What to do in Newcastle for 2-3 days?

[coffeerevelsrule]

I know this is very lame and I should be doing research properly but I booked for me and 2 dc (13 and 15) to go to Newcastle for a coupe of days a few months ago and now it is tomorrow and I have no idea what to do - Google has just confused me!

I would like to see the sea as we live in a Midlands landlocked county (I know it will mean a drive) and one dc loves history and the other science. We all like parks and generally experiencing a new city. Any suggestions would be very gratefully received!

Metro out to Tynemouth or Whitley Bay - but Tynemouth I think is a nicer town plus you’ve got the abbey ruins for your history buff. Or Jarrow Hall and then out to the coast that side of the Tyne.

Life Science Centre is good but they might be a bit old.

I’d also be tempted by Jesmond Dene if you want a day in a park.

Beach: either Whitley Bay or Tynemouth are nice. I probably prefer Whitley Bay for a coastal walk, Tynemouth for a beach day.

What are your DC into? Mine are littler so I may not be able to help loads with suggestions!

Where are you staying?

You don't need to drive - get the Metro. Tynemouth and Cullercoats are lovely.

Life centre science
discovery museum engineering
Hancock/ great north museum natural history
metro to Tynemouth

Sorry just realised you've said what they're into!

Hadrian's wall for the historically minded one if they've never been before?

Agree they're probably a bit old for Life, it's too expensive to do as a maybe!

You MUST have dinner one night at Simla, if you like incredible Indian food. Best you'll ever have.

Definitely go to Beamish. You’re history-loving Dc would love that. Tbh you all would, it’s a great day out.
Alnwick Castle and Gardens is also brilliant. There are loads of Harry Potter-themed attractions because parts of some of the movies were filmed there.Alnwick itself is a nice little town with lots of cosy cafes and has the best second-hand bookshop in England (Barter Books).

LOADS to see in town itself. If you have a car and you're rarely up here, it might be nice to see some one of the 'day trip' places? Hadrian's Wall? Or a mix of history and tech/science at Cragside (although that would take most of a day).

Durham cathedral is also worth a visit, and could be combined with a trip to Beamish.

Baltic is worth a visit, as is Ouseburn - a brilliant ice cream parlour and independent cafes.

There's the Victorian tunnel in the city centre too - the tours get good reviews on tripadvisor.

museum of the north
Bede's world in jarrow
sedgenium in Wallsend
Tynemouth
discovery museum in Newcastle
Beamish (bit further south but amazing)
Durham (scenes from harry potter were filmed there)
shopping
a walk on the quayside to see some historical houses and a visit to the plague hospital
baltic gallery
laing art gallery

Theres to much for one visit!!

Have a ham and pease pudding stottie. I read about them on MN a while back and made sure to have one when we were in Newcastle not long ago. Lovely.

There's a nice cafe in the Anglican cathedral worth knowing about. Also, we had an excellent meal in a place called Saray Jesmond Turkish Grill House on Osborne Road.

Thanks all - lots of brilliant suggestions here. So excited to see we can get to the see on the metro. Think we'll do the museum of the north too. We have done Hadrain's Wall on another trip so this is more of a city break with a bit of sea thrown in!

Definitely Tynemouth for your beach day.

My Teens like the dog and cat cafe. You usually have to book. Both in city centre. Also the Baltic is great and you can have afternoon tea at the top. There’s are Market on the Quayside on a Sunday which is fun

Could book on to a surf lesson at Seaton sluice or Tynemouth? Seaton Deleval Hall if you have NT membership would give you some history and then drive on to Whitley Bay/cullercoats/Tynemouth then see the wall on the way back into the city. The Victoria tunnels are pretty fun, I swear the tour guides make up outlandish facts and try and sneak them in to the talk. Cook house at ouseburn excellent for lunch but might need to book these days. Walk along the Tyne to Baltic , see if there's anything good on at the sage. Centre for life might be a touch young, but it is good.

Several metro stations along the coast, so you could start at Tynemouth, see the Priory, and walk up as far as you'd like (there's a nice coastal path at higher level, or down a fair way to the beach). Just walking around Newcastle from the Great North Museum down to the quayside is lovely if you go via Monument and Gray Street. It's a very compact city centre and very walkable. (Bonus points if you can spot the Vampire Rabbit behind St Nick's cathedral...)