manchester university walking tour

• Walks & Tours
• Coach Tours
• Corporate Bookings
• Private Bookings
• The Manchester Encyclopaedia
• Walks Calendar

For the most entertaining and best informed Manchester guided tours, join New Manchester Walks, Manchester’s leading walks and talks outfit, bringing the 21st century city alive.

We provide an unrivalled and unmatchable programme of historical trips and tours in and around Manchester – from the Gothic glories and cotton palaces of central Manchester to the gleaming new dock side towers of Salford Quays; from the coal face of industrial Eastlands to the winding alleyways of Knutsford in leafy Cheshire.

We are the only Manchester guides to offer a complete programme on the history of all the city’s and area’s delights and sites: the Town Hall, Cathedral, Chetham’s, Art Gallery, John Rylands library, underground tunnels, music scene, political legacy, canals, cotton industry, football teams, wildlife, Jewish history and much more.

If our guides don’t do it or know it, it’s probably not worth doing or knowing.

Many of our tours can be booked through eventbrite. If the tour you’d like to come on is for sale on eventbrite please try and book in advance. It helps us gauge how many are coming and if we need to provide a second guide.

The Canal Cruise tour must be booked via Quay Tickets . The Midland Hotel De-Luxe Tour and the Manchester Town Hall tour must be booked via eventbrite . For most of the other tours you can just simply turn up on the day.

Use of Cookies | Terms & Conditions | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Links | © Copyright New Manchester Walks 2010 - 2018 Site hosted and maintained by An Additional Pair of Hands

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Pandemic Tours: Discover the world at your own pace

The world’s first free virtual tour app - which allows you to stroll around cities and attractions guided by your smartphone - is piloting in Manchester.

Forget about old fashioned crowded tours, not having information about guides beforehand or waiting for a tour to start.

Pandemic Tours offers walking tours, made by experienced and knowledgeable veteran guides, so people can stroll around cities and attractions for free at their own pace.

Whether you are fascinated in history, architecture, pub crawling, music, football or other stuff; the Pandemic Tours platform will gather all interests under the same roof so when you are looking for a unique experience you just go to the same app.

With Pandemic Tours, just choose the city or attraction, select the tour that suits you best and then you are ready to start discovering the world at your leisure. 

Every tour comes with an interactive map marked with the stops where you can listen to or read stories about that building, landmark or historical figure with photos and video to bring it alive for walkers.

Also provided are handpicked insider recommendations for places to eat and drink, seasonal events and perfect selfie spots close by.

He said: “Pandemic Tours was born out of the limitations and restrictions put on all of our lives by Covid 19. With travel bans and limits to household mixing the traditional walking tour is almost dead so we’ve come up with an app which allows you to stroll around places and learn about them as if you were on a tour with a conventional guide.”

Pandemic Tours is launching its app with a free two-hour walking tour around Manchester city centre. The tour lets you stroll around the city with ten different stops at places like St Peter’s Square, Canal Street and Chinatown.

A new walking tour of York is just out of the oven and Pandemic Tours have plans to cover the rest of the UK.

The idea for Pandemic Tours was born during Joaquin’s year at the University of Manchester studying for an M.A. in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship but it was the support from the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre that really helped turn it into a reality.

He said: “I was awarded a £1,000 Nick Sanders Kickstarter award which helped me get Pandemic Tours off the ground and get the app built. I’ve had the opportunity to access a business coach, workshops and consultancy which has been great for honing where I put my efforts in the business, establishing goals and working to timescales.”

To download the Pandemic Tours app visit www.pandemictoursapp.com or go directly to Google Play or the App Store on your smartphone.

• News Archive
• Media Library

• the ultimate guide to manchester, england

• Food & Drinks
• Places to Stay

15+ Best Walking Tours in Manchester You Should Book If You Want To Learn More about Our Beautiful City

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost for you!

Are you looking for the best walking tours in Manchester? We are here to help!

Manchester is a historical city and it’s famous for many reasons including football , music, being the birthplace of the Suffragette movement and more.

Whether it’s your first time in our beautiful Northern city or you are a local who wants to learn more about the history of Manchester, these amazing Manchester walking tours will be perfect for you.

Don’t have time to read the entire article?

The free walking tour of Manchester is the best walking tour in Manchester. It runs every day at 11 AM and needs to be booked.

Click here to book

You will get to learn many interesting facts but also discover famous landmarks and hidden gems in Manchester.

After living in Manchester for so many years and as a proper walking tour fan myself, I actually went on pretty much all walking tours in Manchester. This means that i can now share all my knowledge with you!

So, are you ready to discover the best walking tours of Manchester? Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

1. Free walking tour of Manchester

⌛ Duration: 3 hours |📍 Meeting point: Sackville Gardens | ✅ See availability here

If it’s your first time in Manchester (or you are a local who wants to learn more about the city), the free walking tour of Manchester will be perfect for you.

It’s run by Free Walking Tours Manchester and Josh, a history MA graduate with a true passion for the city of Manchester.

These tours are run every day and start at 11AM. The meeting point is the Alan Turing statue in Sackville garden, near the Gay Village.

It’s very easy to get to on foot or from Piccadilly station.

The tour lasts around 3 hours and you will get to see all the best spots in Manchester city centre. This includes the gay village, the Vimto statue, St Peter’s square, the Stock Exchange, Emmeline Pankrust statue and more.

You will learn plenty of facts about Manchester including some about the suffragette movement that started in Manchester, the ‘gig that changed the world’, the music culture and more.

Whether you have Josh as a guide or someone else, be reassured, they are all amazing. Don’t hesitate to ask them for tips for places to eat or things to do because they know the city like the back of their hand and they will be more than happy to help.

