Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Definitely worth the visit and the money. Got the ultimate explorer which allowed unlimited access for 12 months. 1. 10.15 to 11.30 am - HMS Warrior - (Definitely say hi to the lad on table 27) 2. 11.30 to 12 noon - snack break (better to carry snacks from home) 3. 12.15 to 1 pm - Harbour boat tour (included with ulimate explorer ticket) - they take you round the dock and give an overview of the surroundings There are tours every quarter past (10.15, 11.15 etc) 4. 1 to 1.30 pm - Mary Rose - I didn't find much to see here apart from the ship - the 4D cinema is not actually 4D, there are no glasses 5. 1.30 to 2.30 - HMS Victory- they give you audio guide to listen to 6. 2.30 to 3 - Lunch (fish and chip cost 15 and chicken cojouns and chips cost 13) 7. 3pm onwards rest of the places Had to skip water bus due to shortage of time, hence couldn't see the submarine and firepower museum. Note: if you are traveling with kids/elders be mindful because some of the steps are steep. Overall it was grand.

If you go to the dockyard, get the ultimate pass - it allows access to pretty much all the big ticket attractions like HMS Victory, Mary Rose, HMS Warrior as well as the Explosives museum and submarine museum on the other side of the harbour (with boat ride to get there!) It also includes the harbour tour (really good) and the other museum areas. Kids really enjoyed the old amusement machines at the back of the cafe, which we wasnt expecting! Pass is valid for a year so we need to plan another visit to Portsmouth...!!

Walking around the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is like stepping back in time. The atmosphere is incredible, surrounded by these massive, iconic ships and historic buildings. The staff and guides are super knowledgeable and bring the stories of Nelson and the Royal Navy to life. It's an important, beautiful, and slightly humbling place to visit. Definitely set aside a full day to do it justice

What an eye opener to learn the history of the Senior service that is the Royal Navy. The displays in all the various buildings are very informative about how the RN has evolved over its history. Loved the displays about how the apprenticeship courses leant how ship building was carried out in the Dockyard. Also it was wonderfully to go aboard the three warships that are HMS Warrior,HMS Victory and the Mary Rose. At the present moment the Victory is having a major refit due to be completed by around 2033. You can still go aboard her but some restrictions are in place. The Warrior and The Mary Rose are definitely worth a vist. Toilets available around the exhibits and a lovely coffee and gift shops are available.

A great day out for all the family, particularly history buffs! Get the all inclusive ticket which gives you access to all the exhibits. Really, it can be a two day visit if you want to include the submarine and explosives museum and boat tour. Be aware though that the explosives museum isn't open every day.

Great day out, but come more than once to see everything. If you only came once for a few hours, it would not be good value. The boat tour was great, really good commentary. Other boat trips to various attractions often full. Lots of places to eat and drink. Without fail, all of the staff are friendly and helpful. Only negative is that the only way to get a map of the place is to buy a guide book!

Great place 100% worth visiting. There is lots to see & learn. Its a really interesting place with a number of ships & museums you can look around. Pricing is fair considering the amount you can do & all entry fees into the exhibits go towards the upkeep of the yard & if you just want to walk around it is free, you just cant go into the ships, but can use the giftshops, the free entry museum & the cafe. You can also get a informative boat tour around Portsmouth harbour from here which i would recommend.

A lovely, historical place to visit with family. All very informative and interesting. Going in to the Cafè's however was not a pleasant experience and really lets the venue down. The people working behind the tills take an extremely long time to complete simple tasks which is very disappointing. This really does need to be looked at and considered as it is completely unecessary and completely confusing.

