Water & swimming in Chester

Most of Chester's water is the Dee. ChesterBoat City Cruises leave from The Groves for half an hour on the river, past Grosvenor Park and along the Meadows, at £4.50 a child with under 5s free, or £26 online for a family of five. Half an hour is exactly as long as a small child finds a boat interesting. Sandy Lane Park and Aqua Park is the city's free riverside splash park, ten spray features on the bank of the Dee, open April to August, with a play area that stays open all year.

The car park at Sandy Lane takes about 40 cars and the toilets close in winter, so a hot August Saturday needs an early start. When it rains, Brio Northgate is five minutes' walk from the city walls, with two pools, one of them a warmer training pool, and a water slide. Adults are £7.20 with an Active Card and juniors £4.30. For most children the slide is the whole point.

Water & swimming in Chester

Sandy Lane Park and Aqua Park

Chester~35 min

★★★★☆4.3(780)

Chester's free riverside splash park: ten spray features on the bank of the Dee, open April to August, with a play area that stays open all year. Toilets close in winter and the car park takes about 40 cars.

FreeSplash park April to AugustAges 1-10

Brio Northgate

Chester~30 min

★★★★☆3.8(1,231)

It comes down to the slide. Two pools, one of them a warmer training pool, and a water slide, five minutes' walk from the Chester city walls. The wet weather backup for a day in the city.

Adult £7.20 with an Active Card, junior £4.30IndoorsAges 0-14

ChesterBoat City Cruises

Chester~35 min

★★★★★4.5(1,501)

Half an hour on the Dee from The Groves, past Grosvenor Park and along the Meadows, for £4.50 a child and free under 5s. Exactly as long as a small child finds a boat interesting.

Family of five £26 onlineFeb to mid-DecAges 2-11

Water & swimming elsewhere in the North West

Blue Planet Aquarium

Ellesmere Port~35 min

★★★★☆4.1(8,117)

Sharks over a moving walkway tunnel, all under cover. A dependable answer to a washout forecast that still feels like a proper day out.

Day ticketIndoorsAges 4-11

Formby Beach & Pinewoods

Formby~45 min

★★★★★4.9(46)

Huge sand dunes, a proper beach and red squirrels in the pinewoods behind it. The dunes alone will occupy them for an hour. Free entry if you have National Trust membership.

Parking chargeAges 4-11

Anderton Boat Lift

Northwich~30 min

★★★★★4.5(3,464)

A Victorian lift built to hoist canal boats fifty feet between the Weaver and the Trent and Mersey Canal. The lift itself is closed for repairs through 2026, with reopening planned for the 2027 season, but the free visitor centre, the play area and hour-long river cruises from its foot are all running.

Free entry, river cruise £12 an adultIndoorsThe lift is closed for repairs until the 2027 season; the visitor centre opens daily except ThursdaysAges 4-11

Sea Life Manchester

Trafford~25 min

★★★★☆4.0(5,173)

Ocean tunnel, rays, seahorses and rockpool touch sessions, sized for smaller legs - you can do the whole thing in a morning and pair it with Legoland next door.

Book online - walk-up costs moreIndoorsAges 4-9

Sandcastle Waterpark

Blackpool~1 hr

★★★★☆4.3(8,767)

The UK's biggest indoor waterpark, kept at tropical temperature: proper toddler pools and mini slides at one end, big flumes at the other. Rainy-day Blackpool solved.

Book online - cheaperIndoorsAges 4-11

Sea Life Blackpool

Blackpool~1 hr

★★★★☆4.4(11,062)

A solid seafront aquarium with an ocean tunnel and rockpool sessions - the reliable wet-weather hour when the beach plan falls apart.

Book online - cheaperIndoorsAges 4-9