Durham is one of my favourite cities and I’ve been visiting for decades. Most recently my son has been a student a Durham University. If you’re planning a weekend in Durham, there is plenty to fill two days, from the magnificent cathedral and castle to museums, gardens, riverside walks and some excellent places to eat.
My first glimpse of Durham was from the train. The view of Durham Cathedral and Castle high above the River Wear is one of the finest views from a train anywhere in the world. If you are arriving from the South be sure to book a window seat on the right hand side of the train.
Table of Contents
Day One of a weekend in Durham – History, cobbled streets and the river
We’ll start by walking uphill along cobbled streets towards the Durham World Heritage Site, home to Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle. Durham is a small city packed with great shops, cafés and restaurants.
Durham World Heritage Site: Cathedral and Castle
Head upwards in Durham City and you will eventually get to the Cathedral Close. As you walk in, take a good look around you. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so officially amazing. Durham Cathedral and Castle are among the most culturally significant places on the planet. On the day of our most recent visit the bells were ringing out just to make it even more special.
Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral is one of the finest cathedrals anywhere. Built by the Normans on the site of the Anglo Saxon shrine of St Cuthbert. Inside is a mass of rounded Norman arches supported by massive pillars decorated with zigzags. Many windows are aglow with stained glass. I especially like that the stained glass dates from the medieval to now with new windows glowing proudly and beautifully next to ancient ones.
Durham Cathedral has long been famous for its embroidery and still has a team of Broderers that work both to conserve and create new work. Take a look at the altar dedicated to St Aidan for stunning modern embroidery.
Shrine of St Cuthbert
Pilgrims have been coming to Durham Cathedral for the shrine of St Cuthbert since the 10th century. Cuthbert was one of the people who helped establish Christianity in the British Isles. He was a monk, bishop and finally hermit on Holy Island in the 7th century. First of all he was venerated on Holy Island before, being made a saint in 798. When the Vikings attacked Holy Island in 793 the monks fled taking Cuthbert’s body with them eventually ending up in Durham. In 1104 when the Norman Cathedral was new the shrine was studded with many precious stones. This was destroyed in 1542 as part of Henry VIII’s Reformation and the current plain inscribed stone put in place.
Durham Cathedral Museum
The most precious treasures of Durham Cathedral are kept in the museum. Here you will find the treasures of St Cuthbert: his Anglo Saxon coffin, gold and garnet cross and ivory comb. Seeing objects that Cuthbert would have used is very moving.
Harry Potter filming locations at Durham Cathedral
The cloisters at Durham Cathedral have stood in for Hogwarts on a couple of occasions making appearances in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets. Cloister Garth (that’s the grass in the middle of the Cloister) was used to film Hedwig’s flight in the snow in the Philosopher’s Stone.
- Durham Cathedral
- Opening times: Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm Sunday Noon-4pm
- Admission: free but a donation of £5 is recommended
- Durham Cathedral Museum: Adults £7.50
- Climb the Tower: £10
Durham Castle
Believe it or not, Durham Castle is a student hall of residence, well, sort of, it is one of Durham University’s colleges and has student accommodation. You can visit Durham Castle but the timings depend on term times and always on a guided tour. A highlight for me was the ancient Norman chapel in the basement of the castle. During the summer you can even stay in the castle.
- Durham Castle
- Opening times vary check website
- Admission: £7.50
Durham Museum of Archaeology
As you walk from the Castle to the Cathedral there is a range of buildings to your left, one of them is home to the Durham Archaeology Museum. Visit for an insight into the long history of Durham from before the Romans right up to the present day.
- Durham Museum of Archaeology
- Open: Monday – Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturday 11am – 4pm
- Admission: Free
Walking the Durham River Wear Loop
Durham Castle and Cathedral occupy a high perch surrounded on three sides by the River Wear. You can walk along the banks of the river for excellent views of the Cathedral and the opportunity to cross three medieval bridges. The path runs on both sides of the river, so you can even go one way and come back on the opposite bank.
Durham Market Hall
On the way up the hill to the Castle and Cathedral be sure to pop into the Victorian market hall. Inside is an Aladdin’s cave of stalls. Fruit, vegetable and fish stalls stand side by side with stalls selling records, fabric, plants and clothes.
Day Two for 48 hours in Durham – Museums and Gardens
On our second day in Durham we like to step outside the historic UNESCO listed centre to visit gardens and museums. Both are a brisk walk, so wear comfortable shoes. I would devote the morning to The Light and Crook Hall Gardens. Then lunch either at one of their cafés or in the centre before making your way to the Oriental Museum
The Light
Durham’s newest museum is a place of two parts. One part is devoted to telling the story of the Durham Light Infantry. I had feared that this would be a worthy display of cap badges and battles but it is so much more. Yes there are cap badges and battles, but there are also people. The men who fought, the families left behind and the family of the unit itself. Fascinating and really well told. This part of the museum is free. Upstairs is a space for exhibitions. Currently showing is Victory of the Sun: Encounters with Light which draws on Durham’s rich heritage of technology and innovation. William Swan, the man who invented the lightbulb was born in County Durham. An excellent display of light art including works by Tracey Emin and Olafur Eliasson.