Please note that although this is a free walking tour, it is actually tip based so don’t forget to take a bit of cash to give to the guide.

Click here to book your free walking tour.

2. Northern Quarter Street Art Walking Tour

⌛ Duration: 2 hours |📍 Meeting point: Shudehill | ✅  Check Rates and Availability

This is one of the best Manchester street art tours for those that want to see the city and some beautiful pieces of art.

It starts from Shudehill and will take you through the back streets of Manchester’s Northern Quarter for a couple of hours.

The Northern Quarter has an eclectic bohemian vibe and is the best place in the city to see the street art.

This includes large scale murals to impressive graffiti and smaller pieces you might just walk past if you were alone .

The Manchester street art trail that you will follow was first established in the 1990s.

It’s not just art you will get to see, you will also pass through Victorian-era markets that have been repurposed, hippy cafes and some of the best bars in the city.

It’s also a great way to get acquainted with the city if you’re a newbie and discover its hidden gems if you’re a frequent visitor.

Click here to book the tour.

3. Manchester Bites Food Tour

⌛ Duration: 3 hours |📍 Meeting point: New Islington Marina | ✅  Check Rates and Availability

If you are a foodie who wants to find the best places to eat in Manchester and learn about the history of Manchester at the same time, this food tour is perfect for you.

It’s run by a local company called Manchester Bites. You can easily book online here.

The tour starts late morning from Islington marina which is a beautiful hidden gem in Manchester.

You will be greeted with a local sweet and start the tour of Ancoats and Northern Quarter.

Unlike the free walking tour, this one is less focused on the history of Manchester per se but more on interesting facts about the NQ and Ancoats.

These two areas used to be ‘bad’ areas but they are now one of the best places to live in Manchester .

You will learn plenty about the canals, the gangs, the music culture and more.

But more importantly, you will get to eat a lot.

The food spots were very carefully chosen to showcase the cosmopolitan culture of Manchester. Expect to discover bakeries, pizza spots, ice cream parlours and even you will even get to eat a Manchester egg, one of the most typical foods from Manchester.

4. Salford Quays Guided Walking Tour

⌛ Duration: 2 hours |📍 Meeting point: Media City | ✅  Check Rates and Availability

This Salford Quays tour starts and ends at Media City Piazza.

You will walk around 4.5 km and see sights like the Lowry Art Centre and the Imperial War Museum. It’s a great way to not just see Salford’s sights but learn about them too.

Your guide provides you with plenty of fun and historical information about Salford, with lively and professional delivery.

Many people visiting Greater Manchester find that Salford Quays is one of the best parts of the city because of its industrial history and contemporary style.

5. Manchester Music Walking Tour

⌛ Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes |📍 Meeting point: Bridgewater Hall | ✅  Check Rates and Availability

Manchester has a rich musical history and there’s no better way to discover it than with this 90 minute music-themed walking tour.

They offer both public and private tours every Saturday, but it is for adults only.

Your expert guide will demonstrate their encyclopaedic knowledge of the Manchester music scene.

From The Smiths to Joy Division, The Stone Roses and Oasis there is certainly a lot of ground to cover. You will visit the location of the once legendary Hacienda nightclub which was the epicentre of the post-punk scene. 

You will also go to Free Trade Hall which is so often associated with Bob Dylan but also the Sex Pistols and the ‘gig that changed the world’.

With many more musical sites to see you will also learn about the different musical eras from punk and post-punk to the 1980s rave scene. 

Any music fan will love this informative and fun tour of Manchester’s musical hotspots. Not only will you get to enjoy the city’s thriving music scene but also some of the best landmarks in Manchester.

Please note that this company also offers a private music tour as well as a taxi music tour in Manchester .

6. Coronation Street Tour

✅  Check Rates and Availability

Coronation Street or ‘Corrie’ as the hardcore watchers call it was first broadcast in 1960 and it’s been a staple in many UK households ever since.

This guided tour of Manchester’s Coronation Street set makes for a fantastic gift for any Corrie lover.

The soap is based on the life of writer Tony Warren who used to live in the terraced streets around the old Manchester docks.

This 90 minute guided walking tour starts at Media City where you will see the set. You will discover all the shows’ iconic locations including Roy’s Rolls Café, Kev’s car shop and Webster’s Auto Centre. 

Your guide will provide you with plenty of information that even hardcore fans of the show may not know.

Of course, no trip to the Coronation Street set would be complete without visiting the Rover’s Return, one of the most chaotic and argument-filled pubs in England!

The tours are available on Saturdays and Sundays so be sure to plan your Manchester trip around these days, so you don’t miss out on seeing your favourite soap location first-hand.

7. Manchester Afternoon Walking Tour

Another of the best guided tours of Manchester is this whistle-stop walking tour of the city’s top attractions.

Starting at Manchester Central Library, an impressive site in itself, this walking tour will then guide you through the city seeing some of the best landmarks along the way.

The tour starts at 2pm and ends on Cathedral Street.

This tour is ideal for those who are visiting Manchester for the first time or those who want to get to know the city better. In 2 ½ hours you will get to see a good number of sites and landmarks. 

Some of the stops you’ll get to see include the Emmeline Pankhurst statue, the Alan Turing Memorial, the Manchester ship canal, Sackville Gardens, Chinatown, Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester Town Hall, Chetham’s Library, and the National Football Museum to name a few.

Tour attendees in the past have loved the mix of informative historical facts and Manchester’s culture that is presented by an informative and energetic guide.

8. Manchester One Day Tour With a Local

There’s no better way to explore a city than with a local. This is a private day tour that is tailor-made for you and your group.

You get to pick everything, from your departure time to the duration and meeting point, you can even create your own itinerary that’s tailored to your specific interests.

