When spending a day in Guernsey's capital St Peter Port, you can explore independent shops, historic sites, world-class restaurants, boutique coffee shops and castles.
There is so much to do in our town, and we've compiled a list of some of the best things to do on your trip here.
Central St Peter Port
Castle Cornet has stood guard over the town for 800 years, complete with four museums and four period gardens. Once cut off by the tide, it now provides a spectacular backdrop to the town as well as staging theatre productions and musical events. If you stop by at 12 o’clock, you will see the scarlet clad castle keepers fire the Noon-day gun.
If you want to learn more about the island's history, head to the Guernsey Tapestry at the Gallery in St James, wander through the beautiful Candie Gardens or explore Hauteville House, home to French writer Victor Hugo.
If you would rather just take it easy, explore the boutique shopping, then sit back and relax with a coffee or bite to eat and watch the world go by.
With a focus on fresh and local, restaurants in Guernsey pride themselves on serving high quality dishes in beautiful settings. From hotel bistros to waterfront lunch venues, sushi spots to steakhouses, the only issue you’ll have is where to go first. Read more about places to eat here.
St Peter Port's centrepiece is its beautiful church, which is the closest church to a pub in the British Isles.
Candie Gardens
At the top of town is Candie Gardens. Once the formal gardens of a private home, they are now open for the public to enjoy and house the Guernsey Museum and Art Gallery.
This is a great spot to visit to learn more about the Islands. Walk up through the picturesque gardens to reach the museum, which houses permanent exhibitions showing the Archaeology of Guernsey, Treasures
from around the world held in the collection, the Folklore of Guernsey and the Rona Cole Gallery showing 200 works of art.
Exploring the gardens further, you’ll find a statue of Queen Victoria in Imperial regalia with orb and sceptre, and a statue of Victor Hugo, unveiled in 1914. The tearoom located here has lovely views over the town and across to neighbouring islands.
While exploring the area, you might also like to climb the stairs to the top of the highest tower in St Peter Port, Victoria Tower. The key to enter must be collected from the Guernsey Museum, which is just a short walk away. Enjoy the spectacular views across the harbour and neighbouring islands as you head back down the road to the port.
Market Square and Old Town
Take time to explore Market Square where you will find a number of cafes and shops.
La Vallette Underground Military Museum covers all aspects of Guernsey's military history. It is situated at the south of St Peter Port, alongside the Bathing Pools. This area has been recently rejuvenated providing a welcoming venue to support health and wellbeing, educational opportunities, a love of our
environment and a year-round, indoor café that boasts beautiful views across Castle Cornet, the sea
and Guernsey’s neighbouring islands.
The Old Victorian Shop in Cornet Street acts as a historic shop and museum which highlights islanders home life of the past. The street weaves up to the top of Tower Hill, an area of town steeped in folklore and tales of witches and ghosts.
A short walk further up the hill takes you to the door of the recently-renovated Hauteville House, where Victor Hugo lived between 1856 and 1870. His townhouse has been preserved as a museum, which captures the French writer's eccentric life with its amazing collection of furniture and artefacts. Booking for a tour of this surreal but incredible house is essential but it is free to walk around the gardens.
Guided Walks
If you want to uncover more about St Peter Port's hidden past, you can join a fully accredited tour guide on a fascinating guided tour of town. From April to October there are daily guided walks around St Peter Port (rain or shine) from outside the Guernsey Information Centre.
In town, you'll find a range of events taking place most days. You can find a list of what's on here.
If you fancy venturing out of St Peter Port during your visit, the buses in Guernsey are a quick, easy and reliable way to travel around the island, with convenient routes making it simple to get anywhere.
There are plenty of routes that will take you through the rural south and west of Guernsey, with amazing
scenery keeping you occupied throughout journey.
Find out more about St Peter Port here.
Alternatively, pop into the Guernsey Information Centre where the friendly staff will be able to answer any questions you have and give you suggestions on what you can do on the island.
