Fancy getting out of London for a day, but not sure where to head? Here are some very good reasons to (temporarily) leave London in July 2025, and make the most of these summer days.
See our Beyond London section for further inspiration for trips out of London for a day, a weekend or longer.
LAVENDER FARMS: Late June into July is peak lavender season, and these popping purple farms and fields near London open to the public. Absorb the aromas, snap photos and stock up on bunches of lavender and farm shop goodies.
SUNFLOWERS: Towards the end of July, purple gives way to yellow as sunflower season begins. Here's our guide to sunflower fields and PYO farms near London which welcome visitors to bask in the golden glow. We'll update it with details as more specific dates are announced — as with all things agricultural, it depends on Mother Nature.
WAKEHURST MANSION: Located in the West Sussex countryside, the Grade I listed Elizabethan Wakehurst Mansion has just reopened its doors to the public, offering two new exhibition spaces telling the history of the estate. It's located within Wakehurst gardens, sister site to Kew Gardens, which has a few other events going on this summer, including Seedscapes, celebrating 25 years of the Millennium Seed Bank, and late night openings Wanderwild. From 27 June (West Sussex)
HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA: Watch over 300 international standard races at the Henley Royal Regatta, with participants including Olympic rowers and professional crews. It's a long-standing tradition stretching back 185 years, but isn't as exclusive as people often think: it's free to attend along the riverbank — though if you do fancy, ahem, pushing the boat out, tickets to the Regatta Enclosure start at £36. 1-6 July (Oxfordshire)
BRIGHTON COMEDY GARDEN: Big names in comedy including Ed Gamble, Rosie Jones, Nish Kumar, Sarah Keyworth, Tom Rosenthal and Jen Brister descend on Preston Park for Brighton Comedy Garden. In addition to the performances, the venue has a bar and street food stalls. Read our guide to things to do in Brighton to help you make a day (or weekend) of it. 3-6 July (East Sussex)
WINCHESTER HAT FAIR: Performers from all over the world take to the streets for Winchester Hat Fair. But no, it's not a festival all about hats. The name comes from the way buskers traditionally collected tips — these days most performers do receive a fee for their shows, but anything extra is appreciated, so make sure you've got plenty of coins on you. There's dancing, mime artists, circus shows and kids' events on this packed programme — we've been previously and not managed to see anywhere near everything on offer. It's worth noting that the festival is taking a pause next year, so this is your last chance to go until at least 2027. Read our guide to spending time in Winchester for other things to see and do while you're there. 5 July (Hampshire)
HERTFORD FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL: A beer tent and several food stalls in the castle grounds on the Sunday, and special offers in restaurants around town are all part of the Hertford Food and Drink Festival. Even better, you can pop inside the castle and have a look around, for free. 5-6 July (Hertfordshire)
WARE FESTIVAL: Meanwhile, in Hertford's neighbouring town, the Ware Festival gets underway. On the programme throughout the month: running, ale and food festivals, live music, a carnival parade, charity afternoon tea and the Ware Boat Festival. 5-26 July (Hertfordshire)
HENLEY FESTIVAL: Apparently the UK's only black-tie music and arts festival, Henley Festival is about as far as you can get from the mosh/mud pits of Glasto on the festival scale. Diana Ross, McFly and Rick Astley are among the music headliners this year, with separate pop, world, classical, folk and jazz, and comedy stages, along with sculpture installations and art exhibitions, gourmet food and firework displays — all on the banks of the Thames 9-13 July (Oxfordshire)
VOLKS WEALD: If you're all about that VW life, head to Penshurst Place in Kent for Volks Weald. The public and members of VW fan clubs are invited to park up in the grounds in celebration of the much-loved vehicles, alongside a trade village selling VW parts, skateboards, apparel and records. Camping tickets have sold out but day tickets are available on the gate. 11-13 July (Kent)
SEAFOOD FESTIVAL: Food, drink and music on the shoreline are promised at Lymington Seafood Festival. Renowned chefs showcase their seafood cookery and make use of seasonal and local produce on the Chefs' Stage, and you can have a go yourself at the on-site cookery school. Nothing crabby about that. 11-13 July (Hampshire)
TENDRING SHOW: One of the largest agricultural shows in Essex, Tendring Show attracts crowds of 20,000 each year. Expect sheep, cattle, goats and poultry on show (guinea pigs and rabbits too) along with sheep-dogs herding ducks (!), a food pavilion, vintage cars and plenty of other entertainment. New for 2025 is Shetland pony racing. 12 July (Essex)
CASTLE CONCERT: Classical pieces and contemporary hits share the programme at the Leeds Castle Concert, a one-night only open-air show taking place in front of the stunning castle. Not tempting enough? What if we throw in a Spitfire flypast and a fireworks finale too? Lovely. 12 July (Kent)
