The heart of the North East, Newcastle, is England’s most northerly city and it’s one of my favourites. Whether you’re actively planning a trip or need some inspiration, this is my guide to the most incredible things to do in Newcastle.
Welcome to Newcastle.
England’s northern-most city will surprise all but those that live and regularly visit here. Yes, there’s an industrial history, yes the Geordie’s love a drink but, in reality, this is one of the greatest cities in the country. City, countryside and the coastline all within 20 minutes, architecture that stands toe to toe with anywhere else in the UK and a unique friendliness that tells you you can only be in Newcastle.
I love Newcastle. It’s where we go for a day out with the kids, shopping, a date night, gigs and drinks with mates; it’s where we go for a good time. Whilst Durham is a beautiful place to live, there’s nothing quite like Newcastle in the North-East. I am sure that many across the UK and beyond might not truly appreciate just how unique a city break in Newcastle really is. I would actually recommend putting Newcastle above nearby Edinburgh and York for your next place to visit.
I’ve been wanting to pull together a complete guide to the best things to Newcastle for quite a while and now, finally, it’s here – this post will show you exactly why you need to visit Newcastle and exactly what you need to go when you get here!
THINGS TO DO IN NEWCASTLE
NEWCASTLE CASTLE
Where else to start with this guide to the best things to do in Newcastle but Newcastle Castle; the reason as to why Newcastle is called Newcastle. There was a fort on this site as long ago as the Roman times but it wasn’t until 1080 that the New Castle upon Tyne was built. Nothing remains of those two original buildings but what you see now and can explore today is the Castle Keep dating back to the late 1100’s and the Black Gate.
It’s not a large site but one that is really interesting to visit especially if you love history and want to see what life would have been like here many years ago.
The castle is open 7 days a week, 10am to 5pm, from April to October. From November to March, the castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Tickets cost £13.65 for adults, £8.95 for children between the ages of 5-15 and concessions are £12.25.
THE LIT & PHIL
Officially known as the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne, the Lit & Phil is a secret library right in the centre of the city. Now, this isn’t any old ordinary library, this is perhaps one of the most beautiful in the whole country dating back to 1825. Entry is free so it’s definitely worth heading inside to admire the architecture and have a browse through the extensive book collection.
There are over 170,000 books here for those that are members to lend, read and return as well as author evenings and, for example, Latin and fine art classes. Interestingly, the first ever public room lit with an electric light was here in 1881 by Joseph Swan.
GREY STREET
When I first visited Newcastle over 15 years ago, I walked along Grey Street completely blown away by the beautiful Georgian stone buildings that stretch all the way from Grey’s monument towards the Cathedral and the Quayside beyond. At the time, I had no idea what to expect of Newcastle other than some preconceived thoughts from my time at university that, if you wanted a proper night out, you head to Newcastle. That doesn’t mean that I thought it was necessarily run down or anything just that I didn’t realise that Newcastle looked like this. Grey Street would not look out of place in Bath for example or perhaps in London – some say this is nicer than Regent Street.
In 2010, Grey Street was voted as the best street in the United Kingdom and it’s not hard to see why; this is Georgian architecture at its finest. It was all part of John Dobson, an architect, and Richard Grainger’s, a builder, grand plan for reconstruction of the town centre as it was then.
The Theatre Royal is the highlight of Grey Street though the entire street is now the place to be with the addition of well-known bars and restaurants as well as local heroes such as Café Mercy. Emma worked along here for a local solicitors for a number of years and actually qualified as a solicitor after training high up in an office overlooking the street.
GRAINGER MARKET
Grainger Market was also part of the grand reconstruction of Newcastle with the demolition of the Flesh Market making way for a brand new, modern for 1835 at least, meat & vegetable market. Almost 200 years later, fresh from restoration thanks to the Levelling Up Fund, the Grainger Market is back to its absolute best and the historic alleyways are home to some of the best places to grab a coffee and food in the city. This is a proper market hall, on a par with some of Europe’s best indoor markets, so you can grab fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and cheeses alongside vintage clothes and jewellery. You can even shop at the Marks & Spencer Penny Bazaar, the smallest & oldest surviving branch of M&S.
I would recommend that every visitor to Newcastle spend some time getting lost in Grainger Market. We always take time to go for coffee here (Pumphrey’s is a Newcastle institution and North Shore Coffee is great too) and almost always grab something to eat. You could do a proper world food tour over the course of an afternoon; our favourites are SnackWallah (fresh, vegan Indian food), Cubanos for Cuban street food, Nan Bei for Chinese dumplings & Meat:Stack for burgers. This is the original street food market.
I’m so happy to see Grainger Market looking so lovely and I am sure that it will remain a premier destination for locals and visitors to Newcastle over the next 200 years. There are some great tours available too that will show you all that Newcastle has to offer, including the Grainger Market, like this one here.
