Jersey may be tiny compared to, say, the Isle of Wight or Anglesey, but the closer you look, the larger and more intriguing it seems.
Every village and bay has its own character, and there’s masses to do, particularly on bright, calm days. On the coast, there are powder-soft sands, clifftop walks and sea dips to enjoy, while inland, you could cycle along pine-scented avenues or wander through lovingly tended gardens.
Whatever the weather, history lovers are in luck. Jersey’s many monuments and museums span more than six thousand years of settlement, and are crammed with fascinating details.
All our recommendations have been hand-selected and tested by our destination expert to help you discover the best things to do in Jersey. Find out more below or for more inspiration, see our guides to the best hotels, restaurants, bars and nightlife, and beaches.
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Best for families
Jersey Zoo
Tap into Gerald Durrell’s passion for animals
Just like the young Durrell, kids will be wide-eyed with wonder at the tortoises, frogs and other creatures at this conservation-conscious zoo. Well-kept primates – from mighty gorillas and orangutans to perky lemurs – are the highlight. Whether or not you’re familiar with the founder’s endearing writings and lifelong devotion to habitat protection, you’ll find much to warm your heart.
Insider tip: The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust aims to inspire people to care for the planet by connecting them with nature. There are fewer lovelier examples of this than the Butterfly Kaleidoscope, a heated tunnel where multi-hued tropical butterflies flap lazily around you.
Website: durrell.org
Price: ££
Visitors to Jersey Zoo can walk through the butterfly tunnel – Malcolm Walker/Alamy Stock Photo
Valley Adventure Centre
Brave the high ropes
At this outdoor activity centre, energetic youngsters with a head for heights can test their mettle on the Giant King Swing, careering through the air at up to 50mph. Then there’s the zip wire, which starts from a 12-metre-high tower then zooms across a 150-metre-wide valley. Other excitements include an aerial obstacle course with a simulated, controlled freefall drop.
Insider tip: Activities must be booked in advance, by phone, email or online. During quiet sessions, you may get more turns. Tie back long hair, remove loose jewellery and body piercings and don’t wear precious clothing: it could get grubby.
Website: valleyadventure.je
Price: £££
An aerial obstacle course is among the activities at the Valley Adventure Centre – Mark Fox
Mont Orgueil Castle
Rule the roost like a medieval knight or princess
Storybook vibes abound at this cracker of a coastal castle, perched on a rock at Jersey’s eastern tip. Founded in the 13th century, its views stretch all the way to France. Winding stone staircases, inner chambers, battlements and towers make it perfect for hide and seek. Kids can get into character by raiding the dressing-up supplies and grabbing toy swords and shields.
Insider tip: Admission to Mont Orgueil Castle is included in the seven-day Jersey Heritage Pass, sold via the Jersey Heritage website. This money-saving ticket allows entry into a number of the island’s best museums and attractions, as many times as you like.
Website: jerseyheritage.org
Price: ££
Mont Orgueil Castle, in Jersey’s east, has battlements and towers to explore – Andy Le Gresley
Maritime Museum
Unlock the lore of the seven seas
The Maritime Museum’s motley collection of interactive displays and artefacts brings Jersey’s nautical traditions to life in a lively and eccentric way. The museum is housed in a row of granite warehouses in the heart of St Helier. Sea shanties play and models demonstrate how waves flow and sailing boats tack, while craftworks including a hand-knitted coral reef and tiny automatons add colour and humour.
Insider tip: In the harbour outside the Maritime Museum, you can admire the historic timber boats of the Jersey Heritage Fleet. They have been restored and are maintained by volunteers who have a workshop within the museum.
Website: jerseyheritage.org
Price: ££
Jersey’s nautical traditions are brought to life at the Maritime Museum – OLLIE JONES/Jersey Heritage
Cycling the Green Lanes
Pedal across the heart of the island
If you explore rural Jersey by car, you may wonder whether the island’s narrow roads are safe for cyclists – and indeed where they all are. The secret is to pedal the 48-mile network of Green Lanes instead. Few cars venture here, since the speed limit is 15mph. Go it alone on rented bikes or e-bikes, or book a guided tour.
