Spurn Point Nature Reserve Unimog Safari Tour Review

Last Updated on March 12, 2024 by Suzy McCullough

The Spurn Point Safari tour was one of our favourite days out of the summer. I had been itching to visit Spurn Point Nature Reserve for some time but I’d always been put off by how long a walk it is. A walk to the point from the visitor centre is only really doable for hardy walkers and those that have hours to spare, that’s not us! When I heard about the Unimog Safari Tours that do most of the leg work for you I just had to book us on a tour.

I visited just with my son so we sat together as a two. One of you may have to share if you are an uneven number. Thirdly, everyone on the tour was super lovely and friendly which always helps. We all had a seatbelt as well which was good as you bounce around a lot!

Please note: The Spurn Safari tours are suitable for children from the age of 4. Children need to be able to sit independently and hold on. There is also a lot of walking. I took my son when he was 7 and I’d say that from 6+ would be an ideal age for the tour.

Spurn Point Unimog Safari Tour

Spurn Point is a nature reserve that is protected by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. There is a modern visitor centre that has public toilets plus a cafe and a small visitor centre. If you are on the tour make sure you use the facilities here as some of the tours do last a good few hours.

If you do need the toilet later on in the tour I believe there is one near the lifeboat station. If you are just here to visit the reserve they have a bin out the front with bin bags and litter pickers for you to help clear the reserve of litter (we noticed that most of the kids had litter pickers). You can also hire bikes from the centre.

You can visit the nature reserve without booking a Unimog safari. You can choose to walk as far as you like, or as shorter a distance as you like. Do be aware though that although dogs are permitted at the visitor centre they are not permitted on the nature reserve.

The entrance to the reserve is through a wooden gate a short walk from the centre. There are signs stating that dogs are not permitted but some people either miss or choose to ignore this.

There are huge numbers of wild birds and we spotted many seals there, this is why dogs are not permitted. The strip of land after the gate is mostly beach so it’s a nice place to visit as a family and this is where we spotted the seals and most of the birds.

The main things to see that have been left from the wars and the lighthouse are right at the tip of the point so they are a good few hours round trip if you are walking. The footpaths are always open unless bad weather closes the reserve.

Do be warned that there is a 1km ‘washover’ section of sand not far from the entrance to the reserve that is covered by water at high tide. It is a good idea to find out more about the tide from the visitor centre before setting off as you could end up cut off. The water is too dangerous to enter or cross.

Spurn Point is Yorkshire’s very own Lands End. It is the southernmost tip of the East Riding of Yorkshire and at times you are closer to parts of Lincolnshire than you are to Hull. Spurn Point is three miles long and just 50 metres wide making it unique and ever-changing.

It is a great place to see birds throughout the year, especially towards September. The RNLI still have a base here and you may spot their boat out at the end of the jetty.

The Spurn Unimog Safaris don’t run all year round but currently, there are selected dates available up until November. They run a variety of tours but the most family-friendly tour is the 3-hour safari. This includes a visit to the lighthouse, a trip to the point and back in the Unimog and a guided walk around the point. The three hours passed really quickly and we loved every minute of it.

Our tour left at 11 a.m. and arrived back at 2 p.m. To our surprise, no one else had brought a picnic with them. We ate ours while everyone climbed the lighthouse. You could eat on the Unimog although it was very bumpy. There is usually a later tour if you’d rather not worry about when your kids are going to eat.

Your group meets up by the Unimog and we were met by our friendly tour guide. He gave us a bit of history about the ex-military vehicle and the reserve. We then set off on a fun bumpy ride to the point. Once at that point, we were all then taken on a guided walk. Our guide was excellent and we found out all sorts of interesting facts about the point, especially during the 1st and 2nd World Wars.

Today there are many features that have been left behind from the wars which you will see on your walk. The most interesting was where they used to house two massive guns. One of the buildings has been cleared of vegetation during one of the lockdowns which must have been quite a feat. We also learnt a lot about the vegetation and the wildlife.

The walking tour is around 1 mile long and most of it was sand beneath our feet. Some good sturdy shoes are certainly recommended. We also went on the beach at one point which was great timing as a big DFDS ship went past. After the walk, we were taken a short ride on the Unimog to the lighthouse.

The tour usually includes a trip to the lighthouse. You can walk up to the top if you are up to it. Having visited Flamborough Lighthouse not so long ago we decided to sit it out and eat our picnic outside.

Mostly because we spotted the wild fox that the RNLI has tamed. Please remember this is a protected reserve where no dogs are allowed. The fox is as protected as the birds and other wildlife are. This was then the end of the tour and time to head back on the Unimog.

We loved the tour and we will be taking other family members on it next year. It’s certainly a unique thing to do and something your kids will remember.

Spurn Point Nature Reserve FAQ & Further Information

Address: Spurn Discovery Centre Spurn Head, south of, Kilnsea HU12 0UH, East Yorkshire

Category – Great Outdoors – Walk/Tour – Outdoors – Suitable from the age of 4

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