Hull — once crowned Britain’s biggest dump in the book Crap Towns — is suddenly being talked about as one of the world’s hottest holiday spots.
National Geographic has stuck the northern port city on its list of top 20 global places to visit in 2026, right up there with Manila, Beijing and even Route 66.
So, on a soggy halfterm, I grabbed my eleven-year-old son and headed north for 48 hours to see whether Hull’s new swagger stacks up — or whether the UK’s former “snoring capital” is still a total snooze.
It might look out on a limb on the map, but Hull’s a breeze to reach — direct trains from London take just two and a half hours. And once you’re there, it’s all ridiculously walkable, with every major sight just a short stroll away.
We checked into the Hideout Hotel, a slick set of self-catered apartments in the city centre, then dashed across the road to the mighty Hull Minster.
The 13th century church — and the cobbled Old Town around it — somehow survived the Blitz while 95 per cent of Hull’s homes were flattened.
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Locals say Luftwaffe pilots used the Minster’s spire as a handy marker as they crossed the North Sea – so didn’t destroy it.
Hull’s Old Town is a proper gem: narrow lanes and alleyways filled with cosy pubs like WM Hawkes, The Lion & Key and The Sailmakers Arms, and The George Hotel — the city’s oldest boozer — which proudly shows off England’s smallest window. Well worth looking into.
While grownups can tackle the famous Ale Trail, we went for the family-friendly Fish Trail — a quirky hunt for 41 bits of fish art hidden around the city. It’s free, fun and worth doing… just for the halibut.
For the real thing, we headed to “The Deep”.
Hull’s futuristic aquarium sits on the estuary and houses more than 5,000 sea creatures, underwater tunnels, a glass lift shooting up through a giant ocean tank, rays, turtles, jellyfish and sawfish that look like hedge trimmers with fins — plus a colony of adorable Gentoo penguins.
It’s immersive, educational and perfect for a rainy day.
A five-minute wander takes you to the Fruit Market, once a derelict warehouse district and now a buzzing hub of indie shops, bars and cool cafés.
We tucked into topnotch tapas at Ambiente — prawns and anchovies included, despite having just admired their cousins at The Deep — washed down with a crisp, bone-dry sherry.
Next morning we returned for a hearty breakfast at Thieving Harry’s, a hipster hangout with great coffee, brunch and the odd DJ night.
Then it was on to the Museum Quarter — three brilliant, totally free museums in one neat cluster.
The Hull and East Riding Museum whisks you through 235 million years of history, complete with a lifesize woolly mammoth.
The Streetlife Museum dives into Hull’s transport past with vintage trams, retro arcades and a wartime high street.
Both are cracking fun.
Then came Wilberforce House, birthplace of Hull’s most famous son, William Wilberforce — the MP who led the charge to abolish slavery.
The museum tackles the transatlantic slave trade, the fight to end it and its legacy today.
It’s incredibly powerful, thoughtful and handled with real care — not just
suitable for kids, but essential.
Culture continued at the Ferens Art Gallery, one of Britain’s top regional galleries, before some light relief at Dinsdales Joke Shop — a gloriously chaotic treasure trove of whoopee cushions, itching powder and fake poo.
It’s been going since the 1930s, making it the oldest joke shop in the country.
“People in Hull are a unique bunch,” owner Angela Dinsdale told us.
“There’s loads of culture and history — it’s quirky, friendly and there’s plenty for tourists to do.”
And there’s more coming.
A £70m Maritime Project is about to drop anchor: the docks have been revamped, the Maritime Museum reopens later this year, and both the Arctic Corsair trawler — “Hull’s Cutty Sark” — and the Spurn Lightship have been restored to their former glory.
And Hull’s star power doesn’t stop at penguins, ports and pubs.
The city can now brag about producing one of Britain’s hottest acting talents — Robert Aramayo, who is Hull born-and-bred and enrolled at Hull’s Truck Youth Theatre at the age of 11.
The local lad stunned Hollywood this year by beating Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet and Michael B. Jordan to scoop Best Actor at this year’s BAFTAs.
Nearly a decade after being crowned UK City of Culture, there’s never been a better time to go to Hull and back.