Some of the locations visited by past groups on this tour include the Manchester Museum, John Rylands Research Institute and Library, the Northern Quarter Gallery, and the National Football Museum, but the list is endless.

This tour is ideal for those who want step-by-step guidance through the city.

Perhaps you are spending some time in Manchester and want to know the best restaurants and cafes to visit, well your local guide will have the answers.

Click here to see the prices

9. Manchester Music Taxi Tour

Another of the best guided tours in Manchester for music lovers is this taxi tour.

This tour is available from early morning until evening every day of the week, so it’s great for fitting into your packed schedule.

You will visit iconic venues, learn about the city’s rich heritage, and see the studio and landmarks that made the Manchester music scene so famous.

You will visit sites like the Hacienda and The Ritz which were at the forefront of the 1980s and 1990s “Madchester” movement.

You will learn about music legends like The Stone Roses, Oasis, Joy Division, and Inspiral Carpets.

As well as music from the past you will also learn more about Manchester’s contemporary music scene.

If you are a history buff and music lover then you will thoroughly enjoy this tour. Of course, you will be travelling to each of these musical stops in a quintessentially British black cab!

10. Scranchester Food Tour

This Manchester food tour provides you with an insight into the city’s culinary scene. Manchester is a multicultural city and that’s reflected in the history and food flavours.

This tour starts outside the Manchester Craft and Design Centre and ends in the Northern Quarter. The tour includes a number of food tastings, as well as lunch.

The tour starts by heading through the Medieval area of Manchester and through the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Next up is a stop-off at a traditional Cantonese bakery in Chinatown for some yummy sweets. You will also get to see Afflecks, an alternative shopping centre in the Northern Quarter.

The tour has plenty of food stops with generous portions rather than minuscule bites.

It’s the perfect balance between walking and sitting and eating, making you feel like you earnt each food stop. Whilst you eat you will enjoy knowledge from a local guide about Manchester’s history and culture.

11. Private Manchester Tour With a Local, Highlights & Hidden Gems, Personalised

If you are searching for one of the best personalised walking tours in Manchester this one is a wonderful choice.

Booking this 100% personal tour allows you to see and do what you want. If you are a football fan, then perhaps you want to visit all the famous football spots.

Perhaps you want to know more about the best places to visit in the Northern Quarter or explore the vibrant artsy area of Castlefield.

As well as the destinations you can also choose whether you have a two, four, six or eight hour tour. There is also the option to use public transport if you don’t want to walk between all your destinations.

As you navigate the city with your guide, they will provide you with a detailed history of the area. As it’s a private and personalised tour you will cover a lot of ground.

12. Private Walking Tour – Fascinating Manchester

This guided tour of Manchester starts by the Piccadilly Gardens and will take you and your group to some of the city’s most notable landmarks. 

You will then head to Canal Street and discover the Chinese and Asian influences in the area.

Next up, its Manchester Central Library and St Peter’s Square, two beautiful architectural and historical places.

You will learn about parts of Manchester’s troubled history whilst visiting the Peterloo Massacre Monument.

You will round off the tour with a look at some of Manchester’s most notable libraries.

This tour provides a great mixture of historical information, classic Manchester landmarks and cultural sites.

Your knowledgeable and entertaining guide will make sure the tour is going at a pace good for you and can answer a ton of your Manchester related questions.

13. Rock and Goal Manchester Walking Tour

This Rock and Goal walking tour in Manchester is great for those with a love of two of the city’s most famous things, football, and music.

Starting at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel you will learn why stars like David Bowie and Rod Stewart used to come to this hotel by mistake.

Next up it’s Newton Street to discover some of the sets of your favourite TV shows. 

On Tariff Street you’ll learn about all things whiskey and how the area developed into a fantastic street art scene.

You will learn about the beginnings of the Premier League before seeing the mosaics on the side of Afflecks which pay homage to the “Madchester” music scene in the 80s and 90s.

Your guide’s love of Manchester shines through making for an engaging and fun two to three hour tour.

With so much variety from football to music and everything in between this ‘Rock and Goal’ Manchester walk tour is ideal for the whole family and people of all ages.

14. Beer Tour Around Manchester

Manchester is well known for its bar and pub scene, so why not learn more about the city’s best breweries on this afternoon pub crawl.

Starting at 1:30pm this three-and-a-half-hour tour is an enjoyable activity to do with friends or even for a stag do or hen party activity.

This beer tour is ideal for those who don’t know the Manchester bar scene very well as the expert tour guide can take you to all the best beer drinking waterholes.

You will start and end the tour at Dale House on Dale Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

On this tour, you will head to three of Manchester’s microbreweries and sample some excellent local and international beers.

You will see Blackjack Brewery where you will meet some of the owners who you can tell have a real passion for beer brewing.

Fierce Bar is another of the stops on this tour where you will be able to sample the rhubarb beer which is a real crowd pleaser.

Chances are you will meet some great people who are also on your tour so why not extend the day and head out to check out Manchester’s nightlife scene together.

15. Christmas In Manchester Tour

Everyone loves Christmas and whilst many associate London with the festive season, Manchester is actually an excellent place to enjoy the festivities.

This three hour private and personalised Christmas-themed Manchester tour is ideal for those looking to get into the holiday spirit whilst also getting to know Manchester.

Your local host will know all the best places to visit in Manchester to see the Christmas lights and enjoy some winter treats.

Though you can tailor the tour to suit your preferences your guide will also be able to show you some of the best lesser known Christmas markets around the city.

Enjoy places like Exchange Square and learn about the history of the area whilst also taking in the festive decorations and lights.

Albert Square Market is a great place for kids as you can see the iconic giant Santa. This is also the location of Manchester’s famous Christmas market. 

