELL FESTIVAL: Riverhill Himalayan Gardens in Sevenoaks is another place replete with bluebells in spring. We've seen for ourselves the forest floor carpeted in shades of lilac and it is beautiful — but as the name suggests, it's steep so be prepared to climb! A bluebell-inspired craft fair takes place in the gardens throughout the bluebell festival. 23 April-5 May (Kent)
BEER FESTIVAL: A brand new craft beer festival launches in Reading, in a collaboration between South Street Arts Centre and Dolphin Brewery. StageCraft Festival takes over the whole venue, celebrating local (Siren, Double Barrelled, Elusive, Phantom, and Dolphin) and national breweries, with gluten-free and alcohol-free beers and cider and wine also available. 25-26 April (Berkshire)
SPRING STEAM GALA: The Watercress Line — built to support the growing watercress industry in the 1860s — now runs as a heritage railway. The final weekend of April is its Spring Steam Gala, when its own fleet of locomotives will be in operation, as well as some guest engines. Visit some of the heritage stations along the line, visit special exhibitions and learn about how the engines work and are cared for. 25-27 April (Hampshire)
BILLILIT: The West Sussex town of Billinghurst hosts the second edition of its book festival, Billilit. 10 authors are scheduled to discuss and sign their books, including Abi Smith and Dee Blick, and a second-hand book emporium is on site, along with a bar. 26 April (Sussex)
TAPIR WEEKEND: Tapirs and capybaras take centre stage, as Hertfordshire Zoo dedicates a weekend to the two species of South American mammals. Themed activities take place so you can learn more about them, included in general zoo admission, with special merchandise available to buy. 26-27 April (Hertfordshire)
COUNTRY ON THE COAST: Two stages of live music, line dancing, food and drink, and a family-friendly atmosphere combine for Country On The Coast, an indoor country music festival in Southsea. Headliners include Thomas Kavanagh, Diamonds and Whisky, Jesse Jennings and Payton Riley. 26-27 April (Hampshire)
TULIP FESTIVALS:
- Back for a second year is Tulleys Tulip Fest, expected to have more than 1.5 million of the colourful flowers across 100 different varieties. New for 2025 is Tulip Nights, an illuminated, tulip-themed walkway through the woods after dark. It's expected that the tulips will start to bloom from late March (West Sussex)
- One of our favourite castles in Sussex, Arundel Castle reopens for the 2025 season with a wave of colour, thanks to its tulip festival. The gardens of the lofty fortress are covered in 110,000 flowers of several varieties, making for a photogenic spring day out. Mid-April — dates TBC (West Sussex).
- Similarly, Pashley Manor is famous for its tulip festival, with 45,000 expected to bloom in various hues and species this year. 21 April-5 May (East Sussex)
- Find other places to see colourful tulip displays in and around London.
Book now for later in 2025
CHARLESTON FESTIVAL: There's no dancing involved at Charleston Festival, which is named for its location, the former home and studio of the painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, part of the Bloomsbury Group. Over two weeks, it brings speakers together to explore contemporary issues: the programme includes actor Richard E. Grant, writer and artist Travis Alabanza, feminist author Roxane Gay, and folk singer Shirley Collins. 14-26 May (Sussex)
NAKED HEART WALK: Prudes, look away now. This summer, Leonardslee Gardens hosts two Naked Heart Walks in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Ditch your clothes or go semi-naked for an evening walk around the 240-acre grounds. 14 June and 14 September (Sussex)
STEAM BOAT: On 17 April, tickets go on sale for a boat trip on the steam launch Alaska, the oldest working pleasure steamer on the Thames. The trip, organised by the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham, is timed to coincide with painter Spencer's birthday, and includes an on-board talk from the gallery's curator Amy Lim. 30 June (Berkshire)
SWAN UPPING CRUISE: You've probably heard of the Swan Upping on the Thames, an annual event which sees all mute swans on part of the River Thames rounded up, tagged, and then released, all for conservation purposes. But did you know that you can take a Swan Upping cruise, and get a closer look at the process as it passes through a section of the river near Reading? Watch from a raised platform on a boat as all the bird business takes place below. 17 July (Berkshire)
Further ideas for trips from London
Our Beyond London section is packed full of ideas for getting out of the capital for the day, or even for a long weekend. Our picks for this month:
- Take the kids to visit the real-life Hundred Acre Wood during the Easter holidays. We've put together a guide to visiting the corner of the Ashdown Forest which inspired AA Milne to write Winnie the Pooh, including the Pooh Sticks Bridge, the Enchanted Place, and Roo's Sandy Pit, as well as a memorial to the author. Finish up with Pooh Bear themed snacks or a cream tea at Pooh Corner, the tea room and museum in the village of Hartfield.
- Alternatively, take the family to Wellington Country Park, a fantastic day out on the way to Reading. It's packed full of play areas and equipment for all ages, as well as a petting farm, miniature railway, splash park and dinosaur trail. If this doesn't tire them out, nothing will.
- Keen to get back into nature now spring's here? Beth Chatto Gardens in Essex used to be a wasteland, but it's now been transformed into a lovely garden complete with picturesque lake, cafe, nursery and shop.
