Newcastle Upon Tyne is a fantastic city with lots to explore, but it is also situated a beautiful part of the country. A short bus, train or metro ride can take you to some magical places around the North East of England or even a little further afield. Here are some of the best days out from Newcastle Upon Tyne that you can do on public transport alone, without a car!
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Day Trips To The Coast
Tynemouth
Tynemouth is a lovely seaside village along the North Sea. As you may have guessed it sits on the mouth of the River Tyne so is super close to the city. You can jump on the metro and be there within 30 minutes.
I would highly recommend visiting on a weekend when there is a large market in the metro station. You’ll step right off the train into a bustling market filled with food stalls, vintage items, records, books, plants, handmade goods and just about anything you can think of.
Beyond the station, just as you walk on to Front Street there is a more permanent market inside an old church – also worth a visit. Along Front Street you’ll find lots of independent shops and bars. The street leads towards the ruins of Tynemouth Priory and the beach. Whilst visiting the coast, fish and chips on the beach is a must! I’d recommend Longsands or Riley’s Fish Shack which is right on the beach in King Edward’s Bay.
How to get to Tynemouth: Take the Metro from Haymarket or Central Station, take the Yellow Line towards St James via the Coast. From Monument, take the Yellow Line towards South Shields via the Coast. Depart at Tynemouth Station.
Cullercoats
Cullercoats is a smaller village sandwiched between Whitley Bay and Tynemouth. It has a smaller sandy bay which has lots of rock pools and a few caves to explore.
For hot drinks or breakfast I’d highly recommend Cullercoats Coffee. For lunch, try The Boatyard and for ice cream- Beaches and Cream has the biggest selection of flavours!
If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you can try out some water sports like kayaking and paddle boarding at Cullercoats Bike and Kayak.
How to get to Cullercoats: Take the Metro from Haymarket or Central Station, take the Yellow Line towards St James via the Coast. From Monument, take the Yellow Line towards South Shields via the Coast. Depart at Cullercoats Station.
Whitley Bay
Just north of Tynemouth and Cullercoats you’ll find Whitley Bay. There are tonnes of independent shops, bars and cafes along the High Street. This includes lots of fantastic brunch options – Kith & Kin, Fox and Finch and Pablo Eggsgobao.
Along the sea front you’ll find the iconic Spanish City Dome. This has recently been renovated and now houses a new cafe, fish and chip shop and a bar. The Love of the North store is also there which is a great place to pick up some souvenirs.
St Mary’s Lighthouse sits at the other end of Whitley Bay beach to the Spanish City. This stretch makes a lovely walk. If you’re lucky you might also spot some seals sun bathing around the rocks of the lighthouse!
How to get to Whitley Bay: Take the Metro from Haymarket or Central Station take the Yellow Line towards St James via the Coast. From Monument, take the Yellow Line towards South Shields via the Coast. Depart at Whitley Bay Station.
Day Trips to Northumberland
Alnwick
Alnwick is most famous for its Castle and Gardens. The Castle is currently the home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland but a section of the castle is open to visitors. It has also been used as a film set over the years. You may recognise it from the first two Harry Potter films as parts of the castle were used as Hogwarts!
Alnwick Gardens are just next door to the castle. The garden features a magnificent tree house cafe and a poison garden.
The town itself is also worth wondering around. No trip to Alnwick is complete without visiting Barter Books. A large second hand book store with a model train circulating in the rafters.
How to get to Alnwick: Take the LNER train from Newcastle Central Station to Alnmouth (25 minutes) then the X20 bus from Alnmouth to Alnwick (12 minutes). Click here to check for train times and prices.
Bamburgh
Bamburgh can take a while to get to by public transport but with one of the best beaches in Northumberland, its definitely worth it! The huge Bamburgh Castle looms over the seaside village from its cliff top setting. Beyond the castle through waves of long grass and sand dunes, you’ll find the expansive Bamburgh Beach.
How to get to Bamburgh: Take the LNER train from Newcastle Central Station to Alnmouth (25 minutes) then the 418 bus from Alnmouth to Bamburgh (1 hour, 10 minutes). Click here to check for train times and prices.
Hexham
The centre point of Hexham is the 12th century Abbey, which is still an active church. From there the town sprawls out the the East while to the West of the church, you’ll find Hexham Park and The Sele. Hexham is a great town to visit in December to see the streets lit up and the old square filled with Christmas market stalls. Even if the market isn’t on, there are plenty of vintage shops and independent cafes to explore.
