Things To Do in Chichester

Chichester Canal

Enjoy a lovely stroll down Chichester Canal, only a short walk from the centre. (Canal Wharf, Basin Rd, Chichester PO19 8DT). You can also enjoy the butterfly sculptures here as well! It is a really peaceful and scenic spot, and a must-visit if you are visiting Chichester.

Visit the Bishop's Palace Gardens

The Bishop’s Palace Gardens is a beautiful oasis to stroll through, eat your lunch and admire the flowers. The gardens are a short stroll from Chichester Cathedral down Canon Lane and are a very peaceful and tranquil place to relax.

Address: Bishop’s Palace Garden, 4 Canon Lane, Chichester, PO19 1PX

Walk around Chichester Cathedral

Chichester Cathedral is a sight not to be missed. Situated right in the city centre, you can enjoy visiting the cathedral and walking through the cloisters which lead to the Bishop’s Palace Gardens from St Richard’s Walk. Entrance to the cathedral is free, however, a donation is much appreciated.

Address: Chichester Cathedral, Chichester, PO19 1PX

Browse the Independent Shops

Chichester is not short of independent shops – we have listed a few of our favourites below:

Bunch – this flower shop only opened in July 2021 but is already a beautiful addition to Chichester.

Montzeuma’s – home to Sussex based chocolate, Montezuma’s shop is the perfect place to pick up a sweet treat or two!

Winter’s Moon – a lovely gift shop selling some unique pieces.

Visit Goodwood

Goodwood is home to a whole host of fantastic sporting events, including the Festival of Speed, the Qatar Goodwood Festival (‘Glorious Goodwood’) and the Goodwood Revival.

Goodwood is probably most famous for its motorsport and horse racing but it is also home to two golf courses, a cricket pitch, a hotel, the Home Farm Shop selling organic produce and various restaurants including ‘Farmer, Butcher, Chef’.

Address: Goodwood Motor Circuit, Goodwood, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0PH

The Aldingbourne Country Centre

The Aldingbourne Trust invites you and your family to our Country Centre near Chichester to get back to the important things in life like laughing, eating, drinking, and playing together.

There is plenty to do at the centre including visiting the open farm and getting up close to their lovely animals, exploring the accessible countryside park, visiting the woodland walk, and there is also plenty to do for little ones including soft play.

View The Aldingbourne Country Centre

Walk around Chichester Harbour

Chichester Harbour is a great place for photography or to enjoy a walk. You can park at Chichester Marina and walk over to Dell Quay, where conveniently there is a pub to stop for lunch! Alternatively, you can also visit Itchenor which makes for some lovely sunset photos as seen in this photo! View our walk from Itchenor to West Wittering.

Visit Halnaker Windmill

Halnaker Windmill is also another good place to visit and a popular photography spot. There is a new Halnaker Windmill Trail starting from Boxgrove Village Hall Car Park. This is your best spot, as parking is limited near the windmill and has got busier in recent events.

Address: Halnaker Mill, Denge Lane, Chichester, PO18 0NF

Parking: Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Boxgrove, Chichester, PO18 0EE

Watch a show at the Chichester Festival Theatre

Chichester Festival Theatre was opened in 1962 and is a renowned theatre, producing some exceptional performances. It is well worth a visit and makes for a great day or evening out!

Address: Chichester Festival Theatre, Oaklands Way, Chichester PO19 6AP

Visit the Weald & Downland Living Museum

The Weald and Downland Museum is an open-air museum and well worth visiting. There is something for everyone; there are 40 acres to explore as well as livestock, demonstrations, buildings dating from 950AD, and a woodland playground.

Address: Weald & Downland Living Museum, Town Lane, Singleton, West Sussex, PO18 0EU

Watch a film at Cineworld

Cineworld Chichester is located on the Chichester Gate leisure complex and has 10 cinema screens so there is usually a good range of options for films to watch!

Also located in Chichester Gate is Air Arena, a trampoline park, and Tenpin bowling, which are great for children or as a rainy day activity.

There are also a number of restaurants at Chichester Gate, including Nandos, Frankie & Benny’s and Gourmet Burger Kitchen and parking at the complex is free.

Address: Chichester Gate, Chichester PO19 8EL

Take a vineyard tour of Tinwood Estate

Tinwood Estate is located just North-East of Chichester by the Halnaker Windmill, at the foot of the South Downs. It makes some of the finest sparling wines in England and the offer vineyard tours, which give you a tour of the vines and a chance to taste their wines in the tasting room.

You can also stay overnight in one of their luxury lodges, which overlook the vines.

Address: Tinwood Farm, Halnaker, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0NE

Kingley Vale Nature Reserve Trail

Kingley Vale is a Site of Special Interest and can be found just north of Chichester, West Sussex near the village of West Stoke. The main attraction of Kingley Vale is the impressive twisted Yew trees, which are some of the oldest living things in Britain, and its impressive panoramic views from the top.

Visit West Dean Gardens

West Dean Gardens are located approximately 6 miles north of Chichester. The Gardens include a beautiful walled garden, a 300 ft high and 100-metre long pergola, a sunken garden and a collection of Victorian Glasshouses.

There is also the West Dean Gardens Restaurant, Gardener’s Cottage serving teas, coffees and light snacks and a gift shop selling a range of beautiful gifts and plants.

Address: West Dean Gardens, West Dean, nr Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0QZ

Take an alpaca for a walk at Dunreyth Alpacas

If you’re looking for a new experience, why not take an alpaca for a walk? Bruce & Peta own a herd of alpacas at Adsdean Farm just North-West of Chichester. You can book to walk an alpaca, and each walker has their own alpaca. The walks take approximately 50 mins.

There is also a shop selling a range of alpaca garments. Parking is free.

Address: Dunreyth Alpacas, Adsdean, Funtington, Chichester, PO18 9DN

View the poppies at Trundle Hill

When the poppies are out, they are a stunning sight at Trundle Hill. This makes a lovely walk but please stick to the path and don’t walk in amongst the poppies!

There is a small car park just a minute away from Trundle Hill, or alternatively you can walk up to the top from the nearby village of Charlton where the Fox Goes Free is located, which is a lovely country pub.

Parking Address: Trundle Car Park, Chalkpit Lane, Chichester, PO18 0SP

Visit the Novium Museum

The Novium Museum is in the heart of the city centre and includes the history of Chichester as well as showcasing the remains of a Roman bathhouse. This is a must-see if you are visiting the city of Chichester! The museum is spaced over 3 floors and is free to enter.

Address: The Novium Museum, Tower Street, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1QH

Visit the coastal village of Bosham

Bosham is a quaint coastal village, only about a 15-minute drive from Chichester and well worth visiting.

It is such a quiet and relaxed place to visit – there is a car park just opposite the Bosham Walk Art & Crafts Centre, which has a wonderful array of lots of local art pieces and a lovely cafe.

You can also enjoy a walk around Bosham harbour and along the coast – this is a very flat easy walk and we saw lots of wildlife, including plenty of butterflies in the Spring and families enjoying a cycle ride.

Cycle the Salterns Way

The Salterns Way is a 12 mile route starting from Chichester and ending in West Wittering. It is a very easy route, perfect for a family cycle and is signposted by blue signs. We started by Chichester College, there is a busy road to cross after going over the bridge at the railway, but after that it is quieter down country lanes and through fields.

Peregrine Falcons at Chichester Cathedral

Visit Chichester Cathedral between May-July to see the peregrine falcons. There are usually a series of open days as well as a live webcam on the website for you to view these spectacular birds. Check back next year!