Opening Hours:
Monday to Saturday – 9am to 5:30pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays – Closed
CENTRAL ARCADE
Between Grey Street and Grainger Street is the magnificent Victorian Central Arcade offering a glimpse at traditional Victorian architecture. Whilst there are few shops still open here, the famous JG Windows music store (opened in 1908) recently closed its doors, it’s still a beautiful building. I hope that over time independent boutique stores return to the arcade though I have seen that a high profile Thai restaurant could potentially be finding a home within the arcade.
CATCH A FLICK AT TYNESIDE CINEMA
This Art Deco independent cinema brings the latest and greatest blockbusters to the small screen. This is more than just three screens to watch movies, it’s an institution offering unique showings of our favourite films alongside beautiful décor, a friendly atmosphere and food and drink that you can bring in with you.
Tyneside Cinema regularly screen iconic releases as part of special events and are well worth attending. At the time of writing, they have a night showcasing the 4k restoration of Fight Club, an annual May bank holiday special running the Lord of the Rings Trilogy back-to-back-to-back (yes, 11 hours and 22 minutes) and even the 1954 classic Godzilla. This is not a Vue or an Odeon, the Tyneside Cinema is a place to hang out and appreciate good films.
There are two cafés / bars on site; Vicolo by Tyneside Cinema is small but a great spot for drinks whereas the Tyneside Bar Café is much larger and adds all-day dining to the table.
QUAYSIDE
There is absolutely nothing in Newcastle that can beat strolling down the Quayside on a warm summer’s day; every time we get lucky with the weather, you can guarantee that the Quayside will be full of people enjoying the view of the seven bridges that cross the River Tyne, sipping cold drinks at one of the many bars (Pitcher & Piano is popular but I love the garden at the Broad Chare) or simply walking down to Ouseburn.
No visit to Newcastle would be complete with a trip down to the Quayside – no matter the weather. There’s the Glasshouse International Centre for Music (formerly the Sage) across the Millenium Bridge in Gateshead, the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, a Sunday Market and obviously the most incredible views of the iconic Tyne Bridge. My favourite place for a beer in Newcastle (ok, Gateshead) is at By The River Brew which hopefully one day will re-open once they’ve finished renovating the Tyne Bridge.
TYNE BRIDGE
There is nothing more that is the embodiment of Newcastle than the Tyne Bridge. This iconic steel arch bridge opened in 1928 and, at the time it opened at least, was once the longest bridge in the world spanning 389 metres. If you’ve not seen the Tyne Bridge before and it perhaps looks overly familiar, well, the Tyne Bridge was seen as a prototype for the upcoming Sydney Harbour Bridge that the same design team were also working on (that bridge is around 3 times as long and 3 times as wide.
The Grade II listed Tyne Bridge is an iconic Newcastle site and is best admired from the Quayside though you can walk across too (the Great North Run crosses here often with the Red Arrows passing directly above).
OUSEBURN
Ouseburn is without doubt my favourite place to visit in Newcastle. This area, just east of the city centre, is full of independent restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries and breweries. Like Fitzroy is to Melbourne or the Northern Quarter to Manchester, Ouseburn is Newcastle’s coolest suburb.
Once the industrial heart of Newcastle, regeneration has seen it transformed into a cultural hub. Despite retaining its edgy and gritty side, Ouseburn is extremely family friendly with Seven Stories (the National Centre for Children’s Books) and Ouseburn Farm both being great places to visit with little ones. Other highlights include Northern Rye for pastries, Kiln and Ernest for brunch, Pattymelts for burgers and Cook House for something a little more sophisticated. Bibelot Nook and the monthly Ouseburn Market are the best places to pick up vintage finds and support independent local businesses.
WANDER THROUGH JESMOND DENE
Under 2 miles from the city centre is Jesmond Dene, a beautiful woodland walk offering a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. From the Victorian cast iron Armstrong Bridge, you can walk along the Ouse Burn to the little Jesmond Dene waterfall in around 20 minutes (1 mile) though it will take much longer if you have children as there’s a great play area as well as a Pets’ Corner with well looked after animals and birds to admire. You honestly wouldn’t believe that you’re in the middle of Newcastle.
Jesmond Dene House is a secluded hotel that is highly recommended for both afternoon tea and Sunday lunch. There’s a very popular local food market that pops up on Armstrong Bridge on the 1st and 3rd Saturday each month between 10am and 3pm.
Jesmond itself is a lovely upmarket suburb of Newcastle too with plenty of independent coffee shops, bars and restaurants – Burds, Local NCL, Pizza Globe & Dosa Kitchen are all good shouts.
