Stand on the zig-zag road up Box Hill and the whole county opens out below you: the North Downs ridge running east to west, the flat Thames basin to the north, and the wooded hills to the south. Surrey is a county of chalk escarpments, heath and mature woodland, with the densest tree cover in England, and much of it sits within the Metropolitan Green Belt.
It suits travellers who want walking, cycling and gardens rather than city streets, and who are happy to base themselves in a town such as Guildford, Dorking or Egham and head out for the day. The North Downs Way long-distance path and an extensive network of footpaths and bridleways make the countryside unusually easy to reach.
This guide covers the gardens, vineyards and walking country that the sources describe, with practical notes on how to combine them. It sticks to places that can be named with confidence, so the list is short rather than padded.
Top things to do in Surrey
1. Box Hill
Box Hill is the classic Surrey climb, reached on foot or by bike from the flat, dual-width Mole Gap Trail. The reward at the top is a 180° view over London and Surrey, and cyclists will recognise the zig-zag road as the famous zig-zag climb of the London-Surrey Cycle Classic loops.
Combine the climb with the stepping stones over the river, reputedly laid by monks, which take you under the adjoining wide road and on towards the Pilgrims' Way. The route passes a vineyard on the way, and the trail is low and flat, so it works well as a half-day outing on foot or two wheels.
2. Denbies Vineyard
Denbies Vineyard offers winery tours and tastings, a 360° cinema tour of the vineyard and wine making, cellar tours, restaurants and a gift shop. There is also traditional food and luxury farmhouse accommodation if you want to stay on site, and 50-minute train tours run in summer only.
Tours start at £9.95, rising to £14.00 with sparkling wine or £16.00 with wine and food. The vineyard opens 9:30AM–5:30PM, with private evening tours at 7:30PM and restaurants serving at lunchtimes and on Thursday to Saturday evenings. Book the evening tour if you want the restaurants to be open alongside it.
3. The Savill Garden
The Savill Garden at Wick Lane, Englefield Green, is 35 acres of interconnecting gardens, with a restaurant and Royal Landscape shopping on site. It opens 10AM–4PM, closing at 4:30PM, and entry is £6.50 in winter and £8.50 in summer, with discounts available and free entry in January and February.
It is signposted towards Camberley along the A30 from M25 junction 14, and buses from Egham railway station pass along the A30 to the south. January and February are the obvious months to visit if you want to keep costs down.
4. The Mole Gap Trail and the Pilgrims' Way
The Mole Gap Trail is low and flat and dual-width, making it the easiest way to cycle or hike into the Surrey countryside from the Dorking side. Follow it past the vineyard to reach the Pilgrims' Way, then cross the stepping stones to leave Westhumble.
You can add the Norman cobbled-together chapel about 500m west of Westhumble, or head the other way to the chapel of Mickleham to the north for proper chequerboard laid stone. The chalets and coloured stone buildings of tiny Mickleham are said to evoke the Alps, and the best views of these houses come if you are cycling the London-Surrey Cycle Classic loops.
5. Westhumble chapel
The Norman chapel at Westhumble is a small, cobbled-together building roughly 500m west of the village, and it makes an easy detour from the Mole Gap Trail. It is worth the time as a short stop rather than a destination in itself.
Pair it with the stepping stones and the climb up Box Hill, since all three sit on the same walking or cycling route. If you have time for only one chapel, the chequerboard laid stone at Mickleham to the north is the other option.
6. Mickleham
Mickleham is a tiny village whose chalets and coloured stone buildings are said to evoke the Alps, with the chapel of Mickleham to the north of the village showing proper chequerboard laid stone. The village sits on the same network of paths as Box Hill and Westhumble.
The best views of these quirky homes come from the zig-zag road if you are cycling the London-Surrey Cycle Classic loops. Snow is rare here except in mid-January, so do not plan a visit around winter conditions.
