Ten days, two national parks, one magnificent loop. This Norfolk coast and Broads road trip itinerary starts and finishes in Norwich, taking in the reed-fringed waterways of the Broads, the crab port at Cromer, and the vast salt marshes at Wells-next-the-Sea.
If you are looking for a Norfolk coast and Broads road trip itinerary that covers both of the county's defining landscapes in a single loop, this ten-day drive delivers. Starting and finishing in Norwich, the route heads northeast into the reed-fringed waterways of the Norfolk Broads before turning up to the coast at Cromer and travelling west across the vast salt marshes and sandy beaches of the North Norfolk Heritage Coast.
The total driving distance is around 130 miles, but that figure undersells the trip. Norfolk rewards the slow approach: a morning drifting along the River Bure, an afternoon walking the pine woods behind Wells Beach, a sunset over The Wash from Hunstanton's chalk cliffs. Build in time to stop, wander, and eat crab.
The route divides into two distinct sections. The Norfolk Broads National Park, just north of Norwich, offers quiet rivers, wetland wildlife, and working windpumps. The North Norfolk Heritage Coast, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, stretches from Cromer west to Hunstanton across a landscape of salt marshes, tidal inlets, and Georgian market towns.
Neither section demands serious driving. The longest leg is the return from Hunstanton to Norwich (around 75 minutes via King's Lynn). Everything else is a short hop.
Route shape: Loop from Norwich
Total distance: approximately 130 miles
Duration: 10 days
Best time: May to September
Transport: Self-drive car
Activity level: Low
Begin in Norfolk's medieval capital. Norwich Cathedral's 96-metre spire is the focal point, but the real pleasure is in wandering: cobbled Elm Hill, the 900-year-old market, the independent shops of the Norwich Lanes, and a 12th-century Norman castle that doubles as a fine regional museum. Stay the night to settle in before heading north.
The UK's largest protected wetland is best explored on the water. From Wroxham (20 minutes from Norwich), hire a day boat to drift along reed-fringed rivers at your own pace, or join a wildlife cruise on Hickling Broad where marsh harriers and bitterns are regularly seen. Horsey Windpump makes a rewarding short walk, and the Bure Valley Railway runs a steam service from Wroxham into the countryside.
Two nights here gives you time to slow down properly. The Broads rewards patience.
White chalk cliffs, a Norman conquest battlefield, cobblestoned medieval streets and a seaside city that refuses to be ordinary: this East Sussex road trip itinerary covers it all in seven days.
Cromer lives up to its self-applied title of gem of the Norfolk coast. The Victorian pier extends 151 metres over the sea, the fishmongers on Garden Street sell freshly cooked crab (in season March to October), and the clifftop path south to Overstrand offers views across the North Sea. The town is compact enough to explore on foot in an afternoon.
Four miles west of Cromer, Sheringham is a handsome seaside town with a character all its own. Walk the cliff path between the two towns in the morning (allow 1.5 hours), then ride the steam-hauled North Norfolk Railway into Holt for lunch. The afternoon is well spent at Sheringham Park, a National Trust woodland where rhododendrons blaze in late May and sea views open up from the observation platforms.
Wells is the north Norfolk coast in miniature: a tidal quay channel, salt marshes, pine woods, and a mile of wide beach backed by colourful beach huts. Two nights here works well as a base. On the first day, drive eight miles to Holkham Beach, one of England's finest, and spend a morning walking its empty sands beside the Holkham Estate. On the second, take the boat trip from Morston Quay to Blakeney Point to see the grey seal colony.
Parking in Wells is tight in summer. Arrive early and walk the 20-minute pine-wood path to the beach.
Eight miles west of Wells, Burnham Market is a Georgian village of independent galleries, delis, and boutiques arranged around a wide village green. It rewards an early morning visit before the day-trippers arrive. From the nearby village of Brancaster Staithe, a foot-passenger ferry crosses to Scolt Head Island National Nature Reserve, an undeveloped barrier island with dune systems and tern colonies. Brancaster Beach to the west offers wide, kite-friendly sands.
England's only westward-facing east-coast town, Hunstanton has a quality no other Norfolk resort can claim: sunsets over the sea. The layered red-and-white chalk-and-carstone cliffs are unique in Norfolk and worth the short clifftop walk north of the beach. Eight miles south at RSPB Snettisham, one of England's great wildlife spectacles unfolds at high tides from October to January when hundreds of thousands of wading birds roost on the shore.
The loop closes with an easy drive south via King's Lynn and Swaffham, around 75 minutes on the A10 and A47. If time allows before heading home, the Cathedral Quarter in Norwich rewards a final wander for dinner in the independent restaurant scene that has grown up around Tombland.
Getting to Norwich: Direct trains from London Liverpool Street run in under two hours. Norwich Airport has connections to several UK and European hubs.
Driving: No single leg on this route exceeds 75 minutes. Total route distance is around 130 miles; the A149 coast road from Cromer west to Hunstanton is the most scenic section.
Season: May to September offers the best weather. July and August are busiest; May, June, and September offer a better balance of open businesses and quieter roads.
Cromer crab: In season March to October. Buy a dressed crab from a Garden Street fishmonger or book a table at No1 Cromer.
Boat hire on the Broads: Broom Boats and Richardson's at Wroxham offer half-day and full-day hire. Book ahead in summer.
Blakeney seals: Boat trips run from Morston Quay year-round. November to February is best for newborn pups. Book ahead in peak season.
Wells parking: Arrive before 10am in July and August or use car parks on the edge of town.
An 8-day Northern Arizona road trip looping from Phoenix through Jerome, Sedona, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon South Rim and Route 66 Williams. Full itinerary with drives, stops and the best time to go.
The full route — stops, maps, and driving times — is on Routebook by Kington.
A circular self-drive through the reed-fringed waterways of the Norfolk Broads and the vast salt marshes and sandy beaches of the North Norfolk Heritage Coast, starting and finishing in Norwich.
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