Day Trips from Nottingham - Places to visit and excursions from Nottingham

1. Tips for studying abroad in Nottingham - Study abroad in Nottingham
2. Cost of living in Nottingham
3. Save money in Nottingham - A guide to living on a student budget
4. How to get to Nottingham - Getting to Nottingham by train, plane, car or bus
5. Public transport in Nottingham - Getting around Nottingham
6. Neighbourhoods of Nottingham
7. Accommodation for students in Nottingham - Top tips and advice
8. Nightlife in Nottingham - A guide to nightclubs and going out in Nottingham (Part 1)
9. Nightlife in Nottingham - A guide to nightclubs and going out in Nottingham (Part 2)
10. Where to eat in Nottingham - Gastronomy in Nottingham
11. Top Nottingham attractions - Top things to do in Nottingham
12. Day Trips from Nottingham - Places to visit and excursions from Nottingham
13. Festivals in Nottingham - Festivities and celebrations calendar
14. Nottingham in 3 days - What to see in Nottingham in 3 days

Although Nottingham is brimming with its own life and soul, it’s sometimes nice to have a change of scenery. Let’s face it. You will never run out of options with so much around. As Nottingham is situated fairly close to the Peak District national park, you can enjoy the wildlife and tranquility. For thrill seekers, you have a theme park and tree top adventures and if you prefer to relax and pamper yourself, why not visit the spa? Visiting new places means embarking on new adventures and you are sure to have many.

Sherwood Forest

This forest is famous for its association with Robin Hood. You are probably familiar with Robin Hood but who exactly was he? Well, Robin Hood was supposedly a skilled archer and swordsman depicted as stealing from the rich to give to the poor. He supposedly had a band of merry men and they all lived in Sherwood Forest together. There are many films, books and plays about him. If you want to learn more, you can watch one of the film adaptations.

It attracts many tourists and you will also find the Major Oak here. You can also follow one of the walking trails, visit theGo Ape adventure parkand there are many events here all year round. TheAnnual Robin Hood Festival, for example, is from the 31st July until the 6th August.

There is no better way to see Sherwood forest than to go on a forest walk. From longer hikes to short strolls, you can find whatever best suits you. There are several short walks in the valley (2 - 3 miles), which can be an interesting experience as it is very different to the rest of Sherwood Forest. There are also many longer ones and if you do some research in advance, there can be a lot to see. For example, you can view the Major Oak, Worksop and Manor Farm. If you’re going on a longer hike, you can also plan out your route to have some pubs and teashops on the way if this is something that interests you.

Entrance to the park is free, it is open everyday from 10am until 5pm and there is a restaurant offering snacks, drinks, lunch and a carvery on Sundays.

To get there, you can catch a bus from the Victoria bus station. It is the bus ARROW and it takes 56 minutes to get there. It runs once every 2 hours.

The Major Oak

This enormous tree is situated in Sherwood Forest. The story goes that it was once Robin Hood’s hiding place and it now has to be supported with poles. After all, it is estimated to be between 800-1,000 years old and weighs an estimated 23 tonnes.

Go Ape

This treetop adventure park offers a treetop adventure and a forest segway. It is a great way of staying active and having fun at the same time; and it’s an excellent opportunity to further explore Sherwood Forest.

To get there, it is best to catch the pronto or pro bus to Mansfield from the Victoria Bus Station and then catch either the number 14, 15 or 15a from the Mansfield coach station. You should get off at Old Clipstone, Archway Road and from there, it is a 10 minute walk, more or less.

You can book online on the Go Ape site. The treetop adventure is £33 and the forest segway is £35.

The Peak District National Park

The Peak District national park covers 555 square miles over Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire. As a national park, all the wildlife is protected and conserved so you can continue to enjoy it for years to come. It is perfect to go on a bike ride, a walking trail or even just to sit on the grass, escape the city surroundings and take in the nature around you. There are many pretty villages around too, such as Bakewell where the traditional Bakewell tart comes from! Other places around to visit are Chatsworth House (a big stately home where Pride and Prejudice was filmed) and Carsington Water, a reservoir in Derbyshire.

