There are so many things to do in Dundee, and it’s only a 30-minute drive away from Perth, an hour from Stirling or an hour and 15 minutes from Edinburgh.
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If you plan on travelling around the UK, the best way to get around is by car. You get to see more, and you will find hidden gems that the average traveller doesn’t see.
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Contents
Things to do in Dundee
Taking a road trip to Dundee is a great day to spend a day or part of. There are more things to do in Dundee than I have listed here for all ages. For my visit, I started on the Esplanade, where you’ll find car parking areas.
The car park I parked at was a Pay and Display next to Discovery Point on the riverfront.
You can also walk along the esplanade with views of the Tay Road and Rail Bridges.
V&A Dundee
The V&A building on the Dundee waterfront is not only an incredible design, but it also holds exhibitions of other works in the design world and more.
This is one of the things to do in Dundee that I can highly recommend.
It is free to visit, although there may be exhibitions that you have to pay to enter. If you want a snack, you have the choice of two cafes, one on the ground floor and another on the first level, with views over the River Tay.
Hours
- Daily 10.00 – 17.00
Price
Free
Discovery Point
Discovery Point holds the RSS Discovery and the Discovery Centre next to the V&A on the waterfront.
Here in Dundee, the RSS Discovery was built and took the hand-picked crew of Captain Scott, one of whom was Ernest Shackleton, on their voyage and adventure to Antarctica.
In the Discovery Story, you can learn all about the Antarctic expeditions, what conditions were like, how they survived (or didn’t), and much more. More exhibitions are scheduled, which are subject to change, so please check the website for updates.
Hours and Prices
Mon-Sat 10 am – 5 pm except Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
We are closed on 24, 25, 26, 31 December and 1 & 2 January.
To book and view the available passes, click here.
City Centre
Walking up the city centre will give you plenty of sights to see, and things to do in Dundee, including the statues of Desperate Dan and Minnie the Minx in the city square.
In front of Caird Hall in the city centre, there is a great place to sit and take in all that is going on around you. Caird Hall is a concert auditorium, so it tends to be busy during concerts.
If churches are more your style, St. Mary’s Parish Church may be worth visiting. The Church is open to visitors on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays during June, July, and August from 10 am to 12 pm, so please organise your time well if you want to go inside. You may also want to check the website before going, just in case something has changed.
Conclusion
Dundee has so much to see and do that you should consider spending more time when you visit. It has all that Scotland offers, wrapped up in a compact city for you to explore.
If you have more time, see the Art Galleries, the Science Centre, Churches and more, while you’re in Dundee.
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Links
If you’d like to read more of my blogs on Australia, you can find them on the following links; Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Camping and Silo Art, or if you’re after New Zealand, the United Kingdom or Photography, you can click on their links.
Travel Resources
- Flights & Accommodation—You can search for the cheapest flights and accommodation using Booking.com, Skyscanner, Tripadvisor, and WayAway, which offers 5% cashback.
- Car Hire—Take to the open road with great deals from EconomyBookings.com, RentalCars.com and DiscoverCars.
- Train & Bus Tickets UK & Europe—Use Trainline to plan and book your rail and bus travel in the UK and Europe.
- Travel Insurance is the number one thing to pack when you’re travelling. Cover-More Australia, Cover-More New Zealand, EKTA, Travel Insurance Master, and Insubuy provide insurance coverage during your travels..
- Attractions—buy before you leave home with these great sites: Big Bus Tour, Get Your Guide, GoCity and Viator.
- House Sitting is a great way to save on accommodation, and Trusted Housesitters offers house sittings worldwide.
- Photo Editing is a great way to bring your photos to life, and you can try Luminar Neo, which I use.
- Visa Applications—apply online for your visa requirements with iVisa.
- Sim cards—Try Airalo, the world’s first eSIM store, which solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving travellers access to eSIMs (digital SIM cards).
If you want more tips, try my Travel Links and Resource page.
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I never made it to Dundee. I wish I had. The V and A sounds brilliant so someday I may go back to Scotland and visit Dundee. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Maryanne. I hope you get to visit the V and A one day soon.
I’ve been to Scotland but never to Dundee, I’d love to explore more corners of the country like this. Especially if they have free exhibits! In the States I’ve been to museums that have artifacts from Shackleton’s expeditions, it’s always cool to tie my grasp of history together by visiting the origin point where things began; when I get interested in a particular musician or author or explorer from history, I love going to their hometown or places that were significant to them during their most active years.
You would love Dundee, Claire. There is so much history in the museums, and of course you have the ship the RSS Discovery, that took Shackleton to Antarctica.
Dundee sounds like a great destination for a weekend trip! Would love to see the statue of desperate Dan haha
I hope that you get to visit one day and get a selfie with Desperate Dan.
Dundee looks like an incredible city. You always hear about Edinburgh and Glasgow but sounds like this should be up there!
I think it should be, Roisin. There is more to see than I have put as well as I didn’t have enough time.