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As a Kent girl, one of my favourite places to go on a day off is Folkestone. This seaside town in the South East of England was recently named the UK’s best place to visit by Time Out. So I’m here to share with you some of my favourite things to do in Folkestone.
How to get to Folkestone
By EuroTunnel
Folkestone can be reached via Le Shuttle from Calais in 35 minutes. So if you’re travelling by car from France then Folkestone makes for a great first day on a UK road trip.
By Train
Folkestone Central and Folkestone West stations are just under an hour away on the high speed train from St Pancras International in London. You can also travel to the town in just under 2 hours from London Cannon Street on the slower trains.
By Car
The best way to reach Folkestone by car is via the M20 motorway. There are several public car parks in the town however my preferred car park is the Harbour Arm as it is relatively large and fairly central.
Things to do in Folkestone
Unlike many British seaside resorts, Folkestone is trendy as opposed to tacky. As a Brit, I am totally allowed to say that.
Since 2004, Folkestone Harbour has been part of a multi million pound regeneration project transforming it from drab and dilapidated to the vibrant, buzzy hub it is today.
Stroll along Folkestone Harbour Arm
The Harbour Arm is Folkestone’s promenade filled with independent businesses. If the weather is good, enjoy a cocktail or a coffee at one of the various outlets and enjoy the sea view. We sipped a latte and a chai at Gaia Studio (which smelt absolutely lush so I’ll be returning to buy one of their scented candles ASAP). There are other outlets selling snacks and food, and on some weekends in summer there may even be live music. At the far end of the Harbour Arm there is a lighthouse which was built between 1897 and 1904 and is now home to a lovely looking champagne bar (I am yet to visit!).
Note: Trading hours for many independent businesses vary depending on day and season.
Travelling with a kids?
Baby change facilities are available at the toilets near Gaia Studio.
Go shopping at The Marketplace
If you’re visiting on a weekend or a Bank Holiday then you’ll enjoy browsing The Marketplace. Situated in individual black and yellow fishermen style huts, The Marketplace is a great place to shop for gifts. With traders selling everything from art and jewellery to cakes and even dog treats!
Tuck into some street food at The Goods Yard
The Goods Yard is right next to the Harbour Arm car park and is an outdoor street food plaza and events space. You can take your pick from a variety of dishes from pizza and burgers to Mexican and Nepalese. My personal preference is Greek Street for a delicious meze.
The Goods Yard is also known for its big screen. You can chill in one of their deck chairs and watch whatever movie or sporting event they are showing – for free! Check their website for the Goods Yard events timetable.
Enjoy a beer on Folkestone beach
The harbour arm side of Folkestone has a pebble beach which is a nice place to chill for a little while on a sunny day. There’s also mini golf and a few bars/eateries to enjoy. My husband’s favourite place is The Pilot Beach Bar. A quirky bar with deckchairs and dodgem cars to sit in while you sip something cold and gaze out to sea.
Travelling with kids?
There’s very little shade in this area on a hot day so bring your own!
Explore Folkestone Harbour
As well as the harbour arm promenade, there is also the original Folkestone Harbour. From The Goods Yard, take a wander through Folkestone Harbour train station. The train station is a renovated pedestrian walkway which has been carefully restored to retain some of the station’s history. The old signal box that was built at the entrance when it was a functioning train station is now home to a small cafe. I’ve not been there yet but I like the look of it.
From here, you can cross the swing bridge to the harbour where you will find seafood stalls, ice cream kiosks and the famous Rocksalt restaurant. I quite like to grab an ice cream from The Hatch. It has a small seating area at the back where you can gaze out at the boats and seagulls below.
If the weather is bad then I recommend stopping for lunch at The Harbour Inn pub. Me and my husband shared the Garden Board from the bar menu on one drizzly afternoon. A delicious platter filled with vegetarian goodies like falafel and tempura vegetables soon made me forget my disappointment of not enjoying the British classic portion of chips on the beach!
Travelling with kids?
Infront of The Hatch ice cream kiosk and Chummys seafood you’ll find the harbour fountains. Kids are sure to love running through the fountains on a hot day!
Head towards Rocksalt, under the bridge and you’ll end up at Sunny Sands. A sandy beach which is a bit more family friendly (sandcastles!) than the pebble beach on the other side.
Soak up the vibes of the Creative Quarter
The Creative Quarter is a colourful, cobbled street home to independent shops, cafes, boutiques and artists workshops. The Creative Quarter embodies Folkestone’s artsy vibe and browsing the unique shops is a great way to spend some time (and money!). If you’re looking to purchase a gift for someone that has everything, then you’ll probably find something cool to gift them here.
Travelling with kids?
The Creative Quarter isn’t the most pushchair friendly part of Folkestone. The street itself is cobbled and uphill, it’s also relatively narrow which is a pain when it’s busy.
Watch a show at The Leas Cliff Hall
If you’re in Folkestone for the evening then it might be worth checking out what’s on at The Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone’s local theatre. I’ve seen both Levison Wood and Saba Douglas-Hamilton do talks there. Both of them were super interesting people and what a great way to end a day in the UK’s best place to visit.
Final thoughts
There you have it! My recommendations on things to do in Folkestone. And if you liked this post, then you might enjoy some other attractions not too far from here such as alpaca trekking in Kent, staying at Port Lympne Safari park and afternoon tea at the Secret Garden.