Alton Towers

Alton Towers is an extremely popular amusement park with a theme park, a water park, a spa, mini golf and tree top adventure. The theme park is what really brings people to Alton Towers and the Water Park is worth a visit too. According to the website, it is possible to get student discounts for some attractions through the website studentbeans.com.

If you want to stay more than one day, there is a hotel and themed roomed available.

To get there, there is a bus which runs from Broadmarsh bus station, which drops you off directly at the park. However it doesn’t run often so it is best to check the schedule on Alton Towers site in advance. An adult return costs £15.

Alton Towers Theme Park

There are a number of different zones to visit, each with various attractions: Adventure Land, CBeebies Land, Cloud Cuckoo Land, Dark Forest, Gloomy Wood, Katanga Canyon, Mutiny Bay, The Gardens, The Towers, Towers Street and X-Sector. There are both rides for thrill-seekers and more family friendly rides. It depends which zone you go in. These include Galactica (a ride designed to simulate the virtual reality of being in space), oblivion (the world’s first vertical drop rollercoaster) and the Smiler (a rollercoaster with 14 hoops). Of course, there are rides for the more faint hearted too, such as the carousel and the Spinning Toadstool (swings that spin in the air). In addition to the rides, there are other attractions such as the towers (historical building), the gardens and the Skyride, allowing you to view the entire resort from the sky.

There are a variety of catering outlets (bringing food on site is not permitted), providing mostly fast food (such as pizza and fried chicken) and you can store your belongings in a locker, which is recommended as you aren’t permitted small items or bags on the rides A small locker costs £1 per hour or £5 per day and a large locker costs £2 per hour or £10 per day.

It is cheaper if you book in advance and there are often deals available (2 for 1, etc. so it is best to keep an eye out). For an adult, it costs £32 if you book five or more days in advance, £40 one - four days in advance and £52.80 on the day. You can also benefit from 2 day passes (there are hotels on site), short breaks and various annual passes with varying advantages, such as further discounts.

As Alton Towers theme park tends to get very busy, particularly during holidays and Summer, some people prefer to purchase a fast track pass, which means you can skip the queue. There are three on offer. The silver fast track pass costs £35 and is valid for 6 rices, the gold costs £55 and is valid for 13 and the platinum costs £95 and is valid for an unlimited amount of rides. These are all per person. There are also special events throughout the year, such as the Scarefest on Halloween.

Alton Towers Water Park

There is also the water park with lots of different slides and pools - including the water coaster! There are flash floods, a lazy river, a hot tub to relax in… and much more!

You can purchase food there (bringing food on site is not permitted), which includes sandwiches and fast food (burgers, etc. ). There are changing facilities and lockers onsite to store your belongings.

It is recommended to book in advance, as otherwise entry is not guaranteed. However, if you do purchase tickets on the day, tickets cost £17.50 and £15 in advance. If you have an annual pass, it is even cheaper.

Enchanted Forest Tree Top Quest

This woodland adventure features two rope courses: one high up and one lower down for children and people who don’t like heights. The low ropes adventure lasts for in between half an hour and 45 minutes and the high ropes adventure last up to an hour.

The low ropes course costs £20 and the high ropes costs £25, with a 25% discount if you have an annual pass.

Alton Towers Spa

What better way to relax than a trip to the spa? The spa offers a wide range of treatments which you can book in advance on the phone. You can also have lunch and afternoon tea.

Extraordinary Golf

There are two crazy courses with 9 holes each. You can do just one course or both of them. It costs £4 for 9 holes and £5 for 18. You can obtain a discount with the annual pass.

Newstead Abbey

Newstead Abbey is a stunning historic house located in Nottinghamshire. The great romantic poet Lord Byron lived there at various times from 1808 up until 1814. It was founded as a monastic house in the late 12th century and still retains many of it’s medieval characteristics to this day. There are also Victorian features, as after Lord Byron sold the house in 1818, the families that went on to live there left their mark. There are many items in the house that have survived through the ages along with the house.

