18 Adventure Activities In Kent
Seek thrills and adventures in Kent with our guide to adrenaline-inducing activities. From soaring 700 meters in the sky on a giant swing to exploring the treetops on a canopy tour, there’s something for everyone. Experience the thrill of hot air balloon flights, helicopter rides, quad biking, and 4×4 trials. Or test your aim with axe throwing or paintball. Discover the ultimate adrenaline rush in Kent with our 18 themes for adventure activities in Kent.
18 ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES IN KENT
SPORTS, SKYDIVING AND MORE
Whether is flying high, skydiving, speed driving in reality or simulation, there’s something for everyone. You can also check under our activities category, with a range of filters, including the adventure and unique experiences filter for more ideas and inspiration.
SWINGING HIGH
Try England’s longest zip line, The Skywire, which stretches over 700 metres in length. Hangloose Adventures also includes the UK’s only outdoor skydive machine and a giant swing. Dare you test your nerves and balance? Hit the high notes too at the Mote Park Outdoor Adventure in Maidstone, with their outdoor climbing wall, the high rope, and Sky Trail.
TOP OF THE TREE
Enjoy a tree-top adventure with Go Ape challenges for all ages – with zip wires and high ropes. In addtion, high fun can also be found at their Leeds Castle site in Maidstone and also at their Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest venue in Tunbridge Wells.
BLISSFUL BALLOONING
The Garden of England is, of course, the ideal place to see the countryside from above. Fly over the many picturesque villages, historic castles, towns and cities, including the cathedral city of Canterbury, home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Locations to jump on board include Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Hythe, Maidstone, Tenterden, and Tunbridge Wells. Companies include Virgin Balloon Flights, Skybus and Kent Ballooning.
FLYING BUG
Take a helicopter ride over the amazing Kent countryside with Polar Helicopter with aerial tours over Rochester Castle, Rochester Cathedral, Brands Hatch, and the Medway Coast. They are based at Rochester and Manston, Thanet. Or you can head to Headcorn Aerodrome and take a trial flight and see if you are bitten by the flying bug.
Historic Flying
Also at the Aerodrome, Aero Legends relive the flight training and flying experiences of Battle of Britain pilots. Fly in authentically restored wartime aircraft, including the legendary Supermarine Spitfire.
In addition, there are also flights available at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar in Westerham, in Sevenoaks. Fly in Spitfire or Mustang aircraft at this famous Battle of Britain fighter base.
Accessible Skies
Also, Two Two Fly in Rochester offers flying experiences including flights over Rochester Castle, They offer Microlight flying sessions, as well as aerobatic training, plus classes and courses. There is also accessible flying for those who are wheelchair-bound working alongside U Two Can Fly.
TAKE A DIVE
Plus, with Skydive Headcorn in Ashford, you can experience the thrill of skydiving from 12,000ft while attached to a highly qualified instructor. Tandem Skydiving is suitable for those who wish to try skydiving, they offer courses and charity jumps too.
CLIMBING THE WALLS
At Clip ‘n Climb in Tonbridge and Thanet on offer are challenges of varying difficulty, as well as the Vertical Drop Slide and Stairway to Heaven experiences. In Maidstone. Mote Park Outdoor Adventure has a climbing wall and high ropes. Or you can also head to Rock Up Lakeside set up by parents, where you can reach new heights on the fun climbing walls towering over 8 metres high. In addition, in Folkestone, there is the F51 is the largest climbing venue in the South East. There are 15 climbing lines and over 30 graded routes with vertical, slab and steep overhang roof sections. The Chimera Climbing Centre in Tunbridge Wells is made by climbers and run by climbers for all abilities.
Extreme Experiences
Enjoy scaling rock faces with Extreme Ventures. They offer rock scrambling and bouldering challenges with family outdoor rock climbing, rock climbing tuition, and abseiling. In Maidstone, at the Lower Grange Farm activity centre, there’s climbing, archery, bag jumps, tomahawk throwing, fencing, shooting sessions, and lots more. Also in Maidstone The Climbing Experience features a Fun Wall adventure area, a bouldering facility with a 30 meter competition wall, a slab and two standalone boulders. New routes each week to keep climbers tested with many different climbing challenges. Bowles Rocks in Tunbridge Wells also offers rock climbing sessions.
