One of England’s most underrated cities, Durham in the North East of England should be somewhere that everyone visits at least once. Whether you’re planning a day trip or a weekend away, this guide will show you the best things to do in Durham; both in the city and beyond.
Welcome to Durham.
I’ve been looking forward to creating this post for a long time; essentially an ultimate guide to the most wonderful things to do in Durham, both in terms of the city itself and the wider county which covers the vast and remote North Pennines, forests, waterfalls and castles together with a beautiful heritage coastline. Whilst I’ve covered how to spend a weekend in Durham before as well as guides on where to find the best cafes and places to eat in the city, this post focuses quite simply on the best things to do in so that you can create your own itinerary whether you’re visiting for a weekend or just for a day.
I would highly recommend spending longer than just a day in Durham as there’s plenty to see and do and no-one wants to rush around with the thought of returning home a few hours later. As of April 2026, only 1.64m people stay overnight in Durham whereas over 19m people each year visit for the day! That’s an incredible difference and hopefully my guide to the most wonderful things to do in Durham will show you that you certainly need to spend longer here in the North East of England.
Before we begin, I must say that I have called Durham home now since 2018 (come to think about it, it’s the longest I’ve ever stayed in one place throughout my entire life) so this guide is a culmination of all of my favourite things to do over those years and the things that I think visitors to Durham would absolutely love to do. Durham is only a tiny city but, as you will see, there is so much more to do than you would imagine.
Let’s do this.
THINGS TO DO IN DURHAM & BEYOND
DURHAM CATHEDRAL
It’s hard not to start at one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the whole of the UK. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Durham Cathedral towers over the city seemingly imposing itself on all who visit and even those who pass through on the train for the best view in the country from a train window is in Durham atop the eleven arched viaduct.
Durham Cathedral is absolutely beautiful and cannot be missed. Even for those of us who aren’t necessarily religious, it’s not hard to appreciate how magnificent this 900 year old cathedral is. Entry is free, although donations are welcomed, and you’ll be blown away from the sheer scale of the nave, the intricate stained glass windows and the architecture that served as a backdrop for scenes in Harry Potter and The Avengers.
For those that want to get up a little higher, you can now climb the 325 steps up to the top of the central tower offering unrivalled views across Durham and beyond. Admission to the tower is £11 for adults and free for children between 8 and 17 years old. If you’re a Durham University student however, maybe don’t climb the tower until after graduation as those that are a little superstitious believe that it might affect their exam results if they do!
DURHAM CASTLE
Directly opposite Durham Cathedral, across Palace Green, is the 11th century Durham Castle that is surprisingly a university college now with many students living here. There are limited guided tours, booked from the Palace Library, that take you through various rooms within the castle, the Norman Chapel and on to the Great Hall. Students often turn into tour guides and the history that you learn about the castle itself is fascinating. I was constantly amazed however that this was somewhere that students live and study every day and even have their lunch and dinners in the majestic Great Hall.
RIVERSIDE WALK
One of my personal favourite things to do in Durham is to wander along the banks of the River Wear; a scenic route around the horseshoe bend with the Cathedral and Castle sitting watch high above. Often on Sundays, we will bring the little ones and the dog for a peaceful morning walk here before heading into the city for a coffee. The route that we normally do starts at Elvet Bridge through the woodland, cross over the river at Prebends Bridge before walking to Framwellgate Bridge – a stunning medieval arched bridge reminiscent of Charles Bridge in Prague albeit on a much smaller scale.
Below I mention the Old Durham Gardens and our short Riverside Walk, which only takes about half an hour or so, can be extended along past the Old Racecourse, past the Durham Cow sculpture if you really want to stretch your legs. I love this part of Durham during the warmer months especially when the more professional rowers take to the waters. The Durham Regatta is held here in June each year.
DURHAM MARKET HALL
Right in the centre of Durham is this great traditional indoor market with 40 independent traders; think cheesemongers, jewellery, plants, Turkish homeware and gifts, records and coffee. Basically, you could do all of your shopping here under one roof plus there’s a lovely café on the mezzanine level. The market expands outdoors into the grand market place on Saturdays with so many more traders turning up as well as food trucks too.
