10+ Amazing Short Breaks Nearby

1. York

• Distance from Newcastle: 85 miles/135 km
• Time to drive there: Around 1 hour and 40 minutes
• Best way to get there by public transport: the direct 1-hour train from Newcastle train station
• Best for: history, ancient architecture, a romantic getaway, and feeling like you’ve traveled back in time

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The most popular weekend getaway from Newcastle, York is home to:

• Cobbled streets
• Tucked-away lanes
• Ancient 13th-century walls
• Museums, Viking tales, and one of the best Gothic cathedrals on the planet
• The iconic ‘shambles’ (an atmospheric old-school shopping street that looks like it hasn’t changed in 500 years)

If you’ve ever wanted to visit an English medieval city that looks like something from movies and TV shows (including, yep, Harry Potter), this is the place for you.

It’s one of the most historic cities in the UK, and it’s always full of tourists. And because it’s a small city, you can see all the highlights in one weekend.

Some must-dos include:

… and because York has so much history, heritage, and hidden-away stories, it’s tough to really understand the city and its significance without taking a tour. This short experience is the best of them.

Eat at:

• Betty’s Tea Room: possibly the most famous tea room in England, it’s been serving up scones and sandwiches since 1936.
• The Golden Fleece: one of the UK’s most haunted pubs, if you believe in all that stuff.
• And for the city’s best brunch, head to much-loved independent Partisan.

York’s best places to stay are:

• Hampton by Hilton York Piccadilly: super-central, exceptionally clean and tidy, and a nice compromise between luxury and affordability. Ideal for pretty much all travelers.
• YHA York: the city’s best budget option, by a very long way. You get dorms and private rooms, along with comfortable beds, a big kitchen, and massive gardens. You’re only a 15-minute walk from central York.

2. Durham

• Distance from Newcastle: 22 miles/35 km
• Time to drive there: 30-40 minutes
• Best way to get there by public transport: the 12-minute direct train from Newcastle train station
• Best for: history, staying close to Newcastle, and seeing a whole city in one weekend

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One of the easiest weekend getaways from Newcastle, cos it’s so quick and simple to get here.

Top attractions include:

• Durham University: visit the botanical garden, wander around the Oriental Museum, and gawp at all the big historical buildings.
• Durham Cathedral: absolutely dominating the city’s skyline, this massive cathedral is one of the UK’s most famous. Some Harry Potter scenes were filmed here, while it’s also been used as a prison. It’s home to the highest Christian throne in the world.
• Galleries and museums, including Weardale Museum (a volunteer-run folk-fest), and the Durham Mining Museum.
• Walking tours: because Durham isn’t as touristy as some of the UK’s other cities, it’s hard to learn about the place. But not when you take this walking tour—it crams loads of excitement and info into its entertaining 90 minutes.

Some of Durham’s best places to eat include:

• The Curious Mr Fox: laid-back and colorful, it’s not quite a cafe, not quite a restaurant. But food this good isn’t usually this affordable. Expect burgers, pasta, an excellent breakfast, and a popular bottomless brunch.
• Restaurant 17: fancy and upmarket, this intimate little spot serves prettily-assembled plates of European classics. It’s the type of place where the staff will say things like “à la carte” and “dining.”
• Coarse: the highest-rated restaurant in the entire city, Coarse is featured in the Michelin guide. It offers relatively affordable tasting menus, paired drinks, and a pretty informal vibe.

Between Newcastle and Durham, you’ll also find rural Beamish, the biggest open-air museum in England. A ‘living museum,’ you can expect costumed characters, an old-school sweet shop, a visit down an ancient mine, a retro tramway, an old farm, and 4 different time periods (stretching over 130 years).

Durham’s best places to stay are:

• Castle View Guesthouse: a basic guesthouse, with super-friendly staff, low prices, and charming retro-style rooms.
• The City Hotel: the best basic hotel in the city, and sitting inside a pub. It’s central, clean, and tidy, and the beds are comfortable and cozy.