Hadrian’s Wall, the famous Roman landmark runs nearby the Hexham. There are a few forts nearby – Chesters and Vindolanda, both with visitors centre. The iconic Sycamore Gap is also not too far and makes a lovely summer countryside walk.
How to get to Hexham: Take the Northern train from Newcastle Central Station to Hexham (31 minutes). Click here to check for train times and prices.
Rothbury and Cragside
Rothbury is a Northumberland Village set in a valley around the River Coquet. The main street is lined with quaint coffee shops, village pubs and quirky gift shops like Pots and Paws.
Not far from the village, you’ll find the National Trust property – Cragside. This Victorian mansion once belonged to Lord Armstrong and was the first home in the world to be powered by hydroelectricity. The home is set in a large garden overlooking a lake, all of which is well maintained by the National Trust.
If you fancy something a little more wild, the Simonside Hills are just a short stroll from Rothbury. There are numerous walking and hiking trails through the woods and hills.
How to get to Rothbuy: Take the X14 bus from Haymarket Station in Newcastle to Rothbury (1 hour 15 minutes)
Day Trips to Other Cities and Towns
Durham
Durham is one of Newcastle’s neighbouring cities. Just 10 minutes away by train, it’s a super easy destination to reach for a day trip.
The highlights of Durham are of course Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle. I would also recommend taking a stroll along the river and enjoying lunch in one of the many independent cafes in Durham.
How to get to Durham: Take the train from Newcastle Central Station to Durham Station (11 minutes). LNER, Cross Country and Transpennine all offer trains along this route.
Edinburgh
Scotland’s capital might seem a little far for a day trip but its actually only 1.5 hours on the train from Newcastle. Of course Edinburgh has so much to offer that you could easily fill a weekend or a week there. But you can still pack a lot in to a day out!
With just a day I would start with prioritising which of the bigger attractions you would like to do then build your itinerary from there. These would include heading up the Royal Mile to visit Edinburgh Castle, taking the bus out to Edinburgh Zoo or hiking up to Arthur’s Seat. It’s unlikely you’ll fit more than one of these into a day.
If you’re interested in admiring architecture and exploring older parts of the city, wander around the Royal Mile, around the Writer’s Museum and Dean Village. If the weather isn’t great and you’re looking for indoor activities, I’d highly recommend the National Museum of Scotland, Camera Obscura or the Edinburgh Dungeon.
Every August, Edinburgh hosts the Fringe Festival where there are hundreds of comedy shows on around the city. Some of which are even free. The city is always much busier around this time and accommodation is likely to be more expensive so a day trip would be perfect!
How to get to Edinburgh: take a train from Newcastle Central Station to Edinburgh Waverley Station (1 hour 29 minutes). LNER and Lumo both offer services, Lumo tends to be cheaper. Book a few weeks in advance for the best prices. Click here to check for train times and prices.
York
York is another destination on the East Coast rail line that is easy to reach from Newcastle. Only one hour on the train from Newcastle, York is the perfect distance for a day trip.
When in York the main sights to see York Minster and the cobbled old streets of the Shambles. The streets bare some resemblance to Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series so lots of magical shops have popped up there over the years.
If you have time, take a stroll around York’s City Walls for some great views of the minister and the rest of the city. The Yorkshire Museum Gardens are also a lovely place to stroll through on a sunny day. It’s near by to the station so could be a perfect spot to wait for your train home.
How to get to York: take a train from Newcastle Central Station to York Station (1 hour). LNER, Cross Country and Transpennine all offer services. Book a few weeks in advance for the best prices. Click here to check for train times and prices.
Knaresborough
Knaresborough is a stunning town not too far from Harrogate and York. The focal point is the old viaduct that runs over the River Nidd. On a summer’s day you will likely see boats of people leisurely rowing along the gentle river. You can hire the boats from a few places along the river bank.
Up the hill from the river, you will find the ruins Knaresborough Castle, Museum and tourist information. Knaresborough is also home to the UK’s oldest tourist attraction – Mother Shipton’s Cave.
How to get to Knaresborough: Take the train from Newcastle Central Station to York (57 minutes) then the Northern train to Knaresborough (24 minutes). Click here to check for train times and prices.
