Norfolk and Suffolk schools break up around 17 July 2026 and don’t go back until early September — six weeks, no bank holidays, and a fair share of it likely to be spent being told someone is bored. This is our guide to filling them: beach days done properly, the big-ticket attractions worth booking, a plan for when the weather turns, and the days out that ask only for your time.

By Linda Garrould · Updated 6 June 2026

When are the 2026 summer holidays?

Norfolk County Council schools break up on or around Friday 17 July 2026 and return in the first week of September. Suffolk follows much the same pattern — the third week of July to early September. Academies and trusts set their own dates, so confirm with your own school before you book anything non-refundable. Either way, plan for roughly six weeks, and the August Bank Holiday on Monday 31 August at the tail end.

Beach days, done well

The coast is the obvious answer, and rightly so — but a little planning turns a good beach day into a great one. Go for the tide rather than the clock; the great Norfolk beaches double in size at low water, and you’ll want that space in August. Arrive early or after three for a parking space and a calmer crowd, and pack a windbreak whatever the forecast says.

• Holkham — vast, pine-backed and free to walk; the gold standard.
• Wells-next-the-Sea — brightly painted beach huts on stilts and a vast tidal beach.
• Cromer — pier, crab and proper seaside on the north Norfolk coast.
• Southwold — beach huts, the pier and the lighthouse in the middle of town.
• Walberswick — the crabbing capital; bring a bucket and a line.
• Blakeney Point seal trips — book ahead; the boats are tide-dependent and fill fast in the holidays.

The big days out

For the days that earn their entry fee, both counties deliver. In August, book online the night before and aim for opening time — by midday the car parks and the queues have found each other.

• BeWILDerwood (Norfolk) — treehouses and zip wires from the children’s books; ages 3–12.
• Africa Alive! (Suffolk) — lions, giraffes and a proper African-plains feel near Lowestoft.
• Pleasurewood Hills (Suffolk) — the coast’s theme park, for the white-knuckle contingent.
• Pensthorpe Natural Park (Norfolk) — an early BBC Springwatch base, with a huge play barn if it rains.
• Easton Farm Park (Suffolk) — a working farm built for small children and their first wellies.

When it rains (and it will)

On either coast the weather can turn in an afternoon, so it pays to have an indoor plan in your back pocket. Norwich and Ipswich both reward a wet day.

• Norwich Castle Museum — newly reopened, with the Norman keep at its heart.
• Norwich Cathedral — free, soaring, and a cloister to race around out of the rain.
• Sutton Hoo (Suffolk) — the Anglo-Saxon ship burial, with a good indoor exhibition.
• Chantry Place, Norwich — covered shopping and the practicalities for a downpour.

Gardens and high summer

July and August are when the gardens earn their keep — and the timing is perfect, because the lavender peaks right as the holidays begin.

• Norfolk Lavender, Heacham — fields in full flower from mid-July; go on a still, warm day for the scent.
• Sheringham Park (Norfolk) — Repton’s parkland, with sea views from the gazebo.
• Helmingham Hall (Suffolk) — one of the great moated gardens of England.
• RSPB Minsmere (Suffolk) — a former BBC Springwatch base, with pond-dipping, hides and some of the best birdwatching in Britain.

Free & cheap in the holidays

Six weeks of paid attractions adds up quickly, so build in the free days too. The beaches are free to walk, Norwich Cathedral is free to enter, and the country parks at Sandringham and Sheringham cost nothing but the car park.

A lido day is the other cheap winner. Beccles Lido, on the River Waveney, is Suffolk’s only outdoor pool — heated, solar-assisted and community-run, with a toddlers’ paddling pool, a learners’ pool and a café — and a few pounds a head buys an afternoon that genuinely tires children out. Our directory of UK lidos and open-air swimming pools has the East of England options, including Jesus Green in Cambridge.

Make the day actually work

• Check the tide times before a beach day — low water gives you the room.
• Go early or after three to find a parking space and dodge the worst of the crowds.
• Suncream and more water than you think; a windbreak even on a bright day.
• Book the big attractions online the night before, especially in August.
• Keep one indoor option in reserve, because the forecast is a suggestion.
• A flask of decent coffee and the Saturday crossword for the drive home.

Where to stay this summer

Making a week of it in the holidays? Sykes Holiday Cottages has 400-plus inspected cottages across Norfolk and over 430 in Suffolk — beach houses, Broads lodges and boltholes with hot tubs, many dog-friendly. Book early for August, when the coast fills up.

Some links here are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you.

Holiday dates and attraction details correct as of 6 June 2026 — please check directly with schools and venues before you travel.