Glorious sandy beaches abound, but Norfolk has much more to offer than just its spectacular coastline. Peaceful flint villages, quiet lanes and green paths that run around the grounds of large estates offer many opportunities for walking, cycling and leisurely touring by car.
There are also plenty of opportunities to get out on the water. The small village of Morston is the well-known starting point for boat trips to see the seals sunbathing on Blakeney Point, but you can also take excursions to explore the harbor and creeks of Wells-next-the-Sea or hire a boat on the Broads .
But it's not just about the outdoors. If the weather lets you down, you can visit the beautiful houses in the region. There's privately owned Holkham and Houghton, and the National Trust properties Blickling, Felbrigg and Oxburgh, where elegant interiors and unique exhibitions go hand in hand with family activities and cozy cafes.
The Georgian market towns of Holt and Burnham Market are ideal places to stock up on local produce, including seafood, cheeses and honey, before settling down in your cozy fisherman's cottage, stylishly converted barn or spacious country house.
For more razzamatazz, attend one of the region's colorful fairs, which take place in the larger seaside resorts in high season. Or go back and introduce the kids to the simple art of "gillying" (catching crabs with baited lines before they can dive back into the sea).
Cozy, flint-built pubs with traditional wooden floors and exposed beams offer local ales and tempting menus, and it's well worth a trip inland to the region's cathedral city of Norwich, with its impressive Norman castle tower and medieval streets.
We've picked ten of the best ways to enjoy what Norfolk has to offer this summer, from a newly opened coastal path to a sailing trip on the Broads on a traditional wherry.
Get back to nature
Pensthorpe, a 700-acre family-friendly nature reserve near Fakenham, is new for 2024 and offers pop-up glamping during the school holidays. Six bell-shaped tents sleep up to five people with one double and three single beds, and 24 tent pitches have solar-powered showers and toilets, plus a café and shop.
The price includes a two-day entry ticket to the nature reserve, including the indoor and outdoor play areas for up to five guests (worth £169.50) and the arrival day is Tuesday or Friday.
Walk the walk
A new stretch of coastal path spanning more than 53 miles has been opened to walkers in West Norfolk. It links Hunstanton to Sutton Bridge in Lincolnshire and is part of the 4,700 kilometer King Charles III Coast Path. It includes 7 miles of new access between Snettisham and King's Lynn.
The route passes through the Sandringham Estate and along the edge of The Wash, with its far-reaching sea views and excellent birdwatching terrain. Base yourself in King's Lynn with its fascinating maritime history and seventeenth century Custom House.
Visit a stately sculpture park
This year there is a special exhibition of sculptor Antony Gormley's large-scale installations in the grounds and elegant rooms of Houghton Hall, one of Norfolk's finest stately homes.
The house was built for Sir Robert Walpole, Britain's first Prime Minister, and other highlights include the walled garden and permanent display of model soldiers. A café in the stable courtyard serving light lunches and teas. The 'Time Horizon' exhibition (running until October 31, 2024) features 100 life-size sculptures, some fully visible, others partially buried.
Go out to sea
Book a trip on Lucy Lavers, a former RNLI lifeboat through Curlew Coastal Charters, departing from Wells-next-the-Sea harbour.
One of the fleet used for the Dunkirk evacuations in May 1940 during World War II. Her restoration included a new curved mahogany canopy and mast. Be sure to see Ernest Tom Neathercoat, a lifeboat that visited Wells between 1965 and 1990.
Enjoy some family fun
The Gone Wild festival, led by survival expert Bear Grylls, is launching in Norfolk for the first time this year, with four days of non-stop family activity in the grounds of Holkham Hall in August. It offers more than 100 activities, including circus skills, quad biking, sailing, martial arts workshops and survival skills.
Speakers include explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and world triathlon champion Helen Jenkins. Bands McFly and Scouting for Girls will perform and camping sites are included in the festival ticket price (pre-erected bell tents, tepees or yurts are also available).
Be the king of the castle
The Norman keep of Norwich Castle will reopen this summer after a major £15 million renovation supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund. The keep dates back to the time of William the Conqueror and was completed by Henry I in 1121. It has been a prominent landmark of the city for over 900 years.
A new Gallery of Medieval Life displays more than 1,000 artefacts, including loans from the British Museum. Other highlights include audiovisual projections in the Great Hall and virtual reality headsets.
Get on your bike
Quiet country lanes, flower-filled villages and gently undulating terrain make for relaxing and scenic cycle routes. Activities specialist Inntravel's self-guided route from Snettisham takes in some of Norfolk's most picturesque places, including Sandringham, Holkham, Blakeney and Cley-next-the-Sea.
Prices are approximately 20 miles per day and include bicycle rental, helmet rental and luggage transfers with accommodation in comfortable inns and guesthouses.
Watch the birds
Norfolk is one of the most outstanding regions in Britain for birds, insects and plants. Wildlife Worldwide offers expert-led tours along the coast and inland, including the moorland of the Broads and further west to the Brecks, a vast area of heath and marsh.
One of the best times to visit is early summer for huge breeding colonies of gulls and terns and in the autumn months for migratory birds and waders including godwits, sandpipers, curlews and knots.
Get on the water
Wherry yachts traditionally carried goods across the Broads in the seventeenth century, but these gaff-rigged freight boats with a large single sail were converted into pleasure boats by the Edwardians and Victorians.
There are now only a handful of wherries left and most are maintained and operated by the Wherry Yacht Charter, a charity based in Wroxham, near Norwich. Equipped with cabins, galley kitchens, toilets and basic showers, they are available for day trips or overnight stays.
Go back in time
At the heart of almost every Norfolk village is an attractive medieval church, usually built of flint and often with beautiful features, perhaps beautiful stained glass, an original hammer-beam roof, intricately carved misericords or an ancient stone font.
Ace Cultural Tours organizes a highlights tour in the company of an expert guide from a comfortable hotel base near Norwich. Highlights include the rood screen at St Helen's Church in Ranworth and the murals at St Andrew's Church in Wickhampton.
