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A bedroom at Dakota Manchester, a hotel in the Northern Quarter, Manchester.

Dakota Manchester

Piccadilly Hotel

The Dakota Manchester describes itself as Manchester's best hotel. We're not getting into that debate but we will say it's...

One of the suites at Residence Inn by Marriott Manchester Piccadilly

Residence Inn by Marriott Manchester Piccadilly

Piccadilly Hotel

Residence Inn by Marriott Manchester Piccadilly is the chain’s first long-stay venture in the North of England. Situated less than...

Staycity Aparthotel Waterfront

Albert Dock Hotel

Staycity Aparthotel Waterfront is conveniently located just a short distance from the waterfront and within walking distance to all the top...

Artwork by British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor at Tate Liverpool

Tate Liverpool

Albert Dock Art Galleries

Tate Liverpool on the Royal Albert Dock is the northern outpost of the Tate galleries. With an impressive free collection...

Junction

Manchester City Centre Restaurant - Global

Junction is the new all-day destination at Manchester Central. It’s ideal for conference delegates but it’s also open to the...

Inside The Palm House at Sefton Park in Liverpool

Sefton Park

Sefton Park Parks & Gardens

Sefton Park is larger than most parks, although it’s still not Liverpool’s biggest – that award goes to Croxteth Country...

The exterior of The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool

The Beatles Story

Albert Dock Museums

The Beatles are probably Liverpool’s most famous export and it stands to reason that the city has quite a few...

Malmaison Manchester Spa

Piccadilly Spas

A favourite for girls' weekends and romantic breaks, the Malmaison Manchester Spa is a cosy hideaway that uses its compact...

The front of Liverpool Cathedral, the biggest cathedral in the country.

Liverpool Cathedral

Georgian Quarter Historic Buildings & Sites

Liverpool Cathedral is the biggest in the country but age-wise, it’s a baby. No medieval architecture here; the cathedral was...

The exterior of the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool

The Walker Art Gallery

Liverpool City Centre Art Galleries

The Walker Art Gallery has housed Liverpool’s world-class art collection for over 130 years and includes everything from Renaissance masterpieces...

Bury Market

Bury Markets

Everything from fresh fruit and veg to wooden spoons, Bury Market has a dizzying range of stalls selling fresh produce,...

A pumpkin patch at Speke Hall, a National Trust property near Liverpool.

Speke Hall

Speke Historic Buildings & Sites

Speke Hall is a National Trust property on the outskirts of Liverpool. You could say it’s an old Tudor dame...

Neon showtime sign at Hope Mill Theatre in Ancoats, Manchester

Hope Mill Theatre

Ancoats Theatres
Halle St Peter's on Cutting Room Square - a rehearsal space and concert venue in Ancoats, Manchester

Hallé St Peter’s

Ancoats Music Venues

Hallé St Peter’s provides a rehearsal and recording space for Manchester’s renowned orchestra as well as being home to the...

Manchester Art Gallery in Manchester city centre

Manchester Art Gallery

Manchester City Centre Art Galleries

Mosey down Mosley Street between Piccadilly Gardens and St Peter’s Square, and you can’t miss the Greek columns that flank...

Lady with orange pugil stick at Inflata Nation Manchester

Inflata Nation Manchester

Trafford Park Activities

This indoor inflatable playground is an excellent way to tire out hyperactive kids on a rainy day and for that...

Inside the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester city centre

Royal Exchange Theatre

Manchester City Centre Theatres

Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre is an exciting clash of modernity and history and the same can be said of its...

Inside the Bluecoat, an arts centre in Liverpool city centre.

The Bluecoat

Ropewalks Arts Venues

The Bluecoat is Liverpool city centre’s oldest building, and the oldest arts centre in the country.

Smoak Coffee in Chorlton

Smoak Coffee

Chorlton Cafes

Smoak Coffee is a small coffee and bagel shop on Barlow Moor Road. The caffeine options are very good –...

A model ship on display in the Maritime Museum in Liverpool

Maritime Museum

Albert Dock Museums

Liverpool’s Maritime Museum is part of the National Museums Liverpool collection. As one of the country’s major ports, seafaring and...

Hot chocolate and waffle at Creams Cafe.

Creams Cafe Manchester Arndale

Manchester City Centre Cafes

Creams Cafe is a dessert parlour that was founded in 2008 by Adam Mani and Balal Aqil. With humble beginnings...

St Luke’s Bombed Out Church Garden Cafe & Bar

Ropewalks Bars

Everybody knows the Bombed Out Church, but just in case: hit by an incendiary bomb during the Liverpool Blitz of...

Different styles of tea strainers at Tea Hive cafe in Manchester, Chorlton.

Tea Hive

Chorlton Cafes

Tea Hive is a quaint little cafe celebrating the nation's favourite cuppa, and cake, lots of cake. As you'd expect,...

The inviting interior of Vibe Cafe - a vegan cafe serving breakfast, brunch and lunches in Liverpool

Vibe Cafe

Liverpool City Centre Restaurant - Vegan

The Vibe serves cheery vegan food that will light up your Instagram feed and fill your belly. Known for its...

A bowl of soup at Jackalope, a cafe bar in Sale

Jackalope

Sale Cafes

The Jackalope may be a mythical beast but fortunately a top-notch brunch at Sale’s relaxed café bar is reassuringly real.

Enjoy a day out on a steam train with Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway in the Lake District

Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway

Ravenglass Activities

The seven-mile, narrow-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway is a spectacular way to explore this corner of the Lake District. It...