3. Alnwick

• Distance from Newcastle: 35 miles/56 km
• Time to drive there: 45-50 minutes
• Best way to get there by public transport: the direct X15 bus takes around 75 minutes
• Best for: exploring a massive castle, buying some second-hand books, and having a charming but well-connected base for exploring other parts of Northumberland

Most well-known for its massive, full-of-family-friendly-fun castle,* Alnwick is one of the biggest towns in Northumberland. Although it’s not as charming as some of the smaller towns, you’ll find enough fun here for a weekend.

Top attractions include:

• Barter Books: the best second-hand bookshop I’ve ever visited, it’s massive, it has a cute cafe, and there’s a model train running around its roof. You can easily spend a couple of hours here.
• The Dirty Bottles: allegedly haunted, this age-old pub is somehow both modern and retro, and serves up big, tasty portions of with-a-twist pub classics.
• Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery: home to more than 10,000 years of history, this is the best place to learn about the past and present of Alnwick and its people.

Alnwick Castle is home to some massive on-site gardens. Here, you’ll find mazes, fountains, unusual plants and flowers, a poison garden, family-friendly fun, one of the world’s biggest treehouse restaurants, and the planet’s largest collection of Japanese Taihaku cherry blossoms.

While you’re in Alnwick, you’re also close to other Northumberland highlights. I recommend:

• Alnmouth: my favorite coastal settlement close to Newcastle, Alnmouth has a population of less than 500 people. Semi-accurately known as ‘The Tobermory of Northumberland’, it has colorful homes, a pretty bay, and lots of local wildlife.
• Rothbury: sitting just 12 miles/20 km west of Alnwick, charming little Rothbury has riverside walks, nice cafes, and lovely Simonside (one of the best easy-to-access hikes in Northumberland). It’s also close to the popular National Trust Cragside.
• Craster: most famous for serving up smoked fish, harbor views, and the mega-atmospheric ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle.

*Alnwick Castle is one of the best castles in Northumberland. Here’s our guide to them all.

Alnwick’s best places to stay are:

• The Dirty Bottles: the very same pub I already mentioned, The ‘haunted’ Dirty Bottles offers comfy bedrooms, colorful decor, low ceilings, and spooky neighbors. One of the most atmospheric pub stays you could ever imagine.
• Host & Stay – Forest Green Lodge: clean, cozy, and modern, this self-catering cottage is super-central, very welcoming, and has everything you need. It’s the town’s top self-catering option.

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4. The Northern Part of the Northumberland Coast

• Distance from Newcastle: 50 miles/80 km (to Seahouses)
• Time to drive there: around 1 hour (to Seahouses)
• Best way to get there by public transport: X15 bus from Newcastle to Alnwick, then X18 bus from Alnwick to Seahouses (around 2.5 hours total travel time, cos there’s no direct connection from Newcastle to Seahouses)
• Best for: family fun, massive castles, and a combo of well-known sands and secluded onesa

The first of 3 coastal entries we’ve brought you… and the most remote of them.

The Northumberland coastal stretch between Alnmouth and Berwick measures in at 35 miles (56 km). And it’s full of small towns, quiet beaches, and big, long areas of peace and quiet.

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When you’re visiting here, the logical thing to do is stay halfway along the coastline. Seahouses is the best base—it’s the biggest town in this part of the world (population: 1,500), it has all the conveniences you’ll need, it offers bird-filled boat trips to the Farne Islands, and it’s stacked with family-friendly fun.

The best places to stay in Seahouses are:

• No 3 King Street Apartment and Snug: sitting right in the town center, you’re only a 5-minute walk from the beach. A self-catering cottage, it’s clean and classy, and has everything you need. The best apartment in the town.
• The Olde Ship Inn: if you want to stay inside an old-school, atmospheric wood-paneled pub in Seahouses, this is 100% the place for you.

