Photo: Photo of Chichester: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0Things to do in Sussex for adults
For a day out in Sussex without the kids, Pallant House Gallery in Chichester and Petworth House and Park in Petworth are the best indoor choices, with a modern British collection and Turner paintings. For a slower afternoon, Tinwood Estate near Halnaker runs a vineyard tour with a tutored sparkling wine tasting, and Glyndebourne near Glynde offers opera with a picnic in the grounds.
Two adults with no children to plan around can cover a lot of Sussex in a weekend. The strongest options are the galleries and great houses, the wine estates, a few evenings at the theatre or opera, and gardens and coast walks for the quieter hours.
Check opening days before you go, because several of these places keep short or seasonal hours in late October. Petworth House and Park charges adults £15 without Gift Aid until 31 October, and the price rises to £18 from 1 November, so check before you book.
Book ahead for tours and tastings. Tinwood's vineyard tours run at 12pm and 3pm on most days, and Bolney's three-hour tour runs at 11am and 1pm, so reserve a time before you travel.
Every place here is checked against its official website; the latest check was on .
Galleries and great houses
Indoor visits for an afternoon with time to look properly.
Image: Pallant House GalleryPallant House Gallery
A leading gallery of Modern British art in the centre of Chichester, housed in a Georgian townhouse joined to a contemporary wing. Its collection of more than 5,000 works runs from Barbara Hepworth and Paul Nash to Rachel Whiteread, alongside changing exhibitions, a courtyard café and an art bookshop.
Why it's here: More than 5,000 works of Modern British art, from Barbara Hepworth and Paul Nash to Rachel Whiteread, with adult tickets at £17. The ground floor and Print Room exhibition are free to visit.
Image: National TrustPetworth House and Park
A grand 17th-century house holding one of the National Trust's finest art collections, including Turner, Van Dyck and Gainsborough. Outside, a 700-acre deer park by 'Capability' Brown gives big South Downs views and room for a long walk.
Why it's here: Turner, Van Dyck and Gainsborough hang in the house, with a 700-acre deer park by Capability Brown outside. Without Gift Aid, adult entry is £15 until 31 October.
Image: CharlestonCharleston
The modernist home and studio of painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, a farmhouse near Firle where a timed house visit explores their art and lives. Galleries with changing exhibitions, a walled garden, a cafe and a shop complete the visit.
Why it's here: The farmhouse home and studio of painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, with a timed house visit, galleries and a walled garden. Adult tickets are £29, or £32 with Gift Aid, and it opens Wednesday to Sunday.
Image: Hastings ContemporaryHastings Contemporary
A contemporary art gallery on the seafront at the Stade, next to Rock-a-Nore, showing changing exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. Its coquina restaurant and cafe has panoramic views.
Why it's here: Changing modern and contemporary art on the seafront at the Stade, with a cafe and restaurant that have panoramic views. Adults pay £11, and it opens Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm.
Wine estates
Tours and tastings where the drink is the point.
Image: Tinwood EstateTinwood Estate
A family-owned vineyard on the edge of the South Downs near Chichester, planted in 2007 and producing single-vineyard sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Daily tours lead through the vines before a tutored tasting, and you can add small plates from the Vineyard Kitchen or stay the night in a lodge.
Why it's here: A vineyard tour through the vines followed by a tutored tasting, at £21 per person including three glasses of sparkling wine. Tours run at 12pm and 3pm on most days, and you should book online.
Image: Rathfinny Wine EstateRathfinny Wine Estate
A family-run sparkling wine estate on a south-facing slope of the South Downs near Alfriston. Browse the Cellar Door, book a tour of the winery with a guided tasting, or settle in at The Hut or the Flint Barns for food and a glass.
Why it's here: Drop-in tastings at the Cellar Door are complimentary, and the shop is open daily from 10am to 5pm. The Flint Barns restaurant serves Sunday lunch, and tours are booked in advance.
Image: RidgeviewRidgeview Wine Estate
One of the pioneers of English sparkling wine, making wine near Ditchling for more than 25 years. Join a tour and tasting, eat at The Rows and Vine restaurant overlooking the vines, or pick up a bottle at the Wine Bar and Shop.
Why it's here: One of the pioneers of English sparkling wine, making wine near Ditchling for more than 25 years. Its Wine Bar and Shop is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 4pm.
Image: Bolney Wine EstateBolney Wine Estate
Bolney Wine Estate has been growing vines in the Sussex countryside since 1972 and now farms 18 acres. Its three-hour guided tour and tasting walks the vineyard before sampling award-winning still and sparkling wines with food pairings. The estate also makes English gin and vermouth.