VISIT ST JAMES’ PARK
It would have been almost impossible to talk about Newcastle without mentioning football and Newcastle United. Football is life up here in the North-East and locals will most likely support one of two teams, Newcastle or Sunderland, both of which are back together in the Premier League. Whilst you might be unlikely to find a ticket to get the full matchday experience at St James’ Park, there are excellent stadium tours that bring to life this iconic football ground in this iconic footballing city. The Monday – Friday classic stadium tour costs £23 for adults, £18 for concessions and £12 for juniors and takes place each day at 12:30pm and 2:30pm. There’s a £3 price increase for tours on the weekend though there is more availability.
During the summer months, rooftop tours are available offering unrivalled views of the pitch and the city beyond.
LIFE SCIENCE CENTRE
Housed in the unique International Centre for Life, the Life Science Centre allows adults and children to explore and learn about science with interactive exhibits like the experiment zone, play zone, space zone and 360 ° dome shows. The Centre for Life is primarily a hub for scientists, clinicians and others to work alongside each other; the NHS and Newcastle University have sites here and I remember personally from my previous line of work arranging for key genetic testing to be carried out here. It’s therefore really interesting to visit the Life Science Centre knowing that just a few floors away, real life-changing work is being undertaken.
Evelyn absolutely loves spending time here and, once our youngest is a little older, we’ll definitely be heading back so that both can enjoy getting hands on with science.
If you’re coming by train, the Life Science Centre is literally a five minute walk away though there is a car park around the corner too.
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday – 10am to 3pm
Saturday & Sunday – 10am to 5pm
Ticket Prices
Adult / Child aged 3 and over – £13.60 without donation / £15 with donation
Children aged 2 and under are free
BALTIC CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
The Baltic is housed within a restored old flour mill on the banks of the River Tyne and offers a wide array of contemporary art exhibitions as well as a viewing platform with exceptional views down the Quayside and the Tyne Bridge. The Baltic is extremely family friendly too; there’s a sensory room, kid focused events (think a cereal disco in the school holidays) and, in the Front Room, there’s free drinks and snacks for the little ones plus free tea and coffee for the grown-ups – how good is that! Parenting is hard enough right?
The Baltic Kitchen offers high quality food from pastries to soups and sandwiches as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks if you’re making an evening of it. The gift shop is a stand out too with curated collections of high quality artwork, design gifts and a bit of everything else.
Entry to the Baltic is, surprisingly, free.
Opening Hours
Wednesday to Sunday – 10am to 6pm
GREAT NORTH MUSEUM: HANCOCK
The Great North Museum: Hancock is probably one of my favourite museums that I’ve ever been to and it’s hard to believe that it’s right here in Newcastle and free to enter (though donations are welcomed). Opened in 1884, the museum has its roots in the Lit & Phil Society I mentioned earlier; its first specimen was a wombat which it acquired in 1800. Whilst the Lit & Phil Library moved to Westgate Road, where it remains today, there were too many artefacts to house there resulting in, eventually, the Hancock Museum as we see it now.
The museum reminds me of a smaller scale Natural History Museum or British Museum with a fantastic dinosaur collection (the T-Rex complete skeleton is amazing) and exhibitions focused on Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece. There are however plenty of other things to see including a section on the Hadrian’s Wall and taxidermy of various species including the giant Japanese spider crab and the extinct dodo. A lot of the exhibits are also aimed at children which is really good to keep them interested and there’s a quest they can complete as they make their way through the museum.
There are two cafés on site which offer a wide range of hot drinks, toasties and cakes. The best way to visit, if you’re able to, is either on foot or by public transport, the Haymarket Metro station is only a six-minute walk away. There are four accessible parking spots at the front right corner of the museum but, other than that, there is no public parking.
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday – 10am to 5pm
Saturday – 10am to 4pm
Sunday – 11am to 4pm
DISCOVERY MUSEUM
You can’t go wrong with a visit to the Discovery Museum which, for free, is another one Newcastle’s great offering of museums. The Discovery Museum brings to life the history of Newcastle throughout the ages, from as far back as the Romans to modern times. There’s plenty to learn about here and it’s also interesting for children with lots to keep them entertained. I’d say that there’s enough here to spend two-three hours though I’m never one to spend too long in museums for some reason – the exhibits are all great though plus there’s a café to keep your energy levels up.
I’d recommend checking the website directly for the latest opening hours as there’s some restoration work to the huge glass roof ongoing.
LAING ART GALLERY
Another great free place to visit in Newcastle is the Laing Art Gallery which showcases some of best British oil and watercolour paintings as well as decorative art. There is a Northern Spirit display too championing local artists. The gallery has a dedicated exhibition space bringing collections from elsewhere in the country up to the North-East offering opportunities to admire different styles of artwork. Currently, the National Portrait Gallery’s portrait competition (Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award 2025) is being shown at the Laing Art Gallery alongside ‘Exploring Identity’ a curated exhibition focusing on portraits from the 16th century to date (including work from Norman Cornish, Robert Jobling and Harry Thubron).
