How to Spend One Perfect Day in Brighton

Last Updated on 26th June 2025 by Sophie Nadeau

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Brighton is where things are brighter! A stylish, progressive and full of fun seaside resort city that lies in the county of East Sussex, England and is best known for its welcoming and diverse nature. Here’s your guide on how to spend one day in Brighton, a cultural powerhouse of the UK!

What many people don’t realise is that Brighton and Hove are two separate seaside towns which have formed a unitary authority, giving the two combined, city status. When referring between the two they are formally addressed as the city of Brighton and Hove.

Is one day enough time in Brighton?

Yes, one day is enough time to see the main highlights of the seaside town and get a taste of ‘London by the Sea’, a nickname aptly given thanks to its cosmopolitan nature and proximity to England’s capital.

However, if you wish to visit all the sights as well as spend a little longer at the beach, you could easily enjoy spending a long weekend here (plus it gives you time to experience Brighton’s lively night scene, which is second to none!)

What is Brighton known for?

Brighton is renowned for many things, but is perhaps most famously known for its significant LGBTQIA+ population. Described in media as the UK’s “gay capital”, Brighton has an LGBTQIA+-friendly history that can be traced back to the 19th century.

It’s also the destination for the biggest Pride event in the country, drawing in over 300,000 people (2024). This annual event stands testament to the town as a whole, a glorious, flamboyant and warming city, where everyone feels safe and welcome.

Brighton has also previously been hailed as the UK’s “hippest city” and “happiest place to live in the UK” – a popular seaside resort town which became especially fashionable during the Georgian period when it was the stomping ground of Prince Regent, later King George IV.

One day in Brighton suggested itinerary

Brighton Royal Pavilion 

Start exploring Brighton by visiting one of the most fascinating and historical sights, The Royal Pavilion and its surrounding grounds. This stunning and ornate landmark was originally constructed as a seaside retreat for royalty.

In 1783 the Prince of Wales, who would later come to be King George IV, visited Brighton for the first time. Immediately falling in love with the seaside vibe, the young prince was also advise by his physician that the salt water and fresh air would be beneficial for his gout.

During his reign as King George IV, the king would visit the royal residence regularly, enjoying time by the sea, live music concerts and horse racing, which was often to escape the stiff and serious nature of his duties in London.

The architect John Nash was on board with designing the Royal Pavilion and it was built in three stages between 1787 and 1822. A visual delight, the pavilion was built in the Indo-Saracenic style that was prevalent in India for most of the 19th century.

Today, visitors can pay a fee to visit the Royal Pavilion and wander around its opulent and plush interior of banqueting rooms and bedrooms where King George IV himself would sleep. As well as visit a fine art gallery and the gorgeous grounds that surround it.

Brighton Museum 

Located within the pavilion grounds is another building designed by architect John Nash. The Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, which is also built in Indo Saracenic and gothic style architecture, is where you can uncover local history as well as international works and arts through both the temporary and permanent exhibitions displayed here.

Unlike many city museums, Brighton Museum isn’t free to enter, instead you pay an entry fee along with your entrance to The Royal Pavilion.

Go shopping in The Lanes 

The main shopping area in Brighton and Hove is known as The Lanes, a narrow maze of pedestrian streets that wind and crisscross through the town. Nestled between the seaside and Brighton’s residential district North Laine, this labyrinth pocket of shops, cafés and hidden squares is a joy to get lost in and see what you stumble across.

Brighton’s shops range from vintage and second hand to record shops, a fudge pantry and plenty more, The Lanes are filled with a more eclectic retail scene, which stand testament to Brighton’s character.

See street art

Big, bold and colourful, part of Brighton’s allure is the fabulous street art that can be found throughout the city. One of the best places to see street art is on the side of the Prince Albert Pub, this is where you can also spy the iconic Banksy stencil of ‘Kissing Coppers’, though this is a copy as the pub owner sold the original many years back.

Have a lunch of fish and chips

When wandering in a seaside town it’s hard not to pick up on the familiar mouthwatering scent of the staple British dish, fish and chips. Brighton, as an environmentally forward thinking destination, is particularly famous for its vegan scene, and so, while in town, why not try some vegan fish and chips?

