to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
From couples’ cuteness to giggles with your galantines, love is in the air this February in Hampshire, and these heartwarming things to do are the perfect match for Valentine’s Day on Saturday 14 February 2026.
Read on for our gorgeous guide to Valentine’s Day 2026 in Hampshire.
1. Share the love of food
When it comes to irresistible food to share together, Hampshire has an abundance of dreamy restaurants perfect for a Valentine’s Day lunch or dinner.
For some big-hearted pub food, head to The White Hart in Lymington, where delicious dishes are served up in its cosy setting, or visit on a Sunday for one of their legendary roasts.
At Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa in the New Forest, The Kitchen by (celebrity chef and Hampshire local) James Martin has a delectable selection of local dishes on the menu sourced from the nearby land and sea.
The Avenue restaurant at Lainston House near Winchester is a dreamy setting for an elegant dinner, and the hotel’s Wellhouse restaurant is a mouthwatering woodfired eating experience.
The 600-year-old grade II listed Chesil Rectory in Winchester city centre has so many cosy corners that it has been voted one of the most romantic restaurants in the UK by The Times.
Say Te Quiero with tapas in Alresford with Michelin bib gourmand restaurant Pulpo Negro where the candlelit cellar bar will transport you to the bodegas of Spain.
For seafood, sample the fruits de mer at The Jetty Ocean Village in Southampton. For the ultimate marina-side atmosphere, make it a double date with friends and reserve a jetty pod right on the water's edge.
Fancy something more spicy? Try Tap & Tandoor in Southampton or Portsmouth for irresistible Indian food, home-style curries, and epic mixed grills.
See more restaurants in Hampshire
See the full guide to food and drink in Hampshire
.jpg)
2. Have a dreamy night away
Spend some quality time together with a night away at a Hampshire hotel or in a comfortable holiday home or cosy cottage.
Escape for the weekend in a luxury treehouse at Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa, each a wonderful woodland sanctuary complete with its own outdoor hot tub amongst the New Forest trees.
Enter the fairytale gates of the beautiful country hotel Lainston House on the outskirts of Winchester and be enchanted for the weekend by the hotel’s elegant comforts and its stunning surrounding countryside.
Or get some fresh February sea air at Langstone Quays Resort on Hayling Island and make the most of the Be My Valentine Getaway offer, including an overnight stay, use of the leisure facilities, and afternoon tea and dinner in the Waterside Restaurant.
And New Forest Cottages has perfect places for romantic Valentine's breaks, from Bijou little pads to funky apartments, and dinky cottages with cosy log fires.
More romantic adult-only stays in Hampshire
3. Light up your Valentine’s Day at Winchester Cathedral
Coinciding with Valentine’s Day, Here Comes the Sun, a new event at Winchester Cathedral (30 January – 1 March), will brighten the winter months with 'Helios', an art installation by Luke Jerram, where visitors can soak up its radiance or bask in the accompanying series of events.
On Saturday 14 February, a special Valentine’s concert will feature the London Gospel Choir (who have also performed at the FA Cup Final at Wembley, Glastonbury, and the Grammy Awards), singing beneath The Sun and filling the Cathedral with their uplifting vocals.
4. Say it with sunflowers at Van Gogh Alive
Visit Van Gogh Alive at Winchester Science Centre this Valentine’s Day for a date with a difference. This new immersive art installation will be in situ at Winchester Science Centre from 22 January to 22 March 2026, bringing the artist’s masterpieces to life through light, sound and movement, giving you the sensation of being amongst his paintings inside the planetarium. Visitors can also wander amongst thousands of cheerful blooms in the Sunflower Room.
5. Shake things up at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery
The Bombay Sapphire Distillery is a great place for a date at any time of the year, where visitors can mix up their own cocktails and learn about the botanicals behind the gin-famous brand.
Try a Gin Distillery Tour and Gin Cocktail Masterclass to see behind the scenes of the fascinating distillery at Lavestoke Mill and try your hand at cocktail mixology.
There’s also a special Valentine's Cinema Night on Sunday 15 February 2026, in the Sapphire Cinema.
.jpg)
6. Step out together on a Hampshire walk
Step out together for a romantic walk with your loved one or spread the love and invite friends and family along too.
Walking is a wholesome and budget-friendly way to spend time together, and if the weather is fair, why not pack a picnic to make it extra special.
Valentine’s walks in Hampshire:
Follow in the footsteps of England’s most romantic novelist on the 4.5-mile Jane Austen Circular Walk starting at Jane Austen’s House in the pretty village of Chawton.
Climb Old Winchester Hill in the South Downs National Park and admire the sweeping views together at the top.
Stroll the 5-mile Lepe Loop in the New Forest National Park looking out for wildlife along the beach and surrounding parkland.
