Groups can book onto tours about the Northumberland castle’s role as a filming location including in Netflix’s The Last Kingdom.
The castle, which has stood over the Northumberland coastline for more than 1,400 years, is open year-round and welcomes groups for specialist talks and behind the scenes tours, with bespoke packages available and group rates for 15 or more people.
Tours & trails
Bamburgh Castle has featured in a range of film and television productions thanks to its dramatic coastline and imposing structure. Productions include Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Elizabeth, and Macbeth, and visitors can follow in the footsteps of the stars of screen and visit filming locations with one of the Bamburgh on Screen Tours, new for 2026.
This year the castle is also launching new tours inspired by Netflix series The Last Kingdom. Uhtred of Bebbanburg tours will run until 26th October and will be led by Viking expert and tour guide Robert Lundgren-Jones – known as Ragnar the Viking.
The tour will show how Uhtred climbed the ladder of power at Bamburgh to become allies with the Vikings and the King of England and compare the fantasy of the Netflix series to the Viking reality, explore battle scenes filmed nearby and give visitors the chance to become queen or king of the north on a warrior throne inside the castle grounds.
The castle also hosts an exhibition showcasing costumes and props from the series, including costumes worn by Mark Rowley (Finan) and Arnas Fedaravičius (Sihtric), who both starred in the show from series two onwards and in the Netflix film, Seven Kings Must Die. Groups visiting for a tour can spend time in the exhibition which includes the actual Wessex throne from the series.
Running throughout the castle until 31st October, Tails & Tales is a new indoor sculpture trail created by artist Mandy Bryson and inspired by William George Armstrong who bought Bamburgh Castle in 1894 and shared a love of the natural world with his wife.
The sculpture trail features a series of quirky animal works inspired by familiar sayings including ‘a fish out of water’, ‘night owl’ and ‘a giraffe with her head in the clouds’.
Other events
Live jousting returns to the West Ward of Bamburgh Castle on 20th and 21st June with the Knights of Royal England battling it out on horseback with stunts and sword fights.
In July and August visitors to Bamburgh Castle will be able to see archaeological excavations taking place as students from across the globe join Bamburgh Research Project to help discover more about the castle’s storied history.
The castle, which featured on Channel 4’s A Very British Christmas, has announced its Christmas spectacular will return, with theatrical designer Charlotte Lloyd Webber set to create a celebration for festive tour itineraries. Each year brings a new theme, so visitors can expect to see the Castle’s state rooms beautifully transformed for 2026.
For more information about group visits to Bamburgh Castle, visit www.bamburghcastle.com.
