Spring is just around the corner so if you’re looking for an alternative to entertaining the kids at home, look no further than cool and vibrant Leeds. 

Bursting with life and cultural energy, Leeds is a compact and walkable city, easy to navigate with little ones or teenagers with plenty of Northern charm and a great foodie scene. Plus you can be in the heart of Leeds city centre in as little as 2 hours and 13 minutes by train with LNER*.

Need more inspiration? Read on to find out why you should enter this fabulous competition.

(LNER Family Lounge at London King’s Cross Station)  

We’re giving one lucky winner the opportunity to take their family** to Leeds with LNER (see if you can spot LNER’s new star customer, Eleanor), which includes a two night stay at The Leeds Marriott Hotel alongside a wealth of unique experiences including free entry to Harewood House, one of the Treasure Houses of England, £200 to spend at Trinity Leeds, theatre tickets to watch a show of your choice, a walking tour or food tour, a visit by water taxi to The Royal Armouries – sister museum to The Tower of London, and evening entertainment such as axe throwing (!), shuffleboard, crazy golf or the whole family could turn their hand to gaming fun for all at Pixel Bar. 

(Royal Armouries)

Here’s all the details of the experiences included:

With LNER, your adventure begins the moment you arrive at London King’s Cross.

The LNER Family Lounge is a free space where your children can play and explore before your journey to Leeds. With slides, soft play, model train sets and beach huts with table-top games, there’s plenty to enjoy, whilst you take the time to relax. Once you step onboard, you and your children have the freedom to do exactly what you please. You can order a free activity pack using the ‘Let’s Eat at Your Seat’ QR code and have it delivered straight to your seat, alongside your favourite snacks and drinks. If you’re ready for some quiet time before arriving into Leeds, download the Window Seater app which will tell wonderful stories of all the great places on the route, as you’re passing them.

Harewood House is a beautiful historic country house situated only seven miles from the centre of Leeds and set within 100 acres of grounds and gardens with a magnificent play area. There’s plenty to keep children of all ages occupied for the whole day including a tour of the House, walks around the lake to the Himalayan garden or to save tired legs a trip across the lake on their special boat taking you to the delights of the walled garden.

The Royal Armouries is the sister museum to The Tower of London and houses the national collection of arms and armour. Where else can you see the armour worn by Henry VIII and an Indian War Elephant? See history come alive with live demonstrations and the ever popular jousting competitions. Situated at Leeds Dock you can arrive in style by one of Leeds’ iconic yellow water taxis.

Leeds Theatres offer a great choice of performances and shows to suits little ones and teenagers alike. Leeds Playhouse has a fantastic season including The Tiger Who Came for Tea, My Fair Lady and The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. Popular West End shows perform at Leeds Grand Theatre as do Northern Ballet and Opera North whilst the City Varieties is a hidden gem showing comedy and more. Carriageworks Theatre is a firm favourite of Leeds families for its diverse range of shows most of which are dedicated to keeping children of all ages entertained.

After all that activity you’ll definitely have worked up an appetite. Leeds is known as the Foodie Capital of the North and has all the restaurants you’d expect. But if your family have different tastes then what could be better than taking them to Trinity Kitchen, situated in the heart of the city’s shopping district in Trinity Leeds. This is a completely unique experience where six new street food vans rotate every eight weeks and they sit alongside long-standing favourites of Indian Street Food, Fish and Chips, Pizza and Tortillas. Plus you can enjoy a movie night at the Everyman cinema – all under the same roof!

Visit Leeds all year round!

Leeds is the perfect destination to entertain children of all ages with a child-friendly city and a jam-packed programme of events including live music, Pride, Leeds West Indian Carnival and Light Night. Those fateful words ‘I’m bored’ won’t be tripping off their tongues in Leeds! Following the Street Art trail means you can explore all the hidden corners of the city whilst taking in the sights of Leeds including Kirkgate Market, one of Europe’s largest markets and the birthplace of Marks & Spencer and the impressive Corn Exchange. There’s adventures to be had for all the family.

* Most common journey time between London King’s Cross and Leeds, Monday to Friday

**The prize includes an LNER Family Single ticket (outbound and return) from London King’s Cross to Leeds.

LNER Family Single ticket covers travel for up to two adults and four children up to 15 years old. Find all the details of LNER Family Single here: LNER Family Single tickets | LNER

 

How to Enter

To enter simply read the terms and conditions and complete the form below.

Please note this competition will close at midnight on Friday 22 March 2024.