This is a phenomenal museum and history complex, located over part of the very historic Portsmouth naval dockyard. It is the single best place to explore Britain's naval history. Is has numerous displays and museum rooms with various collections covering many aspects of the naval history. However, the parts which really stand out are the ships and of these HMS Victory, the flagship of Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and the HMS Warrior, the world's first all-metal "ironclad" warship, are probably the most amazing to visit. HMS Victory, launched in 1765, is a one-of-a-kind surviving example of of a "first-rate" ship of the line, the only example of this type which has survived intact, and the oldest ship still in commission. It would be fasinating and well worht seeing for this alone. However, it is all the more memorable, and moving, for its role in the Battle of Trafalgar, and the with locations where Nelson, Britain's most revered and famous admiral, both was shot in the battle and later died from his wounds, marked. HMS Warrior was not the first ironclad - the French Gloire just preceded it by about 1 year - but it was the first all-metal, purpose built ship of this kind, the Gloire being wood sheathed in iron. It was revolutionary at the time and it is fascinating to see the state-of-the-art innovations which it included for the first time, such as a steam-powered laundry with washing machines. Comparing the conditions on it and Victory is fascinating. It is lso the oldest ironclad still extant. Others include HMS Mary Rose, a famous 16-th century warship which sank, HMS M.33, a WWI monitor (gunship) which served various roles, and HMS Alliance, a WWII submarine. One could spend all day here and still have more to explore.

There's a lot of historical events that took place in Portsmouth over the centuries and the rich history of this city has been well preserved at the Historic Harbor. In addition to great Victorian ships, there are a few current Royal Navy vessels you can see from the port.

This is an exceptional collection of museums on meaningful historic sites. It would take 2-3 days to explore everything included with the full explorer ticket (which the pricing strongly leads you to get -- the single attraction pricing is just ridiculous). Throughout, the volunteers and staff were all very knowledgeable and engaging. The harbour tour included with the explorer ticket was good for a museum break (and still presented tons of great info). The Action Stations looked good for kids to take a break too, but unfortunately for my visit only open weekends / UK school holidays.

Being born and raised in Portsmouth, I'd visited the Dockyard on school trips as a kid but was too young to appreciate and remember the visit. Came back here last week and had a blast! We got the three attraction pass and spent the entire day there, and even that didn't feel like enough time to see everything they had to offer, we only had time to see two attractions! Saving the third one for another day. Firstly, we stopped in at Boathouse 4. There were apprentices and boat makers working in the workshop which was cool to observe. We met a lovely man that worked there who taught us how to make rope using an old rope-weaving machine, which we got to keep and take home with us. He then gave us a private tour of the boathouse from the kindness of his heart, going in depth about the boats that were there and the work that the people were doing on the boats. He even took us out onto the dock to see the boats out there which was awesome. I wish I remembered his name, but he was genuinely the sweetest man. Next we went over to H.M.S. Victory. I didn't realise how low the ceilings were, I was crouching the entire time! Perhaps because the last time I went there I was around 8 years old, but I didn't mind the crouching for the most part as the ship was SO interesting. Each deck had new things to explore and the audio guide that went along with it was extremely in depth and informative. There were staff positioned on every deck and were readily available to answer any questions and share tidbits of information that weren't included on the guide, so it's definitely worth engaging with them if you are interested in learning more. It was absolutely incredible and you could truly appreciate the rich history of the ship and immerse yourself in the experiences and life that the men on the ship really lived. Lastly was the Mary Rose museum. It was truly incredible! We opted out of any audio guide or guided tours and chose to just explore the museum ourselves. There were so many amazing exhibits showing the possessions the sailors had, their weapons and tools of the chef/doctors on board. The ship itself was truly a marvel and I could've spent half the day just admiring it. One aspect of the museum that I found really interesting was the exhibits on the excavation itself and the forensics that were undertaken on the different bones found in the wreck. As a student of anthropology I really appreciated how in depth they went on the methods used and their findings, it was truly fascinating. Overall, we had an incredible day and would recommend taking a visit to the Dockyard if you are in Portsmouth! It was amazing, and well worth the ticket price.

Great place to walk about. Port life is alive and well. Lots of restaurants open for takeaway. Boats in the harbor remind me of the bay area I come from. Very active with ferries.

