Things to do in Lillesand and Kristiansand

The best holiday moments start right outside your cabin.
Children can swim, paddle and bounce without a car journey.

• Gently shelving sandy beach in front of the cabins
• Free use of canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards
• Large jumping pillow and playgrounds
• Summer kiosk and free Wi-Fi

Family days out.

• Dyreparken – animals, Kardemomme by and Captain Sabertooth. Open year-round; Badelandet water park opens May–August. Buy tickets online to save NOK 50.
• Bronseplassen – Bronze Age houses and burial mounds in Høvåg. Open during the day in summer.

From the beach to the islands.

• Go paddling – borrow a canoe, kayak or stand-up paddleboard free of charge on the campsite. Blindleia, with its islands and skerries, lies west of Lillesand.
• Saltholmen lighthouse – an island lighthouse dating from 1882. Check boat connections and visiting times before setting off.

A leisurely day in a charming coastal town.
Browse small shops and cafés, then enjoy an ice cream by the harbour.
For families: maritime activities at the Maritime Museum or a visit to the Horticultural Museum at Dømmesmoen. Check museum opening hours before your trip.

Explore the town without moving the car.

• Lillesand town centre – harbour, white wooden houses, restaurants and bakeries.
• Town and Maritime Museum – a merchant’s house from 1827. Open in summer; a good rainy-day visit.
• M/S Øya – summer boat service from the harbour through Blindleia to Kristiansand, daily during the summer holidays.
• LillesandsDa’ene – the town’s summer festival celebrates 50 years, 26 June–4 July 2027.
• Meta Hansen’s sculpture garden – seven sculptures by Bård Breivik.

Day trips to Kristiansand.

• Aquarama water park – indoor pools and water slides, open year-round. A good choice on rainy days.
• Kristiansand Cannon Museum – the world’s second-largest land-based cannon.

Discover Arendal as a family.
Stroll along Pollen harbour and through Tyholmen’s streets of wooden houses.
Vitensenteret science centre offers hands-on activities for the whole family – a great rainy-day option.

Rainy day? Aquarama water park and the Town and Maritime Museum are good indoor options.

Visiting in May, June or September? Dyreparken and Aquarama are open year-round, and both the campsite and town are quieter outside the peak summer holiday period.

What’s on during your stay? See Visit Sørlandet’s events calendar.