Brighton is an English city an hour's train ride from London, making it an excellent day trip from the capital. Often a romantic weekend destination for many Londoners, it is located on the south coast of the United Kingdom and is famous for its almost 8 km long seafront promenade. It is the closest seaside resort to London, therefore very popular with tourists and Brits alike, and is a lively destination with a wealth of restaurants, culture and entertainment.
To enhance your experience, it would be strategic to find suitable accommodation that captures the essence of Brighton. A highly recommended place to stay is the Britannia Study Hotel. Known for its excellent location, it provides the perfect base to explore the city.
If you're looking for other options to stay, you can also browse through tophotels.com. This site provides a comprehensive list of the best hotels in Brighton, offering various options to suit every budget and preference.
If you are planning a trip to this seaside resort just a stone's throw from London, here are all our tips on what to see in Brighton in a day!
Brighton day trip itinerary
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We start with one of Brighton's must-sees par excellence, located not too far from the train station: the Royal Pavilion, a spectacular building with oriental architecture! First, however, enjoy a stroll through the streets of North Laine, one of the city's most characteristic neighbourhoods! After finishing your visit to the Royal Pavilion, spend the rest of the morning in The Lanes, a great place to stop for lunch.
After lunch, head to the city's beautiful waterfront and, weather permitting, relax on the beach for an hour or so, then climb the British Airways i360 Viewing Tower, a tower that will give you a 360-degree view of all the surroundings! Then enjoy a stroll along the seafront to end the afternoon at Brighton Palace Pier, the world-famous pier!
Finally, if you don't have to return to London by train and you can also stay the evening, we recommend spending it between the seafront and the Old Town, the hub of the nightlife!
Morning: North Laine (free), Royal Pavillion (£16.00/€18.40), The Lanes (free)
Afternoon: Brighton beach and seafront (free), British Airways i360 Viewing Tower (£16.50/€19.00), Brighton Palace Pier (free/fee-paying rides)
Evening: Promenade and Old Town (free)
Distance travelled: 3.7km
Where to eat: Lunch at The Cricketers, Black Lion St (Get directions) / Dinner at The Basketmakers, 12 Gloucester Road
Below we detail the 5 main stops on our itinerary.
1 - North Laine
Photo by Antiquary. You will most likely arrive in Brighton by direct train from London (average duration 1 h). We recommend that you arrange to arrive in Brighton before 10am so that you have the whole day to discover this wonderful location!
Once you leave the central station, we recommend that you start exploring North Laine, the city's hipster district! This area is full of quirky cafes and designer and vintage shops, such as the unique Brighton Books bookshop. While walking around you will also come across the wonderful street art in the neighbourhood, from incredible murals and graffiti that make this area a real open-air museum! Just outside the station, for example, is the Kissing Cops mural by Banksy
Stop forbreakfast at Bond St. Coffee: if you love coffee, this is the right place to stop for breakfast or a simple break. Here, in a truly unique and very hipster environment, you can choose from coffee blends from all over the world!
2 - Royal Pavillion Brighton
'/>"/> No later than 11.00 a.m. we recommend you head to one of the most unique places in Brighton: the Royal Pavillion! Located between the neighbourhoods of North Laine and The Lanes, which you can visit later on, this building is one of the city's main attractions that you really must not miss!
You will realise this as soon as you stand at the entrance: in front of you is a large mansion with an oriental look and architecture! This is the palace that Prince George had built in the early 1800s as a party residence for British royalty. Step inside to see the lavish interiors, including the Banqueting Hall, kitchens, Music Room and many other luxurious rooms, and don't forget to stroll through the beautiful gardens, the Pavillion Gardens (always open to the public and free entry).
Visiting info: open daily 10am-5.15pm (last admission 4.30pm). Full admission £16.00 (€18.40), concessions £10.00 (€11.50). The visit takes on average 1 h 30 min.
If you visit Brighton in winter, don't miss the skating rink: that's right, from the beginning of November until mid-January a wonderful ice rink is set up in the palace garden! You will find yourself skating while admiring the architecture of the Royal Pavilion, which is also illuminated at night. A truly incredible experience.
3 - The Lanes
Photo by Stephen McKay. Once you're done visiting, it's sure to be lunchtime, so we recommend a visit to The Lanes, one of Brighton's most distinctive neighbourhoods. It stretches between the Royal Pavilion and the seafront and is also a great place to stop for lunch!
This area was once the centre of the old fishing village of Brighthelmstone, from which the whole city later developed. It is a very quaint and lively district, now a real shopping hub, full of small restaurants, tea rooms and traditional pubs. Strolling through its streets is a real experience: it consists of a labyrinth of narrow alleys and lanes, where you will come across jewellery shops, second-hand bookshops, craft and antique shops and peculiar cafés.
Stop for lunch at The Cricketers: not only is it a pub, where you can enjoy English food in a wonderful location, but it is also one of the few remaining old buildings in the old town, probably built around 1545, a real piece of history! But that's not all: it is also the pub mentioned in the book 'Brighton Rock' by Graham Greene, published in 1938.