DRIVING DRAMAS
At Lydden Hill Race Circuit in Canterbury, book a car track day experience. You can race the circuit yourself in a range of cars from over 200 vehicles, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, and Aston Martins. There are also iconic cars such as The General Lee from The Dukes Of Hazzard and K.I.T.T from Knight Rider. With Tanks’N’Trucks in Faversham, experience a unique off-road adventure in Kent. Do driving in 4 x 4, G-Class, Unimog military truck, or 15-ton tank set in military-themed battlegrounds.
Car Racer
At Brands Hatch Driving Experiences, find your inner racing star with MSV. Take the wheel yourself or be a passenger in a range of vehicles including, single-seaters, rally cars, race cars, and lots more. At Young Driver at Bluewater in Dartford, with lessons and experiences for those aged 5 up to 17 years, with the youngest in Firefly cars. Those from 10 years who can experience driving in a real car. Driving options are also available for many young and older people with a wide range of disabilities. Including for those who are deaf, blind, have learning difficulties, or have neurological disorders.
Muddy Fun
With Mud Mayhem in Ashford and West Malling, Tonbridge, enjoy a range of 4 x 4 experiences in their off-road circuits. Also, at the Tonbridge site, they offer quad biking and mud-churning fun. At The Wright Event in West Malling, Tonbridge, try Sporting Trials or mud plugging. You get the car up as steep and muddy a slope as possible! They also offer sporting trial cars, 4×4 off-road vehicles, and quad bike safaris.
SNOW & SKATE
For fake snow adventures – whether it’s skiing, sno-tubing or skating – Kent has a range of choices. The Chatham Snowsports Centre in Gillingham has a toboggan on the longest track in the UK, with sno-tubing rides, plus open sessions for snowboarding and skiing.
Walk In The Sky
At Bowles Rocks in Tunbridge Wells, there are skiing and snowboarding sessions, plus rock climbing. Planet Ice in Gillingham offers open sessions, discos, themed events and lots more.
UNUSUAL ADVENTURES
The Upside Down House at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock (yes we know it’s not in Kent!) captures the most surreal images, and unique poses from an inverted perspective. A unique and fun attraction for all ages with this topsy-turvy experience. Unusual sights to be seen by boat include trips to the Redsand Towers and the wreck of The S.S. Richard Montgomery. Jetstream Tours offers these and many other significant watery sights.
Water A World
For more water based things to do in Kent, X-Pilots Tours on the Isle of Sheppey runs tours. These include the Maunsell Forts and the Redsand, the Kentish Flats Windfarm and the Grain Fort. With Go2Sea you can ship spot and go on a Maunsell Tower outing too, as well as seals sighting and lots more sightseeing boating adventures. Tours also from Whitstable Boat Tours heading to the towers, wind farms and private tours as well.
KARTING AROUND
Karting is a firm favourite for thrills and squeals, and Kent has a trio of great venues to race against friends, families or the clock. There’s Bayford Meadows in Sittingbourne, Buckmore Park in Rochester, and Lydd Kart Circuit in Romney Marsh.
MAKE A SPLASH
Plenty of water-based adventures in Kent too with Aqua parks, and watersports. For instance, at St Andrews Lake in Rochester, this former quarry has been transformed into a beautiful blue lake reserve, complete with sandy beaches. There is a range of water and land-based activities aimed at all ages, including Kent’s largest Aqua Park. In Sandwich, there is also the Whitemills Wake & Aqua Park which offers an Aqua Park and wakeboarding. At the Bewl Water Aqua Park in Tunbridge Wells, see if you can beat the obstacles, and challenge your family and friends. They offer other water sports too. For more water-based adventures, see our Water Sports category.
REALITY BITES
If you fancy going for a ride on a spitfire without leaving the ground, try the Spitfire Simulator equipped with authentic controls at the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum in Manston, Thanet. Another example is the SIM Motorsport Race Centre in Gillingham. Here you can drive flat out on one of the world’s most iconic and challenging race circuits. There are five cars to choose from.
