Kingston upon Hull travel guide

Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Kingston upon Hull

Introduction

Kingston upon Hull, known simply as Hull, is a port city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It sits where the River Hull meets the Humber Estuary, roughly 25 miles inland from the North Sea. The city itself is tightly bounded and excludes most of its suburbs, so the wider built-up area around it extends well beyond the official city limits.

Before you go

Hull sits where the River Hull meets the Humber Estuary, a location that made it a thriving port and arsenal in centuries past and still shapes the city today. The flat landscape and low historic buildings give a sense of a vast backdrop of sky, with the brooding expanse of the Humber always nearby. The city has branded itself the "Pioneering City", a claim backed by innovations such as LCD technology, refined at the University of Hull, and its role in developing broadband and telecoms. Hull also has a formidable literary connection: Andrew Marvell was baptised in Holy Trinity Church, Stevie Smith was born here, and Philip Larkin lived at 32 Pearson Park for most of his life. The city was awarded UK City of Culture 2017, and regeneration has brought new public spaces and cultural offerings.

Before you travel, it helps to know that Hull's weather is typical of the region, so pack for cool, changeable conditions and rain at any time of year. On safety, efforts have been made to crack down on violent crime in the city centre, but as with any UK town, weekend evenings call for particular vigilance. Some northern areas, predominantly Bransholme and Orchard Park, are impoverished and suffer from gang and drug-related problems; these are best avoided, especially at night. Take care too when travelling down Hessle Road and Preston Road, though tourists would generally have little reason to visit these areas. For tourist information, the centre at Hull Paragon Interchange on Ferensway is open daily.

Getting there

Getting to Hull by air usually means Manchester Airport, on the far side of the country but with global connections and competitive fares; an hourly rail service runs from there to Hull with a change at Leeds, taking about two and a half hours. Humberside Airport is much closer, roughly 20 miles away via the Humber Bridge, but has only a couple of flights a day, to Aberdeen and Amsterdam, plus holiday charters to the Mediterranean; Stagecoach bus X1 runs hourly between the airport and Hull, taking 30 minutes. Doncaster Sheffield Airport closed in 2022, and Leeds Bradford Airport, which has better European connections, lacks a rail or motorway link, so you take the airport bus into Leeds for a direct bus or train onward. By train, Hull Paragon Interchange puts both the railway and bus stations in the city centre, with a taxi rank just outside. Direct Hull Trains run every couple of hours to London King's Cross via Doncaster, though changing at Doncaster is usually more convenient, with trains every 30 minutes and a journey of about three hours. An hourly direct train runs to Manchester Piccadilly, where you can change for Manchester Airport, or change in Leeds instead. An hourly fast train reaches Sheffield in about 80 minutes via Doncaster and the Meadowhall shopping centre, and Sheffield is where you change for Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff. An hourly train runs to York for connections to Durham, Newcastle and Edinburgh, and a train every couple of hours heads to Scarborough via Beverley, Bridlington and Filey. By road, the city sits at the eastern end of the M62, which becomes the A63 shortly before Hull, with good access from Lincolnshire and the south via the A15 and the Humber Bridge, and from York and the north via the A1079. National Express coaches operate in and out of Hull Paragon Interchange, some running through to King George Dock to connect with ferry services to the continent. P&O Ferries sail daily to and from Europoort, Rotterdam, an overnight crossing of about 12 hours; the ferry terminal lies four miles east of the city centre along Hedon Road, served once daily in each direction by the number 70 bus from Hull Interchange.

Getting around

Hull Paragon Interchange combines the city's railway station and bus station in one complex in the city centre, with main entrances on Ferensway — a short walk from the St Stephens covered shopping street to the north and the central core to the east. Black cabs use the Ferensway side of the Interchange, and private cars dropping off or collecting passengers can enter from Anlably Road, though spaces are few and waiting time is limited. There is no metro, tram or light rail network, so public transport is built around buses and the rail station here.

Local buses are operated by East Yorkshire Motor Services and Stagecoach. Ticketing and fares are not integrated across operators, so you pay separately for each bus you ride on, buying your ticket from the driver when you board. Buses come and go from a concourse on the north side of the Interchange, where there are small shops selling snacks and some seating at each stop, with more at the west end. Route and timetable information is available from the passenger information boards, the Travel Centre within the station, and the city council's website. Timetables displayed at bus stops around the city may not be accurate because of traffic hold-ups along the route, so leave enough time if you are catching a train from the Interchange.

Where to stay

Budget options cluster around the city centre and the university. The Campanile Hotel sits on the corner of Beverley Road and Freetown Way and has a French restaurant on-site, while the Ibis is at the end of Ferensway, handy for the railway station, the main shopping area and the marina's restaurants and pubs. The Old English Gentleman, built in 1805 and set in a conservation area behind the New Theatre, is a short walk from Queens Gardens and the Old Town. Near the University of Hull on Cottingham Road, the Old Grey Mare Hotel serves evening meals in its pub bar, and the Gables Hotel on Park Avenue has eating and drinking places nearby on Prince's Avenue.

For something mid-range, the Mercure Hull Royal Hotel is in the city centre next to the Hull Paragon Interchange, with free Wi-Fi and parking, and the Holiday Inn is at Hull Marina. If you'd rather base yourself outside the city, the four-star Cave Castle & Country Club lies in meadow and parkland west of Hull with an 18-hole golf course and health club, and the Georgian Tickton Grange Hotel & Restaurant stands in gardens on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds near Beverley. The four-star Village Hotel at Priory Park has a pool and health club.