The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is one of those history museums the Brits excel at. As a naval power Portsmouth was and is a major port for the Royal Navy and the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard has numerous museums and historic ships which absolutely boggle the mind. A visit there had been on my to do list for many years and I finally did it accompanied by my wife daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren aged 6 and 9. We took the train down from London and spent the night at the nearby Holiday Inn Express. The two days were enough to see every thing but we only had time for cursory visits to some of the museums. My wife was dubious about the entire visit but afterwards she rated the Mary Rose as one of the highlights of the trip. If you don't know already the Mary Rose was the pride of Henry VIii's navy but capsized at a battle with the French near Portsmouth while Henry and the Court watched from shore. Most of the crew did not survive and when the ship was raised in the 1980s many skeletal remains and everyday objects were recovered. Modern forensics allowed assessment of the health of the crew members (almost all from the most humble to the most exalted had serious dental problems). The museum which contains all of these artifacts and the remains of the ship itself is absolutely fascinating. I was however disappointed in the nearby Victory which could have been an outstanding display but which had poor signage and was dark and in poor repair. I think anyone who wasn't somewhat knowledgeable about ships of the late 18 th and early 19 th centuries would not have gotten much out of a visit to this historic ship. All in all the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is an A list destination and the day and one half we were able to spend there was barely enough. Incidentally the children enjoyed the visit as there was lots of open areas for them to run safely.

The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is one of the finest maritime visitors' attractions on the south coast of England, totally worth a visit (train connections from London are good). I would advise you to book the full ticket(!) for a first visit, as you'll spend the whole day there. There is so much to see beside the obvious (the HMS Victory, of course): Britain's last remaining WWII submarine, a smaller war ship which dates back to WWI, the (now complete) restored wreck of the Mary Rose (Mary Rose Museum), an interesting museum on all things naval. Entry isn't cheap, but there are family tickets available. The small fry will love it! I consider myself a quick and efficient sightseer, but even I found it difficult to visit all the attractions in just one full day. Please note that it can get VERY busy during the peak summer season and that you may have to queue for quite some time for the harbour cruise and the boat trip to the submarine and back.

A must see in Portsmouth! Amazing views great history and meet the oldest commissioned ship in the world

Portsmouth, the home of Charles dickens and the biggest port for bananas in GReat Britain, carries much maritime history. It is home to large warships that were used to carry warplanes and ammunition. At the Portsmouth didn't Add, there is a visitor centre where you can buy tickets for each attraction. Attractions include: - HMS Victory - £18 - HMS Warrior - £18 - Harbour cruise - free And other stuff. You can also get an all attractions ticket for £32. Make sure you get there early otherwise you miss out on some tours. We had really wanted a tour of the HMS Victory but by 3.30pm the last tour had already left. It was used in battle against France and Spain in the battle of Trafalgar. We then bought a ticket for HMS Warrior but the tour guide didn't give us an audio guide for it. We went for a 30 minutes harbour cruise prior to visiting the HMS Warrior. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and points out all the warships docked on the dockyard and their use and their speed etc. The harbour cruise also takes you past the emirates funded tower called the spinnaker. Apparently you can pay a bit to go all the way to the top for food views. The walk inside the HMS Warrior was fantastic. I felt like I was in the titanic. It has 3 to four levels and you can go all the way to the bottom. You can see rooms where the sailors slept, where they kept their clothes, where they dined, the kitchen, and the ammo room (pretty breathtaking). I highly recommend a visit though I think you need an entire day for it and money for value would be the all attractions ticket. Parking is nearby for £2 up to 2 hours.

Not a long ride by train from London. The Mary Rose Museum is absolutely world class. Visit the Nelson's ship the Victory, it's really worth it to see what naval life was like. The boat ride is worth it if you have the time and you want to see the current navy in port. I'd also recommend going on the submarine, they simulate what it is like to be on board when it is being attack by depth charges.

Is there a better way to spend a windy drizzly day but then to explore the war ships of the 1800s... well maybe. The rich history of the Portsmouth is well laid out and a walk through history that takes you aboard 2 war ships, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior, and into the preservation room of a third, the Mary Rose, which was recovered from the muck. Get the all inclusive pass and you get full access to everything. For a 10% discount you need to get a coupon from the Information booth next to the D Day museum. Even without the coupon the full pass is worth being able to walk, touch and live in history of yore. When exploring the ships there are explanations in the different locations that explain what you are seeing. If you are pressed for time, I did it all in 4 hours, a full day would be better, you can skip the harbor tour which just takes you out on the ferry to look at the modern warships.

