The Beatles, two great football clubs, a waterfront of grand buildings and the friendliest welcome in England: Liverpool is a city with a big heart.
Liverpool is one of the most famous cities in the world, and one of the most loved. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was one of the greatest ports on earth, trading with every continent, and its wealth built grand buildings along the waterfront and across the city. Millions of emigrants sailed from its docks to new lives in America and beyond. Much of its early wealth also came from the transatlantic slave trade, a history the city now confronts openly.
In the twentieth century, Liverpool gave the world the Beatles, and its football clubs became among the best known anywhere. Today it is a city of music, culture, sport and humour, with some of the best museums in Britain, many of them free. Its people, known as Scousers, are famous for their warmth and wit. This guide covers ten things to see and do, followed by where to eat, where to stay, a weekend plan and how to get there.
1. The Royal Albert Dock
The Royal Albert Dock is the heart of the Liverpool waterfront. It opened in 1846, designed by the engineer Jesse Hartley, and its warehouses were the first in Britain built entirely of iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood, so they could not burn. Today it is the largest group of Grade I listed buildings in the country.
After the docks closed in the 1970s, the warehouses fell into decay, but they were restored in the 1980s and are now home to museums, galleries, shops, bars and restaurants. The colonnades around the water are a lovely place to walk. It is the most visited attraction in the North.
The Merseyside Maritime Museum tells the story of the port, its ships and its people, including the emigrants who sailed from here and the city’s links with the Titanic and the Lusitania. Above it, the International Slavery Museum tells the story of the transatlantic slave trade and its legacy, in a powerful and important way. Both are free to enter.
The dock is also home to the Beatles Story, a museum about the band’s life and music, and to Tate Liverpool, the northern home of the national art gallery, which has been closed for a major refurbishment, so check whether it has reopened. Allow a whole day to explore the dock properly. It is especially lovely in the evening, when the lights reflect in the water.
2. The Beatles and the Cavern Club
The Beatles are the most famous band in history, and they came from Liverpool. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all grew up in the city, and fans come from all over the world to see the places connected with them. There is something to see for every level of interest.
The Cavern Club, on Mathew Street, is where the Beatles played nearly three hundred times in the early 1960s, and where their manager Brian Epstein first saw them. The original club was demolished in the 1970s, but it was rebuilt close to its original site, using many of the original bricks. Live music is played every day, and it is a lively and atmospheric place.
The National Trust runs tours of Mendips and 20 Forthlin Road, the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, which have been restored to how they looked in the 1950s. Tours must be booked in advance. Strawberry Field, the former children’s home that inspired the famous song, is open to visitors with an exhibition, and Penny Lane is a real street in the south of the city.
A statue of the four Beatles stands on the waterfront at Pier Head, and it is one of the most photographed spots in the city. Guided tours by bus and taxi visit the main Beatles sites. A car by the hour lets you plan your own tour of the homes, streets and places from the songs.
3. Liverpool Cathedral
Liverpool Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Britain and one of the largest in the world. It was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, who won the competition to design it when he was just twenty two, and it took most of the twentieth century to build, from 1904 to 1978. It stands on a ridge overlooking the city and the river.
The scale of the building is breathtaking. Its Gothic arches soar to a great height, and the vast interior, built of red sandstone, is filled with light. It has the highest and heaviest ring of bells in the world, and one of the largest organs in Britain.
You can climb the tower, one of the tallest cathedral towers in the world, for spectacular views over the city, the Mersey and across to Wales. A lift takes you most of the way. Inside, look out for a pink neon artwork by Tracey Emin.
The cathedral is free to enter, with a charge for the tower. It hosts concerts, exhibitions and events. There is a café and a shop.
4. The Metropolitan Cathedral and Hope Street
Liverpool has two cathedrals, and they stand at either end of Hope Street. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, the Catholic cathedral, is as different from the Anglican cathedral as it is possible to be. It was completed in 1967 to a bold modern design by Frederick Gibberd.
The cathedral is round, with a tall central tower shaped like a crown of thorns, filled with coloured stained glass. Locals nicknamed it Paddy’s Wigwam. Inside, the light from the stained glass falls on the altar in the centre, with the congregation all around.