- The Light, Ackerly Heads
- Open: Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm (4pm on Sunday)
- Admission: Free for the DLI, £10 for exhibitions
Crook Hall Gardens
For years I didn’t go to Crook Hall Gardens, as I assumed it was quite a way out of the centre. When I did visit, I discovered that it was about 100 metres away from the Radisson Blu where I was staying! Crook Hall Gardens are really a series of garden rooms. You start with a maze and as you wend your way uphill you discover walled gardens, house gardens, kitchen gardens, an orchard, a meadow and a pond. Everywhere there are chairs. I have been known to come here with a good book and spend the afternoon reading. As Crook Hall Gardens are National Trust there is, of course, an excellent National Café on the way in/out.
- Crook Hall Gardens, Sidegate
- Open: Summer – daily 10am – 5pm, Winter – Friday – Sunday 10am – 4pm
- Admission: £11, National Trust Members free
Oriental Museum
Durham’s Oriental Museum is in the heart of the University, just a little to the south of the centre. To get there you can either walk along the banks of the Wear or through the centre of Durham and cross the Prebends Bridge. Once there you will discover a cornucopia dating from ancient Egyptian mummies through to modern Chinese artefacts. There is a cafe, but it is of the coffee in a paper cup variety rather than a destination.
- Durham Oriental Museum, Elvet Hill
- Open: Tuesday – Friday 11am – 4pm Weekend Noon – 4pm
- Admission: Free
Where to eat in Durham: Cafés, Lunch and Dinner
Durham is a student city and so has a wealth of places for coffee and cheap eats. I have found that they tend to be either daytime or evening places, rather than somewhere that does everything. Here are the places that I have most enjoyed drinking coffee, taking lunch and eating dinner.
Coffee and Lunch in Durham
- Flat White Cafe – queues snake outside Flat White Kitchen at all times of day for Flat White. For no queues (well, most of the time) head to Flat White Cafe for the same great coffee and cakes in a courtyard just over Elvet Bridge
- Porcelain – Just on the other side of Elvet Bridge. Tiny but serves excellent coffee and cake
- Vennels Cafe – down an alley, just after Waterstones, Vennels occupies two floors of an ancient building. Very good for lunch, cake, tea and coffee.
- Durham Cathedral Undercroft Cafe – my first ever Cathedral Cafe back in the 1980s and still every bit as good as it was then.
- Riverview Kitchen – as the name implies right on the river bank. Great place for brunch
Dinner in Durham
- Akarsu – excellent Turkish restaurant
- Rudi’s Pizza – really good pizzas
- Coarse – Michelin starred this is the place for a celebration, we went for MR CW’s birthday and loved it
- Station House – a really good community pub. No food served but you can pop over to the takeaway over the road and eat it in the pub.
Where to Stay in Durham
We prefer to stay within walking distance of the centre of Durham. Our favourite places to stay are:
- Premier Inn – my go to in Durham. Premier Inn is always reliable but what makes the Durham Premier Inn so good is the staff, every single one of them excellent.
- Radisson Blu – right on the banks of the Wear, really good views from the fourth floor
- Delta Hotels Durham Royal County – steps away from the historic centre of Durham
- Durham Castle – yes you can stay in Durham Castle but only during University vacations, rooms vary from those with a fancy four poster and private bathroom to the more spartan with shared facilities.
Best Time to Visit Durham
Durham is beautiful at all times of year. Unless you have a young person at the University I would try to avoid the beginning and end of term and graduation (usually first week in July and second week of January), when hotels fill up and prices rise. Freshers Week is also best avoided, usually the last week of September and first week of October. (usually the last week of September and first week of October)
Durham FAQ’s
- Is Durham a good place for a weekend? Yes! Trains from London Kings Cross take just under 3 hours
- How many days to you need in Durham? Two days gives you time to see Durham, maybe consider adding an extra day to visit Newcastle or if you have a car to explore County Durham.
- Can you visit Durham without a car? Yes! My preferred way of getting to Durham is by train. Once there the city is very walkable, there is a shuttle bus that runs between the station and the Cathedral. Driving up the M1 is OK on a good day but I can’t remember the last time I drove up the M1 without delays.
Durham is a really good place to start an exploration of the County of Durham, take a read of my guide to a weekend in County Durham for ideas of where to go and what to see. Newcastle upon Tyne (where I went to University) is just a few minutes away by train, take a read of guide to Newcastle upon Tyne for a taste of what you can see.
