Dorset Weekend Trip from London – The Ultimate Autumn Getaway Guide
Dorset is a perfect place to escape the hustle of London for a quick weekend trip. It has incredible natural features like Durdle Door and the famed Jurassic Coast and is dotted with charming historic towns. My husband and I took a 2 day weekend trip from London in November 2025 to visit some of the top spots and had so much fun exploring Dorset for the first time. This itinerary is perfect if you’re looking for a quick getaway from London to see some iconic sights and return in time for work on Monday.
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Dorset in Autumn
Summer is certainly the most popular time to visit Dorset, but with that comes high prices and big crowds. Rather than fighting for parking spots or dinner reservations, consider an autumn visit instead.
In autumn, the air is crisp but not freezing. There are still other people around, but not many. Be sure to check the weather forecast ahead of time, of course, but November can still offer many beautiful dry days to explore.
The biggest downside to visiting late in the year is the few hours of sunlight each day. The sun set at 4:20PM when we were there, which meant we had to be strategic and pack as much as we could into a short time.
Also keep in mind that some of Dorset’s attractions and tours only run seasonally (or have reduced hours), with many running their last tours in October. Don’t worry though – there’s still plenty to do to fill a weekend!
How to Get From London to Dorset
By Car
The easiest way to get to and around Dorset is by car. We don’t own a car, so we rent one whenever we head out to the countryside. It takes ~3 hours to drive from London to Dorset.
Parking was easy everywhere we went in Dorset, especially because of how few people were around this time of year. In the summer months, the parking situation might a good the reason to consider public transit.
Public Transit
If all the trains are running, properly, it will likely take you about 4.5 hours to get from London to the Jurassic Coast via public transit. However, not every line runs 7 days a week and the schedule thins in the off season. Be sure to keep your plans flexible and map out your route in advance if you go with this option.
Your best option is likely to take the South Western Railway from Waterloo Station to Wool and then hop on the X54 Jurassic Coaster bus to Durdle Door. The bus also makes stops at Lulworth Cove. Note that the X54 does not run on Sundays (though some other buses like the X51/X53 do). Book an accommodation along bus route!
For one person, public transit is likely cheaper than renting a car, but for 2+ people, you’ll probably save money renting a car and paying for parking. Regardless, I recommend hiring a car for the flexibility and options it provides.
Organized Tour
To split the difference between public transit and self-driving, you could opt for an organized day trip. Many of these leave from Bournemouth or Weymouth, so you’d have to get yourself there, though it’s much more direct than the smaller towns of Dorset. This tour leaves from London, but is much pricier.
Where to Stay in Dorset
The Priory Wareham
This is where we stayed for the only night of our trip. This historic building dates back to the 16th century but has been well maintained and updated. The hotel was mostly empty, so we were upgraded from the basic room to a superior room. We ate dinner at the esteemed Garden Room restaurant on the property and had excellent service and delicious food. We were told we were one of only four parties dining there that evening so it truly felt like a private dining experience. Breakfast was also delicious (and included with our stay).
The hotel has on site parking for guests and is located right next to Wareham town center, so you can easily walk there and explore if you like.
If you try to book directly through The Priory’s website, they say they have a 2 night minimum. I was able to get around this by booking through booking.com instead!
The Castle Inn
If you want to stay closer to Lulworth Cove, check out The Castle Inn, only an 18 minute walk from the water. They have an onsite restaurant and are less expensive than The Priory Wareham.
Glamping at South Lytchett Manor
For a more unique accommodation, check out the clamping options at South Lytchett Manor. They have star-gazing yurts, glamping pods, Romany caravans, and shepherd huts. There is heating to keep you warm in the autumn night! You do have to bring your own bedding and the bathrooms are communal, which may be a deal breaker. They also have bikes for hire and laundry facilities.
Day 1 Itinerary
Your morning will be spent in transit as you make your way from London to Dorset. Set your GPS to Durdle Door car park.
Durdle Door
When you arrive, you should find plenty of parking since the crowds are low this time of year. Parking is paid on departure via a QR code where you enter your vehicle type, plate number, and pay via Apple Pay/Google Pay/card. There are free restrooms at the parking lot and a small cafe that I was surprised to see open in November!
To get down to see the iconic arch, you need to descend a fairly steep but well maintained path. You’ll pass Man O’War bay and then reach an aerial viewpoint of Durdle Door. If you want to get down to the rocky beach below, just follow the stairs down.
Be sure to look out west of Durdle Door to see another smaller sea arch in the distance!
Lulworth Cove
You have two options to get to Luluworth Cove: you can walk 1 mile from Durdle Door or drive and park. If you park, be sure to pay for parking at the pay station. We opted for the walk, which provided scenic views of the cove and coastline.
Lulworth is a tiny quintessentially British seaside town and is a great place to get lunch. There are a couple of places right by the cove serving food this time of year.
For some relaxation and recovery, check out The Saltwater Sauna. You need to pre-book a session in advance, but it’s the perfect spot if you want to alternate between sauna heat and a cold plunge in the cove.