Durham Market Hall is open every day except Sunday from 9am to 4:30pm.
CAFES
The café scene in Durham is really good for such a small city so much so that I created a complete guide to the best cafes and coffee shops. Whether you’re looking for a quick pit stop for your caffeine fix or for a lovely brunch, there are cafes here for everyone. My favourites are Porcelain Coffee Bar, Isla, Flat White Kitchen (or the café round the back for pastries and coffee), Riverview Kitchen and Whitechurch.
PLACES TO EAT
As well as a top notch café scene, Durham has some fantastic places to eat and, with all of the exploring you’ll be doing in the city, you’ll need to stop off for some great food. I’ve written a separate, more detailed, post about the best places to eat in Durham if you want something more in depth but here we’ll keep in short and sweet. My recommendations would be Tango for burgers, Rudy’s for pizza, Zaap for Thai food, Akarsu for Turkish, The Rabbit Hole for Asian food and Belli E Brutti for gelato. Coarse, Faru and FIIK are your fine dining options, all of which are very highly rated, and The Cellar Door is a hidden gem.
PUBS & BARS
Whilst not as outgoing as its North East neighbour Newcastle, Durham has a surprisingly strong nightlife (and daytime) scene thanks to its student population. On Saturdays, you can be sure that many of the bars and pubs here in Durham will be packed out with locals and visitors all enjoying themselves. For me, I like a quieter beer these days so you’ll often find me in pubs like The Station House, the Colpitts Hotel and The Victoria but there are plenty of other top places to drink in Durham including the Market Tavern, Head of Steam, The Drunken Duck and all along the Riverwalk and in Walkergate.
SHOPPING
Whilst Durham has unfortunately suffered the same fate as so many smaller cities across the UK with the big names preferring out of town retail parks, the city has a good collection of independent stores (The Mugwump, Elvet & Bailey and Woven), vintage shops (Bibelot Nook, The People’s Exchange & Ace Vintage) and book shops (Waterstones & Collected) as well as a few major retailers (Next, New Look & Clarks).
WHARTON PARK
Wharton Park is a stone’s throw from the city centre yet offers a relaxing country feel with mature gardens, multiple play areas and stunning views from atop the historic turret over Durham Cathedral and the Castle.
The park is basically set on top of the hill above the train station and is very hilly throughout. There is a small car park for those requiring simpler access directly across from the lovely café. We spent a good few hours here recently during an augmented reality dinosaur event where we searched the gardens for the locations of different dinosaurs that would pop into our photos – very clever and it was a great way to keep the little one entertained away from the play park.
CROOK HALL GARDENS
After a shock closure during Covid-19, National Trust saved this gem of a secret garden and medieval hall and re-opened it in May 2022. Despite being so close to the city centre, around a ten minute walk, this is another lovely and peaceful location that basically transports you to another world.
Being National Trust members, we usually had to travel a little further afield to make the most of our membership however we have visited Crook Hall Gardens so many times now it makes it all so much more worthwhile. There’s a hedge maze to get lost in before exploring the walled gardens, orchards, picnic areas and a little reading nook for the little ones. You’ll also find a second-hand book shop and a great café as you can expect from a National Trust property.
Parking and entry are free for National Trust members or it’s £8 for adults and £4 for children plus £3 parking fee for up to 3 hours.
BOTANIC GARDEN
The Botanic Garden is part of Durham University but is open to all and a great way to spend a few hours in the city. The gardens can be found around just over a mile away from the city centre, around a 30 minute walk or you can get a bus from Leazes Road (59, 6, 42, 56 or PR2) and you can get off on South Road a short walk away.
You’ll find several glasshouses within the Botanic Garden which are home to plants from the tropics as well as the desert, a wildflower meadow, native woodland as well as an alpine garden and a bamboo forest. There are plants here from all across the world including Japan, South Africa and New Zealand. We have visited here a few times and every time we are surprised as to just how relaxing it is. The woodland stretches from here down to the woods at Houghall too which are some of the best woods to spot bluebells in Durham.
