{"id":902,"date":"2026-01-14T22:29:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T22:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/?p=902"},"modified":"2026-04-05T17:43:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T17:43:47","slug":"visit-hull-the-8-best-places-to-visit-in-east-yorkshires-wonderful-maritime-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/01\/14\/visit-hull-the-8-best-places-to-visit-in-east-yorkshires-wonderful-maritime-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit Hull \u2013 the 8 best places to visit in East Yorkshire\u2019s wonderful maritime city"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Now featuring on National Geographic\u2019s short list of \u2018best places to visit\u2019 for 2026, absorb Hull\u2019s 800 years of maritime past and soak up its vibrant culture.<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Hull day out UK\" data-id=\"905\" width=\"100\" data-init-width=\"1251\" height=\"121\" data-init-height=\"1511\" title=\"Hull day out UK\" src=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Hull-day-out-UK.png\" data-width=\"100\" data-height=\"121\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 1251 \/ 1511;\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Visit Hull!&nbsp; You won\u2019t be disappointed.&nbsp; Having been the UK city of culture in 2017, Hull has now made it onto the National Geographic\u2019s list of \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/travel\/article\/best-of-the-world-2026\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">The best places in the world to travel to in 2026<\/a>\u2019.&nbsp; Hull is rich in maritime history and ranked among the world\u2019s most active whaling ports in the 19th century.&nbsp; Hull remained a major centre for fishing and maritime trade and its 800 years of seafaring is still evident today in many of the best sites to visit in Hull.<\/p>\n<p>Hull has historically got a bit of a bad rep in the UK. &nbsp;Poet Philip Larkin, who lived in Hull, described it as &#8220;a frightful dump, chilly and smelling of fish.&#8221;. &nbsp;But Hull is now a vibrant city after a period of resurgence following decline from its maritime heyday, and I wished I could have spent longer exploring the maritime city.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This<strong> <\/strong>guide on how the 8 best places to visit in Hull will cover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#tve-jump-19bbe9da2be\" style=\"outline: none;\">How to get to Hull<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/?p=902&amp;tve=true&amp;tcbf=89a5e72cf8#tve-jump-19bbe9eafb9\" style=\"outline: none;\">How to get around Hull<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#tve-jump-19bbe9df377\" style=\"outline: none;\">Where to stay in Hull<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#tve-jump-19bbea00291\" style=\"outline: none;\">The 8 best places to visit in Hull<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#tve-jump-19bbea093bf\" style=\"outline: none;\">What to do near Hull<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>This post contains affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Hull Yorkshire short break\" data-id=\"792\" width=\"678\" data-init-width=\"2560\" height=\"508\" data-init-height=\"1920\" title=\"Hull Yorkshire short break\" src=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3734-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"678\" data-height=\"508\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 2560 \/ 1920;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 id=\"tve-jump-19bbe9da2be\"><strong>How to get to Hull<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Hull can be reached from London, by train, in approximately 3 hours.&nbsp; From York or Leeds it\u2019s about 1 hour by train with Leeds being more direct.<\/p>\n<p>The railway station in Hull is very central and within very easy walking distance of all the main sites and attractions.<\/p>\n<p>If you are travelling locally then <a href=\"https:\/\/travel.hull.gov.uk\/buses\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">buses<\/a> offer a regular and convenient option.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/prf.hn\/click\/camref:1101l5giG2\/creativeref:1011l18939\" rel=\"sponsored\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/creative.prf.hn\/source\/camref:1101l5giG2\/creativeref:1011l18939\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" border=\"0\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h5 id=\"tve-jump-19bbe9eafb9\"><strong>How to get around Hull<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Hull\u2019s main sights sit close together in the compact city centre, making it an easy place to navigate on foot. I used a free to download <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visithull.org\/to-do\/city-walking-trails-booklet\/\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">walking tour of Hull<\/a> to help me find my way between the main sights. &nbsp;I took the \u2018Fish Trail\u2019 which invites you to spot the various artistic interpretations of fish along the route. &nbsp;I must admit I found them hard to spot and sometimes a distraction from the things around me that I wanted to see. &nbsp;But the main point was that I had a useful map to get me around the wonderful city of Hull.