Insider tip: One of the most peaceful and enjoyable routes is the gently sloping four-mile Railway Walk from St Aubin to La Corbière in Jersey’s south west. Shared by cyclists and pedestrians, it follows a former train line, shaded by trees.
Website: gov.je
Price: ££-£££
Jersey is very cyclist friendly, with 48 miles of Green Lanes – James Carnegie Photography
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Best for history
Jersey War Tunnels
Dig into Jersey’s wartime occupation story
The island’s most celebrated Second World War museum occupies a complex network of tunnels carved out of a hillside between 1941 and 1945, mostly by captives from Spain, Poland and Russia. It formed part of Jersey’s Nazi defences against Allied attack, and later became a hospital. While its exhibits lack modern finesse, the museum is worth visiting for its gritty storytelling.
Insider tip: There’s a gentle slope down into the complex, which is well lit and, mercifully, spacious enough to not feel claustrophobic. The temperature hovers around 10-15C and the atmosphere can feel damp, so it’s best to dress accordingly.
Website: jerseywartunnels.com
Price: ££
The Jersey War Tunnels have been turned into a Second World War museum – Doug Houghton/Alamy Stock Photo
Channel Islands Military Museum
Step inside a German Second World War bunker
Created by a passionate private collector of wartime memorabilia, this museum crams a wealth of artefacts into a concrete bunker, one of several that still crouch on Jersey’s shores. Nazi medals, uniforms, a bicycle and a motorbike are on display among assorted tools, weaponry and flags. Boosted with oddments discovered in grandparents’ attics, the inventory continues to grow. It’s open 10am to 5pm daily, between April and October.
Insider tip: Set on St Ouen’s Bay, the museum combines well with a spot of surfing or a lazy late afternoon at one of the bay’s laid-back beach restaurants, which have grandstand views of the sunset.
Contact: facebook.com; 07797 732072
Price: £
The Channel Islands Military Museum houses a growing inventory of wartime artefacts
La Hougue Bie
Travel back 6,000 years
La Hougue Bie (The Burial Mound) was built during Neolithic times and is deeply spiritual. At its heart is a passage grave that’s among the 10 oldest buildings in the world. An assembly of stone slabs with a grassy hillock on top, its low-ceilinged passage leads to a chamber that’s lit by the rising sun at the spring and summer equinoxes. A 16th-century chapel tops the mound, and there’s a replica Neolithic longhouse alongside.
Insider tip: Don’t miss Searching for Jersey’s Celts, the exhibition adjoining the mound. It opened in 2023, and tells the story of Le Câtillon II, the world’s largest hoard of Celtic coins, discovered on Jersey in 2012.
Website: jerseyheritage.org
Price: ££
A 16th-century chapel sits atop the neolithic La Hougue Bie – Greg Balfour Evans/Alamy Stock Photo
Pallot Steam, Motor and General Museum
Admire vintage tractors, cars and trains
If you’re a fan of glossy bodywork, gleaming chrome, the clang of machinery and the tang of engine oil, you’ll feel at home at this eclectic social history museum devoted to historic vehicles. Its Jersey-born founder, Don Pallot, was an inventor of agricultural implements, and was passionate about steam engines, classic cars, bikes and other contraptions, amassing a sizable collection.
Insider tip: Special events such as tractor rallies and steam fairs take place at the museum from time to time. The longest-running event is the Liberation Day Show, featuring demos and rides, held in early May.
Website: pallotmuseum.co.uk
Price: £
Pallot Steam, Motor and General Museum is devoted to historic vehicles – Matt Porteous
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Best for art and culture
Jersey Opera House
Catch a show in an Edwardian theatre
Opened in 1900 by the glamorous Jersey-born actress Lillie Langtry, St Helier’s opera house was first a theatre, and then a cinema that remained open throughout the German Occupation, keeping spirits up with films and occasional live shows. It’s been spruced up over the years, and currently hosts a varied, year-round programme of theatre, music, comedy and talks.
Insider tip: The theatre is on Gloucester Street, near Broad Street’s bars and restaurants. For speciality coffee or cheese and wine, pop into Vinifera. The Blue Note Bar, which stays open until 11pm, fits the bill for a post-show drink.