For those that are really into art, the Laing Art Gallery is a must-visit in Newcastle and I’d say that even if you’re not, it’s still very much worth seeing allowing you to perhaps slow down and focus your mind on something completely different. I really enjoyed visiting the Laing Art Gallery, somewhere I’ve walked past countless times, and just simply enjoying the artwork on display. I’m not someone who could attribute meanings to paintings, I guess I’m quite simple really, I just enjoy them for what they are.
GRAB A COFFEE & BRUNCH AT NEWCASTLE’S BEST CAFES
Newcastle is home to some absolutely incredible cafés and coffee shops and no city break would be the same without top quality brunches and a quick caffeine fix. There’s a full guide to the best cafes in Newcastle that I’ve put together here but I’ll share my favourites right now so that you can continue your deep dive into the best things to do in Newcastle. Ok, so for coffee, I love Pumphrey’s, Sorcerer Coffee, Pink Lane Coffee and Lagom Coffee Bar. They all offer other hot and iced drinks if coffee’s not your thing though don’t worry. For brunch, the best places that I keep coming back to are Tiny Tiny (the French Toast or Turkish Eggs are my go-tos) and Burds in Jesmond. Kiln, Smoke & Sear and Aidan’s Kitchen are very highly recommended and places that I can’t believe I haven’t visited yet – soon I keep promising myself.
SAMPLE NEWCASTLE’S FOOD SCENE
The food scene in Newcastle is something of a revelation. There are so many great restaurants popping up all over the city and so, no matter what cuisine might take your fancy, you’re almost guaranteed to come away with memories of your new favourite place to eat. My favourites are Blackfriars (quality British food in a medieval friary), Miso (authentic Japanese in Ouseburn), Square (Detroit style pizzas), Chilli Padi (Malaysian) & Dabbawal (Indian).
INDULGE IN A BEER OR TWO
I am fully aware that many will associate Newcastle with the iconic Newcastle Brown Ale (I am unfortunately not a fan) but the craft beer and ale scene here in Newcastle is second to none. There are so many fantastic places throughout the city to grab a beer whether it’s a pilsner, a blonde or something a bit more adventurous like a blueberry sour. Crown Posada is the second oldest pub in the city, a grade two listed building, stained glass windows and warm wood panelling and offers a wide range of locally brewed craft beer. I would always recommend having a beer there, it’s famous for a reason. Other great options are Wylam Brewery, Mosaic Tap, The Bridge Tavern, The Town Wall and the Free Trade Inn. Mean Eyed Cat and The Town Mouse are proper good micro pubs.
If you’re not a fan of beer or fancy something a little different, Mother Mercy does the best cocktails in town and WC Newcastle brings to life an old Victorian subterranean toilet… Stack Newcastle has a brand new home on Pilgrim Street and is the original multi-purpose venue that has spread across the UK; drinks, street food and live music – it’s all here inside a beautifully restored building.
Mine’s a Staropramen if you’re asking.
HEAD TO TYNEMOUTH
A short ride away on the metro is the loveliest little coastal town in the North East; Tynemouth. I have friends that specifically travel up to the North East only to visit Tynemouth and it’s a place that we as a family always come to whether it’s a boiling hot day in the summer or there’s an icy cold wind blowing in off the North Sea.
I have a complete guide to a day out in Tynemouth which will help provide more inspiration but you’ve got pristine golden sand beaches, clifftop ruins of a historic priory, independent clothing stores, coffee and doughnut shops and some of the best fish and chips in the North East. Oh, and on Saturdays and Sunday’s there’s an absolutely amazing local market under the Victorian glass roof of the train station. There’s always something we come away with from the market; Pokémon cards, vintage National Geographic magazines, handmade ceramics and prints all have ended up back at home!
Where To Stay In Newcastle
To really appreciate Newcastle and make a proper city break out of it, I would highly recommend finding a lovely hotel to spend a few nights. I’ve been lucky enough to stay in Newcastle quite a few times so I’ve experienced a wide range of hotels all the way from cheap and cheerful on New Year’s Eve to luxurious overlooking the River Tyne.
There’s a map below that will help when it comes to booking your own accommodation with a few of my recommendations highlighted. The best, and one of the newest, hotels in Newcastle is Hotel Gotham, a luxurious 5-star option inside the old Fire Station but other great options are the Malmaison, Motel One, Roomzzz Aparthotel and INNSIDE by Meliá.
There we go then, that wraps up my complete guide to the most incredible things to do in Newcastle. Hopefully this helps plan your own trip to the North-East’s greatest city or perhaps gives you inspiration to try heading somewhere different. The South of England might get all the visitors but I honestly think that some of the best places to visit are up here in the North!
If you have any questions at all, would like any more information or perhaps just want to share your own thoughts, feel free to leave me a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!
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