Modern meets the historic in Newcastle. It’s a marvellous city with an exploding art and music scene, happening restaurants, historic pubs, and lively nightlife set against a backdrop of Victorian architecture and industrial grit. Scroll down to find out about the top things to do in Newcastle!
Newcastle-upon-Tyne | England
We travelled from Newcastle to Edinburgh on a free train ticket, thanks to the wonderful activists of Rail Action Group, East Scotland whom we met at the monthly market in Haddington. They are working hard to open new railway stations to make train travel more accessible for Scots and we got chatting about our mutual love for train travel. We learnt that the new station at Reston was about to open after years and years of negotiations and discussions with the government. They put our names down for a golden ticket, a day-long explorer ticket on Transpennine Express between Edinburgh and Newcastle, for the day of the inauguration, and luckily got to witness the historic reopening of Reston. The 5:45 am Transpennine Express was the first train to stop at Reston in 50 years. It was a marvellous moment!
The railway route between Edinburgh to Newcastle is one of the most beautiful railway routes in the United Kingdom! As the train rattles down the edge of the British Isles, you can see the North Sea in all its glory. Sandy beaches, historic towns, rolling pastures, and blue waters create breathtaking scenery.
Onwards to Newcastle, our first tryst across the border to England to check out all the best attractions and places to visit on a day trip to Newcastle. Once famed for coal and shipbuilding, Newcastle today is a bustling city renowned for its architecture, music, and food and drinks scene. Its industrial past is abundant in its culture and architecture. In neighbourhoods like the Ouseburn Valley, you can see transformation and rejuvenation taking place, thanks to investments and community-led efforts. Newcastle charms with its Victorian city centre and its modern quayside, and its bevy of beautiful bridges that span the placid Tyne. But it is not all grand buildings and Sunday markets, one of Newcastle’s top activities is its nightlife bolstered by its large student population. It is a fabulous city and makes for the perfect day trip (and weekend trip) from Edinburgh!
Things to do in Newcastle
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How to Reach Newcastle
Newcastle is on the main London to Edinburgh railway line and is easily accessible by trains.
REACH NEWCASTLE BY TRAIN // Newcastle is on the east coast main line between Edinburgh and London and is served by LNER, Transpennine, and Lumo. Northern connects Newcastle to York, Carlisle, and several cities in Northern England. The journey between Edinburgh and Newcastle takes about 1.5 hours.
REACH NEWCASTLE BY BUS // National Express and Megabus connects Newcastle to Edinburgh and the journey takes 2.5 – 3 hours.
Top Things to Do in Newcastle
Newcastle is known for its vibrant culture, iconic landmarks such as the Tyne Bridge and Newcastle Castle, and its rich industrial heritage. There are several free activities in Newcastle city centre. It is also home to Newcastle United Football Club and several universities, including Newcastle University.
Marvel at the Architecture
Handsome buildings, grand arcades, magnificent facades: if you are prone to swooning at marvellous architecture, keep your smelling salts handy! The crown jewel of Newcastle’s city centre is Grainger Town, famed for the classical architecture– often dubbed the Tyneside Classical– designed in the 1830s by the internationally renowned Richard Grainger. Spot gorgeous buildings like the Theatre Royal, and Central Arcade. Find out more about the architecture of Grainger Town here.
Eat & Shop at Grainger Market
Perhaps our favourite part of Newcastle is Grainger Market! If you follow our blog, you will know how much we love to explore markets and this was no exception. We were surprised to find a historic indoor market– it dates back to 1835– selling meat and produce, clothes and food, craft beer and vinyl, and various other items aka Calcutta’s very own Hogg Market and we simply spiralled into a wave of nostalgia. We ambled along each of the rows, bright with sunlight flooding through the skylights and cheerful with buntings hung in anticipation of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and stopped to buy a box of plump strawberries and an assortment of craft beer. We would probably shop for bread and cheese and meat and seafood if we weren’t worried about the produce spoiling in the heat! Grainger Market also has a great selection of food: We had duck buns at Nan Bei Chinese Dumplings and samosa chaat SnackWallah. If you go gaga over seafood, stop by Chirton’s Fisheries to try a Lindisfarne oyster or two. If you are in Newcastle for only a few hours and only have time for one or two experiences, this IS the best thing to do in Newcastle. Don’t miss it!
