Things to Do in Durham
Planning Your Trip
Welcome to the Itinerary Planner. Use this tool to build your own journey or choose from an exciting range of specially selected tours.
To build your own Itinerary, click
to add an item to your Itinerary basket.

You are here > Home > Explore Durham > Durham Dales > Things to do in the Durham Dales
Seek out natural wonders while walking or cycling in this breathtaking area, discover fascinating museums and much more along the way.
Number of results: 57
, currently showing 1 to 20.
Walking
Hamsterley Forest
Gruffalo Orienteering - fun family map reading challenge
Try our fun, navigational challenge at Hamsterley Forest using a simple map to find twelve Gruffalo markers hidden in the deep, dark wood.
If you're feeling competitive, choose to run, walk…
Guided Tour
Barnard Castle
Come for a walk with us and enjoy some stunning Teesdale scenery and make friends with one of our alpacas. Check out our website at www.teesdale-alpacas.co.uk and use our contact form for more information and booking enquiries Thanks !!


Museum
Cowshill
Killhope Lead Mining Museum is temporarily closed whilst restoration works continue. Killhope is a multi award winning Victorian lead mining museum offering a great day out for the family.





Forest
Redford, Hamsterley Forest
Information point and tearoom, forest drive with children's play area. Four mile forest drive runs through the forest giving access to picnic sites along the way.



Castle / Fort
Staindrop
Welcome to Raby Castle, Park and Gardens. A stunning complete medieval castle in County Durham with a fascinating history and stories to tell.






Adventure Park / Playground
Staindrop
The Plotters’ Forest is an immersive outdoor playground located in a magical Christmas Tree Plantation at Raby Castle.

Museum
Barnard Castle
There’s always something great to see and do at The Bowes Museum. With more than 58,000 items in this Museum of artists, designers and makers, there are treasures at every turn.






Outdoor and Wildlife Activity
Edmunbyers
Derwent Waterside Park is the perfect place for fun, laughter and the great fresh air with the people you love.
Horse Riding
Bishop Auckland
Enjoy miles of waymarked horse-riding routes that let you explore the heart of this beautiful forest. Please note, dedicated horse box parking is located in the Grove car park, 2 miles along the Forest Drive from the Bedburn entrance.
Outdoor and Wildlife Activity
Barnard Castle
Grassholme Waterside Park is a place that captures your imagination and lets it run wild, for you to make your perfect day out.
Walking Routes
The North Pennines National Landscape incorporates much of the Durham Dales, and is a stunning landscape of open heather moors, dramatic dales, tumbling upland rivers, wonderful woods, close-knit communities, glorious waterfalls, fantastic birds,…
Fishery
Blackton Reservoir is one of the best wild brown trout fisheries in the country, offering fantastic scenery of the North Pennine Grouse Moors.
Fishing
Mickleton
Grassholme Waterside Park offers fishing in beautiful surroundings for fly and bait anglers. The fishery enjoys lots of open space and is well stocked with rainbow trout.
Attraction
Barnard Castle
Come for a leisurely wander around our farm and make friends with our wonderful animals.


Picnic Site
Newbiggin
The picnic area is in a sheltered side valley of Teesdale. There are 4 waterfalls in the site and more falls alongside a footpath to Gibson's Cave.
Art and Craft Activity
Woodland
Sarah Nelson Studio, set within an upland hay meadow, in the high Durham Dales, offers year round creative workshops which encourage individual expression and a joy of mark making. This live work natural space also includes Sarah Nelson Gallery…
Observatory / Planetarium
nr Mickleton
Waterside Parks purpose built observatory, based at Grassholme Reservoir near Barnard Castle, offers you the opportunity to gaze into the vastness and beauty of the universe. Let our lead astronomer guide you to understand the wonders of planets…


Outdoor and Wildlife Activity
Darlington
Spend time in nature and watch the seasons change in Raby Castle’s stunning Deer Park and Walled Gardens, which are open to visitors from 10am - 4pm every day.

Farm
Bishop Auckland
Step into nature’s playground, with over 50 animals to interact with and feed in a relaxing environment.

Spa and Relaxation
Headlam
Designed to the highest standards for its members, hotel residents and day spa guests, Headlam Spa is a place to relax, exercise and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of water in a comfortable and friendly environment that reflects the beauty of the…

© Copyright Visit County Durham. All Rights Reserved
Registered Office: Visit County Durham, East Wing, 1st Floor, Corten House, Aykley Heads, Durham, DH1 5TS

