Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

About

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is the UK’s premier destination for exploring 500 years of naval history and a must-see for anyone visiting the South of England. A visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard allows you step on-board world-famous ships, explore heroic submarines and uncover some of the Navy’s best-kept secrets with first-hand accounts from the Royal Navy’s finest, past, and present.

Make the most of your visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with an Ultimate Explorer ticket

An Ultimate Explorer ticket will grant you access to all nine of the Dockyard’s attractions and more for an entire year, including Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson’s world-famous flagship HMS Victory, and the world-renowned Mary Rose Museum, home to the largest collection of Tudor artefacts in the world. Ultimate Explorer annual passes also include access to programmed events and new exhibits throughout the year. 

With nine attractions on one ticket, there is something to suit the whole family. 

An Ultimate Explorer Ticket gives you entry to the following attractions:

HMS Victory: Step aboard Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship and immerse yourself in the world-famous 104-gun ship that helped win the Battle of Trafalgar. You can also get up close and personal to the ship’s restoration project with Victory: Live.  

The Mary Rose: After laying on the bottom of the Solent for 437 years, King Henry VIII’s flagship the Mary Rose was raised in October 1982 alongside 19,000 objects. You can venture back in time over 500 years with this incredible Tudor time capsule.  

HMS Warrior: One of the world’s first iron-hulled, armoured warships launched in 1860 as the pride of Queen Victoria’s navy it never fired a shot in anger yet changed naval warfare forever.

HMS M.33: One of only three surviving ships from the First World War and one of 5 M29-class monitor ships built in 1915, discover the only surviving ship from the Gallipoli campaign.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy Portsmouth: Home to Britain’s only museum dedicated to the men and women of the Royal Navy spanning several hundred years. Here you can also explore a Worlds Beneath the Waves an exhibition on the research expeditions of HMS Challenger. As well as hearing the stories of Naval personnel about their life in the Royal Navy now and how they are still at the forefront of exploring the ocean. 

HMS Alliance at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum: Discover a world beneath the sea by walking onboard HMS Alliance - it’s as if she is about to leave for sea. Take a peek through the working periscopes and see, hear and even smell how life was lived underwater.

Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower: Take the waterbus over to the award-winning museum – home to a unique collection that includes torpedoes and modern missiles.

Harbour Tours: A sailor’s eye view of the Historic Dockyard, and the warships of the modern Royal Navy (subject to availability).

The Dockyard Apprentice Exhibition: The story of Dockyard life during the early years of the 20th Century when the great Dreadnought battleships were being constructed.

Boathouse 4: A great family attraction within the Historic Dockyard, offering hands-on children’s activities. There is the Forgotten Craft exhibition which pays tribute to the heroic small naval craft and crews of the past. You can also get a great birds-eye view of students practising traditional boatbuilding skills as part of the International Boatbuilding Training College Portsmouth.

Also included in the ticket is the Waterbus – a boat ride from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum and Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower (subject to availability and offered on a first come, first served basis).

Food and drink at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

While you are on site, you can also choose from a range of cafes. Enjoy delicious hot lunches, quick tasty snacks, home-made treats or a refreshing glass of something sparkling!