Durham travel guide

Durham Tourism | Durham Guide

You're Going to Love Durham

With a population of 45.696, Durham is a must-see destination in England, United Kingdom. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Durham deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

Where to Eat in Durham

If you’re looking for affordable options, Bistro 21 (Aykley Heads House Aykley Heads) and Restaurant 1744 @ Redworth Hall Hotel (Redworth) are great picks. For delicious green meals, The Cellar Door (41/42 Saddler Street) and The Curious Mr Fox (Framwellgate) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Durham.

When to visit Durham

Durham in January
Estimated hotel price
C$ 158
1 night at 3-star hotel
Durham in January
Estimated hotel price
C$ 158
1 night at 3-star hotel

How to Get to Durham

Plane

Although Durham doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Newcastle Airport (UK) (NCL), which is located 30 km from Durham. The shortest flight to Durham from Canada departs from Toronto and takes around 9h 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Durham, followed by Lumo. The train journey from Durham to London takes 2h 48m and costs around C$ 94 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Manchester, expect to pay about C$ 74 for a 2h 59m trip. The train station in Durham is called Durham, and is located 0.4 km from the city centre.

Car

Another option to get to Durham is to pick up a car rental from Edinburgh, which is about 166 km from Durham. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Durham, including Megabus, FlixBus and National Express. From Darlington, the bus ride to Durham takes 89 km and will cost you around C$ 29. From Edinburgh, the ticket costs about C$ 22 for a journey of 249 km. Durham’s bus station is located 1.2 km from the downtown.

Plane

Although Durham doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Newcastle Airport (UK) (NCL), which is located 30 km from Durham. The shortest flight to Durham from Canada departs from Toronto and takes around 9h 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Durham, followed by Lumo. The train journey from Durham to London takes 2h 48m and costs around C$ 94 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Manchester, expect to pay about C$ 74 for a 2h 59m trip. The train station in Durham is called Durham, and is located 0.4 km from the city centre.

Car

Another option to get to Durham is to pick up a car rental from Edinburgh, which is about 166 km from Durham. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, among others, in Edinburgh.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Durham, including Megabus, FlixBus and National Express. From Darlington, the bus ride to Durham takes 89 km and will cost you around C$ 29. From Edinburgh, the ticket costs about C$ 22 for a journey of 249 km. Durham’s bus station is located 1.2 km from the downtown.

Airlines serving Durham

Lufthansa
Good (4,636 reviews)
KLM
Good (849 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,467 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,602 reviews)
Air France
Good (982 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,554 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,123 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,483 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (913 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (832 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (710 reviews)
Cathay Pacific
Good (494 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (778 reviews)
Malaysia Airlines
Good (181 reviews)
easyJet
Good (1,446 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (959 reviews)
Eurowings
Good (194 reviews)
China Eastern
Good (51 reviews)
LATAM Airlines
Good (988 reviews)
Qantas Airways
Good (542 reviews)
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Where to stay in Durham

Average rates range from around C$ 126 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to C$ 175 and up for a 5-star experience.

Where to stay in popular areas of Durham

Most booked hotels in Durham

Hotel Indigo Durham
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
C$ 192+
Travelodge Durham
3 stars
Excellent (9, Excellent reviews)
C$ 83+
Lumley Castle Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
C$ 152+
Radisson Blu Hotel, Durham
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
C$ 183+
Delta Hotels by Marriott Durham Royal County
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
C$ 171+
Ramside Hall Hotel, Golf And Spa
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
C$ 189+

Renting a car in Durham

Expect to pay C$ 2.56 per litre in Durham (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 30.72 and C$ 40.96. The most frequently booked car type in Durham is Economy (Vauxhall Corsa or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Smart Fortwo or similar) are, on average, 70% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Expect to pay C$ 2.56 per litre in Durham (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between C$ 30.72 and C$ 40.96. The most frequently booked car type in Durham is Economy (Vauxhall Corsa or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Mini rental cars (Smart Fortwo or similar) are, on average, 70% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.