Durham City Break Weekend

Itinerary

Highlights

• Hotel for 3 nights with breakfast & dinner
• Porterage
• Free use of the hotel leisure facilities
• Full day in Durham 
• Guided visit to Durham Cathedral
• Entrance to Durham Cathedral Museum
• Return coach transfers to Beamish Museum OR Newcastle

Your Itinerary

Day 1 - After joining your holiday coach, travel northwards with a lunch stop on the way.  Arrive at your hotel this evening in Durham for 3 nights DBB.

Day 2 - Saturday - A Day in Durham with Cathedral Guided Tour
Durham is a captivating city with a cobweb of hilly winding cobbled streets and a prominent peninsula crowned with the dramatic Durham Cathedral and Castle. Explore the timeless quality of this quintessential old English University City, take some time out with a relaxing riverside walk or soak up the atmosphere with its superb cafés, artisan workshops, boutiques, galleries and museums. Saturday is market day with the all-weather Market Hall and traditional open-air stalls on the Market Place open until the afternoon. Please be aware that Durham city has some steep and cobbled streets

Enjoy an included visit with an expert guide to the monumental UNESCO World Heritage Durham Cathedral, the definitive structure of the Anglo-Norman Romanesque style. The interior is spectacular with its breathtaking vaulted ceiling and distinctive carved pillars. Entrance is also included to the fascinating Cathedral Museum where you will see the spectacular 14th century Monk's Dormitory and magnificent Great Kitchen, housing the unique treasures of St Cuthbert.

Day 3 - Sunday - A Day in the North East 'Your Way'
The choice is yours today. You may like to enjoy another day at leisure in Durham, making the most of your hotel's great location as well as its leisure facilities. 
Alternatively, board the coach which will make two stops

Beamish - The Living Museum of the North (entrance NOT included)
An unforgettable journey into the past at England's largest open-air museum.  Set in 300 acres of beautiful Durham countryside, Beamish brings 200 years of English history to life.  Hop on a tram and make your way around the vast museum: visit the 1900s town and watch traditional sweets being made in the sweet shop, then visit the dentist (if you dare!). Try a tasty treat from the Edwardian Bakery or a pint at the Sun Inn Pub, then step even further back in time to the 1800s and take a steam train ride through the Georgian landscape on replica locomotives. Recently open attractions include a cinema, milk bar, record shop and toy shop in the 1950s town. Staff are dressed in period costume, which makes the experience truly authentic. (2026 entrance fees - £35 pp / Seniors £26 pp (60+ years))
OR
Newcastle - 'Friendly Geordie Capital'
Immerse yourself into the electric atmosphere of Newcastle on the mighty Tyne with its buzzing city vibe, stunning quayside setting and some of England's finest Georgian and Victorian architecture. Many of the one-time factories and warehouses have been transformed into galleries, museums, bars and entertainment venues. Be sure to visit the Newcastle Quayside Market, which has been part of North East culture, come rain or shine, for as long as anyone can remember. This vibrant street market takes place every Sunday between 09.00 and 16.00 along the river from the Swing Bridge to the near the Millennium Bridge. Whether you're a foodie or fashion conscious, a browser or a buyer the market offers fresh and local, traditional and modern, history and culture. 

Day 4 - After breakfast, ravel southward to interchange with a comfort stop en-route. Then onwards to your home towns.

Accommodation

Radisson Blu Hotel Durham

Overlooking the River Wear and conveniently located within walking distance of Durham's historic centre, this large, modern 4* hotel has a superb location.

The stylish and spacious guestrooms are equipped with air conditioning, TV and tea / coffee making facilities. Single rooms are double / twin for sole use.

There are water stations throughout the hotel.

There is an extensive restaurant with views over the river as well as an open-plan bar leading pout to a riverside terrace.

The hotel's leisure facilities include an indoor swimming pool, sauna, team & gym.

There is a lift