Things to do in Sandown

Top Things to Do in Sandown, Isle of Wight - Sandown Attractions

Things to Do in Sandown

Explore popular experiences

See what other travellers like to do, based on ratings and number of bookings.

Top Attractions in Sandown

These rankings are informed by traveller reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
1

Learn more about this content
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

  • SEB21
    9 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is very good, really worth a visit.
    Sadly the Cafe is not .. clean and well maintained.. unfortunately the food was not..
    we ordered a chicken burger which was like dough and stodgy and not edible… hours later and we are suffering from trying it a little.
    Also the menu on the boards are very difficult to read and it was not mentioned when we ordered that chips came with the meal… seriously why would two adults and two children need eight portions of chips and no one mentioned or questioned why we had ordered so much… we never finished and just left .. will visit the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary but will not eat there.
    Written 24 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Maymee1
    Chesterfield 14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Thanks so much to Steve and (sorry never got your name) for making our holiday. What lovely gents. Nothing too much trouble especially if u take them a bag of haribo 😂👍. X
    Written 10 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • LibbyKK
    Chichester, UK76 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    To be honest I was not sure what to expect - but with a nine year old boy we couldn’t not visit!!

    It’s a small but perfectly formed museum, interesting and interactive. Even us adults we learned something. Really good value.
    Written 29 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Emma
    5 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    We live on the island and have visited here before but not for a while because we felt the price didn't really justify the experience and that many of the animals enclosures were not great. . However with the introduction of the islander card and cheaper price we gave it another go. Have to say we were pleasantly surprised. There are new areas since last time, particularly nice was the flamingo area. Improvements have been made to lots of the animals areas and there is more space for them. We liked the range of animals. There were plenty of staff around the animals and they are obviously loved and well cared for with signs of enrichment around.
    Bonus is the soft play, especially if the weather is a bit iffy, however the hot drinks we had were not that great, cups only filled just above half way and not that great for the price.
    I still feel some improvement could take place particularly in the inside area, the first bit you walk through i remember it being hot before however it was quite cold and hardly any birds or anything to see. The water in the pond was really dirty and we saw a dead fish. Also the armadillo area was very dark, I know this has something to do with the way they like to be kept but it meant they were very hard to see and what we did see were several of them pacing the same path, we went through a couple of times and they were still following the same path around and it just felt a bit like they needed more to do or things to be changed up a bit. This area is exactly how we remember it from years ago and it looked like nothing had changed since then. I also felt the red panda enclosure could do with an upgrade and maybe an inside are for them .
    All I all a good day out much improved since last visit, we wouldn't pay the full price but would happily go again for the islander price which was £5 each at the time we went.
    Written 13 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • zach
    West Sussex, UK2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    It was really good, the staff were nice and friendly it’s really educational for young children who don’t know about dinosaurs.
    Written 27 February 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Tracy
    Isle of Wight, UK11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We visited with our dog in the early evening, was quite busy but the beach is long enough so you could still walk along and not be on top of each other. We paddled and the sea was really warm, the beach is beautiful and sandy. A lovely place to walk. Lots of dogs on and off leads but no problems encountered. There are bays all along the front and then a vast stretch of beach at the end. Very nice and tranquil. Have been before and shall return. Highly recommend. There are toilets in the car park which are adequate and a fantastic cafe by the car park.
    Written 7 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • BelC0001
    Sydney, Australia638 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Admission by small donation, this is a fascinating museum created by, and run by, volunteers dedicated to all things Isle of Wight aviation related. The Isle has a deep history with the development of aircraft and this museum is bursting at the seams with displays of model aircraft, actual cockpits, displays about legendary aircraft builders and pilots, the Battle of Britain.
    Our tour group was warmly received by the volunteers and a marvellous time had by all.
    A good little gift shop is onsite too.
    The museum is situated at the Wight airfield, making it a perfect spot to sit and watch small planes and helicopters take off and land.
    Plenty of car parking for cars and buses.
    Written 27 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Jeannette G
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Went by bus and took a bit of finding but well worth it. Saw red squirrel at the bird hide. Only saw 3 other people.
    Written 21 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Pearl C
    Leeds, England, United Kingdom47 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I finally made it across to the IOW, with this shop at the top of my to go list.

    It was loverly to finally meet some of you in person and not just on your FB page.

    Yes i did walk round a few time on my first visit, looking for and buying goodies. Then called in twice more. The last to meet up with a friend who lives on the IOW, and only chatted to via FB.

    There was so much to look at and even hubby went in twice with me.

    Will definitely be back the next time we are over there.
    Written 15 May 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Mick_Sue_Off
    Caterham, UK4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic range of plants, extremely knowledgable staff and very friendly, we will be going back again and again whenever we visit IOW!
    Written 2 June 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Katherine C
    Fareham, UK7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The garlic farm is amazing for all the family! We visited on a recent family holiday and there was more than we expected.

    We went into the shop and enjoyed tasting some of the sauces before choosing what to buy. My son wanted a red squirrel toy and I mentioned to the lady at the till that we had been looking for them. She told me that we may see them from the restaurant, which I didn't even realise existed! So that was our next task. We managed to get a seat right in the window where they have squirrel feeders. Sadly didn't see any but was still lovely with some peahens to watch instead.

    The restaurant had plenty of gluten free options, so we decided to taste a few side dishes. We ordered gf garlic ciabatta and chips with garlic mayo to share. The garlic bread wasn't amazing, as it was just garlic butter on gf bread, but it did taste nice, and the chips and garlic mayo were lovely. I was tempted to try the gf cake too but wasn't too hungry so will try next time. I love that everything contained garlic from the farm, (except the cake, but the brownie had black garlic in it!).

    We then went onto the field and my children loved running around and playing on the play equipment. There was some dog poo on the field but that's obviously hard to manage and is down to the owners. We then went down the trail for a little walk in the woods which was lovely too. There was a closed off area which my children would have loved to explore but must be used for school groups or something.

    We will definitely come again and try more food next time!
    Written 12 March 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Triporganisor
    London112 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I was lucky enough to be invited to a private party held at Boojum and Snark, and what a place to have a party!
    First time visiting and hopefully won’t be the last. As per my heading it’s a quirky bar with fantastic memorabilia as a nod to Lewis Carroll.
    The staff were amazing, very tentative making sure the guests were doing ok and not wanting for anything. I didn’t sample their beers but the men in the group were very impressed!
    Please pay this bar a visit you won’t regret it.
    Keep up the good work Boojum!
    Written 17 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sandown