Dorset is a beautiful county in the UK. It’s known for its natural beauty, including golden beaches, green hills and rolling countryside. There are plenty of exciting places to visit in Dorset.
Following is a list of the top ten things to do in Dorset UK:
1. Visit Stonehenge
An ancient neolithic monument located on Salisbury plain. It’s one of the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom and draws many visitors from across the world every year. It consists of a ring of standing stones with lintels placed over circular pits filled initially with earth or rubble. The remains of such ditches can still be seen around some sarsen stones today, as well as recumbent stone circles and several barrows and avenues close by. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stonehenge was also used as an astronomical observatory in the early Neolithic period.
2. Visit Corfe Castle
A well-preserved and atmospheric ruined castle located on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, UK. It began as a fortification built by William the Conqueror during his successful campaign to conquer Saxon England. Located high above the surrounding landscape, it is thought that this site was chosen for its strategic value, commanding extensive views across what would have been enemy territory. The Normans also considered castles as symbols of power, reinforcing their rule by conquering such strongholds and supporting their legitimacy by linking themselves with previous rulers. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/corfe-castle
3. Take an Air Tour over Dorset’s Jurassic Coastline
One of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites boasts some of the most dramatic, varied and beautiful coastline scenery in Europe. It is a stretch of coast along the English Channel from Exmouth on the East Devon coast to Studland Bay, near Swanage, on the south Dorset coast. The site has been judged as being of ‘outstanding universal value’ for its geology and landforms created by the sea, which provide direct evidence for earth history.
4. Visit Golden Cap
Located close to Charmouth, Seatown and West Bay in Dorset, UK. Despite its relatively modest height (compared to other hills in Britain), Golden Cap is recognised as one of England’s finest viewpoints because it provides excellent views over three counties; Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. It gets its name from the yellow hue that the underlying rock acquires when wet.
5. Visit Old Harry Rocks
Located around 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the village of Studland in Dorset, UK. Old Harry Rocks are formed from Portland limestone and topped by hard chert, which resisted erosion better than the surrounding cliffs resulting in these spectacular sea-rock formations rising above the English Channel. The name is derived from ‘Old Herry’. This common nickname refers to smugglers who frequented this part of Dorset’s coastline during the 18th century due to its secluded location and proximity to Poole Harbour.
6. Walk along Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach is one of Dorset’s finest coastal attractions, stretching for 18 miles (30 km) westwards towards Abbotsbury and Portland. The beach itself is a perfect example of wave-cut platform development and provides an extensive and easily accessible landscape of Jurassic age sedimentary rocks and fossils. It also marks the position where over 60 million years ago, the River Frome breached through to the sea – providing an early haven for both human and animal life.
7. Visit Weymouth Beach
Home to some of Dorset’s most popular beaches such as Weymouth Beach, Rushmere beach of Lulworth Cove further west along the coast – all included in the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites considered amongst ‘the finest examples of significant coastal landforms in Europe.
8. Experience Durdle Door
A spectacular natural limestone arch is located in Dorset, UK. The arch has formed on a concordant coastline where rock bands run parallel to the shoreline. Erosion at this site occurs when waves undercut the cliffs creating an arch that eventually collapses under its weight, thus forming a bay between the headlands.
9. Take in views from Swyre Head
Located within the heart of Dorset’s countryside in the village of Langton Herring along Chaldon Ridge near Abbotsbury, Swyre Head offers panoramic views across most of Dorset and into neighbouring counties, including Wiltshire to the west and Somerset to the north east. A popular walking route, it is also believed that this hill was used as an Iron Age fortification. Today visitors can see burial barrows and a stone circle 2,000 years old.
10. Visit Lulworth Cove
A rocky cove on the Jurassic Coast, situated in East Dorset, UK. The cove is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and 800 feet (244 m) deep and has been created by the erosion of cliffs composed of rock strata belonging to the Portland limestone, clays and sandstones exposed along this stretch of coastline. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulworth_Cove
Final Thoughts
Dorset UK is a great place to go on holiday and has many different activities for all ages. From visiting old world heritage sites, such as Weymouth beach and its surrounding areas, the Golden Cap and the Old Harry Rocks Durdle Door is truly a beautiful part of Britain that is an unmissable treat for anyone looking to explore this beautiful county. For more experience days in Dorset, take a look a the link provided!

Craig Sandeman, the Gift Giving Guru, is a passionate writer and dedicated website curator. When he’s not crafting engaging content or maintaining his online platform, you can find him exploring the Mediterranean seas, indulging in his love for island hoping. With his expertise in gift-giving and his adventurous spirit, Craig is always seeking new ways to inspire and delight others with thoughtful presents and memorable experiences.