Woking is a town and borough in northwest Surrey, just 23 miles from central London. It is a place with a unique character and there are a diverse amount of things to do in Woking. There is truly something for everyone, with an excellent town centre to shop and dine in, galleries and museums to explore and many areas of natural beauty to enjoy.

Within this article we are going to talk you through our top seven things to do in Woking.

Explore the Woking Town Centre

In the heart of Woking you will find Victoria Place, an undercover shopping centre which is accessible to everyone. You will find many well known high street shops such as Superdrug, Waterstones and Next. 

There are also many excellent places to eat including the quick and easy places like KFC or, if you are after something more fancy, there is Gordon Ramsey’s Street Burger. You can even learn to cook within the shopping centre as Gordon has opened his first cooking academy within Victoria Place. There are many classes for you to choose from baking to sushi or steak masterclasses. The classes range from 90 minutes to a full day experience and you will be taught by expert chefs. 

If this wasn’t enough, you can also go bowling, go to the cinema, grab a book from the library and see a theatre production all within Victoria Place. With so much to do, Victoria Place should definitely be on your list of top things to do in Woking. Open every day, the opening hours do change, depending on the day of your visit, so please check the website. 

Just a short drive from the town centre, are the Woking Peace Gardens. It is a place of cultural and religious significance as it is a memorial garden built on what was once a Muslim Military Cemetery. Sadly, due to vandalism, the decision was made to exhume the Muslim soldiers and re-interred them in Brookwood Military Cemetery in 1969. In 2011, the council began raising funds to restore the area, knowing it needed to be given meaning and purpose. And so the memorial garden was created, with the names of the Muslim soldiers once buried there engraved on an Indian granite memorial stone. 

The Peace Garden has been designed to be a tranquil place but also as place to reflect on the sacrifice made not only by those fighting in the British Army in two world wars but also by the many nations and religions that fought beside them, including the Muslim soldiers of the army of Undivided India, some of whom were originally buried there. Open seven days a week, the Woking Peace Garden will be a beautiful place to visit in Woking. 

Visit The Lightbox Art Gallery and Museum

The Lightbox is an award winning art gallery and museum but it is also an independent charity who believe in the transformative power of visual arts. They strive to put art and wellbeing into everything they do and deliver this mission through a mixture of exhibitions, featuring world-renowned artists, local heritage, talks, workshops and social events. 

The Lightbox is located on Chobham Road and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and then, 11am to 4pm on a Sunday. Admission is £9.50 for a Day Pass. For under 18s and Lightbox Members it is free to visit. Check out the website for what is on at the moment and get a visit planned. 

Enjoy Nature at RHS Garden Wisley

RHS Garden Wisley is the flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society and one of the great gardens of the world.

The Royal Horticultural Society was given Wisley in 1903, although at that time only a small part of the 60 acre estate was actually cultivated as a garden, with the remainder being wooded farmland. The original garden was created by George Fergusson Wilson who was a businessman, scientist, inventor and keen gardener and a former Treasurer of the Society. He purchased the site in 1878, establishing the ‘Oakwood Experimental Garden’, with the idea of making ‘difficult plants grow successfully’. 

Now a bigger site, thanks to Sir Thomas Hanbury, the educational and scientific side of the garden has never been forgotten. Late in the 19th century, the RHS had begun to train student gardeners at their leased garden in Chiswick. To build on the excellent educational work begun there, a small laboratory was opened and the School of Horticulture was founded at Wisley to instruct young people in the principles of horticulture and prepare them for careers as professional gardeners. Today, they are still educating the next generation of gardeners and horticulturists but they also offer a huge range of training from day-long courses to degrees.

There are many things to see within the garden from the Glasshouse landscape to the Jubilee Arboretum. And there are many lovely walks to go on, year round. They also have a garden centre, if you leave feeling inspired to get gardening, and many places to grab some food and a drink. The opening times of RHS Garden Wisley are dependent on the time of year so please check the website before visiting.  

Experience the Brooklands Museum

Brooklands was the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation, home of Concorde and the site of many engineering and technological achievements throughout eight decades of the 20th century. And now, Brooklands Museum celebrates all this history by showcasing its collections. The collections are focused on the 1907 banked motor course and its influence on the development of motor racing and aviation and include scooters, planes and Aston Martins. 

Open Monday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm in the winter and Monday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm, in the summer, this is a great place to visit if you love vehicles, history or you just enjoy learning something new on your days out. Admission is £22.70 for adults, £9.50 for children and free if you are a Brooklands member or a carer. 

Relax at Woking Park

Woking Park is 43 acres of attractive landscaped gardens, which contain many outdoor and indoor leisure activities, including Woking Leisure Centre and Pool in the Park. 

Many local events happen throughout the year, including Woking’s Firework Extravaganza in November, the CAMRA Woking Beer Festival and the biggest community event – Party in the Park.

The park has multi-use games areas, skateparks, tennis courts and public toilets. It is open year round, every day.

Discover Woking’s Theatres and Cultural Scene

If you love a trip to the theatre, there are also many things for you to see and do in Woking. 

The New Victoria Theatre opened in 1992 and quickly established itself as one of the best theatres in the southeast. Boasting state of the art facilities, excellent acoustics and clear sight lines, it has hosted first class theatre from the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. There are a variety of things to go and see at the New Victoria Theatre such as sing-a-longs to films, musicals, comedy performances, ballet and opera. 

The Rhoda McGaw Theatre caters to Woking’s many community groups, societies, semi-professional and professional content. It has a  variety of performances on throughout the year including musical theatre, comedy, opera, dance, drama and youth performances.

Sample Woking’s Local Cuisine

There are many local cafes and restaurants in Woking, offering a variety of culinary delights.

There is Dukes Bar and Deli that offers delish Italian cuisine. They have pizzas, pasta dishes and wonderful desserts which, of course, includes tiramisu. With vegetarian and vegan options available, this is a great place to eat for everyone. Open from 8am, Monday to Saturday, they also have breakfast options available including Italian pastry and an array of British options such as porridge. 

If you love Indian and Nepalese cuisine, Everest Spice is the place for you. You can book a table or have it delivered to your door and the food is delicious. Open 5pm to 10pm, Tuesday to Sunday, this is the perfect choice if you love a food with a bit of spice. 

If you enjoy the feel of being in a pub but want to enjoy exquisite food, Bird in the Hand will be perfect. Located in Mayford, Woking, they offer light lunches, small plates, sharing platters and exquisite main courses, with vegetarian and vegan options available.

The Top Things To Do In Woking

There are so many things to do in Woking and each one is diverse allowing this beautiful town to cater to the enjoyment of many different people. We hope our list of our top seven things has inspired you to come and visit or, if you are local, to enjoy your hometown more. 

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