11 Fun Things To Do in Southampton for Adults

The Hampshire port city of Southampton famous for its association with the Titanic is home to more than a quarter of a million people.

It's also very popular with visitors so it's no surprise that there are lots of fun activities for adults to enjoy in Southampton. Here's our choice of some of the highlights:

Southampton Water Activities Centre

Southampton's Water Activities Centre is home to Sailing, Windsurfing and Stand Up Paddleboarding.

If you've ever fancied sailing, the Adult Start Sailing courses offer top-class sailing tuition, as you'd expect from a Royal Yachting Association Training Centre.

SWAC also run a Start Windsurfing course as part of the National Windsurfing Scheme.

Alternatively, you can get started with Stand Up Paddleboarding after just two hours on the Ready to Ride course.

SWAC's city centre location makes it easy to try a fun new watersport.

https://activenation.org.uk/venues/swac/

Exciting Escapes Southampton

Exciting Escapes offers four espionage-themed rooms to choose from, each packed with challenging clues and puzzles to solve:

A Hidden Past takes you back to 1957 and challenges you to break into the flat of a captured spy to collect evidence before the enemy agents get there.

Breaking The Law is set in 1977 when you'll need to break into a police station to recover top secret documents before a corrupt policeman leaks them to our enemies.

Silence is a Virtue is set during The Blitz in 1941 when you have to tackle an unexploded bomb and find the Top Secret documents.

The trickiest of all is Spies in Space which takes you forward to 2050, with the task of finding the saboteur on board the spaceship.

Whichever scenario you choose, you'll need to work together with the other members of your team and have your wits about you, in order to succeed within the time limit.

https://excitingescapes.co.uk/locations/southampton/

Southampton Hidden Gems by Cluecation

The Hidden Gems of Southampton is a brilliant way to explore Southampton and learn about its history and famous sites at the same time.

Southampton Hidden Gems is a treasure hunt game and guided tour in one! You and your friends are guided around Southampton (on your phone or tablet) and will be shown all of the famous sites,  and also the hidden gems in the out-of-the-way places.

You can earn points by visiting places, solving clues & completing challenges. You can compete with fellow explorers on The Travel League - you might even be able to win a prize at the end of the season!

You can choose your own starting point and go at your own pace - stopping for refreshments or soaking up the atmosphere whenever you like.

https://www.cluecation.com/southampton-hidden-gems

Parthian Climbing Southampton

Indoor climbing is an exciting sport that's great for keeping fit and having fun.

If you want to try bouldering (climbing lower walls without ropes above a crash mat), then all you need to do is watch the intro video on Parthian's website, hire climbing shoes when you get there and have a go - it couldn't be simpler.

If you'd rather have some instruction, or want a challenge that will test your head for heights, you can book an Adult Intro to Climbing class, where the friendly instructors will soon have you climbing the walls - literally!

With 150 top rope and lead routes available and 150 bouldering problems, you'll never run out of challenges to enjoy. There are also auto-belays so you can climb on your own and 2 official speed walls.

https://parthianclimbing.com/southampton/

High Score Arcades Southampton

For a chance to re-live your mis-spent youth, try High Score Arcades where you'll find more than 60 classic arcade machines.

Simply pay an entrance fee and you have an hour to play the machines as often as you like with no additional cost.

With pinball machines, a giant centipede game as well as favourites like Space Invaders and Pac-Man and some of the latest machines, you'll have a great time competing to take your slot at the top of the High Scores.

https://www.highscorearcades.co.uk/southampton

Woodmill Outdoor Activities Centre

Enjoy the great outdoors by booking an exciting adventure at Woodmill Outdoor Activities Centre.

Paddle to the Pub is a guided paddle with instructors, down the River Itchen to the White Swan Pub for a drink or even lunch.

Or you could just hire a boat and have fun on the water:

Single or double Kayaks let you sit on top and use a double-ended paddle - they're a beginner-friendly way to get started with kayaking.

Canoes, suitable for 2 people, offer a bit more comfort with a bench to sit on and a single-ended paddle each.

Katakanus are ideal for a group, as 4-6 people can share the boat or you can give paddleboarding a try by hiring a stand-up paddleboard.

All boats except the katakanus can stay on the lake or you can take them onto the river.

If you prefer to stay on dry land then "Battle Island: Adult Combat" offers the ultimate laser tag experience - and with no kids around you can take the battle seriously!

https://activenation.org.uk/venues/woodmill/ 

Boulder Shack Climbing Gym

Bouldering is a fun indoor climbing experience that everyone can enjoy.

It's easy to get started at Boulder Shack - just book one of their exciting Induction Plus sessions.

In only 45 minutes one of their friendly coaches will show you everything you need to get started bouldering safely.

After that, you can come back any time and climb independently, and even supervise 2 other novices.

For those who want to climb higher, Boulder Shack also offer an Intro to Roped Climbing course, over three 1.5 hour sessions.

There's also Older and Boulder, a relaxed social session of climbing for seniors looking for an exciting activity that's great for keeping fit and flexible.

https://bouldershack.co.uk/

Board in the City CiC

Board in the City is Southampton's own tabletop gaming café with hundreds of games to choose from.

There are more than 600 games to choose from. Luckily the staff know the games very well and can help you choose something you'll enjoy playing.

There's a full menu including breakfast, omelettes, burgers, hot dogs, chilli and more.

There's also a great choice of drinks including freshly ground coffee, teas including Breakfast, Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong, soft drinks, mocktails, beers, ciders, lager and wines.

https://www.boardinthecity.co.uk/

Walk the Secrets of the Titanic by Walsh Tours

Southampton is famous as the departure point of the ill-fated Titanic, but there's a lot more to the city's maritime history than that.

On the two-hour Secrets of the Titanic walking tour, you'll learn all about Southampton's seafaring history.

Along the way you'll visit the Mayflower Memorial marking where the Pilgrim Ship sailed to America, explore the QE2 Mile before visiting Oxford Street and discover the secrets of the Titanic you can still find in Southampton today.

https://www.walshtours.com/walk-the-secrets-of-the-titanic

Alpine Snowsports Southampton

If you want to brush up on your skiing or snowboarding, or just have some fun in giant inflatable donuts, Alpine Snowsports Southampton is the place to go.

Whether you're a complete beginner, or more experienced, the friendly instructors will help you get started, or take your skills to the next level, and the artificial surface means it's open all year round.

With 5 levels of adult lessons available, from Level 1 Discover Skiing through to Level 5 where you're ready for your first skiing holiday, it's a great way to start an exciting new hobby.

https://activenation.org.uk/venues/alpine-snowsports-southampton/

Hythe Ferry

The Hythe Ferry sails between Southampton Town Quay and Hythe every day, and it's a great way to see Southampton from the water and get a new perspective on the city.

You'll sail past the cruise liners Queen Victoria, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth when they're at home.

Explore the Hampshire village of Hythe and enjoy Hythe's historic pier, which is one of the longest piers in the UK and has the world's oldest pier train.

http://hytheferry.co.uk/ 

Southampton has loads of fun activities for adults to enjoy. Whichever one you choose, we're sure you'll have a great time.