With so many stalls and interesting things to see and taste, your guide will make the whole process easier by knowing the best things to try.

Tuck into toffee waffles, homemade fudge and of course a cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate.

Need to stop off and purchase some last minute Christmas gifts? Mention it to your guide and they will know some of the best stalls to check out.

This is one of the best walking tours in Manchester for Christmas and for those visiting the city with children.

We hope you enjoyed this article about the best walking tours in Manchester, now it’s time to go out and discover our beautiful city.

You may also be interested in:

• 4+ Best Food Tours in Manchester to try in 2023
• 4 Best Lake District Tours from Manchester
• 4+ Best Northern Quarter Tours in Manchester to Book in 2023

Founder of Manchester Pocket Guide. Pauline has been living in Manchester for 6 years and loves exploring the city. As a travel writer, she always had passion for discovering cities but Manchester is the place she truly fell in love with. From cute food spots to famous landmarks, she knows Manchester like the back of her hand.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Assign a menu in Theme Options > Menus

Your browser is not supported for this experience. We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

Family Friendly

Restaurants, buy the visit manchester pass.

Discover Manchester with the Visit Manchester Pass - Entry into 13 of Manchester's top attractions plus over 30 discounts and offers.

Scranchester food walking tour

Walking tours in manchester.

Explore Manchester's vibrant streets with our guided walking tours. Immerse yourself in the city's rich history, diverse culture, and iconic landmarks as experienced guides lead you through its hidden gems. From themed walks to personalized journeys, our curated recommendations offer an intimate and informative exploration of Manchester. Lace up your walking shoes, follow our expert guides, and uncover the heart of the city on foot. Discover the stories, sights, and unique charm that make Manchester a must-see destination for walking enthusiasts. Plan your walking tour adventure and experience the city's dynamic character step by step.

Search for something...

Continue your Manchester story by exploring further.

Ratings Powered by

• Request Info
• Directions to campus
• About North Manchester
• Group visits
• Virtual visits

Virtual Visit

Welcome visitors.

Welcome to Manchester! While we wish we could meet you in person, we understand if you can’t make it to campus, so we’ll bring the visit experience to you.

It’s easy to arrange a virtual visit, guided by an admissions counselor and conducted through Zoom. Your visit can include a virtual tour of campus, a Q&A with Admissions, and more. Please contact us directly at 800-852-3648 or [email protected] .

In the meantime, explore the links and videos below to imagine yourself at MU!

Admissions Presentation

Virtual Campus Tour

Our campus tour is loaded with 360 degree views so you can immerse yourself in our campus spaces. Once inside, swipe to rotate, and be sure to click on the “i”s to learn more information. To move to different areas or return to the home screen use the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen.

Inside Our Residence Halls

Take a look inside our residence halls with these 360 degree tours!

Manchechester professors are passionate about teaching.

Whether it’s the close campus community, the values of the university or witnessing the growth of their students, faculty across all disciplines are committed to improving the lives of those around them. Listen as a few professors reflect on “Why I Teach at Manchester University.”

Athletics Facilities

We understand that the venues in which our student-athletes play is an important factor in their performance. That's why Manchester invests in providing excellent facilities for our student-athletes and our fans.

Learn more about Spartan athletics .

Ready to Visit?

Have we piqued your curiosity? Would you like to come to campus for an in-person visit? Schedule a visit to Manchester during the spring semester of your junior year or anytime during your senior year and earn an extra $2000 ($500/year x 4 years) toward your tuition!

Register now!

North Manchester E College Ave, North Manchester, IN  |   260-982-5000

Fort Wayne 10627 Diebold Rd, Fort Wayne, IN  |   260-470-2700

• Visit Campus
• Request More Info
• Campus Store
• Nondiscriminatory Policy
• Careers at MU
• Book an Event
• Faculty & Staff Directory
• Security & Fire Safety - N. Manchester
• Security and Fire Safety - Ft. Wayne

Manchester Architecture Tours: City Walks

Manchester walking tours, Northwest English building guides, England architectural walks, UK architects travel

Manchester Architecture Tours

Mancunian Architecture Guides – Exclusive Lancashire Building Walks, north west England tailor made for groups of visitors.

post updated 11 February 2024

Contact e-architect for your walking guide on isabelle(at)e-architect.com

Manchester Architecture Tours: Exclusive Guided Walks

Our Manchester guided tours are all tailored to suit each booking, we do not allow for bookings to be joined. Our guided tours in Lancashire are all exclusive to each client.

If you wish to plan a trip in North-West England please contact us and we can arrange a guide or guides for your visit.

Manchester Architecture Walking Tours

Manchester Architecture – Introduction

The city is located in the north west of England, on the River Irwell. The city is famous for historic architecture such as the Manchester Town Hall, Hilton Hotel Manchester – Beetham Tower, the Imperial War Museum North, Lowry Centre (in Salford, the adjacent city), Piccadilly Gardens redevelopment, Trinity Bridge, Civil Justice Centre and Manchester Science Museum building.

Famous architects with buildings in the city include Santiago Calatrava, Daniel Libeskind, Tadao Ando, Mecanoo, Ian Simpson Architects, Denton Corker Marshall Architects. Other key architects with work in the city include Alsop Architects, Hodder + Partners, BDP, Arup Associates, Benoy and Aedas. Historic architects with work in the city include Alfred Waterhouse and Basil Champneys.

The city is easily walkable with lots of good new public spaces. There is a tram system but it is limited in coverage, cutting diagonally across the city centre.

We would suggest a 3 to 4 hour walking tour to get a feel of the city but with so many major buildings a day’s visit is recommended.

