Today, I’m taking you on a day trip from London to beautiful Dorset, where I visited the Isle of Portland and Weymouth. It was a day trip by train, and although I wish I had gone for a few days instead, I still managed to see a lot. The views were breathtaking, I couldn’t believe my eyes! If you live in London and would love to see the south-west coast, this is a trip for you. It’s good enough as a day trip, which is what I opted for this time, but it would be even better as a weekend holiday. I visited an aquarium and enjoyed a small hike on the coast, but there’s plenty more to do in the area.

Getting to Weymouth from London

This trip came to be when I saw a pop up ad on Instagram, about a train ticket sale on South Western Railway routes. Frankly, it was an impulse purchase. I booked my tickets from London Waterloo to Weymouth a few weeks in advance. The journey is just under 3 hours long each way, which is probably my maximum for a day trip. I got to Weymouth around 10:30 am.

Sea Life Weymouth – Aquarium

My first destination was Sea Life aquarium, which I booked online the day before. In hindsight, I regret that decision!

There are many Sea Life aquariums in the UK, and I’ve been to several ones. The one in Weymouth, frankly, was really small! It had a lot of playground features for small children, including a splash zone (which was very popular, as it was a hot day). But for adults, there wasn’t that much to see.

There were a few interesting animals: sea turtles (I saw one), two types of penguins, otters, and my favourite of the lot: seals. There are animal feedings/talks throughout the day, but to see them all, you’d need to stay there for quite a few hours. I got to see a seal feeding/training, and it was fun. Seals are really smart!

I couldn’t stay at the aquarium for too long – I had a big plan for the afternoon. The aquarium is located outside of Weymouth town centre, so it cost me some precious time to walk there both ways. That’s the main reason why I regret including the aquarium in my day trip itinerary.

Getting to the Isle of Portland on public transport

Now, let’s talk about the main part of my trip. One that I saw as a potential addition, but ended up being the main course. A scrumptious one! I decided to visit the Isle of Portland, which is simply stunning.

Getting to Portland is actually really easy. You need to take a local bus, which always scares me, but at least they run frequently – every 20 minutes or so. In May 2026, it was bus number 1.

But it gets better! There’s another bus line – number 11 – which is an open top double decker coach, perfect for admiring the landscape views! This one only runs once every two hours, but if you can, I highly recommend catching that bus!

On my way from Weymouth to the Isle of Portland, I took bus number 1 from Weymouth to Avalanche Road Church on the Isle of Portland.

Coast Path hike to Portland Bill

I got off the bus and followed Google maps to get to the coastline on the east side of the island, which took me less than 10 minutes. I was instantly amazed! I’m used to chalk cliffs on the south-east cost of England, where I hike quite often. But the landscape of the south-west coast is completely different.

Sharp rocks sticking out of the water and tall waves crashing into them… it was a beautiful sight. The footpath on top of the cliff was quite high above the water In fact, the whole isle is pretty hilly.

I followed the path towards the lighthouse, stopping to take photos every few steps. Distance-wise, it’s not a long walk. But it took me ages with all the photo breaks!

There was a bit of a crowd near the lighthouse, even though I didn’t see too many hikers. There’s a car park near the lighthouse, and a huge number of small… summer houses? Beach huts on top of a cliff? Not sure what to call them, but they looked quite cute – especially the ones painted in pastel colours.

This is when something special happened – I saw a wild seal down in the water. Only the face was out of water (occasionally disappearing and coming out again), and it was far away, but I’m confident it was a seal. I heard some other people say it too.

I actually can’t believe that. It has been my dream to see a wild seal ever since I moved to the UK almost 7 years ago. The dream only came true earlier this year, when I saw a seal in Southend-on-sea. And now I’ve seen two, in just a few months!

I walked to the very tip of the isle to soak up the views. If it wasn’t for the lack of shade and the scorching sun, I could sit there all day. Sadly, I could feel my skin burning under the layer of sunscreen, and I had a bus to catch anyway. It was time to turn back.

Portland Bill lighthouse

You can actually join guided tours of the lighthouse – they have really good reviews on Google maps. Sadly, I didn’t have time for it, but I will definitely return one day. What I did have time for was buying fridge magnets at the gift shop, which I collect. I got my magnets and headed back towards the bus stop.

I was tempted to follow the coastal footpath on the west coast of the isle, but I decided to avoid taking risks – it was getting late, and I had a train to catch in Weymouth. I followed the same path that I took to get to the lighthouse and returned to the bus stop. And this time, I got lucky – I caught the open top bus, number 11. And I loved the journey back, a lot!

Journey back to Weymouth

I never have a chance to ride the touristy open top buses – in London, they’re not part of public transport – they’re run by private operators and cost a fortune. But in Dorset, some of the local buses are operated by tourist-style open top coaches. On a hot day, it was wonderful to feel the wind on my face whilst enjoying the views and basking in the sun. The ride took about 40 minutes, but I would have happily stayed there for a few hours. In fact, on that sunny day, I’d happily go all the way back to London on that bus!

Apart from the lovely views of the Isle of Portland, I also got to see the marina that was home to some water sports during 2012 Olympics. I live close to the main 2012 Olympics arenas in London, so that felt like home away from home.

Relaxing stroll on the beach

When I got back to Weymouth, I had a short while left until my return train. I had a relaxing stroll on the sandy beach – it’s the nicest beach I’ve been to so far in the UK! The beaches in Kent and Sussex, which I visit most often, have pebbles, not sand.

I was also surprised to learn that the tide pattern is completely different too. In the south-east of England, there are usually around 6 hours between high tide and low tide, and the water level can differ by even 6 metres! In Weymouth, however, there is little difference between low tide and high tide.

Journey back from Weymouth to London Waterloo

Finally, it was time to catch my train back to London Waterloo. The journey took just under 3 hours and it would have been enjoyable, if it wasn’t for a lady who, in a carriage marked as ‘quiet zone’, decided to play loud music from a speaker and sing along.. and trust me, she’s not the next worldwide star. Unbelievable! I’m glad she got off the train after about an hour, I was at my wits’ end. Luckily, the rest of the journey was smooth and I got back home around 10 pm, full of great memories.

Other things to do in Weymouth and Isle of Portland

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, but I do regret not going there for a whole weekend. I only scratched the surface when it comes to sightseeing around Weymouth and Portland! I can’t wait to return there, for a longer time – perhaps at some point later this summer.

From what I’ve learnt, there are several castles near Weymouth and Portland, and I’d love to see at least some of them. There are a few museums too, and I always try to visit the local museums when I’m in a new place – I feel like learning about local history is like showing respect to the place, as a tourist.

I also noted that there are a couple of sand sculpture exhibitions, which I missed, both run by the same family – one is free and available to the public on the coast, while the second is ticketed, located near the Sea Life aquarium. Overall, there are many things to do in Weymouth and the Isle of Portland – I feel like even a whole weekend may not be enough to visit them all! Personally, I’m most eager to hike along the remaining part of the coast of the Isle of Portland. I’m still in awe of the views!

Final thoughts

Although my trip wasn’t organised perfectly and I didn’t have enough time to see everything, I had a great time. The views on the Isle of Portland were 100% worth the long journey! I only briefly saw Weymouth itself, but I loved the colourful houses along the promenade, the sandy beach, the nearby high street, and the overall seaside resort vibes. I look forward to visiting the area again, for longer than a day. I highly recommend Weymouth and Isle of Portland as a holiday destination!

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