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Royal Pavilion, Brighton

Companionship careBrighton and Hove

Days out in Brighton and Hove for an older parent

Ten places in Brighton and Hove that make a good day out for an older parent, from Royal Pavilion to SEA LIFE Brighton. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated September 2026

Royal Pavilion. Photo: Qmin, CC BY-SA 3.0

Ten days out across six towns

The best places to take an older parent in Brighton and Hove

Seven of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for two describes a step-free route, and four confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Royal Pavilion, Brighton

Photo: Qmin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic house · Brighton

Royal Pavilion

The Royal Pavilion is the seaside palace built for George IV, with onion domes outside and lavish Chinese-inspired interiors, including the Banqueting Room and the Great Kitchen. It sits in the Royal Pavilion Garden, a Regency garden in the centre of Brighton.

The ground floor, which holds the main state rooms, is accessible to wheelchair users, there is an accessible toilet on that floor and wheelchairs can be borrowed, although the upstairs rooms are reached by stairs only.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry, carers free

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Brighton

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton

Photo: The Voice of Hassocks, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Brighton

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery

Brighton Museum and Art Gallery stands in the Royal Pavilion Garden and holds collections of decorative art, fashion, world art and the history of the city. Displays range from Art Nouveau furniture to the story of Brighton through the twentieth century.

All areas are accessible to wheelchair users, with a passenger lift and accessible toilets, and carers accompanying a disabled visitor go in free.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry, carers free

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Brighton

Hove Museum of Creativity, Hove

Photo: The Voice of Hassocks, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Hove

Hove Museum of Creativity

Hove Museum is a free museum in a Victorian villa on New Church Road, with collections of toys, early film, crafts and local history. It has a garden and Café Rust on site.

Entry is free and there is free parking on site for Blue Badge holders, although wheelchair users are restricted to the ground floor and the lift has been out of service, so it is worth phoning ahead.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free entry

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Blue Badge parking
  • Café

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Hove

Brighton Palace Pier, Brighton

Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Brighton

Brighton Palace Pier

Brighton Palace Pier is a Victorian pleasure pier stretching out to sea from the centre of the seafront, with arcades, fish and chips, deckchairs and funfair rides at the far end. It is free to walk along and gives wide views back along the coast.

There are no steps onto the pier, all buildings are reached on the flat or by ramps, and there are three accessible toilets along its length, although some boards are uneven.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free to walk on, rides charged

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Brighton

Stanmer Park, Stanmer

Photo: Dominic Alves from Brighton, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Stanmer

Stanmer Park

Stanmer Park is a large country park on the edge of the South Downs, with a Georgian house, a small village church, woodland and open parkland. The restored walled garden, run by One Garden Brighton, has plant displays, a nursery and a café.

The walled garden is level with a café and toilets, and the council has added disabled toilets and Blue Badge parking near the Lower Lodges entrance, so a carer can keep the visit to the flat areas.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free, parking charged

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Stanmer

Preston Park, Preston

Photo: Hassocks5489, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Park · Preston

Preston Park

Preston Park is Brighton's largest urban park, with a walled garden, rose garden and wildflower areas, and the Rockery across the road, one of the largest municipal rock gardens in the country. There are two cafés, the Chalet in the middle of the park and the Rotunda at the southern end.

Most of the park can be reached on paths with many benches along them, and both cafés are accessible with accessible toilets, so it suits a short, gentle walk.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Accessible toilet
  • Café

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Preston

The Undercliff Walk, Saltdean

Photo: Malc McDonald, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Saltdean

The Undercliff Walk

The Undercliff Walk is a sea wall path running for about five kilometres below the chalk cliffs from Brighton Marina to Saltdean. It passes Ovingdean Gap and Rottingdean, with the sea on one side and the white cliffs on the other.

The path is a flat concrete promenade, and there are cafés and public toilets at Ovingdean Gap, Rottingdean and Saltdean, so a carer can choose a short section between two stops.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

What their access information confirms

  • Café

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Saltdean

Rottingdean village and Kipling Gardens, Rottingdean

Photo: Andy Li, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Garden · Rottingdean

Rottingdean village and Kipling Gardens

Rottingdean is an old flint village by the sea with a green, a duck pond and a High Street of tea rooms and small shops. Kipling Gardens, once the grounds of the house Rudyard Kipling rented, has a rose garden, woodland garden and herb garden inside flint walls and is always open.

The gardens are small, enclosed and close to the village green, so an older visitor can enjoy a short stroll and sit on a bench before tea in the village.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Rottingdean

Hove seafront and Hove Lawns, Hove

Photo: Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Coast · Hove

Hove seafront and Hove Lawns

Hove seafront has a broad promenade backed by the open grass of Hove Lawns and rows of colourful beach huts, running west towards Hove Lagoon. It is quieter than the Brighton seafront, with kiosks and cafés along the way.