Great place to visit and enjoy. Full of history and great atmosphere. Also, you can go to shopping next by to Gunwharf Queys where the greatest brand and designers sales are. I can't wait to get back.

We drove two hours on our England vacation to experience the Victory warship. While the cost wasn't inexpensive, we were excited to see the ship. Imagine our dismay when we were blithely told that there were no audio guides to use as "they are being charged". There were no instructions on how to go through the ship, and there were no explanatory placards. And then we noticed that some tourists did, in fact, have audio guides! We have been to far more crowded attractions, including Westminster Abbey, and there were abundant audio guides. If these are not readily available, the museum should certainly post docents at each level to explain what we were seeing. The only bright spots were two such docents, and Jason, especially, answered many questions and was very helpful. With the cost of entry, tourists deserve a much better experience.

The historical Docks house the HMS Victory,in dry dock and the Warrior, still a float. The MaryRose remains are on show here as well. There is a maritime museum too. With a tourist spot there is the usual cafe's as well. The downside is the fact that every little bit has to be paid for individually. And it can be expensive! To go on the HMS Victory & enter the museum it cost £12 for one adult. There are family tickets. I think this is usually £53! We chose just to walk around. I recommend going here in the morning then nipping for some retail therapy a cross the way to Gun Wharf Quay!

The historic dockyard in portsmouth shouldn't be missed. The tickets aren't cheap to go aboard all of the ships on offer, but you are able to enter the dockyard and look around the Dockyard Apprentice exhibition at no charge. HMS Victory and HMS Warrior can also be seen, although without a ticket you are not able to go on board. It is well worth purchasing a ticket to see the vessels up close though - HMS Victory (Nelsons famous ship), HMS Warrior, and the Mary Rose. Visits to these ships and the Royal Naval Museum, will certainly ensure you get your moneys worth. All in all, a really informative, interesting attraction which I seriously didn't think I would enjoy.

Everything you need to know about British naval history. To be able to tour historical ships that were used in famous naval battles. Especially the likes of the Mary rose and the victory. It's a great cross over of current naval fire power and a blast from the past. The Christmas market is also a great event as it entertains and educate at the same time. I would definitely recommend

i would have never known about this if my friend's father hadn't just brought me here. heh. it was really interesting to see what the sailors used to work with. the ship is beautiful, and there's a few more little things to visit whilst there.

Had a great day out at the Historic Dockyard's in Portsmouth, the weather was fantastic also!! this is a great place to visit i would recommend buying the £19.50 ticket (adult) with Gift aid you can re use it for entry for some of the attractions for a whole year!, We started at H.M.S Warrior, What a fantastic ship, and history! Next was a boat tour of the docks! the boat trip lasts an hour, you can stand on the open deck or if cold / wet you can sit inside. but luckily enough the sun was shining for us on this day! the boat takes you around to see current Royal navy ships that are docked, from the latest destroyers, fuel tankers and also the now redundant Ark Royal.and old destroyers. Next on list was H.M.S. Victory, the most famous and historical ship of Lord Nelson that fought and won at the battle of Trafalgar, but also where Nelson died. Is a fantastic ship, Unfortunately we could not see the Mary rose, as the display centre is being refurbished, but you could still see artifacts that were found with her and history in another building. Is a good day out for the young and old. You can see more of my pictures here on my flickr set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/top_gun_1uk/sets/72157626593353638/