If you only have one day to spare we suggest seeing the major city centre buildings, namely the historic Town Hall by Waterhouse, the new Picadilly Gardens design by world-famous Japanese architect Tadao Ando, Manchester Civil Justice Centre by DCM and Urbis by Ian Simpson Architects. Along the way you can take in the delightful Victorian Barton Arcade, Manchester Town Hall , the large circular Central Library building, the conference centre (located in a massive converted railway station), the concert hall by RHWL, the Deansgate apartments by Ian Simpson and the intriguing Hilton Tower.

If you have two days available in Manchester we suggest you also take time to visit the industrial heritage of the city in Castlefield, a lovely coming together of canals and railway bridges, with a sprinkling of pubs and cafes and a few contemporary style interventions. Also worth a visit is the area to the north of Picadilly Station where there is housing from the early 21st century by FAT architects.

Between New Islington and the city centre is Oldham Street which contains record and clothes shops, and the Dry 201 bar which was designed by Ben Kelly. His Hacienda nightclub no longer exists, but recorded only in the title of the apartments on its site. West of the city is the Imperial War Museum North at Trafford Quays, by Studio Daniel Libeskind.

The Manchester University area is about 15 minutes walk south down Oxford Road and has a real mix of buildings. The Whitworth Art Gallery and the main Victorian buildings are of interest.

Manchester Architecture : key buildings to visit in the city.

Manchester Walking Tours

Manchester Architecture Tours can provide an introduction to the city’s key buildings or it can focus on say contemporary architecture or for example museum buildings. e-architect can assist in preparing a good itinerary for your group.

Manchester Architectural Walking Tours

Contact e-architect to arrange your architectural tour in Manchester on mob. +44 (0)7952 149814 / isabelle(at)e-architect.com

Architecture Tours

e-architect organise British architecture walking tours in other cities such as Liverpool, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London. We also have walking tour guides outside Britain in cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen and Paris. Contact us today for your architectural walking tour.

Architecture Walking Tours – design city walks by e-architect.

Location: Manchester, north west England, UK

European Building Tours

Edinburgh Architecture Walking Tours

London Architecture Walking Tours in southeast England

Liverpool Architecture Tours in northwest England

Glasgow Walking Tours in western Scotland

Manchester Buildings

Hilton Hotel Manchester – Beetham Tower, west city centre Design: Ian Simpson Architects

Piccadilly Gardens in the centre of the city Design: EDAW + Tadao Ando Architect

Manchester Architecture Photos

Manchester Architects

Manchester Buildings Photographs

British Architecture

English Architecture

English Architects

Manchester Building

Pictures for the bespoke Manchester Building Tours – Lancashire Architectural Guides by e-architect page welcome.

A Free & Self-Guided Manchester Walking Tour

By: Author Sophie Nadeau

Posted on Last updated: 20th September 2022

Categories England , walking tour

Last Updated on 20th September 2022 by Sophie Nadeau

Best known for its countless canals, industrial past, and sheer size (in both population as well as area covered) , Manchester is one of the major cities of Northwest England. Here’s a free and self-guided Manchester walking tour you’ll want to follow…

After all, it’s here in Manchester where you’ll discover intrigues such as the first free public library in the UK, as well as a museum that explains that it was here in Manchester where the atom was first split in 1919. And thanks to its wealth of train, bus, and air links to the rest of Europe and beyond, it couldn’t be easier to book a visit to this bustling and busy metropolis.

Manchester Walking Tour: tips, tricks & practical advice

Manchester piccadilly, roman fort mamucium ruins, science and industry museum, manchester art gallery, john rylands library, manchester town hall, albert square, st ann’s church, manchester cathedral, national football museum, explore the northern quarter, enjoyed reading this free and self-guided tour of rotterdam pin it now, read it again later:.

If you’re looking to visit Manchester, then there are a few things to know before you go. First things first, the city is great to visit all year round. Whether you want to enjoy the city in the sun during the summer or want to soak up the best Christmas Markets in Manchester in winter, there’s never any shortage of things to do.

For this walking tour, be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring along a waterproof jacket or umbrella. Like the rest of the UK, the weather in Manchester can be unpredictable, windy, and rain is always a possibility!

For football fans, aside from the football museum, there is perhaps a no better way to experience Manchester’s football scene than by going on this guided tour of Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium. 

While the city has plenty of accommodation thanks to its sheer size, in order to secure the best deals and prices, you’ll want to book your stay well in advance. Check here for the best accommodation in Manchester .

If you’re looking to get another perspective of Manchester, then consider this canal cruise. Finally, fans of the hit TV show, Coronation Street will be delighted to know that this one hour tour includes a fully guided tour of the external set of Coronation Street.

Walking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Distance covered: 3.6 miles

If you’re visiting the city from the rest of Europe  (and even when visiting from the rest of the UK, including my home city of Exeter where the flight is six hours less, and up to £200 cheaper than the exorbitant train fares!) , then you’ll likely arrive in Manchester via its international airport.

Trains from the airport to the city centre are fairly inexpensive and the journey time is generally less than half an hour.

When it comes to Manchester Piccadilly itself, the station’s roots date all the way back to the 1840s, though the station has only held the name ‘Manchester Picadilly’ since 1960.

Today, the rail station serves a staggering 24 million passengers on an annual basis. Nearby, you’ll find sites such as the Alan Turing memorial and the Vimto Statue (yes, this larger than life-sized sized sculpture is a real thing!)

The history of Manchester dates back millennia. So much so, that during Roman times, Manchester was established as the ‘Mamucium’ fort. Established in around 78 CE, at one point, this heavily guarded settlement would have housed around 500 men along the River Medlock.