The Drop Bar Cafe

Chorlton Restaurant - Caribbean

"Authentic, original, unapologetic", that, according to its website, is the mission of The Drop Bar Cafe, a Caribbean set-up on...

Bold Street Coffee

Ropewalks Cafes

Open since 2010, BSC is something of an institution and the place to go if you're in need of caffeine...

Asparagus dish at Juniper in Bramhall

Juniper Bramhall

Bramhall Cafes

Juniper Bramhall has a well-deserved reputation for excellent coffee: a blend of sweet Brazilian arabicas, soft and fruity Latin American...

David James Seed at The Farm Club doing cold water immersion

The Farm Club

Pickmere Gyms

The Farm Club started life as a triathlon training centre before it expanded into offering a wider wellness experience. Situated...

Rare books at Liverpool Central Library.

Liverpool Central Library

Liverpool City Centre Libraries

Liverpool Central Library looks like another example of impressive Victorian architecture at first (the city is full of them) but...

Knowsley Safari

Prescot Farms, Zoos & Wildlife Parks

Knowsley Safari is an exciting day out for all animal-lovers – not just for kids. Who wouldn’t want to watch...

The swimming pool at Pace Health Club and Nu Spa in the Park Inn by Radisson hotel in Manchester city centre.

Pace Health Club & Nu Spa

Green Quarter Spas

The Pace Health Club & Nu Spa sits inside the Park Inn by Radisson hotel, on the edge of the city...

Bubble tea from Uncle T in Circle Square, Manchester

Uncle T

Oxford Road Cafes

Uncle T at Circle Square serves up boba that's been freshly made in-house for added flavour. Expect big, bright bubble...

Ginger's Comfort Emporium, one of our favourites places for ice cream in Manchester

Ginger’s Comfort Emporium

Northern Quarter Cafes

Ginger's Comfort Emporium began life as an ice cream van for adults, often spotted at local foodie markets and private...

Lunch outside at Lingholm Kitchen & Walled Garden in the Lake District

Lingholm Kitchen & Walled Garden

Keswick Cafes

Lingholm Kitchen & Walled Garden is a great place to stop for lunch if you’re in the Lake District. The...

Mr McGregor's Garden at The World of Beatrix Potter

The World of Beatrix Potter

Windermere Museums

The World of Beatrix Potter is always handy to have up your sleeve if you’re in the Lake District and...

Little Leaf at One Fine Day

Liverpool City Centre Cafes

Located inside the Cotton Exchange building alongside One Fine Day, Little Leaf is a bright and airy yet cosy and...

Heaton Park in Manchester, UK

Heaton Park

Prestwich Parks & Gardens

If you’re craving greenery but don’t want to stray too far out of the city, Heaton Park, on the Manchester-Bury...

Tube slides at Play Factore in Manchester

Play Factore

Trafford Park Activities

Play Factore is like a super-sized version of the traditional indoor play centre. It’s enormous; crawling through tunnels, clambering through...

Drinks from SipCha in Manchester Arndale.

SipCha Manchester Arndale

Manchester City Centre Cafes

Serving up eye-catching cups of bubble tea with a multitude of different coloured and flavoured boba (those popping tapioca balls...

Coffee and pastel de nata at the Old Fire Station, Salford.

The Old Fire Station

Salford Cafes

The Old Fire Station is a café, bar, bakery and brewery tap with a real community feel. It’s a part...

San Carlo Gran Cafe Manchester, Raspberry Tart

San Carlo Gran Cafe

Manchester City Centre Restaurant - Italian

Head to any of the ristorantes in the acclaimed and award-winning family-run San Carlo Group and you know you’re in...

Grandpa Greene's sells ice cream by the canal in Diggle

Grandpa Greene’s Luxury Ice Cream

Diggle Cafes

Perched by the canal in the picturesque village of Diggle, near Oldham, Grandpa Greene's is best known for its award-winning...

The door to 62 Nelson Street, where the Pankhurst family lived, and now the home of the Pankhurst Centre museum.

The Pankhurst Centre

Oxford Road Museums

The Pankhurst Centre is the former home of Emmeline Pankhurst and her family. Open to the public on Thursday and...

Papillon

Georgian Quarter Restaurant - Global

Papillon is a quaint-looking bistro-style restaurant, complete with baby pink paintwork and pinstripe canopy to match. In fact, it looks...

Cafe Tabac

Ropewalks Cafes

Within spitting distance of the bombed-out church, Cafe Tabac has been rolling with the changes at the top of Bold...

The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester at night

The Bridgewater Hall

Manchester City Centre Music Venues

The Bridgewater Hall is where Manchester gets serious about music. The international concert venue was built in the 1990s and...

The Imperial War Museum North at Salford Quays

Imperial War Museum North

Salford Quays Museums

This quayside location in Trafford Park was bombed heavily during WW2 so it’s especially appropriate that it was chosen as...

The lounge area at CitySuites II aparthotel

CitySuites II

Blackfriars Hotel

Topped by the super-luxe Supersuites penthouse, CitySuites II has a number of options for high-end city centre stays. It offers...

Weddings at Victoria Baths, Manchester. Image by Samantha Broadley.

Victoria Baths

Victoria Park Historic Buildings & Sites

Only open on Wednesdays (and closed entirely during the winter months), Victoria Baths isn’t fully geared up as a visitor...

Splash World in Southport

Splash World

Southport Activities

Splash World in Southport is an inclusive family-friendly water park. It offers a range of attractions but is perhaps more...

Ordsall Hall in Salford

Ordsall Hall

Salford Historic Buildings & Sites

Ordsall Hall is a piece of Tudor history just a short walk from the contemporary comings and goings of Salford...

