Top Beaches Day Trips from London
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Beaches Day Trips from London include Folly House Beach, Joyce Green Beach, Northfleet Beach, Rainbow Beach, Egypt Bay Beach, Westcliff Beach, The Frensham Beach and Sheerness Beach.
London may be a city built on the Thames, but follow the river east and it soon widens into a coastline of tidal foreshores, estuary sands and quiet marsh shores. Right in the capital, Folly House Beach appears at low tide on the Isle of Dogs.
Drive out into Kent and the river shows more of its edges, at Joyce Green on the Dartford Marshes and Northfleet near Gravesend, while further downstream Egypt Bay hides away on the lonely Hoo Peninsula. Cross to the Essex bank and you reach Rainbow Beach near Stanford-le-Hope, known for its sea glass, and the proper resort front at Westcliff, part of Southend.
For a change of scene entirely, Frensham Great Pond in Surrey offers a sandy lakeside beach far from the sea, while out on the Isle of Sheppey the Blue Flag sands of Sheerness round things off. Some are wild and muddy, others made for deckchairs, but each rewards the trip.
Here are eight beaches for a day trip from London.
Folly House Beach
Photo: David Anstiss via Geograph.org.uk
Folly House Beach Barely 9km from the centre, Folly House Beach is a small patch of Thames foreshore on the east side of the Isle of Dogs at Cubitt Town, near Folly Wall, revealed only as the tide falls. At low water a compact strip of sand, shingle and river-worn debris emerges below the river wall, popular for mudlarking and for river views across to the Greenwich Peninsula and the O2.
When the tide is in, it disappears beneath the water entirely. The name harks back to the old Folly House, an eighteenth-century riverside building and later a tavern, remembered today in the street name Folly Wall.
Joyce Green Beach
Photo: David Martin via Geograph.org.uk
Joyce Green Beach About 25km east, out on the Dartford Marshes in Kent, Joyce Green Beach is a stretch of Thames foreshore on the low, flat ground north of Dartford near the river crossing. This is a tidal shore of mud and shingle backed by marshland and the works along the riverbank, not a resort beach but a working, industrial edge of the estuary.
Walkers and beach-clean volunteers make use of it, following the line of the river wall. It looks out over the wide, busy waters of the Thames, so come for the big estuary views and the quiet rather than for a swim or a sunbathe.
Northfleet Beach
Photo: David Anstiss via Geograph.org.uk
Northfleet Beach Roughly 31km out on the Kent bank near Gravesend, Northfleet Beach is another stretch of Thames foreshore rather than a sandy resort. As the tide pulls back it exposes mud, shingle and pebbles below the old riverside, and the frontage here is being rebuilt around the new housing of Ebbsfleet and its harbour village at the mouth of the little River Ebbsfleet.
It makes for a post-industrial riverside walk with wide views over the working Thames, where cement works and wharves once stood. Come for the history and the river rather than for bathing, and enjoy watching the estuary traffic slide past.
Rainbow Beach
Photo: Trevor Harris via Geograph.org.uk
Rainbow Beach Over on the Essex bank, about 40km from London near Stanford-le-Hope, Rainbow Beach is an informal name for a stretch of Thames estuary foreshore on the edge of a riverside nature park. It sits on the site of an old rubbish tip, and as the low mud banks wear away they release tide-worn fragments of coloured glass, pottery and china that scatter the shore, giving the beach its name and drawing beachcombers and sea-glass hunters.
This is a wild, muddy, tidal riverside rather than a bathing beach, with wide views over the working Thames and no facilities, so bring what you need and wear sturdy footwear.
Egypt Bay Beach
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Egypt Bay Beach Deeper into Kent, roughly 47km from the capital, Egypt Bay is a remote curve of shore on the marshes of the Hoo Peninsula, facing the Thames estuary. A little shingle and shell-sand gives way to broad tidal mud, backed by a sea wall across the flat Halstow Marshes.
It is reached only on foot across the marshes, well away from any road, and it is quiet birdwatching country of oystercatchers, curlews and geese. This stretch of estuary is tied to Dickens and to old tales of prison hulks and smuggling, so there is real atmosphere here for anyone who enjoys a long, lonely walk.
Westcliff Beach
Photo: Glyn Baker via Geograph.org.uk
Westcliff Beach For a more traditional seafront, head about 57km east to Westcliff Beach, the front at Westcliff-on-Sea, a western district of Southend in Essex on the north shore of the Thames Estuary. It sits between central Southend and its pier to the east and old Leigh to the west, with the wide Western Esplanade promenade running behind.
The beach is sandy along the top and gives way to shingle and broad tidal mud at low water, and there are cafes, toilets and deckchair hire along the front. It is an easy, cheerful choice for a classic day by the sea within reach of London.
The Frensham Beach
Photo: David Martin via Geograph.org.uk
Frensham Great Pond For something different, about 60km southwest of London, Frensham Great Pond near Farnham in Surrey is a large, shallow lake on heathland with a broad sandy beach along one shore. The pond was dug in the Middle Ages to supply fish to the bishops of Winchester, and now, owned by the National Trust and part of a protected common, it is a spot for a swim in a marked area, for sailing and for walking the heath.
A boardwalk leads to the sand, with a car park nearby. In warm spells the water is sometimes closed to swimmers when blue-green algae bloom.
Sheerness Beach
Photo: Chris Whippet via Geograph.org.uk
Sheerness Beach Furthest out, roughly 63km from London on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, Sheerness Beach is the town beach of the resort of Sheerness, a stretch of shingle and pebble that gives way to sand and rock beyond the tide line, with timber groynes along it. A wide flat promenade and a sea wall with flood gates run behind, backed by a park with a play area and paddling pool, amusements and a seafront of shops.
It is a busy family beach, with lifeguards in the peak season and a marked bathing area, and it holds a Blue Flag for its water quality, making it a reassuring pick for a swim.
FAQs
Are there any real beaches near London?
Yes. While several spots along the Thames are tidal foreshores, London reaches proper sandy seafronts at Westcliff in Southend and Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey, and even a sandy lakeside beach at Frensham Great Pond in Surrey.
Which beach is best for a swim?
Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey is the safest bet, with seasonal lifeguards, a marked bathing area and a Blue Flag for water quality, all an easy drive from London. Frensham Great Pond in Surrey also has a marked swimming area, though it can close when algae bloom.
What can you do on the Thames foreshore beaches?
Spots like Folly House on the Isle of Dogs and Rainbow Beach in Essex are popular for mudlarking, beachcombing and sea-glass hunting when the tide is out, with wide views over the working Thames. They are not for bathing, so check tide times before you set off from London.
Conclusion
London's own coastline begins closer than you might think, where the Thames slips its banks at Folly House and reveals a foreshore of sand and shingle. Follow the river out and the choices multiply: the marsh and estuary shores of Joyce Green, Northfleet and Egypt Bay in Kent, the sea-glass finds of Rainbow Beach in Essex, and the proper seaside fronts of Westcliff at Southend and Sheerness on Sheppey.
For a complete change, Frensham Great Pond swaps salt water for a sandy lakeside in the Surrey heath. Some of these are muddy, tidal and wild, so check the tide times, wear decent footwear and pack for the conditions.
Others are cheerful family beaches ready for deckchairs and ice cream. Wild or welcoming, near or far, these are the beaches for a day trip from London.
