Newcastle Staycation Guide: Where to Stay, What to Do and Where to Eat

Newcastle upon Tyne makes a strong weekend break because so much is packed into a small, walkable centre: the elegant Georgian streets of Grainger Town, the castle that gave the city its name, and the steep drop to the Quayside, where the Tyne's bridges stack up one after another. The Metro takes you to the coast in under half an hour, and Hadrian's Wall, Durham and the Northumberland castles are all within easy reach.

How long to stay

Two nights is enough for the city, its museums and a trip out to the coast at Tynemouth. Stay three if you want a full day on Hadrian's Wall or in Northumberland. The city is on the East Coast main line between London and Edinburgh, so it is simple to reach by train and you won't need a car for the city itself.

Where to stay in Newcastle

The two main bases are the Quayside, for river views and evening walks, and the upper city around Grey Street and Grainger Town, for shops and restaurants. The full list is on our Newcastle hotels page.

On the river

Malmaison Newcastle occupies a listed former warehouse on the Quayside, and many of its rooms look straight at the Millennium Bridge. Across the water in Gateshead, Hilton Newcastle Gateshead sits right by the Tyne Bridge with wide views over the river. Copthorne Hotel Newcastle is a more affordable riverside choice.

In the city centre

Motel One Newcastle, just off Grey Street, is a design-led budget hotel with compact rooms, and it accepts dogs. Crowne Plaza Newcastle Stephenson Quarter, near the station, has a spa and indoor pool. If you are driving, Hotel Indigo Newcastle has on-site parking, which is rare in the centre, as does the small Hotel Balmoral on Westgate Road, rated 4.7 from over 3,200 Google reviews.

Things to do in Newcastle

Several of the city's best museums sit close together. See our Newcastle attractions page for more.

The Great North Museum: Hancock is the place to start, with natural history, ancient Egypt, a large Hadrian's Wall gallery and a planetarium. Discovery Museum tells the story of Tyneside's shipbuilding and invention, including Turbinia, once the fastest ship in the world. Laing Art Gallery covers British painting and watercolours, and Newcastle Castle, with its 12th-century keep, gives one of the best rooftop views over the bridges.

Football fans can take a stadium tour of St James' Park, which towers over the city centre. With children, the Life Science Centre by the station has interactive exhibits and its own planetarium. For green space, Jesmond Dene is a wooded valley with riverside paths, good for dogs, and Exhibition Park has a lake and a playground. Out in the countryside, Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens combines a Greek Revival hall, a medieval tower and quarry gardens.

Where to eat

The Quayside and Grey Street have plenty of restaurants, and the Ouseburn Valley, a short walk east of the Quayside, is the place for independent bars and live music. My Delhi serves curries and grills, Manjaros is a lively Caribbean restaurant, and Fat Hippo Underground does burgers. More on our Newcastle restaurants page.

A two-day plan

Day one

Start at Grey's Monument and walk the curve of Grey Street down to the castle keep. Drop to the Quayside, cross the Millennium Bridge to the BALTIC contemporary art centre in Gateshead, and walk back over the Tyne Bridge. Spend the afternoon at the Great North Museum, then eat in the Ouseburn.

Day two

Take the Metro to Tynemouth for the priory ruins, the beach and fish and chips, and walk north along the seafront towards Whitley Bay. Back in town, visit Discovery Museum or the Laing in the afternoon, or walk the paths of Jesmond Dene.

Day trips from Newcastle

Durham, with its cathedral and castle above the river, is a short train ride south. Hexham is the base for the best stretches of Hadrian's Wall, and Alnwick has its castle and gardens. Whitley Bay and South Shields are easy seaside trips by Metro, and Morpeth is a handsome market town on the way into Northumberland.

Camping and cottages near Newcastle

West Hall Glamping near Durham has ensuite pods and accepts dogs. Tranwell Farm Certificated Site near Morpeth is a quiet off-grid site that allows campfires and dogs, and Stampley Moss Farm near Gateshead takes tents, motorhomes and glamping guests. See camping near Newcastle or cottages near Newcastle for more.

Practical tips

The centre is hilly between the upper town and the Quayside, so comfortable shoes help. The Metro runs from the city to the coast and to the airport. Newcastle suits our guides to UK city breaks without flying and staycations without a car, and makes a good base for castles and historic sites.