Take a Dip in Man O’War Bay
If you want to swim in the English Channel, I recommend making it the last thing you do today so that you’re not freezing the rest of the day. After we walked back from Luluworth Cove, we changed into our swimsuits, towels, and DryRobes and headed down to Man O’War Bay for a dip. The water and air were both 55° Fahrenheit (~13°C) but we stayed and swam for about 15 minutes. The cove is well protected and the water is so clear thanks to the rocky beach. Someone even told us about a kelp forest on the western side of the bay – we want to come back with our snorkel gear and check it out!
We just swam in regular swimsuits but we wished we’d had water shoes on to make getting in and out of the water easier.
As we were leaving, we saw the sun starting to set over Durdle Door. That was our cue to head to our hotel, shower, and get dinner.
Milk Vending Machine
One of my favorite parts of any UK road trip is stopping at a milk vending machine for some of the best milk in the world, fresh from the farm. They often sell other goods too including yogurt, cheese, eggs, and meats. If you’re driving, simply type “milk vending machine” into Google Maps and lots of options will pop up. On this trip, we stopped at Norden Farm Shop on day 1 and Meggy Moo’s Dairy before heading back to London on day 2. Both were delicious!
Unfortunately, it’s not really feasible to visit most milk vending machines via public transit because they’re often tucked away on country roads.
Day 2 Itinerary
Try to aim for an early(ish) start today to maximize the amount of daylight you have. Be sure to wear good shoes – we ended up walking nearly 10 miles this day!
Old Harry Rocks
Durdle Door isn’t the only impressive rock formation on the Jurassic Coast. The Old Harry Rocks, which are at the very end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, are impressive rock stacks sticking out of the sea with a view all the way out to the Isle of Wight. It even has its own sea arch!
To get to the Old Harry Rocks, park at South Beach car park. We paid £6 for 3 hours of parking, but it is free for National Trust members. The machine only takes coins but we were able to use the JustPark app to pay instead as we didn’t have any coins. There are free toilets located near the parking lot.
From South Beach, you’ll need to walk about a mile to reach the Old Harry Rocks. The best view of them is from the next cliff west of them. Be very careful near the cliff edges as they are prone to erosion.
Dancing Ledge + (Optional) Dinosaur Footprints
Dancing Ledge is a popular spot for rock climbers and birds nesting during the summer months. By autumn, this is a pretty quiet spot with only a couple other people around. It’s still a beautiful spot and features a cool manmade seawater swimming pool that is free to swim in year round.
To get to the dancing ledge, park at the Spyway car park. We paid £4 for all day parking via the JustPark app, but it’s free for national trust members. From there, you have a long but mostly-flat path until you get near the beach. Then you walk downhill through a cow field before reaching the steps down to the Dancing Ledge.
The swimming pool is a bit harder to access as you have to rock climb down to it. We couldn’t figure out an easy way down, so we just viewed it from above (we weren’t planning to swim here anyways).
On your way back, take a left turn at Priest’s Way and follow is a little more than a mile to reach the dinosaur footprints left behind by a brachiosaurus millions of years ago. The footprints are nothing more than shallow impressions in the stone, which may be underwhelming to some and extremely cool to others. Up to you to decide if the detour out to them is worth it.
Corfe Castle
Finish off your trip to Dorset with a tour of Corfe Castle, or what’s left of it. It’s in ruins but dates back to time of William the Conqueror and stood until it was blown up by Parliament in 1646 during the English Civil War.
Parking is at the visitor welcome center and is free for national trust members. We paid £4 for up to 5 hours of parking but did have a bit of trouble paying through the JustPark app because data was spotty here. They do also have a machine to pay with coins. You have to walk around the castle to get to the ticket office and entrance.
Entry to the castle was £14/person (we saved £1 because it was an off-peak date) and we paid when we arrived. The audio guide was a bit confusing as it tried to tell centuries of history through a few key characters of the castle. We opted not to do the Guided Tour and King’s View Experience (additional fee of £15/person) and ultimately regretted it. If you have the time, I think it’d enhance your time at the castle.
After we toured the castle we climbed the West Hill next to Corfe Castle for a great view of the ruins. The town of Corfe Castle is also adorable and has pubs, souvenir shops, and the smallest town hall in England.
When the sun sets, that’s your cue to start driving back to London. Be prepared for dark, narrow roads until you get onto the main highways. It’s a little nerve wracking to drive in, but worth the extra effort for a lovely weekend trip to Dorset.
If You Only Have 1 Day
If you are trying to make Durdle Door a day trip from London, here’s what I’d do:
- Durdle Door
- Drive over to Lulworth Cove and eat lunch
- Corfe Castle
- Norden Farm Shop for some milk
I would certainly choose to drive to Dorset for a day trip because it’s faster than public transit, especially to get between the sights in the area. It’s a lot of driving in one day, but better than not getting to go at all!
Other Things to Do in Dorset
- The Blue Pool Nature Reserve & Tea Rooms
- Lulworth Castle (Sunday only – closed for weddings on Fridays and Saturdays)
- eBike + brunch tour
Final Thoughts
Dorset had been on our UK bucket list for a while and I’m glad we were finally able to squeeze in a visit, even if it was short. Going on a beautiful weekend in November allowed us to enjoy the natural beauty of the Jurassic Coast without fighting crowds or boiling in the summer heat.
Be sure to save this post for future trip planning!
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