The Byron Collection

This is a collection of Lord Byron’s possessions. It includes letters written by the poet himself, manuscripts, portraits, furniture, his former desk and more.

Newstead Abbey Gardens

The perfect setting for a Summer’s day outing, the Newstead Abbey Gardens are simply magnificent. Every season brings a different side out and they can be appreciated no matter the time of year.

Inside the gardens you will find the garden lake, to which the gardens owe much of their beauty; the Byron’s oak, the remains of an oak tree planted by Lord Byron; the Stew pond; the Fernery, containing different species and varieties of fern; the Japanese garden; Venetia’s garden which was inspired by a wild garden in Benjamin Disraeli’s romantic novel Venetia, published in 1837; the American garden; the rose garden and many more gardens.

There are also temporal exhibitions, as well as a cafe, a playground and a shop.

The grounds and cafe are open everyday from 10am - 4pm. However the house is only open on weekends from 12pm - 4pm, although it does open some bank holiday Mondays also from 12pm - 4pm. Admission to the house for concessions is £6 so bring your student card.

To get there, you can catch a bus from the Victoria bus station in the city centre. It takes 25 minutes and it runs very regularly, stopping off at the Newstead Abbey gates. It is a Trent Barton operated bus called the pronto and you can find the timetable on TrentBarton site.

Southwell Minster

Southwell Minster is supposedly one of England’s best kept cathedrals. It has a rich history and it’s first church is thought to date back to 672 although it’s current Romanesque structure came to be as it is today 900 years ago. Located in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, Southwell Minster came to be a cathedral for both Nottinghamshire and a part of Derbyshire (including the city of Derby) in 1884. However the diocese was divided in 1927 and the Diocese of Derby was formed.

It has survived through many periods of history and King Charles the first was captured there during the English Civil War (the building was also damaged during this period). In 1711, the southwest spire was actually struck by lightning and there was a fire as a consequence, which destroyed roofs, bells, the clock and the organ. It was repaired quickly afterwards and further restored later on so you can still see the cathedral in all of it’s glory today.

There is a theological library, as well as a historical library which you can book a visit too. There are often themed displays too. It has had a library since before the Civil War and it currently has around 1,200 titles dating from the 14th Century and after.

There is often music in the chambers on a Sunday evening with different types of music. There have been violinists, guitar players and sopranos. Admission is free and refreshments are served from 7pm. If you’re interested in the concerts but would rather go during the day, this is entirely possible. Concerts take place on many Fridays from 12.15 with artists coming to play from all over the country. You can buy refreshments too (sandwiches at £1.50 and drinks at £1). Again, entry is free and concerts last for around 45 minutes.

Additionally, there are often craft fairs and food and drink fairs. There is always a craft fair before Winter which provides the perfect opportunity to buy some special, individualised Christmas gifts. Some of the fairs ask for a donation for entry (usually £3).

It is open every day of the year from 8am - 7pm in Summer and from 8am - 6.30pm in Winter.

The Refectory

Here you can purchase refreshments. There are drinks as well as food (jacket potatoes, paninis, pasta, etc. ).

It is open Monday - Saturday, from 9.30am - 5pm (4.30pm January - March) and on Sunday, from 12.30pm - 4.30pm.

If you would prefer to bring a picnic, there is an area ideal for exactly this.

The cathedral shop

The shop sells locally made products from the UK, which include cards and gifts.

It is open Monday - Saturday from 9.30am - 5pm and Sunday from 12.30pm - 4.30pm.

To get there, there is a bus leaving from the Victoria bus station in the city centre. The bus takes 42 minutes although it isn’t the most regular so it is best to check the schedule in advance. It is the number 100 bus ran by Nottingham City Transport. It costs £4.15 for a single, £6 for a return or £6 for an all day ticket.

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