Admission is just £5 for adults, £4.50 for concessions, free for children 16 and under and it’s also free for RHS Members every Monday and Thursday. The gardens are open 10am to 4:30pm in Summer and 10am to 3pm in Winter.
ORIENTAL MUSEUM
The Oriental Museum at Durham University is a relatively unknown free museum in Durham which I had no idea existed until very recently. I also had no idea that a branch of the Teikyo University of Japan has been based right next door since 1990!
Whilst the Oriental Museum is small, you’ll still find that the University has over 36,000 artefacts from Africa and Asia including China, Egypt, Japan and South East Asia. I was really impressed by this museum, not expecting anything like this in Durham especially as it took eight years or so to learn it existed, it was just as good as any museum I’ve been too recently. Having been obsessed with Ancient Egypt back in primary school, I was really interested in the two mummies here as well as the other aspects of Egyptian history. The Japanese collection was also interesting!
For those planning to visit with children, it’s extremely child friendly with places to dress up as well as toys, games and things to colour in and craft.
In terms of practical arrangements, there’s a café on site for drinks, a very small but free car park and lifts that take you to each of the 4 floors.
HIRE A ROWBOAT
For over 125 years, Brown’s Rowing Boats have offered the most unique way to explore Durham; aboard one of your own traditional wooden row boats on the River Wear. When the weather warms up between March and September, you’ll see plenty of people taking to the water to peacefully glide along the river under Elvet Bridge and Prebends Bridge before admiring unrivalled views of Durham Cathedral.
Brown’s Rowing Boats are open Monday to Friday 11am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 6pm. The last boat can leave at 5pm though all have to be safely docked by 6pm.
Prices:
Adults – £11
Children – £6 (under 5’s free)
Family Saver Ticket – £28
Deposit – £10
PRINCE BISHOP’S RIVER CRUISE
If physical exertion is not for you in terms of rowing, whether you’re able to or not, you can still experience Durham from the River Wear onboard the Prince Bishop’s River Cruise. The tours are an hour long with commentary on Durham’s history plus there’s a bar on board for refreshments; a real easy way to relax and see Durham from a different perspective.
Prices are £13 per adult, £11 for senior citizens and children are £7. Tickets can’t be pre-booked so you’ll have to turn up on the day, next to the New Elvet Bridge, and get ready to set sail – I’ve been and checked the times and there’s a sail at 12:30pm and 2pm each day.
Telephone – 0191 3869525
WATCH THE SUN SET AT OBSERVATORY HILL
This spot is an absolute hidden gem and offers the best views across to Durham cathedral in the city, views that look even greater when it’s time for the sun to set. Popular with students and locals, head south across Prebends Bridge, up Potters Bank and you’ll see the steep Observatory Hill where you can wander up and find a place to sit and take in the view. Perfect on a summer’s day, not so great in winter if it’s been raining as it can get very muddy and very slippery as I once quite unfortunately found out…
DURHAM MINER’S GALA
County Durham is synonymous with coal mining and there is unlikely to be a local family that did not have a relative that worked down the mine at some point in their life. By 1923, there were 170,000 miners working in Durham and new colliery villages were created absolutely everywhere to house the workers and their families. The effects of the closure of the mines through the 1950’s and 1960’s (through to the last colliery closing in 1994) are, unfortunately, still being felt today.
However, the Durham Miner’s Gala, held on the second Saturday of July, is one historic event that continues to this day with thousands visiting the city to watch the parade of locals and brass bands under their colliery banners and trade unions from across the country making their way down to the old racecourse. The day brings a big party atmosphere to the city and is a great spectacle though some use it as an excuse to openly drink alcohol from the early hours right through to the evening.
Once the parade arrives at the Old Racecourse, things kick off with speakers addressing the crowd including trade union leaders and politicians including previously Jeremy Corbyn.
