The 15 Best Manchester Tours & Experiences

Manchester: Canal & River Cruise - One hour on the Manchester Ship Canal and River Irwell: the route, in plain terms

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 4,638 reviews · 1 hour · from $16Our pick

One-hour Manchester canal cruise from Salford Quays. See Old Trafford, Stephenson’s 1830 bridge, Media City, plus ship canal history in English.

“The cruise around Salford Quays and into the centre of Manchester (Deansgate) was brilliant. It was a lovely sunny day so we were able to sit outside and take in all the interesting sights including a Kingfisher, Cormorants and lots of wildlife along the river bank. The information presented was so interesting along an area of Manchester you normally can’t see from the roadside. Would definitely recommend.”

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City Tours, Football Stadium Tours, Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Etihad Stadium: The Manchester City Stadium Tour

2.Etihad Stadium: The Manchester City Stadium Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,096 reviews · 1h 15m · from $35

Walk the glass players’ tunnel, sit in the dugouts, chat with virtual Pep in the press room, and tour the Tunnel Club at Etihad Stadium.

“tour was brilliant we all enjoyed it. Tour guides Keith and Paul were very knowledgeable and friendly. Everyone we spoke to in the shop was helpful and friendly. Superb trip and great value for money”

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Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Manchester: North Wales, Snowdonia, and Chester Tour

3.North Wales, Snowdonia, and Chester Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,577 reviews · 11 hours · from $102

Day trip from Manchester to Conwy, Snowdonia, Betws-y-Coed and Chester, with Conwy Castle entry and guided history.

“The tour was well planned and the transportation was so comfortable. The driver explained all the history for manchester, wales, snowdonia and chester while driving and was helpful in sharing his recommendations. The bus drive is so scenic to snowdonia and a must do. Complete value of money”

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Manchester Tours, Museums, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Manchester: National Football Museum Admission Ticket

4.National Football Museum Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,243 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $20

National Football Museum in Manchester ticket with self-guided access to all four floors, free highlights tours, and extra Penalty Shootout.

“Loved it - but need to go back as didn't allocate enough time to go round it all”

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Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Manchester: Sightseeing Bus Tour

5.Sightseeing Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,238 reviews

Manchester open-top hop-on hop-off bus tour with Salford Quays stops, industrial history audio, free Wi-Fi, and key sights in 90 minutes.

“The commentary about the history could be louder, as it's hard to hear when you're upstairs or have more speakers, that is my only improvement advice I do have”

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Boat Tours in the Lake District, Cruises & Boat Tours, Lake District Tours, Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Manchester: Lake District Bus Tour & Windermere Cruise

6.Lake District Bus Tour & Windermere Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 927 reviews · 11 hours · from $104

A full day Lake District sweep from Manchester with a Windermere cruise, Wordsworth stops in Grasmere and Hawkshead, plus Coniston Water.

“Darren, our guide for the trip, was excellent. His knowledge, sense of humour and witty yet historical takes on places, people and stories of the Lake District made the day that much more enjoyable and truly memorable. We would love to have him again as a guide.”

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Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews

Manchester: The Coronation Street Experience

7.The Coronation Street Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 563 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $53

90-minute guided walk through Coronation Street exterior sets, free roam for selfies, photo at Rovers Return, plus costume and prop exhibition.

“Brilliant tour guide. Very informative and funny. Lovely day”

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1-Day Tours, Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews

From Manchester: Derbyshire and Peak District Day Trip

8.Derbyshire and Peak District Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 354 reviews · 8 hours · from $74

Manchester to Peak District day trip: Eyam plague story, Bakewell pudding, Castleton streets, optional Peak’s Cavern, 8 hours.

“Wonderful activity, gorgeous landscapes and a really engaging guide. Thanks Chris and ciao from Italy!”

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Boat Tours in the Lake District, Cruises & Boat Tours, Lake District Tours, Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Train Experiences

Manchester: Lake District Tour with Lake Cruise & Train Ride

9.Lake District Tour with Lake Cruise & Train Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 314 reviews

Small-group Lake District day from Manchester: Windermere cruise, Tarn Hows, Hawkshead village time, and a seasonal steam train.

“Excellent tour of the Lake District, with plenty of great photo stops. Our guide and driver Tom was friendly and patient. The tour itself was very well-organized; my only suggestion would be to extend the time at Hawkshead, our lunch stop, by about half an hour so there's a bit more time to explore. Loved the cruise at the end! Definitely one of the highlights of my family's first trip to the UK.”

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Manchester City Highlights Walking Tour

10.Manchester City Highlights Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 299 reviews · 1h 30m · from $18

90-minute Manchester highlights walk with a local guide, Roman and Viking tales, suffragettes, street art and Gay Village culture. $18

“Great tour. Gordon was very informative and an excellent guide. It was well paced with the right amount of information provided. Despite living in Greater Manchester, we learnt a lot and visited many places new to us.”

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Dining Experiences, Dinner Experiences, Lunch Experiences, Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews

Manchester: Hard Rock Cafe Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner

11.Hard Rock Cafe Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 249 reviews · from $33

Hard Rock Cafe Manchester set menus in Exchange Square, with priority seating, big American classics, and rock memorabilia, in about 75 minutes.

“Amazing restaurant! I love to visit all hard rock cafes :)”

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1-Day Tours, Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews

From Manchester: North Wales Sightseeing Adventure Day Trip

12.North Wales Sightseeing Adventure Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 172 reviews · from $92

Fully-narrated coach tour from Manchester to Llandudno, Conwy, Snowdonia, and Pontcysyllte Canal Aqueduct, with standout guides.

“From the get go Adrian was excellent! The games, facts and the stories and keeping a bus load of people entertained for hours was pure talent. The amazing sights we saw of Wales will stay with us. Cannot recommend Busy Bus enough for any day tour. 10/10 It surely was a perfect day tour!!!”

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1-Day Tours, Castle Tours, Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews

From Manchester: North Wales and Caernarfon Castle Day Trip

13.North Wales and Caernarfon Castle Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 170 reviews · 9 hours · from $78

9-hour Manchester day trip to Conwy, Snowdonia photo stops, Caernarfon Castle entry, and Betws-y-Coed, in a small minibus.

“we travelled with Jean , who was our bus driver and as well as guide. She was excellent and explained everything pretty well . I will certainly recommend this tour .”

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City Tours, Guided, Manchester Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in Manchester

Manchester: Media City & The Quays Guided Walking Tour

14.Media City & The Quays Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 165 reviews · 2 hours · from $18Top rated

A 2-hour guided walk from Media City Piazza to Salford Quays, with clear headsets, dock history, and future regeneration stories.

“The tour was excellent. I was on my own but the guide made me feel extremely welcome and at ease. I learned a lot from this tour and I would recommend it to anyone.”

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