For those who are looking to learn a little more about Manchester’s rich history and past, this book will reveal all of the insider secrets you never knew about one of the largest city’s in England (and how the Manchester of today came to be) . Back in the city itself, if you head to the Mamucium Ruins, you’ll discover the remains of a fortified wall close to a railway bridge.

Steps away from the Roman ruins, it’s hard to miss the impressively large free-to-visit museum. Situated within a set of former warehouses and factories, you could easily spend several hours wandering around the Science and Industry Museum and learning about how famous residents of Manchester have accelerated human discovery and innovation in various ways over the years.

Set across several buildings, the Museum is perfect for all ages and is easily one of the best rainy day activities that Manchester has to offer. Highlights of the cultural learning space include the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station as well as plenty of interactive displays.

Housed within three inter-connected buildings (two of which date from the 19th-century and are designed by acclaimed architect Sir Charles Barry) , Manchester’s Art Gallery is publicly owned and free to visit. Open on a daily basis, the museum counts some 25,000 objects and works of art among its collections.

Of note are the thematic displays in various rooms and the plethora of artwork by some of the city’s most famous artists over the years. Some of the most famous artwork to be featured in the Art Gallery in Manchester include works by L.S. Lowry and by J.M.W Turner.

Easily one of the most beautiful libraries in England, you can’t visit Manchester without paying a visit to the John Rylands Library. After all, a trip here is easily one of the best things to do in Manchester!

Open on a daily basis, the library is free to visit (though donations are always welcome) . Perhaps what will surprise you the most about a trip to this bibliophile paradise is that there’s so much more to see than simply just the reading room.

Instead, there’s room after room with book-focused exhibitions, works of art, and intricate architecture to admire. There’s even a stunning staircase that’s reminiscent of a Harry Potter novel!

Oh-so-Victorian and Neo-Gothic in architecture, Manchester’s town hall stands in pride of place in the very heart of the city. It’s also here in December, in a central square in front of the Town Hal, where one of the city’s biggest Christmas markets takes place on an annual basis.

Though the interior is currently being renovated as part of a wider project, it’s worth noting that the interior of the hall is often used as a replica for the Houses of Parliament! Of particular note is the Great Hall, which features stunning frescoes by Ford Madox Brown.

The only place left in the city where you’ll find early surviving tombstones, St Ann’s Church was consecrated in the early 18th-century. At this time, i.e. prior to the Industrial Revolution, Manchester was a tiny and rather insignificant town populated by many a timber-framed building and cobbled lane.

Estimates suggest that, during the early 1700s, Manchester had as few as 10,000 residents. Of course, all of this changed with the introduction of cotton mills and the like a little more than a century later.

St Ann’s Church remained in the heart of it all, staying largely unchanged as trees were planted in the nearby square to mimic the grand squares of London and even when newer buildings were constructed around it.

As the population grew, so did the number of churches in the city. However, while St Ann’s can still be visited today, many of the newer churches were demolished, including St Matthew’s, Campfield.

In the historic district of the city, Manchester Cathedral is easily one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings that England has to offer. Dating all the way back to the 15th-century, though little is known of the prior churches that most likely sat where the current one now stands.

Archaeological evidence suggests that a Saxon church probably stood in situ as early as 700 CE. Step in this large ecclesiastical building today and highlights include several stunning stained glass windows and a rather impressive Rood Screen.

A walk around guide can be purchased for a nominal fee once inside Manchester Cathedral. Visit during the early months, step just outside the main entrance, and you’ll soon spy a beautiful cherry blossom that’s one of the best places to see the blooms during the spring!

Free to visit for Manchester residents (and varying prices for visitors- for example, adult £10, child £5) , the National Football Museum is open every day of the week and may well be of interest even if you’re not an avid footie fan. Once located in Lancashire, England’s national museum of football displays all sorts of football-related memorabilia.

Best-known as Manchester’s hippest district, the trendy Northern Quarter of the city is filled with coffee shops, street art, and plenty of independent stores selling everything from records to vintage clothing.

Highlights of this Manchester district include the ever-so-secretive speakeasy-style bar, The Washrooms and spotting all of the bee-themed art around the place. The Northern Quarter doubled for New York in the hit TV show The Crown .

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Best things to do and see in Manchester

Coming in as the United Kingdom’s third-most populous metropolitan area with 3.3 million inhabitants, Manchester is host to many interesting and exciting landmarks and has become a hot spot for tourism in England. Located on the western side of the country, it is the home of one of England’s most dedicated football teams, Manchester United, along with a long list of musical acts, like Oasis. Whether it’s your first trip to here or you are returning for another vacation, this city has so much to discover and you should try doing a free walking tour with a local guide who can help you get to know you all of its hidden-charms. 

With your guide’s assistance , you will be introduced to so much more inside information about Manchester’s local history .  You will be able to understand the layout of the city as soon as you do the tour and your guide will definitely give you some great recommendations for what to do, see and eat for the rest of your trip . Check out the free tours available that will take you to iconic places in Manchester like the “Theater of Dreams” for United, Old Trafford Stadium, Town Hall, the modern architecture of the Lowry, the John Rylands Library, the Manchester Museum, and the Manchester Art Gallery downtown. Take a stroll over to Castlefield Urban Heritage Park, learn about devastation of the city in the Imperial War Museum North, and about its rich textile history in Lancaster House. 

All of the free walking tours in Manchester have been reviewed and rated by other tourists like you. They have evaluated the tour guide’s work and also the route of the tour, this way you can find which walking tour is best for you. The tours are available in different languages and at different points of the day, like the morning, afternoon, and evening . Nearby cities that have a guided free walking tour on GuruWalk are Belfast, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

Want to share your culture with travelers from all the world?

Free walking tour near manchester, others cities to visit after manchester, where are you traveling to.

