There are few places in the country like Norwich and Norfolk. Imagine taking the family on urban adventures, countryside breaks, and days spent at beach after beach. Oh, and they’re all within as little as an hour’s drive from one another. Now, don’t just imagine it – come to Norwich and Norfolk and experience it for yourself. Here are our top picks for where to stay as a family throughout Norfolk. All wonderfully placed to make lifelong memories. And if you need any recommendations on where to find great family-friendly activities, places to eat and drink, and much more, be sure to visit our families page here!
By the way, if you choose to camp, you’ve made a great choice – Go Outdoors has just named Norfolk as the second-best place to camp throughout the entire UK! So, read on for a few of our favourite places to pitch a tent too…
For those who aren’t familiar with Pensthorpe, let us introduce you. Pensthorpe is a staggering 700-acre wildlife park, and it’s perfect for the families who bring curious little visitors with them. Pensthorpe boasts four fabulous gardens with trails of woodland, wetlands, riverbanks, farmland, and much, much more. They are also home to the Pensthorpe Conservation Trust, which sees animals like red squirrels, curlew, eurasian cranes, and many more, call this park home.
And for the first time in their history, Pensthorpe are welcoming visitors to their pop-up glamping and camping sites, so you and the little ones (and even not so little ones!) can enjoy a night under the stars and around the sights and sounds of real nature. It’s a magical way to unwind, but be quick, as it’s only available until the end of August 2024!
There are 24 tent pitches available to book, plus six high-quality bell-style tents for a more luxurious glamping experience. The inside of these bell tents have a double bed, three single beds, and are decorated with twinkling fairy lights. Each pitch comes with access to solar-powered shower and toilet facilities, plus all of Pensthorpe’s amenities including their café and shop, and a pizza catering truck on your arrival evening! Glamping also includes 2-day entry to the nature reserve and indoor/outdoor play for 5 guests, which has a value of £169.50! Recently, The Guardian experienced Pensthorpe’s glamping offer for themselves – find their account of their stay here!
So, whether you’re choosing to camp or glamp, you’re getting great value. Each night on their bring-your-own-tent pitch costs £30 per night for 1 tent and up to 6 people, while glamping starts from £120 per night for up to five people (2-night minimum for both options). Find out more and book your stay at Pensthorpe here.
A stay at Pensthorpe is a stay amongst some of Norfolk’s most gorgeous nature!
We can’t mention camping and not talk about Reedham Ferry! Situated right in the Norfolk Broads in close proximity to both Norwich and Great Yarmouth, Reedham Ferry offer a wonderful setting for a camping holiday in the heart of rural Norfolk. Here, you’ll find a touring park for camping (both tents and caravans welcome!), a delicious restaurant using local produce, a private fishing lake on the River Yare, and even a historic chain ferry which is operational to this day! So, it really is a fantastic holiday for those families looking to reconnect with nature.
The touring park is open from March to October every year and offers a 4-acre landscaped site complete with uninterrupted views of Norfolk’s horizons and local marshes. It also comes with hot showers and shaving points (so you can feel your best!), washing up facilities, numerous water points, and optional electrical hookups and gazebos (£5 per night) for those looking to make their stay even more comfortable. And be sure to visit the restaurant on those nights where you don’t fancy cooking for everyone, you won’t regret it!
Non-electric stays start at just £16 per night for two adults, with premier stays starting at £24 per night for two adults. Each adult added costs just an additional £2 per night, and under-18s go FREE! Find out more on the Reedham Ferry website.
The Reedham Ferry Touring Park is the perfect spot for traditional camping in Norfolk
Perfectly situated in the beautiful Norfolk countryside, you’ll find a bit of everything with a stay in Fielding Cottage’s Norfolk Holiday Cottages, including one of the county’s leading farm shops, Goat Shed, right on your doorstep! Plus, a stay here means you’ll have easy access to the Norwich city centre, the gorgeous Broads National Park, and the many, many miles of beaches along the North Norfolk coast. It’s the ideal stay for families looking for a varied holiday.
Based on their family farm among some of the UK’s most unspoilt countryside, these modern cottages are well-equipped and truly designed to be a home away from home, with bright and cosy interiors. Each cottage also comes with a private driveway and a spacious private lawn, so when you’re not out adventuring, you can really relax!
Finally, we mentioned it earlier, but you really cannot skip out on a trip to the award-winning Goat Shed. From fresh produce of all kinds to homemade goat’s cheese and goat’s milk products (like skincare!), this farm shop is unlike any other you’ll visit. Plus, they recently went through a huge transformation to double their shop in size and offer new deli, bakery, and butchery counters, so it’s even better than before! And there’s goats. Obviously.
Fielding Cottage have got it all, including the award-winning Goat Shed farm shop for delicious food and drink!
Heading further south of Norwich to the idyllic village of Bergh Apton now, and if you’re looking for luxury accommodation, especially places that can house larger parties, there are few better options than those offered by the family-run Go Norfolk Cottages. They have three gorgeous cottages available for your choosing, all suited to different needs depending on the number of visitors you’re bringing!
