Serviced Apartments in Durham

Discover the best activities and attractions Durham has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (together with Durham Castle), is a Norman masterpiece and the city’s most iconic landmark. Its religious, architectural and cultural significance makes it a major draw for tourists, which in turn supports local hotels, cafes, shops and guided-tour businesses. The cathedral also anchors community life through concerts, exhibitions and educational programmes — helping sustain local employment in heritage and events, and raising Durham’s profile nationally and internationally.

Durham Botanic Garden (University of Durham)
The Botanic Garden offers beautifully tended plant collections, woodland walks and themed beds right on the city edge, serving both as a peaceful public park and an active educational resource for the university. It attracts families, school groups and horticulture enthusiasts, boosting visitor numbers to the city while providing volunteering, outreach and seasonal events that help local vendors and cafes. Its role in conservation, research and public engagement strengthens Durham’s reputation as a centre for science and nature education.

The Oriental Museum (Durham University)
The Oriental Museum is one of the UK’s key regional museums for Asian and Egyptian art and archaeology and is unique in the North East for its focus and collections. As a university museum it supports teaching and research while offering free or low-cost exhibits and family activities that draw school visits and cultural tourists. The museum helps diversify Durham’s cultural offer, encourages longer visitor stays, and supports the local economy through associated spending on dining and shopping.

Durham Market Place & Saddler Street (shopping and local food scene)
Durham’s Market Place and surrounding streets combine a long‑running market tradition with independent shops, artisan stalls and a growing number of cafes and restaurants. The market and high street are vital to the city centre economy, providing space for local producers, small businesses and seasonal events that attract residents and visitors alike. This concentration of retail and food offers supports jobs, promotes local food and craft producers, and keeps footfall flowing to adjacent cultural sites.

Durham Miners’ Gala (annual cultural event)
The Durham Miners’ Gala is a distinctive annual celebration of the county’s mining heritage — a spectacular parade of banners, brass bands and community groups that draws tens of thousands of people to the city. Beyond its cultural and political significance, the Gala generates a substantial short-term economic boost for accommodation, food and retail businesses, while reinforcing civic identity and community networks. Its unique combination of ritual, music and history helps keep Durham’s industrial past alive and attracts visitors who come specifically to experience something found rarely elsewhere.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Durham, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Rail (Durham station) - Serves the city on the East Coast Main Line with frequent regional and inter-city services (operators include LNER and Northern) giving direct and frequent connections to Newcastle, Darlington, York, Leeds and London King’s Cross; station is within easy walking distance of the city centre and University.
- Local buses - Dense local and regional bus network serving the city, university, suburbs and surrounding County Durham; services are run by operators such as Go North East (major operator) and other regional firms, with frequent routes on main corridors and more limited services evenings/weekends.
- Park & Ride services - Park-and-ride sites on approaches to the city provide frequent bus links into the centre to reduce city-centre traffic, aimed at commuters, shoppers and tourists (operated on scheduled timetables with seasonal variations).
- Coach & long-distance bus services - National and regional coach operators provide occasional direct and through services to major UK cities and airports (useful for lower-cost intercity travel and connections not covered by rail).
- Taxis and private hire / app-based services - Licensed taxis, private-hire vehicles and app-based ride-hailing operate across the city for on-demand point-to-point travel; taxi ranks located at the station and in the city centre.
- Community transport & accessible services - Community minibuses, volunteer car schemes and Dial-a-Ride style services support those with mobility needs and areas with limited scheduled bus coverage.

Major Highways
- A1(M) / A1 - Primary north–south trunk route providing rapid access north to Newcastle and south to Darlington and the national motorway network (A1(M) links further south to the M1 corridor).
- A690 - Major east–west route connecting Durham city centre to Sunderland, and to the A1/A1(M) routes; important for local commuting and regional access.
- A167 - Key local trunk road running through/near Durham and providing an alternative north–south link alongside the A1 corridor, connecting to Newcastle and Darlington.
- A689 - Connects Durham westwards to Bishop Auckland and the surrounding towns; important for local and cross-county trips.
- A688 / A177 (local arterial roads) - Series of arterial routes linking the city to nearby towns and rural areas, supporting commuter and freight movements across County Durham.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Cycle network & routes - A mixture of on-road cycle lanes, widened/shared-use footways and off-road greenway paths and signed cycle routes linking the city centre, university, suburbs and nearby villages (including connections into parts of the National Cycle Network); central Durham’s medieval streets limit segregation in places, but local councils have been improving routes, signage and bike parking to encourage active travel.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- Station area & accessibility improvements - Ongoing station and forecourt upgrades and better pedestrian links around Durham station aimed at improving interchange between rail, bus, walking and cycling and enhancing accessibility for passengers.
- Park-and-ride and bus service enhancements - Investment in park-and-ride capacity and timetable improvements to reduce city-centre congestion and provide more reliable, frequent public transport links (including targeted seasonal/tourist service upgrades).
- Highway & junction upgrades - Localised A1/A1(M) junction improvements, resurfacing and targeted capacity works on key approaches to Durham to improve traffic flow, safety and reliability on the primary road network.
- Active travel & cycling schemes - Delivery of local authority-funded active travel projects (cycle lane extensions, improved crossing points, secure cycle parking) backed by national government funds to encourage walking and cycling for short trips.
- Bus fleet & service modernisation - Gradual introduction of newer, lower-emission buses on some routes, digital ticketing improvements and real-time passenger information to make bus travel more attractive and reliable.
- EV charging & low-emission infrastructure - Expansion of public electric vehicle charging points across the city and council-led initiatives to support low-emission transport and future-proof commuter options.