The Historic Dockyard is an amazing place, and although the tickets aren't cheap they're valid for a year, meaning you don't have to rush to do everything in a day. That's just as well, because there are half a dozen separate attractions included. Most will appeal to all ages and all levels of interest in maritime history. The oldest of the three ships you'll visit is the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's flagship which famously sank in view of the town - and the king. (It wasn't on its maiden voyage, as is sometimes claimed, but had just been refitted). I can remember watching the raising of the ship in 1982 - one of the few times we got to watch TV at school! - so it's both fascinating to see the ship itself, and astonishing to realise that the conservation project is still ongoing. As well as the learning about the ship and life on board her, with artefacts on show in the accompanying museum, there's an opportunity to find out about the conservation techniques and challenges. Your ticket includes a timed tour of the HMS Victory, Nelson's ship at the battle of Trafalgar and in many ways the highlight of the Dockyard. Nelson of course died on the quarterdeck in 1805, so you really have a sense of being in a place where history was made. However, it's not all about the admiral: there's plenty to discover about life for ordinary sailors on board ship too. Step forward to 1860 by walking around HMS Warrior, the biggest, fastest, most heavily armed ship of her day - so much so that she never engaged in battle! (I wouldn't particularly recommend the audio guide though, when we used it a few years ago it was rather lengthy). This is a very different ship to the Victory, with steam engines as well as sails, and gives an insight about the changes in sailors' lives over half a century or so. There isn't a modern battleship to walk around, but you can see and find out about them on the 'harbour tour' boat trip. Portsmouth is still an active naval base, so you'll see a variety of ships (they vary according to which happen to be in harbour on the day of your visit). The commentary is great, ensuring that you actually understand what you're seeing! If you've had enough of looking at ships, try out the skills used on shore by becoming a Dockyard Apprentice. You find out about the various trades practised in the dockyard in the early twentieth century, and although it's perhaps mainly aimed at youngsters, I enjoyed getting my apprentice's certificate here! Action Stations offers activities based on contemporary naval skills - unfortunately I ran out of time before getting to visit. Finally, there's the Royal Naval Museum, which brings all these themes together and even offers a Battle of Trafalgar Experience. In addition, there are (very good) shops and (average) cafes to keep you going through the day(s) here.

What a great way to entertain the kids at half term! Tickets to all the attractions in the Dockyards are not on the cheaper side, but you have so much to look around it it worth spending a day or two taking it all in. You get to see the Mary Rose, HMS Warrior, and HMS Victory. They have guides around to tell you and the little ones about the history (kids + history = bonus!) and they all seem well informed and are all very friendly. The Navy Museum is an experience in itself, i learned a fair bit about the goings on of Navy life and it was a great day out. Like another reviwer, i'd advise going in the morning to make the most of everything, as it can take a while to walk around. There are also some great little shops to wander in, and you can pick up some fab souveniers whilst you are there.

Very good way of spending an afternoon is down at the Historic Docklands in Portsmouth. We first went on the HMS Warrior, which is a massive ship - half steam, half sail, built in 1860, no wonder Britain ruled the world then. Next up was the HMS Victory, not so big but more significant in history and Lord Nelson died on it. The Mary Rose was one of Henry VIII boats and half of it is being preserved with waxy sloution. You can see this through big glass windows just near the HMS Victory. The navy museum is small but worth a little look, and there are cafes and souvenir shops as well. Warning - crawling around the boast is not so cool for those over 6 foot tall! The guy I was with banged his head a few times! First date too, no wonder it didn't work out. lol

A brilliant tourist attraction for the whole family. Lots to do so you need to allow at least half a day, preferably a whole day to visit this attraction. It is quite expensive and if you live locally it makes financial sense to buy a Season Ticket which allows tyou access for a year at no further charge. HMS vicory is amazing, as is the Mary Rose. Well woth a visit.

This is an amazing walk back in time! Everyone should try to visit if in Portsmouth. HMS Warrier was very impressive and the Victory is uncanny It is hard to believe that Nelson actually walked those decks along with hundreds of others over the years. Just remember to keep your head down as there is not much head room! I didn't really know a lot about this period in history but after my visit I was fully educated. An educational and fun filled day was spent going round the historic dockyard. Well worth a visit. There is also some souvenir shops to spend your pennies in!

Very interesting place and so much to see. Very worth a visit or two. The tickets aren't cheap for a one time visit, but they are valid for one year. So that's okay. And you definitely need more than one day to see everything anyways.

