Galleries & Museums

• Opus Art, [13] gallery is located in Shakespeare Street (just next to the Theatre Royal and Monument Metro Station). Opus art gallery is a Modern Art Gallery where you can appreciate and buy master pieces of contemporary art from Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and Dan Baldwin amongst others.

• Take in some modern art and sculpture at BALTIC [14] (near the Sage Gateshead).

• The Biscuit Factory, [15]. Britain's biggest original art store. Here you can even buy your favourite pieces!

• The Hatton Gallery is an art gallery located on the campus of Newcastle University.

• Shipley Art Gallery is a popular art gallery in Gateshead. Relax, unwind and discover the fantastic range of art and design on show in the friendly surroundings of the Shipley. Over the last 25 years the venue has become established as a national centre for contemporary craft and has built up one of the best collections outside London, including ceramics, wood, metal, glass, textiles and furniture.

• South Shields Museum and Art Gallery is a museum and gallery in nearby South Shields that explores the story of South Tyneside through sensational displays, hands-on exhibits and stunning art. The museum has regular exhibitions and a range of activities and events to suit all ages. Most of the events, like the Museum, are free of charge.

• Tyne & Wear Museums [16] also manage the Laing Art Gallery [17].

• The Discovery Museum [18] (home to Turbinia, the world's first turbine driven vessel).

• The Hancock Museum Of Natural History, [19], which closed in April 2006 for refurbishment - reopening in 2009.

• Visit the Centre For Life [20], a 'science city' in the centre of Newcastle that includes a state of the art research facility (Scientists at The Centre for Life are the first people in Europe - and only the second in the world - to get a licence for stem cell research on human embryos). It also includes the Life Science Cente, a visitors centre and interactive museum that looks at DNA, the human body and the origins of life. The visitors centre/museum is a must see.

• The Museum of Antiquities is the joint museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the principal museum of archaeology in north east England.

• Shefton Museum of Greek Art and Archaeology located within the Department of Classics at Newcastle University, holds a small but widely recognised collection of artefacts from the Greek world. The collection includes Roman, Near Eastern and Celtic items, but objects of Greek and Etruscan manufacture represent its main focus.

• Segedunum Roman Fort is a former Roman fort and museum that makes a fun day out for families.

• Arbeia Roman Fort and Museum, located in South Shields, is a reconstruction of the fort that existed on the site during Roman times.

• Stephenson Railway Museum is a museum where visitors can re-live the glorious days of the steam railway.

• Bessie Surtees House is a pair of old merchants houses from the 1600s. Entry is free and the regional headquarters of English Heritage are housed here.

• Garth Castle is the large castle keep form which the city takes it's name. It is now open to the public.

• Tynemouth Castle and Priory is located on a rocky headland overlooking Tynemouth Pier. The moated castle-towers, gatehouse and keep are combined with the ruins of the Benedictine priory where early kings of Northumbria were buried.

• Newcastle Military Vehicle Museum is located in Exhibition Park and is a museum of WW2 and other militaria created by members of the North East Military Vehicle Club within the historical, last remaining Pavilion of the 1929 North East Coast Exhibition.

• The Side Photographic Gallery is the photo gallery arm of the Amber Films group (which has shot many films on Tyneside), and is located on Dean Street along with the cinema and café.

Theatre

• The Theatre Royal, [21] is an easy walk from the city centre or the train station (it is closest to the Monument station on the Tyne and Wear Metro [22]). It is the third home (after London and Stratford-upon-Avon) of the Royal Shakespeare Company, which usually does several shows there in the autumn. In November of 2005, they performed A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and The Comedy of Errors.
• The Journal Tyne Theatre, [23] is a Grade 1 listed building and is both beautiful and functional, with a capacity of 100 up to 1100. It has played host to an assortment of events from opera to theatre shows, from comedy to pantomimes, concerts to conferences.
• Live Theatre [24] is a new writing theatre company. Live Theatre has its roots in the identity of the North East of England but creates and presents work that is both challenging, popular and of relevance to all.
• Northen Stage[25], formally the Gulbenkian Studio Theatre is located on Newcastle University's campus, and shows a range of independent performances.
• The People's Theatre [26] is the premier amateur theatre company in the North of England and one of the largest and oldest established in the country.

Music Venues

• Attend a concert at the newly finished Sage Music Centre [27] (in Gateshead, a short walk to the other side of the Tyne). If you can't go to concert, just go in as it is certainly worth seeing.
• The Metro Radio Arena is the largest music venue in Newcastle, situated in the south of the city centre near the Centre for Life [28].
• See a gig at the Newcastle Carling Academy [29].
• The Cluny in the Ouseburn area of the city is well known for hosting performers.
• Both of the cities Universities host performances from well known bands.

