Itinerary
Time to discover the unexpected
Arts, culture, coastline - and the kind of happy places you won’t see coming
North East Lincolnshire has a habit of surprising people, in the very best way. One minute, you’re on wide stretches of sand with a ninety-nine in hand. Next, you’re in the thick of dockside stories, fishing heritage, film-set moments, and a creative scene that feels properly alive.
At its heart, this area still offers a classic seaside escape. Easy, familiar, and instantly good for the soul. But look a little closer, and you’ll find a cool, quirky coastal destination with a vibrant arts and culture scene, independent businesses, and unexpected details that turn a simple day trip into a story you’ll want to tell.
This is North East Lincolnshire through its best lens: a traditional, happy destination, with plot twists aplenty.
Find your happy place
At a glance
Time needed: A few hours to a full day
Best for: Day-trippers, couples, friends, solo travellers, and families of all ages
Getting around: Car, on foot, and easy hop-on public transport (depending on your route)
Route type: Seaside strolls, town exploring, and optional ‘go further’ bolt-ons
Best time to go: Spring onwards (but brilliant year-round for culture and food)
Follow your curiosity
You choose the pace - we’ll bring the plot twists
Seaside joy, dockside stories, and an infectious creative spark
Choose-your-own adventure in North East Lincolnshire. Will you opt for the classic coastal experience? Think beach air, promenade wandering, arcades, fish and chips. Or go for something more unexpected? From the fishing heritage that put Grimsby on the map, to film-tourism moments that have pulled the area back into mainstream focus in recent years. Not forgetting an impressive culture of indie businesses and arts programming that adds bite and beauty.
Sunny day? Lean into wide skies, seaside strolls, and a sea-view lunch — then slot in some culture for contrast.
Grey skies? Go heritage and indoors first, then finish with a bracing seafront wander and a proper comfort-food finale.
Seaside starter
Begin with salty air and proper summer holiday energy
Classic seaside joy, with just enough room for a left-turn
Start in Cleethorpes and lean into the rituals that make a seaside day out feel instantly familiar: wide beaches, big skies, and that first deep breath of salt air that flips your brain into ‘holiday mode’.
Stroll the promenade with no agenda. Pop into the arcades. Grab an ice cream and a coffee, and it wouldn’t be a trip to the coast without a round of fish ‘n’ chips, wrapped in paper with lashings of salt and vinegar. It is the kind of trip filled with simple pleasures that works for every age, and it sets you up perfectly to explore the more unexpected bits of North East Lincolnshire later on.
Best for: A low-faff, high-reward reset that gets everyone smiling early
Don’t miss: Cleethorpes Seasiders, Lolly and Splash! Running every year, throughout the Summer, these hop-on, hop-off buses work hard to help make sure accessing the seafront is as easy as possible - on weekends during school time and 7 days a week during the holidays.
Event highlight: One of the borough’s largest annual events arrives in June - Armed Forces Day. Taking place over June 27 and 28 in 2026, this event is always a highlight in the area’s event calendar. For more than twelve years, Armed Forces Weekend - delivered entirely by volunteers - has brought an entire weekend of celebration, commemoration, and community spirit to the seafront.
Time to be surprised
Dockside heritage and modern culture, side by side
Fishing heritage, film-tourism moments, and an undeniably creative pulse
Grimsby’s story is bigger than most people expect. Its fishing heritage is real and powerful - the kind of history you can still feel in the air. But so is the present-day energy that has continued to build around its legacy. Independent ideas, bold visuals, and an arts and culture offering that refuses to be background noise. There’s a reason why Grimsby is bidding to become the UK Town of Culture 2028.
Take a couple of hours to explore the town’s heritage and culture-led stops that promise to deliver real substance. If you’re into film tourism, keep your eyes open for those ‘wait… was this filmed here?’ moments that add an extra layer of fun to the day.
Best for: Heritage, rainy-day flexibility, and proper ‘I can’t wait to tell people about this later’ discoveries
Don’t miss: A dockside story moment - the kind that makes you see the coastline differently. Head to the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre, a multi-award-winning attraction which will transport you back in time to the 1950’s heyday of this famous port. Here, carefully crafted sets and original preserved trawler interiors capture the atmosphere and essence of a remarkable way of life in one of the most dangerous occupations in living memory.