Website: jerseyoperahouse.co.uk
Price: Free (shows ££-£££)
Theatre shows and comedy nights take place at the Jersey Opera House – Callum Thorne Film Maker
CCA Galleries International
View contemporary art in a grand but homely setting
Since it occupies an elegant St Helier townhouse, CCA Galleries International has the edge over minimalist, blank-canvas galleries in that it can display paintings and prints over mantelpieces and between sash windows, just as you would at home. It shows work from a talented stable of local and international artists and photographers, including famous names, and holds regular talks and events.
Insider tip: The gallery is on Hill Street, a four-minute walk from the Jersey Museum. You could pair your experience with an elegant lunch at Samphire on Don Street or early evening cocktails at The Watchmaker on Halkett Place, both a short stroll away.
Website: ccagalleriesinternational.com
Price: Free
CCA Galleries International, inside a townhouse, displays work from artists and photographers
16 New Street Georgian House Museum
Learn about 19th-century lifestyles
Magnificently restored and immaculately furnished in early 19th-century style, this townhouse museum explores how the well-to-do residents of St Helier lived in the Georgian era. In the downstairs kitchen, you can find out about the cuisine of the time (local oysters, game, handmade mutton pies and spit-roasted meat were wildly popular) and taste some typical dishes. Outside, there’s a flower-filled garden.
Insider tip: For more 19th-century charm, take a five-minute stroll to St Helier’s Central Market. The current hall, which dates back to the 1880s, contains a characterful assortment of traditional shops and stalls, including florists and greengrocers.
Website: nationaltrust.je
Price: £
16 New Street Georgian House Museum has a kitchen with cuisine from the Georgian era
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Best parks and gardens
The Botanic Gardens at Samarès Manor
Waft around elegant 1920s-style gardens
Samarès Manor, set on a medieval estate, is named after the coastal salt marshes that once surrounded it. Sir James Knott, a fabulously wealthy shipping magnate, purchased the manor in 1924 and reclaimed swathes of marsh to create its landscaped garden. Still flourishing today, its highlights include its walled, herb and Japanese gardens and its apple barge, used to train late-ripening fruit.
Insider tip: Take time to visit the round, cone-roofed colombier, or dovecote. Believed to be the oldest in Jersey, it’s thought to date back to the 12th century. It provided a roost for around 500 birds, fattened up on the tenants’ crops.
Website: samaresmanor.com
Price: £
There are walled, herb and Japanese gardens at Samarès Manor – Robin Weaver/Alamy Stock Photo
Eric Young Orchid Foundation
Admire intricate greenhouse-grown plants
Orchid aficionado Eric Young began growing exotic plants as a teenager. He moved to Jersey after the Second World War, and went on to create a globally significant orchid foundation on the island. Its eight greenhouses breed exceptional hybrids such as the prizewinning Oncidopsis Champs du Chemin Le Hurel Tower. A large viewing area allows you to see many of the plants.
Insider tip: The foundation nurtures a wide range of orchid species and varieties, so there are always flowers in bloom, whatever the season. However, for the most opulent and diverse display of Cymbidiums and hybrids, the best time to visit is spring.
Website: ericyoungorchid.org
Price: £
Many orchid species reside at the Eric Young Orchid Foundation
Val de la Mare Arboretum
Spot rare and endangered tree species
During the Second World War, thousands of Jersey’s trees were cut down for fuel and construction, but since then there’s been a good recovery. One of the prettiest pockets of woodland to explore is Val de la Mare in the west of the island. Tranquil and green, it’s planted with non-native trees such as eucalyptus, Korean birch and giant redwood.
Insider tip: That flash of ginger in the trees is probably a red squirrel, a locally protected species. Introduced to the island’s woodlands in the 1880s, they have no grey squirrels to contend with on Jersey, so have flourished.
Website: jersey.com
Price: Free
Several non-native trees have been planted at the Val de la Mare Arboretum – Ben Linnell
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Best free things to do
Jersey Museum, Art Gallery and Victorian House
Discover Jersey’s unique sense of identity
Few national museums describe a place as successfully as this prime spot near St Helier’s famous Pomme d’Or Hotel. It’s impressive in scope, covering everything from Jersey’s bid to become a Unesco Geopark, to painful truths about the past – how the island was involved in the transatlantic slave trade in the 18th century, for example, and suffered under German occupation during the Second World War.
