Norwich, the rivers and broads of the Broads National Park, the north Norfolk coast and the Sandringham estate
Norfolk is the county in the east of England that juts out into the North Sea, with Norwich as its city. The Broads, a network of rivers and shallow lakes shared with Suffolk, has a status similar to the national parks and is managed by the Broads Authority, which became operational in 1989. Along the north coast, the Norfolk Coast National Landscape runs from The Wash and the Sandringham estate to Winterton-on-Sea, with salt marsh, dunes, pine woods and two National Trails.
This guide covers five bases: Norwich, with its Norman cathedral and castle; Wroxham and Hoveton, where many Broads boat trips and hire boats start; Cromer and Sheringham at the end of the Bittern Line; Wells-next-the-Sea with Holkham and Blakeney; and King's Lynn with the Sandringham estate. Trains reach Norwich from London Liverpool Street, King's Lynn from London King's Cross, and the Bittern Line links Norwich with Wroxham, Cromer and Sheringham.
Quartiers
Each area has its own mini guide with 74 sights, places to eat and drink, and where to stay across the city.
A Norman cathedral and castle, a 900-year-old market and medieval lanes in the county city
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Boatyards, river trips and broads on the River Bure, a train ride from Norwich
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Victorian seaside towns with a pier, crab boats, heritage steam trains and the highest hill in Norfolk
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Salt marsh, dunes and seals between a harbour town, a Palladian house and flint villages
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A medieval port on the Great Ouse, a Norman castle and the royal Sandringham estate
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A sight from each area. Every area guide lists the rest, with directions and official links.
Grade I listed Norman cathedral begun in 1096, the seat of the Bishop of Norwich, with daily Church of England services.
Narrow-gauge steam railway from Wroxham to Aylsham, laid on a former standard-gauge trackbed beside a footpath.
Grade II listed pier that is home to the Cromer lifeboat station and the Pavilion Theatre.
Neo-Palladian house built for Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, to designs by William Kent.
Country house of the royal family set in a 20,000-acre estate; check the estate website for opening dates.
Royal castle ordered by William the Conqueror, used as a gaol until 1887 and home to the city museum and art gallery since 1894.
Regency-style country house built in 1809-1812 in the parish of Hoveton, with gardens.
Theatre at the end of Cromer Pier, a bandstand when the pier opened and enclosed as a pavilion in 1905.
1 / 12Animal attractions, railways, science centres, beaches and caves from our Norfolk and the Broads guide, grouped by type. We hold no age ratings or child prices: check each place’s own site for age limits, height rules and family tickets.
Bure Valley RailwayHeritage railway, Wroxham, Hoveton & the northern Broads
Barton House RailwayMiniature railway, Wroxham, Hoveton & the northern Broads
North Norfolk RailwayHeritage railway, Cromer & Sheringham
Wells and Walsingham Light RailwayHeritage railway, Wells, Holkham & BlakeneyPractical help: travelling with children and where to stay in Norfolk and the Broads.
Itinéraires
De courts itinéraires qui relient les quartiers entre eux.
Comment s'y rendre
Norwich is the hub for the Broads and the north Norfolk coast, and King's Lynn for the west of the county. Journey times below are the figures the named sources give; always check the operator for current times.
Greater Anglia runs inter-city trains between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, and Visit Norfolk says the county can be reached by rail from London in as little as 90 minutes. From Norwich, the Bittern Line runs to Hoveton & Wroxham, Cromer, West Runton and Sheringham, typically once an hour. Great Northern runs from London King's Cross to King's Lynn via Cambridge and Ely; Wikipedia gives a typical journey time of 1 hour 45 minutes.
Lynx runs the Coastliner 36 from King's Lynn via Hunstanton to Wells-next-the-Sea and Fakenham. Sanders Coaches runs the Coasthopper buses along the north Norfolk coast from Wells towards Cromer.
Norwich Airport has scheduled KLM flights to and from Amsterdam Schiphol on its departures board. Check the airport's site for current routes.
We do not publish timetables or fares. Train times and journey lengths change: check National Rail or the operator before you travel.
Trains from Norwich stop at Salhouse, Hoveton & Wroxham, North Walsham, Cromer, West Runton and Sheringham, so the Broads and the coast work as day trips from the city.
The Coastliner 36 (Lynx) and the Coasthopper (Sanders Coaches) meet at Wells-next-the-Sea and link the towns and villages along the north coast.
The Bure Valley Railway runs between Wroxham and Aylsham, the North Norfolk Railway between Sheringham and Holt, and the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway from Wells to Walsingham.
Wroxham and Hoveton have boatyards and hire firms on the River Bure; Wroxham Bridge is low and a pilot service on the Hoveton side helps boaters for a fee.
The Norfolk Coast Path, a National Trail, runs from Hunstanton along the north coast through Wells, Blakeney, Sheringham and Cromer.
Meilleure période
Many attractions in Norfolk, including heritage railways and country houses, open on seasonal timetables. Check each venue's own site before you go.
The Barton House Railway in Wroxham opens on the third Sunday of each month from April to October, and heritage railways publish their season timetables on their own sites.
Harbour seals at Blakeney Point have their young between June and August, and the pups can be seen on the mud flats from seal-watching boats.
Big tides on The Wash push huge flocks of wading birds onto the shore at RSPB Snettisham in autumn and winter.
Grey seals breed at Blakeney Point between November and January, and the North Norfolk Railway runs festive trains in late November and December.
Excursions d'une journée
Ideas for a day away from Norfolk and the Broads. Check the operators for times and tickets.
Cambridge has its own guide on this site. Trains from Norwich run to Cambridge, and Great Northern trains from King's Lynn to London run via Cambridge.
Cambridge guide →
Seaside town on the River Yare, about 20 miles east of Norwich, with trains from Norwich.
Visit Norfolk →FAQ
The Broads has a status similar to the national parks in England and Wales. It is managed by the Broads Authority, set up under the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988, which is also a navigation authority.
Yes, for the main bases. Trains run from London to Norwich and King's Lynn, the Bittern Line links Norwich with Wroxham, Cromer and Sheringham, and the Coastliner 36 and Coasthopper buses run along the north coast. Smaller villages have fewer services.
Wells has no railway station. Take the Lynx Coastliner 36 from King's Lynn or the Sanders Coasthopper from the Cromer direction; Sheringham is the nearest station.
Harbour seals have their young between June and August, and grey seals breed between November and January. Seal-watching boats run from Blakeney and Morston.
Four to six days lets you combine Norwich with one or two bases on the Broads or the coast. A weekend is enough for Norwich and a day on the Broads.
Nearby places
Our closest other guides, by straight-line distance between centres. Road and rail distances are longer: check a journey planner.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
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