The 8 Best Things to Do in Manchester, England

Posted: December 12, 2023 | Last updated: December 12, 2023

Photo by Billie Cohen

Manchester, England, is gorgeous. It’s a fairy-tale city of spires, red-brick Victorian buildings, squares lined with restaurants and pubs, and old universities accented with pops of modern architecture . A canal runs through most of it, with restored tow-paths alongside. Despite this, the northern England city is mostly associated with a limited range of things: rain, its Manchester United and Manchester City football teams, its industrial economy, Oasis, and rain. And if that’s all you know, you’re missing out. For decades, the university city (it has five!) has been deliberately, intentionally, slowly expanding and elevating its cultural cred—and making a huge effort to support arts and culture. Now, that work is coming to fruition, and there’s never been a better time to visit. That’s one of the main reasons we chose it as one of AFAR’s picks for Where to Go in 2024 . Here are eight more reasons to venture north on the train from London.

Manchester has long been a rich, edgy, history-making music city. In the 1960s, Bob Dylan busted out his electric guitar here; in the 1970s, the Sex Pistols played their first gig outside of London; in the 1980s, the city’s Factory Records label and Haçienda nightclub sparked a massive musical vibe shift as hometown bands New Order, the Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, and the Smiths played all-night dance parties and created the “Madchester” era. And in the ’90s, Oasis and the Britpop wave pulled the music world’s attention back to Manchester once again.

Today, the city’s music scene is still rich and thriving. (Even though the Haçienda is now an apartment building, if you walk around the back of the building, you’ll see an art installation: a metalwork timeline of its biggest moments.) Small bands still rock small venues all over the place, and there’s a bigger, more expansive music push, too. The United Kingdom’s largest indoor concert venue, Co-op Live , is set to open in Manchester in 2024. Backed in part by Harry Styles, the arena will fit more than 23,000 people and is being acoustically constructed for music performances specifically (though it’ll also host other types of events). Highlights of the 2024 lineup already include Eric Clapton, Olivia Rodrigo, Britpop darlings James, Jonas Brothers, and Styles’s old bandmate Niall Horan.

“From the minute you walk through the door it will feel different than other spaces,” says Ben Tipple, the head of digital and communications for Co-Op Live. “We have deliberately counteracted the long corridors, the empty spaces, the bad seats. What makes it special is that it’s purpose built for music . . . to provide the backdrop and opportunity for the artist to sound their best.”

Performing arts and theater

Since 2007, the arts organization Factory International (named in honor of the record label of decades past) has been hosting the Manchester International Festival , a biennial, 18-day festival of new works known for pulling artists and ideas from seemingly different worlds into unexpected collaborations, as well as for performances and events that defy easy genre labels. (e.g., Massive Attack once teamed up with documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis). The next festival will be in 2025 and is definitely worth planning a trip around; the big news is that you don’t have to wait that long anymore. At the end of 2023, the organization unveiled a permanent home, not only for the biannual event but also for year-round programming: Aviva Studios at Factory International . In 2024, its usual mix of unusual commissions continues with City of Floating Sounds , composer Huang Ruo’s interactive symphony project (June) and a new multimedia work by Laurie Anderson called ARK .

To find out more about Manchester’s cultural calendar, follow Secret Manchester and Visit Manchester.

From indie boutiques to great record stores to vintage to high-street staples, Manchester has it all. Some of my favorites: Vintage clothes, posters, and even old-style ice cream fill the floors of the former department store Afflecks ; and modern makers line the late-1800s fishmonger stalls of the Manchester Craft and Design Center . Keep room in your luggage for a visit to Piccadilly Records, which has been independent since it opened in 1978 (and continues to earn a spot on “best” lists). And between shopping trips, sample the indie food scene via a few food halls, such as Mackie Mayor , a collection of nine varied cuisines in the grand—and fully intact—1858 Smithfield market building.

Museums and galleries

In 2023, the 135-year-old Manchester Museum , part of Manchester University, reopened following a $18.4 million “hello future” renovation project with a mission to reevaluate Britain’s colonial past and its own role in displaying historical objects and artworks. The new permanent South Asia Gallery is a colorful, invigorating, and at times heart-wrenching example: Cocurated with a group of South Asian community leaders, artists, historians, musicians, scientists, and students, it talks as openly and honestly about partition and South Asian residents’ experiences in Manchester as it does about the joy of Bollywood soundtracks. An exhibit of Egyptian mummies (through April 2024) overtly discusses eugenics and grave robbing, along with the usual, fascinating dose of ancient history. Oh, and the whole museum is free.

The edgy People’s History Museum uses art to talk about democracy, rebellion, and inclusion—a good fit for Manchester. After all, the city has a history of radicalism: this is where Emmeline Pankhurst launched the British Suffragette movement, where mill workers voted to stop using cotton picked by U.S. slaves (prompting a thank-you letter from Abraham Lincoln). The Manchester Jewish Museum just got an expansion, including a renovation of the adjacent Spanish and Portuguese synagogue; browse the exhibits, listen to oral histories of Jewish Mancunians past and present, and talk to the Jewish residents who are docents here—they were wonderful and happy to share. In terms of art, you’ve got the gorgeous Whitworth Art Gallery (on the Manchester University campus) and the Manchester Art Gallery (in a beautiful 200-year-old building). If you’re not into art, there’s always the National Football Museum (pubs on a game day are also something of a cultural experience, especially when Manchester United or Manchester City is playing).

I look for libraries whenever I travel. In my humble opinion, a public library says a lot about a city, its people, its past, and its present. (Plus, they usually have cool architecture and free Wi-Fi.) Now I recognize that not everyone is as into libraries as I am, but, trust me, Manchester has several that even non-nerds will find intriguing. For starters, the oldest surviving public library in the English-speaking world is here: It’s called Chetham’s , it was founded in 1653, it’s located in a former monastery that dates back to 1421, and it’s open for tours.

