Castle Tours in Newcastle: The 12 Worth a Whole Day

1.Holy Island, Alnwick Castle & Northumbria

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,313 reviews · 9 hours · from $85Our pick

Travel from Edinburgh into Northumbria with a driver-guide, visiting tidal Holy Island, Lindisfarne Priory, Alnwick Castle, and its Poison Garden. You’ll have time for lunch in Alnwick, hear stories from guides such as Adam, Linda, Ewan, and Paul Santa, and return through Coldstream. The route may reverse with the tide.

“Our guide Mark was absolutely lovely. Loads of interesting facts and great driving. We were in a 16 seater coach which we were initially disappointed about however it gave a really nice experience getting to know our fellow travellers and also Mark. We had a fabulous day and would recommend this trip - Holy Island was fascinating and had great cafes. Moving on to Alnwick we did look round the castle but also had time for a great lunch at The Cookie Jar, just down the road. Thank you Mark for being the perfect host for our trip.”

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2.Holy Island, Alnwick Castle & Kingdom of Northumbria

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 480 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $87

Cross from Edinburgh into northern England for Lindisfarne Priory, Alnwick Castle, and Flodden Battlefield. This 9.5-hour Timberbush tour includes transport, live commentary, and free time at each stop. Guides such as Neil, Shug, John, and Jada add local stories, but tide changes and a full coach can affect the day.

“Paul Santa was a great driver with a great sense of humour. His stories were great. The whole bus was involved and had a good day. The castle and holy island was picturesque.”

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3.Harry Potter’s Alnwick Castle and Scottish Borders Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 431 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $88Top rated

Travel from Edinburgh into Northumberland with an English-speaking guide, stopping at Bamburgh Castle, Alnwick Castle, and Coldstream. You’ll see Harry Potter filming sites, hear stories of Scotland and northern England, and have time for castle grounds, gardens, and optional interior visits. Guides may include Connor, Cara, Heidi, Tom, or Paul.

“Fantastic helpful and informative driver/guide, Cara. She worked so hard , thank you. Not quite long enough at Bamburgh, time to rave up to the castle, down to the beach for five minutes but no time to walk to the village. An hour would be better than 45 minutes”

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4.Alnwick: Alnwick Castle Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 347 reviews · 1 day · from $29

Spend a full day at Alnwick Castle exploring Renaissance State Rooms, castle grounds, museums, film locations, and the Artisans Courtyard. You can join the resident wizards for broomstick training, follow a film tour, or let children tackle Dragon’s Quest. Arrive early, since the castle is large and last entry is 3:45pm.

“Plan your day if you want to do the tours. The staff are amazing and very informative”

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5.Alnwick Castle, Northumberland and Borders Tour with Admission

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 299 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $135

Travel from Edinburgh in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach to Kelso, Alnwick Castle, the Northumberland coast, and Dunbar. Your English-speaking driver-guide, such as Penny, Nathan, Sean, or JP, adds local stories and humor along the way. Castle admission is included, while the gardens cost extra on arrival.

“Tour was great, our guide Nathan was very knowledgeable and told fascinating stories. The Castle itself was very impressive and fun to explore, especially the State Rooms. Overall the tour was very good and I highly recommend. 👍🏼”

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6.Day Trip to Bamburgh and Alnwick Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 212 reviews · 8.5 hours · from $68

Travel from Edinburgh to England’s Northumberland with a live English-speaking guide and downloadable audio guides. See Bamburgh’s castle and beach, then spend 2.5 hours at Alnwick Castle, famous as Hogwarts, with time for broomstick lessons. Guides such as Cliff, Tim, Emily, and Dave are known for strong storytelling and good humor.

“An excellent day out for history and movie buffs alike!! Beautiful castle morning stop and then the incredible Alnwick Castle! Great coffee and icecream stops. Emily our guide and driver was fantastic! Highly recommend this trip!”

