Smiling student ambassador holding University of Portsmouth tour sign

Open days and tours

Plus other ways to meet us

Book your place to explore the city and the University

The beach is right here, just a stone's throw from your halls, the library and our lecture theatres. When it's time to start going places, you'll find a warm welcome at Portsmouth.

Below you can also find news about our postgraduate events and book your place for either a virtual or in-person visit to the University.

Undergraduate Open Days

Thinking about joining us as an undergrad? Book your spot at one of our upcoming Open Days or take a guided campus tour.

Student ambassador holding "Follow me" sign
Book now

Postgraduate Open Events

Come to our next event to talk to our course leaders, researchers, expert support teams and current students. 

Postgrad students on campus
Book your place

Virtual Experience

Get a feel for life on campus without leaving home. Discover panoramic views of the campus, watch course webinars, look at accommodation, browse facilities like labs, workshops and studios, explore our leisure facilities and more.

UoP USE ONLY
Start exploring

Other ways to explore the University


Self-guided tours

If you can't make it to one of our events, you can still tour the campus and speak with staff on a self-guided tour.

Self-guided tours

Degree Apprenticeship Open Days

Degree apprenticeships offer a university education alongside practical work experience and enable to you study while working. 

Find out more

More ways to meet us

Find out how to meet us at an upcoming UCAS Fair, and book your place at one of our Taster Days for pre-16 and post-16 students.

Other ways to meet us


 

Open Experience Days

Once you have an offer to study with us, you'll be invited to one of our Open Experience Days designed to give you a deeper insight into your course. You’ll also have the opportunity to view the course-specific facilities, meet our expert lecturers, chat to current students, tour our halls of residence and explore our island city.

Our next Open Experience Days are taking place on Saturday 2 March, Saturday 23 March and Saturday 20 April 2024. 

Book now

 


Discover Portsmouth | City Guide

Portsmouth is a great place to live as well as study. We're the UK's only island city and life as a student in Portsmouth is unbeatable. We’ve got beaches, great places to eat, heaps of independent shops and music venues, cultural and artistic hotspots, and stacks of green space. Portsmouth is one of the most picturesque, welcoming and interesting places to live in the UK, and was voted the in the top 10 trending hotspots by Airbnb (2022).

I think Portsmouth is very forward thinking.

It's got such a really friendly atmosphere and even though it's a city, it’s quite a small city, so it feels really welcoming and homely.

When I first came to the open day for Portsmouth, I instantly fell in love with it.

When the sun is shining, there is nowhere better than Portsmouth.

Welcome to Portsmouth, the UK's only island city and home to the University of Portsmouth.

Join us today as we show you some of our favourite spots so you can take advantage of studying at the heart of our community. 

It's a very cosmopolitan city, it's got so much to offer.

You have the commercial road, you have the city centre ar the heart where it's all lively.

Student nightlife is really, really good. You’ve got lots of nightclubs, lots of stuff to do.

But then as soon as you come to Southsea it’s more of a lazy seaside town, you get to go to the beach.

You just have to go down to the beach or the common on a sunny day and everyone's having picnics. It's just beautiful.

Fuelling up for the day, you’re absolutely spoilt for choice.

Everyone I know has a different favourite café spot.

We’ve got you covered for freshly roasted coffee, doughnuts, fish and chips, vegan food and artisan bread.

And that’s before we even get to the restaurants and bars. Cheers.

Okay, shopping. I love to shop local myself and the top spots for that are Palmerston Road, Marmion Road or here, Castle Road.

Commercial Road has you set for your shopping essentials. Or pop down to Southsea for charity shop bargains and quirky independent businesses to browse for something unique.

Or join us in Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth's Waterfront Shopping Centre to check in on your favourite brand outlets or catch the lights at Christmas. 

I love that kind of vibrancy of the city

It's got a real independent spirit about it.

I think it's got a really good mix of independent businesses.

There are so many local independent businesses.

There are entertainment activities in terms of lots of bars and restaurants and loads of cool places to eat.

There's so much to do right here in the place you live.

There's an island’s worth of beautiful coast to explore and unique green spaces like Canoe Lake and the Rose Garden to enjoy with your friends or by yourself as a space for study or reflection.

Or for something a little different, you could wander into an art gallery, try an escape room, or book a table with your friends at DICE, the local board game café.

And don't forget the nights. There's a ton of live music events happening every week as well as karaoke comedy nights and live theatre.

There are lots of cultural events, art galleries, music venues.

And there are so many shows. You've got kite festivals. 

Food festivals. 

The big one that really helps the town is Victorious Festival.

It is such a really lovely community.

And I think after you've been here a while, you feel part of the community.

It just makes you feel like you're at home away from home.

Portsmouth is a one of a kind place, a place for you to explore and thrive.

There's something for everyone here, and we can't wait for you to be part of it.

To find out more about our city, book an open day and get exploring, visit port.ac.uk.


 

TEF Gold 2023

Gold rating in national assessment of teaching excellence

Our TEF Gold rating ranks Portsmouth amongst the top universities in the UK for teaching. 

Find out more