The pretty — and pretty historical — city of Winchester is doable as a day trip from London, but you might even want to make a weekend of it. Here's our guide on getting the most out of it.
Getting to and around Winchester from London
You can get to Winchester station in under an hour on a direct train from London Waterloo (or a little over an hour if you pick a slower, but still direct, train). Winchester train station is just a few minutes' walk from the town centre.
Alternatively, Winchester has a Park & Ride bus system with five different car parks linked to the town centre by bus route. The East Winchester car parks are probably the easiest if you're driving from London, as they're located right alongside the M3, and you can even walk from there to the town centre in under 15 minutes (though buses run regularly too). Parking in the town centre is limited.
Once you've reached the centre of Winchester, the main points of interest are located fairly close together, in a compact layout, so further transport isn't really necessary.
Winchester need to know
Winchester is a fairly old city — there's been some sort of settlement here since at least 150BC, and it was the capital of England during the reign of Alfred the Great in the 800s. (Be sure to see his leviathan statue on the roundabout by the Abbery Gardens). Swot up at the small but informative Winchester City Museum on the high street. The Great Hall is worth a nosey too; its claim to fame is housing the dart board-esque Round Table, although — spoiler alert — it's not the real one (there never was a real one). Why's it here? Winchester is one of the places that's been identified as the mythical Camelot. And if that gets a few more tourists in through the city walls, then why not.
As with any historic spot, Winchester has its logistical kinks, including some narrow alleyways and doorways; if you have accessibility requirements and plan to visit a particular building or business, check before you go. Also worth noting that the high street is built on a bit of a hill — not the steepest we've ever encountered, but bear it in mind for anyone less mobile.
Two major events draw visitors to Winchester each year: The Winchester Hat Fair takes places across a weekend in June or July, and brings hundreds of performers to the town to strut their stuff on the streets. In the past we've seen comedians, mimes, circus acts and ventriloquists busking their way around town. The event takes its name from the busking hats the performers lay out to collect tips. Go armed with coins.
Then there's the Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market, one of the biggest festive markets in the country, opening several weeks before the big day, against the backdrop of the cathedral. Entry is free, but queues to get in tend to build later in the day, particularly at weekends.
Winchester has strong links to author Jane Austen (more on which below), and 2025 is the 250th anniversary of her birth, with special events going on in several locations, giving you even more of a reason to visit Winchester this year.
Things to see and do in Winchester
Winchester Cathedral is the principal landmark in the town, a magnificent building that's more than 1,000 years old, and is now the final resting place of author Jane Austen. There's a decent programme of public events, such as exhibitions, concerts and light installations, as well as services of worship.
If you've got time, take a full tour of the Cathedral — visit areas including the Crypt, as well as climbing the spiral staircase and heading out onto the roof for some serious views.
The Cathedral costs a not-insignificant £13.50 to get in, but you can balance that out with a free visit to Winchester City Mill — an idyllic ancient water mill on Bridge Street, run by the National Trust. There's been a mill on the site for over 1,000 years, and this one dates back to 1744. Pop your head in to see the wheel, and perhaps stay for a tea in the cafe.
Another alternative to the Cathedral is St-Swithun-upon-Kingsgate, believed to be the only church in England located directly above a still-in-use city gate — many walk directly underneath it, unaware. You'll have to climb the stairs to get in, but it's worth poking your head in if you're passing.
Head through the gate, turn left and avert your eyes up on the cream-coloured building to see a plaque dedicated to Jane Austen's final home. This is 8 College Street, owned by Winchester College, and is the house where Austen spent her last few weeks before her death. Though it's usually off-limits, it's opening to the public on selected dates in 2025.
Elsewhere in the College — whose numerous buildings are scattered over large parts of the southern edge of the town — is the Treasury Museum, offering a chance to view the school's collections of art and archaeology, including artefacts from Egypt, Greece and Rome and casts of the Parthenon Frieze. Tours of various other parts of the College are available on certain days too.
For all its history, Winchester has some fairly modern quirks, including an impressive offering of street art. Keep an eye out for the Banksy-eque work of Hendog. On our most recent visit to the town, we stumbled across 'Lego Boy' down St Thomas St, and 'Boys With Kite' on a railway arch near St Catherine's Hill, though the transient nature of street art means they may not still be there when you're in town.
Winchester's a great base for getting out into the Hampshire countryside, with several walking routes to enjoy. Keats Walk follows the route said to have inspired his most famous poem, Ode to Autumn. The two-mile stroll begins and ends in the town centre, taking you out across the water meadows — it gets muddy in winter.
