Photo: Jim Osley, CC BY-SA 2.0Free days out in Sussex
Sussex is generous with its best views. The Seven Sisters, Beachy Head, Devil's Dyke and Ashdown Forest cost nothing to walk, and Knepp's 16 miles of footpaths through a rewilded estate are free too.
Free to walk does not always mean free to park, so we have noted car park charges where we have them. Take a picnic and a flask and the day can cost very little.
Autumn adds the Sussex bonfire season. Several processions and seafront displays are free to watch, and one pumpkin patch beside the A27 has free entry.
Coast and Downs
Chalk cliffs, a dry valley and miles of sand.
Image: Seven Sisters Country ParkSeven Sisters Country Park
The classic view of the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs starts here, where the Cuckmere river meanders down to the sea. A level trail runs about 2km to the shingle beach at Cuckmere Haven, so it works for pushchairs and less confident walkers too.
Why it's here: Free to walk, with a level trail of about 2km to the beach at Cuckmere Haven. Parking costs £3.50 for up to two hours.
Image: National TrustBirling Gap and the Seven Sisters
Birling Gap is where the South Downs meet the sea at the Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, one of the longest undeveloped stretches of the south coast. Walk the clifftop downland, or take the steps down to the shingle beach for rock pools and fossil hunting. The National Trust café, shop and visitor centre sit on the cliff top.
Why it's here: Clifftop downland and a shingle beach beneath the Seven Sisters, free to visit, with pay and display parking from £2 for an hour.
Image: Visit Eastbourne (Eastbourne Borough Council)Beachy Head
Britain's highest chalk sea cliff, rising 162 metres above the lighthouse and the Channel. Walk up from the western end of Eastbourne seafront on the South Downs Way, or park at the top and stroll towards Belle Tout.
Why it's here: Britain's highest chalk sea cliff, free to walk on the South Downs Way. Council car parks charge from £1.50 an hour.
Image: National TrustDevil's Dyke
The longest, deepest and widest dry valley in Britain, cut into the South Downs just north of Brighton. Walk the Iron Age ramparts for the view Constable called the grandest in the world, then drop into the valley itself.
Why it's here: Walk the Iron Age ramparts and the dry valley for free. The 77 bus runs up from central Brighton on set days, including winter weekends.
Image: Visit 1066 Country (Hastings Borough Council)Camber Sands
More than two miles of sandy beach near Rye. Winter is the time for long dog walks and kite flying, with the summer crowds long gone.
Why it's here: More than two miles of sandy beach, free all year, with free parking at Broomhill.
Forest and wild places
Big skies inland.
Image: Ashdown ForestAshdown Forest
Open heathland and woodland that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood in the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Big skies, long views and miles of paths make it a favourite for dog walks and family rambles, with Poohsticks Bridge an easy target for younger children.
Why it's here: Open heathland, woodland and Poohsticks Bridge, free to visit, with all-day parking at £5.
Image: Knepp WildlandKnepp Wildland
A pioneering rewilding project, where free-roaming herds, white storks and recovering wildlife have replaced intensive farming. Public footpaths, tree platforms and a lakeside hide let you explore for free, and the Wilding Kitchen is open all year.
Why it's here: 16 miles of free footpaths, tree viewing platforms and a lakeside hide on a pioneering rewilding estate.
Free indoors
For when the weather turns.
Image: Towner EastbourneTowner Eastbourne
Eastbourne's contemporary art gallery, with changing exhibitions, a cinema and free family activities. It is an easy rainy-day stop close to the seafront.
Why it's here: Free gallery entry, with under-25s getting free admission to exhibitions, plus free family activities at weekends and in school holidays.
Image: Chichester CathedralChichester Cathedral
A 900-year-old cathedral in the centre of Chichester, free to enter by donation and welcoming to dogs. Look out for the John Piper tapestry, and the peregrine falcons that nest on the spire.
Why it's here: Entry by donation, with £7 suggested, and free drop-in guided tours most days.
Free events this autumn
Bonfires, fireworks and pumpkins that cost nothing to get into.
Image: Hastings Borough Bonfire SocietyHastings Bonfire Night
Hastings Borough Bonfire Society's torchlit procession winds through the town before a bonfire and a grand finale firework display on the beach. Torches are brought down from the East Hill Beacon to light the procession.
Why it's here: Free with no ticket needed on Saturday 17 October: a torchlit procession at about 7.15pm and fireworks on the beach at about 9.15pm.
Image: Littlehampton Bonfire SocietyLittlehampton Bonfire Night
Littlehampton Bonfire Society returns for its 74th year with a traditional torchlight procession, bonfire and fireworks by the seafront. The evening begins with a service at the war memorial.
Why it's here: Free entry to the 74th torchlight procession, bonfire and fireworks by the seafront on Saturday 24 October.
Image: Battel Bonfire BoyesBattle Bonfire
Battel Bonfire Boyes run one of the oldest bonfire celebrations in Sussex, starting with a maroon at dawn and ending with a torch-lit procession, bonfire and fireworks. The daytime arrival of the Oldest Guy in the World on Abbey Green is a gentler way to see it.
Why it's here: Free to attend on Saturday 7 November, with collections for local good causes. The organisers say it is not suitable for young children.
Image: Worthing LionsWorthing Bonfire Night fireworks
Worthing Lions set off a free fireworks display from the end of the pier on Bonfire Night, best watched from the promenade. There is no procession or bonfire, just a straightforward seafront show.
Why it's here: A free display from the end of the pier at 7.30pm on 5 November, best watched from the promenade.
Image: Sompting PumpkinsSompting Pumpkins
A family-run pumpkin patch across 15 acres beside the A27, with free entry and no need to book. Resident sheep, tractor rides and a pumpkin-themed food menu make it more than a quick pick.
Why it's here: Free entry to a 15-acre pumpkin patch beside the A27, daily until 31 October with no need to book. Pumpkins are priced by size.
Questions people ask
What free things are there to do in Sussex?
Walking the Seven Sisters from Seven Sisters Country Park or Birling Gap, Devil's Dyke, Beachy Head, Ashdown Forest, Knepp and Camber Sands are all free, though most car parks charge.
Is Lewes Bonfire Night free?
The processions are free to watch, but most fire sites are ticketed and must be bought in advance from the societies. Visit Lewes and the district council advise people who do not live in Lewes not to travel in.
Are there free fireworks in Sussex in 2026?
Worthing's pier display on 5 November is free to watch, and the Hastings (17 October), Littlehampton (24 October) and Battle (7 November) bonfire nights are free to attend.