Top Things To Do In Ryde, Isle Of Wight

Did you know there are many top things to do in Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK? Whether you are looking for something to do while alone, with a partner, with family or friends, there is definitely something interesting for you in Ryde! Some of these things you can easily enjoy when visiting the Isle of Wight for a vacation.

Top Things To Do In Ryde

Shopping

One of my favourite things to do is look for a bargain and rummage through charity shops for some unique vintage clothes! Ryde has some nice places for this as well as some very unique local shops for things like house decorations, photography and clothing. You will also find your typical souvenir shops for some fun Isle of Wight belongings, beach supplies and local sweets.

Get Your Nails Done

Treat yourself with a private appointment at The Nail Hut, the prettiest place for a new set of nails! Whether you just like a bit of colour, a full set with glitter, foils, gems stamps or the best freehand painting! The nail art is brilliant and well worth a visit for a treat when in Ryde. Make sure to get in touch in advance as she’s a busy lady!

Check out The Nail Hut’s website here and her Facebook page here!

Go Bowling

Get everyone together for a competition of winning at bowling with LA Bowl. Usually you can walk in and get a bowling lane straight away, but recommended to book in advance during busier periods and for specific times. They are located right on the seafront, so its perfect to combine with a walk along the beach afterwards.

Take The Hovercraft

Whether you are arriving or leaving Ryde for a day trip to Southsea, the Hovercraft is the way to travel. This is the last ever working hovercraft in the world so it’s pretty unique to say you’ve been on one. We enjoyed taking the hovercraft, and you will be on the other side in no time! You can read more about the Hovercraft here.

Walk The Coastal Path To Appley Tower

Appley Tower was once part of an English country house back in 1870. The gothic and Tudor style house had fantastic views looking across to Portsmouth, like in the photo below. These days, you can enjoy a walk around the area as the house was demolished. It is also a local landmark.

If you are getting a little peckish, stop at the Three Buoys or Dell Cafe close to the tower for a nice bite to eat! They both offer some delicious lunch options and well worth a visit as part of our top things to do in Ryde.

Go Swimming In The Sea

On those gorgeous summer days you can take a dip or a full swim in the sea. The beach next to Appley Tower is great for families and friends. There is also two modern playgrounds in the area, a children’s paddling pool area and public toilets too. Here the water recedes really far out so even though its fun, keep in mind the distance and tide schedules so you don’t get stranded.

Take The Train To Shanklin

The Isle of Wight train runs all the way from the end of Ryde Pier (where the Fastcat boat is) to Shanklin. This is an easy and direct 23 minute route over 7miles / 12kms. This train route first opened 23rd August 1864, with over the years expanding to the town of Ventnor. However these days the end stop is Shanklin from Ryde, stopping off also at places like Brading, Sandown and Lake.

Photo source: Scenic Rail Britain

The Isle of Wight Bus Museum

If the train isn’t for you, maybe the buses are! The Isle of Wight even has a free Bus Museum that was established in 1997. They have an impressive collection of 20 historic vehicles, transport artefacts, displays and photographs for viewing. For those who know have good bus knowledge, they even have a 1880s Civility Stage Coach and a 1934 Dennis Ace.

The volunteers that run the museum are also those who help restore any vehicles operating. These are sometimes used on special occasions such as bus rallies and local carnival events. If you are visiting in October, they have a fun Beer and Buses weekend. You can find more information on their website.

Photo source: www.invectis.co.uk

Go Karting

On the outskirts of Ryde you can find yourself at the small but fun go-karting track. Their track is outdoors and fitted for all weather types, perfect for the British weather! Suitable for those above the ages of 8, you can find yourself racing your friends and family to win the race. They have an ‘arrive & drive’ possibility, but best to see what they have and book online here and call to confirm a date. This will give you better planning if staying on the island for just a short period.

Photo source: Wight Karting

Stock Up On Delicious Sweets

Along the main shopping street you can visit the Kandy Box, a fun candy shop full of choices! They have all the latest sweets but head back in time to your childhood to the ones that you never see any more. Here you can likely find them! As you can see in the windows, they have jars full of all different types. You can easily spend more than 30mins here looking at the selection and choosing some for yourself!

Photo source: Nathan Livings

Walk the Pier

Just because you might not be needed to take the boat to the mainland, doesn’t mean you cant walk the pier to the end and back. Before it was built, passengers visiting the island had to disembark the boat on the sand. This wasn’t the most convenient as you can imagine! The length is 681 m and it officially opened in July 26th 1814. It’s fun to know that it is the world’s oldest seaside pleasure pier!

Go Tree Climbing

At Goodleaf Tree Climbing You can explore and swing from the treetops, which is perfect from the age of 8 to 80! They offer a 2 hour experience where you can safely scale the heights of the 70 foot oak tree. They also have a relaxing special tree top hammock that you can climb to and enjoy the view. Keep in mind that they are a seasonal business, so not open all year round. You can visit their website here.

Photo source: Goodleaf Tree Climbing

Puckpool Park

As a child I loved visiting Puckpool Park for a play on the children’s playground. They have a lovely area for kids of all ages to play and climb as well as grass area for some football fun. It’s also a nice place for a picnic if the beach isn’t for you. Else you can buy a snack and a drink at the small cafe.

Where To Stay

We recently stayed in a cute and a little old fashioned hotel Seahaven House on the seafront of Ryde. From our bedroom you could see Ryde Pier which was a lovely view. The hotel itself is perfect location to the local island transportation (buses), as well as both the Portsmouth boat connections using the Fastcat and Hovercraft.

For other options in Ryde, you can always check out some of these other places which have great reviews!

Read more of our Isle of Wight posts!

Isle Of Wight Facts: 15 Fun Things You Should Know

Red Squirrels on the Isle of Wight

Top 6 Walking Routes

The Eight Wonders of the Isle of Wight

Summary Of Our Top Things To Do In Ryde

Whether you are in Ryde on the Isle of Wight for a day trip or longer, there are plenty of things to do for all ages and weather types. Can you see yourself enjoying one of these top things to do in Ryde, Isle of Wight? We sure can and enjoyed a few when we visit the Isle of Wight ourselves often!

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