Great Yarmouth guide and sightseeing         

Summary
For a true English seaside experience, Great Yarmouth on the Norfolk coast is the place to head. It has all the right ingredients – miles of sandy beaches, lots of candy floss and chips, and plenty of tacky amusement arcades. But behind its ‘kiss-me-quick’ façade, Great Yarmouth is a charming town with a rich history – it was once one of the wealthiest towns in the UK, thanks to its herring industry.

Scattered around the old town are some interesting buildings and monuments which are worth exploring. The resort’s surrounded by beautiful countryside too – boating on the Norfolk Broads is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. A wide range of hotels in Great Yarmouth are available at www.latebreakhotels.com with prices to suit everyone.

Getting there/getting around Great Yarmouth
Norwich International airport is 22 miles away from Great Yarmouth and four miles from Norwich. Great Yarmouth is on the main bus and rail services to Norwich, with connections on to other major UK cities. The station is half a mile from the city centre, with taxis and buses readily available, while coaches stop at Sandown Road, closer to the centre.

Coming by road, you follow the A47 from Norwich and head east.

Sightseeing in Great Yarmouth
The sandy beaches are the key draw and there are two famous piers – Britannia and Welling with entertainment ranging from variety shows to bingo. At Pleasure Beach a ride on the rollercoaster will give you a great aerial view of the town.

Away from the beach, the old town centre has a wealth of historical attractions. In the marketplace you’ll find St Nicholas Church and the Fisherman’s Hospital, an early 18th-century almshouse. St George’s Church on George Street is now an art centre. There are eight museums to check out too. Don’t miss the Elizabethan House Museum on South Quay for an insight into 19th century life or Tolhouse Museum, once a jail, where you can see former prison cells.

Just out of town there’s some lovely countryside to explore. Cley Marshes is a fantastic spot for bird-watching while a day trip to historic King's Lynn, once an important medieval port, has some interesting sights.

Great Yarmouth family attractions, day trips and shopping      

Family attractions in Great Yarmouth
With numerous attractions along its lovely promenade, Great Yarmouth is a wonderful place to take the kids. The Golden Mile is home to many amusement arcades and funfair rides that will thrill the younger ones and adults alike.

Kids will be fascinated too by the array of marine life on view at the Sea life Centre, which is located on Marine Parade. The centre contains all manner of creatures, such as sharks and turtles. And Caister Castle, three miles north of Great Yarmouth, is home to what is believed to be the largest collection of motor vehicles in Britain.

Day trips from Great Yarmouth
Along the coast and further inland from Great Yarmouth, the Norfolk Broads provide some stunning natural views, some of which are truly breathtaking. You can catch some great views of the Broads on the Bure Valley railway, or indeed on the many boats that navigate along them.

About eight miles south-west of Great Yarmouth, Pettitts Animal Adventure Park, in the village of Reedham, is a great place to take children, and is not too expensive to boot – a family day ticket, for instance, costs only £35. There are many exotic creatures here, plus plenty of rides. Similar sights can be seen in Bewilderwood in Norwich, a large forest adventure park.

Shopping in Great Yarmouth
Home as it is to a large variety of shops, malls and markets, Great Yarmouth is a great place for shoppers of all types. Shoppers seeking department stores should head to the shops along King Street and Regent Road, and those in Market Gates shopping centre.
Bargain hunters will delight in the town’s market place, which is one of the largest in the country and thought to be more than 800 years old. Many types of food can be bought here; the fresh seafood is particularly recommended. The Victoria Arcade, which retains much of its original charm, is an excellent place to pick up souvenirs and gifts, such as jewellery and crystal goods.

Great Yarmouth nightlife, restaurants, bars and clubs         

Restaurants in Great Yarmouth
Unsurprisingly for a coastal town, Great Yarmouth is home to several excellent restaurants of all types, especially along or close to the prom. Due to the town’s proximity to the sea, the Seafood Restaurant is worth checking out, as is Barnacles Seafood Restaurant.

Also recommended is Harry Ramsden’s, fish and chip shop, where traditional English fare is on the menu. If your tastes are more cosmopolitan, check out one of the town’s Greek restaurants, such as the Avenida Restaurant or the Grecian Taverna.

Nightlife in Great Yarmouth
From traditional pubs to fashionable wine bars to lively nightclubs, Great Yarmouth has something to suit most tastes. The Golden Mile is a good place to start, and in particular the Longbar which, as the name suggests, has an extremely long bar which means you shouldn’t have to wait long to be served. Or pop into Rasputins, which has a large dance floor and a choice of more than 75 types of vodka from around the world.

The town is not exactly a clubbers’ paradise, but there are several places to go to when the pubs close. With a capacity of 1,600 and a huge dance floor, the recently refurbished Atlantis Arena is a popular choice, as is Rosie’s, along the seafront.