Destinations in Kent

Cutting-edge art, inventive cuisine, funky cultural quarters, chic sleep-spots, super-fast links to Europe

There are so many beautiful villages, towns, cities and seasides to explore in Kent, you may not believe that you're in a 'quaint' English county less than an hour from London. 

Visit Kent to discover big skies and wide horizons, space to re-charge and reconnect. Our coast and countryside are attractions in themselves, with 350-miles of beautiful shoreline dotted with idylic sandy and shingle beaches, chalk downland and haunting marshes. Dover's towering White Cliffs are quite simply a must-see sight, as are our hop gardens and oast houses, orchards and farms. 

Here, history is rich but the lure of the present is as strong as the pull of the past. One of your days out in Kent could be discovering the delights of the Isle of Thanet - with hipster-magnet Margate, folk-festival haven Broadstairs and beautiful bohemian Ramsgate.

Creative and culinary regeneration is also rife in the coastal towns of Folkestone, Whitstable, and Deal, so you won't be hard pressed to find an arty, foodie haven to escape to for the weekend.

Just 30 minutes from London, Kent is ideal for a weekend break and sampling something new or rediscovering the delights of the old. Lose yourself in quintessential English villages of Ashford, Tenterden, Maidstone and Tonbridge, immerse yourself in the chic sophistication of Tunbridge Wells for a weekend, or explore the almost other-worldly coastal escapes of Swale.

Scratch the surface and history runs like a rich seam of chalk through Kentish districts such as Sevenoaks and Gravesham, and links to giants of art and literature are sprinkled through the Medway towns of Rochester and Chatham. And the medieval streets of the city of Canterbury are the perfect place to get lost in the past (while also knowing you're never far from a cocktail if needed).

Discovering Kent's many destinations is good for the brain as well as the soul. Make sure you explore as many as you can...