--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Durham, United Kingdom | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Durham: the cathedral and St Cuthbert's shrine, a castle tour, the tower climb, the riverbanks and Prebends Bridge, Palace Green, a rowing boat on the Wear and Beamish." url: https://wimup.com/city/durham type: City guide updated: 2026-10-27 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Durham Durham, United Kingdom · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 10 min read Durham is a cathedral and university city in the north-east of England, built on a wooded peninsula in a tight loop of the River Wear. The castle and cathedral face each other across Palace Green, the centre is crossed on foot in twenty minutes, and Newcastle is a quarter of an hour away by train. ## Quick answer Start at the cathedral: St Cuthbert's shrine, Bede's tomb and, if you are eight or over, the 325 steps of the central tower. Cross Palace Green for a guided castle tour and the free exhibitions at Palace Green Library, then walk the riverbanks to Prebends Bridge and hire a rowing boat below Elvet Bridge. Keep a second day for Crook Hall's gardens, Finchale Priory or Beamish. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** May · Jun · Jul - **Ideal length:** 1–2 days - **Budget per day:** $110–180 - **Language:** English - **Getting around:** Walking, trains & buses - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.thisisdurham.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Durham ### 1. Visit Durham Cathedral Landmark · Palace Green, Durham The Norman cathedral built from 1093 to hold the shrine of St Cuthbert, with the remains of the Venerable Bede at its west end. Entry is free, with a suggested £5 donation; stay for Evensong to hear the choir in the nave. - **Time:** 1–2 hrs - **Cost:** Free (donation) - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Guided tours usually run at 11am and 2pm Links: [Website](https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Take a guided tour of Durham Castle Landmark · Palace Green, Durham The Norman castle of the prince-bishops is now University College, so the only way in is a guided tour of about 45 minutes. Tour times shift with college life and sell out; book a week ahead or ask at Palace Green Library. - **Time:** 45–50 mins - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Weekday - **Tip:** Under-16s go free; many steps inside Links: [Website](https://www.durham.ac.uk/things-to-do/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. Climb the cathedral tower Viewpoint · Durham Cathedral, Durham 325 steps up the central tower to a roof view over the peninsula, the castle and the loop of the Wear. Buy the ticket at the visitor desk or online; children under eight cannot climb. - **Time:** 45 mins - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Clear day - **Tip:** Accompanied 8 to 17-year-olds climb free Links: [Website](https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Walk the riverbanks to Prebends Bridge Walk · Prebends Bridge, South Bailey, Durham The wooded path below the peninsula gives the classic view of the cathedral above the Wear, best from Prebends Bridge, finished in 1778. Walk the full loop from Framwellgate Bridge to Elvet Bridge in about an hour. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Paths are steep and muddy after rain ### 5. See the exhibitions at Palace Green Library Museum · Palace Green, Durham The university library between castle and cathedral, home to the Museum of Archaeology and a programme of temporary exhibitions drawn from its special collections. The archaeology galleries are free. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Rainy day - **Tip:** Also the place to buy castle tour tickets Links: [Website](https://www.durham.ac.uk/things-to-do/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. Row the Wear from Brown's Boathouse Activity · Elvet Bridge, Durham Small rowing boats are hired by the hour from the boathouse at the foot of Elvet Bridge, sharing the river with college crews. The Prince Bishop river cruiser runs one-hour trips from the same landing. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Paid hire - **Best at:** Summer afternoon - **Tip:** A deposit is taken on the boats ### 7. Wander Crook Hall Gardens Garden · Frankland Lane, Sidegate, Durham DH1 5SZ A medieval hall and walled gardens a short walk north of the centre, now run by the National Trust, with a view back to the cathedral. Only the medieval hall is open inside; the gardens are the reason to come. - **Time:** 1–2 hrs - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** June - **Tip:** National Trust members enter free Links: [Website](https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/crook-hall-gardens?