Top North West England Culture - page 2

As the original home of the Beatles, Liverpool is the best place to learn about the band’s formation and history. On this half-day small-group bus tour, listen to a tour guide as you ride to highlights such as George Harrison’s childhood home, the real-life Strawberry Field, and the venue that hosted many of the band’s earliest gigs, all while you enjoy a soundtrack of the band’s biggest hits.

Get to know three of Liverpool’s traditional pubs with this evening walking tour, starting from the Philharmonic Dining Rooms and ending at Pier Head. You’ll discover the pubs known to locals, that tourists often miss, with the help of a local guide. A half pint of real ale is included in each pub, along with commentary to pique your interest about the history of the pubs and the characters that have drank in them.

Discover the sightseeing highlights of Chester with a local guide to show you around town on this small-group walking tour. Learn all about the city’s storied past as you navigate its cobbled streets with the help of your guide. See Northgate Street, Chester Cathedral, the Chester Rows, and much more.

Discover the world-renowned natural wonders of the Lake District National Park on a day trip that leaves the driving to someone else, so you can focus on the scenery. Tick off top Lake District attractions such as Grasmere, Blea Tarn, Ambleside, and more, while enjoying an intimate atmosphere in a group limited to 16.

Explore Liverpool like a local alongside a guide whose interests are tailored to match your own and visit places you might not find independently during this customizable walking tour. Plus, enjoy the flexibility to decide your own itinerary and departure time—ideal for travelers with specific interests and limited time—while leaving the actual logistics to the experts for a personalized experience.

Skip the expense of car hire and the strain of left-side driving, and sit back and enjoy the Snowdonia views on this convenient north Wales sightseeing tour. See the pretty seaside town of Llandudno, 1,100-year-old St. Tudno’s Church, historic Conwy Castle (entrance at own expense), Snowdonia National Park, the airy Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, known as the Stream in the Sky, and more. Throughout, your driver/guide will keep you entertained.

Opened in 1850, Overleigh Cemetery hosts many fascinating graves and monuments that reflect Chester's rich and diverse history. Every gravestone conceals a life story waiting to be told, and every grave has a hidden history. Led by a qualified and insured Green Badge guide, tours will include visits to around 25 of the most notable graves. Designed by a famous local architect, T.M. Penson, the cemetery was laid out "with admirable taste" and included two lodges, two chapels, and an ornamental lake with three islands. Humble graves were unmarked or had a simple wooden cross, while the better-off had grander memorials. You'll discover the extraordinary stories of some of those laid to rest here, including Mary Jonas, who had 33 children, including 15 sets of identical twins; Edward Langry, the husband of Edward VII's mistress, who went crazy and died in the local lunatic asylum; and William Bidulph Cross, who made his own illuminated coffin from wooden matchboxes.

Find your way around the vibrant city of Manchester with a self-guided tour that’s also a fun-filled treasure hunt adventure. Using the tour app’s map, follow instructions and solve clues and puzzles to discover where to head to next. Each location is a new spot to explore, and each clue is a story about Manchester's fascinating history and an insight into the people who have lived here.

Discover some of Liverpool’s spookiest landmarks and ghost stories—and enjoy a flexible and independent way to explore—with this self-led smartphone tour. After downloading the app, set off at a time that works best for you. You’ll follow the app to landmarks like St. George’s Hall, the Queen Victoria Monument, and Eleanor Rigby Statue, and will learn all about the city’s history of unexplained happenings and ghostly encounters.

Enjoy an immersive, fun-filled, and family-friendly way to learn all about medical history when you book tickets to Chester’s Sick to Death exhibition. Held in a historical venue, the exhibition focuses on the gory history of medicine, complete with interactive areas that kids will appreciate. Play with scientific equipment, pretend to operate on a body, and learn what doctors used to do to treat patients—and thankfully do no longer.

Go beyond the guidebooks to learn about the history, culture, and future of Manchester's Media City and The Quays on a family-friendly guided walking tour. Led by a local guide, start and end your journey at the impressive Media City Piazza, and pass by landmarks such as the Lowry Arts Centre and the Imperial War Museum. Enjoy the benefit of your guide's insight—something you'd miss if exploring independently—and stroll alongside the storied Manchester Ship Canal (which links the city to the Irish Sea). Along the way, get the lowdown on urban regeneration, and find out why the area is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the UK.