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7.Alnwick Castle and Scottish Borders Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 209 reviews · 9.5 hours · from $129

Travel from Edinburgh in a deluxe mini coach with an English-speaking driver-guide. Visit Kelso and its abbey, cross the old Scotland-England border, tour Alnwick Castle with admission included, and stop along the Northumberland Coast. Guides such as Jim Scott, Kieran Anderson, Ally, and Stephen are praised for lively stories, music, and smooth driving.

“Keith our Bus driver is so funny made us laugh and awake during the journey , Gave us the history of places of interest , he even drop us off and asked if we want to cross the bridge on the borders of England and Scotland which we did and it was so fun doing it in light rain , also in Bamburgh castle where we had a stopover , though it was not in the itinerary he was kind enough to let us go by the cliff where we could have photograph of the castle by the sea, All in all, exhilarating experience , go go go rabbies tours,…”

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8.From Edinburg: Viking Coast & Alnwick Castle Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 185 reviews · from $92

Travel from Edinburgh in a Mercedes mini-coach with up to 16 passengers. Visit tidal Holy Island, Lindisfarne Priory, and Alnwick Castle, known for Harry Potter and Downton Abbey filming. Guides such as Angela, Graham, Callum, and Keith bring local stories, music, and humor to the nine-hour trip.

“The organisation was great and the driver/guide was exceptionially good. Andy C worked so hard keep us entertained and informed. He even made a point of learning all of our names and making us part of his stories and explanations. Holy Island is a very special place and guided by Andy some of us took a walk to a viewpoint. It was a very windy day but crossing the causeway I felt completely safe with him as the driver. Alnwick Castle was also wonderful and everyone on the bus got a 25% discount. We had 3 hours there and I chose to visit just the garden. There were two free…”

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9.Alnwick Castle and Scottish Borders Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 172 reviews · 9.5 hours · from $68

Travel from Edinburgh into the Scottish Borders and Northumberland with an English-speaking guide such as Cara or Dusty. Walk Bamburgh beach, choose entry to Alnwick Castle, see Harry Potter and Downton Abbey filming sites, and hear border stories in Coldstream. The 9.5-hour trip includes transport, audio guides, and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

“The trip was wonderful and we so enjoyed our day. Our guide, Cara, was an excellent storyteller. She was knowledgeable about Scotland’s history and folklore. The coach was comfortable and we felt well taken care of and given options for how to spend our time. The castles were lovely and intriguing and we really enjoyed the scenery on the drive. I would definitely recommend this tour. It was a beautiful experience.”

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10.Viking Coast and Alnwick Castle Very Small Group Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 170 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $95

Travel from Edinburgh in a Mercedes mini-coach with about 12 passengers. Visit Holy Island, see Lindisfarne Priory and Castle, then spend at least 2.5 hours at Alnwick Castle or its gardens. Guides such as Angela, Keith, Callum, and Euan add history, music, and local color.

“Our tour guide. Keith, was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. The tour was well paced. We enjoyed all the sights we visited. Very worthwhile day of experiences!”

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11.Annual Admission Newcastle Castle Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 114 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $17Best value

Explore Newcastle Castle’s Castle Keep and 13th-century Black Gate at your own pace. Your ticket covers admission for 365 days, giving history lovers time to return. Expect medieval chambers, prison stories, exhibits, city views, and steep, uneven stairs in the Keep. The Black Gate is accessible with ramps and an external lift.

“The lovely young student guide who did her best in the pouring rain. The shock of the train line which runs through the site. Really interesting place all round. Shame there’s bits of rubbish lurking around. Plus the audio guide was non existent. The staff member said about getting it on my phone but I didn’t bother. It was a difficult day with the weather but overall it was a good experience to see it.”

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12.Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland and Alnwick Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 56 reviews · 10.5 hours · from $61

Travel from Edinburgh with an English-speaking driver-guide such as Lorna or Neil, visiting Holy Island, Alnwick, Alnwick Garden, and Bamburgh Castle. Expect tidal planning, optional attraction fees, winter scenery, filming locations from Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, and a long but rewarding day by modern coach.

“Lorna was the best Guide we could have wished for. We had a great time on the bus. She told us so much about her country, the city, the places we went to and answered each and every question. She assured we got the most out of our time and all of this with a great sense of humor. Thanks Lorna!”

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