Brighton walking tour & city guide

The seafront

Brighton Palace Pier, opened in 1899, stretches into the sea with fairground rides, arcades and fish and chip stalls. The long seafront promenade runs past beach bars, art studios in the old fishermen's arches and the ruins of the West Pier, now a haunting skeleton in the water.

Nearby, the British Airways i360, a sleek glass pod on a tall tower, rises 138 meters above the coast for views along the shoreline and over the South Downs.

The Royal Pavilion and the Lanes

The Royal Pavilion, built for King George IV in the early 19th century, is one of the most extraordinary buildings in Britain, with onion domes and minarets inspired by Indian architecture outside and lavish Chinese-style interiors inside.

The Lanes, the old fishing village, is a maze of narrow alleys full of jewelry shops, antiques and cafés. North Laine, just north, is more bohemian, with vintage shops, street art, vegan cafés and independent stores.

Visiting tips

Brighton is about an hour from London by train. The beach is pebbles, not sand, so bring comfortable shoes. The city hosts a major arts festival in May and one of the UK's biggest Pride celebrations in August. The white cliffs of the Seven Sisters are a short bus ride away.