A personal training session at Limitless Lifestyle Community - a recommended gym in Liverpool city centre.

Limitless Lifestyle Community

Business District (Liverpool) Gyms

It’s been quite a year for Limitless Lifestyle Community - a new personal training gym which opened on Dale Street...

Dino Falls Adventure Golf is one of Confidential Guides' recommended things to do at the Trafford Centre

Dino Falls Adventure Golf

Trafford Park Activities

Dino Falls Adventure Golf is the only landmark kids care about in Manchester. You can’t miss the volcano and huge...

A harvest of apples at Platt Fields Market Garden in Fallowfield

Platt Fields Market Garden

Fallowfield Farm Shop

Platt Fields Market Garden is a muddy bit of the good life in urban Manchester. It’s a fantastic community growing...

Kickair Manchester

Kickair

Green Quarter Activities

Kickair, an “indoor freestyle park” behind Victoria Station, is the kind of place that fills kids (and big kids) with...

Bicycles outside Inspire Cafe which is part of Levenshulme Inspire, a busy community centre housed in a former church.

Inspire Cafe

Levenshulme Cafes

Inspire Cafe is an inclusive, relaxed gem of a community cafe housed in a former church in Levenshulme. It serves...

Hot chocolate at Alex's Bakery, a cafe in Manchester city centre.

Alex’s Bakery

Manchester City Centre Cafes

After beginning their cake-making journey at Manchester's Artisan Markets in 2014, Alex's Bakery ditched the stall for a store front...

The aquapark at Alderford Lake

Alderford Lake

Whitchurch Activities

Alderford Lake is the perfect day out all year round. It’s an idyllic location but you won’t be able to...

Planet Ice is open all year round for skating fun

Planet Ice

Altrincham Activities

Planet Ice is not just for Christmas. Enjoy year-round indoor skating sessions for a reasonable price.

Strawberry gateau at Bisous Bisous, a cafe on Beech Road in Chorlton

Bisous Bisous

Chorlton Cafes

Bisous Bisous is a renowned local but French patisserie and they have a café on Beech Road in Chorlton.

Steak from Tender Cow at Mackie Mayor, a food hall in Manchester.

Mackie Mayor

Northern Quarter Restaurant - Global

Mackie Mayor is a cosmopolitan food hall located in an 1858 Grade II listed market building on the edge of...

View from Alderley Edge, a red sandstone escarpment in Cheshire

Alderley Edge

Alderley Edge Historic Buildings & Sites

There are two very different Alderley Edges. One is a chi-chi town of footballers and wealthy socialites, the other –...

The Lowry is an art gallery and theatres at Salford Quays, Greater Manchester

The Lowry

Salford Quays Theatres

Flagship arts venue The Lowry was at the heart of 1990s' plans to breathe new life back into Salford Quays....

Christmas at Gulliver's World, Warrington, Cheshire.

Gulliver’s World

Warrington Activities

Gulliver’s World is a theme park that’s perfect for smallsters. It has rollercoasters and upside-downy things for tweens but these...

The Northern

Didsbury Gyms

One of the oldest tennis clubs in the world, The Northern is the original home of tennis in Manchester. It...

Fluffy Fluffy pancakes

Fluffy Fluffy

Manchester City Centre Cafes

Fuwa Fuwa, is North America's largest soufflé pancake and dessert café. It opened its doors in Manchester New Square in...

A taxidermy bird at The World Museum in Liverpool

World Museum

Liverpool City Centre Museums

The World Museum, part of National Museums Liverpool, is selling itself short. It’s not a World Museum, it’s an absolutely...

RYDE Studios Manchester - one of our best Manchester gyms for 2025.

RYDE Studios Manchester

Deansgate Gyms

Class-based gym RYDE Studios Manchester opened in Barton Arcade in March 2024, following the success of its original studio in...

An artisan doughnut served at Factory Coffee - a recommended takeaway coffee hatch in Manchester city centre.

Factory Coffee

Spinningfields Cafes

While lockdown marked the end for some businesses, for others it was a chance to expand into surprising new territories....

The exterior of the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool.

Everyman Theatre

Liverpool City Centre Theatres

The Everyman is an impressive modern theatre on Hope Street and a cornerstone of Liverpool's cultural scene.

Take a seat inside the cafe at Ancoats Coffee Co in Royal Mills

Ancoats Coffee Co.

Ancoats Cafes

If you’re serious about your coffee, Ancoats Coffee Co has to be your first port of call in this part...

Book your Christmas party at Teamsport Go Karting Victoria

TeamSport Go Karting: Manchester Victoria

Manchester City Centre Activities

TeamSport Go Karting: Manchester Victoria is a high-octane experience that'll turn even the mildest contestant into a speed demon.

Bubble tea and cakes from Happy Lemon in Manchester

Happy Lemon

Manchester City Centre Cafes

With almost two decades of experience brewing the perfect bubble tea, Happy Lemon has developed its own signature drinks including...

Exterior of House of Books and Friends, a bookshop in Manchester

House of Books and Friends

Manchester Bookshops

House of Books and Friends is a bookshop with a difference. As well as knowledgeable, friendly staff, a great selection...

Pastry at Rough Hand Made, a bakery at Albert Dock, Liverpool

Rough Hand Made

Albert Dock Bakeries

Rough Hand Made is a gorgeous artisan bakery on Albert Dock. Eat in or take away but get there early...

Winter at Worthington Park in Sale

Worthington Park

Sale Parks & Gardens

Worthington Park is looked after by a green-fingered bunch of volunteers who raise money, return lost property, improve facilities and...

