Liverpool delights its visitors with a wide choice of modern entertainment and vast cultural heritage. The deep love for football can be felt on every street and behind every corner of Liverpool, making it a perfect city for a city break for any football buff. Objects such as the Liverpool Cathedral and the International Slavery Museum will delight anyone who likes to explore, learn the history of new places and admire the sacral architecture. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Liverpool is stuck in the past – in the contrary, it’s a very pleasant and open-minded city, with a strong strive to move on. Modern entertainment can be enjoyed in the form of pubs, clubs and fun tours all over the city. Furthermore, the city of Liverpool offers a wide choice of tourist attractions and things to do, with the famous Albert Dock being visited by hundreds of tourists every year. At the end of the day, Liverpool is an excellent city for a quick city break – it’s not very flashy, not very noisy, but it’s oddly pleasant and welcoming, making everyone feel right at home.
While on your stay in Liverpool, you are probably going to visit the local pubs a lot. While you’re at it, why not go to the Hairy Bikers club, locate at 133 Dale Street in the center of the city, especially on Wednesdays. From 5 p.m. up to closing you can get a free bowl of Scouse, the local specialty.
A good way to save some money on drinks and lunches is to get the Independent Liverpool card, which is quite cheap and provides a range of various discounts at over a hundred pubs, bars, and restaurants. The card costs £15, which is not a lot considering how much you will save, but you can get two for £20.
The public transport in Liverpool is quite expensive, especially if you are going to buy a single ticket every time you wish to travel around. A better deal is to get a weekly pass, which costs around £15, which is a far better price than paying £4.40 for a daily ticket.
In Liverpool, many shops tend to reduce the prices of their products, especially those which otherwise would have to be thrown away for the night, such as dairy, bread, or fruits and vegetables. The discounted items are identified by yellow stickers, so you are sure not to miss them.
While you are on your stay in Liverpool, you can try searching online if any shop is looking for somebody to do “mystery shopping”. The job of a mystery shopper is to test out customer service while doing groceries, and not only do you get paid to do this, but you can often keep the items bought for free.
Tap water in Liverpool is just fine, and even though it is not as famous as in Sweden, the water still tastes good and is perfectly healthy to drink. Bottled water is quite expensive in Liverpool, and getting a few bottles every day will quickly drain your money. Instead, drink tap water for free.
If you are going to get a morning coffee now and again, make sure to buy a reusable cup at one of the vendors, as most of them provide their own. Getting such a cup will not only grant you an extra stamp on a loyalty card, but you will also save up to 25p at Greggs, Costa, and others.
If you are on your trip to Liverpool with kids, there are plenty of ways to have fun with them without having to pay anything. The local museums are known for often running special events for children all throughout the city, and the city parks usually host weekly ranger-run events for kids.
It is not easy to find all the current discounts on your own, so think about downloading one of the many apps on your smartphone that will do it for you. There is a couple of such apps on both Android and iPhone, and you can even sometimes find coupons for free stuff, such as a coffee or something to eat.
If you are looking for a way to work out while on your trip to Liverpool but do not want to get a gym membership for such a short amount of time, you can always join any of the park runs with the locals. Not only is that a good way to stay fit, but you will also have the opportunity to mingle with the people there.
January is the busiest tourist month for Liverpool, with June and July being almost equally crowded. If you’re not a huge fan of the crowds and would prefer a more intimate experience, visit Liverpool outside of these months. December is when Liverpool is almost empty.
From June to early September, Liverpool is the warmest, and you can expect temperatures of up to 21 °C, with around 13 °C during the nights. Outside of these months, Liverpool is quite cold, with around 12 °C in October and 8 °C in December.
Liverpool is the most expensive in January, and then again in June and July. Don’t expect any discounts around that time. Any other month of the year, Liverpool doesn’t see much tourism, so the prices drop. Winter is when Liverpool is almost empty, meaning that accommodation and entertainment all offer the best deals.
