Poole Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Brownsea Castle featuring heritage architecture
Brownsea Castle showing heritage architecture
Brownsea Island showing heritage architecture and a church or cathedral
Poole
Poole Harbour showing a river or creek
Relax on one of Britain’s favorite beaches and amble along the coastal paths of this quaint town that has been inhabited since the Iron Age.

Pretty beaches, a natural harbour and rich history draw crowds to the charming town of Poole. Much of the activity revolves around the beach, where many cafés and restaurants face an elegant seaside promenade. Learn about Poole’s extensive history, from the Iron Age to D-Day landings.

Poole has a glorious array of Blue Flag beaches that are clean and suitable for kids. Visit Sandbanks Beach, which many consider one of Britain’s best. It lies next to the Sandbanks peninsula, with some of the country’s most expensive homes. Appreciate the gradual downward slope as you enter the cool sea. Lifeguards and first aid services are available in summer.

Poole Harbour is among Europe’s largest natural harbors. Romans landed here during their invasion almost 2,000 years ago. Today, participate in water sports, such as water skiing, wakeboarding and kite surfing.

Take the ferry to Brownsea Island to visit the wildlife sanctuary with red squirrels and deer. See a castle built by Henry VIII in the picturesque nature reserve.

Away from the beach and port, find Lighthouse, the cultural hub of the town. This modern structure hosts dramatic theatre performances and musical concerts. Attend one of the various shows, from circus acts to comedy routines. Enjoy a local meal in the building’s café.

To find out about Poole’s intriguing history, visit the Poole Museum. Explore its four floors of exhibits that will enlighten you about prehistoric settlements, pirates and Poole’s role in the Normandy invasion.

The town of Poole is located between Bournemouth and Dorchester on England’s southern coast. Take a bus southwest for 11 miles (18 kilometres) from Bournemouth Airport, a journey that should take around 40 minutes. The train from London to Poole takes roughly 2 hours.

Visit the historic town of Poole with immaculate beaches and activities for the entire family. The town is warm in summer with occasional heat waves, when the beaches are popular, and cold to mild in winter.

Where to stay in Poole

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Parkstone

Are you interested in stunning beaches, fantastic nightlife and luxurious spas? A visit to Parkstone might be the perfect thing. You can also explore top sights like Splashdown Waterpark and Tower Park.

Parkstone
Poole Museum which includes interior views

Poole Old Town

Visitors to Poole Old Town rave about its stunning beaches, fantastic nightlife and luxurious spas. You might also want to make some time to see Scaplen’s Court Museum or Poole Museum while you're exploring the neighbourhood.

Poole Old Town

Oakdale

While Oakdale isn't home to many top sights, Poole Harbour and Lighthouse, Poole's Centre for the Arts are some notable places to visit nearby.

Oakdale
Holiday Inn Express Poole by IHG
Holiday Inn Express Poole by IHG
3 out of 5
Walking Field Lane, Poole, England
The price is ₹7,486 per night from 5 May to 6 May
₹7,486
₹8,984 total
includes taxes & fees
5 May - 6 May
Stay at this 3-star business-friendly hotel in Poole. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful ...
8/10 Very Good! (1,000 reviews)
"This was our first stay in Holiday Inn Express! Liked the hospitality, ambience, location and complimentary breakfast!"

Reviewed on 21 Apr 2025

Holiday Inn Express Poole by IHG
Hotel du Vin & Bistro Poole
Hotel du Vin & Bistro Poole
4 out of 5
Thames Street, Poole, England
The price is ₹8,779 per night from 27 Apr to 28 Apr
₹8,779
₹10,535 total
includes taxes & fees
27 Apr - 28 Apr
Stay at this 4-star eco-certified hotel in Poole. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and 24-hour room service. Our guests praise the helpful staff in their ...
9/10 Wonderful! (664 reviews)
"Great stay - in particular, the barman (Zack) was excellent and a good ambassador for the hotel and the brand. All staff we friendly and the hotel was convenient to the old town. The breakfast at £24 pp was a little expense and hence we had breakfast outside of the hotel, aside from this, it was ..."

Reviewed on 21 Apr 2025

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Poole
Sandbanks Hotel
Sandbanks Hotel
4 out of 5
15 Banks Road, Sandbanks, Poole, England
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is ₹9,350 per night from 29 Apr to 30 Apr
₹9,350
₹11,221 total
includes taxes & fees
29 Apr - 30 Apr
Stay at this 4-star beach hotel in Poole. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and a beach locale. Our guests praise the helpful staff in their reviews. Popular ...
7.8/10 Good! (792 reviews)
My stay in Sandbanks
"Lovely service. Clean rooms. Great breakfast. Nice cosy swimming pool"

Reviewed on 21 Apr 2025

Sandbanks Hotel
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Quayside Quarters
Quayside Quarters
3 out of 5
25 Thames St, Poole, England
Stay at this 3-star aparthotel in Poole. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, dry cleaning or laundry services and minibars. Popular attractions Poole Harbour and Bournemouth Beach ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (53 reviews)
"We had a really lovely stay here. It was really close to loads of pubs and restaurants."

Reviewed on 14 Apr 2025

Quayside Quarters
The Dorset Resort
The Dorset Resort
4 out of 5
Bere Regis, Wareham, England
Stay at this 4-star golf aparthotel in Wareham. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and a golf course. Popular attractions Monkey World Ape Rescue Center and Purbeck ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (29 reviews)
Amazing accomodation, beautiful location
"Comms were good from beginning to end and everything was easy and clear. The property was clean and well equipped a minor issue was wear and tear on the dining chairs and honestly the mattresses were too soft for my personal taste"

Reviewed on 18 Apr 2025

The Dorset Resort
The Cliff House Hotel
The Cliff House Hotel
4 out of 5
Marine Drive West, Barton-On-Sea, New Milton, England
Stay at this 4-star holiday home in New Milton. Enjoy free breakfast, free parking and daily housekeeping. Popular attractions Barton-on-sea Beach and Highcliffe ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (376 reviews)
"Everything about the property was incredible. The welcome from Jordan and just the way it felt like home from home"

Reviewed on 7 Mar 2025

The Cliff House Hotel
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Reviews of Poole

4.2
Top destination
5 - Excellent
57
5 - Excellent 38%
4 - Good
72
4 - Good 48%
3 - Okay
20
3 - Okay 13%
2 - Disappointing
1
2 - Disappointing 1%
1 - Terrible
0
1 - Terrible 0%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

We visited RNLI college to view the Shannon boat from Launch A Memory campaign, especially to see our dads name on the boat. We 100%support the RNLI so the trip to Poole for this reason was very important for our family.⚓️

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller

Light up Poole was good, our second year of going.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

A good place for shopping and to visit plenty to do and see

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

I lived near Poole many years ago and I always love to go back and visit

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller

As only an over night stay I didn’t see much of Poole so hard to give a review but where we were was delightful

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveller

Just stayed overnight so no impressions

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