Things to do in Essex

Top Things to Do in Essex, England - Essex Must See Attractions

Things to Do in Essex


Book these experiences for a close-up look at Essex.

Top Attractions in Essex

These rankings are informed by traveller reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
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Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked using exclusive Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, popularity, user preferences, price, and bookings made through Tripadvisor.

What travellers are saying

  • maplebunni
    Cornwall, UK3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely zoo! Clean grounds, friendly staff, happy animals, the only thing that could do with a change is the food, I wasnt a fan of the food at all
    Overall a fun experience and would gladly visit again!!
    Written 11 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Becky D
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    I would like to say a huge thank you to the two people working on Axis on the 20th Feb, I was in the queue with my autistic brother and some kids decided to climb the fence to get into the front of the queue, I got the attention of the two people working there and they dealt with it really well, and made me feel heard. One of them was called Charlie and the other I can't remember the name of but she had pink hair! They made the day just that bit better!
    Written 21 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Lauren D
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Never been here before… today was the first and would definitely recommend and go again soon. Went with my family for my son’s birthday and had a great time, we didn’t let the rain stop us, there was so much to do and all staff was lovely and helpful. Loved that once you pay for entry, the kids get unlimited time on rides and get to do so much. Shows and feeding times were always around so we knew and didn’t miss out. Can’t wait to go again🙂
    Written 10 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • david h
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We went to see Crooners on Saturday and what a great show it was. This is the second time we've been to Princes Theatre in the past six months and we've enjoyed both shows immensely. We'll certainly be going back again.
    Written 18 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Naomi C
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We booked the castle for our daughters 7th Birthday Party and it was excellent. We were offered a choice of 4 themes and chose dragon. The craft activity to start was great fun, the girls loved decorating their dragons and making them fly. Then the girls dressed up as knights for their tour of the castle with a clip board and pencil to find the clues to spell out a word. They explored the lower levels of the castle and different rooms and all was informative and captivating for their age. We went back to our spacious party room for food and drink which we brought with us. We then had cake and games and a run around! Ellie and Lucy who did our tour and craft activity were friendly, helpful and engaging. We had plenty of time to set up and pack away. The whole experience was fantastic, it was unique for the children and very enjoyable for all. Highly recommend this venue.
    Written 25 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Climber26828065530
    Haringey, UK1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    No lambs. Staff fantastic. Food prices wuite high but too big for both adults and children. Great for the family but ideally need good weather. Would recooend
    Written 22 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ABG
    Chandigarh, India167 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It’s a beautiful place to just walk around or to just sit and relax and see the world pass by…lovely for a morning stroll.
    Written 30 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Jon007
    South Yorkshire, UK115 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A review of two halves - but I have first to thank staff for retrieving and keeping safe my wife's handbag and car keys which she left in the toilets at the start of our visit!

    The house itself is excellent, one of the most sumptuously-ceilinged houses we've ever seen. Room after room had the most ornate ceilings - a sign of the wealth and importance of the owners. Guides generally were extremely knowledgeable, having a host of minor facts at their fingertips - and there seemed to be staff everywhere. On a nicer day, and with more time, it would have been great to explore the grounds, but the great benefit of English Heritage membership of course is that you can just drop in (assuming you live reasonably near by!) even for just half an hour. Sadly not easily possible for us, as we live a considerable distance away and this happened to be on our way home from elsewhere.

    Some of the 'minor' items are what let the visit down, to be honest. On arriving we received what appeared to be really complex guidance as to where everything was, and how to park; I asked about dropping my wife off as she was not able to walk long distances and was told we could drop off by the front entrance, really helpful. But it would have been good if there had been disabled parking space much closer to the house, as she (and I!) had to walk all the way back to the fairly distant car park at the end of our visit. National Trust always offers buggy rides for disabled visitors, at least to and from a car park.

    The separate guide book (and the free initial guide) are not very helpful at actually showing you where you are in the house - you do have to work at it! Very few of the rooms have substantial guidance information within them - listing, for example, all of the paintings or objects in the cabinets or on display. It was really frustrating seeing everything numbered, but no easy way to see what the items were. The laundry and dairy, too, have very limited signage by items indicating what they were, how they were used. Some of the rooms had clear signs as to what they were, but not others. We would have liked far more 'social history' information - how many staff, how much were they paid, what was the hierarchy, etc, etc.

    The guidebooks would have been so much more effective if they had been written in collaboration with a first-time visitor - questions such as 'what's that, where did it come from, who used it, etc’ could have been addressed. By contrast the nursery has an excellent film showing how it was used and changed over the years. In a few other places the 'films' are very basic.

    Finishing the house at around 2.30 we went to the cafe, only to find they stop serving hot meals at 2pm - no mention of this anywhere! There is a note on the front of the house indicating last admission there at 2pm, but it would have been good to add the food situation. We’d planned on having a good late lunch before our 3-hour drive home… They talk of lavish and excellent food - well, nothing hot, and the cream scone my wife bought was days old and completely stale. It was willingly changed for a cheese scone... extremely noisy in the cafe - and not only from visitors! Extremely loud and repeated banging from behind the serving counter...
    We’d certainly return, but these are frustrating annoyances to what should otherwise have been a really good day.
    Written 2 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Simon W
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    First time visit but will definitely be back soon! Lovely place to visit...peaceful and wonderful array of plants in the woodland and garden areas. Friendly staff and resident dogs! Great cafe overlooking gardens.
    Written 7 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • corokia
    Deal, UK10 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Was surprised how varied the garden was. So much to see and so attractive. I was looking forward to the dry garden, which did not disappoint but there was so much more. The water area was welcome , it was a hot day.
    Written 18 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Barry M
    Thorpe Bay37 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great for families....prams especially. Free WiFi, food fairly priced and gr8 selection. Best bit? ??? SUPERB STAFF.... !!!
    Written 2 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • LB
    Switzerland161 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely early spring walk around RHS HH, followed by a delicious light lunch. Always plenty to see in the gardens and always plenty to be tempted to buy in the shop. Great service as ever with lots of plants starting to come back to life. Very enjoyable.
    Written 2 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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