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Day 1

Alnwick to Alnmouth 

1 Trip item 1 of 5 for day 1
1 Trip item 1 of 5 for day 1

Hop on a broomstick at Hogwarts

  • Sightseeing
  • 3 hours

Photo by: Alnwick Castle

Two wizarding professors demonstrating flying on a broom outside a large castle.

Begin your adventure at a famous Harry Potter filming location – Alnwick Castle (pronounced “annick”). As well as starring as Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), it’s also appeared in Downton Abbey and Transformers. Your ticket includes the 30-45 minute ‘Alnwick on Location’ film tour, and look out for the free Broomstick Training workshops too! 

2 Trip item 2 of 5 for day 1
2 Trip item 2 of 5 for day 1

Feel the movie magic of Bamburgh Castle

  • Sightseeing
  • 3 hours

Photo by: Visit Britain/Pinzutu

Three women exploring rooms in a castle

Next, venture up the coast to Bamburgh, whose eponymous scene-stealing castle has featured in countless famous films. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Elizabeth (1998) and The BFG (2016) are just a few of them. It also starred in Netflix’s The Last Kingdom (2015-2022) as the fortress of Bebbanburg, and its ‘Uhtred of Bebbanburg’ tour (which departs at 11.30) is chock-full of costumes and props from the show. After the tour, head to the Clock Tower Café for lunch with a mind-blowing view.  

3 Trip item 3 of 5 for day 1
3 Trip item 3 of 5 for day 1

Puffin-spotting Farne Islands cruise

  • Sightseeing
  • Suggested time at location: 2 hours

Photo by: Andrew Douglas/Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours

The Serenity IV boat from Serenity Farne Island Boat Trips, Northumberland.

Just off the Northumberland coast, the Farne Islands have featured in everything from David Attenborough’s Wild Isles (2023) to ITV crime drama Vera. Their beauty is legendary, but the resident puffins steal the limelight: take a closer look on a two-hour wildlife cruise with Billy Shiel’s (April to July). You’ll spy puffins, guillemots, cormorants and more, as well as a colony of Atlantic grey seals basking on rocks. Trips depart at 2pm.  

4 Trip item 4 of 5 for day 1
4 Trip item 4 of 5 for day 1

Dinner at The Fish Shack, Amble

  • Sightseeing
  • 1.5 hours

Piled high with steamed mussels, a whole roasted sea bream, pil-pil (garlic and chilli) tiger prawns, Lindisfarne oysters and much more, the sharing platter at The Fish Shack in Amble is the stuff of foodie legend – it even wowed the Hairy Bikers when they visited to film Hairy Bikers Go North (2021). Tuck in for tonight’s dinner. Eagle-eyed Vera fans will also recognise the picturesque fishing town of Amble as the backdrop of several episodes over the years.  

5 Trip item 5 of 5 for day 1
5 Trip item 5 of 5 for day 1

Stay at the Red Lion Inn, Alnmouth

  • Sightseeing
  • Overnight

Rest your head tonight in the Red Lion Inn, after a G&T nightcap (made with local Hepple gin, naturally) in its cosy bar or beer garden. This family-run coaching inn dates back to the 18th century, and its breakfast menu ranges from smashed avocado to local kippers. Again, Alnmouth served as a key Vera filming location, and its wide sandy beach is just ten minutes’ walk from the Red Lion. 

Alnmouth to Kielder  

1 Trip item 1 of 4 for day 2
1 Trip item 1 of 4 for day 2

Explore Hexham

  • Sightseeing
  • Suggested time at location: 2 hours

Get up early and head south to Hexham. This riverside town doubled as Bentham in the 13th series of Vera, while 28 Years Later (2025) – starring Cillian Murphy – was filmed at nearby Plankey Mill (though it’s not currently open to the public). Spend your morning exploring the spooky 1,300-year-old crypts of Hexham Abbey, learning about the notorious inmates of Hexham Old Gaol, or following the free ‘Medieval Meander’ walking trail (30-40 minutes) on the Visit Hexham app.  

2 Trip item 2 of 4 for day 2
2 Trip item 2 of 4 for day 2

Walk along (part of) Hadrian’s Wall

  • Sightseeing
  • Suggested time at location: 2 hours

Photo by: VisitBritain/Thomas Heaton/English Heritage

View along long stone wall over the fields at sunset

Did you know that Hadrian’s Wall inspired Game of Thrones author George R R Martin when he envisaged The Wall? Lace up your hiking boots and hit the Hadrian’s Wall path, which runs along the Roman Empire’s frontier just north of Hexham. A spectacular spot for a pre-lunch ramble, and without a White Walker in sight – phew.  

3 Trip item 3 of 4 for day 2
3 Trip item 3 of 4 for day 2

Kielder Water

  • Sightseeing
  • Suggested time at location: 2 hours

Photo by: VisitBritain/Shu Shi Lin

A landscape image of the Northern Lights seen from a Dark Skies Park.

Next, choose your adventure at Kielder Water: will you go kayaking, paddleboarding or cruising on this beautiful reservoir? You can also rent bikes or saddle up for a horseback trot on its wild waterside trails, and try archery and air-rifling at the activity centre. Kielder Water has featured in both 28 Years Later and Vera (in 2018’s ‘Darkwater’ episode), while Countryfile profiled its conservation work, osprey nesting sites and outdoor sculptures in March 2025.  

4 Trip item 4 of 4 for day 2
4 Trip item 4 of 4 for day 2

Stay and stargaze at Kielder Observatory

  • Sightseeing
  • Suggested time at location: 2 hours

Kielder Forest is one of the world’s biggest Dark Sky Reserves, so this evening join a stargazing talk or event at Kielder Observatory: they’re held almost every night. With minimal light pollution and high-powered telescopes, you’ll explore the night sky with expert tuition – just like Robson Green when he visited for Weekend Escapes (series 3, 2025). If you don’t have to head home straight away, book into Kielder Lodges tonight for a glamping adventure in the forest.  

Turnbull’s Northumbrian Foodhall

  • Sightseeing

Foodie shopping at Turnbull’s Northumbrian Foodhall in Alnwick – it featured on James Martin’s Saturday Kitchen after one of Martin’s team visited on holiday and recommended it to him.