14 outdoor activities to try at Holkham during summer 2025

June 25, 2025 | Things to do | 13 minute read

Make Holkham and the North Norfolk coast and countryside your playground this summer — we’d say it’s the best place to be in the UK during these warmer months! If you’re looking for opportunities to get active, enjoy the great outdoors with your family, or calmly reconnect with nature, we’ve picked out the best ways to do just that. Let’s take a look at 14 outdoor activities you can enjoy at Holkham and in Wells-next-the-Sea this summer.

1. Give the ropes course a go

This family favourite is a popular Holkham outdoor activity, because it’s so fun! Will you or your children rise to the challenge?

With different difficulty levels, it’ll test your balance and your head for heights as you swing, zip and climb in the trees. It’ll thrill some, challenge others, and will get the adrenaline going for sure! 

The ropes course can be booked in advance and is open daily throughout the holidays (though occasionally has to close due to bad weather). 

2. Take off on two wheels

Cycling always offers a great day out, and gives you the option to see even more than you would on foot. Bring your own bikes or rent from our cycle hire hut, where there’s a huge selection of bikes, e-bikes, trailers and child seats to suit all the family, including your dog! (2-hour, 3-hour or full day hires available). 

Then, it’s time to head off! We have several way-marked trails within the park covering up to six miles, but you’re welcome to explore further afield if you prefer. There are plenty of lovely villages to discover just a short cycle away.

If you’re looking for a challenge, the Pedal Norfolk cycling festival returns to Holkham on 20th July 2025. This sportive offers 25, 40, 75 and 100 mile routes, so you can push yourself whatever your level.

3. Enjoy a stroll in Holkham Park

Our way-marked trails aren’t just for cycling! Enjoy the simple pleasure of a summer stroll around Holkham Park with your friends, family, or in your own company. Listen to the bird song, enjoy the views, watch the leaves dance on the trees and breathe in the fresh air. 

It’s one of the simplest outdoor activities, and is oh-so-good. 

Holkham’s Walking Women group meet on the first Tuesday of each month — find out more here.

Want to refuel afterwards? The Courtyard Café serves a fantastic range of salads, hot food, drinks, sandwiches and cakes. 

4. Hire a boat and explore the lake

Take to Holkham Lake in a rowing boat this summer. It’s a calm, peaceful outdoor activity offering a different perspective across the park to Holkham Hall, and we usually only run boat hire throughout the school summer holidays.

Enjoy a book as you bob along, or pick up your binoculars as the lake is a haven for wildlife.

Our rowing boats seat up to five people and are hired out for 45 minutes. Dogs are welcome on board too! 

Note that weather conditions may mean we have to close our boat hire at short notice.

5. Tuck in at Feast in the Park

Who said outdoor activities had to be active?! This one revolves around food, which might be more appealing! 

Our much-loved Feast in the Park returns for summer weekends, so gather your family and friends and head on over. Enjoy food from Norfolk’s favourite street food pop-ups alongside live music, beautiful views and great company. A perfect day out, we’d say! 

In 2025, Feast in the Park will take place on 19th, 20th, 26th, 27th July and 2nd, 3rd, 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th, 25th August.

On some dates, there may even be a cricket match to watch!

6. Discover the beauty of the Walled Garden

The Walled Garden is a delightful place to spend time in the summer months, and there’s plenty to explore across the 6 acres.

With a productive kitchen garden, a range of Georgian and Victorian glasshouses, the stunning ornamental, exotic and cutting gardens, there’s a real variety in what you’ll see.

Admire the beautiful displays designed and looked after by our talented team, spot butterflies as they flutter by, and enjoy the warmth that the tall walls provide. Remember to visit the Samuel Wyatt Vinery — on a sunny day, it feels positively tropical!

It’s a 15-minute walk from the Hall, but if accessibility is a concern please let us know in Visitor Reception and we’ll be able to help. 

Enjoy coffee, tea and cake while you’re up there.

On a sunny day, the Samuel Wyatt Vinery feels positively tropical!