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 8. Explore Durham University Botanic Garden Garden · Hollingside Lane, Durham DH1 3TN Glasshouses and woodland gardens on the hill south of the city, with a cactus house and a tropical house. The adult day ticket is £5 and payment is by card only. - **Time:** 1–2 hrs - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Spring - **Tip:** Children 16 and under enter free Links: [Website](https://www.durham.ac.uk/things-to-do/venues/botanic-garden/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 9. Walk to Finchale Priory Landmark · Brasside, near Durham The ruins of a priory founded in 1196 on the site of St Godric's hermitage, three miles north-east of the city on a bend of the Wear. Entry is free; the car park belongs to the neighbouring caravan park and charges. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** Bus 62 from Durham, not on Sundays Links: [Website](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/finchale-priory/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 10. Spend a day at Beamish Museum · Beamish, County Durham An open-air museum of rebuilt North East streets, a colliery village and working trams, about ten miles north-west of Durham. The ticket is an unlimited pass valid for a year, so a second visit costs nothing. - **Time:** Full day - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Weekday - **Tip:** Go North East bus riders get 25% off Links: [Website](https://www.beamish.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Durham's bridges Two medieval bridges and a modernist one, each with its own view of the peninsula. 1. **Framwellgate Bridge** (Free · Silver Street): The Norman crossing from the station side, built for Bishop Flambard in the early 12th century and rebuilt in the 15th. 2. **Elvet Bridge** (Free · Elvet): A medieval bridge of the 1160s, still lined with buildings at its town end. The rowing boats leave from its foot. 3. **Kingsgate Bridge** (Free · The Bailey): A concrete footbridge of 1963 from the Bailey to Dunelm House, the last structure Ove Arup designed. ## Best museums in Durham The cathedral's own treasures, a university's Asian collection and the county's archive. 1. **Open Treasure** (Ticketed · Cathedral): The cathedral museum in the monastic buildings, with St Cuthbert's coffin and the Great Kitchen. [Website](https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Oriental Museum** (Free · Elvet Hill): Durham University's collection of art and archaeology from Egypt to Japan. Free, but book a slot. [Website](https://www.durham.ac.uk/things-to-do/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **The Story** (Free · Mount Oswald): The county archive at Mount Oswald, opened in 2024, with free exhibitions and the Durham Light Infantry collection. ## Best restaurants in Durham (2026) Two Michelin-listed kitchens, a cellar dining room, and reliable Thai and burgers. 1. **Coarse** (Modern British · North Road): Seasonal British small plates as a set menu in a courtyard off North Road. Michelin-listed; book. 2. **Faru** (Tasting menu · Silver Street): Five and ten-course tasting menus on Silver Street, listed in the Michelin Guide. 3. **The Cellar Door** (British · Saddler Street): British and European cooking down narrow stairs off Saddler Street; known for the Sunday roast. 4. **Zen** (Thai · Court Lane): A long Thai and pan-Asian menu across the river on Court Lane. 5. **Fat Hippo** (Burgers · Saddler Street): Burgers a short walk from the castle, with a real vegetarian and vegan list. ## Best pubs and bars in Durham A listed Victorian interior, a medieval tavern and a riverside beer garden. 1. **The Victoria Inn** (Real ale · Hallgarth Street): An 1899 pub on CAMRA's National Inventory of historic interiors, and the best beer in town. 2. **The Shakespeare Tavern** (Historic pub · Saddler Street): A tiny Saddler Street pub with medieval roots and a reputation as one of England's most haunted. 3. **The Market Tavern** (Pub · Market Place): A roomy traditional pub on the Market Place, with ales, ciders and fair prices. 4. **The Swan and Three Cygnets** (Riverside · Elvet Bridge): A Samuel Smith's pub on Elvet Bridge with a beer garden over the river. 