STAYCATIONS are on the rise this year, and there’s one county in England that actually wants you to visit.
County Durham is attempting to lure tourists in for more than a day trip with its pretty beaches, great pubs, beautiful nature reserves and a famous ‘living’ museum.
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County Durham sits in the North East of England and is known primarily for its city of Durham, home to a huge cathedral that’s over 930 years old – which is also where scenes for the first two Harry Potter films were filmed.
Aside from the city, the county itself has so much to offer, and officials are hoping that tourists will stick around to see more of it.
The latest data from 2024 recorded 19.93million day visitors to County Durham, but just 1.64million overnight stays in the same period.
Officials want to see visitors spend more time in the county – rather than just visit for 12 hours and head to the likes of Newcastle.
And while yes, Newcastle does have epic nightlife, there are lots of top notch pubs and bars in County Durham too – three of which have been shortlisted in the National Pub & Bar Awards 2026.
The first is Slug & Lettuce in Durham’s Walkergate food and drink complex – it has a classic offering of cocktails and even a neon staircase.
Second is The Head of Steam on North Road, which is very near Durham Cathedral and the Riverwalk.
One happy customer said on Tripadvisor that it’s “hands down one of the best spots in the city.”
Outside of the city centre is the third pub in the list – The Royal George in Peterlee which serves up huge roast dinners on Sundays.
Another award-winning pub is Victoria Inn, which won Durham’s CAMRA Pub of the Year competition for 2026 and made an appearance in The European Bar Guide.
It’s a Grade II listed pub, first built in 1899 with a cosy snug and coal fires, and it hasn’t changed much since.
When it comes to exploring the county, another must-do is head to the coast.
It’s got pretty coastal spots like Blackhall Rocks Beach which is considered a ‘hidden gem’ and sits in front of huge limestone cliffs.
The village of Horden has an unspoilt beach with few facilities, but visitors say it’s lovely for a refreshing walk.
The town of Seaham is known for its long sandy beach with sea glass that’s scattered throughout the pebbles and stones on the shoreline.
The sea treasure is man-made glass which has ended up in the sea, where it is then shaped by the water over several years before returning to the shore.
And plenty of beachgoers head there to try and find some.
From Seaham, it’s common to spot dolphins, one person wrote on TripAdvisor: “Staying on the beach gave us a prime viewing of the pod of dolphins that swam along the coast catching fish – great photo opportunity.”
For more on staycations, here are some of our favourite UK hotels…
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Margate House, Kent
This stylish boutique hotel is in a seaside townhouse, a short walk from Margate’s coolest bars and restaurants. Decked out with plush velvet sofas, candles flickering and striking independent art, inside feels like a warm welcome home. Rooms are stunning, especially the ones that give you a glimpse of the sea.
The Alan, Manchester
The Alan looks extremely grand, being built into a beautiful Grade II listed building. Spread across six floors, with 137 rooms, each one looks like a fancy design magazine. From the concrete coffee tables to the pink plastered walls, the industrial-inspired designs perfectly replicate the history of the city.
The Queen at Chester Hotel
This historic hotel has welcomed the likes of Charles Dickens and Lillie Langtry through its doors. Rooms have richly-patterned carpets with super soft bed linen and premium toiletries in the bathroom. Go for a superior room for extra goodies including bathrobes and snack boxes.
The University Arms Hotel, Cambridge
This Cambridge hotel is in the ideal spot, within walking distance to bars, shops and hotspots like the university colleges and Parker’s Piece. The inside couldn’t be prettier, with huge stained glass windows, grand chandeliers, and rooms with enormous clawfoot bath tubs.
It’s not all beach though – County Durham also has lots of natural beauty inland.
The High Force Waterfall is found in the Forest-in-Teesdale in the Durham Dales and is around 70-feet tall.
One hiker who spoke to Sun Travel even said it’s “probably the most impressive waterfall in the UK.”
Just half an hour away by car is another impressive must-see – Raby Castle in Darlington.
Built in the 14th century, it was formerly the home of Cecily Neville – the mother of two kings of England – and is surrounded by a 200-acre deer park where the animals roam freely on the grounds.
There’s also pretty walled gardens, an adventure playground, and café.
Entry to the castle, deer park and gardens starts from £24 for adults and £23 for concessions. For children between 4-15 it’s £13 and under 4s go free.
County Durham is also home to a unique museum that visitors have said makes them feel like they’re ‘travelling back in time’.
Called Beamish, the ‘living museum’ allows people to see what life would have been like in the UK between the 1820s and 1950s.
Visitors can explore replica homes, pubs, shops, train stations – and it’s fully interactive.
Passes cost £35 for adults and £20.50 for children (it’s an unlimited pass so if you buy it once, you can return as many times as you like throughout the year).
The Bowes Museum is a beautiful and enormous art gallery set amongst 22 acres of landscaped parkland.
Inside the French-style museum holds world-famous art collections with pieces by the likes of Spanish artists, El Greco and Goya.
From now until September, it is holding an exhibition honouring fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood.
Day admission for adults is £20 – and under 18s, as well as full-time students and carers, go free.
When it comes to entertaining the kids – head to Adventure Valley which is a family adventure park.
It’s got everything you could possibly think of for an entertaining day out, from adventure golf to tractor rides, football, a huge outdoor playground, and indoor soft play.
It has farmyard animals too, from pigs to goats and alpacas. Tickets for both adults and children start from £15.95.
Here’s what one travel writer thought when he went to the city of Durham…
Writer Alan Scott reveals what he got up to in the city of Durham…
“Even for those muggles who are not Harry Potter fans, shouting out spells in Durham Cathedral doesn’t feel too out of place.
“Quite the opposite, in fact, given more Potter movie scenes than you can wave a wand at have been shot in this historic city.
“No1 filming location for fans of JK Rowling’s magical tales to visit is surely the Norman cathedral, dating to the 11th Century.
“It is this building that brought the fictional wizarding school of Hogwarts to life in the films.
“Durham is not all old hallways and ancient sites, though. Visiting with my partner Charlotte, on day one we set off to concoct some potions with Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. OK, that’s not strictly true — but we did make our own bottle of gin at the Durham Gin Distillery, with managing director Jon Chadwick.
“With his wild, white hair and beard he certainly reminded us of a young Dumbledore.”
Here’s more on a Victorian seaside town with very unusual beach in County Durham that’s getting trains to the capital for the first time ever.