Event highlight: If you’re a culture vulture, heading to Grimsby this year is a must, with Our Future Starts Here taking over the region as it kicks off year one of a five-year programme funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, by bringing Luke Jerram’s ‘Helios’ to Grimsby Minster. Shining a light on creativity, sustainability and opportunity across North East Lincolnshire, this programme is being brought to visitors and residents by The Culture House - and they are just getting started.
time to find your happy place
Follow colour, sound, and the places locals love
Cool, fun, quirky — and not try-hard
If you want to feel like a real local, make time to immerse yourself in Lincolnshire’s north east communities and let the indie business culture show you its sparkle. Among the cafes and foodie gems - one of which is home to the only Protected Geographical Status (PGS) product in the county - crafts, boutiques, jewellery and galleries, North East Lincolnshire’s creative edge shows up in the small, independent places that give the towns across this destination area their personality. But that isn’t the only place. The streets and buildings themselves have quite literally become a canvas, thanks to Paint to Town Proud.
An arts and heritage initiative, led by Creative Start Arts In Health CIC and being delivered in collaboration with creative organisations, community groups and commercial partners across several venues and key locations, Paint the Town Proud has, between 2021 and 2025 comissioned 19 murals. They appear on selected buildings throughout Grimsby and Cleethorpes, depicting creative and heritage scenes from the minds of local, National and International artists.
Best for: Friends, couples, and anyone who loves finding the new thing first
Don’t miss: Seagull spotting - and no, we don’t mean the kind that steal your chips! Walk the Seagull Trail, an urban art trail along Cleethorpes seafront developed by Dogma Art and supported by local businesses, Arts Council England and Create North East Lincolnshire. Created to encourage positive wellness through exercise, it’s a great opportunity to go for a walk and find interesting things along the way! Open all hours, it’s totally free to participate.
Time to dine
Make lunch your anchor
Comforting, fresh, and something you’ll crave again
A North East Lincolnshire day out deserves a good mid-point meal. Keep it simple and satisfying, or make it a real memory-making moment: sea-view lunch, proper fish and chips, or somewhere that feels a little more like a treat - and an Insta-worthy one at that!
From fish to farming, artisan products to foodie award-winning destinations, North East Lincolnshire has an international reputation for its food. It even has its own food map! Created to celebrate the very best businesses that grow, sell, or serve Lincolnshire produce or ingredients, on the map, you’ll find everything you need. Whether you are looking for a restaurant for a delicious evening meal or a casual spot for lunch where local produce is the centrepiece, a fun cocktail bar for drinks with friends, or a café or tea room for a light bite, North East Lincolnshire has them all.
Best for: Stretching a half-day into a full day
Event highlight: If food is at the heart of your visit, you’d be wise to head to the area in July when The Great Grub Fest returns to Cleethorpes Prom, from Friday 24 to Sunday 26. Countless local businesses will be lined up, serving delicious food, drinks, art and goodies. Local musicians will be bringing the feel-good vibes, and the beer gardens will be open!
Don’t miss: A walk after lunch or before dinner, even a short one. Alongside traditional seaside fun, creative flair and fantastic food, North East Lincolnshire is renowned for its nature.
Time to get outside
Add a wild edge to your coastal adventure
Where the coast goes quiet, the experience gets bigger
If the weather’s playing nice, add an outdoors bolt-on to bring your day into balance: dunes, nature, open views across the ocean, and that slightly wild, coastline feeling that’ll leave you refreshed and rejuvenated.
The perfect counter to town culture, there are more than 50 parks and open spaces to enjoy, from Cleethorpes Country Park and People’s Park to Weelsby Woods and Homestead Park, to name a few. Whether you want to have a picnic, do a spot of fishing, or just wander round the woodland, there are plenty of options. And that’s not forgetting wildlife. Around the coastline, in the sand dunes and on the marshes, you can spot grey seals, skeins of brent and pink-footed geese, bitterns, bearded tits, and marsh harriers. Places of scientific interest and one of the best examples of a wildflower Meadow in Lincolnshire, where a June visit will treat you to a spectacular display of orchids.
Best for: Families, walkers, and anyone who wants a moment to switch off’
Don’t miss: A short loop that gives you a big-sky view without needing specialist gear
A big finish
Time to take the long way back
End the day with one last unexpected moment
Before you head home, give yourself a final something special: a golden-hour walk on the prom, a quick culture stop you skipped earlier, or a simple sit-and-watch-the-world-go-by moment that makes the whole day feel that much fuller. North East Lincolnshire works best when you leave a little room for spontaneity, because that’s usually where the magic sits. Even if it is wonderfully unpredictable.