First up is the Cherry Tree Cottage, a large country cottage situated on atop a hill and surrounded by serene woodland. This holiday home is the ideal retreat for a gathering of friends or a larger family, as it can accommodate seven adults and two children, with an annex at the end of the garden to further accommodate another two adults. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to make this cottage a home, including a fully equipped kitchen, en-suite facilities, a large open plan living area, and a dining room. There’s even a separate lounge for those looking for a bit of peace and quiet!
Or opt for Green Acres, another cottage ideal for those family breaks. Inside this beautiful home you’ll find a large open plan living, dining, and kitchen area at the heart of it all, so everyone can socialise without sneaking away! This cottage also comes with a separate sitting room, but this one comes with a wood-burning stove for those cosy nights in! Upstairs you’ll find four bedrooms and a fabulous view of the surrounding countryside. It’s relaxing just reading about it!
Finally, the Well Cottage is a lovely postcard cottage extended and renovated to make for a delightful visit. And unlike the other two cottages, it’s out in Seething, just five minutes away from Bergh Apton. Here, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful fields and meadows, making it filled with peaceful walks. Inside, you’ll find three large bedrooms, one of which coming with a Juliet balcony to soak in those countryside views, finished off with a stunning sunrise and sunset. Find out more about Go Norfolk Cottages and their stays here!
Go Norfolk Cottages have a wonderful trio of stays to choose from!
If you’ve settled on staying in a cottage but you’re undecided on where, look no further than Kett Country Cottages. They offer over 200 self-catering cottages of all kinds across Norfolk, so you’re absolutely certain to find the right stay for you and the family. Kett Country Cottages have a bit everything – from coastline to countryside. In fact, you’ll be so spoilt for choice, it’ll be hard to settle on just one!
Across the Kett Country Cottages website, you’ll find their stays broken down into many categories so you can land on exactly what suits you. There’s Norfolk regions like the Norfolk Broads, coast, and country, as well as popular destinations such as Wells-Next-the-Sea, Blakeney, and Cromer, holiday ideas such as dog-friendly cottages, luxury cottages, and romantic cottages. And if you’re really spontaneous, they offer late deals on last-minute getaways too! So, get searching on the Kett Country Cottages website, who knows where you’ll end up?
For a luxurious family stay out in the beauty of Norfolk’s countryside, Park Farm Lodge is a great choice. With a stay in these holiday lodges, you’ll really be bringing nature to your front door. It’s a delight to wake up to bird song and the gentle breeze of clean, fresh air, as you step straight out into rural landscape.
Each lodge has soaring floor-to-ceiling windows which look out onto Park Farm’s peaceful farmland and woodland views, so even if you’re not outdoors, you can still soak up the beautiful surrounds! And who knows what wildlife you might spot roaming from your lodge?
Park Farm’s Lodges are really an experience to be shared – so they can accommodate up to six guests with two double bedrooms, both featuring ensuite bathrooms, one of which coming with an indulgent spa bath and walk-in shower. Furthermore, everyone gets free spa and leisure access when your stay is booked directly from Park Farm! So, relaxation is top of the list when you’re staying here. Be sure to visit Norwich while you’re staying at Park Farm too, a mere 20-minute drive separates this countryside haven from the urban wonder of the City of Stories! Find out more about these lodges on the Park Farm website.
Park Farm’s Lodges are absolutely stunning, and the perfect way to see some countryside while being a stones throw from the city!
Last but by absolutely no means least, how does a holiday spent beside the pool away from all of life’s stresses sound? That’s exactly what’s on offer at Poolside Lodges, with their choice of three family-friendly holiday homes just outside of the quaint village of New Rackheath (which is just 15-minutes each way from Norwich and the Norfolk Broads!).
These stays are perfect for the smaller family looking for a great place to stay before exploring all Norwich & Norfolk have to offer, as their Woodside Lodge and Poolside Lodge both accommodate four, while their Palm View Lodge accommodates two. Within all homes you’ll find an open plan living space, a fully equipped kitchen, and a fenced patio area where you’ll find the best bits – private hot tubs and their swimming pool. It sounds fabulous.
And if you’re coming with a slightly larger family but don’t want to miss out, then you’ll be happy to hear that both the Poolside Lodge and Palm View Lodge can be hired as a combined unit as they’re connected internally by a corridor, meaning up to six people can come and enjoy this stay, whilst keeping their privacy when they want it! Find out more and book your stay on the Poolside Lodges website.
Fancy a holiday by the pool? Forget going abroad, Poolside Lodges have got you covered with beautiful holiday homes
Family-friendly Activities in Norwich & Norfolk
We couldn’t leave you without a few suggestions for where to head when journeying throughout both city and county, so here’s a few of our top picks to make the most of your holiday with the whole family! For even more suggestions, be sure to check out the rest of the VisitNorwich website.
Main image credit: Pensthorpe