Insider tip: The dimly lit stairs of the Victorian House may appear uninviting, but don’t be deterred. This part of the museum, a complete townhouse furnished in period style, offers fascinating insights into middle-class life in 19th-century St Helier.
Website: jerseyheritage.org
Price: Free
It’s free to visit the Jersey Museum, Art Gallery and Victorian House in St Helier – ANDY LE GRESLEY
Sunbathing and sea swimming at St Brelade’s Bay
Boost your vitamin D on sun-soaked sands
Jersey is blessed with brilliant beaches, and drop-dead-gorgeous St Brelade’s Bay is hard to beat. It’s particularly attractive at mid-to-high tide, when the sand is rock-free. As a bonus, you can dine well on the shore. If the temperature rockets, you could retreat to the Churchill Memorial Park, immediately inland, which is cooled by fountains and shady trees.
Insider tip: For Jersey residents, a towelling robe is a wardrobe essential: make space in your luggage for yours, and you’ll fit right in. To buy one in the latest colour, head for Madhatter Surf Shop in St Brelade or St Helier.
Website: jersey.com
Price: Free
St Brelade’s Bay has rock-free sand at high tide – Gary Le Feuvre/Alamy Stock Photo
Snorkelling in Bouley Bay
Explore underwater in Jersey’s wild north
Next to the highest cliffs on the island is a rocky bay that’s popular with both snorkellers and scuba divers. Recommended by the Blue Marine Foundation, which hopes to create a Jersey marine park, this biodiverse spot harbours seahorses, cuttlefish, periwinkles, limpets, wrasse and other fascinating creatures. You may also see anemones swaying in the current, and rays gliding by.
Insider tip: The best time for snorkelling is mid to low tide, when the water is safest and the marine wildlife relatively concentrated. At low tide, non-swimmers can go rockpooling at the water’s edge, spotting seaweed and mini-beasts.
Website: bluemarinefoundation.com
Price: Free
The rocks around Bouley Bay make it a great spot for snorkelling – Gary Le Feuvre/Alamy Stock Photo
Jersey Tidal Trail
Circle the glorious coast on foot
On Jersey, where clifftop paths and scenic promenades skirt the bays, the creation of the Jersey Tidal Trail has made planning a coastal walk a breeze. It’s a waymarked route, divided into eight manageable chunks, each starting and finishing at a place that’s accessible by car. You could circuit the entire island if you wish – it’s just over 48 miles.
Insider tip: Despite its name, the Tidal Trail can be walked at any time of day. That said, the tides shape the experience: at low tide, there are more detours to enjoy, as moonscape-like beaches, hidden causeways and submerged islands are revealed.
Website: jersey.com/tidal-trail
Price: Free
The Jersey Tidal Trail meanders around the whole island, split into eight sections
Orchid Fields at Le Noir Pré
Celebrate spring in a beautiful meadow
Jersey’s wild wetlands, some of which are managed by the National Trust for Jersey, are blessed with an abundance of native wildflowers including loose flowered, spotted and southern marsh orchids. Once a rubbish dump, Le Noir Pré in St Ouen’s Bay is now a beacon for biodiversity, graced by almost 50,000 orchid blooms each year. The display peaks in May and early June.
Insider tip: Jersey’s western wetlands harbour special birds as well as botanical wonders. Marsh harriers – once one of Britain’s rarest raptor species – often hover over the Orchid Fields. For a closer look, visit the Jersey Wetland Centre hide at Les Mielles, nearby.
Website: nationaltrust.je
Price: Free
Wildflowers and orchids bloom at Le Noir Pré – Alan_Lagadu/Getty Images
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How we choose
Every attraction and activity in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from world-class museums to family-friendly theme parks – to best suit every type of traveller. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.
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About our expert
Emma Gregg
Travel journalist Emma Gregg has visited all seven continents and more than 100 islands. She spent a blissful summer in the Channel Islands as a teenager and has had a soft spot for them ever since.
Emma Gregg, Telegraph Travel’s Jersey expert
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