The Big Meeting celebrates its 140th anniversary in 2026 and will no doubt continue to be a popular event moving forward.
REDHILLS DURHAM MINERS’ HALL
This is the refurbished historic home of the Durham Miners’ Association which Redhills Durham, a charity supporting the revitalisation of County Durham’s coalfield communities, have created a hub here for community groups to meet, brass bands to perform, artists to showcase their work and, from 2025 onwards, small weddings to take place.
Guided tours are available and must be pre-booked in advance via their website. Everyone is welcome no matter what their financial situation and Redhills offers an open concession for £5 (no questions asked), standard for £7 and solidarity for £10 (if you’re able to give a little more to help subsidise other visitors).
THE STORY
Two miles south of Durham’s city centre is The Story, a renovated Georgian building home to the Register Office, the archives as well as an interesting museum covering the history of County Durham and the Durham Light Infantry’s contribution to the British Army. We have visited here a few different times over the last few years; to register the birth of our second child and several times just to wander around the ground floor museum. There’s a lovely café too overlooking the landscaped grounds; it’s so peaceful here.
OLD DURHAM GARDENS
We stumbled upon the Old Durham Gardens as we extended our walk along the River Wear to the east. The gardens themselves were created over 350 years ago and remain beautiful thanks to the Friends of Old Durham Gardens who continue to jointly manage and restore the gardens alongside Durham County Council. The gardens were originally part of a manor house which was subsequently demolished by 1776 and later supported a nearby pub, The Pineapple Inn, with open-air dances.
The Lower Walled Garden and orchards can be entered for free at all times throughout the year. The Upper Walled Garden and Gazebo are open from 2pm to 4pm on Thursdays and Sundays from April to September and are also free to visit.
We had a lovely spring morning here, relaxing with Evelyn under the blossoming trees as she napped. There were plenty of other families here too setting up for their picnics. If you’re looking to extend your own riverside walk, which you absolutely should, create a loop going past the Durham Band Stand and rowing club, crossing the River Wear at Maiden Castle Footbridge and straight into the Old Durham Gardens.
USHAW HISTORIC HOUSE, CHAPELS & GARDENS
Not too far from the city, Ushaw is home to a historic Georgian house, unforgettable chapels and well-manicured gardens. Ushaw opened in 1808 as St Cuthbert’s College; a Catholic Seminary in which priests received their training for over 200 years. Priests from Northern France, expelled under the French Revolution, found sanctuary here in the hills west of Durham.
By 2011, the site formally closed as a college but thankfully reopened in 2014 under its current guise; an attraction for locals and tourists visiting County Durham. As I have said previously, I’m not religious but St Cuthbert’s Chapel is so impressive that you can’t help but silently admire the architecture. For me, the feeling I got from walking into St Cuthbert’s Chapel for the first time was perhaps only slightly behind that when visiting Durham Cathedral for the first time. Obviously, it’s not on the same scale as the Cathedral but a lot of work went into celebrating the most famous saint here in the North.
FINCHALE PRIORY
To the north of Durham, around a 15 minute drive away, are the extensive ruins of a 13th century monastery situated in ancient woodland on the banks of the River Wear; Finchale Priory. Whilst this must have been heaven on earth back in the Middle Ages, it is still beautifully peaceful and a great spot to explore, have a picnic and, if the river’s calm, paddle in the water (please be careful!)
There is a car park here next to the café costing £4 or you can park along Cocken Road for free and wander down through the steep hillside woodland.
FURTHER AFIELD
Whilst Durham city might be relatively small, County Durham covers a lot of ground from the heritage coast to the wild expanse of the North Pennines. If you’re just planning a short city break, you might not get chance to visit all of the places below but I wanted to show that staying longer in Durham is so worth it when you have so many incredible things to do so close by.
