Regional Guide
Things to Do in the North East
For its size, nowhere in England offers quite the range of the North East. In a single region you can walk a Roman frontier in the morning, watch puffins from a boat in the afternoon and catch live music on the Tyne at night. This is our complete guide to what there is to do, from world-famous castles and empty golden beaches to living museums, landmark art and some of the darkest skies in Europe. Start with a theme or an area below, then dig into our detailed guides.
Where to start: by theme
Pick a theme for our full guide to the best of it across the region.
The coast & the castles
The region's signature: a spectacular castle-studded coastline.
Bamburgh Castle & the Northumberland coast
Northumberland
One of England's most dramatic stretches of coastline: a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty of huge dune-backed beaches, crowned by Bamburgh Castle rising above the sands. Nearby are Dunstanburgh, Seahouses and the tidal island of Lindisfarne (Holy Island).
Our guide to the best beaches→Alnwick Castle & The Alnwick Garden
Alnwick, Northumberland
The second-largest inhabited castle in England, familiar from Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, paired with the modern Alnwick Garden and its Grand Cascade, Poison Garden and Lilidorei play village. A full family day out in one town.
Plan a day in Alnwick→Tynemouth & the Tyneside coast
North Tyneside
Priory-topped headlands, the long sweep of Longsands, St Mary's Lighthouse and a famous weekend market inside the old station, all a short Metro ride from Newcastle.
Explore Tynemouth→Roman frontier & living history
Two thousand years of history you can walk into.
Hadrian's Wall
Northumberland & Cumbria border country
The Roman Empire's north-west frontier, a UNESCO World Heritage Site running coast to coast. The wild central section around Housesteads and Vindolanda has the best-preserved forts and the most dramatic walking.
Our Hadrian's Wall guide→Beamish, The Living Museum of the North
County Durham
A vast open-air museum that recreates life in the North East across the 1820s, 1900s and 1950s, with costumed staff, working trams and period streets. One of the region's most-loved days out.
More big days out→Durham Cathedral & Castle
Durham
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest Norman buildings in Europe, the cathedral towers over the city on its wooded peninsula above the River Wear, alongside Durham Castle and the cobbled old city.
Art, music & city culture
Landmark art and a genuinely great night out on the Tyne.
The Angel of the North
Gateshead
Antony Gormley's vast steel angel, one of the most recognised pieces of public art in Britain, standing guard over the A1 on the southern approach to Tyneside. Free to visit.
Gateshead Quays & Newcastle Quayside
Gateshead & Newcastle
The riverside heart of the region: the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (formerly Sage Gateshead) and the tilting Gateshead Millennium Bridge, with Newcastle's Quayside bars and Sunday market opposite.
Museums & galleries guide→Newcastle city centre
Newcastle upon Tyne
Grand Grainger Town architecture, the Great North Museum, the Life Science Centre, independent shops and one of the country's best nights out, all wrapped around a compact, walkable core.
Explore Gosforth, north of the city→The great outdoors
Big country, dark skies and abundant wildlife.
Kielder Water & Forest Park
Northumberland
Northern Europe's largest man-made lake set within England's largest forest, and part of an International Dark Sky Park with some of the best stargazing in the country. Cycling, watersports and observatory visits.
Walking guide→Northumberland National Park & the Cheviots
Northumberland
Empty, rolling hills and some of the darkest skies in Europe, running up to the Cheviot ridge on the Scottish border. Big-country walking with barely another soul in sight.
Best walks in the North East→The Farne Islands
off Seahouses, Northumberland
A National Trust seabird city of puffins, terns and guillemots, plus a large grey seal colony, reached by boat trips from Seahouses. Best in late spring and summer for the breeding birds.
More outdoor days out→Explore by area
Pick a patch for local events, guides and business listings on its own community site.
Plan & book your visit
- Join English Heritage→— Hadrian's Wall forts & more
- Join the National Trust→— Cragside, the Farne Islands & the coast
- Book attraction tickets→— Beamish, boat trips, tours & more
- Find places to stay in the North East→
Plan your visit
See our pick of the region's best days out, castles and beaches, find seasonal ideas in our Halloween guide, or check what is on across the region this weekend.