About

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is the UK’s premier destination for exploring 500 years of naval history and a must-see for anyone visiting the South of England. A visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard allows you to step on-board world-famous ships, explore heroic submarines and uncover some of the Navy’s best-kept secrets with first-hand accounts from the Royal Navy’s finest - past, and present.

An Ultimate Explorer ticket will grant you access to all nine of the Dockyard’s attractions and more for an entire year, including Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson’s world-famous flagship HMS Victory, and the internationally renowned Mary Rose Museum, home to the largest collection of Tudor artefacts in the world. Ultimate Explorer annual passes also include access to programmed events and new exhibits throughout the year.  

With nine attractions on one ticket, you can come back and again and again and see something new.

An Ultimate Explorer Ticket gives you entry to:

HMS Victory: A major reinterpretation of her visitor route through the ship enables visitors to follow in the footsteps of Nelson, her most famous Vice-Admiral. Now, see close-up the work that goes into maintaining a historic ship with Victory Live - a fascinating and ever-changing glimpse behind-the-scenes of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The Mary Rose: The Tudor relic stands in her own specially designed museum, to showcase the remains of the hull that lay at the bottom of the Solent for more than 400 years. Here you can also see a few of the 19,000 of Tudor artefacts, rescued alongside the ship.

HMS Warrior: One of the world’s first iron-hulled, armoured warships launched in 1860 and never fired a shot in anger, yet changed naval warfare forever.

HMS M.33: Discover the only surviving ship from the First World War’s Gallipoli campaign.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy Portsmouth: Home to Britain’s only museum dedicated to the men and women of the Royal Navy spanning several hundred years.

HMS Alliance at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum: Discover a world beneath the sea by walking onboard HMS Alliance - it’s as if she is about to leave for sea. Take a peek through the working periscopes and see, hear and even smell how life was lived underwater.

Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower: Take the waterbus over to the award-winning museum – home to a unique collection that includes torpedoes and modern missiles.

Harbour Tours: A sailor’s eye view of the Historic Dockyard, and the warships of the modern Royal Navy (subject to availability).

Also included in the ticket is the Waterbus – a boat ride from Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to the Royal Navy Submarine Museum and Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower (subject to availability and offered on a first come, first served basis).

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard opening hours:
April to October: 10am to 5.30pm, last entry 4.30pm.
November to March: 10am to 5pm, last entry 4pm.
The Dockyard is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.

While you are on site, choose from a range of cafés, enjoy delicious hot lunches, quick tasty snacks, home-made treats or a refreshing glass of something sparkling!

The Ultimate Explorer Ticket does not include entry to special events.
Some attractions may run on timed entry at different periods of the year, and some may be closed at certain times during the winter.