Durham is a small city built on a loop of the River Wear, with a Norman cathedral and castle on the peninsula in the middle. The whole thing is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is compact enough to see in an afternoon.
The cathedral is free to enter, which makes the headline attraction the cheap one.
Free things to do in Durham with children
- Durham Cathedral — Nine hundred years old, enormous, and free to enter with a suggested donation. Children tend to be more impressed by the scale than they expect. Climbing the tower and some exhibitions charge separately.
- The riverbanks — A wooded path runs right around the peninsula under the cathedral, past weirs and boathouses. Free, flat and about an hour at child pace.
- Wharton Park — Next to the station, with a play area, a heritage centre and a view over to the cathedral. Free.
- Palace Green — The green between the cathedral and the castle, free to sit on, with the university's Palace Green Library alongside.
- Crook Hall gardens area and the city centre riverside — Free walking routes out along the river to the north of the city.
Worth paying for
Not free, but cheap enough to be worth it, and all reachable without a car:
- Durham Castle tours — Still a working university college, so access is by guided tour only and there is a charge. Book ahead.
- Rowing boats on the Wear — Hired by the hour from Elvet Bridge in season.
Getting to Durham by train
Durham station is up a hill from the centre, with a well-signposted walk down into the city and up to the cathedral.
Going by train also means nobody has to find a parking space, and children can move about, look out of the window and eat crisps for the whole journey.
Click here to book train tickets to Durham
Opening hours, admission prices and booking requirements change, and some attractions close on certain days or for refurbishment. Always check the attraction’s own website before you set off. This page was written in August 2026.
Disclosure: the train ticket link on this page is an affiliate link. If you book through it I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