Quarry Bank Mill, a National Trust property in Styal, Cheshire

Quarry Bank Mill

Styal Historic Buildings & Sites

Quarry Bank Mill makes a change from the stately homes in pretty gardens National Trust blueprint. It’s an industrial gem...

Brunch at The Lambing Shed Farm Shop and Kitchen

The Lambing Shed Farm Shop and Kitchen

Knutsford Farm Shop

Moseley Hall Farm is home to 250 cattle, over 2,500 sheep, and in the barn once used for newborn lambs...

Jodrell Bank in the sun

Jodrell Bank

Macclesfield Museums

Jodrell Bank is a landmark. On a clear day, you can see its Lovell Telescope from the top of almost...

Z Hotel Liverpool

Cavern Quarter Hotel

Z Hotel Liverpool offers compact accommodation in contemporary, if slightly spartan rooms. It may be plain but it is good...

ARMR Store Cauli burger platter

ARMR Store

Oxford Road Restaurant - Caribbean

The much loved Caribbean cafe ARMR Store has relocated from Ardwick to take over the bar and kitchen at Contact...

Inside Cafe Lucaya - a recommended coffee shop for working from in Liverpool.

Cafe Lucaya

Liverpool City Centre Cafes

Head to the Tower Building, on the corner of Water Street and The Strand to find the charming, plant-filled haven...

Goats at Tatton Park Farm.

Tatton Park

Knutsford Parks & Gardens

Tatton Park is a historic estate on the edge of Knutsford, home to an opulent neo-classical mansion, landscaped gardens, woodland,...

Outside HOME in Manchester city centre

HOME

Manchester City Centre Arts Venues

With five cinemas, two theatres, a bookshop, and over 500 sqm of gallery space, HOME is one of Manchester’s biggest...

The record store at The Jacaranda - an iconic music venue and bar in Liverpool city centre.

The Jacaranda

Ropewalks Bars

Serious Beatles fans will know all about The Jacaranda. This bar and gig venue was opened by their first manager...

Open water swimming at Liverpool Watersport Centre.

Liverpool Watersports Centre

Waterfront Swimming

Nothing shakes up the senses quite like a winter dip in the docks. Head to Mariners Wharf for all-year-round aquatic...

Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre on a sunny day

Piccadilly Gardens

Piccadilly Parks & Gardens

Piccadilly Gardens are concrete rather than floral now but despite a slightly unsavoury reputation it still remains the gateway to...

Bubble tea and shiba waffles at Ohayo Tea in Chinatown, Manchester

Ohayo Tea

Chinatown (Manchester) Cafes

Ohayo Tea is one of the more unique bubble tea cafes in Manchester. That's because it's themed around the Shiba...

Bold Street Coffee Manchester

Manchester City Centre Cafes

Open in Liverpool since 2010, Bold Street Coffee is something of an institution over there and the place to go...

Black Milk - a recommended place for ice cream in Manchester

Black Milk

Northern Quarter Cafes

Black Milk is a hip, Insta-friendly dessert cafe in the Northern Quarter known for its towering ice creams, gelato, sweet...

curries at this and that

This & That Cafe

Northern Quarter Cafes

Everyone's heard of NQ backstreet gaff This & That, even if they've not actually found it (it's up the ginnel...

Girl swimming at The Edwardian Manchester, a Radisson Collection Hotel

The Spa & Gym at The Edwardian Manchester

Manchester City Centre Spas

If you're looking for high-end luxury from your spa day or gym membership, The Spa & Gym at The Edwardian...

Hot chocolate from Kenyon Hall Farm, a farm shop and cafe near Warrington

Kenyon Hall Farm

Warrington Farms, Zoos & Wildlife Parks

Kenyon Hall Farm is the perfect countryside day out all year round. From picking up a premium Fraser Fir Christmas...

Wordsworth Grasmere has the original manuscripts of William Wordsworth's poetry and Dorothy Wordsworth's diaries

Wordsworth Grasmere

Cumbria Museums

At Wordsworth Grasmere you can immerse yourself in the beautiful surroundings which captured the poet's imagination and drove much of...

Al fresco eating at The Village restaurant in Blakemere Village.

Blakemere Village

Northwich Activities

Blakemere Village is the Cheshire one-stop for shopping, outdoor activities and family-friendly events.

Classic Football Shirts Shop Manchester

Northern Quarter Clothing

Manchester isn’t just home to two of the best-known football teams in the world - it’s also home to one...

Press Bros Coffee on Lark Lane, Liverpool

Press Bros Coffee

Lark Lane Cafes

Press Bros Coffee opened in this corner spot on Lark Lane after winning everyone over with its sausage patty melts...

Gallery Oldham

Oldham Art Galleries

Gallery Oldham in the town’s Cultural Quarter features artworks and items from Oldham’s diverse collections alongside newly commissioned art, international...

Rococo Coffee House

Cavern Quarter Cafes

Rococo is an independent coffee house slap bang in the centre of town, occupying two upstairs floors of a historic...

Coffee and cocktails come together in Switch CoffeeBar's espresso martini

Switch CoffeeBar

Ropewalks Bars

Switch by name and switch by nature, Liverpool’s Switch CoffeeBar transforms from a daytime coffee shop to a neon pink...

Nerf AX interior, a games venue at Trafford Palazzo

Nerf Action Xperience

Trafford Park Activities

If you love charging around waving a Nerf blaster with foam ammo popping all around you, then you’re going to...

The spiral staircase at the Museum of Liverpool.

