The best guided tours in Newcastle

Spring and summer are the seasons for exploring a new destination on a city break. To help you get below the surface of our canny city and surrounding areas, there are plenty of excellent and award-winning guided tours to choose from. We thought we'd help you narrow down your options in Newcastle, Gateshead and the wider north east with a round-up of 12 of the best guided tours. 

First-timers to Newcastle and Gateshead will find their feet by immersing themselves in the toon with a guided walking tour or whizzing around the city on the Toon Tour bus, while old hats will find creative ways to uncover something new about their much-loved city with the help of a raft of knowledgeable and friendly guides. Get ready to discover the hidden histories, unpick the layers of heritage and familiarise yourself with NewcastleGateshead this summer.

We have pulled together a list of 12 of the best guided tours that take place in NewcastleGateshead, from the more traditional heritage walking tour to those which are a little more unusual! There are guided tours for those looking for the historical nitty gritty and for those of you who would prefer to eat their way to familiarity, we've got that covered too. 

Here are 12 ways to go behind the scenes, get active, get outdoors and get discovering in NewcastleGateshead this summer...

Rest your legs while you build up to a walking tour and hop on Go North East's NewcastleGateshead Toon Tour sightseeing bus. Loop your way around the city, Quayside and Gateshead and see the city from high up. This is a brilliant way for any first timers to the region to get your bearings and an opportunity to spot some of the region's landmarks including the Tyne Bridge, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and Grey's Monument. The Toon Tour bus is also a great way for families with children to explore the city as everyone will enjoy the bus ride as well as being delivered to the door of attractions like Life Science Centre, Seven Stories and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. There is an easy-to-us app which makes your trip really straightforward and with buses running daily from 28 May - 4 September, there are plenty of chances to hop on and off (between 10am - 5pm!).

Newcastle City Guides are a friendly bunch of volunteers who are ready to take you on a fascinating walking tour this summer. These passionate guides know all there is to know about the city, its history and what you should be looking out for on your visit. Whether this is your first time in Newcastle or you have been hundreds of times before, we guarantee you will discover something new about the city. Book onto the daily City Highlights Tours which run throughout the summer from 1 May - 31 October at 10.30am each day and cost just £5 per person. The walking tour will last approximately 1.5 hours and starts in the heart of the city inside Central Arcade. You need to book in advance.

How do you fancy a walking tour fuelled by excellent local food? Triple A Tours is an award-winning, independent company in Newcastle which offers some of the very best food tours. Join Amy or one of her team of guides to discover more about Newcastle as you explore the top restaurants and street food scene. You will be sampling tasty cuisine as you go! The Taste of Newcastle tour is our top recommendation for newbies to the city but you might also love venturing into Ouseburn or along the Northumberland coastline to experience a range of food tours which showcase the impressive food and drink on offer across the breadth of the North East.  

Iles Tours is another excellent independent tour company which has a raft of tours to choose from which will help you explore and experience Newcastle and the wider North East. We've picked out their Newcastle Gory Tour as a highlight which is perfect for those who have a penchant for all things creepy! Expect ghost stories, gruesome histories and eye-opening tales on this 90-minute guided walk around the city. These tours are ran throughout the days so we promise you won't be too scared! Alternatively, Iles Tours' Newcastle History Tour will give you a whistlestop summary of Newcastle's heritage from the Romans right up to the modern day. 

Go behind the scenes at the home of Newcastle United Football Club and learn more about the city's iconic stadium - St James' Park. The 90-minute guided stadium tours are ideal for sports fans visiting the city and will give you a chance to stand pitchside, pop into the changing rooms and discover the history of the club. Newcastle United Football Club celebrates its 140th birthday in 2022 so what better time to take a guided tour at the stadium? 

The active learners out there will appreciate an opportunity to get their heart racing while you are guided along the River Tyne. Award-winning organisation CBK Adventure Co invite you on a guided tour with a difference. This summer, paddle down the River Tyne in a kayak whilst you learn about the Tyne Bridges and Quayside. The Tyne Bridges and Quayside Kayak Tour is available on a range of dates between May and August - predominately Fridays to Sundays but have a look at their website directly for the odd midweek date and to check availability. Priced at £54 per person it is a physical work out as well as a fascinating tour of Newcastle. 

Newcastle is a city packed with art and culture and those who love a visit to the theatre should definitely factor in this next guided tour. Go behind the scenes at Tyne Theatre and Opera House - a theatre located in a Grade 1 listed building in the centre of Newcastle which has a history dating back over 150 years. Discover the stories from the stage and take a look at the original Victorian understage machinery as you are taken behind the scenes. The one-hour tours run on the first Saturday of the month at 11am with bookings currently available on 7 May and 4 June 2022. Check back for more dates as they are announced.

Go beneath the city with a guided tour of Victoria Tunnels. Join the expert volunteers at Victoria Tunnel in Ouseburn and don a helmet before setting off on a fascinating, underground guided tour. Experience the sounds of a wartime air raid and follow your knowledgeable guides underground to discover the Tunnel's role as a colliery wagonway. Victoria Tunnel Tours are very popular so if you are planning a visit to Newcastle this summer, make sure you book your tour in advance. 

Newcastle Tour Company invite you on a spine-chilling True Crime Tour which takes place every Friday evening at 7pm. The walking tour which lasts approximate 90 minutes and costs £15 per person will shine a light on the murky history of the city from bodysnatching to witches, crime and grime. Ooh er! On a lighter note, Newcastle Tour Company have other great private tours ideal for a large group including their 'Sophisticated' Pub Tour where you will learn the heritage behind the toon's famous Newcastle Brown Ale and frequent at least five of the city's excellent pubs. Discover, learn, wander and most importantly - have a taste!

You cannot fault Lundgren Tours for their commitment. The award-winning tour company promise you an immersive experience complete with costumes! Ideal for daytrippers who would like to explore the coast and countryside outside Newcastle and the city. Lundgren's Viking Tour takes you on a fascinating tour of Lindisfarne (Holy Island) of the coast of Northumberland while the Game of Thrones tour of Hadrian's Wall will be one for the 'gram! 

ITV's unstoppable fictional detective Vera Stanhope has been sleuthing her way around the North East for over a decade. The popular protagonist, who started out as a character in the book series by author Ann Cleaves, has now reached dizzying heights of fame with the accolade of a special guided tour dedicated to the crime tv series. Fans of the crime drama can book a Vera Half Day Tour to explore the Newcastle-based film locations or Vera Full Day Tours which are in the Northumberland locations.