Things to Do in Whitley Bay: 10 Days Out, Prices Checked

Whitley Bay packs a lot into two miles of coast: a golden beach with a 1910 pleasure palace at one end and a lighthouse on its own tidal island at the other, with an all-year ice rink, a pay-what-you-like cinema and a refurbished seafront theatre in between. Walk ten minutes further south and you are in Cullercoats and Tynemouth, which this page treats as part of the same day out, because the Metro and the coast path make them so.

Every venue below was checked against its own website before this page went up, so the times, prices and booking rules are what the operators themselves publish. Where a venue does not publish a detail, we say so rather than guess. Prices change, so the source link is there for each one.

Whitley Bay days out at a glance

The beach, the Links and the Northern Promenade

Start with the thing that costs nothing. Whitley Bay’s sands run north from the town towards St Mary’s Island, backed by the Northern Promenade and the grassy Links, and the whole stretch is an easy, flat walk with the Dome at one end and the lighthouse at the other. It is the best free day out in North Tyneside, and on a clear evening the light on the island is the reason half the town’s postcards exist. No tickets, no times, just check the weather.

Spanish City

The white Dome at the heart of the seafront opened in 1910 and reopened in 2018 after restoration; it calls itself the North East’s most iconic venue with some justification. Inside it is now a dining destination rather than a funfair: 1910 Restaurant for fine dining, Trenchers for fish and chips (a former UK fish and chip restaurant of the year), Valerie’s Tearoom and a champagne bar (Spanish City).

Walking into the building costs nothing; you pay when you eat. Book a table through the site or on 0191 691 7090, with phone lines open 10am to 8pm (Spanish City). Trenchers also runs click and collect if you would rather take your fish and chips onto the Links (Trenchers).

St Mary’s Lighthouse

At the north end of the bay, the 1898 lighthouse stands on a tidal island reached by a causeway that disappears at high tide. It worked until 1984 and is now a visitor centre run by North Tyneside Council: climb the 137 steps to the lantern room and the view runs from the North Yorkshire coast to the Cheviots on a clear day (Visit North Tyneside).

Entry to the lighthouse is £4.30 for adults, £2.20 for children and concessions, £10.00 for a family of four (Visit North Tyneside). The council does not publish a fixed timetable because opening follows the tides: check tide times before you set off, and treat the causeway with respect, because the tide comes in faster than you expect. Walking over to the island at low tide is free; you only pay to go inside.

Whitley Bay Ice Rink

The rink on Hillheads Road is the only public ice rink in the North East, open all year, and home of the Whitley Warriors. Public skating runs every day, 10am to noon, with afternoon sessions daily and evening sessions most nights, including a Friday disco session (Whitley Bay Ice Rink).

Prices: adult £10.00, child £9.50, students £9.50 off-peak, family ticket £34.00 for two adults and two children plus £14 skate hire; skate hire is £3.50 and spectators pay £2.00. There is no pre-booking, you simply turn up, and there is free parking at the rink (Whitley Bay Ice Rink).

Jam Jar Cinema

The independent cinema on Park Avenue was England’s first pay-as-you-please cinema, and it still works that way: pick £8, £9 or £11 for the same seat, whichever feels fair, with £9 the level the cinema asks you to aim for if you can (Jam Jar Cinema). The programme mixes first-run films with family matinees. Book online, or at the counter; there are deliberately no phone bookings, and doors open 30 minutes before each show (Jam Jar Cinema FAQs).

Whitley Bay Playhouse

The seafront theatre on Marine Avenue reopened after an £8.5 million refurbishment with a 638-seat auditorium and bars looking over the sea. The programme is touring music, comedy and family shows, ticketed per show and booked online (Whitley Bay Playhouse). August 2026 alone runs from Journey and Tina Turner tribute nights to an audience with Harry Redknapp in September, which is a fair sample of the range.

Cullercoats Bay and CBK Adventures

A mile south, Cullercoats is the sheltered horseshoe bay where generations of Tynesiders learned to swim. It is free, sandy and calmer than the main beach. On the bay, CBK Adventures runs kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, coasteering and guided coastal trips, plus equipment hire, a Finnish sauna and kids’ holiday camps, with its Kahvi coffee shop attached (CBK Adventures). Sessions are priced and booked through the site’s booking system, or on 0191 251 9412; conditions on the day decide what runs.