Apart from exploring Seahouses itself, other things you should see in this area include:

• Castles: the two big must-visits are Bamburgh (my favorite northeast castle) and Dunstanburgh (an alluring ruin surrounded by farms, beaches, and the fishing village of Craster).
• Hidden-away beaches: some of the best are Spittal, Beadnell Bay, and the sands and shores around Low Newton-by-the-Sea. For more, here are the top 10 beaches in Northumberland.
• Quiet towns and villages: while Bamburgh, Seahouses and Craster get all the fame, you’ll find even-cuter places like Embleton, inland Belford, and Low Newton-by-the-Sea.
• Holy Island: cut off from the mainland by a sometimes-accessible causeway, this strange island is a retro pilgrimage spot with religious sites, unusual history, and lots of ice cream.

5. The Southern Part of the Northumberland Coast

• Distance from Newcastle: 30 miles/50 km from Newcastle to Amble
• Time to drive there: 40 minutes from Newcastle to Amble
• Best way to get there by public transport: the direct X18 bus from Newcastle to Amble—it takes around 90 minutes
• Best for: staying close to civilization, exploring big(ish) coastal towns, and a nice combo of busy places and barren ones

This time, we’re heading south of Alnmouth, to the southern tip of the Northumberland coast.

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This section of the coast is known for being a bit busier and more built-up (which is partially true, cos it’s home to places like):

• Amble: the most famous Northumberland coastal town. Down to earth, but in a good way—and all the locals are friendly. It even has decent nightlife, if that’s your thing.
• Warkworth: most well-known for the castle dominating its skyline, Warkworth is home to cute cafes and restaurants, and its one main street is brimming with charm. You can also hire kayaks and ride along the river from here to Amble.
• Blyth itself: though this place once had a (justified) reputation for being drug-fuelled grim-fest, its beach area is now a nice place to hang out… with play areas, swimmable stretches of beach, and lots of cafes and fish and chips.

This part of the Northumberland Coast is also home to Druridge Bay, a big, long, barren beach measuring in at a massive 7 miles (11 km). It runs from Amble to Cresswell.

Although they’re quite far north (relative to the rest of the area), the best bases in the southern part of the Northumberland coast are Warkworth and Amble. They’re big(ish), they have many accommodation options, and they have all the conveniences you need.

For Warkworth, I recommend staying in:

• Warkworth House Hotel: elegant bedrooms in a now-modern-looking 18th-century pub. The breakfasts are great, the hotel sits in the VERY center of the town, and you’re right on the main road (excellent for easily exploring the rest of the area).
• The Coquet Apartment: small but affordable, this little self-contained apartment sits closer to the river than the center of Warkworth. Nice for riverside strolls, and having a peaceful pocket of quiet.

… but if you’d rather stay in Amble (a bit more lively, and a bit less wholesome and homely), your two best options are:

• Wor Hoose: translating from Geordie into English as ‘our house,’ this self-catering pet-friendly holiday home is the nicest holiday cottage in the town. Comfy, cozy, spacious, clean, and affordable.
• The Amble Inn: because it doesn’t sit in the town center, this is a good option for people seeking a quiet stay. It’s inside a modern-but-retro-style pub, with a hefty range of food and drink.

6. The Newcastle Coast

• Distance from Newcastle: 10 miles/16 km to Cullercoats
• Time to drive there: 20-25 minutes from Newcastle to Cullercoats
• Best way to get there by public transport: the direct Metro from Newcastle to Cullercoats takes 25 minutes
• Best for: staying close to Newcastle, exploring trendy towns, and very easy access via public transport

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Newcastle is closer to the coast than most people expect—and you can be at the coast from the city center in around 20 minutes.

Newcastle’s light rail Metro system has direct connections to THREE close-to-Newcastle towns (all of which are a short walk from each other).

And exploring all three is a lovely way to spend a weekend. These three are:

• Tynemouth: the trendiest of the three, Tynemouth is home to fancy places to eat and drink, and has a surprisingly good nightlife scene. Other perks include surfing, an aquarium, an old priory, some lovely old-school pubs, and a charming indoor local-led weekend market (held inside the Metro station, I love wandering around the place).
• Whitley Bay: the most family-fun of the three, Whitley Bay offers arcades, big stretches of beach, lots of child-friendly cafes and restaurants, endless fish and chips, many play areas, seaside cafes with pretty views, and the iconic St. Mary’s Lighthouse.
• Cullercoats: which sits between them both, and I reckon is the most charming of the three (and its Metro station is only a 3-minute walk from the beach).

