See our Beyond London section for further inspiration for trips out of London for a day, a weekend, or longer.
Fancy getting out of London for a day, but not sure where to head?
From a beer festival at a railway museum to spring flowers sprouting around a castle, here are a few reasons to (temporarily) leave London in March 2024.
MOTHER'S DAY AFTERNOON TEA: Anyone can take mum to a fancy tea room for Mother's Day (we have a few suggestions here and here) — but what about taking her for afternoon tea at a place where vital work was done to help win the second world war? Codebreakers' HQ Bletchley Park near Milton Keynes offers a Mother's Day traditional afternoon tea accompanied by live music, with a chance to explore the exhibitions and displays before you tuck in. 10 March (Buckinghamshire)
OXFORD LITERARY FESTIVAL: There's a seriously impressive programme at Oxford Literary Festival, including Michael Rosen, Amir Khan, Val McDermid, Ruby Wax, Sharron Davies, Jacqueline Wilson and William Hague, among many others. Events take place in the city's Sheldonian Theatre, the famous circular building designed by Sir Christopher Wren which is part of the University of Oxford. Fancy. 16-24 March (Oxfordshire)
DOGS AND DAFFS: Leaving London for the day isn't just for humans. Take Fido or Rufus along to the Dogs and Daffs charity walk at Hatfield House for a spring stroll followed by a dog show, raising money for the Riding for the Disabled Association — Digswell Place Group, which offers therapy and enjoyment to disabled people through horse and pony riding. 17 March (Hertfordshire)
CELEBRATION OF SPEEDWAY: The venue previously known as Paradise Wildlife Park has just rebranded as Hertfordshire Zoo, but all attention is on the National Speedway Museum part of the park for this month's Celebration of Speedway event. Meet former Speedway riders, buy memorabilia, ogle display bikes, and watch pit lane start ups. 17 March (Hertfordshire)
DAZZLING DAFFODILS: The magnificent Hever Castle is expecting 80,000 daffodils to bloom across its grounds. Explore them at your own pace, or sign up for a guided tour. 18-24 March. Hever Castle also unveils the Boleyn Apartment, a new Tudor history experience, from 25 March. (Kent)
THE ENGLISH CATHEDRAL: A new exhibition opens at Rochester Cathedral, showcasing work by late Magnum photographer Peter Marlow. The English Cathedral consists of photos of all 42 of England's Anglican cathedrals, showing off the resplendent interior architecture of the buildings. Find other things to see and do in Rochester while you're in the area. 19 March-2 April (Kent)
BRITISH FASHION ICONS: Blenheim Palace opens what it claims is its biggest exhibition in its 300-year history, Icons of British Fashion. A selection of fashion houses each take over one of the rooms of the palace, with pieces by Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, Lulu Guinness, Zandra Rhodes and many others on display. 23 March-30 June (Oxfordshire)
DAFFODIL SHOW: This month is promising more daffs than William Wordsworth himself would know what to do with. For another dose of the yellow buds, head to RHS Hyde Hall's Daffodil Show, with hundreds of cut blooms on display in the Hilltop Lodge, and plenty more growing in the garden. 20-21 March (Essex)
RNLI 200: As lifeboats charity the RNLI marks its 200th anniversary, Chatham Historic Dockyard — which is home to the RNLI's Historic Lifeboat Collection — celebrates with a special exhibition looking back over the past two centuries. Find out about the people who were involved in launching the service, and those who have supported it since, and topics including the modern technology used on RNLI boats today. Read about our visit to the Dockyard for an idea of what to expect. 23 March-1 September (Kent)
MINI DAY: Start your engines: Brooklands Museum on the London-Surrey border hosts Mini Day, bringing together owners, drivers and fans of the iconic car. Minis of all ages are on display and there's also live music, family activities, and food and drink stalls. 24 March (Surrey)
EASTER FOOD FESTIVAL: Make for the seaside — and arrive hungry — for the Broadstairs Easter Food Festival, which has local food producers from Kent and the surrounding areas showing off their wares. Gin, rum, honey, artisan breads, cheese, crisps, cookies and arancini are just some of the food and drink you can tuck into while enjoying one of our favourite seaside towns in Kent. 29-31 March (Kent)
ST-EGG-OSAURUS EASTER: The dinosaurs are coming to Colchester Zoo, which opens its new Dinosaur Realm just in time for the Easter holidays. Get up close to large-scale dinosaurs and learn about them — full details TBC at time of writing. 29 March-14 April (Essex)
Note: check with organisers before setting off, particularly for the flower and plant-themed events, as inclement weather can cause the dates of these events to change.
