Top North East England Culture

Explore Newcastle on foot to discover small details that you might otherwise miss if traveling in a traditional tour vehicle. Get your bearings in the sprawling city with ease and get the inside scoop on local culture and history, as you travel between top city attractions—such as Pink Land, Chinatown, the historic Town Wall, and Grey’s Monument—without having to navigate.

Get the background history on Housesteads Roman Fort as you walk around Hadrian’s Wall with a self-guided GPS tour. Download the app, then explore at your own pace using audio and maps that work offline. The tour covers the Roman remains where civilians and soldiers once lived. Only enter the attractions you're interested in since entry fees aren't included. The tour duration ranges from 50 to 100 minutes, allowing flexible exploration.

Go deeper into Newcastle’s rich history than on many other tours when you join this guided walk—although you’ll still stroll less than 2.5 miles (4 kilometers). Learn about the city’s history from the Iron Age to the present, alongside colorful characters such as Bessie Surtees. See bridges, monuments, religious buildings, a historic market, the old town wall and, of course, the castle, with plenty of photo opps too.

Newcastle can sometimes feel like a maze for first-time visitors. Take the mystery out of your visit by exploring with a local on a private walking tour. This personalized tour allows you to discover the exterior of monuments, including museums, while learning about the city’s history and culture. If you wish to include a museum visit, your guide can customize the itinerary to fit your interests—just let us know in advance. Your guide contacts you beforehand to understand your preferences, ensuring you see the places you truly want to experience. Perfect for families, solo travelers, or couples, this tour offers insider knowledge, hidden gems, and a deeper connection to Newcastle that you won’t find on your own.

This guided tour brings you face-to-face with Newcastle’s medieval history. Perfect for history buffs and anyone who enjoys learning about local history, this walking tour takes visitors around the city’s ancient landmarks and architecture. Ideal for guests with limited time but who want to get a flavor of the city, as well as those passing through Newcastle on a trip around Northern England and Southern Scotland.

Step into a world where gravity has no hold at the Upside Down House in Metrocentre, Gateshead. This unique photo attraction invites visitors of all ages to snap mind-bending photos in a creatively designed environment. The house features playful rooms, including an electrifying music zone and a Sir Ridley Scott movie room, all crafted to ignite your imagination. Perfect for families and friends looking to create unforgettable memories, this interactive experience lasts about 20 minutes. Capture extraordinary moments and share them with loved ones while exploring this quirky attraction just minutes from iconic local landmarks.

Join us for an unforgettable guided walk along one of the most spectacular stretches of Hadrian's Wall. Starting at The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre, we'll catch the AD122 bus to Housesteads, with fascinating commentary along the way to make the most of our time on the Wall. Pass the site of Housesteads Roman Fort and its bustling civilian settlement, visit the Sycamore Gap site, explore Milecastles 37 and 39, and enjoy the rare opportunity to walk on the only section of Hadrian's Wall where visitors are permitted to walk on top of the Wall itself. With a maximum of six guests, our relaxed tours include authentic Roman artefacts, local storytelling, spectacular views, photos, videos, a personalised highlight reel and a keepsake to remember your adventure. Walking poles are available. If you're looking for a gentler option, we also offer a 2-mile guided walk with entry to Housesteads Roman Fort.

A beautiful market town, Hexham has a strikingly ugly past. Hear tales of gore and gunk that you certainly won’t find in the guidebooks on this walking tour led by a born-and-bred Hexhamian who spent eight months researching the town’s history—and even works as an official town crier. Hear about a market square massacre, brutal punishments, polluted drinking water, one of history’s toughest jobs, and more.

Opt for a sightseeing tour of Newcastle with a difference on a silent disco tour that leads you through the city streets wearing hi-tech headsets that blast pop music. A large group adds atmosphere as you boogie past attractions such as Grainger Market and Eldon Leisure Centre.

A few miles (kilometers) offshore from Seahouses, the Farne Islands are home to shags, gulls, cormorants, and gray seals all year round, with puffins, guillemots, razorbills, and terns during the May-July season. See them from the water on this fully narrated cruise from Seahouses, which also includes a sail past Longstone Lighthouse, where the lighthouse keeper's daughter Grace Darling rescued nine sailors and became a local heroine.

Learn all about the rich history of the area from a guide who really knows their stuff. Hear stories dating back to the Roman era as you walk across the sands low tide, towards Holy Island. You’re also in with a good chance of spotting seals as they lounge along the coast.

Explore a different side of Newcastle that most traditional city tours don't cover on this true crime walking tour. Explore hidden streets and sites while a storyteller shares stories of gruesome events and local intrigue. Enjoy a route that includes Bigg Market, Newcastle Castle, Long Stairs, and the historic Quayside.

"This 3-hour extended tour offers a complete journey through Newcastle's soul. Beyond the medieval heart and the Grainger Town, we descend from the historic Castle directly to the vibrant Quayside. We will walk along the river Tyne to admire the world-famous bridges and conclude our experience at the iconic Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. It is the perfect way to see how the city's rich past meets its modern riverside beauty."

Housesteads is Britain’s most complete Roman fort, standing on the dramatic Whin Sill escarpment, flanked by stretches of Hadrian’s Wall. Discover the stories of the fort and its people in an interactive exhibition. Find out how soldiers and their families lived on this wild northern frontier of the Roman Empire. Kids will love dressing up, handling replicas of Roman objects and exploring the exhibition and fort with the help of Felix the Roman soldier. The fort and museum are an uphill walk from the car park.