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Here are my favorite things to do in the area:

• Paddleboarding: head to CBK Adventures, hire a paddleboard (and wetsuit) for a couple of hours, and play around in Cullercoats Bay. This is a safe but exciting place to try paddleboarding for the first time. But if you’re an experienced paddleboarder, you can ride way further out… and find shipwrecks close to Whitley Bay.
• Cafe-hopping: you’ll find LOADS of lovely cafes in this part of the world. Some of my favorites are Rendezvous Cafe (an old-school place, it’s glass-fronted, dog-friendly, and right on the beach), Beaches & Cream (family-friendly, very popular, and sits at a busy people-watching road), and Valerie’s Tearoom (nice cakes and decent coffee—but the real appeal is the location; it sits right among the shoreside Spanish City).
• Cycling: here, you’re right on the National Cycle Network Route 1 (a waymarked cycling route running all the way from the Scottish Highlands to southeastern England—it measures in at over 1200 miles/1900 km). You can follow this trail north and south as far as you want, and hit lots of coastal fun along the way. Massively recommended.

I recommend overnighting in Whitley Bay—it’s the biggest town, it has the most amenities and hotels, and it’s the most affordable of the three. The best places to stay in Whitley Bay are:

• High Tide Apartment with Sea Views: sitting in the most famous part of Whitley Bay, this is an IDEAL location. You’re right beside the beach and the Spanish City area, and it’s only a 10-minute walk into the central part of the town.
• The Royal Hotel: a Whitley Bay mainstay for over 30 years, this is a simple but affordable family-managed hotel, with coastal views and a good buffet breakfast.

7. Hadrian’s Wall

• Distance from Newcastle: 35 miles/56 km to Once Brewed
• Time to drive there: around 45 minutes from Newcastle to Once Brewed
• Best way to get there by public transport: take the train from Newcastle to Hexham, before taking the AD122 bus from Hexham to Once Brewed. Total journey time, around 90 minutes
• Best for: mixing hills and hikes with some of the UK’s most significant Roman sites

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Hadrian’s Wall is one of the UK’s most significant historical sites—and the most popular hiking area close to Newcastle.

The full hike usually takes 4-6 days, but you can absolutely see the highlights (in terms of both scenery and history) over a weekend. This central section is the 30-mile (48km) stretch between Chollerford and Walton.

It includes:

• All the best scenery: you get farms, rolling hills, stretches of wall, lots of sheep, and way more remote wilderness than you’re probably expecting.
• Roman sites: including Housesteads, Vindolanda (which is just off the main trail), and lots of surprisingly well-preserved milecastles.

Admittedly, not everyone will want to explore Hadrian’s Wall by trekking:

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… so an easier option is to explore the area on a guided tour, where you get all the history, but without all the hiking. This is the best of them—you get Roman insights, a passionate guide, and loads of lovely views. And you can do it in one day from Newcastle.

The best place to stay is the oddly-named Once Brewed, plonked right in the middle of this central stretch. Its best accommodation is Twice Brewed Inn, which sits inside an old-school pub. It’s brimming with retro charm, and the staff are super-friendly.

8. Edinburgh

• Distance from Newcastle: 120 miles/205 km
• Time to drive there: 120-150 minutes
• Best way to get there by public transport: the very regular direct trains from Newcastle to Edinburgh take around 90 minutes
• Best for: big-city thrills, inner-city green spaces, and exploring Scotland’s capital

Edinburgh is much closer to Newcastle than most people expect… and cos the direct trains are so regular, it’s easy to come here for a weekend.

