Blackpool
The Fylde Coast's biggest seaside resort - the Tower, the Pleasure Beach and three miles of Promenade, all a tram ride apart. Come for the rides and the Illuminations; stay for a proper British seaside holiday.
Accommodation in Blackpool
Home to Blackpool Tower, the Pleasure Beach and the Illuminations - the Fylde Coast's best-known seaside resort.
Visit outside July and August if you can - the Tower, the beach and the trams are all still there, just without the queues.
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The full Blackpool guide
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Things to do
Blackpool Tower & Tower Eye
Take the glass lift up for coastline views, then step onto the SkyWalk's glass floor near the top.
Pleasure Beach Blackpool
One of Britain's biggest amusement parks, with the Big One and a run of genuinely world-class coasters.
Blackpool Illuminations
Miles of lights strung along the Promenade every autumn - the town's best-known event, running into the new year.
Winter Gardens & Opera House
A Victorian entertainment complex still hosting touring shows and conferences inside genuinely ornate interiors.
Best places to eat
The Cottage Restaurant, Newhouse Road, Marton
A long-standing sit-down fish and chip restaurant, a step up from a seafront takeaway - a short drive or taxi inland from the seafront, not a walk-in on the Golden Mile.
Bonny Street
The town's traditional fish market street, with a cluster of chip shops that have fed generations of holidaymakers.
Big Blue Hotel restaurant, by Pleasure Beach
Family-friendly dining right by the rides - useful if you're spending the whole day there.
Coffee & breakfast
Seafront cafés along the North Shore
Classic full-English breakfasts with a sea view, quieter than the cafés directly under the Tower.
Church Street and Bispham Road cafés
A more local, less touristy breakfast scene just back from the Golden Mile.
Winter Gardens café
A good coffee stop if you're already exploring the Spanish Hall or catching a show.
Family activities
Sandcastle Waterpark
Indoor slides and wave pools next to Pleasure Beach - a solid rainy-day option too.
Blackpool Zoo
Set back in Stanley Park, with elephants, orangutans and a safari-style layout.
SEA LIFE Blackpool
An aquarium beneath the Promenade with a walk-through ocean tunnel.
Beaches & walks
Blackpool's main beach
Miles of flat sand running the length of the Promenade, best a couple of hours either side of low tide.
The Promenade
A flat, tram-lined walking and cycling route running the whole length of the resort.
Stanley Park
Dog-friendlyAn inland green space with a boating lake and Italian Gardens - a break from the seafront crowds.
Pubs & nightlife
Viva Blackpool, next to the Tower
A cabaret, restaurant and events venue right on the Promenade, with a nightly variety show and a late bar.
Seafront and town-centre Wetherspoon pubs
Reliable, good-value options if you just want a straightforward pint.
Winter Gardens' Spanish Hall and Empress Ballroom
Occasional live music and events in genuinely grand surroundings.
Shopping
Houndshill Shopping Centre
The town's main indoor shopping centre, just back from the seafront.
Coral Island
An amusement arcade and gift-shop landmark on the Golden Mile, a Blackpool fixture for decades.
Abingdon Street Market
Blackpool's own food hall and indoor market after a full renovation - independent bars, coffee and street food stalls alongside retail units, right in the town centre.
Local amenities
Blackpool Victoria Hospital
The area's main hospital, on Whinney Heys Road.
Large supermarkets
Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda all run large stores in and around the town.
Pharmacies and NHS walk-in services
Available at several points along the seafront and town centre.
Transport
Blackpool Tramway
Heritage and modern trams run the full coast from Starr Gate to Fleetwood Ferry, right past the Promenade.
Blackpool North railway station
The main line station, a short walk or tram ride from the seafront.
Arriving from further afield
Most visitors fly into Manchester or Liverpool and travel on by road or rail - Blackpool Airport has no scheduled passenger flights.
Parking
Promenade pay-and-display car parks
Several along the seafront, busiest in summer and during the Illuminations.
Multi-storey car parks near Houndshill
A good bet if seafront parking is full, especially on peak weekends.
Arrive early on peak days
There's no park-and-ride scheme currently - getting there early makes the real difference in summer.
Dog-friendly places
Blackpool's beach
Dogs are welcome on most stretches, though seasonal restrictions apply on the central beach in summer - check current signage.
Stanley Park
A popular inland walk for dog owners away from the seafront crowds.
Seafront pubs and cafés
Several welcome dogs - always worth asking, especially outside peak hours.
Rainy-day activities
Sandcastle Waterpark
Family-friendlyIndoor and warm, whatever the weather outside.
Madame Tussauds Blackpool
A fully indoor seafront attraction on the Golden Mile.