The promenade is wide and flat with benches facing the sea, so a carer can plan a short walk and turn back whenever needed.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Hove

SEA LIFE Brighton, Brighton

Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Animals · Brighton

SEA LIFE Brighton

SEA LIFE Brighton is the world's oldest operating aquarium, opened in 1872 on the seafront, with Victorian arched halls holding sea turtles, sharks and rays. A glass tunnel lets visitors walk beneath the fish.

It is indoors and on the seafront opposite the pier, so it works in poor weather, and a carer can ask about access and quieter times before booking.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Brighton

Regular groups and events in Brighton and Hove

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Brighton and Hove.

  • Gardening · BrightonCommunity garden workdays across the cityThe Brighton and Hove Food Partnership lists community gardens across the city that hold regular workdays for growing food and tending beds. A carer can arrange a first drop-in visit, carry tools and a flask, and find a garden with a raised bed or a seated job.Details
  • Cooking & Baking · BrightonCookery classes at the Community KitchenThe Brighton and Hove Food Partnership runs a regular programme of ticketed cookery classes, from patisserie to fermentation and dim sum, with profits funding free community courses. A carer can book a class together, handle the travel and the heavier prep, and repeat the recipe at home the following week.Details
  • Music · BrightonSunday afternoon concerts at Brighton BandstandThe restored Victorian seafront bandstand hosts a programme of Sunday afternoon concerts each summer, from April to September, with a cafe in the base of the building. A carer can bring a folding chair and a blanket, park nearby and stay only as long as the person is comfortable.Details
  • Dancing · SaltdeanAfternoon tea dances in the Saltdean Lido ballroomTea dances returned to the 1930s art deco ballroom at Saltdean Lido, with a teaching session on foxtrot, waltz, tango and rumba followed by social dancing, tea and cake. A carer can book ahead, sort the lift there and back, and sit out with the person between numbers.Details
  • Photography · BrightonBrighton and Hove Camera ClubOne of the oldest and largest camera clubs in the country, with more than 100 members of all ages and a broad range of photographic interests. A carer can help with transport to meetings and with getting images ready to share with the group.Details
  • Painting · BrightonArtists Open HousesEvery May, artists across Brighton and Hove open their homes and studios so visitors can see and buy locally made art and crafts and talk to the makers. A carer can pick two or three houses in one neighbourhood, ring ahead about steps, and build in a coffee stop between them.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Brighton and Hove

At a glance

The ten places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Royal PavilionBrightonan hour or twoPaid entryPartlyYesAsk
Brighton Museum and Art GalleryBrightonan hour or twoPaid entryYesYesAsk
Hove Museum of CreativityHovean hour or twoFreePartlyAskYes
Brighton Palace PierBrightonan hour or twoFreeYesYesAsk
Stanmer ParkStanmerhalf a dayFreeAskAskAsk
Preston ParkPrestonan hour or twoFreeAskYesYes
The Undercliff WalkSaltdeanan hour or twoFreeAskAskYes
Rottingdean village and Kipling GardensRottingdeanan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Hove seafront and Hove LawnsHovean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
SEA LIFE BrightonBrightonan hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Brighton and Hove

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

12345678910
  1. 1Royal Pavilion, Brighton
  2. 2Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton
  3. 3Hove Museum of Creativity, Hove
  4. 4Brighton Palace Pier, Brighton
  5. 5Stanmer Park, Stanmer
  6. 6Preston Park, Preston
  7. 7The Undercliff Walk, Saltdean
  8. 8Rottingdean village and Kipling Gardens, Rottingdean
  9. 9Hove seafront and Hove Lawns, Hove
  10. 10SEA LIFE Brighton, Brighton

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Brighton and Hove

Carers in Brighton and Hove charge £19 to £21 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Brighton and Hove has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Brighton and Hove

Royal Pavilion in Brighton, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery in Brighton, Hove Museum of Creativity in Hove, Brighton Palace Pier in Brighton, Stanmer Park in Stanmer, Preston Park in Preston, The Undercliff Walk in Saltdean, Rottingdean village and Kipling Gardens in Rottingdean, Hove seafront and Hove Lawns in Hove and SEA LIFE Brighton in Brighton. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for Brighton Museum and Art Gallery and Brighton Palace Pier describes a step-free route. Royal Pavilion, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton Palace Pier and Preston Park have an accessible toilet. Royal Pavilion lends wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Hove Museum of Creativity, Brighton Palace Pier, Stanmer Park, Preston Park, The Undercliff Walk, Rottingdean village and Kipling Gardens and Hove seafront and Hove Lawns. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 27 of the carers with a rate near Brighton and Hove drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Brighton and Hove shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Brighton and Hove

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Brighton and Hove

Days out in the areas around Brighton and Hove

Find a carer who could take them out in Brighton and Hove

See carers near Brighton and Hove who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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