Gloucestershire and its surrounding areas are packed with fun family days out to enjoy all year round, from ancient caves, enchanted woodlands, crumbling castles and awesome activities, to weird and wonderful museums – and even a miniature railway!
SoGlos rounds up 12 of the best days out you can get to by bus within an hour and a half in Gloucestershire, in partnership with network operator, Stagecoach.
To plot your route by bus to and from any of our family days out, Stagecoach's handy journey planner gives you the services and stops you need – and tells you how long it'll take to get there, too – at stagecoachbus.com/plan-a-journey.
Perrygrove Railway near Coleford
Embark on a miniature steam train adventure through gorgeous woodlands at the edge of the Forest of Dean, at Perrygrove Railway in Coleford.
Curious kids and their grown-ups can make their way between four stations linked by a narrow gauge railway, with multiple play areas to explore en route including the indoor Twilight Village and outdoor Treetop Adventure Trail and Foxy Hollow.
Stagecoach's 23 service between Gloucester, Lydney and Coleford will get families to within a nine-minute walk of Perrygrove, from the High Nash stop at the edge of Coleford.
Gloucester Cathedral
With heaps of history, gargoyles, games and activities, aside from being perhaps the county's most iconic landmark, there's plenty for families to do at Gloucester Cathedral.
Harry Potter fans can walk the halls of Hogwarts with a visit to its famous Cloister, while little ones can feed the hungry gargoyles at its entrance, play medieval games out on the lawn and more, with special family activity days and fun trails throughout the year, too.
Gloucester is well connected to the rest of the county through Stagecoach bus services, including the 94 to Cheltenham, 23 to the Forest of Dean and the 64 to Stroud – with the cathedral a seven-minute walk from the city's transport hub.
Painswick Rococo Garden
One of the best attractions in Stroud for good old fashioned fresh air and fun, Painswick Rococo Garden is a great day out for plant-loving parents and their little ones, with lots of places dedicated to play.
Younger visitors can explore its 'amazing' maze; set their imaginations free in its rustic play area; discover fascinating facts on its family trails during the school holidays; play hide and seek in its 'magical' houses; and go in search of its fairytale castle carved into a beech tree – while for grown ups, there's an abundance of nature, fabulous flowers, art exhibitions and spectacular views of the Cotswolds.
Painswick Rococo Garden is a two-minute walk from bus stops near Gyde House, on the 66 service which runs between Cheltenham and Stroud.
Corinium Museum in Cirencester
Cirencester's Corinium Museum invites history buffs of all ages to discover the archaeology of the Cotswolds, through its unique collection of artifacts and exhibitions from the town's storied Roman past and beyond.
For families, the museum puts on a range of fun events and activities throughout the year, with history-themed trails, re-enactments and craft workshops including making mini mosaics, Roman swords and shields and prehistoric paintings.
Stagecoach's 51 service between Cirencester and Cheltenham stops just a two-minute walk away from Corinium Museum, opposite the Old Station Car Park.
Tewkesbury Abbey
Another of the county's best known landmarks, Tewkesbury Abbey pairs spectacular architecture and scenery with fascinating history to spark the curiosity of visitors young and old.
Families can explore the abbey and grounds to discover all the best bits, or scale the dizzy heights of its tower to get the best views for miles around, with tower tours open to anyone over the age of eight. During the school holidays, there's fun family trails and activities to enjoy, too.
It's a five minute walk to the abbey from the nearest bus stop for the 71 Stagecoach service from Gloucester; or two minutes for the 43A from Cheltenham.
Clearwell Caves near Coleford
Inviting families deep underground to explore some of Britain's oldest mines, embark on a self-guided tour of Clearwell Caves in the Forest of Dean, with lots of history and nature to discover.
See famous filming locations from shows like Dr Who and Merlin first-hand; learn all about the origins of Forest freemining; and visit its tranquil underground 'Skeleton Pool', with guided tours and deeper caving missions also available to book throughout the year.
The Stagecoach 23 service from Gloucester will get families to within an 11-minute walk of the caves, stopping in Milkwall on the outskirts of Coleford.
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway from Cheltenham
For a scenic train ride through the Cotswolds, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway is just the ticket, with heritage steam trains running from Cheltenham Racecourse, all the way to Broadway.
Families can purchase tickets for journeys between any of its charming stations, where there're cafes, locomotive workshops and exhibits to see – along with country walks and Cotswolds villages to explore – with plenty of events and activities for younger passengers taking place in every season.
Stagecoach users can get to within a 14-minute walk of the station at Cheltenham Racecourse on the D/E bus from town, with connections across the county from the Promenade.
Go Ape and the Sculpture Trail at Beechenhurst in the Forest of Dean
The perfect activity for young thrill seekers, Go Ape's Treetop Adventure at Beechenhurst challenges families to tackle a range of obstacles, high up in the canopy before catching a zip wire back down to the forest floor – all strapped in with climbing harnesses, linked up to a continuous steel wire safety system.
With two different courses for those with varying levels of confidence, adults can either get involved themselves or supervise from the ground – and for a gentler experience afterwards, there's the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail on site, featuring a series of inspiring art installations, hidden amongst the trees.
The 24 from Gloucester to Coleford gets users to within a four-minute walk of Beechenhurst.
Dean Forest Railway from Lydney
Taking you from the heart of the Forest of Dean, through dense woodlands and charming villages to the banks of the Severn at Lydney, on a heritage steam train, Dean Forest Railway promises a great day out for passengers young and old.
There's also a museum where visitors can explore the history of the railway, along with its collection of locomotives at its main station, Norchard, with special experiences for the whole family all year round, from first class fish and chip evenings, to Santa specials at Christmas.
Dean Forest Railway's Lydney Town Station is an eight-minute walk from Lydney Bus Station, for catching the 23 service to Gloucester or Coleford.
Museum in the Park in Stroud
Set in the grounds of Stroud's Stratford Park, there's a whole range of exhibitions and family activities to enjoy at Museum in the Park, with its main collection consisting of more than 63,000 objects that paint a picture of life in Stroud in years gone by – from dinosaur bones, to the patent drawings for the world's first lawnmower.
Visitors can also browse its temporary exhibition art gallery and take a stroll through its revived walled garden, with a range of creative and cultural events, for adults and children, taking place throughout the year.
Museum in the Park is an 11-minute walk from Stroud's main bus hub, Merrywalks.
Puzzlewood near Coleford
One especially for film and TV fans, Puzzlewood – an enchanted woodland featuring twisted ancient trees and moss-covered stone – has served as a filming location for everything from Star Wars, to Jack the Giant Slayer.
Be inspired by the scenery on its mile-and-a-half of paths up and down steps, through mossy gorges and over wooden bridges to scenic lookouts, with an educational Roman coin hunt for the younger ones and plenty to read about its nature, history and Hollywood connections, too.
Families can reach Puzzlewood on the Stagecoach 23 service from Gloucester, getting off in Milkwall which is a 12-minute walk away.
National Waterways Museum in Gloucester
While Gloucester Docks is best known for its shopping, entertainment and food and drink in modern times, there's a whole lot of history for families to explore at the National Waterways Museum Gloucester.
A range of exhibits – from photography and model ships, to a deep sea diving suit – showcase the role the docks and its surrounding waterways played in transporting goods to the industrial Midlands, with half term creative crafts for kids and and special exhibitions taking place throughout the year, too.
Gloucester Docks is a 15-minute walk away from Gloucester Transport Hub for making onward connections across the county.
