Unexplored England

Welcome to Great Yarmouth! Are you ready to escape the everyday and discover Great Yarmouth's hidden gems?

15 miles of wide, sandy beaches to explore on our coast plus picturesque towns, villages and Norfolk Broads - you can fit in as much or as little into your staycation as you like.

Take a look below at some of our hidden gems.

Unearth rich Heritage

Great Yarmouth has a fascinating, rich heritage to discover from Roman Ruins to our maritime roots. Locate Medieval churches in almost every village and uncover the story of the town's Medieval town wall which is the second most complete in England with 11 out of the original 16 towers still standing.  

Row Houses and Smoke Houses tell the tale of the town's herring trade including Time and Tide Museum.

Take a ride on the largest remaining wooden rollercoaster at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach, built in France in 1928. With no automatic brakes on the track, the 3 trains have a single pull-up, then it's a thrilling ride as they travel under gravity until they arrive back at the station. A seated operator controls the brakes at the back of the first carriage on each train, phew!

Nature and Animals

Uniquely located on a sandbank between the North Sea and the River Yare, Great Yarmouth has winding Broads to the north, south and west which forms the start of the Broads National Park.
As you travel through the wonderful villages, drink in the beautiful countryside, dotted with windmills. 

Explore on foot or by boat along the rivers Thurne and Bure, taking you past Martham, Thurne, Acle and Stokesby with some great riverside pubs on the way.

The Broads is a haven for wildlife and birds and also great for water sports such as canoes and stand up paddle boarding.

Explore The Broads
Explore Seaside Towns and Villages

Take a relaxing walk around the Venetian Waterways and Boating Lake to see if you can spot Alan the Heron.
The Grade II listed park underwent a multi million pound restoration in 2019 and is continuing to be a popular visitor attraction as it has been for genrations.
You can hire a rowing boat or pedalo on the Boating Lake or enjoy a spot of lunch at the accessible Island Cafe.

The Waterways

Driving through the pretty village of Filby will take you to Thrigby where you can find Thrigby Hall Wildlife Park.
Discover a range of Asian mammals, birds and reptiles including new additions of two Red Panda cubs and two Snow Leopard cubs.
Enjoy the 250 year old landscaped gardens and see rare tigers, gibbons, otters and more.

Unexplored Beaches

Great Yarmouth is lucky enough to have 15 miles of glorious, wide, sandy beaches, some more well know than others.

If you're looking to relax on a quieter beach, head to one of these:

Winterton-on-Sea Beach
Mile upon mile of pale, sandy beach stretching into the distance. Walk on the dunes which is home to the rare Natterjack Toad or on the sand where you're likely to see grey seals both on the shoreline and playing in the sea.

Caister-on-Sea North Beach
A long concrete esplanade and sand dunes leading to a wide, sandy, golden beach. Great for surfing, especially in the quieter months, best when the offshore winds are west southwesterly.

Great Yarmouth North Beach
North of the Golden Mile, there are wide sandy dunes - great for dog walking at any time of year if your bringing your four legged friends! The dunes lead to a quiet, wide, sandy beach facing towards the Scroby Sands Wind Farm.

Gorleston-on-Sea Beach
Grassy cliffs lead to a long promenade via slopes or stairs. Undercover seating offers a place to reflect on the stunning view of the bay with a huge, wide curving, sandy beach with ramp access. Great for surfing and stand up paddle boarding.

Take a look at our Beach Guide

Unexplored culture

Hippodrome Circus
Britain's only surviving total circus building and one of only three in the world. The circus floor sinks into a pool for a water spectacular - it's clear to see why it has been dubbed one of the seven wonders of the british seaside. Regular shows take place for Easter with Pirates Live!, mid July to mid September for the Summer Spectacular, October for the Halloween Spooktacular and December to January for the Christmas Spectacular.

Time and Tide Museum
Set in one of the UK's best preserved Victorian Herring curing works, this award winning museum tells the story of Great Yarmouth from its ice age origins to present day.
See a recreated Row, where people lived very closely together, hear gripping tales of wreck and rescue and meet colourful characters who made their living from the sea.

Unexplored tastes

If you haven't been to Great Yarmouth before, you won't know of the delicacy of market chips. Fried in beef dripping, covered with plenty of salt and vinegar, no trip to the town centre is complete without them! On the Market, you'll also find a great selection of fresh produce - fish and shellfish, fruit and vegetables, meat, fresh bakery items, homemade cakes and more.

A trip to the seaside also requires at least one ice cream and we have lots to choose from. Also on offer are a selection of other calorific treats including freshly made donuts, candyfloss and seaside rock which you can see being made at one of two rock factories. Live a little and have a bit of something to tantalise those tastebuds...the diet can wait till you get home.