Things to do in Manchester: free museums, football and food
Manchester is compact, and the center is easy to cover on foot and by tram. The big museums are free, the Northern Quarter has the independent shops, bars and record stores, and the two football clubs run stadium tours. Check the fixture list and concert dates before you book anything, because match days and big gigs change both the crowds and the hotel prices.
The short answer
- First trip
- Give it two or three days, base yourself in or near the center, and see the Northern Quarter, the John Rylands Library, the Science and Industry Museum and one football stadium. Check whether you need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation before you fly.
- Where to stay
- The Northern Quarter for bars and shops, Spinningfields or Castlefield for a calmer, polished center, and Ancoats for restaurants. Our full guide compares the areas.
- How many days
- Two days covers the center. Three adds the Quays or Old Trafford and the Etihad, and a fourth fits a day trip to Liverpool or the Peak District.
- Best time to go
- May to September is the warmest and driest, with highs around 20°C in summer. Rain can fall in any month, so pack a waterproof. Christmas markets run from mid-November.
- Book ahead
- Stadium tours, big concerts and any home match, because tickets and hotel rooms go quickly on those dates.
- From the airport
- Trains from Manchester Airport reach Manchester Piccadilly in around 20 minutes, every 10 minutes. The Metrolink tram runs from the airport to Victoria station but is slower.
Where to stay in Manchester, in brief
Northern Quarter
bars, record shops and independent cafes
Old red-brick warehouses, street art and the city's best choice of independent places, a few minutes from Piccadilly Gardens. It is lively at night and loud on Friday and Saturday, so ask for a room away from the street.
Piccadilly and Chinatown
trains, trams and an easy base
Piccadilly station, the tram interchange at Piccadilly Gardens and Chinatown sit together. It is the most convenient place for arrivals, and the least charming, with busy streets around the gardens.
Spinningfields and Castlefield
museums, canals and a calmer evening
Spinningfields is glass offices, restaurants and the John Rylands Library, and Castlefield has the canal basin and the Science and Industry Museum. Both are quieter after dark than the Northern Quarter.
Ancoats
restaurants and converted mills
A former mill district with some of the city's best restaurants, a ten to fifteen minute walk from the Northern Quarter. There are fewer hotels, and the area is quiet outside meal times.
Salford Quays
The Lowry, MediaCity and Old Trafford trips
Waterside, with The Lowry and the Imperial War Museum North, on the Metrolink. It is a tram ride from the center, not a walk, so it suits a quieter stay with a few city trips.
Things to do in Manchester
John Rylands Library
A neo-Gothic reading room built in the 1890s, free to enter. Check the opening days on the library's website, because they are limited, and expect the reading room to be quiet and the stairs to be busy at weekends.
Science and Industry Museum
In the world's oldest passenger railway station, with textile machinery, steam engines and the story of the Industrial Revolution. General entry is free, and some special exhibitions charge.
Check whether the galleries you want need a free timed ticket
Northern Quarter
Spend an afternoon walking Oldham Street, Tib Street and Stevenson Square, with the independent shops, record stores, street art and bars. Come in the afternoon if you want it calm, and in the evening if you want it loud.
Manchester Art Gallery and the Whitworth
Manchester Art Gallery near the Town Hall and the Whitworth in its park near the university are both free. The Whitworth is a short bus or tram ride south, and it is a good rainy-day choice.
National Football Museum
The museum in Cathedral Gardens covers the English game from its start. It charges for entry, and it is a good option on a wet day if you do not have a stadium tour booked.
Buy online, especially at weekends and in school holidays
Old Trafford stadium tour
The Manchester United home ground has a museum and a behind-the-scenes tour. Tours do not run on match days, and the Old Trafford tram stop is on the Altrincham and Trafford Centre lines.
A few days to a week ahead, longer in school holidays
Etihad Stadium tour
Manchester City's ground is east of the center, with the Etihad Campus stop on the tram line from Piccadilly. Tours do not run on match days, so check the fixture list before you pick a date.
A few days to a week ahead
Salford Quays: The Lowry and the Imperial War Museum North
The waterfront has The Lowry arts center and the Imperial War Museum North, both free to enter, and MediaCityUK next door. Take the Metrolink to MediaCityUK or Harbour City.
Castlefield and the canals
The Castlefield basin, the Roman fort reconstruction and the canal towpaths are a quiet walk away from the center. Pair it with the Science and Industry Museum, which is next to it.
Manchester Cathedral and the Cathedral Quarter
The cathedral is free to enter, with a medieval choir and a calm interior. The streets around it hold the Arndale shopping center and the Printworks, so combine it with a coffee or a shopping stop.
A gig or a match
Manchester is a music city, with venues from small clubs to the large arenas east of the center. Tickets for popular fixtures and shows sell out, so book early if either is the reason for your trip.
Weeks or months ahead for big shows and Premier League fixtures
What to book before you go
These sell out. Most of the rest of Manchester can be decided on the day.
Every tour and ticket in Manchester, and which to pick- Stadium toursA few days to a week ahead
Tours run on set days and not on match days, so you need a slot that fits the fixture list.