Beneath the cathedral is the crypt of an earlier, much grander cathedral designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, which was never finished because of the Second World War. The crypt, with its vast brick vaults, is sometimes open to visitors. The cathedral is free to visit.
Hope Street, which links the two cathedrals, is lined with Georgian houses, restaurants, bars and the Philharmonic Hall. The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, a Victorian pub with ornate decoration, is one of the most beautiful pubs in England. The Georgian Quarter around Hope Street is lovely to wander.
5. The Three Graces and Pier Head
The Three Graces are the three great buildings on the Pier Head that form Liverpool’s famous waterfront skyline. They are the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building. Together they are one of the most recognisable waterfronts in the world.
The Royal Liver Building, finished in 1911, is topped by two copper Liver birds, the symbol of the city. Legend says that if the birds ever fly away, the city will cease to exist. One faces the sea and one faces the city. Tours take you up the tower for a view.
At the Pier Head, the Museum of Liverpool tells the story of the city, from its history to its music, football and people. It is free to enter. The Beatles statue stands nearby.
From the Pier Head, the Mersey Ferry offers cruises across the river with commentary about the city’s history. The views of the waterfront from the water are wonderful. The ferry was made famous by the song Ferry Cross the Mersey.
6. Anfield, Everton and football
Liverpool is one of the great football cities of the world, home to two famous clubs with a fierce but friendly rivalry. Liverpool FC plays at Anfield, in the north of the city. Stadium tours take you behind the scenes, into the dressing rooms and down the tunnel.
The museum at Anfield tells the story of one of the most successful clubs in English and European football. Hearing the crowd sing You’ll Never Walk Alone before a match is one of the great experiences in sport. Tickets for matches are very hard to get.
Everton, one of the founding members of the Football League, played at Goodison Park, across Stanley Park from Anfield, for well over a century. In 2025, the club moved to a new stadium on the waterfront at Bramley-Moore Dock, north of the city centre. The new stadium has brought new life to the northern docks.
On match days, the streets around the grounds are packed, and roads are closed. A car booked ahead, with a pickup point agreed away from the stadium, is the easiest way to get home after the match.
7. William Brown Street and St George’s Hall
William Brown Street, in the heart of the city, is lined with grand Victorian buildings housing some of the best free museums in the country. It is sometimes called Liverpool’s cultural quarter. The buildings themselves are magnificent.
The World Museum has collections of natural history, archaeology and world cultures, including dinosaurs, an aquarium, a planetarium and ancient Egyptian treasures. The Walker Art Gallery, next door, has one of the finest collections of art in Britain outside London, including Pre-Raphaelite paintings and works by old masters. Both are free.
The Central Library, next to them, has the Picton Reading Room, a circular Victorian reading room that is one of the most beautiful rooms in the city. It is free to visit. The views from the library’s roof terrace are excellent.
Across the road stands St George’s Hall, one of the finest neoclassical buildings in the world. It was built as a concert hall and law courts, and its Great Hall has a magnificent floor of Minton tiles, which is usually covered to protect it. Tours take you through the courts and the cells.
8. Chinatown and the Baltic Triangle
Liverpool’s Chinatown is the oldest Chinese community in Europe, dating back to the nineteenth century, when Chinese sailors settled in the city. Its entrance is marked by a huge ornate arch, one of the largest of its kind outside China. The area has Chinese restaurants, supermarkets and shops.
Chinese New Year is celebrated in Chinatown with lion dances, firecrackers and crowds. It is one of the liveliest events in the city’s calendar. The restaurants are busy all year round.
Next to Chinatown, the Baltic Triangle is Liverpool’s creative quarter, a district of old warehouses that has become home to digital businesses, artists, bars and street food. The Baltic Market, in a former brewery, has food stalls from around the world. It is lively in the evenings and at weekends.
The area is covered in street art, and it hosts music events and festivals. It is a short walk from the Albert Dock. After a night out, a car booked ahead saves waiting in the taxi queues.
