A classic British seaside break is like a Sunday roast - it needs all the right trimmings. In this case, I’m talking fish and chip shops, arcades, a fun pier, ice cream parlours, decent pubs and, of course, a beautiful beach.
Bonus points if there’s also an amusement park with some sort of quirky ride or attraction that’s been there for decades.
When I visited Great Yarmouth, I wasn’t expecting it to tick every single one of those boxes, given it gets mixed reviews. The Norfolk town sometimes gets an unfairly bad rep, local James Cossey told me. “You can never not have a good day out, especially when you’ve got kids,” he added. “I hate that it does get slated.”
Visiting over a weekend with a toddler who’s firmly in the ‘refusing to sit still for more than 30 seconds’ phase, I have to say I agree.
There wasn’t a moment across the weekend where we were short of something fun to do. The main promenade is lined with various amusement parks, arcades and cafes.
Top of my list was heading to Joyland, Great Yarmouth’s famous theme park that’s been open since 1949. These parks can be a bit hit and miss with a toddler given height restrictions, but we were able to take our little one on at least four rides - including the iconic Super Snails.
This ride involves a snail-shaped vehicle that goes around a little track, which I mistakenly assumed wouldn’t be particularly thrilling. I was very quickly proven wrong when the first drop occurred, and I genuinely held on to the handlebar that little bit tighter! I didn’t fully appreciate the Snails’ legacy until I posted a picture on social media from the ride, only to get inundated by messages from friends and colleagues who gleefully shared happy childhood memories of the snails and Great Yarmouth.
For me, that sums up Great Yarmouth’s charm; it’s the nostalgia of it all, but it has a bit of a cheeky side.
Merrivale Model Village was a perfect example. I expected to spend maybe half an hour at best to keep the toddler distracted, but we stayed there for well over an hour as there was so much to explore, and the little trains were such a hit with all of the kids around the attraction. It was was one of the highlights of our trip. As for that cheeky side, we took the staff member’s advice to “push any of the buttons that need pushing”. The result? ‘Overhearing’ the conversations being had by the models which delighted the kids. Just a warning when you get to the model golf resort - it features some pretty spicy scenes which definitely didn’t feel wholesome, but was hilarious for the adults!
Of course no seaside day is complete without a trip to the pier, and Britannia Pier had everything we wanted; a pub pouring decent pints, an arcade with 2p machines, and a few rides and attractions for kids, although these were slightly too big for our toddler to try. Britannia Pier actually picked up the title ‘Pier of the Year’ for 2026, following a £1.8million investment. If I’m perfectly honest, I’ve been on piers that had a little more buzz about them, but it still delivered everything we wanted, and was a really nice spot where we could stop, get a drink in the sunshine, and take in the seaside views while our toddler ran off some energy.
Speaking of energy, we decided to replenish ours with a stop at Sara’s Tearooms. The moment I saw the portions, I knew we’d made the right choice. The seafront cafe has a menu with the likes of burgers, fish and chips and Full English breakfasts, and it’s the type of place where sandwiches are filled to the brim and chips properly piled on the plate.
The food was delicious, and I was impressed at how well it could cater to my gluten-free needs.
The family-run cafe - including homemade cakes from Sara herself - has such a warm and welcoming atmosphere, and it’s conveniently located between all of the amusement parks so it’s definitely a good little haven when you want to stop and recharge.
Co-owner Matt Smith, who runs the beachfront cafe after taking it over from his parents, was more than happy to have a chat and share some recommendations, including urging me to come back when the town runs its weekly fireworks shows on Wednesday nights (this will run until August 26).
As for the beach? I wasn’t expecting such a wide expanse of golden sand that genuinely wouldn’t look out of place in the likes of Spain or Portugal. Granted, I visited over a weekend where it was 28C and therefore everything felt more like Spain than Norfolk, but I don’t think the weather was the only reason why I was so impressed.
There was plenty of space to lay out a towel, and the beach was predominantly full of families building sandcastles, taking a dip in the sea, and taking breaks to head to one of the many ice cream parlours along the promenade.
My only quibble with the town is that there aren’t many public toilets - so you either need to commit to buying something at one of the cafes to use their facilities, or you need to plan toilet breaks a little bit which, with a toddler, wasn’t particularly easy.
Parking in town wasn’t an issue. Granted, we travelled outside of the peak holiday seasons but it was a hot and sunny weekend, so I’d been prepared to have to circle around for a while to find spaces. There are plenty of car parks around the town, and we found one nearer towards theme park Pleasure Beach, which cost us about £11 for the day.
It feels like there may be an element of snobbery from Great Yarmouth’s critics. The town isn’t trying to compete with luxury resorts or high-end hotels and Michelin-style restaurants. Yes, there are some parts of town that could do with a lick of paint, but I think that can be true of a lot of UK destinations.
I loved that it didn’t feel too polished - it’s cheap, cheerful and quintessentially British.
We stayed at Haven Hopton, about a 20-minute drive from Great Yarmouth. Haven Holidays has three-night stays from £349 until 28 August 2026. Book at haven.com.
You can find out more about Great Yarmouth at visitgreatyarmouth.co.uk.
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