What families told us about their favourite days out

Forget military-style planning, expensive treats and trying to squeeze everything into one day. According to our Summer Days Out Survey, the ingredients for a memorable family outing are much simpler: time together, plenty of laughter, an ice cream and, ideally, children who are tired enough to sleep all the way home.

Norfolk & Suffolk Tourist Attractions (NSTA) asked 235 people about their favourite summer days out across Norfolk and Suffolk, the little moments they remember and the familiar family characters who always come along for the ride.

The answers featured beaches, wildlife, adventure, boats, trains, gardens, museums and attractions of every kind. They also showed that people are keen to keep exploring.

Four in ten respondents (40.6%) discovered somewhere new in Norfolk or Suffolk during the summer, while a further third still had places waiting on their wish lists.

From wildlife parks and adventure attractions to historic houses, gardens, museums, railways and days on the water, NSTA members offer plenty of opportunities to try something different or return to an established family favourite.

But one message stood out above everything else: where you go helps create the experience, while the people you share it with turn it into a lasting memory.

Togetherness beats the biggest thrills

When asked to choose their idea of a perfect day out, 35% of respondents chose simply spending time together.

That came ahead of discovering somewhere different, seeing animals, being beside the sea, exploring nature, travelling by train or boat and seeking out something exciting.

The same feeling appeared when we asked about the biggest treat of the day. For 38.9%, it was not really about treats at all. It was about being together.

As one respondent put it:

Not every memorable moment went entirely to plan:

Others remembered hearing the words “Let’s come back here again” or returning home feeling tired in a “we will sleep well tonight” kind of way.

Sometimes, that is all the proof you need that it has been a very good day.

Every family has one…

Of course, no family day out would be complete without a few familiar characters.

According to the survey:

🚻 26.9% need the toilet as soon as they arrive
🍦 26.5% immediately ask for an ice cream
📸 16.7% take hundreds of photographs
🎁 12% disappear into the gift shop
🚗 10.3% ask “Are we nearly there?”

Which one are you?

Ice cream remains an essential ingredient

Although spending time together came first, the traditional treats have not disappeared.

Ice cream was the most popular tangible treat in the survey, chosen by 17.9% of respondents. It also appeared spontaneously in 31 answers when we asked people to complete the sentence: “A perfect summer day out always includes…”

Other essential ingredients included sunshine, laughter, picnics, coffee and cake, fish and chips, fresh air, happy children, grandparents and plenty of photographs.

Some respondents had more specific requirements, including a fridge magnet, a fully charged phone and “no arguments”.

It seems the recipe for perfection is different for every family, although an ice cream certainly helps.

The coast holds a special place in our memories

Beaches and seaside locations appeared more often than any other type of place in people’s favourite-day responses.

Some simply said “the beach”, while others recalled days in Great Yarmouth, Cromer, Felixstowe, Southwold, Wells-next-the-Sea, Hunstanton, Sheringham, Walcott and many other coastal favourites.

For some, the perfect seaside day meant swimming, paddling or fossil hunting. For others, it was a coastal walk, fish and chips, an ice cream or watching the sunset.

One family told us that their dachshund, Morris, joins them on every beach trip.

For one respondent, the perfect day was simply:

Others measured success through sunshine, laughter, fish and chips, tired children and a peaceful journey home.

The little moments become the big memories

Across the survey, people remembered an enormous variety of days out. There were wildlife encounters, adventurous play, rides, boats, trains, gardens, museums, beaches and simple afternoons spent outdoors.

Yet the most memorable responses were often about one small family moment rather than the whole itinerary.

One respondent recalled:

It is a lovely example of what so many of the answers revealed. Attractions provide the setting and the experience, but it is the shared moment that stays with us.

NSTA members offer an enormous variety of settings in which those moments can happen, from exciting new discoveries to familiar places that become part of a family’s traditions.

Where will you discover next?

The survey responses ranged from major attractions to museums, railways, nature reserves, play parks, gardens, heritage sites and smaller coastal locations.

So, even if you feel as though you know Norfolk and Suffolk well, there is probably another adventure waiting just down the road.

Find your next day out

Whether your perfect day involves animals, adventure, history, gardens, trains, boats, the coast or simply slowing down together, Norfolk and Suffolk offer plenty of ways to make new memories.

Just remember to plan the toilet stop and leave time for an ice cream.

• Explore Norfolk and Suffolk attractions
• Discover upcoming events
• View the latest offers and vouchers
• Read our 101 things to do in Norfolk days-out guide
• Read our 101 things to do in Suffolk days-out guide

The NSTA Summer Days Out Survey was completed by 235 people during summer 2026. It explored what people enjoy, remember and experience on days out across Norfolk and Suffolk.

Press and media enquiries
For further information, additional statistics, respondent quotes, images or press enquiries, please contact NSTA at support@norfolkandsuffolkattractions.co.uk.