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Some of the city’s must-visits are:

• Arthur’s Seat: a unique city-center volcanic hill, this place offers great views of the city, and it only takes 2 hours to climb to its top and back. Even if you’re not usually into hills and hiking, I massively recommend this one.
• Edinburgh Castle: one of the most impressive castles in the UK, this big behemoth is brimming with endless history and heritage (including royal residences, prison stints, and battles). The best way to explore it is on a guided tour, or else you miss all the insights.
• Leith: the trendiest part of the city, semi-gentrified Leith offers a nice combo between old-school spots and hipster hubs. Expect pretty architecture, a lovely-in-summer port, lots of brunch spots, and a bunch of craft breweries.
• The Water of Leith Walkway: measuring in at 13 miles (21km), this riverside stroll runs from Edinburgh’s residential outskirts all the way to Leith. It passes places you’ve heard of, and places you haven’t (and includes the super-loveable quaint Dean Village).
• Edinburgh Zoo: one of the best zoos in the UK, this creature-crammed place is home to monkeys, lemurs, tigers, hippos, endless interactive exhibits, and the only knighted penguin in the UK(!).

I also recommend taking some walking tours. Edinburgh is one of the UK’s most storied places. So if you don’t take some tours, you’re massively missing out. I recommend:

Some of the city’s best eateries include:

• Sheep Heid Inn: great for chowing down on Scottish pub classics. Expect burgers, fish and chips, steaks, and Sunday roasts.
• MUMS Great Comfort Food: totally no-frills and unpretentious, this place serves sausages, potatoes, haggis, and loads more affordable retro Scottish classics.
• The Kitchin: this classy bistro is one of the city’s best joints for an upmarket meal. It’s elegant and expensive… with a Michelin star, carefully-assembled plates, and menus thought up by the famous Tom Kitchin.

Edinburgh’s best places to stay are:

• Ibis Edinburgh Center South Bridge: a great mid-range option. It’s right in the heart of the Old Town, the breakfast is great, it’s relatively luxurious, and it’s a 10-minute walk from Edinburgh Castle.
• Stay Central Hotel: a bit more affordable than the Ibis, it’s modern and trendy, the decor is kooky and colorful, and the staff are friendly. Excellent value for money.

For much more on Scotland’s capital, get yourself over to our guides on the 15 best day trips from Edinburgh, and the 11 best free museums in Edinburgh.

… and here’s our ultimate 2-day itinerary for Edinburgh.

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9. Wooler

• Distance from Newcastle: 46 miles/74 km
• Time to drive there: between 60 and 75 minutes
• Best way to get there by public transport: take the direct train from Newcastle to Berwick, before taking the 267 bus or 464 bus from Berwick to Wooler. The entire journey will take just under 2 hours
• Best for: quiet hikes, hitting the top of Northumberland’s highest peak, and exploring a lovely remote old-school town

If you like hiking, this is the trip for you.

Wooler is the region’s best base for exploring the Cheviots, home to endless hikes, lots of barely-visited land, and the highest peak in the area. Imaginatively known as ‘The Cheviot,’ this highest peak stands at 815 meters (2,674 feet). You can tackle it in an easy but pretty loop, also taking in the peak of Hedgehope.

For underrated hikes, hit the close-to-Wooler section of St Cuthbert’s Way (a long-distance, lesser-known pilgrimage route ending at Holy Island).

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And, of course, you’ll want to explore the town itself. It’s one of the most charming market towns in Northumberland, with stone-built homes, hilly streets, pretty riverside sections, and friendly locals. Other highlights include wild goats (which you might see in some parts of the Cheviots), the annual Glendale Show, and lots of local food and drink.

You can find some of that local food and drink at:

• Doddington Dairy Milk Bar: this little wooden shack is most well-known for producing Doddington Dairy ice creams (made only a short wander away, from the milk of local cows). They also serve breakfast, lunches, and drinks—and you’ll love the place.
• The Good Life Shop: a small, endearing deli, there’s no place here to eat inside. But you’ll find excellent local produce, including meat, cheese, pickles, bread, and plenty more.
• Angel Inn: the food here is good if not great. But the atmosphere is excellent—a real retro pub, it has a wooden bar, an open fire, and an unpretentious old-school vibe.

Wooler’s best places to stay are:

• The Black Bull Inn: if you’re staying in an old countryside town like Wooler, you want to sleep inside a pub. This retro charm-fest is the best of them, and it’s right in the center of the town.
• Wooler Youth Hostel and Shepherds Huts: always full of hikers, cyclists, and friendly families, this is one of my favorite hostels in Northumberland. The kitchen is massive, the outdoor area is big, and it’s in an ideal location for heading out on hikes.