Museum of Liverpool

Albert Dock Museums

The Museum of Liverpool on Pier Head is an eclectic and diverse collection of Liverpool stuff and stories. Part of...

Black boned chicken from Fusion Plate, an Oriental Supermarket in Sale

Fusion Plate

Sale Deli

Fusion Plate is a great value Oriental grocery store in Sale with special deals on bulk buys. It also serves...

Wray

Ambleside Historic Buildings & Sites

Wray is a great value day out near Ambleside. It’s a National Trust castle and parkland but entry is currently...

Discover a leisure pool with 18 slides at Blackpool's Sandcastle Waterpark.

Sandcastle Waterpark

Blackpool Swimming

Sandcastle Waterpark is almost as much of a part of Blackpool’s South Shore scenery as the Pleasure Beach with primary-coloured...

Bolton Museum in Bolton city centre

Bolton Museum

Bolton Museums

Bolton Museum is much more than just your standard local history-focused collection. Because of its links with the cotton trade, this...

The Fried Chicken Sunday Dinner at Kong's NQ

Kong’s NQ

Northern Quarter Restaurant - American

Kong’s NQ is the chicken shop done good. From a pop-up to a permanent home on Oldham Street, this place...

Waterworld in Stoke-on-Trent is worth the drive

Waterworld

Stoke-on-Trent Activities

Waterworld is Facebook-famous - everyone's been and everyone raves about it. It's not cheap but when you compare it to...

The swimming pool at Waterside Leisure Centre in Didsbury, Manchester

Waterside Leisure Club

Didsbury Gyms

If you like your gym to be the kind of place where you can spend an entire day, hopping from...

The Whitworth is one of Manchester's leading art galleries

The Whitworth

Oxford Road Art Galleries

Any art lover’s trip to Manchester would not be complete without a morning or afternoon spent gazing at the walls...

Treehouse Cafe in Salford

Treehouse Café

Broughton Cafes

Salford independent the Treehouse Cafe is the sort of picture-perfect coffee house you frequently see on Instagram but rarely stumble...

Coffee from ManCoCo, Manchester

ManCoCo

Manchester City Centre Cafes

ManCoCo sits in the railway arches on Hewitt Street between HOME Arts Centre and the Castlefield Gallery. It's not the...

Exterior view of Rosa's Thai Cafe on Deansgate

Rosa’s Thai Cafe Manchester

Spinningfields Restaurant - Thai

Starting out in a no-frills East End caff already called Rosa’s, Khao Kho-born Saiphin dished up authentic Thai flavours with...

Swimming at Manley Mere in Frodsham, Cheshire

Manley Mere

Frodsham Swimming

This man-made lake used to be a field full of cows until the owners diversified their business model from dairy...

The boxing ring at Eccles Boxing School

Eccles Boxing School

Eccles Gyms

The top floor of Bridgewater Mill was a derelict shell when Eccles Boxing School founder Brian Gardner first laid eyes...

Piglets at Cockfields Farm

Cockfields Farm Park

Oldham Farms, Zoos & Wildlife Parks

Cockfields Farm Park, in the countryside between Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne, is a young child’s idea of the perfect day out.

Dragonfruit tea from WooTea, Manchester.

WooTea

Manchester City Centre Cafes

Serving some of the most aesthetically-pleasing bubble tea in all of Manchester, WooTea is the place to go if you're...

Chatsworth

Hathersage Historic Buildings & Sites

The classic vista of the grand 17th century house overlooking the River Derwent is the most famous image of Chatsworth,...

Lymefield Farm Shop in Broadbottom, Hyde.

Lymefield Farm Shop

Hyde Farm Shop

Get on the Hadfield train from Piccadilly, disembark at the amusingly-named Broadbottom, and walk down the road to visit Lymefield...

Fletcher Moss

Didsbury Parks & Gardens

Fletcher Moss has four outdoor, floodlit clay tennis courts which are open to everyone and accessibly priced.

Cakes at The Whitworth Cafe in Manchester

The Whitworth Cafe

Oxford Road Cafes

The Whitworth Cafe has to be one of the most architecturally pleasing art gallery cafes anywhere in the world. It's...

A meat-free full English at The Egg Vegetarian Cafe in Liverpool

The Egg Vegetarian Cafe

Liverpool City Centre Restaurant - Vegetarian

Situated in an airy loft space in a grade II listed Victorian building this warm and inviting vegetarian cafe offers...

Salford Museum & Art Gallery

Salford Museums

Salford Museum and Art Gallery was the UK’s first free public library when it opened in 1850. The building was...

Brunch served at Foundation Coffee House Northern Quarter, a coffee shop in the restored Sevendale House on Lever Street, Manchester.

Foundation Coffee House Northern Quarter

Northern Quarter Cafes

Foundation Coffee House Northern Quarter is the first of three locations in the city centre from this homegrown brand. This...

Afternoon tea at Richmond Tea Rooms, Manchester

Richmond Tea Rooms

Gay Village Restaurant - British

If this isn't an excuse to pop on your best frock (or bib'n'tucker), we don't know what is. An award-winning...

Butter chicken toastie at Chaiiwala, the Trafford Centre's go-to cafe for light Indian lunches

Chaiiwala Trafford Centre

Trafford Park Cafes

Chaiiwala Trafford Centre is perfect for snacks, lunches, light meals and even breakfast. The food comes together in a joyful...

Girl at Reset by Form, a yoga, pilates and barre studio in Manchester city centre.

Reset by Form

Manchester City Centre Gyms

This is hidden-away studio in the Bloc building (not to be confused with the BLOK studio) is worth seeking out...

