Known as the City of Stories - Norwich - UNESCO City of Literature - makes a great value day trip or minibreak for all ages, with lots of free and low-cost activities to make your budget go that little bit further. So make a visit and create some memorable tales of your own in this historic walkable city. (Download a Norwich Map. )
The must-sees
Culture
Starting with Norwich Castle Museum and & Art Gallery , which is open all year round, 7-days-a-week, There's lot's to discover and with several art galleries too, it's a good few hours visit. The big news in 2024 is the Castle Keep which will re-open in summer after a 15 million refurbishment to take it back to its original medieval status. All five floors from basements to battlements will be accessible making it the most accessible castle in the country, there will also be a new restaurant, shop, entrance, internal bridge, and Gallery of Medieval Life, in partnership with the British Museum and featuring never-before-seen artefacts.
Experience VR experiences, medieval smells, projections, beautiful medieval decor, hands on activities and more to experience with castle turning the clock back 900 years to the heyday of Norman England.
Other museums include The Museum of Norwich, Strangers Hall (described as a giant doll house) with its own beautiful knot garden and The Sainsbury's Centre (pay if and what you can) - an incredible Norman Foster building with special exhibitions, a permanent collection of 5,000 years of world art (including Picasso, Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, Degas and Giacometti), and a sculpture park.
Shopping
Norwich has a great mix of all the favourite high street brands including flagship stores from John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Frasers, and Apple, two shopping centres, Chantry Place and Castle Quarter plus a fantastic selection of independents - well over 300 in fact. Shopping in Norwich gives you the best of both worlds.
Don't miss Elm Hill, The Royal Arcade, The Norwich Lanes and The Cathedral Quarter which have great shops and venues selling vintage collectables, books, fashion, lifestyle, art, jewellery and more.
Jarrolds independent department store is an award-winning family-owned business over five floors including restaurants, deli, wine bar, and loads of great quality things to buy.
What to experience and what to see
There are some great walking tours of the city of Norwich to really appreciate the history and people that have shaped the city into what it is today, with a lot of themes to choose from. Take a look Paul Dickson Walking Tours , Cheryl Cade Tours which include cheese, beer and gin, and The Shoebox Experiences which offers a Hidden Street Tour of a real medieval underground street and a Tipsy Tavern Tour to enjoy lots of Norwich's historic city pubs.
Norwich Cathedral
Norwich Cathedral and its large grounds leading to the river Wensum is Norwich's number one attraction. Free to enter (donations welcome) and offering free 1-hour tours see much more than 1,100 roof bosses in the cathedral and cloister, more than any other Christian Church. The Cathedral's original Norman ground plan is still intact - the cathedral remains one of the most iconic sights in Norwich with it's Romanesque pillars, and stunningly decorated Norman Tower.
Find a great selection of special events all year round including their annual 2-day Shakespeare Festival in the Cloister (July), organ and choir concerts, and family activities in school holidays.
The Plantation Garden
Plantation Garden is Norwich's secret garden where even locals are not sure where to find it. Located on Earlham Road in a quarry next to the Cathedral of St John the Baptist , enjoy a 3-acre peaceful garden (£2 entry) with Italianate terrace, 'Medieval' terrace wall, woodland walkways, 10-metre-long Victorian-style greenhouse and rustic bridge. It's a great place to take a picnic. In summer it has a wonderful programme of special events, outdoor cinema, and summer Sunday afternoon teas with live music.
Annual Festivals include Norwich Science Festival (February), Norfolk Makers Festival at The Forum (13 - 23 April 2024), Norwich Wine Week (14 -22 June 2024), Norwich City of Ale (23 May - 23 June), Norfolk and Norwich Festival (10 - 26 May 2024), Lord Mayor's Celebrations (July 2024), Heritage Open Days (6 - 15 September.)
Other - free things to do
Marble Hall ; South Asia Collection; Norwich Book Benches; Self-guided tours from the National Centre for Writing - Walking Norwich The Real and The Imagined and Imagining City; Norwich Summer Sessions and the American Library.
There are also a good number of free ticket events annually at Norwich Science Festival, Norfolk and Norwich Festival, National Centre for Writing, Castle Quarter, Chantry Place, Norwich Theatre Royal and Norwich Cathedral.
Food and drink
Norwich Market offers the best value international artisan street food and basic staples like hog roasts and chips, as well as Norwich's smallest bar - Sir Toby's Beers, which is a favourite with locals and a great place to people watch. Norwich market is open 6-days-a-week (Mon-Sat) for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and sometimes evenings.
Grosvenor Fish Bar is a Norwich constitution and 100 years old in 2024. With an electric menu as well as all the favourites, eat downstairs in the medieval undercroft, or take away. Try one of their best sellers the High Sea - a fish themed afternoon tea!
If you love afternoon tea, check out The Briton Arms, The Assembly House , and The Maids Head Hotel. The latter two are 4* star hotels which offer great value money stays, from standard rooms to amazing suites, and are city centre locations.
Yalm is a contemporary food hall with six local kitchens and a bar located in The Royal Arcade , and Saporita offers traditional pizza in the Norwich Lanes.
Fine dining restaurants worth travelling for include the award winning Benedicts and Farmyard , who both offer tasting menus using local seasonal ingredients. Top tip - both their set lunches are priced very well.
Norwich Evenings
Norwich Theatre Royal has a full programme of fabulous performances including West End Shows, where ticket prices are much lower than London venues. The Shoebox Experiences offer activities in the evenings, as does Castle Quarter, Norwich Playhouse, Mulligans, Bowling House (retro bowling and karaoke), Norwich Cathedral, Norwich & Norfolk Festival, and Yalm. You can even join the Gin Academy at Gyre & Gimble to make your own gin to take home.