15 Fun Outdoor Activities in Birmingham

Look no further! We have a round up of 15 amazing outdoor things to do in Birmingham and the surrounding area.

There are beautiful gardens. adrenaline filled activities, farms, parks, playgrounds, fairgrounds, mini golf, canal, city or woodland walks and more.

There are outdoor activities all year round including things to do in the summer and winter. Whether you’re a family with young kids, teenagers, a couple or a solo visitor, you’ll find the perfect outdoor attraction for you.

Find an outdoor attraction for everybody in the UK’s second city.

Enjoy Crazy Golf at Cannon Hill Park

Situated a couple of miles outside Birmingham City centre is Cannon Hill Park.  There’s so much to do here. Walk around the 80 acres of formal gardens and 120 acres of woodland and conservation area. If you like to keep fit, try out a 5K park run on Saturday mornings.

Kids will love the park, fairground rides, land train and activities like mini golf. Take a trip on the swan boats on the lake.

You could spend the whole day here. In the summer it’s a great place for a picnic and an ice cream.

Find out more at Cannon Hill Park.

See the Monkeys at Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park

Located in Cannon Hill park is Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park.

There are some fabulous animals to see. They include a European Lynx, monkeys, tamarins, lemurs, goats, pigs, guinea pigs, snakes, lizards, cranes, red pandas, otters, antelopes and wallabies.

Book tickets on the website in advance.

Find out more at Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park

Explore the Canals of Birmingham by Kayak or Walking

With 35 miles of canals in total, you may have heard that Birmingham has more miles of canals than Venice.

Walking around Birmingham’s canals is a great outdoor activity. Here is a suggested one mile walk.

If you fancy something more exciting, take a guided Kayak tour from the Roundhouse. No previous kayaking experience is required.

There are two kayak tours you can take. The Bustling Birmingham Kayak Tour towards the city centre shows you a different side to Birmingham. It’s great for newbies.

If you fancy something more challenging, the Green Kayak tour is longer. The guides take you on a tour to see some of Birmingham’s many green spaces. You don’t need experience to do the Green Kayak tour. However, if you’ve never been on a kayak before they recommend that you do the Bustling Birmingham tour first.

Find more information at their website. 

Try the High Ropes at Bear Grylls Activity Centre

There are plenty of outdoor activities to take part in at the Bear Grylls activity centre at the NEC.

They include high ropes, climbing and archery.

It’s just a 10 minute walk from Birmingham International train station. Take the train and get 2 for 1 on the activities with a train ticket.

There’s car parking too.

Find out more at Bear Grylls Adventure

Stroll Around Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Photo by Purple Heather / Flickr Creative Commons

The botanical gardens are located about 1.5 miles outside of the city centre, in Edgbaston Birmingham.

The gardens cover 16 acres. There is lots to see including beautiful landscaped gardens, woodland, formal gardens and more.

There are also four glasshouses which include tropical rainforest to dry desert and a butterfly house.

For families there are explorer backpacks, children’s trails, play area, activity days and events.

Find out more at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Kids Love the Castle at Lickey Hills Country Park

Lickey Hills with Beacon Hill castle in the background.

Lickey Hills is approximately 10 miles (a 25 minute drive) out of the city centre, on the edge of Birmingham. It’s a favourite place for Brummies to enjoy the countryside.

There are several entrances to Lickey Hills. If you park at the visitor centre on Warren Lane, there is a children’s playground and a cafe as well as some lovely woodland walks. The postcode for the car park is B45 8ER.

If you park on Monument Lane, you can visit Beacon Hill Castle. It’s one of the highest points for miles and you can enjoy magnificent views of the city. Kids will also love running around the woods here or enjoying the green space for picnics and ball games. The postcode for this car park is B45 9QH.

Discover the City on a Positively Birmingham Walking Tour

A Birmingham walking tour will show you another side to this magnificent city (even if you’ve lived here all your life).

A guide will start your tour from the library of Birmingham. From here, you’ll explore Birmingham’s landmarks, canals and the influences that have shaped the city.

It’s a fun and informative tour.

Book Your Birmingham Walking Tour 

Cross Over the Japanese Bridge at Winterbourne House and Garden

Photo by Damien Walmsley / Flickr Creative Commons

Just a few minutes from the city centre and located in the grounds of Birmingham University, you’ll find Winterbourne House and Garden.

The garden is home to 6000 plant species from around the world. You can wander along a woodland walk, meander through the Hazelnut tunnel and go over the the Japanese bridge.