SOUTHAMPTON MELA FESTIVAL: The Southampton Mela is a free and colourful celebration of modern and traditional Asian culture, featuring music, dance and family-friendly activities with performances by renowned artists from around the globe. It takes place in the city centre, and usually attracts some 30,000 visitors. 12-13 July (Hampshire)
SWAN UPPING: Every year, the King's Swan Warden (excellent job title), collects data to assess the health of young cygnets on the Thames. The process is known as the Royal Swan Upping, and is full of pageantry — the Royal Swan Uppers wear a scarlet uniform and travel on rowing boats. There are plenty of opportunities to watch along the five-day route from Sunbury to Abingdon — check the website for the schedule. 14-18 July (Surrey-Berkshire-Oxfordshire)
REGENCY AFTERNOON TEA: For one day only, afternoon tea is served in the spectacular Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Take a seat in the Adelaide Suite, with garden views, and enjoy a traditional afternoon tea, followed by admission to the current COLOUR exhibition, focusing on the colours introduced to the building by George IV. 19 July (East Sussex)
STORY ARCADE: Oxford's Story Museum opens new exhibit The Story Arcade just in time for the summer holidays. The gallery explores the world of storytelling in gaming, and how video games have impacted how we tell stories. It's interactive and family-friendly, with custom-built arcade machines, dressing up, a side-quest trail, board games and pixel-themed crafts and activities. From 19 July. The museum also holds its annual Alice's Day this month (5 July), taking place across Oxford and celebrating all things Alice in Wonderland. (Oxfordshire)
BATTLE THE MONSTER: Need somewhere for kids to let off steam in the summer holidays? Huge inflatable obstacle course The Monster pitches up at Braintree Shopping Village in Essex, offering 40 obstacles and an 18-metre mega slide. Note that it's for ages six+ (though there are special adults-only evening sessions if you want to go kid-free). 19 July-31 August (Essex)
WE ARE LOVE: The third edition of We Are Love Festival, run by independent radio station 1BTN, pitches up near Lewes offering four days of dance music in a family-friendly setting, with a focus on wellbeing. DJ highlights include Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy, Horse Meat Disco, and Daddy G & Queen Bee, while author Irvine Welsh hosts a discotheque extravaganza, combining music with literature. Intriguing. 24-27 July (East Sussex)
NEW FOREST SHOW: The New Forest and Hampshire Country Show is one of the country's largest agriculture events. The huge site includes two main rings hosting shows including a performance by stunt riding group Atkinson's Action Horses, as well as livestock competitions, equestrian events, market stalls, arts and crafts, ferret racing, gun dog demos, live music and a local produce area. Takes place in Brockenhurst in the middle of the forest, so it's worth leaving some time to explore the bucolic local area too. 29-31 July (Hampshire)
MARGATE SUMMER SERIES: Throughout the summer, the legendary Dreamland amusement park on the seafront in Margate hosts a series of open-air gigs, with some big names taking part. In July, these include The Libertines, Tom Jones, Billy Ocean, KT Tunstall and Texas, Southeastern tends to put on late trains for anyone returning to London after the gigs, but check for specifics. Until September (Kent)
Book ahead for...
RAILWAY 200: A reminder that Railway 200 celebrations are still going on all over the country (and as far afield as Budapest!), marking two centuries of the modern railway. The Severn Valley Railway has a special exhibition in Kidderminster (until 6 July), Stoke Park Railway in Guildford has a gala weekend (5-6 July), and there's a walking tour around south-east England's only railway village (12 July). Well worth looking ahead to see what's on the rest of the year, too.
SPACE SAFARI: Illuminated drone show Space Safari comes to Hylands House in Chelmsford this autumn, and though tickets are almost sold out, there may be a final release later in the year. Sign up to the mailing list now to be the first to hear. October (Essex)
PORT LYMPNE ILLUMINATED: It feels WAY too early to be talking about Christmas, but we're rather excited about a new illuminations trail launching this year, so we're going to talk about it. Port Lympne Illuminated takes you through part of the 600-acre safari park via Holofans fairies, 3D projections in the tree canopy, a disco in the Orangery, holographic tigers, a fairground and light tunnels. 28 November-3 January (Kent)
Further ideas for trips from London
CORRALEJO: Craving some sunshine but unwilling to rely on the unpredictable British summer? How about a short break to Corralejo in Fuerteventura? It's got sandy beaches, surf-ready waves, sand dunes, and more hotels, restaurants, bars and shops than you could need in one holiday. Plus it's an ideal jumping off point for a tour around the Canaries, with regular ferry services over to Lanzarote.
LITTLE LONDON ON SEA: Alternatively, if you're staying on home turf this summer, why not book a few days in 'Little London on Sea'? Swanage in Dorset is home to dozens of old bits of London, from bollards to arches, and even a whole building frontage, and we've shown you where to find them.