THE AUCKLAND PROJECT
One of the most exciting projects or perhaps regenerations in County Durham at the moment is over in Bishop Auckland with The Auckland Project. Bishop Auckland is a market town around halfway between Durham and Barnard Castle where, since 1183, the Prince Bishops of Durham had their country home. Sadly, with the closure of the mines, Bishop Auckland suffered, like so many towns and villages, significantly but it’s amazing to see the impact that the Auckland Project has already had in such a short space of time.
You can read my full guide to the Auckland Project here but essentially the main highlights, are the Auckland Tower, the Auckland Castle with its restored Walled Garden and brand new Faith Museum and the Spanish Gallery – the UK’s only art gallery dedicated to the Spanish’s Golden Age of Art. El Castillo is a fantastic Tapas Bar in the heart of the marketplace that immediately transports you to Spain with its tasty dishes.
KYNREN
Kynren is something that I urge all visitors to the North East to experience – an incredible open-air live action night show that brings the tale of England itself to life set in front of the Auckland Castle. 2,000 years of history in one epic evening show – every Saturday between July and September. I absolutely loved the show from the Romans to the World Wars even when the August heavens opened and soaked the entire audience. There are stunts, special effects, pyrotechnics and lots of action on horseback. When people say this is one of the best live events in the country, there are being deadly serious.
With the immense popularity of Kynren has come expansion with new lands opening in 2026 including a huge birds’ nest arena from which The Lost Feather bird show stuns with over 250 birds in free flight and new daytime shows covering the Vikings and the myth of the nearby Lambton Worm. By 2027, you can expect a brand new indoor Victorian Village to explore too.
The evenings main show, Kynren – An Epic Tale of England, starts at 9:15pm and ends at 10:45pm with your ticket allowing entry to the grounds up to 2.5 hours before so that you can explore the Viking Village, grab some food and drink and enjoy live music. Seating is in a stand with the show in front of you; standard tickets take up the extreme left and right ends (adult £30 plus booking fee / child 3+ £20 plus booking fee) and pricing then increases as the seats move towards the middle. There are Superior, Deluxe and VIP tickets thereafter with VIP, the best seats in the house, costing £65 plus booking fee for adults and £55 plus booking fee for children.
Tickets for the new events will go on sale in May 2026.
RABY CASTLE
Every time I write or talk about Raby Castle, I’m reminded that such an incredible piece of history is just 20 minutes or so from my home. The North East might be known for its mining past but Raby Castle is a fine example of just how beautiful it really is up here. This complete 14th century castle is the perfect place to visit and spend a day exploring the stunning interiors, 200-acre deer park, walled gardens and the Plotters’ Forest Adventure Playground. We love Raby Castle and come throughout the year no matter what the weather – Fireside Stories with Father Christmas, within Raby Castle next to a roaring fire, is Evelyn’s favourite.
I have written a complete guide to Raby Castle if you want to learn more about a day out. Tickets range from £23 for adults and £12 for children (4-15) if you want your visit to include access to the castle, £15 for adults and £10 for children for just the deer park and walled garden or there’s a family explorer ticket too which covers everything including the playground for £60 online, £65 in person (2 adults, 2 children). Annual Membership is absolutely worth it if you’re local and plan to visit a few times in the year; it’s £63 per adult (£58 for those 60+) and £40 for children. £200 gets you a family membership for 2 adults and 2 children.
HIGH FORCE WATERFALL
High Force Waterfall is not only one of the best things to do in Durham but also the North East. As part of the Raby Estate, entry to the waterfall costs £4 for adults, £2.50 for children aged 4-15, but you will have access to a lovely woodland route that takes you down to the plunge pool below the 21m high waterfall. For obvious reason, there’s no swimming allowed here.
The whole area around High Force Waterfall is also beautiful. I explored a lot of the region with This Is Durham a few years ago but really enjoyed Low Force Waterfall as well as Summerhill Force & Gibson’s Cave. There’s a great 4 mile or so walk starting at the Bowless Visitor Centre, past Low Force and along the River Tees to High Force Waterfall before returning the same way you came.
If you do visit High Force Waterfall as part of the Raby Estate, why not visit the exceptional High Force Hotel & Restaurant too – the Sunday Lunches are to die for.