Crabbie’s Grand National - April
Liverpool Sound City - May
Light Night - May
International Mersey River Festival - June
Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon - June
Africa Oyé - June
Liverpool International Music Festival (LIMF) - July
Brazilica - July
Southport Flower Show - August
International Beatleweek - August
Southport Air Show - September
Liverpool Food and Drink Festival – September
Christmas by Liverpool - December
Apartments provide an attractive alternative to booking a hotel in Liverpool, offering a higher degree of privacy and a less temporary experience of the city. Especially large families will be delighted by what apartments in Liverpool offer. Nightly rates vary depending on the location and size of the apartment.
Those visiting Liverpool on a budget should aim for 1- and 2-star hotels. These cheap hotels in Liverpool offer low nightly rates and sufficient comfort, allowing you to get through the night while saving money all at the same time. They are usually situated a bit further away from the centre of Liverpool.
Liverpool offers a wide choice of 3- and 4-star hotels, which will easily satisfy the needs of every traveller. These hotels feature diverse facilities and good quality of service. The location of these standard hotels in Liverpool is usually very good, with easy access to popular tourist attractions and spots of interest.
If you would like to take your Liverpool experience to a whole new level, luxury hotels in Liverpool are just what you need. These boutique hotels are able to satisfy each and every need of their visitors. The quality of service is impeccable, and the comfort they provide is outstanding. Nightly rates for luxury hotels in Liverpool start around $200.
Getting around the city is quite easy with a bus, and is a good option if you are on a budget. There is a wide variety of different money-saving tickets and passes, including the Walrus card. The Walrus card costs only a single pound and can be charged with as many single tickets or day passes as you want for a much better price than paper tickets.
While not the fastest way to traverse the town, taking a ferry along the Mersey River is a great way to see the city from the water, along with its gorgeous waterfront. The ferries depart from Pier Head Ferry Terminal, located right next to the Royal Liver Building, and proceed towards Woodside and Seacombe.
While travelling the city in your own vehicle is bound to be a hassle, it is possible to do so. The traffic jams in Liverpool are quite tough to get through, especially during the rush hours, but at least there is plenty of available parking spots, which are quite cheap. The usual fee for using a parking lot is between £3 and £6 for the entire day. Make sure to avoid the big parking lot next to Liverpool ONE, which is substantially more expensive than all of the rest.
Keep in mind that car theft and break-ins are a widespread problem in Liverpool, so make sure you take everything of value with you.
While most of the buses do not drive as far as the suburbs and the outskirts of Liverpool, there is a well-developed suburban rail service called the Merseyrail. The trains of the Merseyrail connect Liverpool with other cities of the Greater Merseyside area, and there are four main stops in Liverpool where you can catch a train, located at Lime Street, Central, James Street, and Moorfields.
This hop-on-hop-off experience provides you with the ability to use a number of double-decker routes across the city, making it easy to travel between spots with strategically placed stops. Moreover, you also get the access to the Mersey boat tour, where a commentary will give insight on the monuments.
Join this tour, which for a very reasonable price will show you the history of the legendary English rock band, The Beatles. The tour will take you both to the Albert Dock and the Pier Head, where you will be able to see for yourself some of the rare Beatles memorabilia, with audio commentary narrated by the sister of John Lennon.
Providing you with an easy way to see the top highlights of the city in a short amount of time and at a reduced price, this tour will take you on a journey with a hop-on-hop-off bus ticket. Not only does the ticket provide you with a means of transportation, but you will also be able to enter the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral tower for free.
This exclusive tour will give you a behind-the-scenes experience of discovering the renowned Anfield Stadium. You can explore the stadium at your own pace with the included audio headset and guide commentary, and, moreover, you can choose from a wide number of tour times to fit your schedule.
Granting you priority access to the St John’s Beacon Viewing Gallery for a reduced price, this ticket will allow you to get the best possible view of the city. The Tower is over one hundred meters high, and the view extends as far as North Wales and the Lake District, given the weather is clear.
