The 15 Best Cornwall Tours & Experiences

1.Doc Martin Tour in Port Isaac, Cornwall

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 840 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22Our pick

Meet your local guide at Harbour Treats in Port Isaac for a 90-minute walk through the village used as Portwenn in Doc Martin. Guides such as Dave and Mike have appeared in the series, so you can hear filming stories alongside local history, see key locations, and finish back at the harbour.

“The tour was very informative & our guide actually appeared in the TV show himself. A lovely, interesting walk through the streets of Port Isaac. Very hilly though ! Highly recommend 😃”

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2.Coasteering Experience in Newquay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 465 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $76Top rated

Meet the Newquay Activity Centre team near Towan Beach for a guided coasteer through a secret sea cave and deep-water gully. Sean, Oleks, and the instructor team teach wild swimming, technical traversing, safe jumps, and cave skills. Equipment is included, and the activity suits children over 8.

“We booked this and it was great fun for all levels and will challenge anyone. Sean and Oleks were great guides for the tour and made you feel really comfortable with the challenges and coached great. Just so you have an idea the group had family's from 7, teenagers and adults. It was a great afternoon for all with the 2 hour trip taking a total of 3 hours with the prep and getting ready so the activity was actually 2 hours long, making it good value for money.”

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3.Surf Lesson

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 349 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $62

Meet at Quiksilver Surf School above Fistral Beach for a two-hour beginner lesson covering safety, paddling, wave timing, board control, and standing up. Your lesson includes a board, wetsuit, winter accessories, lockers, changing rooms, and hot showers. Instructors may include Jake, Joe, Kyle, Martha, or Ewan.

“Kyle was a great teacher, relaxed, loves surfing and made me feel at ease. Fistral beach was the ideal location with perfect waves. The surf school is a few steps away, with facilities to put on the wetsuit, showers, lockers, etc. The style of teaching is understandable and broken down into 2 sets of learnings. I ended up standing up on the board and I'm in my late 40s :) Nervous at the start, but finished with a constant big smile on my face throughout the session. Thank you Kyle.”

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4.Falmouth Uncovered Walking Tour (Award Winning)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 267 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $22

Walk through Falmouth with guides such as Will and Bobby, learning about pirate founders, sailors, crime, trade, and local characters. Expect lively storytelling, humor, period costume, sea shanties, and accordion music, plus an activity sheet for children. Hills and stairs make moderate fitness useful.

“Our guide, William was great! He made the walking tour of Falmouth fascinating and fun with lots of historical facts and stories. This tour is a must when in Falmouth.”

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5.Half-Day Coasteering in Newquay Cornwall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $76

Meet Bare Feet Coasteer near Fistral Beach for a three-hour coastal adventure led by guides such as Nick, Tony, Paul, and Noah. After safety training, you’ll swim, climb and leap from ledges, with jumps building toward larger challenges when sea conditions allow. Wetsuit, helmet, supervision, and GoPro media are included.

“Had an amazing day today Coasteering with our guides Nick and Paul who were fab! Made us feel safe and had a lot of fun. Exhausted by the end of it and they were very attentive to any medical problems e.g. my asthma carried an inhaler in a medicine bag. Couldn’t recommend enough!! Thank you Lads😁”

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6.Beginner Surf Lesson in Newquay, Cornwall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 215 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $62

Meet at Newquay Activity Centre on Fore Street for a two-hour beginner lesson led by a friendly instructor such as Alex. You’ll learn beach safety, practice on the sand, then try stand-up surfing at Great Western or Fistral Beach. Wetsuit, vest, board, changing room, and locker are provided.

“The instructors were super friendly/ patient and nice! Although for a beginner class I think it's important to take less students in a group so that the instructor can focus more with each person since it's a completely new activity for some of us. Other than that I recommend the surfing class and I would definitely do it again!”

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7.Sea Kayak Lesson & Tour in Newquay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 189 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $83

Meet at Newquay Activity Centre on Fore Street for a two-hour sea kayak lesson and coastal tour. You’ll learn the basics in a sit-on-top kayak, then follow an instructor such as James around coves, caves, and cliffs. Groups are capped at eight, with wetsuits, helmets, life jackets, and paddles provided.

