Brighton, a favourite seaside town of every Londoner, is definitely worth a visit. There are quite a few historical attractions, and the natural sights are spectacular – and it’s just under an hour from London by train!
You can come here for a swim if you’re brave enough or for the colourful swimming booths, or for some delicious seafood, which you can find literally in every restaurant. Or you can come here just to spend time well! See the list of must-dos in Brighton: make sure you don’t miss a thing from this list.
You can also travel around the seacoast and go for instance to Seven Sisters or other white cliffs – a famous and scenery-defining sight of the South of England.
1. i360
i360 is a fantastic viewing platform bringing guests from the sea level up to the skies.
It is 162 metres high and is made of 17 steel cans connected together, and visitors get a 360 degrees view from the glass pod. And there’s a Nyetimber bar there too!
And the views over Brighton and the white cliffs are incredible!
After the experience, you can also attend a small exhibition on how the tower was constructed, and shop in the thematic shop there too.
2. SEA LIFE Brighton
Did you know that SEA LIFE Brighton (former Brighton Aquarium) is the oldest continuously operating aquarium in the world? It is located just across the road from the Brighton pier and 5 min walk from the Royal pavilion.
The interior of the arcades now is fully restored as it was in the 19th century, and the aquarium was enlarged acquiring properties around. Now you can see sharks, turtles, sea horses, sting rays and dozens of other species, and even take a ride on a glass boat!
3. Royal pavilion
The Royal Pavilion is not only a unique site of Brighton but of all the UK! The construction of Brighton Pavilion was initiated by King George IV (then George, Prince of Wales) in 1787 because he was ‘sent’ out to the seaside to have some time-outs by his father, King George III.
Although on the outside this pavilion looks more Indian, on the inside was influenced solely by Chinese tradition. Just look at those stunning interiors!
King William IV also loved the Royal pavilion however Queen Victoria didn’t enjoy it very much as she had little privacy here and limited space for her family members so she sold it. Eventually the pavilion was bought by Brighton town with an idea to convert it into a tourist attraction, and former stables were redesigned to hold concerts (now it’s a concert hall called the Brighton Dome).
If you’re visiting with kids, they have a special dragon trail and even children’s audio guide! And you can easily guess why – there are dragons everywhere, and in addition there are soft toys of dragons are hidden in different spaces.
The symbol of this pavilion is cat George – I remember us buying a book about it 5-6 years ago during one of our previous trip to Brighton. You can buy some souvenirs and soft toy cat George and have some tea at the end of the route.
Royal pavilion gardens are a perfect place for a picnic or a stroll, and you can also have a tea with a cake at the Royal Pavilion Tea house!
Sadly, the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery located nearby was closed during our visits as the roof needs some restoration.
4. North Laine
The North Laine is the main destination for small cafes and shopping from small businesses in Brighton.
It’s a colourful and unique area of the town close to the train station where you can buy literally everything you can think of: books, vintage clothes, jewellery, musical instruments, and even bonsai! And yes, you can get a piercing or tattoo or a haircut here too.
5. Brighton Palace Pier
And of course don’t skip the famous Brighton palace pier! Now you have to pay 1£ to enter it.
It was constructed in 1899 and although it was actually a third pier in Brighton, today it’s the only one in operation (you can however still spot the metal framework of the West Pier built in 1866)
It has lots of cafes with donuts and churros, shops with souvenirs and arcades, and above all, it’s the best spot to watch starling murmuration in winter!
6. Brighton seafront promenade and Upside down house
The main thing many people come to Brighton for is its beach with round pebbles and naughty seagulls stealing your food. And some delicious food of course! Just come to the promenade in a short walk from the train station – but be ready to throw something on as it might be pretty windy even on a sunny day.
Stroll along the seafront promenade, take a seat and watch the waves or even swim – that’s what Brighton is famous for in the first place!
There are quite a few hotels and the restaurants along the promenade as well (however I must note that we didn’t enjoy the Double tree hotel by Hilton much: the property was nice although the services were not).
And by the way, you can spot a very unusual sight while walking along the seashore. It’s Upside down house near the i360 observation tower! There are a few of such houses throughout the UK, and you can visit it as a fun attraction or just see it from outside and use it as an unusual photo spot.
7. Victoria Fountain
Victoria Fountain is located in Old Steine Gardens, and it has just recently been restored. Just look at those pretty dolphins there supporting a basin! This fountain was inaugurated in 1846 marking the 27th birthday of Queen Victoria.
Bonus:
And of course don’t forget about the food! The Ivy or the Côte if you prefer something you know already, the Browns, the Salt Room or one of the numerous small spots along the promenade.., There are plenty of options!
Here you can read more about the Great Britain.
Hope you liked my blog,
Yours,
Anna xxx