A fifty-minute-long cruise with a hop-on-hop-off option, allowing you to explore the Mersey River. The cruise includes optional upgrades to include several attractions for a reduced price, and professional audio commentary is available on board as you visit the Pier Head, Seacombe, and Birkenhead.
This one-and-a-half-hour tour shows a part of the history and culture of the city of Liverpool. A local guide will take you along on a walking tour, designed especially to include as much history of music as possible, and with stops to see the Mersey Ferries and the old Liverpool Town Hall.
Discover the most famous sites of Liverpool during this five-hour tour of the city, with such highlights as the Liverpool Cathedral or the Eleanor Rigby statue. A professional guide will show you on your way, and you will even visit the Cavern Club, famous for being the spots of the Beatles' first gig in Liverpool.
During this one-hour long walking tour, you will be able to see some of the city at a slow pace with a local guide. The guide will show you some of the gorgeous architecture of the city and give you a lesson on its history, as you travel alongside the River Mersey, stopping at monuments along the way.
With a free admission ticket to the National Museum of Popular Music in Liverpool, the British Music Experience will show you through eight zones, exploring different periods of British music in the last seventy years. Inside, you will see over five hundred memorabilia and hand-written lyrics of the musicians.
This city park, which spans over more than two hundred acres, is regarded by locals as the most beautiful park in Liverpool, making it a perfect spot for a leisurely walk in the evening. Take a basket and something to eat, as there is plenty of free space to set up a picnic with family and friends.
There is no better place to go during a hot, summer day in Liverpool than The Albert Dock. Let the cool wind blow through your hair to cool off, and there is even plenty of free to attend events taking place at the dock all throughout the year, with a gorgeous view of the Mersey right next.
Showcasing the history and unique culture of the city, The Museum of Liverpool is the largest museum dedicated to a single city in all of the United Kingdom. Make sure to come down to the Museum of Liverpool for free, and maybe you will be able to see the limited exhibition revolving around John Lennon and his wife.
One of the most attended spots in the city by the tourists is the Beatles Statue, famous all over the globe. The statue depicts the four members of the legendary rock band, the Beatles, but be prepared to wait for your turn for a couple of minutes, as there are often crowds waiting to take a selfie.
If you are looking for a spot where you can read in tranquility for free, take a walk to the Central Library, filled with all kinds of book genres. Moreover, if you get bored of reading, you can take a break in the built-in café or have fun playing consoles in the game room of the library.
Famous all around the world for its huge collection of modern and contemporary art, Tate Liverpool is free to visit throughout the year. While there are some exhibits which require an additional ticket, most of them are free, such as the Nation’s Collection of Modern Art and Constellations: Highlights.
The waterfront of Liverpool is no ordinary spot, as it is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. With a set of three buildings commonly known as the Three Graces, the waterfront is a great spot to visit during the summer, as various free events take place, such as concerts, exhibitions, and art shows.
Hosting a unique and unusual collection of memorabilia and historical artifacts, the International Slavery Museum shows the history of the poor and abused around the world. The museum is free to enter and provides a surprising amount of information of slavery both in the past and in the contemporary times.
Being the favourite spot of the locals for sunbathing during the hot summer, the Crosby Beach is a great place to escape the hassle of the city. Take a short train to the beach right from the centre of Liverpool, take a blanket with you and relax out in the open – do not forget the sunscreen!
Located in Walton, an area of Liverpool situated near the city centre, the Rice Lane City Farm is a great alternative to a zoo, where you can let your kids have fun watching the animals up close. There is also a petting farm, where you can feed the animals for yourself, and all of that for free.
Hosting one of the greatest collections of controversial art and photography, the Open Eye Gallery is a place worth visiting for every first-timer in Liverpool. The gallery is free to enter during the whole year, and the exhibitions of both local and international photographs rotate every month.
While not as popular as the Crosby Beach, the Formby Beach is a more secluded spot where you can get a more private experience. The beautiful beach is filled with sand dunes and surrounded by a pinewood forest, creating a tranquil spot for a swim in the sea or a picnic on the coast.
