Explore Isle of Wight – a great family holiday destination and perfect for an October half-term break
Book a trip to the Isle of Wight this October, it’s perfect for a day trip or short break during half term. Crunch through the leaves in enchanted forests, comb beaches for dinosaur ‘treasure’ and indulge in a bit of spooky fun at top attractions.
Wightlink offers you a chance to really get away from it all on the Island, and Kids Go Free* all through the school holidays when travelling on foot.
Book today here wightlink.co.uk/kgf
*offer terms and conditions apply, visit wightlink.co.uk/terms
Your escape starts here
There’s something special about stepping on board a Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth – be it on foot or with your car – as it signals the start of your Isle of Wight adventure. You might be staying for a few hours or a few nights, but as you wave goodbye to the mainland you can literally feel your troubles lifting from your shoulders. Enjoy the ride!
Hop on a steam train
Discover the golden age of travel on an historic steam train while you take in the autumn scenery of the Isle of Wight. Relax on a 10-mile journey with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway then learn about 150 years of railway history, and an impressive collection of locomotives and carriages at the Train Story Discovery Centre. During half term you’ll be able to join Wizard Week when friendly witches, wizards and other ghouls will take over Havenstreet Station.
Family bike rides
Whether you’re a family that cycles together at home or your kids are just starting out, the Isle of Wight is the perfect place for a family bike ride. From riverside pedals with stops for coffee and cake (the Medina Greenway Breeze) to a flat seafront route by sandy beaches (the Sandown to Shanklin Pier Pedal), you can enjoy time as a family in the great outdoors.
Try tree climbing
Try a spot of recreational tree climbing in a beautiful, mature oak tree set behind Appley Beach in Ryde. It’s a chance to visit a unique place that very few people ever get to go – the canopy of a tree. The tree is around 15 metres high, and you’ll use rope and harness to climb it with knowledgeable instructors. Families with older children will relish this unique challenge – it’s a great confidence booster!
Celebrate the Day of the Dead
The Isle of Wight’s biggest family-friendly Halloween event, inspired by Día de los Muertos is coming to Blackgang Chine. Celebrate life like never before with this thrilling and enchanting event. Expect fun at every turn; aerialists on silks, live DJs, light spectaculars, giant inflatables, a fire show, fortune tellers, UV décor and Mexican food. You’ll also have the chance to experience the new 360-degree pendulum swing, Extinction, in the dark!
Marvel at the Needles
Explore the marvels of the Island’s natural coastline and discover The Needles rock formation in all its glory - possibly the most photographed rocks in the UK. For breathtaking views, take the chairlift down to Alum Bay – it has been taking people down the cliff for 50 years! You’ll find it at The Needles Landmark Attraction alongside a sweet factory, a jeep safari and sand shop – where you can take home 21 shades of the sand of the bay.
Connect with nature
The beautiful Alverstone Mead consists of four reserves - Alverstone Mead, Bensteads Marsh, Youngwoods Copse and Bretts Meadow. This peaceful site, adjacent to the Eastern Yar River, lies just a mile from Sandown and is a haven for wildlife including rare flowers, dragonflies, butterflies dormice and several species of bat. It’s also a great place to see the Island’s famous red squirrel and there’s a dedicated squirrel hide from which to watch them.
Visit Osborne
With nine children to entertain, Queen Victoria practically invented the family holiday on the Isle of Wight! And her former home at Osborne has kept up the tradition splendidly. Take in the opulent state rooms with gleaming gold furniture and the exquisite banqueting hall. Younger children will marvel at the Swiss Cottage, the ultimate playhouse, built to small scale by Prince Albert so his children could learn how to garden and cook and run a home. It also has its own museum packed with curios to interest every young mind.
Pick-up-a-pumpkin
Tapnell Farm is holding a Pumpkin Festival during half term as well as on the weekends of 7 and 8, and 14 and 15 October. It’s an all-weather event for all the family including Pick Your Own pumpkin, pumpkin carving, axe throwing and lots of fun games. Plus, there will be live music, refreshments, licensed bar, and competitions. The Farm’s had a bumper crop of pumpkins, so put on your wellies and find the perfect pumpkin to take home – or carve at the Festival for free!
Go fossil hunting
The soaring coastline at Compton Bay can be a fossil-finders delight if you want to go hunting for treasure. It’s hailed as ‘the richest source of dinosaur remains in Europe’ meaning you have a good chance of getting lucky with a find. And, if your young fossil hunters don’t strike lucky, whisk them along west to Hanover Point where they can ‘discover’ huge fossilised foot casts preserved in the rocks on the beach.
Find out more by visiting the website here