A wonderful combination of old and new, Norwich is a great university city and ideal for a trip away. Dubbed as the most complete medieval city in the UK, Norwich is not only easy to get around but also has a beautiful river at its heart. With a lively arts, music and cultural scene, nightlife in Norwich boasts something for everyone. The city also boasts a number of independent stores as well as High Street shopping and fantastic restaurants, bars and clubs.
Once there, Norwich is relatively cheap and taxis around the centre are affordable - meaning you’ll have more money left over for the good old stuff.
Explore the City
Norfolk Broads
Norwich is the only English city set within a National Park. The Norfolk Broads is not only stunningly beautiful but makes for a great day out. Hop aboard your very own boat, take a picnic to enjoy on the river banks or why not explore the many quaint pubs that fill this gem?
City Tour and Treasure Hunt
What better way to explore the city centre, than with a pub city tour and treasure hunt? Led by your very own guide, you’ll take on a number of interactive pub challenges while making your way round Norwich’s best drinking spots. Armed with quiz sheets and a map, this is guaranteed to get the party started.
Shopping
Norwich is frequently placed on the top 10 UK shopping destination list and it’s not hard to see why. Norwich Market is open 6 days a week and offers everything from delicious local produce to handmade crafts. The city centre is also home to two shopping centres, four department stores and plenty of independent boutiques in the beautiful Lanes and Timber Hill.
Sports
Norwich is a proud home to cricket, football and more! Take part in a number of activities such as zorb football, goggle football or five-a-side football. It’s a great way to recover from the night before, and find out who the best footballer in the group really is.
Cultural Attractions
Home to award-winning museums, fantastic art collections, various theatres and the UK’s oldest arts festival, Norwich’s culture is hard to miss. Theatre Royal and Norwich Playhouse not only show some of the UK’s best loved theatre performances but also have a wide range of comedy acts from upcoming stars to well-known names.
Day Trips
Norwich is surrounded by a number of villages, towns and tourist hotspots including Burnham Market, Cley-next-the-Sea and Cromer. Plus, Great Yarmouth is also nearby - an area favoured by large groups for its clubs, cheap pubs and entertainment hotspots. Uncover these hidden gems, explore quaint pubs and take part in various outdoor activities.
Norwich Lanes
The Norwich Lanes is home to quirky, independent retailers offering fashion, art and delicious local produce. Set against narrow lanes and historic buildings, there’s also a wide range of galleries, vintage shops, coffee shops, cafes, bars and restaurants as well as many pubs selling local ale.
Nightlife Hotspots
Norwich is home to the University of East Anglia, meaning the city enjoys a lively and varied nightlife scene. Norwich has everything from cool cocktail lounges, late-night clubs and traditional pubs making planning nights out for large groups easy. Plus they’re all centrally located, meaning a city centre bar crawl is always easy to arrange.
Prince of Wales Road
As Norwich’s infamous nightlife scene, this road is where it’s at. Popular with students, locals and tourists alike, if you’re looking for the ultimate Norwich night out, you’ve got to head here. One of the most popular clubs calling this place home is Mantra, a premier nightclub offering chic oriental design and a fantastic atmosphere.
Bars
From popular favourites such as All Bar One and Revolution to Bar 11, Mr Postles’ Apothecary, The Rooftop Gardens and Sugar and Spice, Norwich has more cocktail bars than you could possibly want. Why not arrange a cocktail making activity to get the party started? Offering great music, fantastic drink deals and an even better atmosphere, it’s no surprise that large groups favour these venues.
Clubs
Fluke Bar and Gonzos are some of Norwich’s best loved nightclubs. Popular with students, you can expect resident DJs playing the finest tunes and a wide range of packages to pre-order. So, why not go all out and book a booth for the entire evening? Plus Gonzos also boasts an incredible rooftop bar that is sure to impress everyone.
Beer Hotspots
Norwich’s beer heritage began over 170 years and the city is incredibly proud of it. Often calling themselves the city of ale, there’s a wide range of breweries and traditional pubs selling loads of the good old stuff. BrewDog Norwich and Redwell Brewing are two of the area’s most popular spots and even sell some gluten-free beer.
Eat like a local
Whatever you want to eat in Norwich, you’ll find it. With plenty of national chains alongside incredible independent restaurants, from mouth-watering street food, cute cafes, delicious restaurants and more, whatever your budget or occasion, there’s something for everyone. Plus, the restaurants are used to catering to large groups.
Traditional Pub Grub
Is there anything better than a good pie and mash or fish and chips? Sometimes all you want is good British pub grub and Norwich has its fair share of establishments. The Fritton Arms, The Woolpack Inn and The Pig and Whistle are all fine country pubs situated in the city, offering great food and drink.
Fast Food Feasts
If you’re looking for a quick bite before starting your evening then Norwich has many fast food restaurants for you to choose from. Indulge in authentic pizza from Brick Pizza, try delicious Mexican snacks at Nanna Mexico, and for the fresh taste of the seaside, head to Orford Plaice Fish & Chips.