BARNARD CASTLE
Forty minutes from Durham, past the Auckland Project in Bishop Auckland and past Raby Castle is the beautiful market town of Barnard Castle. Whilst the Bowes Museum is the jewel in Barnard Castle’s crown (I mean there aren’t many French château buildings here in the North East), there’s plenty more to see here including, obviously, the castle ruins perch high above the River Tees as well as plenty of independent shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. The ruins of Egglestone Abbey can be found a peaceful walk along the river and Runa Farm is an extremely popular wedding venue just outside the town.
BEAMISH – THE LIVING MUSEUM OF THE NORTH
I love Beamish; it’s such an amazing way to spend a day out in Durham by immersing yourself in times gone by. The living museum brings to life County Durham through the early 1800’s all the way up to the 1950’s with a historic town, colliery villages, farms, Georgian architecture, vintage transport and staff members playing their parts impeccably with true to life dress. We regularly visit Beamish, as I write this we visited just a few days ago, with the family whether for a dog walk around the site and a picnic or for a deep dive with the children visiting every building (though we are yet to go down the mine with them). The coal-fired fish and chip shop is a dream as is the sweet shop and bakery in the 1920’s town. Christmas is also absolutely lovely here as I’m sure you can imagine!
Unlimited annual passes cost £35 for adults, £26 for those 60+ or students and £20.50 for children aged 5-16.
LOW BOLLIHOPE QUARRY
Just south of the village of Frosterley, in Weardale, is the Low Bollihope Quarry and Lake that has become a beautiful place to get away from it all. These industrial mounds have been reclaimed by nature and offer an extremely unique place for a short walk. There’s plenty of free parking, a shallow river to paddle in (either for the kids or more likely the dog) and a small area of pine trees to wander through too.
HAMSTERLEY FOREST
County Durham’s largest forest, Hamsterley, is the perfect place to escape from it all with plenty of walking routes, mountain bike trails, playparks and picnic areas. There are 5,000 acres to explore here though many stick to the short riverside trail, around 1.5 miles, as there’s a Gruffalo trail for the kids and plenty of playparks. We visit here maybe once or twice a year (we really should visit more!) for dog walks and a play but if you want to immerse yourself in nature, this is the best place to do so in County Durham!
DURHAM HERITAGE COAST
Between Hartlepool and Sunderland lies an important piece of coastline that might once have been forgotten thanks to its industrial past but now, the Durham Heritage Coastline, is beautiful once more. There are countless bays and golden sand beaches that can be explored from the coastal path and, when the tide goes out, keep your eyes peeled for the famous seaglass that many come specifically to this area to collect. Seaglass is simply the evolution over many years of man-made glass discarded into the sea which has been shaped and smoothed by nature.
The beaches around Seaham, particular North Beach, are the best areas to collect seaglass thanks to the Londonderry Bottleworks that was once here, the largest bottle works in Britain, that discarded all of its waste glass directly into the sea.
SEVEN SISTERS
To the east of Durham city, just six miles or so, is an ancient burial ground at Copt Hill from around 4,000 years ago topped by the ‘Seven Sisters’ – large beech trees in a unique circle. Though there are only five and a half trees left, this is still a lovely and peaceful site with spectacular views.
BLANCHLAND
Blanchland isn’t technically in County Durham, it lies over the border in Northumberland by a matter of metres but it’s a beautiful tiny village reminiscent of the sleepy stone villages in the Cotswolds. There are only a few things in the village other than houses; a tea room, Blanchland Abbey and the stunning Lord Crewe Arms. The Lord Crewe Arms with its honey-stone exterior, smoke filled chimneys, crypt bar and exceptional food is a must-visit on any trip to the region. There are rooms too if you fancy an atmospheric and peaceful night away.
That wraps up what has turned into an absolutely mammoth guide to the most wonderful things to do in Durham. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the post and it’s helped with planning your own trip to Durham or perhaps provided some inspiration as to a future visit to the North East of England!
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