SHOOTING SCARES
There is a range of paintballing and laser tag experiences for all ages in the county. Some with sound, light and smoke effects recreating battle-like zones. For example, at Quex Park in Birchington, there are Paintball, Kidz Paintball, and Airsoft, which is a military-based simulation game like paintball. it is said to be as close as you can get to actual combat. Bedlam Paintball Canterbury offers paintballing and Splatmaster (for younger ones) experiences – with arenas including battle scenes and carnage areas.
Laser Fun
Laser tag is great for indoor adrenalin hunters. There’s Gravesend’s Panic Room Family Entertainment Centre‘s laser tag, offering private bookings for groups of 4-14 players. There is a selection of a range of game modes. In Tunbridge Wells, venture into the woodland arena at Bewl Water and have fun with their Laser Challenge. In addition, at Battle Sector X in Rochester, enjoy Laser Tag and Airsoft with a range of sessions. Head for Folkestone and HyperSpace Laser Tag is a 3,000 square foot indoor arena. Players use infrared guns to shoot at their opponents’ sensor vests, inspired by military combat training. In Ashford, Battlezone features a World War II-inspired indoor laser tag arena over two floors, with sound, light and smoke effects.
THROWING THRILLS
At Quex Park in Birchington, test your nerve, precision, and skill with Archery & Tomahawk Throwing. Try indoor urban axe throwing at the Panic Room Family Entertainment Centre Battle Masters in Gravesend, where dedicated ‘Axe-perts’ show you the ropes. All abilities are welcome at The Axe Throwing Centre in Tunbridge Wells. In addition, you can learn how to master the mighty Tomahawk before trying a traditional throwing axe for this group activity.
Skills & Shovels
Firefly Activities in Dartford, offers axe throwing, archery and crossbow. In Medway, at The Bearded Viking Axe Masters at Fort Luton in Chatham, an instructor will teach you different throwing techniques and you can also embark on the Apple Smash to test your aim. In Faversham, Joe’s Bows offers falconry, laser clay shooting, and archery experiences. Plus try axe and shovel throwing there. Rage Out in Maidstone has Axe Throwing too.
RAGING FUN
The first of its kind in Kent is Rage Out in Maidstone. Here you can take your anger/stress out on breakable objects. Just choose your weapon of choice. This could include a hammer, axe, golf club, baseball bat etc. You can even take along your own stuff to smash up. Check with the venue specifications first, of course!
KITES
Lots of heart-racing fun with kites – whether it’s kiting itself, buggy kiting or Kite Landboarding. Also, at Greatstone Beach in New Romney, there is a range of lessons at The Kitesurf Centre. They offer kite flying, kite buggy lessons, kite landboarding and kitesurfing. Kite Pirates is a Ramsgate-based kite surfing school. They run lessons at Pegwell Bay, Walpole Bay and Minnis Bay in Thanet.
ATTRACTION ADVENTURES
One of the many themes in our 18 Adventure Activities In Kent includes the great funfairs and theme park attractions in the county. There’s Dreamland Margate theme park with adventure rides, slides, big wheels, and flying chairs to list a few of the thrills. Plus it also has its iconic Scenic Railway wooden roller coaster.
Rides & Slides
At Diggerland there are plenty of fun rides for little ones – and big ones too. The Skyshuttle, mini land rovers, spin dizzy ride and lots more. Dymchurch Amusement Park is located right by the beach with dodgems, ghost trains, and arcades. They have a new rollercoaster as well as slides a twister ride, as well as arcades and lots more. Plus there are carousels, a helter skelter and lots more fun at the fair at the Herne Bay Pier.
KIDDIES CORNER
Many of the activities listed are suitable for children, however, here are also some suggestions for ideal adventures for little ones. In addition, the Adventure Experience at Bluewater has a host of activities for all ages. This includes Shark-themed electric GoGo Boats and miniport Boats, with junior offroaders also available. The Dymchurch Amusement Park has dodgems, a ghost train, a rollercoaster, slides, a twister ride, and lots more heart-racing fun.
On Your Bike
Cycloland, karting, bike races and lots more at Cyclopark in Gravesend with special events throughout the year.
Plus
for for more ideas see under See Kent Kids category and use the Kids See Kent tags on all listings when you filter for events.
18 Adventure Activities In Kent
See Kent, Know Kent
Picture Credit: Top to bottom © Kamil Pietrzak, Elievan Junior and Morten Soerensen at unsplash.com
