Brighton offers a unique combination of a bustling city’s energy and an ocean’s freedom. From the exotic Royal Pavilion to the award-winning i360, Brighton not only is known for its most popular marvels like these but also for its vibrant scenic views and an abundance of open green spaces. There’s a wealth of parks and gardens to explore here. Here are a few tourist places to visit when you’re in Brighton.

Enjoy following the Victorian footsteps along the pier, experiencing some fresh air and gorgeous views while becoming familiar with the intriguing past of the Pier that’s transformed the place from a place to a promenade to an entertainment venue! The Brighton Marine Palace & Pier was built as a company to be represented as a people’s palace above the sea. Commonly known as the Palace or Brighton Pier, the site is a Grade II listed pleasure pier, located in the centre of the city, right opposite the Old Steine.

A former royal residence and Grade I listed structure, the Royal Pavilion was built in three stages as a seaside resort for George, The Prince of Wales and is built in an Indo-Saracenic style that was prevalent in India through most of the 19th century. When the Royal Pavilion was acquired from Queen Victoria, it marked the onset of the incoming tourist traffic to the site, and since then the site has transformed from a private residence to a public attraction, with over 4 million visitors each year.

Designed, manufactured & engineered by the makers of the London Eye, British Airways i360 is an observation tower by the Brighton Seafront, East Sussex and is 531ft high. The attraction cost £46 million in making and was aimed initially to attract over 739,000 paying visitors annually. From an enclosed viewing pod, the visitors can experience a 360-degree view of Brighton, the English Channel, the South Downs, and the Beachy add on a clear day to the east and the Isle of Wight on the west.

Designed by Eugenius Birch and founded in 1866, the West Pier was one of the first piers to be listed Grade I in Britain, during the boom in pleasure pier building to attract visitors to Brighton. The Pier’s popularity was affected after World War II, with a gradual collapse during the early 21st century. The advent of the British Airways i360 has renewed interest in the West Pier and led to building a new one on the original site with a contemporary design that reflects the original pier’s elegance.

Considered one of the top 10 city beach break destinations in the world, with the popular Brighton Palace Pier for a backdrop, the Brighton Beach is resplendent with over 614,600,000 pebbles! And its popularity as a beachfront is legendary, From a variety of cool watersports to beach sports to experiencing the simple pleasures of a refreshing paddle to just laying back and relaxing, Brighton Beach will be your haven to paradise. Besides its beachfront promenade, the arches along with the beach house have a variety of businesses that include great art galleries in the Artists’ Quarter, a series of bars & restaurants, and independent stores selling fashion, photography and furniture.

A municipally owned property, the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is a public site in the South East of England and part of the Royal Pavilions & Museums of Brighton & Hove, free for the residents but chargeable for visitors. Located in the heart of the city’s cultural quarters, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery speaks about the city’s diversity in the realm of culture, arts and history.

With a hip and happening Bohemian Vibe with an array of vintage clothing stores, jewelry stalls centered at the bustling Kensington Gardens, vegetarian cafes and more, the North Laine is the second most popular tourist spot in the UK, while the Lanes are the third. A shopping and residential district of Brighton, North Laine was once a slum area. The Lanes are a collection of small lanes in the city popular for several antique shops and narrow alleys.

A chain of commercial sea-life themed aquariums, the Sea Life Centre has about 53 attractions that include mini sea life features within the resort parks, standalone sea life centres and the Legoland submarine rides across the globe, owned by Merlin Entertainments, a British company. Aimed at championing the cause of marine conservation, Sea Life Centres combine a variety of technological displays, entertainment and biological expertise to provide thematic journeys through the European and Tropical Waters with some close encounters with sea life, right from starfish and shrimps to sharks, stingrays and sea horses. In the UK, Sea Life Centres are at Brighton, Birmingham and Blackpool.

Perfect for a family picnic, the Stanmar Park is beautiful with its woodland walks and expansive open space, while the Preston Park’s one of the largest in the city, be it for engaging in sports or just sitting back on a warm sunny day and enjoying the scenic views. Then, there’s the Queens Park in a sheltered valley, ideal for a short stroll by a wildlife garden; the Hove Park’s best for runners, local residents' walking and dog walkers, covering nearly 40 acres of large open landscaped area, flower beds, play & sports facilities and mature trees. The Dyke Road Park is an amalgamation of well-preserved lanes winding through ornamental shrubs, featuring a café with an elevated balcony, ocean views and herbaceous edging.