“James was brilliant, such a friendly chap, knowledgeable about the area and generally a nice guy”

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8.Private Surfing Lesson

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 173 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $138

Spend two hours at Fistral Beach Surf School with coaching shaped around your ability, from first pop-up to better manoeuvres. You get a suitable board, wetsuit, changing rooms, and hot showers. Lessons suit ages five and up, with private, family, and group options.

“Brilliant teacher, such a great day, very well organised, really enjoyed the whole experience, would highly recommend!!”

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9.Taster Surfing Lesson in Bude

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 101 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $62

Meet Freewave Surf Academy at Widemouth Bay for a two-hour beginner lesson in a group of no more than six. You’ll warm up, learn beach and water safety, then practice catching waves with help from instructors such as Marco, Reuben, Sally, and Robin.

“All my 11 year son wanted to do on our holiday was to have a surfing lesson so we booked a session online with freewave surf academy not really knowing want to expect. The instructor Ruben quickly put us at ease. After some instruction on the beach, they headed out, Ruben helped him choose the best waves and he was super pleased to manage to stand a couple of times. It was clear that Ruben was aware of the changing weather/wave conditions and safety was a priority. My son had a fabulous time - and came out if the sea with a huge grin - job well done! He hasn't…”

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10.Beyond Paradise TV Show Locations Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 84 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Walk through Looe, the real-life Shipton Abbott, with a local guide and photo references from the series. See the Guildhall police station, Sail Loft, fish market, East Looe River, and East Looe Beach. The 90-minute English tour costs $27.75 and allows up to 20 people.

“A very interesting experience and excellent knowledgeable tour guide . Also a nice steady walk at a reasonable pace”

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11.The Falmouth Ghost Tour (Award Winning)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $13Best value

Meet your guide at Prince of Wales Pier at 6 pm for a one-hour walk through Falmouth. Hear tales of disaster, cannibalism, slavery, and death, with guides such as Bob and Will bringing the stories to life through performance and music.

“Incredible tour, full of history and spooky stories. Bob is a fabulous guide! Just gutted we don’t have time for the history tour too!”

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12.2-Hour Coasteering Adventure Near Bude

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $76

Meet Robin and the Freewave Surf Academy team at Bossiney Campsite near Tintagel for a two-hour coasteering session. You’ll wear a wetsuit, buoyancy aid, and helmet, then swim, climb, and jump along Cornwall’s rocky coast in a group of up to 15.

“Robin was professional, friendly and found the right balance between safety and fun! He even let us do a big jump that wasn't supposed to be part of the itinery. Definitely recommend this company! :)”

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13.Stand Up Paddle Boarding Journey Down Bude Canal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $55

Meet at The Crescent in Bude at 3:00 pm for a two-hour paddle along the calm canal. Freewave Surf Academy supplies the inflatable board, paddle, and wetsuit if needed. Your guide, including James on some outings, teaches you from kneeling to standing in a group of no more than 12.

“Great experience did this with my 15yr old son we both enjoyed it James the instructor was a great guy and made our experience enjoyable all the equipment was spot on and the canal was so peaceful”

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14.Coasteering Adventures in Bossiney Cove, Bude, and Cornwall

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $61

Meet at Bossiney Campsite near Tintagel for a two-hour coasteering session led by instructors such as Rob, Joe, or Kieran. Swim through arches, explore sea caves, cross rocky ledges, and make sea jumps with wetsuits, buoyancy aids, and helmets supplied.

“We had a fantastic experience led by Joe and Kieran. You definitely need to be a confident swimmer, but we would highly recommend to anyone wanting to try something a bit different!”

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15.Private Tour of North Cornwall for Breathtakingly Rugged Coast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Spend about 8.5 hours with a local guide such as Conrad, visiting North Cornwall’s Atlantic beaches, fishing villages, Tintagel, and Jamaica Inn. Your private group of up to six travels in an air-conditioned minivan, with parking, water, and Cornish gifts included.

“We had such a wonderful day with Conrad! He was so knowledgeable of the history, culture, and geography of Cornwall. He took us to see so many beautiful places-Newquay, the Bedruthan steps, Port Isaac, Tintagel castle, Bodmin moor, to name a few. The views were amazing. I had been driving myself the last few days, so it was great to have someone else take care of parking, maneuvering the narrow Cornish roads, etc.”

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