Coastal scenery
Seven Sisters Country Park
Explore the visitor information and choose a suitable route through this chalk-and-coast landscape. Stay clear of cliff edges and avoid walking beneath unstable cliffs.
Plan your visit (opens in a new tab)
Photo creditsYour next place to explore
Discover South Downs
Rolling chalk hills, historic towns and a striking coast make the South Downs a varied countryside escape. You can choose a short village walk, a museum day or a more demanding stretch of the long-distance trail.
The park stretches across several counties, so select one area for each outing. A caravan on the Sussex or Hampshire coast may be a useful base without being inside the park itself.
Start exploring
Three ways to discover South Downs
Choose a starting point, then take the day at your own pace.
Walking
South Downs Way
Plan a manageable section of the national trail with transport back arranged. Exposure, gradients and water supplies matter more than the distance alone.
Plan your visit (opens in a new tab)Town exploring
Historic market towns
Use the park’s official map to choose a town or village day. Combine local heritage with a short walk rather than driving between distant parts of the park.
Plan your visit (opens in a new tab)Little explorers welcome
Make memories with the family
Weald & Downland Living Museum
Look into a family heritage outing near Chichester. Check the current programme and prepare for outdoor movement between historic buildings.
Plan your visit (opens in a new tab)Out in the open
A breath of fresh air
Chalk grassland routes
Choose from current park walking information and keep to appropriate access. Leave livestock undisturbed and follow seasonal notices protecting wildlife and habitats.
Explore outdoors (opens in a new tab)Keep a plan B
When the weather turns
Museum and gallery days
Choose an indoor anchor in a neighbouring town when the hills are wet or windy. Check current exhibitions and transport rather than assuming every rural attraction is open daily.
Find out more (opens in a new tab)Local flavours
Good food, no rush
Food & drink in South Downs
Explore local farm shops, village cafés and pubs along your chosen route. Check opening and reserve ahead when a countryside meal is central to the day.
Find out more (opens in a new tab)A little less obvious
A village-scale walk
Give a shorter route time for the local church, streets and landscape. It is a more relaxed way to understand the Downs than chasing another exposed viewpoint.
Explore this idea (opens in a new tab)Stay a little longer
There’s more around the corner
Sussex coast
From Eastbourne’s promenade to Brighton’s busy seafront and Hastings’ historic streets, Sussex offers several kinds of coastal break. Chalk cliffs and the South Downs add scenery beyond the resort centres.
Read the guide →
New Forest
Ancient woodland, open heath and free-roaming grazing animals give the New Forest a distinctive feel. Villages, cycle routes and the nearby coast make it a countryside base with several ways to shape a family holiday.
Read the guide →
Kent coast
Kent’s coastline shifts from shingle and oyster-town streets to chalk cliffs, sandy bays and lively resorts. Whitstable, Margate, Broadstairs and Dover make distinct day-trip anchors rather than one interchangeable seaside destination.
Read the guide →A little planning goes a long way
Good to know before you go
Planning your visit
The park spans Hampshire and Sussex. Check the location of your accommodation against the exact trailhead, and use current weather and path advice for exposed chalk routes.
Official visitor information (opens in a new tab)Access, opening & seasonal changes
Check current attraction opening, detailed accessibility information and local restrictions for your dates. Ask the operator about any particular needs before booking rather than relying on a general destination description.
Check current local advice (opens in a new tab)Explore South Downs on the map
Open an area map to plan your own route.
Open area map ↗OpenStreetMap · opens in a new tabMake yourself at home
South Downs caravan holidays
These are wider county-area results, not a claim that a park is within the national park boundary. Check each listing’s actual location.
No eligible caravans are currently published for this area. Explore the wider area →
Reviewed · Next review 2027-04-29
Sources & useful links
Our own guide, researched using tourism organisations, local authorities and attraction operators. Check operators for current opening and access information.
Photo credits
- South Downs — Seven Sisters, South Downs, East Sussex — Roger Redgate, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized, WebP conversion; displayed with a crop.
- Sussex coast — Eastbourne beach, May 2022 — Poliphilo, CC0. Resized, WebP conversion; displayed with a crop.
- New Forest — NewForestPonies sunrise — Joana Kruse joanaimages.com, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized, WebP conversion; displayed with a crop.
- Kent coast — Whitstable Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 6337079 — Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0. Resized, WebP conversion; displayed with a crop.