Food & drink

Hull's eating scene spreads across the city centre and out into the Avenues, the Bohemian quarter around Princes and Newland Avenue where restaurants, bars and cafes sit side by side. On Newland Avenue you'll find Larkin's Bar, named for the poet Philip Larkin, with a broad menu and one of the city's largest selections of craft beers, and The Zoo Cafe, which specialises in vegetarian fare in an easygoing setting. Princes Avenue is home to Lounge, good value and buzzing, especially on a Sunday afternoon or over a light lunch, and the Thai House Restaurant, praised for its atmosphere and service. For Chinese, May Sum offers an all-you-can-eat buffet, while the Raj Pavilion on Beverley Road serves Indian cuisine with extravagant decor, eat in or take away. The Maharajah on Holderness Road is the city's best-loved proper curry house, well priced with an exciting menu and friendly, relaxed service. Near the waterfront, The Wilson shifts from cafe bar by day to stylish restaurant by night.

Hull is certainly not short of traditional pubs, and the old town holds many of the most characterful. Ye Olde White Harte has an upstairs plotting parlour where, it's believed, Sir John Hotham and city elders met in 1642 and resolved to deny King Charles I access to the city. Ye Olde Black Boy, one of several ancient High Street boozers, claims to be Hull's oldest. Nellys Bar sells cask ales and real ciders from micro-breweries, plus draught Belgian and German beers, and the Sailmakers Arms is a classically eccentric English pub with a beer garden. The Old English Gentleman, built in 1805, keeps its Victorian interior and draws theatregoers from the nearby New Theatre. The Adelphi is one of the last surviving underground music venues in the country, while The Queens on Prince's Avenue is popular with students. For late nights, the city centre has ATIK and Fuel, the Avenues has The Piper, and Spiders is Hull's long-running alternative club, with punk, rock and metal rooms and house cocktails.

What to see and do

Hull rewards a wander rather than a checklist. The old town keeps its medieval cobbled streets, Georgian terraces and grand merchant houses, while the wider centre mixes Flemish-inspired façades with domed civic buildings and imposing dock offices, warehouses and mills. Start at Queen Victoria Square, the heart of the city, where the wide shopping streets of the late 19th and early 20th centuries radiate outwards and the domes of the Maritime Museum and City Hall frame the statue at its centre. The Ferens Art Gallery holds sculpture and paintings from medieval to present day, with old European masters, particularly Dutch and Flemish, alongside contemporary work, and a café overlooking part of Prince's Dock. The Maritime Museum, in the original dock offices, covers the city's seafaring history from whale skeletons to ship models and fishing methods, though it may be closed for refurbishment. The Guildhall, a slab of early 20th-century civic confidence, houses the city's silver and the Hull Tapestry, whose panels depict Hull's history. Queen's Gardens, sunk into the site of the old Queen's Dock, has flowerbeds, seating and a large grassy area, with the Wilberforce Monument at its east end and the old dock offices at its west. The Mick Ronson Memorial Stage in the gardens hosts summer events, and behind it a plaque marks Robinson Crusoe's fictional departure from Hull. In the Trinity Quarter, centred on the old market square before Hull Minster, you'll find vintage clothes, independent record shops and alternative retail, plus small cafés with outdoor seating. Hull Minster itself is imposing medieval architecture with a tall bell tower, and Trinity House, with its decorated pediment, recalls the guild that cared for mariners and controlled shipping on the Humber. A statue of the poet and MP Andrew Marvell stands in Trinity Square. The Charterhouse, founded as a priory and hospital and rebuilt over the centuries, opens to the public during Hull's Heritage Weekend, with Sunday services in its chapel.

When to go

Hull has a temperate maritime climate, so expect changeable weather whenever you visit. Winters are mild for the latitude: snow falls only a couple of times a year on average and usually melts within a day or two. Cloud is frequent, and North Sea winds make the air feel colder than the temperature suggests, with frosty nights occurring through the season.

Summers are warm, and North Sea breezes keep the city cooler than inland areas. For its northerly position, Hull is sunnier and considerably drier than most of the British Isles, though droughts and heatwaves can still occur. If you want the warmest, brightest conditions, aim for the summer months.

Three days in Kingston upon Hull

Day one: Start in Kingston upon Hull itself, known simply as Hull, and get your bearings around the old town and the River Hull, which runs through the city to meet the Humber Estuary. Seek out Holy Trinity Church, a landmark of the medieval core, and note the city's literary thread - Andrew Marvell was born here, and both Stevie Smith and Philip Larkin are bound up with its story. If you want green space, Pearson Park offers a Victorian pause. Hull Paragon Interchange and Ferensway are the practical anchors for arrivals and onward movement, so use them to orient yourself before wandering.

Day two: Look outward to the water and the wider East Riding of Yorkshire. The Humber Estuary and the North Sea define this edge of England, and the Humber Bridge is the obvious set-piece to see. Hull's self-styled identity as a Pioneering City and its UK City of Culture chapter give you a frame for the day, whether you stay with the maritime frontage or head toward the bridge. Keep the geography in mind: the city sits where the River Hull meets the Humber, so the water is never far away.

Day three: Use the time for the city's residential and everyday quarters, which sit well away from the postcard views. Bransholme and Orchard Park are large estates with their own character, while Hessle Road and Preston Road carry the texture of ordinary Hull life. If you are leaving by air or rail, plan around Hull Paragon Interchange, or the airports at Humberside, Leeds and Manchester, with ferry and flight links reaching Aberdeen and Amsterdam. Take the day at an unhurried pace and let the city's flat, open feel set the rhythm.

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