By the time you read this, the Mary Rose may well be reopened, and it promises to be as good as all the other exhibits here. The Victory and Warrior were excellent, but my real interest was in the exhibit commemorating the Battle of Jutland, which was very well done, and made even better by the roving teams of docents who had a wealth of information and were not at all shy about sharing it. Buy a total tour package online for a discount and plan on spending at least a full day here - it'll be well worth it!

What a fantastic day out. - HMS Victory guided tours - HMS warrior free run around the ship - Harbour boat tours - Action stations activities for kids - Mary Rose access currently closed for the building work on the new museum opening in May 2013. Make sure you look around the Naval museum and definitely go into the 15 minute visual experience with a short film and then models with sounds and sights to recreate the Battle of Trafalgar finishing off with a fantastic close up of Wyllie painting of the Battle. Worth buying your ticket online and printing it out before you go as you save money that way. The tea room next to the antique centre does fantastic food and great variety and you even get a choice of tea leaves of a tea bag.

I spend a number of months in Portsmouth relocated from the States working on a project for a major aircraft manufacturer and made at least a couple of trips here touring the ships and facility here during my few off days. This was over twelve years ago but I came away very impressed with ships and history on display. In fact 10 years later when vacationing in the UK, I took my family and again toured this facility. My son, now in college loved the tour and the ships. All the navel history. Maybe in 10 years he will visit with his family.

The Portsmouth historic dockyard is a very historical place with boats such as the Mary Rose, etc, you get to see a lot of the different styles boats that were used in the past. The naval musuem is a great place to learn more about the historical past and the children can get to learn a lot of different facts about the dockyard as well as the boats.

This is a great museum to go round. We spent the best part of the afternoon visiting the site. I say site, as you have not just the ships and museums to go round. You also have the buildings and a harbour boat tour. It's worth getting the full ticket so you can go round all the exhibits and go on the harbour tour. If you don't manage to see all the exhibits you can come back any time with in a year to see the ones you missed or even revisit the exhibits you liked.

If you buy a ticket for all the attractions it allows a year's visit to the warrior, naval museum, action stations (interactive education centre) and dock yard apprentice. Everything else is single visit but brilliant. When I first went it was at 4.30 which meant only enough time for one of the attractions (the warrior was decided upon) since then every time I go shopping in Gunwharf Quay I have popped back across and done something else. The one ticket will have given 5 nice days out (still got to do the docks apprentice) although you can do it in one if you arrive in the morning. The boat trip shows you all the naval ships and gives you information about them and the history of the opposite side of the river. Action stations contains lots of brilliant activities to get all ages thinking about maritime science as well as a climbing wall and 3 kick. The ships have been preserved brilliantly and show history in a format that everyone can appreciate.

spend the whole day day!!! great for kids!!!!

An excellent day out, the dockyard has many different displays (some ship-based, some not) with lots of interesting stuff for all ages. All-in tickets may seem quite expensive, but when you factor in everything there is to see they are not too bad, and they are valid for a year. This is a good thing too, as there is much more to see than can be squeezed into one day. I believe that you can currently use vouchers from a well-known supermarket loyalty scheme to obtain discount tickets as well, which may give considerable savings if you can plan ahead. HMS Victory and Warrior are a must, it's great to be able to walk around and see how ships were run (and fought) from two eras. The Mary Rose itself is currently not open, whilst a fantastic-looking new pavilion is built around the remains of the hull due to open in early 2013. There is still an exhibition though, with lots of information and interactive things to keep anyone with even a passing interest in history happy. The boat trip around the harbour is also very informative, with the commentary covering details of just about every ship old and new moored within sight at the time. There are various catering options, including a cavernous restaurant (we visited in November, I assume it gets extremely busy in the summer), a tea-room and a coffee bar. Plenty of space for a picnic too, although being a dockyard don't expect grass to sit on! Car parking is not on-site, and the official car park nearby is quite expensive. Cheaper options not much further away may be available, worth checking. All in all a very enjoyable day out, and we'll be going back when the Mary Rose reopens next year.

Nice Place To Visit..x

great value day out

its not the most interesting place but it is very educational and fun if you are a child, two word that children do not consider in the same sentence! good for the little people!