This self-guided Northumberland road trip is designed to reveal how the region’s national park landscapes, Roman frontier and dramatic coastline connect into one coherent journey. Instead of planning routes between distant landmarks yourself, the guide links inland valleys, historic sites and coastal scenery into a clear touring structure that moves naturally from Northumberland National Park to the North Sea coast. You can follow the full inland-to-coast journey or explore sections. Along the way the guide connects famous landmarks such as Hadrian’s Wall and Bamburgh Castle with valleys, forest landscapes and traditional fishing villages. Rather than a fixed itinerary, the guide provides narrative context, clear route progression and flexible time-based planning ideas so you can adapt the journey around walking routes, historic sites and coastal exploration. With 12 months access included, you can start planning well before your trip and return to the guide whenever you need.

Forget hours of independent research and explore Newcastle-upon-Tyne in an easier and more rewarding way: on a small-group guided walk. Follow a time-efficient route that reveals all the must-sees; admiring everything from the handsome Georgian architecture of Grainger Town to the China Garden, Castle Keep, and Quayside. As you walk and talk, learn history and personal insights into Newcastle’s past and present culture you’d likely miss if exploring alone.

Set in the valley of the river Tyne, Chesters is the best-preserved Roman cavalry fort in Britain. Around 500 cavalry troops – the elite of the Roman auxiliary forces – were based here. Today, imaginative interpretation, including a fun family trail, helps you explore the fort’s many clearly marked features. Children can hunt for the ‘rubbing stones’ concealed among the buildings, collecting tips to help them on the trail. Between the fort and the river, you’ll find the finest example of a military bath house anywhere in Britain. All this was rediscovered by John Clayton, a wealthy Victorian landowner whose mansion stands near the fort. His single-minded vision is celebrated in the fort’s Clayton Museum, which is an absolute must-see for all visitors to Chesters.

Uncover the captivating history of Hadrian's Wall on this family-friendly adventure at Housesteads Roman Fort and along Hadrian's Wall. Perfect for explorers young and old, this guided experience brings to life stories from the Roman frontier and the notorious Border Reivers. We'll explore one of Britain's best-preserved Roman forts before enjoying a relaxed 2-mile walk along Hadrian's Wall. You'll visit a Roman milecastle, enjoy the rare opportunity to walk on top of the only permitted section of Hadrian's Wall, and cross paths with Britain's first National Trail, the Pennine Way. Along the way, take part in a fun bingo challenge. Discover the surprising connection between the notorious reiving Armstrong family and the first man to walk on the Moon, and hear the story behind the curious building known as the Murder House. The tour ends at the Housesteads Museum. Fort and museum admission, a guided walk, and a digital folder of your photos and highlight reel are all included.

Join the Newcastle adventure! Discover the city’s rich history, from its Roman beginnings to its important role in the Industrial Revolution. Admire the iconic Grey's Monument, explore the historic Newcastle Castle, and wander through the lively Bigg Market. Along the way, solve intriguing mysteries—like the story behind the Black Gate and why Earl Grey tea became so famous. Take fun selfies, answer quirky questions, and enjoy a playful journey through time. But hurry—the clock is ticking!

Explore Newcastle your way on this private walking tour designed completely around your personal interests. You can fully customize your route, pick your ideal tour duration, select your preferred historic stops, and set the walking pace. Whether you are fascinated by Roman origins, medieval defensive strongholds, or stunning 19th-century Georgian streetscapes, you choose the historic path that interests you most with a dedicated local guide. Choose your route: Decide between admiring grand Georgian architecture or uncovering hidden medieval friaries. Pick your duration: Opt for a 2, 3, or 4-hour experience to fit your schedule. Select your stops: Choose to highlight medieval defensive castle keeps or iconic riverside bridges. Set the walking pace: Enjoy a flexible, private experience customized entirely for your group. Please note: Your exact walking route and final stops may vary based on the specific customization options you select with your private guide.

Help Set a Railway Revolution in Motion Newcastle stands at the heart of a transformation that reshaped the world. Follow the tracks of father and son George and Robert Stephenson and uncover their remarkable true story at the dawn of the railway age. Explore the city where much of their story unfolded, using real landmarks to solve interactive puzzles and reveal each new chapter. Discover ingenious inventions, bitter rivalries, daring ideas, ambitious engineering, unexpected tragedy, and triumphs that once seemed impossible. From dangerous beginnings to extraordinary achievements, their journey is filled with surprising twists and remarkable connections. Follow the clues through Newcastle and discover the people, places and events that helped shape the future of transport. With our outdoor escape games your surroundings become the game. Guided by your phone, your team explores real landmarks, uncovering virtual clues and solving puzzles that connect directly to the world around you.

The perfect way to feel some spooky vibes this Halloween weekend and explore the real dark side of Newcastle! Uncover some of the city's darkest secrets, gruely mystweries, murders and intrigue! Explore stories of stolen corpses, dark and notorious prisons, grave robbers and witch hunts! There is so much to discover during your Halloween tour of Newcastle. NOTE: This is an adaptation of the famous Newcastle True Crime Tour operating weekly.

The industrial Newcastle of old has turned into a vibrant metropolis that’s still deeply proud of its history. On this private walking tour, delve deeper into Newcastle and Gateshead—south of the Tyne—and their heritage with a guide for insight you’d miss out on if exploring alone. Pass St. James’ Park football stadium and Grey’s Monument; and admire the futuristic Sage, Baltic, and bridges overlooking the legendary Tyne River.