Discover the largest freshwater lake in Hampshire at Fleet Pond and enjoy a romantic 2.5-mile walk around its varied habitats including heathland, woodland and reedbeds.
Follow the Beaulieu River from Beaulieu to Buckler’s Hard in the New Forest National Park and pick up a handcrafted box of chocolates from the Beaulieu Chocolate Shop.
See the full guide to walks in Hampshire
7. Cook up a romantic meal
Cook up a storm together at a Hampshire cookery school and recreate the dishes for a romantic meal at home.
The Season cookery school at Lainston House near Winchester has state-of-the-art kitchen facilities where you can learn from award-winning and Michelin-starred chefs using ingredients from the kitchen garden. Cook up a romantic dinner for two on Saturday 14 February with the special skills and passions Valentine’s Day course.
Hampshire Chef James Martin is behind The Kitchen at Chewton Glen, a superb cookery school at the 5 star New Forest hotel with February classes including Middle Eastern cuisine, curries of the world, and winter recipes inspired by French food.
Or if your sweetheart has a sweet tooth, try making your own chocolates together with a Chocolate Craft workshop.
Find out more about Hampshire cookery schools
8. Say cheers with the finest fizz
Raise a glass to each other and sample some of England’s, and the world’s, very best sparkling and white wine from a vineyard in Hampshire.
Step into the world of English winemaking with a weekend Tour and Tasting Experience at Hattingley Valley Wines held on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year. Discover the magic of traditional method sparkling wine production as you go behind the scenes at one of the UK’s largest working wineries, end your journey with a guided tasting of their premium still and sparkling wines, and pick up a limited-edition Valentine’s bottle of sparkling rosé.
Also in the South Downs, Hambledon Vineyard is celebrating the first anniversary of its outstanding restaurant on Friday 6 February 2026, a perfect place to dine after one of the vineyard tour and tasting experiences that take place from Thursday to Sunday throughout February.
Discover vineyards in Hampshire
9. Share the love of flowers
February is prime snowdrop season, and there are plenty of places to see those stunning blankets of white flowers in Hampshire.
Chawton House holds dedicated Snowdrop Sundays in February for visitors to take in the carpets of pretty white buds popping up in the grounds.
Gilbert White’s House & Gardens has so many of the beautiful blooms that it holds an annual celebration of the snowdrop; this year it takes place on the same weekend as Valentine’s Day on 14 and 15 February 2026.
And near Romsey, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens has over 20 different varieties of snowdrops dotted throughout one of the largest winter gardens in Europe.
More places to see snowdrops in Hampshire
Find out more about gardens in Hampshire
10. Treat your valentine to a ticket
Make the Valentine’s Day romance last a little longer by buying a ticket for a date to look forward to in 2026.
Why not gift a day out at a Hampshire attraction, or look forward to a special event together like tickets to one of Hampshire’s 2026 festivals.
For fantastic special offer vouchers to some of the county's top attractions, visit the Hampshire Top Attractions website. From museums and gardens to family attractions and activity parks, there’s so much to explore and enjoy.
See what events are on in Hampshire this Valentine’s Day
Sign up to our newsletter and stay up to date with the latest news, events and offers.
Follow our Instagram and Facebook pages for lots more ideas and inspiration for what’s happening in Hampshire.
Related
Dating back to 1450, this beautifully preserved city landmark, located in central Winchester, serves modern British classics.
Sister to the multi-award-winning restaurant in Christchurch, The Jetty, on the Southampton Harbour Hotel’s ground-floor, specialises in fresh seafood, caught daily by local fisherman, served with locally-grown, seasonal ingredients from the New Forest. Expect nothing less than exceptional food and wine from renowned local chef Alex Aitken.
A 4.5-mile circular walk in the heart of Jane Austen country. Start at Jane Austen's House in Chawton and follow in her footsteps across fields and through the village of Farringdon. Jane was inspired by this beautiful countryside to write and revise all her novels.
Jane Austen’s House in the picturesque Hampshire village of Chawton is one of the most important literary sites in the world. It was in this inspiring cottage that Jane Austen’s genius flourished and where she wrote, revised, and had published all six of her globally beloved novels.
Located in the South Downs National Park Old Winchester Hill consists of 150 acres of National Nature Reserve and is home to many species of plants and wildlife. From the top of the hill enjoy views across the rolling hills as far as Portsmouth, Southampton and on a clear day, the Isle of Wight.
The Lepe Loop in Lepe Country Park follows a beautiful coastal and countryside route with picturesque views of The Solent. Follow the beach along until you get to the parkland, here you will experience the peaceful countryside.