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h5 id=\"tve-jump-19bbe9df377\">Where to stay in Hull<\/h5>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to reach Hull for a day out from Leeds or York but staying a while will give more opportunity to explore all the museums, galleries and restaurants that Hull offers. &nbsp;The following hotels in Hull come highly rated by other travellers:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.booking.com\/hotel\/gb\/kingstontheatre.en-gb.html?label=gen173nr-10CAEoggI46AdIM1gEaFCIAQGYATO4ARfIAQzYAQPoAQH4AQGIAgGoAgG4ArCDkMsGwAIB0gIkOTYxOWUxNWQtYTAxZi00NGRmLTg3NTctZGM3MzMzZWViNWJh2AIB4AIB&amp;aid=304142&amp;ucfs=1&amp;checkin=2026-05-01&amp;checkout=2026-05-02&amp;dest_id=-2600203&amp;dest_type=city&amp;group_adults=2&amp;no_rooms=1&amp;group_children=0&amp;nflt=review_score%3D80%3Bht_id%3D204&amp;srpvid=6a7f8cf57009090b&amp;srepoch=1768161826&amp;matching_block_id=52916_268924813_0_33_0_1115303&amp;atlas_src=sr_iw_title\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Kingston Theatre Hotel<\/a> \u2013 opposite Hull New Theatre and 10 mins walk from the buzz of the city<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.booking.com\/hotel\/gb\/holiday-inn-hull-marina.en-gb.html?label=gen173nr-10CAEoggI46AdIM1gEaFCIAQGYATO4ARfIAQzYAQPoAQH4AQGIAgGoAgG4ArCDkMsGwAIB0gIkOTYxOWUxNWQtYTAxZi00NGRmLTg3NTctZGM3MzMzZWViNWJh2AIB4AIB&amp;aid=304142&amp;ucfs=1&amp;checkin=2026-05-01&amp;checkout=2026-05-02&amp;dest_id=-2600203&amp;dest_type=city&amp;group_adults=2&amp;no_rooms=1&amp;group_children=0&amp;nflt=review_score%3D80%3Bht_id%3D204&amp;srpvid=6a7f8cf57009090b&amp;srepoch=1768161826&amp;matching_block_id=3488212_95156075_2_1_0&amp;atlas_src=sr_iw_title\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Holiday Inn Hull Marina by IHG<\/a> \u2013 situated right on the marina and close to all the main attractions<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.booking.com\/hotel\/gb\/whittington.en-gb.html?label=gen173nr-10CAEoggI46AdIM1gEaFCIAQGYATO4ARfIAQzYAQPoAQH4AQGIAgGoAgG4ArCDkMsGwAIB0gIkOTYxOWUxNWQtYTAxZi00NGRmLTg3NTctZGM3MzMzZWViNWJh2AIB4AIB&amp;aid=304142&amp;ucfs=1&amp;checkin=2026-05-01&amp;checkout=2026-05-02&amp;dest_id=-2600203&amp;dest_type=city&amp;group_adults=2&amp;no_rooms=1&amp;group_children=0&amp;nflt=review_score%3D80%3Bht_id%3D204&amp;srpvid=6a7f8cf57009090b&amp;srepoch=1768161826&amp;matching_block_id=33096506_354098328_0_2_0&amp;atlas_src=sr_iw_title\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">The Whittington and Cat<\/a> \u2013 a traditional pub with rooms close to the marina<\/p>\n<h5 id=\"tve-jump-19bbea00291\"><strong>The 8 best places to visit in Hull<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p style=\"\"><strong>1. Hull Maritime Museum<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hull\u2019s long and varied relationship with the sea and seafaring is documented in the newly refurbished <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hullmuseums.co.uk\/hull-maritime-museum\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Hull Maritime Museum<\/a> (due to re-open in 2026). &nbsp;The building itself holds an important role in Hull\u2019s history, opened in 1871 as Hull\u2019s Dock Offices. &nbsp;The refurbishment will preserve the architecture and create more space to tell the important stories of Hull\u2019s past. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Fruit Market Hull Yorkshire short break\" data-id=\"796\" width=\"678\" data-init-width=\"2560\" height=\"508\" data-init-height=\"1920\" title=\"Fruit Market Hull Yorkshire short break\" src=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3747-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"678\" data-height=\"508\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 2560 \/ 1920;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"\"><strong>2. The Fruit Market<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fruitmarkethull.co.uk\/\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">The Fruit Market<\/a>, previously old warehouses around Humber Street, have been revitalised into \u2018the heartbeat of Hull\u2019, a vibrant district of cafes, bars, and independent shops with seating spilling out onto the paved, historic streets. &nbsp;The Fruit Market leads to the Marina, one of the many highlights of Hull\u2019s waterfront.<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Transporter Bridge Hull Yorkshire short break\" data-id=\"794\" width=\"678\" data-init-width=\"2560\" height=\"508\" data-init-height=\"1920\" title=\"Transporter Bridge Hull Yorkshire short break\" src=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3738-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"678\" data-height=\"508\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 2560 \/ 1920;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"\"><strong>3. Walk the Humber<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Starting at the Marina a boulevard stretches alongside the Humber from which you take in the far-reaching views across one of England\u2019s largest rivers to a former shipyard which houses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedeep.co.uk\/\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">The Deep<\/a>, one of the UK\u2019s most acclaimed aquariums.<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Deep Hull Yorkshire short break\" data-id=\"795\" width=\"678\" data-init-width=\"2560\" height=\"508\" data-init-height=\"1920\" title=\"The Deep Hull Yorkshire short break\" src=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3742-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"678\" data-height=\"508\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 2560 \/ 1920;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"\"><strong>4. The Deep<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This architecturally striking and award winning aquarium, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedeep.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\">The Deep<\/a> sits on the banks of the Humber. &nbsp;It offers thought provoking exhibits and daily talks to introduce you to the exhibits and the conservation work of the aquarium.<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Spurn lightship Hull Yorkshire short break\" data-id=\"797\" width=\"678\" data-init-width=\"2560\" height=\"508\" data-init-height=\"1920\" title=\"Spurn lightship Hull Yorkshire short break\" src=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3748-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"678\" data-height=\"508\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 2560 \/ 1920;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"\"><strong>5. Museum ships<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Preservation and celebration of Hull\u2019s seafaring past continues through two permanently docked museum ships: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hullmuseums.co.uk\/arctic-corsair-north-end-ship-yard\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">1960s Arctic Corsair cod trawler based at the North End shipyard<\/a> and the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hullmuseums.co.uk\/spurn-lightship\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Spurn lightship<\/a> <\/em>based in the Marina, which once guided boats through the treacherous waters of the Humber Estuary near the city of Hull.<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Wilberforce Museum Hull Yorkshire short break\" data-id=\"793\" width=\"678\" data-init-width=\"2560\" height=\"508\" data-init-height=\"1920\" title=\"Wilberforce Museum Hull Yorkshire short break\" src=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3735-scaled.jpg\" data-width=\"678\" data-height=\"508\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: auto 2560 \/ 1920;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"\"><strong>6. Wilberforce House Museum<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In and amongst Hull\u2019s small historic streets the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hullmuseums.co.uk\/wilberforce-house-museum\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Wilberforce House Museum<\/a> (free entry) provides a deep dive into the life and work of anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce, previously MP for Hull and Yorkshire and born in the house that houses the museum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"\"><strong>7. Hull Museum Quarter<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The small but powerful Wilberforce Museum is a keystone of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visithull.org\/to-do\/museums-quarter\/\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Hull\u2019s Museums Quarter<\/a> where you\u2019ll also find the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hullmuseums.co.uk\/streetlife-museum\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Streetlife Museum<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hullmuseums.co.uk\/hull-east-riding-museum\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Hull and East Riding Museum of Archaeology<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"\"><strong>8. Ferens Art Gallery<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Art enthusiasts will enjoy the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hullmuseums.co.uk\/ferens-art-gallery\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\">Ferens Art Gallery<\/a> (free entry), which hosts an impressive collection of artworks and rolling exhibitions.<\/p>\n<h5 id=\"tve-jump-19bbea093bf\"><strong>What to do near Hull<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Consider making a weekend of it and pairing a day out in Hull with a day out in York. &nbsp;Trains between the two cities are often direct and take about an hour. &nbsp;See <a href=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/12\/21\/the-best-10-things-to-do-on-a-car-free-city-break-in-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\">my guide to the top 10 things to do in York for inspiration<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you have more time to spare then <a href=\"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/12\/03\/6-day-car-free-best-of-yorkshire-itinerary\/\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"outline: none;\">visit Hull as part of my 6 day car-free \u2018best of Yorkshire\u2019 itinerary<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now featuring on National Geographic\u2019s short list of \u2018best places to visit\u2019 for 2026, absorb Hull\u2019s 800 years of maritime past and soak up its vibrant culture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[84,35,30,36,31,113],"class_list":["post-902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-days-out","tag-coast","tag-day-out","tag-england","tag-history","tag-town","tag-yorkshire-and-humber","post-wrapper","thrv_wrapper"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_3747-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=902"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1027,"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/902\/revisions\/1027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skylarksandseagulls.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}