5. **The Head of Steam** (Craft beer · North Road): Rotating real ales and unusual bottles by the station end of North Road. ## Best cafes in Durham Brunch under a listed staircase, a yard full of tea, and scones in a Tudor room. 1. **Flat White Kitchen** (Brunch · Saddler Street): Brunch in a 1600s building on Saddler Street, below a Grade II listed staircase. 2. **Leonard's Coffee House** (Coffee · Fowler's Yard): A long tea and coffee list in Fowler's Yard, off Silver Street. 3. **Vennels Café** (Tearoom · Saddler's Yard): Scones and banoffee pie in a 16th-century building at the top of Saddler's Yard. ## Durham outdoors A park above the station, a wood across the river and the meadow where the Gala ends. 1. **Wharton Park** (Free · North Road): The hillside park by the station, where the first Miners' Gala met in 1871, with a view of the cathedral. 2. **Pelaw Wood** (Free · Gilesgate): Woodland a few hundred metres east of the centre, crossed by the 1938 Silver Link Bridge. 3. **Maiden Castle** (Free · Shincliffe): The riverside path upstream past the rowing clubs to an Iron Age hillfort site. 4. **The Racecourse** (Free · Elvet): The riverside meadow where the Regatta finishes and the Miners' Gala banners gather. ## Day trips from Durham A bishop's palace, a castle with deer, the railway's birthplace, a waterfall and the coast. 1. **Bishop Auckland** (Castle · South Durham): Auckland Castle, the prince-bishops' country seat, and the Auckland Project's museums. [Website](https://aucklandproject.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Raby Castle** (Castle · Teesdale): A medieval castle near Staindrop with a deer park and walled gardens. [Website](https://www.raby.co.uk/raby-castle/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Locomotion** (Museum · Shildon): The National Railway Museum's Shildon hall of locomotives. Free entry. 4. **High Force** (Waterfall · Upper Teesdale): The Tees drops over the Whin Sill; the south bank path on the Pennine Way is free. 5. **Seaham** (Coast · Durham coast): Sea glass on Seaham Hall Beach, best at low tide after a storm. 6. **Newcastle upon Tyne** (City · Tyneside): The Quayside, the Tyne bridges and the Baltic, fifteen minutes away by train. ## Festivals & annual events in Durham (2026) - **Durham Regatta** (June): Two days of rowing races on the Wear, finishing by the Racecourse. - **Durham Miners' Gala** (Second Saturday of July): Colliery banners and brass bands march to the Racecourse; a miners' service follows in the cathedral. - **Durham Brass Festival** (July): A week of brass across the county, with free street bands in the city. - **Durham Fringe Festival** (Late July to early August): Five days of theatre, comedy and music in small venues around the centre. - **Heritage Open Days** (September): Free entry to buildings and gardens that are usually closed or ticketed. - **Durham Book Festival** (October): Readings and talks over a long weekend, mostly at Gala Durham. - **Lumiere** (November): Light installations across the peninsula; the 2025 edition was the last in its old format. - **Durham Christmas Festival** (Early December): Three days of craft and food stalls in a marquee on Palace Green. ## Must-try dishes in Durham, United Kingdom - **Stottie cake**: A flat, dense North East loaf, split and filled. - **Pease pudding**: Split yellow peas boiled with ham, eaten on a stottie. - **Saveloy dip**: A saveloy in a bun with pease pudding, dipped in gravy. - **Pan haggerty**: Sliced potatoes layered with onions and cheese, fried and baked. - **Panackelty**: A slow-baked dish of meat and root vegetables. - **Singin' hinny**: A griddle scone named for its sizzle on the pan. - **Leek pudding**: A suet pudding filled with leeks, served with meat. - **Durham mustard**: Durham first sold English mustard as a fine powder, in 1720. ## Durham transport & airports - **Durham station** (Rail): On the East Coast Main Line above the viaduct. LNER reaches Newcastle in about 12 minutes, Edinburgh in under two hours and London King's Cross in about three. [Website](https://www.lner.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Buses and Park and Ride** (Bus): Park and Ride sites at Belmont, Sniperley and Howlands run to the centre every 15 minutes, Monday to Saturday. The peninsula is best walked. [Website](https://www.durham.gov.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Newcastle International Airport** (Air): The nearest airport. Take the Metro to Newcastle Central and the train on to Durham, about 45 minutes in all, or a taxi. [Newcastle Airport](https://www.newcastleairport.