The plush interior of cinema Everyman Manchester St John's

Everyman Manchester St John’s

Manchester City Centre Cinemas

With its red velvet seats, waiter service, and ultra stylish bar and cafe, Everyman Manchester St John’s is a far...

French toast at Hardware Coffee and Kitchen in Liverpool

Hardware Coffee and Kitchen

Ropewalks Cafes

The perfect brunch spot on Renshaw Street, Hardware is themed loosely around the Rapid Hardware shop it replaces.

Dunham Massey - a National Trust property with parkland and gardens near Altrincham

Dunham Massey

Altrincham Parks & Gardens

Dunham Massey is one of the National Trust’s most visited properties, bringing in over half a million people in 2023....

Etherow Country Park

Romiley Parks & Gardens

If you want a woodland walk complete with den-making, wildlife, picnic spots, and beautiful views, Etherow Country Park on the...

Evening aerial view of Aviva Studios, Factory International, an arts venue in Manchester

Aviva Studios, Factory International

Manchester City Centre Arts Venues

Aviva Studios is the new home of Factory International, the producers of Manchester International Festival. The impressive building was conceived...

The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester

Science and Industry Museum

Castlefield Museums

Much like the once mighty industrial power of the North, Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum has shrunk noticeably over the...

The tennis courts at Alexandra Park, Manchester.

Alexandra Park

Moss Side Parks & Gardens

Alexandra Park, or Alex Park as it’s known, was once rather shabby but has now been restored to something approaching...

RHS Garden Bridgewater - one of the things to do for Mother's Day in Manchester.

RHS Garden Bridgewater

Worsley Parks & Gardens

The 2021 opening of this new 154-acre garden was greeted with much excitement and long queues, and rightly so. Once a...

Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum

Oxford Road Museums

Manchester Museum reopened in February 2023 following a £15m transformation to make it more inclusive and more imaginative in how...

Cafe Cotton

Ancoats Cafes

Located in the modern extension of the lovingly restored Halle St Peters in the heart of Ancoats, this award-winning independent...

The towering exterior of Gorton Monastery or Manchester Monastery as it's also known

Gorton Monastery

Gorton Historic Buildings & Sites

Its proper title is Manchester Monastery but most people in the city know it as Gorton Monastery. This Grade II...

Take a look at the premium city view apartments at CitySuites I Iooking across to Manchester Cathedral

CitySuites I

Blackfriars Hotel

CitySuites I is a sleek modern aparthotel that gives you the facilities of a high-end hotel combined with your own...

Drink at Waku Waku, a 2D cafe in Manchester

Waku Waku

Chinatown (Manchester) Cafes

Waku Waku highlights a generational gap. You could say it’s just like going for lunch in that A-Ha video or...

Greek souvlaki kebabs from Albion Farm Shop and Cafe in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester

Albion Farm Shop and Cafe

Saddleworth Farm Shop

Head to the hills above Oldham to find this food-lover's gem. Like many proper farm shops, Albion Farm Shop and...

Members of the Contact Young Company performing at Contact Theatre in Manchester

Contact Theatre

Oxford Road Theatres

We were shocked when Contact Theatre, or just Contact, as it prefers to be known, announced it was celebrating its...

The Ice Cream Farm serves over 50 flavours of Cheshire Farm Ice Cream

The Ice Cream Farm

Tattenhall Parks & Gardens

With more than 50 flavours of Cheshire Farm ice cream, The Ice Cream Farm is officially the biggest ice cream...

Rufford Old Hall, a National Trust property close to Liverpool.

Rufford Old Hall

Ormskirk Historic Buildings & Sites

Tudor house and garden Rufford Old Hall has all the classic features of a National Trust day out. Beautiful gardens,...

Sale Water Park in Manchester where Open Swim UK is based

Openswim UK

Sale Swimming

If you want to go swimming at Sale Water Park, the safest way is with Openswim UK. They hold casual...

The People's History Museum in Manchester.

People’s History Museum

Spinningfields Museums

The People’s History Museum tells the story of the development of democracy in Britain. It's the only museum in the UK...

The resident teacher at Kadampa Meditation Centre Manchester Gen Kelsang Lhachog

Kadampa Meditation Centre Manchester

Chorlton Clubs & Groups

Kadampa Meditation Centre Manchester, or KMC, is part of a network of centres which promote The New Kadampa Tradition; a...

Statues of legendary Manchester United players outside their Old Trafford stadium

Manchester United Museum & Stadium Tour

Old Trafford Sports Venues

Even if it's not a match day, there's plenty happening at the iconic Old Trafford stadium. The best way to...

Gooey Bakery & Café

Northern Quarter Cafes

If you’re a fan of brunch and baked goods but it just has to be Instagrammable, Gooey should be top...

Skating at Graystone Action Sports in Salford

Graystone

Salford Activities

Graystone is Salford’s action-packed home of high-adrenaline sports. Skateboarding is the big deal here. Practise on all sorts of drops,...

Vincent Cafe & Restaurant

Southport Restaurant - Global

Part of the contemporary boutique hotel of the same name, the Vincent Café & Restaurant offers a bit of everything...

Manchester City Football Club's Etihad Stadium

Manchester City Stadium Tour

Beswick Sports Venues

Even if you’re not a Blue you can’t help but be impressed with the scale of the Etihad Stadium in...

Lovelocks Coffee Shop

Liverpool City Centre Cafes

Nestled in the Cultural Quarter, a stone's throw from St George's Hall and Walker Art Gallery, Lovelocks recently relocated up...