There are family events that take place throughout the year which include all year round activity trails. Halloween trails and a summer themed family fun day. There are picnic tables and a children’s garden.

You can also look around the house which was built in 1903. It’s a rare surviving example of an early 20th century suburban villa.

Book Your Winterbourne House and Garden ticket

Try the Zip Wire at Ackers Adventure

Ackers Adventure is located 2 miles from Birmingham City centre and is another great place for adrenaline filled outdoor activities.

Outdoor activities include 3 climbing walls, a zip wire, kayaking, canoeing, archery, obstacle course and more.

Find out more at Ackers Adventure

Feed the Animals at Balsall Heath City Farm

This little city farm is a delight for young kids to visit. You can feed the animals (bring some 20p pieces to get some food from the machines).

There’s chickens, geese, sheep, rabbits, goats, guinea pigs and turkeys.

It’s open to the public most days of the year. It’s free to visit but if you can afford it, they ask for a donation to help towards the running of the farm.

Book online in advance on their website. 

Go to the Farm Bazaar at Woodgate Valley Country Park and Urban Farm

Woodgate Valley Country park covers 450 acres of green space and is based in the area of Quinton and Bartley Green. The park is home to over 250 different species of plants and lots of wildlife and birds which you can look out for on your walk. There are colour coded walks to follow and it’s a popular place for dog walking.

There is also a stream where you can splash away.

The country park is also a great place to take children with a playground, horses to see and Woodgate Valley Urban Farm .

The small community farm is run by volunteers and costs £1.50 for adults to visit.  The animals include cows, sheep, pygmy goats, pigs, geese, ducks and rabbits.  Most Saturday afternoons they run a farm bazaar but check the website to make sure it’s on before you go.

Woodgate Valley Country Park is also home to Hole Farm Trekking Centre where children and adults can go pony trekking and learn to ride.

Find out more at Woodgate Valley Country Park.

Walk or Jog Around Edgbaston Reservoir

Photo by Elliott Brown / Flickr Creative Commons

Located 5 minutes drive from the city centre is Edgbaston reservoir. The reservoir is surrounded by woodland and grassland. There are approximately 2.8k paths for walkers and runners. Walk around the reservoir and you can forget that you’re in the city and feel like you’re in the countryside.

There’s some gym equipment half way around the reservoir. There’s often sailing boats to look at and ducks and swans too.

Find out more at Edgbaston Reservoir website.

See the Planes at Sheldon Country Park and Old Rectory Farm

Sheldon country park covers 300 acres of countryside. It’s a great place to take young children. It’s home to the Old Rectory farm which is free to visit. The farm do welcome donations. It helps them fund looking after their animals and improve the site for visitors.  See ducks, ponies, pigs, cows, geese and chickens. There is also a small playground for kids. A tea room provides a selection of beverages, cakes and hot food.

Birmingham International Airport is on the border off the park (about a 1 mile walk from the farm). You can only access it on foot. It’s a great place to see the planes taking off and landing.

Find out more at Sheldon Country Park 

Try a Birmingham Self Guided Treasure Hunt

Take yourself on a self guided treasure hunt around Birmingham.

You’ll need your phone. Clues and maps are sent to you via your phone. You solve the clues by searching your surroundings. When you get the right answer you’ll move onto the next place.

Don’t worry about getting stuck, you can ask for hints to help you.

You don’t need to download anything to your phone to play. You get sent a link to a game which you can share with other game players.

You will also learn interesting facts and stories.

Book Your Birmingham Self-Guided Smartphone Sightseeing Treasure Hunt

Visit Martineau Gardens

This beautiful 2 acre community garden is a hidden gem so close to Birmingham City Centre. Although it’s a small space it’s a lovely wildlife haven and features a lovely woodland walk and a shipwreck children’s play area. Many outdoor events take place there throughout the year which include a garden party, outdoor theatre and jazz festival so it’s well worth checking out their website to see what’s going on.

Find out more at Martineau Gardens

Get Festive at the German Market

The German market is an outdoor event that happens most years in Birmingham City Centre between November and the end of December.

The market is huge! It’s the largest one outside Germany or Austria.

It’s the largest authentic German market outside to Germany or Austria.

There’s lots of stalls and pretty lights to look at. Enjoy a German beer and the festive atmosphere.

Find out more at Frankfurt Christmas market Birmingham.

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