Fleet Pond is the largest freshwater lake in Hampshire. The nature reserve has 141 acres (57ha) of varied habitats including heathland, woodland, reedbed and marsh, and is home for many species of birds, butterflies, dragonflies and wild flowers. This walk takes a full circuit of Fleet Pond and offers excellent views. The path crosses Brookly Stream, one of the two feeder streams into the lake and passed by the oldest section of Fleet Pond’s woodlands which has good specimens of oak and Scots pine.
In 1204 Cistercian monks founded an abbey here near the site of a royal hunting lodge and called it Beau-lieu, meaning beautiful place. This easy walk for all follows the route of the wildlife rich Beaulieu River and finishes at Bucklers Hard, where Lord Nelson’s favourite ship Agamemnon was built in 1781.
Based at Laverstoke Mill in rural North Hampshire, just 15 miles from Winchester, the Bombay Sapphire Distillery is in a conservation area with over 1,000 years of history. The distillery showcases the care, skill and creativity behind every drop of Bombay Sapphire, and allows your group to discover the flavours of the botanicals which make Bombay Sapphire gin so unique.
An English Original, Chewton Glen is a luxury country house hotel and spa set in 130 acres of Hampshire countryside on the edge of the New Forest National Park, and just a few minutes' walk from the sea.
Chocolate Craft are an award-winning chocolate company producing handcrafted chocolates for customers throughout the UK, including Fortnum & Mason and offer chocolate making workshops.
Nestled on the edge of the idyllic South Downs in rural Hampshire, Hattingley Valley is a family-owned English winery with a difference. What began as a small farm diversification project has grown into one of the UK’s most celebrated wine producers, boasting over 180 industry awards and 14 trophies globally. Renowned for its innovative approach to traditional method sparkling winemaking and its ever-so-British personality, Hattingley Valley is a must-visit destination for wine enthusiasts and experience seekers alike.
Nestled in the heart of Hampshire, one of Southern England's most historic buildings, Winchester Cathedral boasts centuries of English heritage, magnificent architecture, priceless treasures and works of art.
Chawton House was owned by Jane Austen’s brother Edward, and known to her as ‘the Great House’. Jane lived in a cottage on his estate and would stroll up to ‘dawdle away’ many an hour in the grand Elizabethan manor and its picturesque gardens.
Located in Selborne, a stunning corner of the South Downs National Park, Gilbert White’s 17th century home is now a museum open to visitors. Museum highlights include, the original manuscript of ‘The Natural History of Selborne’, White’s 18th century floral embroidered bed covers and White’s taxidermy hawfinch.
Our popular snowdrop weekend will be on the 15th & 16th February 2025! Join us for half price admission for all and tours throughout the day.
The magnificent Sir Harold Hillier Gardens is world famous for its arboretum and gardens – set over 180 acres of rolling Hampshire countryside; this garden is stunning whatever the season.
The White Hart is a historic grade II listed pub located in Lymington and a short distance from the New Forest. Serving seasonal, freshly cooked food alongside a carefully chosen drinks list, The White Hart is the perfect destination for a midweek meal, celebration or simply a quiet drink. Whatever the occasion, we look forward to welcoming you.
Tap & Tandoor offers a perfect fusion of flavourful Indian cuisine, expertly crafted cocktails, and locally sourced craft beers. With locations in Solihull, Southampton, Peterborough, and Portsmouth. Our menu features small plates, home-style curries, and the must-try charcoal-cooked mixed grill. Enjoy innovative cocktails inspired by Indian spices, a warm pub atmosphere, live sports with table service, and versatile spaces for any occasion. Whether for dining, drinks, or celebrating, Tap & Tandoor delivers exceptional food, drink, and hospitality. Visit us today and experience the difference!
Tap & Tandoor offers a perfect fusion of flavourful Indian cuisine, expertly crafted cocktails, and locally sourced craft beers. With locations in Solihull, Southampton, Peterborough, and Portsmouth, we pride ourselves on using free-range meats, sustainability, and supporting local breweries. Our menu features small plates, home-style curries, and the must-try charcoal-cooked mixed grill. Enjoy innovative cocktails inspired by Indian spices, a warm pub atmosphere, live sports with table service, and versatile spaces for any occasion. Whether for dining, drinks, or celebrating, Tap & Tandoor delivers exceptional food, drink, and hospitality. Visit us today and experience the difference!
Langstone Quays Resort has 103 classic and 45 superior bedrooms available, all beautifully decorated with many featuring breathtaking views over Chichester Harbour.
Step into Vincent's vivid world. Immerse yourself in the most visited multisensory experience in the world as his masterpieces come to life, giving you the sensation of being amongst his paintings.
The award winning vineyard in the South Downs National Park, Hambledon is open for tours throughout the year.
