This guide should come in handy for everyone…
Newcastle is bursting with things to do! Whether you are here to visit or you live here, my things to do in Newcastle guide should help you enjoy yourself.
Only my personal favourite places and things to do will make it to this list 😀
Where is the best place to stay in Newcastle?
Even though I live in Newcastle myself, I have stayed in a few of the hotels around here myself. Some stays have been competition wins, some have been out of convenience after a big night out and others I have been to events there. Some of my favourite hotels are…
Malmaison – This is a great hotel to stay at if you want something up market and in a beautiful location. It is situated on Newcastle quayside overlooking the Millennium Bridge and only minutes from the Tyne Bridge.
Hilton Hotel – This is based on the Gateshead side of the quayside, 2 minutes walk across the Millennium bridge into Newcastle. Again, this is an upmarket hotel which gives you great views of Newcastle quayside.
Hampton by Hilton – This is slightly cheaper than going for the full Hilton experience but it is still a fantastic hotel in a great location. This is situated in Newcastle city centre, 1 minute walk from the train station, a couple of minutes walk to the best night life and 5 minutes walk to all the amazing city centre shops.
Tunes Hotel – This is right in the middle of Newcastle city centre. You are a few minutes walk to the quayside, around 7 minutes walk to train station, less than 5 minutes walk to the shops and less than 5 minutes walk to the best night life. This is a cheaper hotel but it is gorgeous and a brand new hotel so looks amazing. The best thing about Tunes hotel is you pay for what you need to help keep the cost down – you can even choose a room without windows to bring the price down!
My Mam and I with Mark Wright at Malmaison!
Where is the best place to shop?
There are so many places to shop in Newcastle! We have shops to suit everyones taste and needs…
intu Eldon Square – This is a large shopping centre with over 100 shops. There are lots of places to eat in Eldon Square too, modernisation work is ongoing at one side of Eldon Square to bring an exciting new eating area to the centre.
Northumberland Street – This is one of the main streets that runs through Newcastle and they have fantastic street entertainment at various times. This street is also full of fantastic shops, including being home to the 4th best beauty salon in the UK Newcastle Hair and Beauty Clinic, you will probably see me in here if you visit as I love visiting them.
Love Niche – Ran by Nisha and her team of gorgeous stylists, they can give you the ultimate personal stylist experience. They can help you find styles that suit your body shape, you can pick up some one off pieces in the studio or browse the wonderful range of clothing accessories the studio has to offer. The prices are great too – Nisha has even styled celebs so you may bump into a famous famous face whilst in the studio.
The Grainger Market – I love the Grainger Market. There are over 100 shops inside the market, most of them small and independent businesses. The market is 180 years old and is open 6 days a week, I highly recommend a visit if you can. With independent shops such as…
- Retro gaming
- Clothing – Well worth a visit if you have kids, they do some gorgeous children and baby wear
- Cosmetics – you can even have a go at making your own bath bomb
- Electrical
- Toys
- Jewellers
- Lots of places to eat and drink, including the very popular ‘The French Oven’ and ‘Pet Lamb Patisserie’
The French Oven won ‘best bakery in England and Wales’ and they make the most amazing cakes, pastries and breads – a must try when visiting Newcastle.
Pet Lamb Patisserie promise to help keep you sweet tooth satisfied – they aren’t wrong! If you are wanting some cupcakes, layer cakes, cookies or brownies whilst in the area then head here!
Beautiful Macaroons from The French Oven – Image from their Facebook page.
A selection of sweet treats from The Pet Lamb Patisserie – Image from their Facebook page.
Night Life
Newcastle at night – Thank you June from Travel Jems for this image 🙂
Everyone knows that Newcastle is the nightlife capital of the UK – You are guaranteed a good night out in Newcastle.
The Diamond Strip – These are the bars and clubs you will see on Geordie Shore. Don’t worry, it’s not all pulling, falling over and flashing knickers – it is a fantastic night out in the most trendiest bars in the city. Make sure you visit Floritas and have a frozen strawberry daiquiri and House of Smith is amazing late night/early morning.
The Bigg Market – This used to be THE place for a night out before the diamond strip hit the toon but it is still a fantastic place full of bars and nightclubs – If you are wanting a 70’s/80’s theme to your night then I recommend heading to ‘Flares’ at the bottom of the Bigg Market or how about the german bar where you have to dance on the tables when they play a certain song through the night?
The Gate – The gate is a fantastic complex offering cinema, restaurants, Aspers casino and bars. Once night falls, you will see people head here for a good time and they have some great bars such, Lloyds, Beyond, Tiger Tiger, Players and more.
Museums
If museums are more your scene, there are plenty to visit in the city such as;
The Hancock Museum – The living planet, fossils, ancient Egypt and many more attractions will keep your and the kids busy for hours. Entry is free too.
The Discovery Museum – My kids love this museum. As you enter the museum you’ll come face to face with Turbinia. Charles Parsons’ 34 metre steam powered ship that was once the fastest ship in the world and an iconic part of the history of Tyneside. A lot of the attractions are the history of Newcastle but they have some fantastic exhibitions that will appeal to everyone including history of computers, my kids can’t get over the first desktop computer and how big it was!
Baltic Mill – There are no permanent collection at the Baltic, it has an ever changing collection of contemporary art. They often use the roof area to start zip slides, my dad done a zip slide off the Baltic in aid of charity and loved it.
The Centre for Life – My whole family love The Centre for Life. In the winter you will find an ice risk outside the centre which is very popular. Inside the centre you will find a 4D ride and a range of exhibitions including a large fun educational area for kids.
Things to do
Sunday mornings strolling along Newcastle quayside beneath our iconic bridges – does it get any better? Thank you to Jeff from Newcastle Eats for the image 🙂
Sunday mornings on Newcastle quayside you will find a market full of local small and independent businesses selling everything from locally sourced fruit & veg to toys. One stall I highly recommend paying a visit to is The Fudge Parlour – Easily the best fudge I have ever tasted plus they have given me an exclusive offer for you all as they know I’m a big fan 🙂
Why not visit the most successful British basketball team in history? The Newcastle Eagles had a running streak of over 20 games at the beginning of the season and they collected all 4 trophies that were up for grabs last season. Again, I have an offer for this…
Eldon Leisure have a great range of activities for you to do in the heart of the city centre such as wall climbing, soft play and bowling.
If you come in the summer, then definitely head to the beaches which can be found around 15 minute drive from Newcastle or 20 minutes on the Metro. We have some of the best beaches in the UK and there is enough to do in the surrounding areas to keep you and the family busy at the coast for the whole day.
I took this photo last year whilst visiting Tynemouth beach which is 15-20 minutes outside of Newcastle.
Coming soon…
Coming soon to Newcastle is my latest addition to this post and I will post about any exciting openings that you should know about.
Right now I can think of 3 that I am super excited for.
- The wax bar – Anyone who knows me will know I am all about the brow, life is better when you have a strong brow games. So when I heard there is a new wax bar that will be opening in Newcastle I got very excited! Click here to view their Facebook page to keep up to date with their latest news and announcements.
- Rub Smokehouse – You MUST see the photos to see how amazing this place is going to be. If you like your food big and a pumping atmosphere you need to check this place out. You can see more on Rub Smokehouse here.
- George’s Great British Kitchen – Another restaurant that looks absolutely delicious is George’s. The decor looks like it is going to be fantastic, seating booths are in little beach huts! They will be serving British classics with their own special twist, check out their website here.
I will be adding to this post all the time so keep checking back 🙂