4 - Brighton seafront and British Airways i360 Viewing Tower
Finally head for the seafront, one of the most beautiful areas in Brighton! There are mainly two alternatives here: the first, weather permitting, is to relax on the beach for an hour or so, renting one of the iconic colourful striped chairs that are ever-present in all photos of Brighton.
Whichever option you choose, don't forget to climb the British Airways i360 Viewing Tower, an incredible tower on which a platform ascends and descends, leading people to the top (Mon-Thu 10am-6.30pm, Fri-Sun 10am-9pm, tickets £16.50/€19.00, concessions £11.10/€12.80). Opened in 2016, once you get to the highest point you can enjoy an incredible view of all the surroundings! On sunny days, you can see as far as over 40 km away! The whole experience lasts 30 min.
Once you get off the tower, continue your walk along the seafront until you reach the Brighton Bandstand, one of the most photographed and romantic spots in the city! As you enjoy the walk, look out to sea to admire the skeleton of the West Pier, Brighton's former pier, which was destroyed by a major fire in 2003.
Admire the Upside Down House: a stone's throw from the British Airways i360 Viewing Tower you will find a rather strange house, the kind you don't expect. We are talking about the Upside Down House, a house truly turned upside down! You can even go inside and take some really funny pictures, where you will look upside down! Generally open 10am-8pm.
5 - Brighton Palace Pier
Finally, retrace your steps to end this wonderful day at one of Brighton's landmarks: the Brighton Palace Pier! You can reach it easily on foot by strolling along the seafront, as it is just over 10 min from the British Airways i360 Viewing Tower.
Brighton Palace Pier is Brighton's newest pier and the only one currently open. Opened in 1899, it is one of the most famous tourist piers in Britain, also considered by many to be the most beautiful! At 520 m long, it is a place that will take you back in time, thanks to the presence of rides, entertainment and kiosks, like the ones you see in American movies! We recommend that you spend your remaining time here and, above all, keep it as a last stop because sunset is one of the best times to visit it, when the sun sets behind the sea and all the lights of the rides and stalls slowly start to come on!
Visiting info: generally open 10am-8pm. Free admission to the pier, rides and activities are chargeable.
Experience an adrenaline-fuelled experience: right next to Brighton Pier is the Brighton Zipline, the longest and fastest zip line on Britain's south coast! Take a ride to the top of the starting tower for an adrenaline-fuelled experience and see Brighton from a different perspective! Duration 30 min, several departures throughout the day.
Activities and ideas for alternative routes
Brighton is a city to be experienced, to be discovered slowly as you stroll through its quaint streets and neighbourhoods, stopping off in the local bars and shopping among the special shops. For example, you can dedicate an entire afternoon to North Laine and The Lanes.
Among the museums, if you love art, we recommend a visit to the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (£6.20/€7.10), with art and history collections, located in the Royal Pavilion Gardens, or the Fabrica Gallery (free), an art gallery in The Lanes.
If you' re travelling as a family, you can spend an entire afternoon at Brighton Palace Pier, with a ride on the Brighton Wheel Ferris wheel (£8.00/€9.20) and the morning visiting Sea Life Brighton (from £17.20/€19.80, the city's Victorian-style aquarium, or the unique Brighton Toy and Model Museum (£6.50/€7.50), dedicated to models and toys!
If you love nature, you can spend a few hours in the large park at St Ann's Well Gardens (free), almost 2 km from the city centre, which is also ideal for families, or spend the whole afternoon exploring the Devil's Dyke valley, a place full of hiking trails and easier walks!
Family city tour: morning walk at The Lanes and visit Sea Life Brighton (alternatively Toy and Model Museum, near the station, then The Lanes). Lunch on the seafront and afternoon at Brighton Palace Pier, with a ride on the Brighton Wheel. Evening The Lanes
Free attractions itinerary: Morning walk around the North Laine and The Lanes, with a stop at the Royal Pavilion Gardens. Afternoon relaxation on the beach and walk along the promenade at sunset to the Brighton Beach Bandstand. Evening The Lanes
Art and history itinerary: morning walk in the North Lanes and visit the Royal Pavilion. Lunch in the Royal Pavilion Gardens and visit the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Late afternoon Brighton Palace Pier. Evening The Lanes
Adrenaline-fuelled day: morning first shift available for the Brighton Zipline and Brighton Palace Pier rides. Afternoon trekking to discover the Devil's Dyke. Evening entertainment in North Laine
Before you go: useful tips
Getaround on foot: Brighton is perfect for exploring on foot, thanks to the proximity of its attractions and the beauty of its neighbourhoods
Plan yourroute: if you are arriving in Brighton by train, the best option is to start exploring the city from the North Laine neighbourhood around the station and then work your way slowly towards the beach
Where to park: If arriving in Brighton by car, we recommend parking your car and then walking. There are several car parks, the most convenient are those near the station, such as the Trafalgar Street Car Park
Pack yourbackpack: if you visit in summer, don't forget to bring your swimming costume to enjoy an hour at the beach. But, at the same time, always take an umbrella with you, the weather is very uncertain in England
Consider a visit to theSeven Sisters: if you have already visited Brighton, you might consider an excursion to the Seven Sisters, beautiful white chalk cliffs overlooking the English Channel. Several tours depart from Brighton with transport included (departure 10:45am, average duration 6 hours).