International Cuisines
Norwich is home to numerous cuisines so whatever you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it. Vegetarians will love Namaste Indian, an award-winning meat-free Indian restaurant. Taste the finest burgers at Zaks Authentic American Diner. Giggling Squid offers delicious thai food and even has a gluten free menu and Paolo’s serves the finest Italian dishes.
Places to stay
After a long day of drinking, partying and probably more drinking, it’s likely that you’ll want to find somewhere to rest your head close by. Norwich is home to a large number of hotels, hostels and apartments, ideal for large groups. Plus, the Travelodge which is conveniently located offers double and triple rooms, meaning you can bunk up with your mates.
Norwich has a pulsing nightlife
At a Glance:
Head to the home of the Canaries on Carrow Road. Climbing it’s way back into the Premiership in 2015, the fans are passionate, the stadium is intimate (it seats less than 28,000) and you get to enjoy watching world class football players with your mates. It’s a belta of a way to begin your stag weekend in Norwich.
Whether you are speeding around in a go kart, pummelling your best mate with paintballs, playing a round of golf or drinking a round of pints - you’ll have an unforgettable time on a stag do in Norwich.
Best bars and pubs:
Did you know that Norwich has the highest concentration of pubs per square mile of anywhere in the UK? That’s good news for your stag do crew, so here are some of the best drinking houses to visit during your trip:
The Fat Cat
If you are a fan of real ale, you will feel like you died and went to heaven at the Fat Cat. It serves of 25 different real ales and it is the only pub in the UK to win the CAMRA National Pub of the Year Award twice!
The Murderers
This is a classic style bar. Great food, great live bands and all the best sports broadcast on the big screen. It dates back to 1530 and it is one of the last family owned public houses in Norwich City Centre.
Stadia
Bit of a one stop shop here. Once you go in, you probably won’t be leaving anytime soon. Stadia keeps it simple, but does it well. Lots of TV’s around to enjoy the sports, tasty burgers and onion rings for those in need of a belly filler and a decent selection of beers at a reasonable price. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, that’s right. A trip downstairs to the german bierhaus. Knock back a couple of steins, listen to some music, then attempt on wobbly legs to make it back upstairs.
Frank’s Bar
This laid back yet lively establishment is one of the best bars in Norfolk and it offers tasty food, drinks, great live music and a welcoming atmosphere. It’s a great place to strike up a conversation and make new friends and people are warm, friendly and easy to talk to. You can even come back on Sunday morning and cure your hangover with a cooked breakfast.
Nightlife:
The epicentre of the party scene
The Golden Triangle, consisting of Prince of Wales Street, St. Andrews Street and Exchange Street. Norwich became a popular nightlife destination when tens of thousands of US service personnel were stationed in the surrounding countryside during and after World War II. These days it is a student city and the nightlife scene is still lively and exciting here.
For a bunch of lads
Prince of Wales (POW) road is the only place to go in Norwich. A strip full of bars, take-aways and clubs, the street is rammed with people on a Friday and Saturday night. Despite the rep it’s been given, the area is well policed and you shouldn’t see too much trouble.
Otherwise
You could happily take a wander down the whole road, ending up in Mercy XS for the end of the night. The biggest club in Norwich is a safe bet for any large group of lads - the sort of place with a sticky dance floor, cheap alcohol and fantastically dodgy mix of chart hits and 80’s disco. A stag do dream.
Elsewhere
A short walk from the POW is the riverside, which has a far stronger restaurant vibe than bar scene, but still holds a massive Wetherspoons, coming in very handy after a cheeky meal.
Speaking of meals
One of the top spots to hit up is in the “tombland” area, about a hundred metres past POW. There’s a cracking steak and fish restaurant called “The Edith Cavell” where the steak arrives on a hot stone for a bit of drama.
Other large chains
La Tasca, Prezzo and Zizzi’s are also along this strip. There’s also a decent Japanese and Indian restaurant in the same area.
Events not to miss:
- Norwich Beer Festival - Plan your stag do for October so that you can raise a glass at this beer loving celebration.
- Sundown Festival - This event takes place in August and is one of the biggest and best music festivals in the region.
- Laugh in the Park - There’s nothing like a great stand-up show to get you and your mates in a fun mood. During this July festival several top comics perform live outdoor shows.
- A Norwich City F.C game - Majority owned by your mums favourite cook Delia Smith, a footy game is the perfect way to get you and boys singing from the rooftops.
Getting there and getting around:
Norwich can be reached via two major trunk roads, the A11 and the A47. You can also get there by train and the two main routes run south to London via Colchester and Ipswich. There are also other services between the other major cities in the North and the Midlands. If you plan on taking the bus, there are regular National Express bus services to and London. However, keep in mind that the journey via bus can take almost twice as long as the train and it is not much cheaper.
The best way to get around the city is on foot, as the city centre is compact. You don’t have to worry about forking out ridiculous amounts of money for taxis (it’s a small city after all) and with it’s relatively flat terrain, it’s a synch to walk about.
There are also city buses operated by FirstGroup that will take you between the train station, the riverside entertainment district and other areas of town.