7. Leith Hill
Leith Hill near Dorking is the highest elevation in Surrey at 295 m (968 ft) above sea level, and the second highest point in southeastern England after Walbury Hill in West Berkshire. It is one of the county's notable beauty spots and sits in the Surrey Hills.
Treat it as a walking objective rather than a quick stop, since the surrounding area is rural and the county has an extensive network of footpaths and bridleways to link into. The south of the county around it is the quieter, more rural half.
8. Newlands Corner
Newlands Corner is named among Surrey's notable beauty spots, on the North Downs chalk ridge that divides the populated north of the county from the rural south. It is a straightforward place to build into a day of walking or cycling.
Combine it with the other Downland viewpoints and commons nearby rather than treating it as a standalone outing. The ridge is pierced by the rivers Wey and Mole, so routes along it can be strung together with the Mole Gap Trail.
9. Frensham Ponds
Frensham Ponds is one of Surrey's notable beauty spots, lying in the south-west of the county among the Surrey Hills and the Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons heathland. The area is England's principal concentration of lowland heath, on sandy soils.
It suits a slower day of walking rather than a tick-list stop, and pairs naturally with the surrounding commons. The west of the county is where the heathland sits, so plan it as part of a south-western day out.
10. Puttenham & Crooksbury Commons
Puttenham & Crooksbury Commons is another of the county's named beauty spots, on the sandy soils of the west where Surrey holds England's principal concentration of lowland heath. It is walking country rather than a built attraction.
Combine it with Frensham Ponds and the Surrey Hills for a full day in the south-west. Agriculture is not intensive here, so commons and access land are common and footpaths are plentiful.
11. The North Downs Way
The North Downs Way is a scenic long-distance path running through Surrey, following the chalk escarpment that divides the county. It is the backbone for longer walks, and it connects naturally with the Downland beauty spots.
Use it for a section rather than the whole route, linking Box Hill, Newlands Corner and the surrounding commons. The trail is one of an extensive network of footpaths and bridleways, so you can vary the length of any day.
12. Surrey CCC at The Oval
Surrey CCC play at The Oval, in the London district of Lambeth. It is the county's first-class cricket ground and a straightforward way to spend an afternoon if you are in the London end of things.
Note that The Oval is not in Surrey itself, so build it into a day when you are already heading towards London rather than pairing it with the Downland walks. It is the only spectator sport named in the source material.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start on the Mole Gap Trail, cycling or walking the flat, dual-width path past the vineyard to the Pilgrims' Way. Cross the stepping stones under the adjoining wide road to leave Westhumble, then detour about 500m west to see the Norman cobbled-together chapel.
Afternoon: Climb Box Hill for the 180° views over London and Surrey, taking in the zig-zag road and, if you are on a bike, the zig-zag climb. If you would rather stay off your feet, swap the climb for Denbies Vineyard, where the 360° cinema tour, cellar tours and winery tastings run from 9:30AM and the restaurants serve lunch.
Evening: Stay at Denbies for a private evening tour at 7:30PM, or eat in one of its restaurants, which open on Thursday to Saturday evenings. If your day falls early in the week, plan to eat elsewhere and keep the vineyard for the afternoon instead.
Frequently asked questions
When is the cheapest time to visit The Savill Garden?
Entry is free in January and February. At other times it is £6.50 in winter and £8.50 in summer, with discounts available.
Do I need a car to reach The Savill Garden?
No. It is signposted towards Camberley along the A30 from M25 junction 14, and buses from Egham railway station pass along the A30 to the south.
What does a tour at Denbies Vineyard include, and what does it cost?
Tours cover the winery and tastings, with a 360° cinema tour of the vineyard and wine making and cellar tours. They cost £9.95, £14.00 with sparkling wine, or £16.00 with wine and food, and 50-minute train tours run in summer only.
Is The Oval in Surrey?
No. Surrey CCC play at The Oval in the London district of Lambeth, so treat it as a separate trip rather than part of a Surrey countryside day.
Pick your base, check the vineyard and garden times, and start shaping a route along the Downs.