From cute villages, to lavender, castles and cars, here are the best things to do in the New Forest on your weekend or day away. I’ve visited many, many times and live less than an hour away – lucky!

I hadn’t heard of the New Forest National Park until I was in my late 20s, now, I’m a little bit obsessed with the New Forest attractions. I love it there, and lucky for me it’s less than an hour from my house.

I’ve still got quite a bit left to explore, it’s a work in progress but I thought I’d introduce you to a few of the best things to do in the New Forest, as discovered so far.

This article lists the most unique things to do in the New Forest to help you plan your day trip, weekend or holiday. Almost everything has been tried and tested by me.

– Read on to see the best places to visit in the New Forest!

Just a little bit of background before we begin though. The New Forest is in Hampshire, it’s the smallest of England’s national parks, it’s mostly owned by the Queen and it’s the perfect place for a weekend away.

Also, there are lots of New Forest attractions to enjoy.

Watch my video on what to do in the New Forest

What is there to do in the New Forest?

This quiet corner of south England is home to the New Forest National Park, which itself is 219 square miles of nature, beautiful coastline and quaint English charm. And there’s so much to do here, think everything from steam trains to watersports, otters to vintage cars.

So if you fancy a getaway but want to keep it closer to home, head here for an authentically British weekend. Start your journey working your way through this list of top things to do in the New Forest.

1. Visit Brockenhurst village

Brockenhurst is the cutest village, complete with Tudor style houses and a secret watersplash ford. It was once declared ‘Britain’s Most Beautiful Place to Live’ and given that wild ponies, donkeys and cows happily plod through the village you can see why – it’s one of the top places to visit in the New Forest.

There’s a really cute church there, St Nicholas Church and if you go in the priest will show you around and tell you all about the New Zealanders that were once in the area fighting for us.

Visiting Brockenhurst is one of the top New Forest days out.

2. Eat at the Huntsman

The Huntsman is so good.

I’ve been twice now, once for a weekend dinner with the ladies, and once for Sunday lunch with my boyfriend. Both, wonderful experiences.

It’s a lovely setting, in the aforementioned Brockenhurst, full of lovely furniture, beautiful pictures, and a cool vibe. There’s a lunch menu full of great takes on British classics, and I can definitely vouch for the red wine menu too.