Durham is beautiful medieval city. It has a famous and stunning Norman cathedral which sits on top of the hill.
Durham, England
Durham is beautiful medieval city. It has a famous and stunning Norman cathedral which sits on top of the hill.
Durham city has a magical charm. Even though the city centre is compact, there are some things you can do for a day trip. Durham is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which comprises Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle and the area around Palace Green.
Market Place is the heart of the city, flanked by the Guildhall and St. Nicholas Church. Overall it's the city's atmosphere that captivates me with cobblestone streets, slender bridges and glints of the river. Thanks to Harry Potter, Durham Cathedral has became even more famous as one of the film locations.
Its worth visiting Durham for at least one full day to experience the best that the city has to offer.
Here are the recommendations for things to do and see on a Durham day trip.
Morning Once you arrive, whether from the train station or bus station, walk towards Durham Market Place. This place has a few things to visit and see: Durham Town Hall, Durham Market Hall, St Nicholas Church and the square's statues. Go to: Visit Durham Town Hall and Durham Market Hall. Both places are next to each other. I suggest you go to the Town Hall first and then to Market Hall. Durham Town Hall has been a central part of the city since the 14th century. It has an interesting history in terms of local government evolution and role of the mayor. You can see how the Town Hall developed from the first timber structure to the complex building today. Durham Market Hall is home to 40 independent traders. It is in a Victorian style of architecture. You have wide choices of things to buy here, from food and drink to fresh fish, to bakery and spices and others.
Explore: You have to book in advance if you want to visit the Durham Castle. You cannot simply go in to the castle without making a reservation. This is a Norman castle and was the residence of the Bishops of Durham. The castle has been part of Durham University since 1837. It stands on a hill top site and is encircled by the wooded slopes of the meandering River Wear. It's a stunning castle.
Lunch at: Go to Durham Cathedral cafe, the Undercroft Cafe. This is a nice cafe with a delicious choice of food for lunch or afternoon tea. Afternoon Wander around: Durham Cathedral is one of most beautiful cathedrals in the United Kingdom. Do walk outside and inside the cathedral to see the best of its architecture and its history. The cathedral is home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert. Durham Cathedral was mainly constructed between 1093 and 1133 in the Romanesque style. Do climb the tower to see the views of the city and beyond.
Afternoon tea at: A cosy cafe and family run, Cafedral is located on Saddler Street. It serves popular homemade cakes, sandwiches, paninis, pies, scones and more. Try their award winning hot chocolate, it was delicious. See flowers at: Walk to Crook Hall; it's approximately 15 minutes walk from Cafedral. The ancient hall was originally built in the 13th century, with picturesque gardens. Its garden features four beautiful sections including a secret walled garden and the meadow maze.
Walking along: If you like to walk and love the nature, Durham Riverside Walk is definitely the thing for you to do in Durham city. The Riverside Walk gives you a sense of being back to nature and appreciating it. Your walk is accompanied with beautiful views of Durham Cathedral's towers and Durham Castle. You can join the boat tour if the time permits, or hire a rowing boat and enjoy the view from the Wear River.
Dinner at. Walk to Market Place and end your day by having fish and chips at Bells Fish and Chips restaurant. The food is highly recommended here.
More reading // Things to do in Durham
Travel Practical Information Well prepared pre-planning and research will help make your travel plans easy. It also helps you to understand what you are looking for and what to do in each location. Here is the information I've prepared and that you might want to consider and use when planning your own trip to Durham. Location of Durham Durham is a city in northeast England, 29 kilometres south of Newcastle upon Tyne and 21 kilometres south west of Sunderland. Durham is just over three hours from Birmingham, two hours and half from Manchester, two hours from Edinburgh and 45 minutes from York. Getting to Durham You can get to Durham by plane, train, bus or car. The choice of transport depends on your last location before travelling to Durham. By flight.Durham has a small airport, Teesside International Airport, which is a 40 minutes drive to the city. The number of airlines that fly direct to the airport is limited. Currently there are KLM, BH Air and Albastar that are operating regularly at the airport. The other nearest airport to Durham is Newcastle International Airport, which has plenty of international flights. From here, you can easily take the Metro to Newcastle Central Train Station and then continue your train journey to Durham. The total journey should be less than 1 hour door to door.
By train. Durham is well connected by trains from most major cities in the country. If you are already in the UK, there are regular train connections to Durham on both high-speed and standard routes from Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds. The train journey from London King's Cross is about 2.45 hours and from Edinburgh is about 2 hours. Tips | I suggest to book your train tickets as far in advance to save your money. Check the train tickets online time by time is the best way to find the best deal. By coach. If you are a budget traveller you might want to consider taking a coach. There are several coach services to Durham from major cities in England on a daily basis. Places to stay There is a range of accommodation choices in Durham city centre, from hostels to luxury hotels. Hotel Indigo Durham, Durham Marriott Hotel Royal County, Premier Inn Durham City Centre are amongst the hotels located in the city centre. For a list of more hotels you should check booking.com. Getting around Durham The city itself is compact and you can easily discover it on foot. If you plan to head to the Botanic Gardens for example which are just outside the city centre, there are regular buses. The local buses offer a day pass which will save you money if heading to a few attractions in one day. Check the Nexus website for timetables and tickets. By Bus. The buses run from 6am to midnight, Mondays through Saturdays and Sundays and holidays from 7am to 9pm. Different bus providers have different start and finish times. Do check their timetable online to ensure that your travel is not disturbed. By Taxi and UBER. They are available in the city for 24 hours; if you decide to use a taxi make sure to go for an authorised taxi e.g. Blueline, for safety reasons. For UBER make sure to download the app to your mobile phone if you want to use the service. Places to eat Durham has plenty of places to eat from street kiosks and cafes to restaurants. Bell's Fish and Chips, the Undercroft Restaurant, Cafedral Durham, the Coffee House Durham, Vennels Café and Golden Pearl are the places that we have been to and all of them are highly recommended. How long do you need in Durham I suggest the minimum stay in Durham is two full days. You can do some interesting things in the city to enjoy its history. You can visit the churches and one of most beautiful cathedrals in the United Kingdom, Durham Cathedral, and walk around the picturesque Durham Riverwalk. The number of days you stay depends on your travel plans, travel budget and things you want to see. What to wear Depends on which season or month that you are travelling to the city. T-shirts and jeans can be worn during the summer time. In summer the temperature can be up to 24°C.
Don't forget to bring along an umbrella with you in case of rain. A light jacket to wear in spring and autumn should be considered. In winter bring along your warm jacket/coat, gloves and hats and also boots to get ready for snow.
Structured one day trip to Durham A day trip to Durham city really has to focus on the city centre. In the morning this itinerary focuses on the Market Hall area and surroundings and in the afternoon focuses on Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle areas. You can easily walk from one sight to another, besides you will pass interesting buildings. The itinerary is only my suggestion and of course you might like to stop off at other places before going to the recommended destination. The aim of this Durham itinerary is to give an overview of the tourist highlights and how to visit them leisurely. You can squeeze as many as activities you want to do in a day but I think this itinerary gives just the right number of activities you can do in a day.
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