• No Catch – This is by far the best vegan fish and chips on offer in Brighton! The prices are incredibly reasonable and everything is plant-based. I personally recommend the lemon shrimp and the smoked haddock, but you can’t go wrong with any of the dishes served here.
• Little Jack Fullers – Although this isn’t a vegan option, there are vegan options such as a no fish vegan battered tofu, jack fruit scampi, and cauliflower wings. The advantage of grabbing lunch here is that you’re already close to all of the main attractions in town.
• NANO FISH & CHIPS – This fish and chips takeaway has several gluten-free options. They have vegetarian options such as a pea fritter or spring rolls but unfortunately don’t have any battered vegan no-fish yet!

Pier 

Brighton Palace Pier boasts being the biggest attraction in the South East. An iconic feature of the city’s shoreline that opened in 1899 and continues to thrive today. The pier is filled with fairground rides, bars and restaurants, as well as plenty of deck chairs where you can soak up views of the sea and beyond.

Unfortunately you do now have to pay £1 to access the pier (though local residents still go free). You can pay with cash or contactless payment by walking up to the pier and paying on the day.

Enjoy the view from i360

The best view in Brighton is from above (and thankfully a view from this platform means you can avoid the eyesore that is Brighton i360 itself). The observation tower stands at a staggering 162 metres high into the sky and can take up to 200 passengers at once in the rounded glass viewing pod.

The journey, which is regarded as a ‘flight’ lasts around 25 minutes. The best time to go up is just before golden hour when you can watch the sun setting over the South Coast.

It’s worth mentioning, this addition to Brighton’s skyline was made in 2016 and is a controversial build in the fact that it cost over £42 million to construct (much of this debt will be repaid by the city council over the next twenty years).

However, the hopes were for the viewing tower to bring in more tourism and help the city flourish after decades of neglect – which, in fairness has helped and become one of the most popular attractions of the city.

Though some locals have described it as a “doughnut on a hotdog sausage” (I’ll say no more).

Pebble beach

Spend the early evening visiting the most iconic feature of Brighton, its coastline. The beach itself is very pebbly, which makes for a soothing sound as the tide comes up and splashes along the waterfront.

Brighton’s beach is also one of the best places to people watch, as one of the UK’s most famous beaches, you can expect it to be busy all year round, no matter what the weather.

The beach stretches for 5.4 miles and is a seagull swarmed coastline which boasts the best views of the Palace Pier that pushes out into the English Channel.

Hove beach huts 

Found along from the beach is the cute and picturesque scene of Hove’s colourful beach huts. The beach huts were introduced to the south side of the promenade in the 1930s and have become an iconic photographed spot of the beach.

Today, people are welcome to rent them out and keep their water related equipment in store, like paddle boards, wetsuits etc. On a sunny day you’ll often see people sat just outside on deck chairs, soaking up the sun and pulling out a cold beer from an ice chest kept in their rented hut.

Dinner

End your day in Brighton by enjoying one of the local eateries the city has to offer. As mentioned earlier, Brighton is particularly renowned for its vegan eating scene, as well as a good old-fashioned fish ‘n’ chips.

However there are plenty of places in the city, so you’ll likely find that there’s something for everyone, no matter what the dietary requirements. There are so many different cuisines to choose from!

Here are some of my favourite addresses for a dinner out in the city:

• Purezza – This completely vegan spot has restaurants in Brighton, London and Manchester and boasts the best plant-based pizza you’ll ever eat!
• Soju – The best of Korean dining where you can enjoy BBQ delights and the bold flavours of Korea in this stylish dining establishment. They have a separate vegan menu and all of the food is suitably spicy!
• Burnt Orange – If you’re a foodie this restaurant offers a brilliant (and reasonably priced) tasting menu which changes on a monthly basis, serving small plates which are perfect for sharing and allow you to try a bit of everything.

Where to stay

There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing where to stay in Brighton, however, for the best experience I would recommend basing yourself close to the seafront. Here are some suggestions of where to stay (based on web reviews):

Hotel Pelirocco – Situated in the heart of Brighton’s busy district this funky hotel is rock ‘n’ roll themed and just a 10 minutes’ walk from the beach.This hotel sometimes hosts live music and there’s a colourful bar, plus a karaoke lounge. Visitors have left beaming reviews claiming it’s “by far the coolest hotel we’ve ever stayed in”. Check prices and availability here.

White House Brighton – Situated in the area of Kemptown, right beside the seafront, this chic bed-and-breakfast os set within a 3-storey townhouse and is a 15-minute walk from Brighton Pier. There is free WiFi but no parking available. Check prices and availability here.

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