The charming town of Whitstable, on the north coast of Kent is one of the best day trips you can take from London. Known for its fresh oysters, independent shops and laid-back vibe, Whitstable offers the perfect coastal escape without the need for overnight travel. In this guide, I will cover everything you need to know to plan your perfect day by the sea including how to get there and the best things to do during your visit.
Spoiler Alert: after reading this guide you may want to book a night or two to do some more exploring!
Things To Do in Whitstable
The Harbour
The working harbour in Whitstable is the heart of this town. You can stroll along the promenade watching the fishing boats unload their catch while sampling freshly caught seafood from the many stall and huts on the way.
The Harbour Market has many stalls on offer from artisan art and crafts to buckets and crab nets with everything you need to catch a crab.
There are many huts offering delicious food with the fish and chips coming recommended. They did not disappoint. Tucked behind the first row of huts, you will find Clive’s Plaice with some tables and chairs outside. They were absolutely delicious.
Be aware that there is no shelter, we were lucky with a cool but sunny day.
Walking around the harbour, you will find many cafes and bars. The South Quay Shed offers seating as well as a toilet.
Lifeboat Station
Just past the harbour you will find the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) Station with a little shop attached. This is well worth a visit as you can view inside the Station and see the lifeboat. To support this very worthy charity, you can pick up a souvenir or two from the shop – they are well known for their fridge magnets!
Sea Scrub Sauna
I didn’t personally use the facilities but I would love to go back and try it out. Just next to the RNLI Station, the Sauna huts are available for hire with salt scrub. We saw the participants scrubbing their skin before entering the private saunas and then cooling off in the sea. There was a group who had brought their own picnic and drinks and it looked like an amazing way to spend an afternoon.
Walk along the sea front.
From the RNLI Station, you can walk along the sea front, following the path. The beach here is pebbled and is a great place to take a picnic rug and have lunch without worrying about sand getting into everything. The path is made of concrete and is wide enough for prams and wheelchairs. However, once the path reaches the Old Neptune Pub, there are steps up and over the wall to keep on walking. I could not see any way around this.
If you can manage the steps, then you will love the walk past the old fisherman huts converted into holiday rentals. The cafes and bars dotted along the path are full of atmosphere and cheer, especially on a sunny weekend!
After the Pub, you will find public toilets and a place to refill your water bottle, down some steps just next to the tennis courts. I didn’t walk any further from here as my children were tired, but the walk extends if you want to walk further. We walked past the toilet and mini library, along the quiet, picturesque back street until we came to the High Street.
Whitstable High Street
There is an impressive amount of independent shops here. Lots of places to browse from clothing boutiques to vintage and craft shops. Plenty of places to pick up some souvenirs of your trip. I particularly liked the old fashioned sweet shop where I managed to buy some liquorice pinwheels – yum!
More things to do
I haven’t done the following personally, but have read many good recommendations on visiting:
- Tankerton Bay. If you walk away from the town centre from the Harbour along the coast, you will find Tankerton Bay with its brightly coloured beach huts. There is a large, grassy area to while away an afternoon if you are not a fan of the actual beach.
- Whitstable Community Museum and Gallery. Tucked away, at the top of the high street is a very quaint, heritage museum.
- Castle and Gardens. Behind Tankerton Beach, this 15th century castle has a garden, play area and Orangery Tearooms. The Manor house is used for events but the gardens are free to visit.
Oyster Festival
Many years ago, I visited Whitstable during the famous Oyster festival. I loved the atmosphere but as I don’t like Oysters it was a bit wasted on me. If you do love Oysters and can time your visit for the festival weekend in September, then the festival is well worth a weekend trip.
Getting There
By train, it is a very easy 1 hour 30 minute journey. Starting from either St. Pancras or Victoria every 30 minutes the £30ish journey is best booked ahead to get a cheaper price but you can just turn up at the station on the day.
To reach the harbour from Whitstable station is an easy, flat walk. It took us just over 10 minutes along quiet roads. Follow the signs from the station then use Google Maps to plot your journey.
If you are driving, then there are a few car parks near the harbour and town centre. If you are happy to walk a little, then I would recommend parking in the train station car park as at the weekend, it was almost empty and only £3.20 to park all day. Bargain!
Read more: Best apps to plan your journey
Places to Stay
If you want to extend your Day Trip from London, you will find along the sea front, quite a few converted Fisherman Huts that are now holiday rentals. These would be amazing to stay in if you can make the time.
Eating and Drinking
There were many cafes, bars and restaurants in the town. If it’s not raining, then I would highly recommend eating fish and chips from Clive’s Place, one of the Harbour market huts. There were bars dotted along the harbour and sea front with more restaurants in the town centre. The Old Neptune looked like a great place to eat and drink when I walked past.
Top Tips for visiting Whitstable
- Wear comfortable shoes. The whole area is very walkable but can be quite uneven, especially the pebbled beach.
- Bring layers, as even in summer the seaside breeze can be chilly
- Check the tide times if you want to see ‘The Street’. At low tide, a long sand bank becomes visible to walk on from Tankerton Bay
- Hire a beach hut in Tankerton Bay for the day.
- Bring a picnic or buy from one the Harbour Huts to eat on the beach.
