Itineraries

Cultural Pursuits in the Garden of England

In 2011, Kent could be called ‘Cultural County' of the year. Three events in particular head a very long list of festivals, concerts, exhibitions and shows that will make your visit to the Garden of England very special. In Margate, the long-awaited Turner Contemporary gallery opens; in Canterbury the New Marlowe Theatre building will be unveiled, and the Triennial Arts Festival returns to Folkestone.

Enjoy a Dickens of a time!

Celebrate 200 years of Dickens by visiting the real-life settings that fired his imagination, to and from Portsmouth to London and Kent. Escape for a day or short break to relive Dickens' Victorian magic of cobbled streets and seaside haunts - with a few hi-tech surprises along the way that cast a vivid contemporary spell. Be inspired, and enjoy a Dickens of a time!

A Royal Progress around The Garden of England

On April 29th this year, the world will celebrate as the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton will take place in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The following year, Her Majesty The Queen will commemorate her Diamond Jubilee marking 60 years of her reign, an occasion that will be feted across the country. As the Monarchy celebrates such momentous occasions, there's never been a better time to come and share Kent's wealth of royal connections.

Golden Treasury of Literature Tour

Rediscover the magic of your favourite childhood tales. Who can resist the excitement and warmth of children's classics? Rekindle their spell on a tour of Kent, where so many best-loved characters and scenes first came to life.Discover the creators of Rupert Bear and Bagpuss, chortle along the coast with Billy Bunter, and sleuth with Sherlock Holmes in an enchanted garden. This autumn Chitty Chitty Bang Bang flies again, while Dickens-lovers will find plenty to celebrate in Kent in 2012, the bicentenary of the author's birth.

New for Margate

Margate, the birthplace of the British seaside, is undergoing a renaissance. From April 2011, visitors to the town will be able to enjoy world-class art in the new Turner Contemporary gallery overlooking the town's famous golden sands. The gallery has teamed up with the recently developed Hornby Visitor Centre and the Powell-Cotton Museum, both located just outside Margate, to present you with a group itinerary which blends the historic and the contemporary.

Monarchs, Mistresses and Martyrs

Tour Kent's magnificent castles and stately houses to find the sumptuous real-life settings for the dramatic love intrigues of King Henry VIII. Here royal romance altered the course of English history.

Kent, The Garden of England

Dazzling colours, seductive scents, superb seasonal shows - Kent's gardens are rightly world renowned. And with 180-plus to choose from, there's one to match your every mood and interest.

A coastal ‘architour'

Love to be beside the seaside? It's not simply the salt air that refreshes your spirits. Kent's diverse coastal panoramas - elegant seafronts and promenades, bright beach huts and twisting streets - work their distinctive magic too.

Celebrating Charles Darwin

In 2009 the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. Darwin's theory of evolution sought to explain the beauty, diversity and complexity of life, and you'll find plenty of that in Kent.

Coastal Kent

Whether you're after traditional family entertainment, adrenaline watersports or somewhere to chill out, Kent's varied coastline has just the beach or resort. Clean, safe, Blue Flag and award-winners, they're all here. Share romantic moments beneath ‘the loveliest skies in Europe', get in touch with nature (and yourself) in stunning wildlife havens, sample the succulent seafood that tempted Julius Caesar to Britain.

Defence of the realm

Make Dover your base to journey along the ‘frontline of history'. Centuries of defence-boosting activity, from the reign of Henry VIII to World War II, are right here in Kent.

Explore Jame's Bond Kent

Sharpen your wits, pick up the clues and follow James Bond across Kent for an exhilarating adventure.

Friends, Romans and Vikings

The Kent coast has long been the gateway to friends and foe, and each has left a mark. Come and retrace their steps on an enthralling historical adventure.

Golf in Kent

Kent has been the home of some of the most famous moments in golfing history, with the Open Championship coming to these shores 15 times already. In 2008 the London Golf Club hosted for the European Open Golf Championship while the world's oldest major golf event the British Open is returning to Royal St Georges at Sandwich in 2011.

Henry II - dramatic royal adventures in Kent

Henry II, one of England's most powerful kings, reigned (1154-89) over truly dramatic episodes in the country's history. Come to Kent and visit the evocative locations where crucial scenes played out - from the newly transformed Great Tower at Dover Castle to magnificent Canterbury Cathedral, as well as towns and villages waiting for you to unlock their royal secrets.

Heritage Kent

Where can you find the world's most ancient seagoing boat? Where does the ‘Key to England' unlock centuries of enthralling history? Where can you discover more castles and historic houses than in any other region? Take a fresh look at Kent, England's oldest county, and get in touch with thousands of years of heritage.

Hidden Gems along Kent's Coast

Look beyond coastal Kent's well-known sights, its iconic cathedral, castles and White Cliffs, and you'll be surprised by what you find. Head off the beaten track or just around the corner from the hotspots and you'll be richly rewarded.

Hidden Gems of Kent - Make more of your adventures

Visitors to Kent come to enjoy its captivating castles and famous gardens, enchanting coast and countryside. But there's so much more to discover! Just around the corner from sights like Canterbury Cathedral or Dover Castle, lesser-known yet world-class attractions thrive. Break away from the well-worn trails and open your eyes to a few - quirky, unique, unusual, new, they will certainly enrich your trip.

Kent Catherdal Cities

Reach deep into the country's spiritual heartland at sone of the mightiest cathedrals in England, then get off the beaten track to some of the lesser-known treasures.

Literary Kent

Come and be inspired - like so many great writers - by Kent's idyllic rural landscapes, captivating cities, castles and gardens.

Movie magic in Kent - movie trail 

You'll be surprised just how many box office hits have put Kent in a starring role - come set-jetting to spot the locations, it's a great way to discover and explore the county.

My Lords and Ladies

The Garden of England has been playground to royals and aristocrats for centuries. Come and relive the razzle-dazzle of high society and be inspired by the present day lords and ladies who keep alive Kent's rich heritage.

Nature's coastal designs

Whatever man has built in coastal Kent, nature more than matches, from the wild beauty of Dungeness to the iconic White Cliffs and sandy bays of Thanet. There's nothing like majestic seascapes, organically fashioned over millennia, for rebalancing the yin and yang.

Olympic Fact Sheet

In 2012 London hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Kent, right next door, offers the perfect base for visiting: it's under 10 minutes by high-speed rail link to the Olympic Park.

Share famous passions

"Kent, sir - everybody knows Kent - apples, cherries, hops and women." Thus Charles Dickens described the Garden of England in The Pickwick Papers. But do you really know Kent and its surprising connections with other famous faces?

Sherlock Holmes - Mystery Tour of Kent

Investigate Kent - the place that gave inspiration to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Smugglers, shipwrecks and spies

Whispers, hidden alleyways, lights at sea... Echoes of smuggling tease your imagination all along the Kent coast. Come and follow a treasure trail to uncover the secrets.

The Other Boleyn Girl - movie trail

Go behind the scenes of blockbuster novel and film The Other Boleyn Girl, on a tour of Kent's dazzling Tudor castles and historic houses.