7. Go crabbing at Wells-next-the-Sea Quay

Crabbing – or gillying as it’s often called around North Norfolk – is a popular holiday pastime, and Wells quayside is probably the best spot to do it locally.

If you’re new to this particular outdoor activity, our friends at Pinewoods Holiday Park have written a great guide to crabbing in Wells-next-the-Sea, answering many commonly asked questions. 

8. The best summer outdoor activity – head to the beach!

It’s the summer, so where better to enjoy a day out than at Wells or Holkham beach, two of the UK’s best beaches!? They might be two of the most popular choices on the North Norfolk coast, but they’re both so vast that there’s sure to be plenty of space for everyone.

Volleyball, cricket, rounders… there are plenty of fun activities to enjoy on the beach, though sitting back and relaxing with a book is just as good!

Plus, you can paddle, swim and splash about in the water — an ideal way to cool off on the warmest days.

Please remember to check tide times!

Fancy some shade from the sun, shelter from the breeze or somewhere to store your stuff? Consider hiring a beach hut from Pinewoods Holiday Park — it’s a fantastic addition to your beach day. 

9. Run wild in the Woodland Play Area

Your little ones will love the Woodland Play Area here at Holkham!

Here, they can find treehouses, wobble over bridges, swing, slide and zip to their heart’s content, while you watch on. There’s a spot to pick up a cuppa if you fancy, and a special area for the really little ones too.

It’s free to play in the Woodland Play Area, but a parking charge of £6 applies at Holkham Park.

10. Go birdwatching at Holkham National Nature Reserve

Spoonbills on Holkham National Nature Reserve. Copyright Andrew Bloomfield

Whether you’re a seasoned birdwatcher or a novice, you’re sure to enjoy a few hours on the Nature Reserve. The diverse landscapes offer homes for a real variety of wildlife, and the bird population is thriving.

Take a stroll and look out for birds as you do, or visit the Jordan or Washington Hides and see what you can spot. The Lookout – our café and visitor centre at the end of Lady Anne’s Drive – is another great place for bird watching over the grazing marsh. 

Recently, Spoonbill fledglings have been gaining confidence, while Lapwing broods have been appearing (with over 100 pairs breeding this year!).  

You can read more about the Conservation Team’s recent sightings and highlights here.

11. Run!

If you’re into running, then we can promise better views than pounding the pavements or your local gym. Holkham Park and our surroundings are a popular spot for runners, though it’s not as flat as you might think!

Holkham parkrun takes place most Saturday mornings (pictured above). This free event is popular nationwide, and we’re delighted to host one here within the park. There are speedy runners, some who do a mix of running and walking, and others who walk the whole way, so why not come and give it a go?

12. Discover what’s in Holkham Lake

If you’re bringing the kids to Holkham for a day out in nature this summer, why not give pond dipping a try? Our Education Team are running sessions on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout the 2025 summer holidays at Holkham Lake.

Maybe it’s an outdoor activity that your child hasn’t done before, but with support from the team, your little ones can explore the ecosystem within the lake, gathering mini-beasts and trying to identify them! 

13. Enjoy an outdoor theatre performance

Pack a picnic and sit back! This might be one of the least active outdoor activities on this list, but enjoying some theatre al fresco is a wonderful way to spend a summer’s evening. 

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will be performing Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on 5th August, and The Plandits are bringing The Big Bad Wolf – a rock and roll musical! – to Holkham’s Lady Elizabeth Wing Courtyard on 12th August. 

14. Rejuvenate with sound bathing and forest bathing

Two new wellness experiences are coming to Holkham this summer, and they’re the ideal outdoor activities to choose if you want to reconnect with nature spiritually.

Nicky from Sound and Ground will be leading these wellbeing sessions, both offering restorative relaxation and time for yourself.

Opt for sound bathing meditation in the Walled Garden or an evening of forest bathing within the woodland of Holkham Park.

As you might expect, there’s plenty more to do at Holkham this summer too! From Gone Wild Festival to our tractor trailer tours, here’s our bumper guide to summer fun at Holkham. And if you’re looking for ways to stay cool when it gets too hot, here are some suggestions for staying cool at Holkham and within North Norfolk.