Why it's here: A three-hour guided tour through 18 acres of vines and a tasting of still and sparkling wines, with English gin and vermouth. The tour runs daily at 11am and 1pm.
Evenings out
Opera, theatre and concerts for a night out.
Image: GlyndebourneGlyndebourne
An opera house in the Sussex Downs, four miles from Lewes, set in the grounds and gardens of a country house. Audiences can bring a picnic to enjoy in the gardens or dine in the on-site restaurants and marquees.
Why it's here: Opera and concerts in the grounds of a country house four miles from Lewes, with an autumn season from October to December. Ticket prices vary by performance, and you can bring a picnic.
Image: Chichester Festival TheatreChichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre stands in Oaklands Park in Chichester and describes itself as a local theatre with a world-class profile. It runs three spaces, the Festival Theatre, the Minerva and The Nest, with a programme of plays, musicals and Shakespeare plus comedy, live music and shows for young children. Its Christmas show is one of the region's big festive outings.
Why it's here: Three spaces, the Festival Theatre, the Minerva and The Nest, staging plays, musicals, Shakespeare and comedy. Ticket prices vary by show.
Image: ATG TicketsTheatre Royal Brighton
A Grade II* listed theatre that has entertained Brighton audiences for more than 200 years, staging touring plays, comedy, concerts and family shows. It sits in the heart of the city, a 10 minute walk from Brighton station.
Why it's here: A Grade II* listed theatre that has entertained Brighton audiences for more than 200 years, staging touring plays, comedy and concerts. It is a 10-minute walk from Brighton station.
Image: Brighton DomeBrighton Dome
Brighton's main multi-arts venue, set around the Royal Pavilion Garden, with the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre under one roof. Expect music, comedy, theatre, dance and family shows year round, plus the annual Brighton Festival.
Why it's here: Brighton's main multi-arts venue, with the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre under one roof. The Brighton Dome Comedy Festival runs each October.
Gardens, coast and walks
Quieter outdoor options for the daylight hours.
Image: West Dean GardensWest Dean Gardens
West Dean Gardens sits at the foot of the South Downs north of Chichester and is one of the finest restored gardens open to the public. Highlights include the Victorian glasshouses, a productive Walled Kitchen Garden, a 100-metre Edwardian pergola and the 49-acre St Roche's Arboretum. It is open year round, with a restaurant, tea cottage and shops on site.
Why it's here: Open all year, with Victorian glasshouses, a walled kitchen garden and a 100-metre Edwardian pergola, plus a restaurant on site.
Image: Leonardslee Lakes and GardensLeonardslee Lakes and Gardens
A 240-acre Grade I listed woodland garden set around a chain of seven lakes in a steep valley. Free-roaming wallabies, a sculpture park and a dolls' house museum give children plenty to find as they explore.
Why it's here: A 240-acre woodland garden around seven lakes, with adult day tickets from £15.50. The Leonardslee Lights trail runs on winter evenings from 27 November 2026.
Photo: David Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0East Head
A sand and shingle spit at the mouth of Chichester Harbour, one of the last stretches of natural coastline in West Sussex. Shifting dunes give way to salt marsh, with a sandy beach for walking and playing and yachts anchored off the northern tip, where seals sometimes appear. It sits at the end of West Wittering beach.
Why it's here: A sand and shingle spit at the end of West Wittering beach, with no admission charge. Parking is charged to everyone, members included.
Photo: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 3.0Cissbury Ring
The largest hill fort in Sussex, with ramparts enclosing about 65 acres on a chalk spur just north of Worthing and a story going back more than 5,000 years, including Neolithic flint mines. On a clear day the views reach the cliffs beyond Brighton and the Isle of Wight. Grazed downland makes it one of the best butterfly spots in the county.
Why it's here: The largest hill fort in Sussex, with ramparts enclosing about 65 acres above Findon. It is free to visit, with views to the Isle of Wight on clear days.
Questions people ask
Is Pallant House Gallery free?
Partly. Adult tickets are £17, 18 to 25s pay £8.50 and under 18s go free, but the ground floor and the Print Room exhibition are free to visit.
Can two adults do a wine tour in Sussex?
Yes. Tinwood Estate runs a vineyard tour and tutored tasting for £21 per person, usually at 12pm and 3pm, and Rathfinny Wine Estate offers complimentary drop-in tastings at its Cellar Door.
When is Glyndebourne open?
The grounds open before each performance, and the autumn opera season runs from October to December. Ticket prices vary by performance.