Tynemouth Priory and Castle

Two Metro stops down the coast, the ruined priory and castle stand on the headland above King Edward’s Bay, run by English Heritage. It opens 10am to 5pm in the current season, and admission on the day is £10.90 for adults, £5.40 for children (5 to 17) and £27.20 for a family of five, with about 15% off if you book online by midnight the day before, which brings an adult to £9.26 (English Heritage). Prices vary by date, so check the booking calendar for yours. Members go free. The clifftop position is the point: bring a coat even in August.

Tynemouth Aquarium

On Tynemouth’s Grand Parade, the seafront aquarium (formerly Blue Reef, now run as Tynemouth Aquarium) is open daily 10am to 5pm, every day except Christmas Day, with no last-entry cutoff (Tynemouth Aquarium). Standard tickets are £18.90 for adults, £14.40 for juniors (3 to 12), under 3s free, concessions £17.80 and a family of four £63.60 (prices). The seal shows, seal hospital and daily feeding talks are the draw for younger children, and an online ticket stays valid for one visit within six months, which is useful insurance against a sunny day turning you back to the beach.

Tynemouth Market

Under the glazed Victorian roof of Tynemouth Metro station, the weekend market runs every Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 3.30pm, with more than 150 stalls of vintage, antiques, jewellery and food (Tynemouth Market). Browsing costs nothing, and the station roof means it works in the rain, which makes it the standard wet-Sunday answer on this stretch of coast.

Making a day of it

The Metro is the connector: Whitley Bay, Cullercoats and Tynemouth stations string the three centres together, so you can do the lighthouse in the morning, fish and chips at the Dome, and the priory or the aquarium in the afternoon without moving the car. Our Metro times and fares page has the frequencies and day-ticket prices. If you are weighing up living here rather than visiting, the house prices page explains what the coast premium actually costs.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in Whitley Bay for free?

The beach, the Links and the Northern Promenade are free all year, Cullercoats Bay is free, browsing Tynemouth Market at the weekend is free, walking into the Spanish City Dome is free, and at low tide you can cross the causeway to St Mary’s Island without paying; the charge only applies to entering the lighthouse itself.

Is St Mary’s Lighthouse open every day?

No. Opening follows the tides, because the causeway floods at high water, so there is no fixed daily timetable. Entry is £4.30 for adults, £2.20 for children when open (Visit North Tyneside). Check tide times before you go.

How much is ice skating in Whitley Bay?

Public skating at Whitley Bay Ice Rink is £10 for adults and £9.50 for children, plus £3.50 skate hire, with a £34 family ticket for two adults and two children (plus £14 skate hire). Sessions run every day and you do not need to book (Whitley Bay Ice Rink).

What is at Spanish City now?

Restaurants and bars rather than fairground rides: 1910 Restaurant, Trenchers fish and chips, Valerie’s Tearoom and a champagne bar, inside the restored 1910 Dome (Spanish City). The building is free to walk into.

Is Tynemouth worth adding to a Whitley Bay day out?

Yes, and it is two Metro stops or a mile’s walk along the coast. The priory ruins (adult £10.90 on the day), the aquarium (adult £18.90, daily 10am to 5pm) and the weekend market under the station roof are all within ten minutes of Tynemouth Metro station.

When is Tynemouth Market on?

Every Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 3.30pm, inside Tynemouth Metro station, with 150-plus stalls (Tynemouth Market).

Sources

• Spanish City and Trenchers for the Dome’s restaurants and booking.
• Visit North Tyneside: St Mary’s Lighthouse for lighthouse prices and tidal access.
• Whitley Bay Ice Rink and its skating timetable for sessions and prices.
• Jam Jar Cinema and its FAQs for pay-as-you-please tiers and booking rules.
• Whitley Bay Playhouse for the programme.
• CBK Adventures for Cullercoats activities.
• English Heritage: Tynemouth Priory and Castle for opening and admission.
• Tynemouth Aquarium opening hours and prices.
• Tynemouth Market for market days and stalls.

Prices and times were checked on each operator’s own website in August 2026 and can change, especially between seasons. English Heritage prices vary by date. Always confirm on the linked page before you travel.