How many times does this happen: you’ve been looking forward to your day off all week, and spent many hours fantasising about what you are going to do with all your free time. You have your mental itinerary all set out and ready to go (more often than not it involves a trip to the gym amirite?) BUT. When the day finally rolls around, you end up stuck in with nowhere to go and just binge-watch Squid Games. Well, we’re here to help you change all this because students' days off are for better things than trending box sets. Do something special with your next day off, starting by checking out this list of top 8 things to do in Southampton.

1. Docks Coffee

44 Oxford Street, Southampton SO14 3DP All decent days off should start with a good coffee and breakfast and Docks Coffee will guarantee that happens! With a focus on sustainability and community, Docks Coffee is Trip Advisor ranked as one of the best breakfasts in Southampton. With the vegetarian-friendly, vegan and gluten-free options on the menu, they’re sure to be a crowd-pleaser, whatever the crowds’ dietary requirements.

2. The Wool House

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@dancingmanbrewery - Instagram[/caption] 1 Bugle St Southampton, England If a building could talk, you would have trouble getting The Wool House to shut up. The building dates back to the 14th century and was originally built to store wool for the local wool trade. Since being built, The Wool House has been used for everything from storing Napoleonic Prisoners of War to weddings! It’s now home to the Dancing Man Brewery, an award-winning restaurant and bar. They offer an amazing pairing menu, which will have you in foodie heaven. There are also lunchtime menus and a separate shop so you can take home some of their lovingly crafted craft ales. On top of that, Dancing Man offers brewery tours to explore how the beer is made. If that’s not enough, the brewery has loads of unique and cool events so keep an eye out on their social media channels for upcoming events.

3. Solent Sky Museum

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@kris_gandhi_ - Instagram[/caption] Albert Rd S, Southampton SO14 3FR Southampton is the historic home of one of Britain’s most legendary planes, the Spitfire. The museum allows you to get up close and personal with this legendary aircraft and gives us an insight as to how important this plane was in shaping modern Southampton and Britain. The exhibition is not just Spitfire though, it includes a whole host of other cool aircraft including the world's largest flying boat!

4. Beatnick Emporium

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@beatnikemporium - Instagram[/caption] 202 Above Bar St, Southampton SO14 7DW One thing we love to do on our day off is shop for a bargain. Stay on top of your fashion game by shopping vintage! Beatnick Emporium is hands down one of the most extensive and coolest selections of vintage clothes around. You would be hard-pressed to find a similar vintage shop in any city!

5. Southampton Walls

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@jujussie - Instagram[/caption] 10 High St Southampton, England Stretching for half a mile, Southampton’s medieval walls dating back to the 14th century. Originally built to keep out French pirates, the walls’ walk takes you around the perimeter of the old town. What’s super cool is the thriving areas of bars, shops and arcades within the walls themselves. They are a unique snapshot of the evolution of Southampton throughout the years. You can find maps of the walk online or simply follow the trail signposted around the city marked “Southampton Walls”.

6. The Joiners

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@joinerslive - Instagram[/caption] 141 St Mary St, Southampton SO14 1NS If live music is your thing then Southampton has plenty to offer. There are gig venues, bars and clubs all across town but one of the most iconic of the lot is the Joiners. The Joiners has a huge reputation for putting on the next big thing before you’ve even heard of it. Several performers’ve gone on to become global stars including the Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead! It’s an intimate venue with an inviting vibe.

7. Orange Room

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@orangerooms - Instagram[/caption] 1-2 Vernon Walk, Southampton, SO15 2EJ Hidden away from the main streets of Southampton City Centre on Vernon Walk, Orange Rooms is guaranteed to have something to cater for whatever your vibe on your day off. They offer a retro experience across three floors providing amazing tunes 7 days a week. Orange Rooms also has a to-die-for bottomless brunch and tiki bar cocktails and outside space for when the weather is sunny. Whatever the day, whatever the weather, Orange Rooms is the place to be.

8. Boltons Bench

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@vis_adventures - Instagram[/caption] Beaulieu Road Lyndhurst, England, SO43 7BQ Although technically this is in Lyndhurst, not Southampton, we thought it was too cool to ignore, plus it’s close enough for a day trip and is worth taking! Legend has it the hill was once home to a huge dragon that terrorized surrounding villages. As with all legendary dragon myths, there was an aspirant dragon slayer, in this case, known as Sir Maurice de Berkeley. Neither Maurice nor the dragon was to survive the saga and the hill is said to be the resting place for both, giving the place a mythical vibe! Unlike in Sir Maurice de Berkeley’s day, there are no more dragons at Bolton’s Bench, although it’s one of the few places in England where you may get lucky enough to see some wild horses. It is a beautiful spot with a breath-taking view, we would highly recommend a walk and a picnic. So we hope this has provided you with the necessary inspiration to get up, get out and start exploring Southampton on your student day off. Getting out and about beats any premium streaming service content we promise you that! You need a place to stop off and have a nibble after all that exploring. We’ve got the best of the best restaurants in Southampton right here.

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