A Road Trip around Norfolk and Suffolk | A 6 Day Itinerary

Back in 2020 (shudder), Jack and I completed a road trip around Norfolk and Suffolk. It was our first holiday since the dreaded lockdown. If I’m honest, it was exactly what we needed; the opportunity to explore a new place and to cheer us both up. Now, four years later, I want to share this 6 day itinerary with you.

As road trips go, I think that this is an easy and pleasant one. However, before we start, I just want to go through a few things. Firstly, I’ve gone for a ‘budget’ version. All of the hotels are, roughly, about £100.00 a night. I have also tried to limit the mileage to 100 miles a day where possible. Lastly, as we are based on the Oxfordshire/ Berkshire border, I have started the road trip in Reading. Depending on where you are, the first and last day may look slightly different.

Other than that, I hope that you find this useful and that you enjoy it. I will say that this is a strong contender for my favourite ever staycation…

A Road Trip around Norfolk and Suffolk : Overview

Day 1: Reading to Peterborough

Mileage total: 119 miles

Hotel: We stayed at Premier Inn (Peterborough North)

Eat: Lots of options in Peterborough. We ate at Prezzo.

Stops: Wrest Park, St Neots, Peterborough

Your first day of your road trip around Norfolk and Suffolk has a fair amount of driving to do. From Reading, it is a decent journey out to Wrest Park, the first stop on your trip. This is a gorgeous venue to walk about. Whilst there is not that much in the house, the gardens are magnificent. Take your time walking around and getting as close to the real-life Bridgerton as you can.

After some cream tea and exploring, head up the A6 to St. Neots. It is a bustling town with quite a fair bit to see. Or, to be honest, it is a great place to have a chill and a pit stop. Once you have seen all that you would like, your final destination is Peterborough. I must say that I was somewhat pleasantly surprised with this place. The older town has a fair amount of character and the Cathedral is beautiful.

Once you have seen the city and eaten dinner out, head back to the hotel. Whilst I know I do not feature Premier Inns often, I decided to stay here as I wanted to keep the budget down. Plus it was in a great location for the next leg of the journey.

Day 2: Peterborough to Sedgeford

Mileage total: 96.2

Hotel: We stayed at the King William IV pub

Eat: Delicious fish and chips in Hunstanton

Stops: Peterborough, Spalding, Kings Lynn, Burnham Market, Holkham Hall (Wells-Next-The Sea), Hunstanton, Sedgeford

A busy leg awaits you on your second day. From Peterborough, your first stop is the town of Spalding. Not much is here in this Lincolnshire town, but the Ayescoughfee Gardens are worth a visit. There is also a tulip festival here in spring. Once you have seen enough, drive an hour eastward to King’s Lynn. There is a fair bit more to see in the town, most notably the quay and all the maritime past. The old town also has a fair few historic buildings to explore.

Your next destination is Burnham Market, a charming Cotswold-esc town in Norfolk. I loved this place and could move there tomorrow. Arguably the prettiest place on the entire journey and perfect for some lunch. The main stop of the day though is Holkham Hall. This is another hour from King’s Lynn, but is one of the highlights of the trip. During the summer, you can explore all of the extensive grounds here, which include various places to eat and drink. I would recommend the tour of this historic town. It is arguably one of the best tours of a historic site I have been on.

For dinner tonight you are heading to the coastal town of Hunstanton. We tucked into some delicious fish and chips by the sea, and were only pestered by about 24 seagulls. Nothing quite says a road trip around Norfolk quite like it.

Day 3: Sedgeford to Norwich

Mileage total: 87.7

Hotel: We stayed at The Maid’s Head Hotel

Eat: Giggling Squid, Norwich

Stops: Sedgeford, Wells Next the Sea, Cromer, Caister on sea, Norwich

Wake up and tuck into a delicious breakfast at the King William IV pub. Your first stop is Wells Next the Sea, a charming little seaside town that you should really spend some time exploring. The beach in particular, which is owned by Holkham Hall, is spectacular. After you have had your early beach walk and explore, the next stop is Cromer. This is about 45 minutes or so away. I wouldn’t say you need to spend long here, it is just a place to enjoy some more seaside if you wish and to stretch your legs.

