Head for Ipswich for bustling clubs and bust pubs. Other than that Suffolk is a wonderfully peaceful place with its patchworked agricultural landscapes, quaint towns, sleepy villages and soothing rural ambience. So what’s in store for visitors booking day tours in Suffolk to discover this lovely place?
Some hot Suffolk day tour favourites
Make your way to Lowestoft for the popular Scroby Sands Seal Watching Trip. It’s such a pleasure seeing seals doing their thing, such interesting and intelligent animals. Medieval Lavenham awaits you too, a gorgeous little town stuffed with history and architectural gems dating back centuries. If you’re on a budget there’s a cool Self-Guided Audio Tour of the town. A Walk through Tudor Ipswich is a popular day tour choice, leaving you with spare time to do your own thing afterwards, and the Lowestoft Harbour Tour is an exciting experience. There’s a mellow boat trip from Oulton Broad to Somerleyton and back along the River Waveney, and a River Waveney Sunset Boat Tour to round things off nicely.
A whistle-stop tour of Suffolk attractions
Fringed by the coastline, including parts of the Suffolk and Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscape, Suffolk offers all sorts of adventures into awe-inspiring seascapes, natural wonders and unique habitats. This place sits on top of sticky London Clay and soft, porous chalk which erodes quickly where it meets the sea to dramatic effect. Then there are the huge estuaries at the end of the Blyth, Deben, Orwell, Stour, Ore and Alde rivers, each opening out onto the refreshingly chilly North Sea. The heath and wetland habitats at Sandlings are world-class for nature, as are the Suffolk Wildlife Trust Reserves at Minsmere, one of the best birdwatching sites in the whole of the UK, plus Redgrave and Lopham Fen, all perfect to lose yourself in, slow down, smell the coffee and recharge your batteries.
Heavenly nature awaits you
The county’s north east includes a chunk of the famous Broads, a network of lakes and rivers so unique and lovely it is a designated National Park. Inland the land is flat, flat, flat, overlooked by the enormous empty skies the area is well known for, adored by artists and photographers. Towards the Norfolk border there’s lush Thetford Forest, the UK’s biggest lowland forest, a haven for hiking, cycling, wildlife and family fun, with all sorts of cool adventures and activities to enjoy. Towards the border with Essex you’ll find Dedham Vale National Landscape.
A thrilling variety of towns and villages
Newmarket is known the world over for horse racing, and salty Felixstowe is home to one of the world’s biggest container ports. Dunwich Heath, Orford Ness and Aldeburgh are particularly big winners for natural beauty. Some of the villages are also visitor hot-spots simply for being so lovely. Orford sits on the riverside, overlooked by Orford Castle and also offering Orford Ness Nature Reserve. Dunwich used to be a busy port a thousand years ago, now it’s all about the beaches, the views, and the small yet perfectly formed Dunwich Museum. Saxmundham, a classic market town packed with charm, is close to the internationally-acclaimed Snape Maltings music venue and arts centre. Don’t miss Wickham Market, another pretty village stacked with traditional architecture with antique shops on tap.
Traditional English seaside delights
The pretty seaside town of Southwold blends natural beauty with ancient history and great beaches. It has a cool pier packed with classic games arcades and cafes, plus stunning sea and coast views, a nostalgic treat for anyone who loves old-school seaside holidays. Southwold Beach is loved far and wide for its glorious soft golden sand, clear waters and beautiful huts, surprisingly quiet for such a blindingly good beach. If you’re feeling thirsty there’s Adnams Brewery, maker of excellent craft beers, wines and spirits with brewery tours and sampling on the menu. The town’s lighthouse has been keeping boats and ship safe since 1890, open to the public with a knee-trembling 113 steps to the top for panoramic views. Last but not least, this is a little haven for shoppers with lots of quirky independent shops to poke around in.
A beach where you’ll never get sand in your knickers
Then there’s lovely Lavenham, one of the country’s most perfectly-preserved medieval villages and as pretty as a picture, like going back in time. Don’t miss Lavenham Guildhall and the Church of St Peter and St Paul. Aldeburgh is another of Suffolk’s most delightful seaside towns, this time known for its superb seafood and very good fish and chips. Classical music buffs will like the fact that composer Benjamin Britten was born here, others simply enjoy the ridiculously scenic seafront and attractive pebble beach, difficult to walk on but there’s no chance of ending up with sand in your knickers.
The vibrant county town of Ipswich
Ipswich is the county’s biggest town as well as the official county town, a lively place offering good shopping, lots more history, and its fair share of modern attractions. Educate yourself at the Museum of East Anglian Life if you like, explore Christchurch Mansion or lounge, snack and people-watch on the waterfront area with its lively cafes and good restaurants. Bury St Edmunds makes an impact thanks to the immense St Edmundsbury Cathedral and ruined abbey, leafy parks and mellow Abbey Gardens.
Murderous royal shenanigans
A cherry on top of any history fan’s cake, medieval Framlingham Castle is a forbidding fortress with dramatic views over the countryside. It also played part in a violent past. This is where the ill-fated Howard family lived, including Catherine Howard, Henry 8th’s fifth wife. She married Henry, who was more than thirty years older, in summer 1540 at Oatlands Palace in Surrey less than three weeks after his fourth marriage as annulled. Stripped of her title as queen in late 1541 she was beheaded three months later for treason, having committed adultery with Thomas Culpeper. Needham Lake has a much less grisly past! This peaceful nature reserve near Ipswich is wonderful for leisurely strolls spotting loads of different types of bird along the way. The same goes for Woolverstone Hall, a grand architectural jewel surrounded by parkland.
Lose yourself in Suffolk
Now’s the time to take a journey to a county full of magical out-of-the-way places that give you a feel of old England plus plenty of contemporary delights to inspire you.
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