Newcastle is a city with many sights to see and though many may think it’s small, it’s home to some of the biggest tourist attractions in Britain. When I say tourist attractions, no I don’t mean Geordie Shore, y’know that crazy reality tv shows that everybody thinks of when they think of Newcastle and the people who live there. It’s much more than that and it’s one of the UK’s most notorious city for its broad northern Geordie accents and fun days and nights to be remembered for a lifetime. Here is the complete guide of how to tour Newcastle in less than 24 hours with the help of the Tyne and Wear Metro! For this, we have split the city into four zones so that you can make your own timetable to make sure you can get as much out of Newcastle as possible in the day that you’re there! Spending three hours max in each zone is the best way to see everything in Newcastle!
Before you get started in planning what to do and what to see in Newcastle, you first need to consider how to tour Newcastle in less than 24 hours! It sounds really challenging, but don’t panic, because we are going to make this guide easy to follow to ensure you can see most if not everything while you’re in Newcastle for the day. Lucky for you, Newcastle has this thing called the Tyne and Wear Metro, which is a train that takes you everywhere in the local area as far as Sunderland! So, whether you are arriving by plane, train or bus you are guaranteed to be next to a metro station to take you in and out of Newcastle. The Tyne and Wear Metro is also a quick way to get around so that you can get touring straight away at ease! Wondering how to tour Newcastle according to each zone? We have listed a few things to do in each area to help you out.
If you’re arriving into Newcastle by bus then by default you will end up at Haymarket bus station right beside Haymarket Metro station and home to the entrance of Newcastle’s most notorious shopping centre into Eldon Square. This quarter of Eldon Square holds fashion houses and boutiques including River Island, New Look, Next and Boux Avenue. There is also the Apple store to keep you occupied if you don’t fancy going clothes shopping! There are many more stores to choose from home to food and drink as well with Costa and Millie’s Cookies to put your sweet cravings at bay.
If you’re looking for something a little more cultural then just go to the museum beside Newcastle University across the road from the bus station is the Great North Museum. A huge free entry museum holding local history dating back as far back as you can think of with life-sized dinosaurs! It holds an interactive planetarium hosting documentary shows inside a dome! Of course, it has a gift shop and many things to see including real gemstones and diamonds found in the North East of England. It does take a couple of hours to get around it all, but it is worth seeing while you’re there! One of our favourite spots to visit if you’re figuring out how to tour Newcastle in a day!
One of the most popular zones in the city is zone B. It is one we would strongly suggest visiting when wondering how to tour Newcastle. Right outside of Haymarket metro station is Newcastle’s busiest district and it’s named Northumberland Street. It holds all the major clothing stores, cosmetic stores, fast food restaurants and more! That includes Primark, H&M, JD, KFC, McDonald’s, Superdrug and loads more to explore! Northumberland Street is a large and narrow area that connects Haymarket Metro station to Monument Metro station. There’s also another portion of Eldon Square that it leads into with a Café Nero, Lush Cosmetics store and Boots and more!
This zone of Newcastle is its most central part and its liveliest, so if you’re looking to do some shopping while you’re in Newcastle then this is the best place for it! If you’re visiting during Christmas, then you’ve got to go to Fenwick’s window south of Northumberland Street with themed displays that everyone always enjoys with the street beautifully enchanted by the Christmas lights! Monument metro station is located south of Northumberland Street next to Rolex and is the most central part of the Tyne and Wear Metro system with transport links to the areas of outer Newcastle.
If you’re arriving into Newcastle by train, then by default you will start in this zone! Newcastle Central Station is located just a stone throw away from the iconic Castle Keep, where the city originally got its name from. Though you must pay to get in, you get to learn about Newcastle’s history and can get plenty of photos right at the top of the castle with mesmerising views of the city! Five minutes outside the station is China Town holding some of the most beautiful restaurants serving delicious food and drink! If you go when it is Chinese New Year you can join in on the celebrations with food tents, a dragon show and activities to take part in!
You can also see the magnificent St James’ Park home to the Newcastle football team! Just beyond Stowell Street at the end of China Town are The Gate, the city’s food and entertainment district! Down the road from the station also sits the Life Science Centre, a huge interactive museum for all the family to enjoy and if you go during the winter you get to go ice skating right outside it with an annual ice rink! However, if you’re looking for a free museum near this zone then twenty minutes away sits the Discovery museum, another huge museum packed full of local history and things for the family to do especially during the summer!
If you get off at Gateshead Metro Station, then you’ll be delighted to discover that you’re just outside of the infamous quayside holding beautifully iconic structures that are the most thought of when Newcastle comes to mind. A great way how to tour Newcastle is to walk by the river! The beautiful River Tyne gleams with beautiful bridges that connect the city together.
The Millennium Bridge is a must-see, also known as ‘the eye’ as it blinks to let boats through and was built in the year 2000 where it got its name from! The Sage is a recognised landmark which is a large structure entirely made of glass that sits on the bank right next to The Baltic Art Gallery. The gallery is a free entry museum holding some of the most contemporary art by local artists and if you go right to the top in the glass elevator, you can get some astonishing photos of the mesmerising views of the river. Pitcher and Piano also sits by the river and is a cocktail bar that serves some of the finest food and drinks on the Quayside. What are you waiting for? Newcastle is ready to be discovered!
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