This post will share 13 places to visit in Newcastle on a Day Trip.
For my fourth Autumn trip, I decided to go east to Newcastle.
Since I live in the North West, I figured I could take a trip back and forth in one day.
Plus, this was my chance to really experience the other part of the North.
It goes without saying that Newcastle upon Tyne is a city in the North East of England.
It is also the eighth-most populous city/ largest city in England.
Of course, I had to visit as it wasn’t too far from Manchester.
First Impressions of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
Before I discuss all the places I was able to visit, I just want to mention how highly impressed I was with the city.
The last time I was this impressed with a city was when I visited York.
Because of the distance between the Midlands and Newcastle, they have managed to create a world of their own in the North East.
I was amazed at how modern and yet medieval the city was.
I was also impressed with the diversity and variety of cuisines worldwide.
The city has evolved so that the residents don’t need to come to Manchester or London for anything.
With a bubbling City Centre that houses large Shopping complexes that carry both high-street brands and designer labels, a diverse food scene, and a buzzing nightlife, it has just about everything an urban city needs to thrive.
Need I mention the architecture?
My favourite thing about Newcastle is how much they retained most medieval architecture.
It was all aesthetically pleasing, from narrow alleys to curved streets and ancient buildings.
Can you tell me how much I loved my visit to Newcastle?
I’m already planning my return.
Getting to Newcastle from Manchester
With both cities being in the North of England, they are not too far apart.
As always, I booked my trip on Trainline, and the journey took an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes back and forth.
With my 26-30 railcard, I got a nice discount on my tickets.
The journey was smooth and very comfortable, with no issues whatsoever.
I set out as early as 8 a.m. to cover a lot of landmarks before it got dark.
Before noon, I arrived at the Newcastle Central Station, ready to explore.
Here Are 13 Places To Visit In Newcastle As A Solo Traveller
Before I go on, I’d like to mention here that there’s so much to do in Newcastle; one day is nearly insufficient.
So, instead of squeezing too many places into my itinerary, I followed the yellow brick road.
I didn’t really use my Google Maps.
Instead, I used the signage to direct me. This is a tip I’ve learnt to avoid sticking out and blending in as a tourist.
So far, so good. It’s been helpful, and I haven’t been lost yet.
Here’s a helpful map if you’ll be taking a walking tour like me:
Newcastle Castle
My first stop was the iconic Newcastle Castle, which happens to be the oldest structure in the city, dating back to the 11th Century.
There was so much to do that I didn’t spend much time by the castle.
I just stopped briefly and took the narrow valley beside it to the next street.
But if you’ll be visiting the castle, book your tickets here.
Newcastle – Gateshead Quayside
One of the attractions I was really looking forward to was the bridges.
Across the River Tyne, Newcastle is connected to Gateshead, a large town, via seven dramatic bridges, including;
- Tyne Bridge
- Gateshead Millenium Bridge
- Swing Bridge
If you are spending more than a day in Newcastle, you might as well cross the Millenium Bridge over to Gateshead to see a few of their attractions, including;
- Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
- Sage Gateshead
- Angel of the North
- Saltwell Towers
I didn’t cross the bridge, but I was able to soak in the scenery from the Newcastle North Bank.
I made sure I walked back and forth to enjoy the views.
Just as you leave the Quayside, you’ll pass by two critical landmarks;
- The Guildhall
- Bessie Surtess House. As an architectural enthusiast, even though this landmark was temporarily closed, I had to stop and marvel at the Jacobean domestic architecture. It was absolutely stunning.
City Centre Retail & Shopping
As a rule of thumb, I always visit shopping centres on my trips to gauge the city’s opulence.
The more High Street and designer labels there are, the more opulent the city is usually.
It turns out that Newcastle happens to be the ninth in the retail expenditure league in the UK.
That explains why the shopping centres were so busy.
Depending on your itinerary, make sure you stop by;
- The Gate: Newcastle’s premier leisure and retail destination with many restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
- Eldon Square Shopping Centre: This is one of the must-visit places in Newcastle, and it also happens to be one of the largest city centre shopping complexes in the UK. I thought this shopping complex would never end. It just kept going on and on and on. It is so massive. Plus, it has the largest John Lewis & Partners, Fenwick, and Marks & Spencer stores outside London. That’s so impressive if you ask me.
Grainger Town
This is the heart of historic Newcastle, where some of the finest buildings and streets lie.
I didn’t even pay much attention to the buildings that make up Grainger Town until I started putting this post together.
Turns out, I had stopped by a few of them, including;
- The Grey Monument: This is quite possibly the tallest monument I’ve ever seen. It stands tall in what I believe is the centre of Newcastle and is dedicated to Charles Grey, a former Prime Minister of the UK in the 18th century.
- Grainger Market: Very briefly, I stopped by the Grainger Market, Newcastle’s first indoor market. Similar to The Covered Market in Oxford, it also dates back to the 18th century and has 100+ vendors selling produce, meat, and vintage goods. Unfortunately, I got there around 5 p.m., when most of the stalls were closed.
- Theatre Royal: This is the largest Theatre in Newcastle, which was first opened in 1837.
Newcastle University
Newcastle has two major universities which also explains why the city centre was literally buzzing.
I didn’t plan to stop by the University at all.
But just as I wandered out of the city centre to find other attractions, I passed by the university complex only to find that the closest museum and art gallery was affiliated with the University.
- Great North Museum: If you have some time, you can stop by the Great North Museum: Hancock, a natural museum of natural history and ancient civilisations. It was established in 1884 but merged with the Newcastle University Museum of Antiquities and Shefton Museum in 2006 to form the Great North Museum.
- Hatton Gallery: This is Newcastle University’s art gallery, located in the Fine Art Building. You can check their website to see what exhibitions are on.
- Centre for Life/Life Science Centre: One of the must-see places to visit in Newcastle is the Centre for Life Science Village. Just a stone’s throw from Newcastle Central Station, it is a family-friendly science museum where science enthusiasts meet to promote the advancement of life sciences. I particularly love how colourful and vibrant the building is. Although it was closed by the time I got there, I still enjoyed looking around. If you’ll be visiting, make sure you book your tickets ahead.
Finally,
I had a great day in Newcastle, and I cannot wait to go back. I hope you have found this post on the must-see places to visit in Newcastle useful.
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