Opt for some Liverpool sightseeing on your own schedule, and skip the tourist crowds and the rush. This self-guided smartphone tour—downloadable from an app—lets you explore the city at your own pace, while giving you everything you need to orient yourself and learn about Liverpool. Landmarks like the Royal Albert Dock and the Cavern Club are on the GPS-guided route.

Take an adventure into the rolling green hills of Derbyshire, famously some of the most picturesque in the whole of England. See traditional farming villages and towns with their cobbled streets and plenty of dry stone walls — not to mention a generous helping of historic myths and legends courtesy of your guide. View the hills of the Peak District, and see Monsal Headstone Viaduct.

When your cruise ship pulls into Liverpool’s port, explore the city on foot instead of joining a large coach tour. This leisurely paced walking tour focuses on Liverpool’s culture and history, and gives you the lowdown on the city’s links with the Titanic, its architecture, and social history. Photo stops, breaks, and ample time for questions complete the experience.

Go beyond the city of Liverpool to discover the national park delights of north Wales. Ideal if you’re staying in Liverpool without transport, this small-group day trip offers a relaxed and easy way to visit Snowdonia National Park, Llandudno, Betws-y-Coed, and Conwy Castle—all in one convenient day trip. Note that children must be at least five years old to join the tour.

Manchester is considered England’s music capital, but exploring independently means missing its hidden musical heritage. On this tour, follow in the footsteps of famous Manchester bands like the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, and The Smiths with your guide. Discover iconic locations including the Free Trade Hall and Piccadilly Records, stop for refreshments in historic pubs and live music venues, and find out what puts Manchester on Britain’s music map.

See Liverpool through the eyes of a “scouser” (a Liverpudlian) who’s passionate about the city and its sights. On a walking tour, you’ll have Liverpool’s history brought to life as you learn how the northern city has become the lively place it is today. Hear stories of the Beatles, see the Albert Dock, and discover the lesser-known sights that only locals tend to know.

This is an excellent choice for travelers with limited time. Go on a whistle-stop walking tour of Manchester’s main attractions such as Piccadilly Gardens, Chinatown, the Vimto Sculpture, the Alan Turing Memorial, the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester Cathedral, and much more. Exploring the city with a guide means you won’t have to worry about getting lost, and you’ll hear entertaining stories along the way.

Discover the ancient Roman history of the city of Chester, once the largest Roman fortress in Britain, during this walking tour. Follow your guide who is dressed as a Roman soldier and learn about the Roman heritage of Chester as you visit landmarks such as the amphitheater, the city walls, and the Roman gardens.

This is an ideal overview tour of Liverpool's main sights. Avoid the hassle of organizing car rental, and instead, go on this pre-planned sightseeing bus route of 14 interesting landmarks and attractions. Sights passed include the Royal Albert Dock, St. George's Hall, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Liverpool Cathedral, and plenty more surprises.

Enjoy this tour like no other when you book this elite experience, with a uniformed chauffeur driving a replica of John Lennon’s iconic Rolls-Royce Phantom. Join a maximum of five other travelers to see the sights, from houses where the band members grew up through to the spot that inspired Strawberry Fields Forever (only open on certain days). Take home a guide to fuel your Beatles obsession further.

Without a rental car, seeing the best of the Yorkshire Dales in a day from Chester is near-impossible. This tour steps up: whisking you around the natural and historical highlights of the Dales National Park without any transport headaches. Visit the Wensleydale Creamery, see the Ribblehead Viaduct, explore Haworth—one-time home of the Brontë sisters—and more; all in a seamless round-trip and with a guide providing insights you’d miss if alone.

The hometown of the popular 1960s rock band, Liverpool boasts Beatles landmarks all over the city—but it’s tough finding them if you’re new to town. Make your sightseeing simple, and visit many of Liverpool’s key Beatles landmarks and memorials in one trip, on this private taxi tour. Head straight to sights such as Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby’s grave, and more, all while your driver-guide shares insider stories and history.

Don’t just "go for drinks" in Liverpool. Put a twist on your evening plans with cocktails in the Alcotraz inn. Billed as a theatrical cocktail bar, this speakeasy-style prison bar comes complete with orange jumpsuits for drinking inmates, crooked prison guards, barred cells, and, most importantly, killer cocktails made with your own (smuggled-in) alcohol.