Brighton Itineraries
Half a day or a full weekend. Here are the best ways to spend your time in Brighton, planned step by step.
Whether you have a few hours or a full weekend to explore, these itineraries give you a local’s route through Brighton. Each one links directly to the restaurants and activities along the way.
One Day in Brighton: the Pavilion, the Lanes and the Pier
The classic first-timer's day, and the one to do if you only have one. It takes in the three things Brighton is best known for, the Royal Pavilion, the Lanes and North Laine, and the seafront and Palace Pier, with a proper lunch and dinner built in. It is almost all on foot, downhill from the station to the sea, and works year-round.
- 110:00·1.5 to 2 hours
The Royal Pavilion
Start with a pre-booked ticket for the Royal Pavilion before the day builds. Work through the Banqueting Room, the Music Room and the Regency kitchens with the included audio guide, and give it a good hour and a half. Brighton Museum next door is free if you want more.
View Royal Pavilion - 212:30·2 hours
Lunch and a wander in the Lanes
Walk down into the Lanes for lunch. English's oyster bar is the historic choice, or Terre à Terre for the city's famous vegetarian cooking; book either ahead. Then get pleasantly lost among the jewellers and vintage shops of the Lanes.
View The Lanes - 314:30·1 to 1.5 hours
North Laine's independent shops
Cross up into North Laine for the more bohemian side of Brighton: record shops, vintage clothing, street art and vegan cafes along Trafalgar and Sydney Streets. It is a short walk uphill from the Lanes.
View North Laine - 416:00·1.5 hours
The seafront and Palace Pier
Head down to the seafront and out along Brighton Palace Pier, free to walk, with the fairground at the end and the classic view back along the beach. In autumn and winter, stay for the starling murmuration over the piers at dusk.
View Brighton Palace Pier - 519:30·2 hours
Dinner on or near the seafront
Finish with dinner. The Salt Room on the front does seafood and a charcoal grill with sea views, or head into Kemptown for something more casual. Book the seafront tables ahead, especially at weekends.
View The Salt Room
A Weekend in Brighton: the City and the Downs
A fuller weekend that pairs the city with the coast and countryside behind it. Day one is the Pavilion, the Lanes and the seafront at an unhurried pace; day two heads up onto the South Downs at Devil's Dyke or out to the Seven Sisters cliffs, with the i360 and the beach to finish. It shows why Brighton is worth an overnight rather than a day trip.
- 1Day 1, 10:00·Half day
The Pavilion and the old town
Spend the first morning on the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museum, then lunch and browse in the Lanes and North Laine, exactly as the one-day route does but without rushing.
View Royal Pavilion - 2Day 1, 16:00·Half day
The seafront, the pier and dinner
Walk the seafront to the Palace Pier, take in the West Pier ruin and the i360 from the promenade, and stay out for dinner in Kemptown or on the front. In murmuration season, catch the starlings at dusk.
View Seafront Promenade Walk to Hove - 3Day 2, 10:00·Half day
Up onto the South Downs
On day two, take the Devil's Dyke bus up onto the Downs for the deepest dry valley in England and the view over the Weald, or take a guided tour or the bus and train out to the Seven Sisters cliffs for the day. Wear proper shoes and check the seasonal bus timetable.
View Devil's Dyke - 4Day 2, 15:00·Half day
The i360 and the beach
Back in the city, ride the i360 for the view over the coast and the Downs on a clear afternoon, then finish on the beach or with a seafront drink. Volk's Electric Railway runs along the front in season if you want an easy ride east.
View Brighton i360
Ready to plan your visit?
Check the weather forecast before you head out.