9. Crosby Beach and Another Place
Crosby Beach, a few miles north of the city centre, is home to one of the most remarkable art installations in Britain. Another Place, by the sculptor Antony Gormley, is made up of a hundred cast iron figures spread along the beach, all facing out to sea. They are cast from the artist’s own body.
The figures stand across a stretch of beach about two miles long. As the tide comes in, they are slowly covered by the sea, and then revealed again as it goes out. Many are covered in barnacles and seaweed. It is a haunting and beautiful sight, especially at sunset.
Further north, the dunes and pine woods at Formby are home to red squirrels and are looked after by the National Trust. The beach there is wide and sandy. It is a lovely place for a walk.
The sands and mud at Crosby can be dangerous, so do not walk out too far, and watch the tide. The beach is easy to reach by car or train. It makes a lovely half day trip from the city.
10. Speke Hall, Port Sunlight and the parks
Speke Hall, near the airport in the south of the city, is one of the finest Tudor timber framed manor houses in England. It is looked after by the National Trust. Its rooms, gardens and woodland are lovely, and it has views across the Mersey.
Port Sunlight, across the river on the Wirral, is a model village built by the soap maker William Lever for his workers in the late nineteenth century. Its houses were designed by many different architects, and it is one of the prettiest villages in the region. The Lady Lever Art Gallery has a fine collection of art and furniture.
Liverpool has some wonderful Victorian parks. Sefton Park, in the south of the city, has a lake and a Victorian Palm House full of plants. Lark Lane, nearby, is a lively street of cafés, bars and restaurants.
These places are spread across the city and the Wirral, and a car makes it easy to see them. The Mersey tunnels link Liverpool with the Wirral.
Where to eat and drink
Scouse, the stew of meat and vegetables that gave Liverpudlians their nickname, is the city’s signature dish, and many pubs and cafés serve it. Bold Street, in the city centre, is lined with independent restaurants and cafés serving food from around the world. Chinatown has some of the best Chinese food in the country.
The Baltic Market has street food stalls, and the areas around the Albert Dock and the waterfront have restaurants with views. Lark Lane, in the south of the city, has a relaxed mix of restaurants and bars. Liverpool also has a growing number of acclaimed restaurants, and it is worth booking ahead at weekends.
Music and nights out
Liverpool is a UNESCO City of Music, and live music is everywhere. The Cavern Club and the pubs around Mathew Street have bands every night, and there are concert halls, arenas and small venues across the city. The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is one of the oldest orchestras in the country.
The city is famous for its nightlife, from the bars of Concert Square and Seel Street to the clubs of the Baltic Triangle. On weekend nights the centre is very busy. A car booked for the journey home saves a long wait at the end of the night.
Where to stay
For a first visit, stay in the city centre or near the Albert Dock, where you can walk to most of the sights. The area around Hope Street and the Georgian Quarter is quieter and more elegant. There are also plenty of hotels near Lime Street station.
For the Grand National at Aintree, held every April, and big concerts or football matches, hotels book up months ahead, so plan early.
A weekend in Liverpool
On the first day, spend the morning at the Albert Dock, visiting the Maritime Museum and the International Slavery Museum, then have lunch by the water. In the afternoon, visit the Museum of Liverpool and take the Mersey Ferry, then spend the evening at the Cavern Club and around Mathew Street.
On the second day, visit the two cathedrals and walk along Hope Street, then head to William Brown Street for the Walker Art Gallery and the World Museum. In the afternoon, take a Beatles tour or visit Anfield, and end the day with dinner on Bold Street. With a third day, head to Crosby Beach, Formby or Port Sunlight.
Getting there and getting around
Liverpool Lime Street is the main station, in the city centre, with fast trains to London Euston in around two and a quarter hours, and direct services to Manchester, Birmingham and many other cities. Merseyrail trains link the city with the suburbs, the Wirral and the coast.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is about eight miles south east of the city centre, around twenty five minutes by road. Manchester Airport is around forty five minutes to an hour away. The M62 links Liverpool with Manchester and the rest of the country.
The Mersey tunnels, which link the city with the Wirral, have tolls. A car booked ahead is the easiest way to travel between Liverpool and the airports, and to reach Aintree, Anfield, Crosby and the Wirral.
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