Things to Do in Channel Islands
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to the Channel Islands, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
The Channel Islands sit closer to France than to England, and they've got the history to prove it, the only part of the British Isles occupied during the Second World War, and a dairy cow breed the whole world has heard of. This is the proper guide to things to do in the Channel Islands, what things actually cost, when to go, and which bits are worth the ferry. Six main stops below, spanning Jersey and Guernsey, plus a quiz at the bottom to see if you were paying attention.
Jersey War Tunnels
I asked in the quiz which power occupied the Channel Islands during WWII, and here's the fuller answer: German forces held the islands from 1940 until Liberation Day, 9 May 1945, still marked as a public holiday every year, and the only part of the British Isles to be occupied throughout the entire war. Jersey War Tunnels, over 1,000 metres of underground passages dug by forced and slave labour into the hillside at St Lawrence, was originally meant to be a barracks and ammunition store, later converted into an emergency hospital.
It's a genuinely sobering visit, not a sanitised one, with personal accounts from islanders who lived through the occupation. Allow a good two to three hours to do it justice, and follow it with a walk along the War Trail through the surrounding woods afterward if you want some air.
Hours 10am-5pm, last admission 4pm, open year-round
Address St Lawrence, Jersey JE3 1FU
Official site jerseywartunnels.com
Jersey cows & the island's dairy heritage
The other quiz question, answered properly: Jersey cattle, small, fawn-coloured, and famous worldwide for producing exceptionally rich, creamy, high-butterfat milk, take their name directly from this island, where the breed has been kept pure for centuries thanks to historic import restrictions designed to protect it. You'll see the cows themselves grazing across Jersey's countryside, genuinely part of the landscape rather than a tourist prop.
Local dairies and farm shops sell Jersey cream, butter and ice cream across the island, a good, simple way to taste the difference the breed actually makes.
Jersey Zoo (Durrell Wildlife Park)
Founded in 1959 by the author and naturalist Gerald Durrell, this isn't a conventional zoo, it's the working headquarters of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, focused specifically on saving species from extinction. Across 32 acres you'll find gorillas, giant tortoises, bats and over 100 other species, many bred on site as part of genuine international conservation programmes.
It's a full day out rather than a quick stop, with two cafés on site if you want to make a proper afternoon of it.
Getting there About 15 minutes from St Helier
Official site durrell.org/visit-jersey-zoo
Mont Orgueil Castle
A genuinely dramatic 13th-century fortress overlooking Gorey Harbour, connected to the Norman Conquest and still one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the Channel Islands. Expect nearly 200 steps as you work your way up through the towers and staircases to the top, but the views over the harbour and, on a clear day, across to France, are worth every one of them.
Elizabeth Castle, in St Helier's own bay, is the other major Jersey castle worth knowing about, over 400 years of history and reachable on foot at low tide or by amphibious vehicle when the water's in.
Address Gorey Harbour, Jersey JE3 6ET
St Peter Port & Guernsey's French neighbour
I asked in the quiz which country's coastline the Channel Islands sit closer to, and it's France, visible on a clear day from several points across the islands. Guernsey's capital, St Peter Port, is a genuinely charming harbour town, cobbled streets, colourful houses climbing the hillside, and regular daily cannon firings from Castle Cornet marking the traditional opening and closing of the harbour gates.
Victor Hugo lived in exile here for 15 years, and his former home, Hauteville House, is now a museum, eccentric, richly decorated, and genuinely worth the admission if you're in Guernsey.
Sark & Herm
Sark is car-free, genuinely so, transport is by bicycle, foot or horse-drawn carriage, with dramatic cliffs and the narrow, vertigo-inducing isthmus of La Coupée connecting its two halves. Herm, smaller still at just under two square miles, is a short boat ride from Guernsey and largely about beaches and quiet walking rather than any single attraction.
Neither is a day trip you can rush. Both are best treated as a full-day boat excursion from Guernsey, with the return crossing built into your plans rather than an afterthought.
Getting there Regular boat services from Guernsey; check current timetables
Best time to visit Channel Islands
May to September gives the best weather for the beaches, Mont Orgueil's climb, and boat trips out to Sark and Herm, and it's also when the French coastline is most reliably visible on a clear day. Liberation Day, 9 May, is worth timing a Jersey visit around specifically if the occupation history interests you, since the islands mark it properly every year rather than treating it as just another public holiday.
Getting around Channel Islands
Jersey and Guernsey are each best explored by bus (day passes are the cheapest option) or hire car rather than on foot alone, since the main attractions are spread across the islands rather than clustered in one town. Getting between the islands themselves means a ferry, Condor Ferries runs the main routes, or a short inter-island flight.
Frequently asked questions
- Are the Channel Islands worth visiting?
- Yes, particularly for the WWII occupation history, genuinely unique within the British Isles, and for a slower pace and French-influenced culture you won't find on the UK mainland.
- How many days do you need in the Channel Islands?
- Two to three days per island covers the highlights comfortably, more if you want to add Sark or Herm as a proper day trip from Guernsey.
- Are the Channel Islands expensive?
- Moderate to high by UK standards, flights and ferries both add up, and paid attractions like Jersey Zoo and the War Tunnels aren't cheap, though walking St Peter Port or Jersey's countryside costs nothing.
- What are the Channel Islands famous for?
- Being the only part of the British Isles occupied during WWII, the Jersey cattle breed prized worldwide for its rich milk, and their close geographic and cultural ties to France.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