10. Kielder Reservoir

• Distance from Newcastle: 42 miles/68 km to the southeastern tip of the reservoir
• Time to drive there: 60-70 minutes from Newcastle to the southeastern tip of the reservoir
• Best way to get there by public transport: there’s no good option
• Best for: fishing, bike rides, staring at stars, and getting out into the middle of nowhere

The northwestern part of Northumberland is one of its most remote and rural areas.

(… and considering Northumberland is England’s least densely-populated region, that’s really saying something…)

This part of the region is most famous for Kielder, the biggest reservoir in northern Europe (well, depending on how exactly you measure it).

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The best thing to do here is cycle/walk/run around the entire perimeter of the reservoir—it’s 27 miles/43km. Other highlights include fishing, birdwatching, camping, mountain biking, visiting the little castle, gawping at the art installations, family fun at the cafes and play areas, and visiting nearby villages.

It’s also a popular site for stargazing—Kielder is home to an observatory, which is plonked inside one of the biggest dark night sky areas in the whole of Europe.

In summary, Kielder and the surrounding area is great for families, great for couples, and great for getting out into a truly remote part of the world. Don’t expect to have much phone signal.

Kielder’s best places to stay are:

• Old Kielder Castle Cottage: remote and rural, this self-catering cottage is far from the towns of Northumberland. It’s comfy and well-equipped, it’s close to the observatory, and you’re in an excellent location for hitting the best mountain-bike trails.
• The Pheasant Inn: a stone-built ivy-fronted pub, this place sits near the southeastern tip of the reservoir (so it’s close to the region’s civilization). Expect excellent breakfasts, an open fire, lots of stone, and friendly staff.

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For much more on Kielder, get yourself over to our guides on the 18 best things to do in Kielder and the complete guide to cycling in Kielder.

• Harrogate: famous for its scones and tea rooms, pretty little Harrogate is always full of local tourists. A spa town, it features stone architecture, pretty streets, a walkable size, nearby Turkish baths, and excellent low-level hikes. If you want to feel like you’re wandering through some English period drama, this is the place for you.
• The North Pennines: one of the least-explored hiking areas in all of England, this region is home to barren hills, boggy peaks, under-the-radar waterfalls (must-visit High Force Waterfall is the biggest in England!), and cozy underexplored towns with old-school pubs. And it’s one of my favorite places for cycling.
• The South-of-the-Tyne Coast: more seas and sands! If you cross the Tyne River and head to the coast, you’ll find places like South Shields, Souter Lighthouse, Cleadon Hills (with its wild ponies!), Seaburn Beach, Roker Beach, and lots of family-friendly places to eat, drink, and play. The whole coastline is also great for cycling—the route from Sunderland to South Shields is easy but beautiful, with many en-route places to stop.
• The Scottish borders: for history, one of the most underrated regions in the UK. The most southern part of Scotland, it’s home to mysterious hill forts, many abbeys, unusual religious history, deep ties to Scottish battles for independence, the Common Ridings festivals, and an unusual accent. A top pick for local heritage, culture, and people.
• Countless castles: there are many close-to-Newcastle castles where you can stay overnight. Some of the most popular include Chillingham Castle (most well-known for regular hauntings and its torture chamber), Langley Castle (with spa baths, saunas, modern flourishes, and good proximity to Hadrian’s Wall), and Bamburgh Castle (for shoreside stays inside my favorite Northumbrian castle).
• The Carlisle-Settle Line: known as the prettiest railway journey in England, and a nice weekend idea for couples and older people. To get there, you take the train from Newcastle to Carlisle, before hopping on the train from Carlisle to Settle. To get back to Newcastle, you can then take the train from Settle to Newcastle via Leeds.
• The Lake District: though it isn’t super close to Newcastle, the Lake District is a pretty popular weekend away from the city. The most famous hiking hub in England, it’s home to popular hikes, boat trips, countless country cottages, lots of lakes, and some of the most quaint villages you’ve ever seen.