The neo-Gothic John Rylands Library looks like something out of Harry Potter (and it was founded by a woman in 1900—how boss is that?); stop by for rotating exhibits and to wander through its cathedral-like rooms. The main Manchester Central Library —the city’s plain old regular circulating library—is a site to see, too. It opened in 1930 and was modeled after the Pantheon. It’s not stuck in the past though: Music, art, and literature events are scheduled regularly (the 2024 calendar is not online yet); I passed a foosball table on one floor and a sign for a vinyl listening club on another.

LGBTQ+ pride

Manchester’s LGBTQ neighborhood along Canal Street, affectionately dubbed Gay Village, is home to one of the oldest openly gay venues in the city: New Union dates to the 1860s and is now a bar and hotel. Canal Street is also lined with festive-feeling restaurants and bars and wallpapered with posters for drag brunches and shows. In June, the neighborhood is the epicenter for Manchester Pride , and in July it hosts Sparkle, the national transgender celebration.

Check out the Visit Manchester website for a downloadable LGBTQ self-guided tour , which includes a stop at the Alan Turing memorial. The genius who invented the computer moved here after his code-breaking success in World War II to work at the University of Manchester (the alma mater of Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Turing in the 2014 movie The Imitation Game ). Sadly, Manchester is also where Turing was arrested for being gay and sentenced to chemical castration. He was found dead of cyanide poisoning in his home in 1954, at the age of 41. The Queen pardoned him posthumously in 2013. If you’re in the city on any June 23, stop by his statue in Sackville Gardens; people place flowers there every year for his birthday.

This is England, and this is an old university town, so of course there are many, many pubs. The total number varies depending on the source, but it seems to be somewhere around 650 , which is way more than plenty. They range from cozy neighborhood establishments to modern see-and-be-seen perches, and include a bunch of quirky spots like one that’s more than 500 years old (the Old Wellington ), one in a converted public bathroom ( the Temple ), and my favorite: the tiny, green-and-yellow-tiled Peveril of the Peak , a 19th-century relic with a curved wooden bar, stained-glass detailing, and chatty customers.

Historical surprises

In a city as old as Manchester, there’s technically “history” everywhere you look, but it’s the stories that make it all come alive. If you want a guided time-travel experience, I recommend Free Manchester Walking Tours . Our tour leader Megan rocked us through centuries of pop culture, history, and entertaining anecdotes, and even managed to get us all dancing and singing a few times. By the end of the afternoon, you’ll have the lay of the land and you’ll better understand the city and its significance. If you want to wander on your own, don’t miss these three spots that span the breadth of Manchester’s existence:

• Mamucium fort: Romans basically founded Manchester in 79 C.E. when they built this fort. Today you can visit a re-creation of the fort on its original site, in a small park in the Castlefield neighborhood near the city center.
• Abraham Lincoln statue : Manchester calls itself the first industrial city, because back in the 1800s, it manufactured 80 percent of all the world’s cotton goods and textiles. I’ll say that again: 80 percent. In fact, Manchester was so successful and influential that it was nicknamed Cottonopolis. When the U.S. Civil War broke out, Manchester and other manufacturing cities in Northern England had a choice to make: continue to use cotton grown on plantations that supported slavery, or cut off those ties and risk imploding their economy. Manchester chose the right side of history, standing by the Union army in the North, when a lot of other industrial U.K. cities sided with the South for economic purposes. In answer, then-president Abraham Lincoln wrote the city a letter of thanks—and that’s why there’s a statue of Abraham Lincoln in Manchester , England, today.
• Red mailbox: In 1996, an IRA bombing destroyed a large swath of downtown. Amazingly, the authorities found the bomb early enough to evacuate the area, and no one died. But the explosion caused a lot of damage—so much that the destruction is actually credited with influencing the revival and renovation of the city center. A red post office box still stands on the spot of the explosion—the only thing unharmed. Look for it by the Marks & Spencer department store on Corporation Street .

Read more about Manchester, one of AFAR’s picks for Where to Go in 2024: This Northern English City Has Been Nurturing Its Arts Scene for Years—and It’s Paying Off .

Read the full list of Where to Go in 2024.

More for You

The Best Way To Keep Bananas From Turning Brown Too Fast

Air Force One experiencing ‘rampant thievery’ from White House reporters traveling with president: Politico

​​17 Most Stolen Items in the US – What You Should Know

The sequels of 50 iconic movies that made fans wait for decades

The Most Expensive Dog Breeds Money Can Buy in 2024

I'm abrosexual - it took me 30 years to realise

12 Ordering Mistakes You're Making At Subway, According To Employees

Are eggs bad for cholesterol? New study reveals how many you can eat

10 Hiding Spots Burglars Always Look First

16 Coolest Small Towns in the U.S. You’ve Never Heard Of

Netflix Drama: 25 Gripping Series That Will Keep You on the Edge of Your Seat

Dramatic video appearing to show a flaming Russian Su-27 jet crashing into the Black Sea shot down by own side, Ukraine says

Amelia Earhart's long-lost plane wreckage might have been spotted by an autonomous deep-sea drone

The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee by John Hambrock

24 Adult Jokes and Easter Eggs Hidden in Pixar Films

Researchers discover unexpected factor contributing to obesity spike: 'The number of obese people worldwide has nearly tripled'

17 Foods That Are Legal in the U.S. but Banned in Other Countries

Joe Biden Faces 'Clear' Evidence He Lied in Impeachment Probe—Attorney

The 30 best dog breeds for first-time owners

'Sanford and Son': The Cast Through The Years