The Hollies Farm Shop Lower Stretton

Warrington Farm Shop

With vegetables so fresh they could have been dug up from the field that morning, homemade pies and sausage rolls,...

Canal boats outside Portland Basin Museum in Ashton-under-Lyne

Portland Basin Museum

Ashton-under-Lyne Museums

Step inside the restored nineteenth-century Ashton Canal Warehouse in Ashton-under-Lyne and you'll find the Portland Basin Museum. With exciting, accessible...

The Manchester Jewish Museum at night

Manchester Jewish Museum

Cheetham Hill Museums

Manchester Jewish Museum reopened in 2021 after a £6 million upgrade that restored its synagogue to its former glory, and...

The reading room at The Portico Library in Manchester.

The Portico Library

Manchester City Centre Libraries

The Portico Library is as peaceful and relaxing as any library could be, despite being situated on Mosley Street in...

Lowther Castle & Gardens

Penrith Historic Buildings & Sites

Lowther Castle & Gardens is an intriguing attraction. It looks grand enough at first sight, but the castle is literally...

A girl on the monkey bars at Total Ninja, Manchester.

Total Ninja

Trafford Park Activities

Total Ninja is part bouncy-castle on steroids, part warrior training ground. The venue is mainly divided into two parts: an...

Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester - one of our recommended things to do in the Trafford Centre.

Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester

Trafford Park Activities

Legoland Discovery Centre is Manchester’s ultimate Lego playground. If your children like building and creating with those brightly coloured blocks,...

The gym floor at Manchester Academy of Gymnastics

Manchester Academy of Gymnastics

Salford Activities

Manchester Academy of Gymnastics offers gymnastics to adults and children, boxing for anyone over ten, and parkour.

Bread from MOST Bakery in Altrincham

MOST Bakery

Altrincham Bakeries

Selling beautiful artisanal breads, sandwiches, pastries and other sweet treats, family bakery MOST has become a popular spot since it...

Cheesecake with chocolate at Haute Dolci

Haute Dolci Trafford

Trafford Cafes

Chocoholics and those with a sweet tooth will feel right at home at Haute Dolci, a dessert cafe situated in...

One of the swimming pools and the spectator stands at Manchester Aquatics Centre in Manchester.

Manchester Aquatics Centre

Oxford Road Swimming

Manchester Aquatics Centre is open once again, following an 18-month closure for an extensive refurbishment and upgrade. The new centre...

Fab Cafe Bar

Manchester City Centre Bars

Is it really a drunken night out in Manchester if you don't (at least consider) heading to Fab Cafe? Or...

Tables in Chapter One, a bookshop and cafe in Manchester's Northern Quarter

Chapter One

Northern Quarter Cafes

Chapter One is an independent bookshop and café with a huge selection of fancy drinks, vegan-friendly cakes and a well-curated...

Hathersage Swimming Pool

Hathersage Swimming

Catch the Hope Valley line train from Piccadilly to this picturesque Peak District village for a dip in Hathersage Swimming...

A baby alpaca at Smithills Open Farm in Bolton - one of our recommended petting farms near Manchester.

Smithills Open Farm

Bolton Farms, Zoos & Wildlife Parks

If you've ever wondered what you call a baby alpaca, or which is the biggest and most ferocious owl in...

Hyde Leisure Pool

Hyde Activities

If you're looking for a pool with a waterslide in Manchester, you've got two options: Grand Central in Stockport and...

A se Anar

Blackpool Restaurant

Self-taught chef Renuka Morris opened Indian restaurant A se Anar after working as a teacher in higher education for 23...

The exterior of Thoughtfully Cafe - an independent coffee shop on Cleveland Square, Liverpool

Thoughtfully Cafe

Ropewalks Cafes

Independent coffee shop Thoughtfully Cafe is just a few minutes walk from Liverpool ONE but it feels like a world...

The Cunard Building in Liverpool - one of the Three Graces and home of the British Music Experience

The British Music Experience

Albert Dock Museums

Head to The Cunard Building, one of the Three Graces that form Liverpool's iconic waterfront to find The British Music...

Aerial view of Beeston Castle, a historic site in Cheshire

Beeston Castle

Tarporley Historic Buildings & Sites

Beeston Castle perches atop a rocky crag, looking out over the surrounding Cheshire Plains.

My Back Home Chai

Hyde Cafes

My Back Home Chai is a Bangladeshi café located on Market Street in Hyde, Greater Manchester. The café is owned...

Daffodils bordering the lake at Lyme Park, Stockport, Greater Manchester

Lyme Park

Stockport Historic Buildings & Sites

Lyme Park is a huge estate with a Medieval herd of red deer, stunning views and a handsome Regency house....

The terrace at The Gallery Cafe at Manchester Art Gallery

The Gallery Cafe

Manchester City Centre Cafes

Not just somewhere to take the weight off after peering at all the Lowrys and Valettes, The Gallery Cafe at...

Chorlton's best shawarma at The Post Box Cafe

The Post Box Cafe and Shawarma

Chorlton Cafes

Don’t be fooled by the unassuming exterior – the interior is even more unassuming. However, the food is unbelievable. Enormous...

Paddleboarding at Wild Shore Delamere - one of our recommended places to go paddle boarding in Manchester, LIverpool and the North West

Wild Shore Delamere

Delamere Swimming

If you've never known the joy of flying over a lake on a rope swing and daring yourself to let...

A muffin from Gail's Bakery, King Street, Manchester

GAIL’s Bakery King Street

Manchester City Centre Bakeries

GAIL's Bakery on King Street is the latest Manchester addition to this London-born chain, following the success of their Altrincham...