The next stop is Caister on Sea. Once more, there isn’t a lot to do here. However, there is a really pretty (and quiet!) beach here. I would recommend stopping here for a picnic if you wanted and to enjoy the sea air, before heading back inland towards Norwich.

Your first stop in the city is the hotel, The Maid’s Head. There is parking here, so it would make sense to drop your bags off before you explore. Norwich is underrated as a city. I think that there is lots to see, including lots of charming cobblestone streets. There are plenty of shops and restaurants for you to choose from too. Spend the rest of your afternoon here, before returning to the hotel in the evening.

Day 4: Norwich to Ipswich

Mileage total: 118

Hotel: We stayed at The Salthouse Harbour Hotel

Eat: Pizza Express

Norwich, Lowestoft, Southwold, including round trip to Walberswick via ferry, Dunwich, Aldeburgh, Orford Ness, Ipswich

Your first stop today is Lowestoft. There is not loads to see here, but it is an ideal place to go for a walk down the promenade and enjoy a coffee to wake up. The next stop on your road trip around Norfolk and Suffolk is Southwold. I really like this town; it has a perfect seaside vibe about it. Enjoy an ice cream by the sea, or shop for trinkets and souvenirs in the town centre.

From Southwold it is a short journey to the next stop of Walberswick. You have two options to choose from. Firstly, you can drive, which will take you 20 minutes. Or, you could take the famous Walberswick ferry, the oldest row ferry in England. It costs £2.00 per adult and is definitely worth it just for the experience. Walberswick is also beautiful and worth a quick exploration.

Once you have completed the round trip, the next stop is Dunwich. Apparently, Dunwich was of national significance up until the town sank following a cyclone in the 14th century. Nowadays the village is small, but there is a fair amount of history to see. A highlight has to be the ruins of Greyfriars. From here, head down to Aldeburgh to see some more seaside views, before going to Orford Ness. Once more, there is not loads to see, but there is the spectacular Orford Castle to see.

Your last stop is Ipswich and you’ll probably arrive quite late. For dinner, head to the quay and enjoy some pizza.

Day 5: Ipswich to Flitwick

Mileage total: 108

Hotel: We stayed at Flitwick Manor

Eat: The Bumble Bee (Greene King)

Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds (28 miles), to Ely (26 miles), to St Neots (30 miles), to Flitwick (24 miles)

If you want to have a look around Ipswich, do it this morning. However, I personally think that the best place to start the day is Bury St Edmunds. This is a fair drive, but once you get here there is plenty to see. Take your time walking around the town. The gardens here in particular are lovely.

Once you have had a leisurely stroll and a coffee, head to the city of Ely. If you haven’t heard of this place before (you’d be forgiven if so!), the main sight is the cathedral. It is spectacular and well worth a visit. Adults cost £14.00, but there is plenty to see in this historic building.

The last stop is the town of Flitwick. This historic town has plenty to see and you will be staying at the most famous building in it. Flitwick Manor is now a famous hotel that was built in the 17th century. However, it is apparently (and famously) haunted, but we didn’t spot any ghosts when we stayed…

Day 6: Flitwick to Reading

Mileage total: 87 (to Reading)

Hotel: Home

Eat: Home

Flitwick, Woburn, to Buckingham, Reading

Wake up to a terrific breakfast at Flitwick Manor. The next stop is the charming town of Woburn. I appreciate this part of the road trip around Norfolk and Suffolk is not technically in the named destinations, but the safari park here is excellent… And on the way back home! Stop in the town if you want to have a look around, but the main attraction is of course the famous safari park. Enjoy your drive around the enclosures and marvel at seeing some of the most famous animals close up. This will take up most of the day.

On the way back to Reading, you can stop at the town of Buckingham. I think that this little-known town is actually rather nice to look around. There is nothing significant here, it is just a cute market town. After that, or when you fancy it, head back home to Reading and upload your favourite pictures onto the gram.

Final Thoughts – Road Trip around Norfolk and Suffolk

This itinerary covers everything that you need to cover the coast of these counties. If I did it again, I probably would add a few days and dilute the itinerary a bit. I appreciate that it is rather busy! Let me know what you think and if you have any questions. As always, I would love to hear from you.

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