You heard it — Hull has been named one of the best places to travel to in the world by National Geographic. Sitting alongside destinations such as the Dolomites, Milan (which will host the Winter Olympics), and Québec, Canada, home to breathtakingly wild national parks, Hull has been singled out in this year’s list thanks to its 800 years of maritime history.
We’re Hull’s biggest advocates and have loved falling in love with this East Yorkshire city and all its charm. From its stunning Old Town and Humber Street to its buzzing avenues and old arcades filled with independent bars and an ever-growing food scene, alongside some fantastic and quirky shops, Hull has plenty to offer. For us foodies, it’s full of fantastic places to eat and is home to one of our favourite restaurants in all of Yorkshire.
National Geographic featured Hull alongside some of the world’s most popular tourist spots — a real accolade for the city. The publication highlighted the “$53 million project to promote Hull’s many-layered maritime heritage,” which is due to wrap up in 2026, transforming this underrated northern port city. The project includes the Hull Maritime Museum, the North End Shipyard two-storey visitor centre, and two permanently docked museum ships — the 1960s Arctic Corsair cod trawler and the Spurn lightship, which once guided boats through the treacherous waters of the Humber Estuary.
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Hull has a huge history waiting to be rediscovered. Once one of the world’s busiest whaling ports in the 19th century and later a major fishing and shipping hub in the 20th, the city’s story runs deep.
On top of that, there’s now a new Maritime Heritage Trail that winds through Hull’s Georgian Old Town, highlighting its new green spaces and public art with maritime connections. The route also takes in the city’s Museums Quarter, where the 18th-century birthplace of William Wilberforce — one of the UK’s most important anti-slavery campaigners — is now an excellent museum exploring the history of slavery and abolition.
Once known mainly for The Deep, the award-winning aquarium that proudly overlooks where the River Hull meets the Humber Estuary, this new cultural and heritage offering is set to position Hull as one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming tourist cities.
Check out the National Geographic’s full list here.
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