California Coffee and Wine Altrincham Tacos

California Coffee & Wine

Altrincham Restaurant - American

California Coffee & Wine is a ray of SoCal sunshine. The Cal-Mex flavours served up are fresher and sharper than...

The woodland play area at Tandle Hill Country Park

Tandle Hill Country Park

Royton Parks & Gardens

With its sweeping panoramas of seasonal golds, reds and browns, Tandle Hill Country Park is one of the best places...

A copy of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South with tea cup on a table

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

Ardwick Museums

Visitors to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House can explore the author’s home where she wrote most of her novels such as North...

Chill Factore

Trafford Park Activities

With 180m of downhill skiing and snowboarding, Chill Factore is the UK’s longest indoor real snow slope. And though you can’t...

Weddings at Concorde Conference Centre, Manchester.

Runway Visitor Park

Altrincham Parks & Gardens

For spine-tinglingly close views of the huge planes landing and taking off at Manchester Airport, head to the Runway Visitor...

Interior Seating at Ancoats Coffee Piccadilly

Ancoats Coffee Co. Piccadilly

Manchester City Centre Cafes

Ancoats Coffee Company in Manchester Piccadilly is set in 111 Piccadilly, a light-filled handsome building near the train station. If...

Delhi House Cafe | Corn Exchange

Manchester City Centre Restaurant - Indian subcontinent

This slick 2020 addition to the Corn Exchange is determined to do something different to other contemporary Indian restaurants. And...

Goats at Reddish Vale Farm - one of Confidential Guides' recommended things to do with kids in Manchester

Reddish Vale Farm

Reddish Farms, Zoos & Wildlife Parks

Ian Brown, take note. Reddish Vale Farm, on the Stockport side of Manchester, has everything you could want to keep...

Garten Bar | Corn Exchange

Manchester City Centre Bars

Right in the centre of the Corn Exchange atrium, the German-themed Garten Bar is a light, airy setting for brunch,...

Wax and Beans is a great place for Bury's record collectors and coffee fans

Wax and Beans

Bury Record Shops

Wax and Beans is a vinyl and coffee combo where you can indulge all your passions at once. Affectionately known...

The exterior of Night and Day Cafe in the NQ Manchester.

Night & Day Cafe

Northern Quarter Bars

Without Night & Day Cafe, the Northern Quarter as we know it probably wouldn't exist. It was places like this,...

One of the brunch dishes at Leo and Roobs - a neighbourhood cafe in Salford.

Leo and Roobs

Blackfriars Cafes

Named after the owner’s kids, Leo and Rubes is a neighbourhood cafe from the folks behind The Black Friar. It’s...

Haigh Woodland Park

Wigan Parks & Gardens

Haigh Woodland Park is a good mix of cultivated prettiness and ancient woodland with plenty of things to do.

Pear Mill Vintage Emporium

Pear Mill Vintage Emporium

Stockport Markets

The beauty of this place is that you never quite know what you’ll find, from ancient artefacts to military uniforms...

Statue of a woman reading at Manchester Central Library

Manchester Central Library

Manchester City Centre Libraries

Officially, The Lowry is the most visited attraction in Greater Manchester, but only because the official list for some reason...

The Koffee Pot

Northern Quarter Cafes

This greasy spoon with indie cool is a true Mancunian institution. Established in 1978, the Koffee Pot used to live...

mumbai to london cafe

Mumbai to London Cafe

Droylsden Restaurant - Indian subcontinent

Mumbai to London Cafe doesn’t look like much from the outside (or the inside) but don’t let that fool you;...

Sugar Junction, a cafe in the Northern Quarter, Manchester

Sugar Junction

Northern Quarter Cafes

With a very vintage vibe, homemade cake and cocktails, and tempting hot and cold plates dished up all day every...

The Art of Tea, a cafe-bar and secondhand bookshop in Didsbury, Manchester.

The Art of Tea

Didsbury Cafes

Independent coffee shop and bar The Art of Tea offers more than just good quality loose leaf tea. It's situated...

Mini golf at Walton Hall & Gardens in Warrington

Walton Hall & Gardens

Warrington Parks & Gardens

Head to Walton Hall & Gardens for landscaped grounds, woodland walks, a grand house, and a whole host of fun...

TeamSport Go Karting Track with racers and red stop lights

TeamSport Go Karting: Trafford Park

Trafford Park Activities

TeamSport Go Karting: Trafford Park has 450 metres of adrenaline-fuelled GP circuit and a new fleet of Biz Evo3 adult...

The Taylor Swift fan shop at Red Brick Market in Liverpool.

Red Brick Market

Baltic Triangle Markets

If you love thrifting, vintage clothes, handmade jewellery, secondhand vinyl, charming curios, retro homeware, old comics, and the like, you...

Hot chocolate with marshmallow at Knoops, Manchester.

Knoops Manchester

Manchester City Centre Cafes

Knoops Manchester is a chocoholic’s dream. Rather than just ordering a hot chocolate, choose the percentage, the origin and the...

Petit Cafe du Coin

Ropewalks Restaurant - French

Grab your beret and your polo neck, we're going incognito in a French-inspired cafe with jazz club aspirations. The little...

Cafe Sanjuan

Stockport Restaurant - South American

Serving a unique Caribbean-Colombian combo, Cafe Sanjuan is the creation of Luis Felipe Sanjuan, who hails from Barranquilla, a bustling...

Abyssinia Cafe and Restaurant

Leeds Restaurant - African

Abyssinia Cafe and Restaurant has been dishing up its award-winning traditional Ethiopian recipes since 2014, showcasing the cuisine's abundance in...

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