Alternatively, follow the Itchen Navigation south out of town along a former disused railway line and head for St Catherine's Hill. For those willing to climb, the best views for miles around await at the top. If you're less keen to venture upwards, have a pitstop at Cadence Clubhouse, a cycling cafe (though it's open to everyone) cleverly designed to resemble a train carriage.
A couple of miles outside the town centre, just across the M3, is the Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium. Getting there is easiest if you have a car, but otherwise, the 64 bus will take you, or you can hop in a taxi. Do plan a trip if you've got kids with you — it's aimed at 3-12 year olds and their families, with all sorts of interactive science demonstrations and experiments, as well as space shows inside the planetarium. If you've travelled to Winchester by car, you can get to Marwell Zoo in about 20 minutes from the town centre.
Where to eat and drink: restaurants, pubs, cafes and bars in Winchester
Rarely do we visit Winchester without swinging by Josie's for breakfast or brunch. The mini-chain of coffee shop-wine bars does an excellent line in pancakes, along with egg dishes and full breakfasts. Be warned though, it's ever so popular and doesn't take bookings, so be prepared to wait (worth it though). It's also a rather cosy space, so pushchairs aren't always welcome. In need of breakfast at the other end of town? The Bridge Patisserie serves up Winchester's most tempting pastries, with stunning French-style cakes that'll have you hanging around for elevenses... and then lunch.
Speaking of cakes, the chocolate-centric Chococo is a must for any sweet-toothed visitors, serving up hot and cold drinks, cakes and pastries to eat in store, with a cabinet of truffles that'll have you drooling while you queue.
The Cabinet Rooms is a smart coffee shop with excellent brews and homemade cake, as well as well-made brunches and lunches — it makes for a tempting stop-off on your way into the town centre from Winchester train station. At weekends it can get so busy you'll have to wait for a table.
Winchester rather excels at pubs, many of them historic — including the Tudor timbered Eclipse Inn on The Square (never not bustling), and a few doors down, the William Walker, named for the diver who stopped Winchester Cathedral from sinking into the ground. Particularly good for summer days is the Bishop on the Bridge. It's a Fuller's pub with the usual food and drink options that go with that, but it sits right next to the River Itchen, with a lovely outdoor terrace overlooking the waterway, and the footpath alongside it.
The Wykeham Arms on Kingsgate Street is a doozy, especially in the colder months, when you can warm yourself before one of the log fires with a pint of HSB, and one of its famous (well famous in the pub, anyway) Wyke Pies, made with lamb and mashed potato. Another favourite haunt of ours is the Black Boy, an eccentrically-festooned place (whisky bottles dangling from the ceiling, stuffed donkeys standing in the corner — that kind of thing). Walk here from Bridge Street (near Winchester City Mill) along the Weir, for a pretty waterside stroll that allows you to gaze enviously into a handful of dreamy back gardens.
The best boozer we've found for beer is one we'd usually walk straight past. The Queen Inn — a little further south along Kingsgate from the Wykeham — attempts to scare punters off with its Greene King branding. However, stashed away inside is an excellent microbrewery selling breakfast stouts, bitters and pale ales. Lovely garden, too.
Finally, if you've half an hour to spare before your train back to London, get a quick half at the Albion, a lively, locals-filled pub, pouring glasses of Hop Back, brewed in nearby-ish Salisbury.
Shopping in Winchester
Tucked between the High Street and Brooks Shopping Centre (in which you'll find one of the town's two Waterstones stores) is Kings Walk and its trail of independent outlets — including cycling cafe with tasty brunch items, the South Downs Social; the independent Elephant Records and Design Junction, where you can try your hand at pottery or tufting.
Snuggled away around the back of the Cathedral is the Deanery Bookstall — its shelves packed tight with second hand and antique books, ranging from coffee table tomes to Penguin classics. When the weather's decent, the shop extends outside.
From here, follow Dome Alley around for a view of what we think is probably the prettiest building in Winchester, then head right through the arch and left through the next one for another of our favourite shops, Cornflowers Gift Shop, selling all manner of trinkets and treats. A few doors down, look for the gorgeous wooden frontage luring browsers into P&G Wells Bookshop.
Where to stay in Winchester
Spending a night (or longer) in Winchester? Book early for one of The Old Vine's six rooms, located just a few steps from both the cathedral and the City Museum on the high street, and dripping in old world charm (particularly at Christmas). The restaurant comes highly recommended too. Fully booked? The Mercure Winchester Wessex also offers cathedral views, but if you're looking for somewhere a bit further from the hustle-and-bustle, The Wykeham Arms (which we recommended above as a decent spot for a pint) offers far more luxury than you'd expect from rooms and suites above a Fuller's pub — think deep, claw-footed baths for soaking in after a hard day exploring. Aaaand relax.
