UK adventure and activity holidays

Learn how to survive in the wild

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to survive alone in the great outdoors? Join your Forest Ranger to learn the basics of survival on our 3-hour Ultimate Forest Survival adventure. Learn how to light a fire without matches, how to build a shelter and test your survival skills all before boiling up your nettle or pine needle tea, having sourced the ingredients and built the fire yourself.

Learn how to survive in the forest at:

Ardgartan Argyll, Blackwood Forest, Cropton, Deerpark, Delamere Forest, Forest of Dean, Keldy, Sherwood Forest, Strathyre, Thorpe Forest

Make a splash

From canoeing down the River Wye at Forest of Dean to paddle boarding on Loch Lubnaig at Strathyre, if water-based sports are your thing and you are not afraid to get wet, a Forest Holiday is the ideal UK activity holiday for you.

We make the most of the loch at Strathyre with canoeing, paddle boarding and even walking on water! At Ardgartan Argyll you can enjoy a canoeing lesson or launch your own boat onto the loch and at Thorpe Forest and Forest of Dean our local rivers allow for thrilling canoe activities.

Enjoy water activities at:

Thorpe Forest, Forest of Dean, Ardgartan Argyll, Strathyre

Tree top adventures for all the family

At Go Ape you will have an unforgettable adventure. Fly down zip-wires, leap off Tarzan swings and tackle rope-bridge crossings and tunnels in some of Britain’s most amazing forests, close to all our cabin locations. You can also explore the great outdoors on the latest all-terrain Segways.

Everyone has that Go Ape spirit just waiting to be unleashed, so bring your tribe, whether that’s family or friends, and enjoy a thrilling day out. Go Ape is a great choice to add to your agenda for a UK adventure holiday with the kids and best of all, there’s a 10% discount on ticket prices for Forest Holidays guests.

Meet hawks, falcons and other magnificent birds

One of our most popular activities is the opportunity to get close to amazing birds of prey. On these adventures, you meet hawks, falcons and owls and, led by an expert handler, you can hold them on the glove. Enjoy the flying display too, when the birds will be flown over and between you.

This session is very interactive and it is so engrossing you will almost forget to take photos, but remember to bring out your camera for some spectacular shots. At Blackwood Forest and Sherwood Forest the experience is 60 -90 minutes and at Forest of Dean it’s a whole morning learning about these beautiful birds.

Enjoy a birds of prey adventure at:

Forest of Dean, Sherwood Forest

Explore on horse-back

What better way to explore the forest trails and countryside than on horse-back. Whether you are an experienced rider or a complete beginner you can enjoy the countryside around our locations from a new perspective.

From coloured cob pony trekking through the ancient forest trails of Sherwood Forest, to a hack through the beautiful Hampshire countryside at Blackwood Forest, to a ride through the wild North Yorkshire landscape at Cropton or Keldy, let your trusty stead do the walking. Everyone should ride a horse at least once in their lives and your Forest Holiday is the ideal time to have a go. There are lessons for beginners and escorted rides for everyone.

Go horse riding or pony trekking at:

Blackwood Forest, Cropton, Forest of Dean, Keldy, Sherwood Forest

Be a high flier

Push yourself to reach new heights on a more challenging adventure. Take to the skies in a microlight at Blackwood Forest or, at Forest of Dean, go rock climbing, caving, or even on a helicopter flight and hire our GoPro camera to catch it all on film. Or how about trying the adventure Challenge which includes The Crate Stack, Leap of Faith, The High Balls and The Zip Wire.

Enjoy forest fun at our locations, with a tree climbing session at Thorpe Forest, the Zipwire at Keldy, which you can book if you are staying at Cropton too, or a treetop adventure among the ropes and bridges of Treezone near to Ardgartan Argyll and Strathyre. And at Ardgartan Argyll you can also take a guided hike up Ben Lomond or a thrilling Gorge Walking experience. Discover our guide to the best UK zip wires for your best ever adventure holiday!

Challenging adventures are available at:

Blackwood Forest, Delamere Forest, Forest of Dean, Thorpe Forest, Keldy, Cropton, Ardgartan Argyll, Strathyre

Take your aim

Archery is one of the oldest sports, linked to the earliest days of human civilisation, and you can learn how to do it at all our locations. Feel a connection across the centuries as you pick up your bow and arrow and take aim, then experience the thrill that comes when you hit the target. From Deerpark to Strathyre, archery is available at all our locations, excluding Beddgelert, Snowdonia. 

More target practice is on offer at Sherwood Forest, home of Robin Hood, in the form of Clay pigeon shooting, Air rifle shooting and Crossbow skills, and the Target madness activity brings them all together. You can also have a go at Clay pigeon shooting at Blackwood Forest and Thorpe Forest and Air rifle shooting at Cropton and Keldy.

For real enthusiasts, ‘Weapons through the ages’ at Thorpe Forest allows you to try your hand at nine weapons from different eras, including axes and spears as well as an MB 44 assault rifle. As you might expect this one is for age 14 and over and under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

Try archery or shooting at:

Ardgartan Argyll, Blackwood Forest, Cropton, Deerpark, Delamere Forest, Forest of Dean, Keldy, Sherwood Forest, Strathyre, Thorpe Forest