You can have a great weekend trip to Newcastle with kids. You have a number of great museums in the city, which you can easily fill a whole weekend, and in addition, you regularly have offers to visit this city in the north of England through a cheap mini-cruise from the Netherlands. As a result, this city is frequently visited by families with kids. So we list the best activities in Newcastle with kids.
Newcastle with kids: Mini Cruise
Especially in the summer months, there are direct flights from Amsterdam with airline KLM to the city of Newcastle. You fly into Newcastle in about an hour and fifteen minutes, and of course this is the fastest way to get into the city. Still, most families from the Netherlands visit the city of Newcastle on a cruise. You can often see competitive offers for this online.
Shipping company DFDS offers mini-cruises for families with kids. In this, kids are allowed in for free. You will then take an all-night boat ride from IJmuiden to Newcastle and arrive at the port at Newcastle in the morning. From there you will be taken by bus into the city center within 15 minutes. Many families also see this mini-cruise as a kind of beginning of the vacation. The advantage is that the kids can run around freely and you stay overnight in a room on the boat with your family.
On the boat are several restaurants, a kids club, a casino, a movie theater, a game room and there is live entertainment. In addition, kids can track, play games and face painting on the boat, and a mascot (Jack the Pirate) also walks the boat for kids to meet.
Newcastle with kids #1: Life science Centre
If you and your kids love science museums like those you know in the Netherlands (NEMO) and Belgium (Technopolis), then Life Science Centre is definitely a fun option to visit in Newcastle with kids. After all, there is plenty for kids to do and discover here. Kids can learn more about all kinds of things here through play. You are also allowed to touch everything in the museum.
You have a section in the museum where you can do all kinds of experiments, as well as a section where kids as young as seven can do all kinds of experiments. There is also a 4d cinema and a planetarium, where kids can view the night sky. There will also be a variety of demonstrations related to science. The museum also has a restaurant where you can have lunch at noon. Expect to spend about half a day with this activity.
Although the museum is quite pricey, there are regular online promotions by the museum that kids get in for free. So keep an eye on the website if you know you will be taking a family city trip to Newcastle. For more information on opening hours, prices and the various exhibits, check out the museum’s website.
Newcastle with kids #2: Seven Stories
Seven Stories is Newcastle’s children’s book museum and has a whopping seven floors. Despite the fact that a children’s book museum sounds boring, this is certainly not the case. Compare it a bit to the nice children’s book museum you have in The Hague. Your kids don’t have to be able to read at all here either to still have a good time at this museum.
Of course, there are children’s books from England that kids in Holland don’t know, but that’s not really a problem for the museum. Indeed, around these book themes, kids can play, dress up and interact. In addition, there is an area in the museum where kids can do crafts, which our daughter also always really enjoys doing in a museum.
Despite having seven floors, the museum is not a super large museum and keep in mind that you can spend about two to three hours entertaining yourself at this museum in Newcastle. For more information on admission prices, opening hours and the various collections, take a look at the museum’s website.
Newcastle with kids #3: Great North Museum
The Great North museum is free to visit and is located right in the center of town. Because it is a museum that is free to enter and there is a huge amount for kids to see, it is a fun option to visit this museum for at least an hour if you are taking a city break to Newcastle with kids.
For example, the museum has a collection of stuffed animals. We always really enjoy visiting these kinds of sections in museums and being able to see the different animals so close up. The section with the skeletons of various dinosaurs and Egyptian mummies will also appeal to most kids.
In addition to the exhibitions, there are also regular workshops for kids, where they can craft or build. The museum is not super big so in two hours you will have seen the museum as well. For more information on opening hours, workshops and the various collections, take a look at the museum’s website.
Newcastle with kids #4: Newcastle United stadium tour
If your kids are crazy about soccer, then in Newcastle you can visit the stadium of one of England’s biggest soccer clubs, Newcastle United. You can book several tours of Stadium St. Louis here. James Park, but the most convenient tour you can book is the Classic tour.
On this Classic tour, you will take a guided tour of the stadium and visit the locker rooms, the players’ tunnel, the field, the press box and one of the highest points in the stadium for a great overview. These tours are given several times a day, but please note that no tours are given on game days.
Of course, a stadium tour is fun for kids, but attending a real game is obviously even cooler for kids. So check the club’s website for both information on stadium tours and the club’s match schedule. You can also buy tickets for the club’s matches on the club’s website, but they tend to sell out quickly.
Newcastle with kids: other activities
In addition to the activities in Newcastle with kids described above, there are a number of other activities you can do with the family in this city. We list them briefly below.
#5 Baltic museum: the city of Newcastle is known for its beautiful bridges. In all, there are as many as seven. Of course it’s fun to walk along the River Tyne and see the various bridges, but you also have a great view from the Baltic Museum. This is a contemporary art museum and for kids may not be the most interesting museum right away, but it is free to enter and from the restaurant on the top floor of the museum you have a very nice view of these bridges.
#6 Newcastle Castle: Of course, a city that has the word castle in its name cannot do without one. And this castle (which is right in the center) can be visited with kids. From the castle you also have a great view of the city of Newcastle. Just keep in mind that in the castle you have to walk a lot of stairs.
#7 Hop on Hop off bus: if you have limited time in the city and want a quick way to see something of the city of Newcastle with kids, these buses are ideal. The buses run a fixed route through the city and stop at 18 different points in the city. These Toon Tour buses only run during the busy summer months.
#8 Saltwell Park: this city park is located in the south of the city and this is a great place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. In the park there is a large pond and also a cool playground (Playpark). A little further down the park you will find another playground, making this park perfect for visiting with kids. Another fun park to visit in Newcastle is Jesmond Dene. In this park you have several bridges and waterfalls and there is also a playground for the kids in the park.
#9 Tynemouth beach: you can also go to the beach in Newcastle with kids. By public transportation it takes about half an hour to get to the coastal town of Tynemouth and here you have a fine sandy beach. In summer, surfing lessons are also held here at the beach.
Where to stay in Newcastle with kids?
You can stay in Newcastle with kids just fine. There are plenty of accommodations in town suitable for families with one or two kids. We list several options of hotels that all score an eight or higher from many reviews.
Budget hotel: Holiday Inn Express Newcastle City Centre, an IHG Hotel
Mid-range hotel: Sleeperz Hotel Newcastle
Luxury hotel: Crowne Plaza Newcastle – Stephenson Quarter, an IHG Hotel
For a list of all accommodations in Newcastle, take a look here.