TOUR / Not sure where to start? Join the Grainger Market and Quayside Food Tour for a fuss-free experience. This fantastic tour takes you on a food tour through one of Britain’s best regional food halls where you can sample various local foods and desserts.
Stop by the Castle
Newcastle Castle is a short walk from the railway station. The history of the area dates back to the 2nd century and this imposing Norman fortress is a rugged reminder of northern England’s turbulent past. The Keep is the largest of the remaining buildings. The entrance leads via flights of stairs to the second floor and into the Great Hall, the largest room in the keep. The Barbican gatehouse (the Black Gate) can also be visited and this houses an exhibition gallery and gift shop. A wooden bridge has replaced the drawbridge. The original gate had a portcullis and the recesses where this fitted can still be seen.
Visit the Ouseburn Valley
One of the more offbeat things to do in Newcastle is visit the Ouseburn Valley. You can either take the bus or walk from the city centre to the historic Ouseburn Valley where a raft of investments and community-led regeneration over the last twenty years has transformed a post-industrial wasteland into Newcastle’s foremost cultural and creative quarter. Today the streets are lined with pubs, eateries, and event spaces and there are guided walks exploring Ouseburn’s heritage and regeneration, thanks to the Ouseburn Trust. Their website is a great resource for anyone interested in the history and heritage of this area!
Another place of interest here is the Victoria Tunnel, a preserved 19th-century waggonway under Newcastle, stretching from the Town Moor to the Tyne River, that was originally built to transport coal from the Spital Tongues Colliery to the river and operated between 1842 and the 1860s. In 1939 during the war, it was converted into an air-raid shelter. Today you can go on guided walks into the tunnel!
Also read: Find out about the free things to do in Edinburgh here: 20+ Free Things to Do in Edinburgh.
People-watch at Quayside
We spent quite a bit of time soaking in the sun and people-watching at the Quayside. The promenade along the Tyne will present you with spectacular views of seven of Newcastle’s famous bridges, including the iconic Tyne Bridge and ultra-modern Gateshead Millennium Bridge, and also views of the shiny Sage Gateshead and the handsome Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. There are lots of great eateries and bars along the stretch to keep you fed and watered! It is a great spot to catch the sunrise and the sunset, if you are planning to photograph the bridges in the golden hour.
Spot the Bridges over the Tyne
There are seven bridges spanning the Tyne in Newcastle and there is no doubt that bridge-spotting or bridge-hopping is one of the top things to do in Newcastle! From west to east, they are the Gateshead Millenium Bridge, Tyne Bridge, Swing Bridge, High-level Bridge, Queen Elizabeth II Metro Bridge, King Edward VII Railway Bridge, and Redheugh Bridge.
Also read: Stirling, one of Scotland’s oldest cities, makes for a lovely day trip from Edinburgh. See Top Things to Do in Stirling for a guide to visiting Stirling.
Catch a Concert at Sage Gateshead
The Sage Gateshead is a concert venue and musical education centre located within an iconic curved glass and stainless steel building that looks somewhat like a set of nested shells or a slug depending on who you ask but it is an example of the country’s more dramatic contemporary architecture designs. To check which events are on at the centre, click here.
Visit the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
According to their website, “BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art creates and produces exhibitions, activities and opportunities that explore the understanding of the world through diverse contemporary art by artists from across the world.” It is housed in a historic flour mill on the Tyne. Events are free and you can find a list here.
Top Tours in Newcastle
Have you visited Newcastle? What are your favourite things to do in Newcastle?
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