How to spend a FREE day out in Durham City

This post was published in Feb 2025. As always, check with venues direct for the most up to date information as this can change. Post excludes travel costs.

How to spend a FREE day out in Durham City

1 - Wharton Park is just by the train station and a lovely place to start your day. Expect beautiful views across the city, a playground and there are FREE self guided AR trails around the park including fairy, dinosaur and Roman trails if you download the Love Exploring app. Read our full guide to visiting here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2023/10/wharton-park-playground-review.html

Wharton Park

2 - It’s a 35 minute walk from the park to Oriental Museum Durham or you can catch the 6/6a bus from the train station (at the bottom of the hill on North Road). Alight at the Botanic Gardens.

Oriental Museum is FREE to visit with loads of fun activities including a free kids trail, LEGO, games and crafts. They often host additional free activities on Saturdays and in school holidays too. Read our full guide to visiting here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2023/11/oriental-museum-durham-review-free-day.html

Oriental Museum Durham

3 - From Oriental Museum Durham, it’s a 10 minute walk to The Story Durham. Again, it’s a free to visit museum with interactive exhibitions sharing the history and people of Durham. You can read our guide here: https://www.northeastfamilyfun.co.uk/2024/06/the-story-durham-free-day-out-in-durham.html

The Story Durham

4 - Head back into the city centre and Durham Cathedral is technically free to visit but they do usually ask you to make a £5 per person donation when you enter. You can check out Harry Potter film locations, see Durham Cathedral in LEGO and download a FREE trail to explore the Cathedral’s surrounding riverbanks and woodlands. Or you can walk around the river banks at your own pace - you'll spot lots of ducks and swans as you do.

Durham Cathedral

5 - Palace Green Library is located next to Durham Cathedral and free to visit. It’s brilliant with interactive exhibitions and home to the FREE Museum of Archaeology which includes Roman, Medieval and Prehistoric collections amongst others. 

This building is currently closed for renovations and due to open in Spring 2025. Do check their website for up to date info: https://www.durham.ac.uk/things-to-do/venues/historic-libraries-at-palace-green/

Palace Green

Need to know:

🚂 Durham is just a 10 minute journey on the train from Newcastle

🚘 We use Belmont Park and Ride if driving which is easy and convenient. Find out more and get the postcode and timetable: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/22363/Belmont-Park-and-Ride-PR1

🚍Regular buses serve the city centre, use Traveline North East to plan your route.

Cheap places to eat:

🍴Kids Eat Free at Durham Cathedral Cafe in School Holidays - two children can eat free for every adult dining (minimum spend £5). Find out more: https://www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/visit-us/plan-your-visit/eating

🍴Zapatistas usually run Kids Eat Free deals in school holidays. These are brill for fussy kids as you can choose exactly what you’d like. You get two tacos with your choice of filling and a fruit shoot. One free kids meal with every adult meal purchased - do check their social media before visiting to check the deal is going ahead.

🍴 Kids under 5 always eat free at Rios and kids aged 5-7 years are just £4.95. This includes unlimited steak so is brill if your kids are big eaters.