Combining both visual art, dance, music, literature and live art, the Bluecoat is a hub of creative expression in Liverpool. The Bluecoat is situated in one of the oldest buildings in the centre of Liverpool and has four galleries to see, along with a garden at the back and a shop with souvenirs at the front.
Take a free tour of the St George’s Hall, run by the locals to show the breathtaking architecture of the building to the tourists. Behind the hall lay the Saint John’s Gardens, where you can enjoy a peaceful walk through the greenery after you are done with admiring the building itself.
Filled with artifacts and memorabilia from all around the world, the World Museum hosts rotating exhibitions including real dinosaur bones and mummies of ancient Egyptian pharaohs. All areas of the museum are free to visit, including the Aquarium, Bug House, Planetarium, and more.
Liverpool ONE is a huge shopping gallery located in the centre of the city. It is not only the largest open air shopping centre in all of the United Kingdom but is the sixth largest one in the world. The shopping gallery is a great place for window shopping, and you can even enjoy a game of table tennis on the tables outside.
The Anglican Cathedral of Liverpool is the largest cathedral in all of the United Kingdom. The cathedral offers a breathtaking view from the outside, and an even greater marvel from the inside, filled with gorgeous decorations and stained glass art on the windows.
Being a former country estate and the house of the Molyneux family, the building of Croxteth Hall presents some of the most beautiful architecture in the entire city. After you are done with gazing at the hall, make sure to take a walk through the Croxteth Park, located just outside, with wildlife running around.
If you are up for a treasure hunt, you can try to find all of the Superlambananas in the city. What are the Superlambananas you ask? They are huge sculptures, presenting a yellow monstrosity with the front of a lamb and the back of a banana, built in 2008 to celebrate Liverpool attaining the status of the European Capital of Culture.
Visit the Merseyside Maritime Museum for a free tour of the Old Dock, the first commercial enclosed wet dock in the entire world. The dock has been discovered in 2001, when the Liverpool ONE was being built, and has been preserved as an important piece of the history of the city.
Our list of the best hotels in Liverpool are: The Nadler Liverpool, The Z Hotel Liverpool, Novotel Liverpool Centre, Hard Days Night Hotel and Hilton Liverpool City Centre. Discover the full list of best hotels in Liverpool.
The finest examples of luxury hotels in Liverpool include Hotel Indigo Liverpool, Crowne Plaza Liverpool City Centre, Malmaison Liverpool, The Richmond Apart-Hotel, Aloft Liverpool By Marriott, Staybridge Suites Liverpool and Pullman Liverpool. Discover the full list of luxury hotels in Liverpool.
Those trying to visit Liverpool on a tight budget will find everything they need in hotels such as Hampton By Hilton Liverpool City Centre, The Liner at Liverpool, Jurys Inn Liverpool, Palatine Hotel, Days Inn Liverpool, Holiday Inn Liverpool City Centre and Ibis Styles Liverpool Centre Dale Street. Discover the full list of Cheap hotels in Liverpool.
Taking factors such as weather, crowds and prices, the best months to visit Liverpool for a city break are January, February, July and October.
Liverpool offers plenty of exciting attractions and things to do. Must-sees in Liverpool include: Liverpool Do the Double Tour, The Beatles Story Experience, Liverpool Combination Tour, The New LFC Stadium Tour and St John’s Beacon Viewing Gallery.
A city pass in Liverpool costs around €36.
24-hour ticket for public transport in Liverpool costs around €5.25.
The best night clubs in Liverpool include: The Krazyhouse, Level, Heebie Jeebies, Mansion and Alma De Cuba.
Judging on the reviews and customer opinions, the best bars in Liverpool are: Hannah's Bar and Restaurant, Kabinett, Modo, Circo and The Smugglers Cove.
Your choice of the best restaurants in Liverpool may vary depending on your taste, however, Pilgrim & Duke Street Market, Röski, Belzan and Volpi are some of the most popular choices.
Top 5 restaurants in Liverpool include: La Parilla, Carlisi, Pippin's Corner and Lucy.
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