Festivals

• The Hoppings, the largest travelling fair in Europe, takes place on Newcastle Town Moor every June.
• The Orange Evolution culminating with the Freevolution is a free music festival held on the Newcastle and Gateshead Quaysides every Spring Bank Holiday. It has performances from local and national Rock, Indie and Dance Music bands.
• The annual MELA held every August bank holiday weekend, a celebration of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cuisine, music and art.
• The city hosts popular Chinese New Year celebrations every year, and in 2008 launched a greater series of events [30] in addition to the usual festivities.
• At Christmas the city centre has deocrations and the large department store Fenwick hosts a famous window display, and there is a Continental Christmas Market.
• The city will host a gay pride event this summer under the title of Northern Pride.

Sport

• Attend a Newcastle United [31] game, at St. James Park near the University of Newcastle. St James's Park is the fourth largest ground in the country, with a 52,000 capacity. Only Manchester United's Old Trafford, Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and Wembley are bigger.
• Attend a Newcastle Falcons [32] game (Rugby Union) at Kingston Park in the suburb of Kingston Park in the north of the city.
• Attend a Newcastle Eagles [33] game at the Metro Radio Arena, one of the country's most successful basketball teams the club achieved a "clean sweep" of trophies, including the BBL Cup, BBL Trophy and Championship "double".

Cinema

• The Empire Cinema [34] shows all the latest blockbusters.
• See an independent film at the Tyneside Cinema [35].
• The Side Cinema [36], is a small 50 seat cinema showing interesting and very independent films.
• The Star and Shadow, Situated in the battlefield area of newcastle, this cinema is run entirely by volunteer members. the aim is to show a truly independent programme of inspirational and inspired films as cheaply as possible, as well as providing a venue for artists and musicians of all varieties. Find out more at their website. [37].
• There are 2 Odeon Cinemas [38] nearby, at Silverlink in North Tyneside and Metrocentre in Gateshead, showing all the latest popular films and rivalling the Empire Cinema.

• The River Tyne is a short walk from the station, and has a pedestrian path on the near side reminiscent of the Queen's Walk in London. There are also city walks along the river, running from May to November. Information can be found at the Tourist Information Centre, near the Monument Metro station.

• The Tyne Bridge, a good example of a compression arch suspended-deck bridge famous the world over.

• The Gateshead Millennium Bridge, acclaimed worldwide for its physical and aesthetic beauty. Tilting times are announced regularly at the Gateshead Council web site .

• Remains of the the Castle Keep and the surrounding castle garth [9], the "new castle" of the city's name. Parts of it were built in the 13th century.

• The remains of the Roman fort at Segedunum [10], a short walk away from the Wallsend Metro [11] stations. In fact many of the signs at the metro station have been translated into Latin, including the aptly named Vomitorium.

• Central Arcade, a beautifully preserved traditional shopping arcade, which houses the Tourist Information Bureau and Windows of the Arcade, one of Newcastle's oldest music shops.

• Grainger Town is the beautiful and historic heart of the city. Based around classical streets built by Richard Grainger between 1835 and 1842, some of Newcastle upon Tyne's finest buildings and streets lie within the Grainger Town area of the City centre including Grainger Market, Theatre Royal, Grey Street, Grainger Street and Clayton Street, and Grey Street was voted as England's finest street in 2005 in a survey of BBC Radio 4 listeners.

• Grey's Monument located at the heart of Grainger Town is a Grade I listed monument to Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey built in 1838The wide base of the monument is a popular spot for people-watching, and often acts as a venue for buskers (most notably Apu with their andean music), religious speakers and political activists/protesters.

• St Nicholas Cathedral [12] is worth visiting during opening hours.

• Walk around Newcastle's China town centred on Stowell Street in the city centre, it contains many Chinese, Korean and Japanese restaurants and shops, and has its own Chinese arch.

• The Angel of the North, a modern sculpture designed by Antony Gormley, is just a short drive from Newcastle city centre in Gateshead.

• There are remains of Hadrian's Wall, a stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of England, in the west of the city and further out in Northumberland.

• The Vampire Rabbit is a gargoyle located above the door of an office block next to St Nicholas's Church. It's a strange mystery which has remained unsolved for a number of years.

By plane

Newcastle International Airport, which offers scheduled flights throughout the UK and Europe and also Dubai, is located about 5.5 miles north-west of the city. Travel options into the city centre include:

• Most travellers find that the Tyne and Wear Metro is the best all-round option for getting downtown. The journey to Monument station takes about 20 minutes and costs £2.80.
• Bus services are operated by Stagecoach between the airport and the city centre.
• Taxis are readily available outside the airport and it costs about £15 to get to the city centre.
• By car the distance is about 7 miles and takes up to about half an hour to get in. There are several car rental firms with offices in the airport terminal building, although you'll generally pay a premium over downtown rates.