SEA LIFE Blackpool
Family-friendlyAnother reliable indoor option right on the Promenade.
Events & seasonal attractions
Blackpool Illuminations
Switched on every autumn and running for several weeks into the new year.
Blackpool Air Show
A seafront air display held most summers, one of the UK's biggest free air shows.
Winter Gardens events calendar
Touring shows, conferences and seasonal events year-round.
Today in Blackpool
19°C
Overcast
Warm and dry - a great day for the beach, a coastal walk, or eating outside.
Today's events
No ticketed events found for today - see What's On below for upcoming dates.
Perfect Days in Blackpool
Ready-made plans for however you want to spend the day - pick one and go.
Family Day
Morning
Blackpool Tower & Tower Eye
Midday
Lunch at the Big Blue Hotel restaurant, right by Pleasure Beach
Afternoon
Rides at Pleasure Beach Blackpool
Evening
A stroll along the Promenade - the Illuminations if you're here in season
Couples Day
Morning
Winter Gardens & Opera House's Victorian interiors
Midday
Lunch at The Cottage Restaurant, Queen Street
Afternoon
A walk through Stanley Park's Italian Gardens
Evening
Blackpool Tower Eye at dusk, then a walk down the Golden Mile
Beach Day
Morning
Blackpool's main beach, a couple of hours either side of low tide
Midday
Fish and chips on Bonny Street
Afternoon
The Promenade on foot or bike, the tram-lined length of the resort
Evening
Sandcastle Waterpark if the tide's wrong or the weather turns
Foodie Day
Morning
Breakfast at a North Shore seafront café
Midday
The Cottage Restaurant, Queen Street, for fish and chips done properly
Afternoon
Abingdon Street Market for seaside treats and local produce
Evening
A drink in the Winter Gardens' Spanish Hall
Rainy Day
Morning
Sandcastle Waterpark - indoor and warm whatever the sky's doing
Midday
Lunch inside Houndshill Shopping Centre
Afternoon
SEA LIFE Blackpool's walk-through ocean tunnel
Evening
Madame Tussauds Blackpool
Relaxed Day
Morning
Stanley Park's boating lake
Midday
Coffee at a Church Street café
Afternoon
A slow walk the length of the Promenade
Evening
An early, quiet seafront pub
Near Your Stay
Come back here from one of our Blackpool listings and this section shows real walking and driving times to everything nearby, from your exact property.
What's On
Live events and entertainment in Blackpool.
No upcoming events found for Blackpool yet.
FYStay Local Knowledge
The stuff regulars know that doesn't show up in a search engine - parking to avoid, when to actually turn up, and where to go instead of the obvious choice in Blackpool.
- Where locals actually go
Church Street, not the Golden Mile
Ask someone from Blackpool where they actually eat and drink, and they'll send you inland to Church Street and the streets around it - not the seafront, which is built for visitors rather than regulars.
- Areas to avoid for parking
Skip the car parks right under the Tower
The Promenade car parks nearest the Tower fill first and clear last, especially on Illuminations nights. The multi-storey near Houndshill Shopping Centre empties out faster and is only a five-minute walk from the seafront.
- Best times to visit
First and last hour beat the midday crush
Pleasure Beach and the Tower are both quietest in the first two hours after opening and the last hour before close. Crowds peak between midday and mid-afternoon, worse still in school holidays.
- Best beaches for families
Head towards Norbreck for more room
The stretch of beach near Norbreck and North Shore is flatter and considerably less crowded than the central beach directly outside the Tower - an easier walk down for anyone managing young kids and beach gear.
- Best sunset spots
Bispham's stretch of Promenade, minus the crowds
Blackpool faces west, so any point on the Promenade catches the sunset over the Irish Sea. The quieter northern stretch near Bispham gets the same view as the crowded central section, with far fewer people in the way of the photo.
- Quiet alternatives to busy attractions
Sandcastle Waterpark over Pleasure Beach's queues
If Pleasure Beach's queues aren't for you, Sandcastle Waterpark next door is usually far calmer outside summer weekends, with a similar big-ride thrill and none of the standing around.
- Local shortcuts & tips
The tram beats driving the seafront in summer
A tram day ticket is often cheaper than paying for parking twice, and it's reliably faster than driving the Promenade in summer traffic. Walking the seafront end to end is a different experience before 10am, once the day-trippers have arrived.
- Hidden gem
The Grundy Art Gallery, two minutes off Queen Street
Free to enter and almost always quiet, the Grundy sits a short walk inland from the Golden Mile - a proper change of pace from the seafront that most visitors never realise is there.