The largest town in Northumberland, Alnwick is a must-see on any trip to the border county. If you’re planning a visit, let me help you with my guide to the best things to do in Alnwick.
Alnwick, a beautiful cobbled market town, is the heart of Northumberland and it remains one of the most popular places to visit in what is fast becoming my favourite English county. The town itself is only small with the majority of attractions able to be seen at a push within one day though comfortably in a weekend. You’ll find medieval castles, Victorian bookshops and poisonous plants as well as plenty of independent stores, cafes and pubs to keep you busy.
I love visiting Alnwick on trips up to Northumberland. Emma and I married back in 2019 less than ten miles away and we always like to stop in this area to bring back such lovely memories.
With Alnwick only being five miles from the incredible Northumberland coastline, you can and should combine a trip to Alnwick with exploring more of Northumberland’s offerings. I will one day pull together my complete guide to Northumberland but, for now, let’s focus on the best things to do in Alnwick.
THINGS TO DO IN ALNWICK
ALNWICK CASTLE
Set in almost picture perfect rolling green hills, Alnwick Castle is one of the most famous castles in the United Kingdom and dates back all the way to the Norman period. It’s also the second largest inhabited castle in the country too with the Percy family having owned the castle for over 700 years. The Percy family in the form of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland still live here today!
The castle is absolutely huge with a particular highlight being the incredibly decorated State Rooms. Eagle eyed viewers amongst you may recognise, or probably already know, that Alnwick Castle featured as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films as well as in Downton Abbey. Alnwick Castle has used its Harry Potter fame to its advantage and offers Broomstick Training on the same grounds where little Harry had his first ever flying lesson.
Open daily from 29th March to 24th October 2024.
12 month tickets bought online cost £20.50 for Adults, £16.55 for Concessions and £10.80 for Children. Under 4’s are free.
ALNWICK GARDENS
After Alnwick Castle, one of the next most popular things to do in Alnwick is to visit the Alnwick Gardens; created by The Duchess of Northumberland back in 2001. I’ve visited a few times over the years and am always blown away by just how good these gardens are and, if I’m honest, I’m not really a garden-visiting kind of person. There’s an impressive stepped fountain (the Grand Cascade) with 120 water jets as soon as you enter before you can turn your mind to exploring the Poison Garden (with over 100 toxic plants, behind black iron gates), the Bamboo Labyrinth or the Rose Garden.
Alnwick Gardens proudly have the largest collection of Taihaku Cherry Blossom trees outside of Japan and, in April/May, for just two weeks you can experience all three hundred of them blossoming at exactly the same time! I had planned to visit this year with my camera but unfortunately an injury has ruled out any trips away so this is already in my diary for 2025!
Don’t miss a bite to eat in the incredible Treehouse Restaurant and, if you’re planning for a Christmas visit, meeting Father Christmas at Alnwick Gardens is a lovely experience.
Adult – £18.50 (with gift aid)
Children (0-16) – Free
BARTER BOOKS
I think it’s fair to say that Barter Books is without doubt one of the best and biggest secondhand bookshops in the entire country. Don’t believe me? Take one look inside this beautiful Victorian train station; with over 350,000 pre-loved books, open fires in the winter, a cute miniature railway whizzing over your head and a little cafe serving coffees, teas and great cakes. Barter Books is even dog friendly! Every time we head to Alnwick, we make a point of visiting and browsing the many, many, books even more so now we have Evelyn – we bought her first Christmas book from here.
PLAYTIME AT LILIDOREI
A brand new addition to Alnwick Gardens is Lilidorei which is touted as the world’s largest play structure which is saying something isn’t it? This is a fantasy elf village like nothing you will have seen before. There are ten towers all linked together to form a grand castle with a huge central tower and extremely long tube slides. This is a one of a kind, magical kind of place that kids will absolutely love. We plan on taking Evelyn soon now that she is a little bigger and can hopefully appreciate the experience more.
Open 10am – 5:30pm
Adults £16.50 (inc entry to Alnwick Gardens)
Children £16.50 (inc entry to Alnwick Gardens, though that’s normally free anyway)
0-2 year olds FREE
THE ALNWICK PLAYHOUSE
Just outside of the old town walls is The Alnwick Playhouse, a theatre, cinema, music venue, cafe and library dating back to 1925. If you’re visiting Alnwick for more than a few days, why not check out a live performance; whether it be for one of the many comedians that grace the stage or for a tribute band. The cinema offers a diverse programme with both major blockbusters and independent films gracing the screen.
MARKET SQUARE
Typically on the last Friday of every month, the Alnwick Farmer’s Market takes over the Market Square where locals and visitors hop from stall to stall buying fresh fruit and vegetables and other artisan produce. There are stalls here often on weekends too though the quality of the market isn’t perhaps as great as it once was. Even if you’re not here for the market itself, there are a range of coffee shops and pubs that spill out into the square which are worth a visit; Melvyn’s Cafe for scones and Pig in Muck for pints/your alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink of choice!
EAT & DRINK AT THE DIRTY BOTTLES
The Dirty Bottles is my favourite place to eat in Alnwick which we found thanks to the aroma of low and slow smoked meats inviting us in. The smokehouse option on the menu is really good for those who want to try a few different things; two meats & two sides for just £15. I went for the sliced beef brisket and pulled pork alongside sticky smoked pit beans and sweet potato fries. Honestly, to die for, so goddamn good.
The legend here is that, over two hundred years ago, the innkeeper dropped down dead after messing with the bottles in the window. His widow believed that dirty bottles to be cursed and so they were sealed between two windows remaining untouched since!
WHERE TO STAY IN ALNWICK
Alnwick is very well located for those who plan to stay a little longer and explore more of Northumberland. The Northumberland Coast is a mere ten minute drive away at Alnmouth from which you can start a proper road trip north along this beautiful stretch of coast (though don’t miss Amble and Warkworth to the south). The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a 40 minute drive up the A1 and, again, is somewhere you cannot miss.
If you’re looking for a boutique hotel within walking distance of the centre, look no further than The Cookie Jar housed within the former Covent of Mercy. The Hogshead Inn is a good choice if access to the A1 is a priority and has relatively cheap room rates.
MY 2026 TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
FUJIFILM X-T5
FUJIFILM X100VI
FUJIFILM 18MM F/1.4
FUJIFILM 23MM F/1.4
FUJIFILM 35MM F/1.4
FUJIFILM 50MM F/2
FUJIFILM 50-140MM F/2.8
PEAK DESIGN STRAPS
RECOMMENDED TRAVEL RESOURCES
BOOKING.COM
EXPEDIA
HOTELS.COM
GET YOUR GUIDE
SKYSCANNER
HOLAFLY E-SIM
DISCOVER CARS
READ MORE OF MY LATEST ARTICLES BELOW
IF YOU ENJOYED ‘THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN ALNWICK, NORTHUMBERLAND’ WHY NOT PIN THE IMAGES BELOW?
Please note that some links across this blog are affiliate links.
If you go onto purchase something through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
If you enjoy what you’ve seen, you can buy me a coffee or a beer here.