By train

Newcastle is served by three long-distance rail operators:

• National Express East Coast frequently connect Newcastle with London, Edinburgh and principle destinations between (including York, Doncaster and Peterborough). Some services extend on to Glasgow, Aberdeen or Inverness.

• Cross Country Trains run every 30 minutes from Newcastle to Birmingham via Leeds/Doncaster, Sheffield and the East Midlands. Some services extend on to Reading and the South Coast, or through Bristol to South Wales or South West England. Cross Country also run north of Newcastle to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

• Transpennine Express run direct services from Newcastle to Leeds, Manchester and Manchester Airport.

The local rail network is operated by Northern Rail, with relatively frequent services to destinations such as Carlisle, Middlesbrough, Hexham and Morpeth.

Newcastle Central Station is also served by the Tyne and Wear Metro system, for frequent services into the Newcastle suburbs, and other destinations in Tyne and Wear.

In the UK, tickets can be bought on the day at the station using cash or debit/credit card, but it is invariably cheaper to book in advance. Times and fares information is available from National Rail, +44 8457 48 49 50, or the station booking office.

By car

Newcastle upon Tyne is well signposted from both the North, South and West. The city lies at the joining of the A1 (the main East Coast route from London to Edinburgh) and the A69 (a major east-west route to Carlisle and the M6). The A1 bypasses the city to the west.

There are a number of 'park-and-ride' National Park and Ride Directory points around the city to avoid the hassle of parking in the city centre. From these points, the Metro or bus will take you into the city for between £1 and £3. Otherwise, there are over 10,000 spaces in the city centre, though for stays of more than a few hours this may prove expensive. Generally, parking in the city centre costs between £1 and £2 per hour, while parking about 10 minutes walk from the centre will set you back about £0.50 per hour.

Also check out Parkopedia.com - a website that allows users to search and compare parking rates and locations for commercial and private parking facilities in Newcastle upon Tyne.

By bus

Newcastle Coach station is located at the southern end of St James' Boulevard, near to the Centre for Life and is just a short walk from the centre of town. National Express is the main intercity operator, offering regular services to several UK towns and cities. Most National Express tickets include free travel on the Metro system [2], but check this out before you board the Metro.

• Classic Coaches, +44 (0)1207 282288, [3].
• Megabus, +44 (0)900 160 0900 (premium rate), [4].
• National Express, +44 (0)8705 80 80 80, [5].

By boat

North Shields, 7 miles east of the city centre, has daily ferry connections to Ijmuiden and a twice weekly service to the cities Stavanger, Haugesund and Bergen, Norway (both operated by DFDS Seaways). Special buses run from the Central Station to the ferry terminal and are charged at a premium.

Taxis are available from outside the Ferry Terminal operated by EastCoast Taxis. A taxi from the Terminal direct into Newcastle city centre is £11.50 for up to 4 passengers.

By bicycle

Newcastle is a reasonably cycle-friendly city. There are a number of places to lock a bike up in the city centre and a number of cycle lanes (though these are often shared with buses or taxis). A few Metro stations also provide secure storage for bicycles, but note that only fold-away bicycles are permitted on Metro trains. Unless you're touring the UK on pedal power, the best use for a bike is to explore the Quayside, Ouseburn and Jesmond Dene areas, travel to out-of-town attractions or head off to more distant places such as Seaton Sluice on the coast.

The Sustrans National Cycle Network Route 1 (East Coast) passes through Newcastle from the North to the South.

Bicyle hire:

• Tyne Bridge Bike Hire, The Guildhall (Quayside), NE1 3AF, +44 (0) 191 2772441, (info@tynebridgebikehire.co.uk), [6] 10AM-5PM (7 days in summer, weekends only in winter).
• Tyne Cycles, 19-20 Rudyerd Street, North Shields, NE29 6RR, +44 (0) 191 2562266, (tynecycles@aol.com), [7].

By bus

City Centre

Quaylink services run every few minutes between the city centre and the Newcastle/Gateshead quayside. Single fares are 80p and the distinctive yellow livery makes the service easy to recognise.

Suburbs

An extensive and efficient network of bus routes radiate out of Newcastle into the surrounding towns and suburbs. Though the services are operated by several different operators they are co-ordinated by Nexus, Tyne and Wear's transport authority. Maps and timetables can be found on the Nexus website, though it may be easier to use a personalised journey planner such as Transport Direct.

Bus operators include:

• Arriva Northumbria
• Classic Coaches
• Go North East
• Northumbria Coaches
• Stagecoach in Newcastle

On foot

Newcastle city centre is relatively compact and is therefore easy to navigate on foot. Many areas are pedestrianised. Being on the banks of the River Tyne, some areas slope quite steeply. Buses and taxis are cheap and plentiful should this pose a problem.

Newcastle and Gateshead walking directions can be planned online with the walkit.com [8] walking route planner.

By metro