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Teesside International Airport** (Air): South of the county. A bus to Darlington and a train to Durham takes about 70 minutes; a taxi about 45. [Teesside Airport](https://www.teessideinternational.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Durham at a glance - **Country:** United Kingdom (England) - **Region:** County Durham, North East England - **Population:** 50,515 in the built-up area (2021 census) - **Founded:** 995, when the community of St Cuthbert settled on the peninsula - **World Heritage:** Durham Castle and Cathedral, since 1986 - **Language:** English - **Currency:** Pound sterling (GBP) - **Time zone:** GMT · UTC+0, BST UTC+1 in summer - **Calling code:** +44 - **Airports:** Newcastle (NCL); Teesside (MME) - **Power:** 230 V, type G plugs - **Emergency:** 999 or 112 ## Interesting facts - Durham Castle and Cathedral were inscribed together as a World Heritage Site in 1986. - The remains of the Venerable Bede were taken from Jarrow to Durham in 1022. - The castle is still a working college, so students live and dine in the prince-bishops' halls. - The first Durham Miners' Gala was held in Wharton Park in 1871. - Kingsgate Bridge, opened in 1963, was the last structure Ove Arup designed. ## Durham travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Durham? One full day covers the cathedral, the tower, a castle tour, Palace Green and the riverbanks, all on foot. Stay a second day for Crook Hall, the Botanic Garden or Finchale Priory, or for Beamish, which deserves a day of its own. ### Is Durham Cathedral free to visit? Yes. There is no admission charge, though the cathedral asks for a suggested £5 donation. The tower climb, the Open Treasure museum and guided tours are ticketed separately. ### Can you go inside Durham Castle? Only on a guided tour, because the castle is University College and students live there. Tours last about 45 minutes, times change with the college calendar, and they sell out, so book ahead or buy on the day at Palace Green Library. ### How do you get to Durham from London or Edinburgh? By train on the East Coast Main Line. LNER runs from London King's Cross in about three hours and from Edinburgh in under two. Durham station is a ten-minute walk downhill to the Market Place. ### When is the best time to visit Durham? May to July, for long evenings on the river, the Regatta in June and the Miners' Gala on the second Saturday of July. Book early for the Gala and for university graduation weeks, when rooms fill. ## Nearby guides - [St Andrews](https://wimup.com/city/st-andrews.md): United Kingdom · 10 picks - [Chester](https://wimup.com/city/chester.md): United Kingdom · 10 picks - [Dublin](https://wimup.com/city/dublin.md): Ireland · 10 picks - [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 150 cities Part of the [United Kingdom guide](https://wimup.com/country/united-kingdom.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md) ## Sources - [Durham tourism board](https://www.thisisdurham.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Visit Durham Cathedral (official site)](https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Take a guided tour of Durham Castle (official site)](https://www.durham.ac.uk/things-to-do/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Wander Crook Hall Gardens (official site)](https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/crook-hall-gardens?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Explore Durham University Botanic Garden (official site)](https://www.durham.ac.uk/things-to-do/venues/botanic-garden/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Walk to Finchale Priory (official site)](https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/finchale-priory/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Spend a day at Beamish (official site)](https://www.beamish.org.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Bishop Auckland (official site)](https://aucklandproject.org/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Raby Castle (official site)](https://www.raby.co.uk/raby-castle/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Durham station (official site)](https://www.lner.co.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Buses and Park and Ride (official site)](https://www.durham.gov.uk/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Newcastle International Airport: Newcastle Airport](https://www.newcastleairport.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Teesside International Airport: Teesside Airport](https://www.teessideinternational.com/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.