- Hotel rooms on match and concert nightsAs early as you know the dates
Home fixtures and big arena shows push up rates and fill the center, so check the dates before you pick yours.
- Restaurants in Ancoats and the city centerA week or two ahead for Friday and Saturday
The popular restaurants fill at weekends, and a few take walk-ins only, so check each one first.
What to skip in Manchester
- Chain restaurants around Piccadilly Gardens and Deansgate Locks
They cater to passing trade and queues. Walk to the Northern Quarter or Ancoats, where more of the places depend on regulars.
- Driving into the center
Parking is dear and the roads around the ring route are slow. The tram and trains reach most places, so leave the car at a park-and-ride stop or at home.
- Planning a match-day visit without checking the fixtures
Trams, pubs and hotels around the stadiums are full when a match or arena show is on. Look up the dates first, and use the day for the city center if there is a home game.
Best time to visit Manchester
May to September is the warmest and driest stretch, with highs around 20°C in the summer months and long evenings. It is the best time for the canals, Castlefield and the Quays, and for walking between the Northern Quarter and Ancoats.
Rain can fall in any month, so carry a waterproof and keep an indoor plan, because the free museums make that easy. Winter is cold and dark early, and the Christmas markets start in mid-November. Match days and big concerts are the busiest and dearest times of all, whatever the season.
- From Manchester AirportTrains to Manchester Piccadilly take around 20 minutes and run every 10 minutes, seven days a week, operated by TransPennine Express and Northern. The Metrolink tram runs from the airport to Victoria station, but it is slower and stops at many places. Allow a five to 15 minute walk to the station from the terminals, and check for works on the airport tram line from 19 October to 1 November.
- Metrolink tramsTrams run to Piccadilly Gardens, Victoria, Deansgate-Castlefield, the Quays, Old Trafford, the Etihad Campus and Altrincham. Tap a contactless card, phone or watch at the platform, or use the Bee Network app. Tickets are not sold on board.
- Trains and busesPiccadilly and Victoria are the main stations, and Oxford Road and Deansgate are on the main line through the center. The Bee Network runs the buses and trams, and the center is small enough to walk between most things.
- On footThe Northern Quarter, Piccadilly, Spinningfields and Castlefield are within about 20 minutes of each other on foot. The Quays, Old Trafford and the Etihad are a tram ride.
Manchester in three days: a first-time itinerary
- Day 1
The center. Start at the John Rylands Library and Manchester Art Gallery, then walk to the Cathedral. Spend the afternoon in the Northern Quarter, and eat in the Northern Quarter or Ancoats.
- Day 2
Industry and the canals. Visit the Science and Industry Museum, walk the Castlefield canals, then take the tram to Salford Quays for The Lowry and the Imperial War Museum North. Have dinner back in the center.
- Day 3
Football and the south. Take a stadium tour at Old Trafford or the Etihad, whichever fits the fixtures, or the National Football Museum if neither does. Finish at the Whitworth or in Chinatown or on the Curry Mile.
Day trips from Manchester
- LiverpoolDirect trains run from Manchester to Liverpool Lime Street in about an hour. The waterfront, the Beatles sites and the museums fill a day.
- Peak DistrictTrains from Piccadilly run to Edale in under an hour, on a line through the Hope Valley. Edale is the start of the Pennine Way and has walking routes for all levels, so bring proper shoes.
- ChesterDirect trains take about an hour. Walk the Roman city walls, which circle the center, and the two-level shopping rows, then return by evening.
Manchester: questions people ask
How many days do you need in Manchester?
Two days covers the center, and three adds a stadium tour and Salford Quays. A fourth day fits a trip to Liverpool or the Peak District. Manchester suits a long weekend better than a week.
What is there to do in Manchester when it rains?
Plenty: the John Rylands Library, the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, the Whitworth, the National Football Museum and the Imperial War Museum North. Most are free, and the tram links them.
Is Manchester worth visiting?
Yes, for a city break of two or three days, if you like museums, music, football or food. It is a working city and not a postcard, so it suits visitors who want to see how a big northern English city lives.
Is there a tourist tax in Manchester?
There is a small charge, but it is not a national tax. The City Visitor Charge is £1 plus VAT per room per night at larger hotels and serviced apartments inside the Manchester Accommodation BID area, and it appears on your bill.
When is the best time to visit Manchester?
May to September is the warmest and driest, with highs around 20°C. Rain can fall in any month. Match days and big concerts are the busiest and dearest times, so check the dates.
How do you get from Manchester Airport to the city center?
The train to Manchester Piccadilly takes around 20 minutes and runs every 10 minutes. The Metrolink tram goes to Victoria but is slower. Pick the train unless your hotel is next to a tram stop.
How do you pay for the tram in Manchester?
Tap a contactless card, phone or watch at the platform, or use the Bee Network app. Tickets are not sold on board, so pay before you board.
Can you visit Manchester's football stadiums without a match ticket?
Yes. Both Old Trafford and the Etihad run stadium tours on days without a match, and the National Football Museum is in the center. Match tickets are far harder to get, so book early if you want one.