
Places to visit in Nottingham
Wondering about where to stay and the best things to do in Nottingham? You’re spoilt for choice in this historic city in England’s East Midlands. The home of legends, from Robin Hood to Batman, Lord Byron to Paul Smith, Nottingham is a city with a legendary past and a fashionable future. Explore historic Nottingham Castle and its unique City of Caves, roam around Sherwood Forest and enjoy some of the city’s stand-out shopping. And that’s just the start. Read on to discover how to spend three epic days in and around Nottingham.
Day 1
Nottingham
Start at Nottingham Castle
- Sightseeing
- Suggested time at location: 2 hours
Begin your Nottingham mini-break at the revamped Nottingham Castle and discover 1,000 years of history at the historic site, rich in Robin Hood legends.
Lunch at the Lace Market
- Eatery
- Suggested time at location: 1 hour
The Lace Market was once the industrial heart of Nottingham and is now part of its lively Creative Quarter. Enjoy one of the must-do things in Nottingham and wander the quarter, stopping for lunch at one of its restaurants, including Annie’s Burger Shack, a local institution.
Take a tour
- Guided Tour
- Suggested time at location: 2.5 hours
After lunch, the best – and most entertaining way of seeing Nottingham – is via an Ezekial Bone Robin Hood Town Tour, one of the city’s most popular things to do. Don’t forget to stop for a selfie with the statue of the famous man himself, Robin Hood, in the Castle Quarter.
Pop in for ye olde pint
- Eatery
- Suggested time at location: 45 mins
Leave time for a visit to the oldest inn in England – The Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem – which was built in the 12th century, near Nottingham Castle and the Museum of Nottingham Life. The pub counts ghosts among its regulars; keep your eyes peeled for paranormal pints.
Check into Colwick Hall Hotel
- Accommodation
- Suggested time at location: Overnight
Wondering where to stay in Nottingham? How about booking into the grand Colwick Hall Hotel, the Georgian country house that was once poet Lord Byron’s ancestral home.
Top Tip - Nottingham Contemporary
- Sightseeing
A great thing to do whilst in Nottingham is visit the free Nottingham Contemporary - one of the biggest contemporary art galleries in the UK.
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Day 2
Nottingham
Visit Wayne Manor
- Sightseeing
- Suggested time at location: 2 hours
- Free

Be wowed by Wollaton Hall – the grand Elizabethan mansion in a deer park, which is home to a Natural History Museum and a popular thing to do in Nottingham. Movie fans will recognise it as Wayne Manor from the Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises.
Do a spot of shopping
- Shopping
- Suggested time at location: 1 hour
Nottingham doesn’t hold back when it comes to great shops. Fashion designer Paul Smith was born in the nearby town of Beeston, so visiting his flagship store in Willoughby House is a must-do. Have a wander around shopping centres such as the Victoria Centre and The Exchange, or the independent shops of Cobden Chambers and Hockley.
Go underground
- Sightseeing
- Suggested time at location: 1 hour

Nottingham is famous for its cave network, so another top thing to do is to head underground. You can discover this magical other-world in the winding passageways of the City of Caves.
Enjoy fine dining at Sat Bains
- Eatery
- Suggested time at location: 2+ hour
Treat yourself to the very best cuisine Nottingham has to offer, at two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Sat Bains, where you can also stay overnight, as it has eight stylish, cosy rooms. The innovative, seasonal menu is also proudly low-waste.
Rock out at Rock City
- Show
- Suggested time at location: 1+ hour
You can’t come to Nottingham and not visit its legendary music venue, Rock City, one of the top things to do after dark. It’s been hosting gigs and club nights since 1980.
Top Tip - Nottingham Arboretum
- Sightseeing
Visit Neverland, or rather Nottingham Arboretum. According to local legend, the park inspired local resident J.M. Barrie to write his novel Peter and Wendy, more commonly known as ‘Peter Pan’.
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Day 3
Sherwood Forest and surrounds
Wander through Sherwood Forest
- Sightseeing
- Suggested time at location: 2 hours

Start day three in one of England’s most famous forests – Sherwood Forest, home to folklore outlaw Robin Hood. Pick up a map from the visitor centre and take a walk, ride, or cycle around its trails.
Find the Major Oak
- Sightseeing
- Suggested time at location: 1 hour
Visit the main attraction in Sherwood Forest – The Major Oak, which is estimated to be around 1,000 years old, famously shelter and sanctuary for Robin Hood and his Merry Men. While once you could trample right up to it, providing now it’s protected; snap a pic from a safe distance.
Stop for lunch at Edwinstowe
- Eatery
- Suggested time at location: 1 hour
Next to Sherwood Forest, you’ll find ancient Edwinstowe, a pretty village with lots of Robin Hood links. Visit the church, where Robin and Maid Marian are meant to have married, and stop in at Launay’s restaurant for lunch.
Tour Newstead Abbey
- Sightseeing
- Suggested time at location: 2 hours
Another top thing to do in Nottinghamshire is visit the other home of Lord Byron, Newstead Abbey. This medieval monastic abbey is where the poet lived from 1808 to1814 and you can admire his apartments, manuscripts and possessions, as well as the magnificent gardens and grounds.
Be "in-spired" at Southwell
- Sightseeing
- Suggested time at location: 1 hour
- Free
Finish up at Southwell, the country town that reveals a lesser-known thing to do – a visit to the Cathedral of Nottinghamshire. Southwell Minster is renowned for its pepper-pot spires and medieval carvings. Explore the town’s charming cafes and shops.
Top Tip - National Justice Museum
- Sightseeing
See the gory side of Nottingham with another top thing to do – a visit to its 800-year-old gaol, now the National Justice Museum, in the historic Lace Market.
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