As we get closer to summer I thought I would share some of the best day trips from Leicester. As a student on a budget it can be hard to stay frugal but also enjoy yourself. So I’ve compiled a list of the cheapest ways to have fun around the city!
Walk in the park day trips from Leicester
The city has many parks and I don’t think that we take advantage enough of all the green spaces! In the centre you have Nelson Mandela Park and Victoria Park. Both are perfect places to lounge around reading a book or sunbathing in the warmer weather. Then you have Castle Park, located alongisde the River Soar. It’s my favourite place to spend an afternoon sipping iced coffee and enjoying a sweet treat. That’s my favourite day trip from Leicester as I can spend hours there just enjoying the scenery!
However, if you’re looking for an adventure then I really recommend Bradgate Park. Situated above Glenfield, this is the place to go if you’re looking for the best park day trip in Leicester. It can be quite far to get to as there is no bus service that runs direct, so driving or Ubering from the nearest bus stop is required to be able to visit. It is well worth it, as the walk round is fantastic and there is even a cafe conveniently located in the middle – perfect for a pitstop. At the moment they are currently offering the chance to ‘ramble with a ranger’ and spend 6 hours covering the park and its history top to bottom, which sounds amazing!
They often hold events like these in the warmer months – there is also a spring bird walk and a war time walk both starting in May. You can book yourself in for one of these and get a full day trip in Leicester out of it! More details are available on their website.
Museum day trips
If you prefer the indoors then this part is for you! Leicester has many galleries and museums to visit, and you can certainly make a day trip out of them! There is the Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, or guided tours at the King Richard III Visitor Centre. Even walking around the city centre can be classed as a day trip technically! You can discover so much hiding in the city, like I did when I found that there are several arcades in Leicester worth visiting!
If you’re able to taek the train and travel further out, there are also some great day trips to take from Leicester station. Travel to Loughborough and visit the Charnwood Museum, or enjoy seeing the headquarters of the Great Central Railway. Go a bit fruther to Melton Mowbray to see the Melton Carnegie Museum and discover the home of the pork pie! The best place, which is only accessible by car, is Bosworth Battlefield. It’s a great day trip and is not too far from Leicester. You can spend a whole morning walking round the country park and enjoy lunch at their cafe. Then you can visit the exhibition galleries in the afternoon. It’s perfect!
Shop ’til you drop day trips
When that final maintenance loan payment hit this month I knew I deserved a nice shopping trip to celebrate the end of the year. Obviously there’s lots to see and do in Highcross or Fosse Park, and both are pretty easy to get to from the city centre. I know I’ve definitely spent days of my life on trips round these. Plus a visit to Fosse Park can be accompanied by a walk around the lovely Everard Meadows, which is another great day trip from Leicester!
However, if you want the best day trip from Leicester for shopping I recommend Nottingham. Firstly it isn’t too far to get to by train, and as everything is close by you don’t have to do much walking to get around. There’s a wide range of shops worth visiting that you don’t get in Leicester. Also there are some great food options too! My favourite is The Bagel Project, I frequently go there whenever I visit my sister! There’s alo the option of visiting Nottingham Castle, the National Justice Museum, or the super cool Museum of Curiosities! The possibilites are endless.
Other possible day trips from Leicester
These next few places didn’t really fit the categories that the other day trips do, as they are a bit different from the rest. First you have the National Space Centre in Leicester, which is a great day trip! I really enjoy visiting here and find the prices quite reasonable! I love going to the Planetarium, it’s so cool in there and actually quite relaxing too. Another good place to go, though it is a little further out, is the Museum of Making in Derby. They often hold craft club events here which are so fun to go to, but I just love how big the exhibitions are here. It’s another seriously good day trip not far from Leicester.
A favourite day trip that I’ll be visiting soon is Belvoir Castle. There is so much to do there, and I’m not joking. You can walk around the castle and its rooms, or stroll around the castle gardens, or shop around the retail village there, or visit the animal park. There’s something for everyone. It’s in such a stunning location and I recommend visiting if you can, though you will need to have a car to visit this place.
Final thoughts on day trips from Leicester
There are two days trips that I only recently discovered. One is the City of Caves in Nottingham – I had no idea about this for the longest time! There are over 900 caves under the streets of Nottingham and for a very reasonable price you can explore them! It’s attached to the National Justice Museum and you can actually buy join tickets for both, which works out cheaper! The other place I wanted to shoutout is Stonehurst Farm, located in Mountsorrel. It’s in such a lovely area and I found out that in the summer they’ll be holding classic car shows here too! It’s slightly easier to get to from the city centre for a closer day trip from Leicester. They have a park, farm shop, and a teashop to enjoy and I just love it!
I hope that I have given you lots of inspiration for the best day trips from Leicester! If you're able to visit any of these places I really recommend it, you won't regret it!
I’m a third-year English Language student at DMU. I live in Leicester but am originally from Northamptonshire. In my spare time I can either be found writing poetry or snuggled up on the sofa with my nose in a book.
