Are you thinking about planning a weekend away? If so, then instead of heading out into the wilderness you could decide to arrange a city escape. City Escapes can be great fun because they will put you right in the heart of the action. Regardless of which direction you turn, you’ll find different tourist activities, exciting adventures, and wonderful places to dine. But what city should you explore?
Well, if you are planning a trip to the UK, then there are a lot of possibilities worth keeping in mind. London is often the clear choice here but if you decide to head further North, then you could spend a weekend in Liverpool. You might be surprised by just how much Liverpool has to offer when viewed as a weekend destination. There’s certainly more to this city than first meets the eye. So, let’s explore what you could get up to if you decide to spend a weekend exploring Liverpool this year?
Attend A Match
If you are visiting Liverpool for the weekend, then you might want to consider getting Liverpool tickets. Liverpool Football Club is one of the most famous teams on a global scale. People everywhere from America to Dubai or Australia support LFC and show their love on game day. But there’s nothing quite like viewing a game live and in person. Even heading to the pub doesn’t provide the same experience as this. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to get Liverpool tickets these days. It’s certainly not the nightmare it used to be and if you shop around you can also get the best seats at some great prices. However, it’s a smart choice to make sure that you book your tickets early. Don’t leave it to the last minute a few days before you plan a trip to Liverpool because you might find that bigger games with fierce rivals sell out fast.
Another good tip to remember is that the event isn’t over once the match ends. If you want to keep the party going, then we recommend that you head to a pub after the match ends. You just need to make sure that you find one that supports the right team and you’ll be able to enjoy a wonderful pint with fellow footy fans. There are countless pubs scattered around Anfield, so you won’t have trouble finding one that is going to provide the type of experience that you are searching for here. If you head to a pub before the match, then you might even make some friends who will be enjoying the same game as you.
The bottom line is that ending a football match provides you with a chance to enter into a euphoric atmosphere alike nothing you’ve experienced before. You will in many ways lose your ‘self’ and truly become part of the crowd.
Visit The Beatles Story
You might have heard of The Beatles Story. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Liverpool today. Once you experience it for yourself, you’ll discover it’s not hard to understand why. This is an immense and immersive walkthrough that will take you deep behind the scenes of the most famous band that has ever come from the city.
If you’re not a fan of the band, then this is still an attraction that will be worth exploring. As well as finding out all about the band, you will also be taken back in time to the ‘60s. If you loved last year’s cult classic Last Night In Soho, then this is definitely the experience for you. It’s probably the closest you can get to journeying back to the swinging era of rock and pop.
At the end of the tour, you’ll be able to dive into a store filled with Beatles merch. We’re not recommending that you spend too much here. Some of the pieces of memorabilia are quite expensive. This isn’t the only part of Liverpool that will be interesting to Beatles fans of course.
There’s a bus tour that will take you to all the famous spots that are associated with the band. Alternatively, you might want to think about heading out on foot and exploring the city for yourself. If you do this, then you’ll likely stumble on to the most important locations without even trying too hard.
If you are a die-hard fan then you might also want to check out The Yellow Submarine. This is a floating hotel that is actually the same sub that was used by Paramount Pictures to film The Hunt For Red October. Prices start at £175 per night which isn’t bad at all as long as you don’t get seasick. It’s one way to ensure that your trip to Liverpool is at the very least, memorable.
Other places worth exploring include Penny Lane, The Cavern Club, and the Grapes Pub. The Cavern Club is located at 10 Mathew Stree and is known as the venue where the Beatles started to become popular. It is also where they met their manager Brian Epstein.
Wander Around The Tate
If you love art or are simply intrigued by exploring the work of different artists, then you may want to take a trip to The Tate in Liverpool. This is one of Britain’s famous Tate galleries and some people argue that it’s the best. The building was from a warehouse but it has been transformed into an incredible art gallery. It uses the building’s original features to ensure that there are different levels and sections with countless pieces from artists local and international. The Tate also regularly holds exhibitions and has recently finished celebrating the show ‘Lucian Freud: Real Lives,’ as well as the Louise Bourgeois exhibition.
The Tate provides timed tickets so you will need to think carefully about when you want to plan your visit. It’s located at the Royal Albert Dock which is something of a joy to explore in itself. While The Tate is free to enter, some of the exhibits do come at an extra cost. As such, you may want to keep this in mind when you are planning your visit. The exhibits are available to peruse change annually. You can research what you are likely to see on the weekend you are thereby exploring the official website for The Tate Liverpool.
Ride The Mersey Ferry
If you want an incredible view of Liverpool or at the very least, a new perspective of the city, make sure that you take a trip across the Mersey on the ferry. The ferry across the Mersey is embedded in pop culture and there are numerous songs that mention it. Once you get across the Mersey, there’s more to see and do on the other side. You could visit Chester Zoo or head into Chester itself. Once you cross the river, you’ll find it’s not far to visit a place like this at all.
Mersey ferry tickets can also be bought to include admission to other nearby attractions such as the Spaceport attraction. This is an interactive experience that is going to be perfect if you are travelling to Liverpool with your family in tow. You could also visit the U-Boat story exhibition. Here, you get to explore a real German submarine. This is one of the many experiences that is completely unique to the city of Liverpool. You’ll be hardpressed to find another city in the UK or indeed anywhere in the world where a German sub is one of the attractions.
Explore Sefton Park
If you’re visiting Liverpool in the summer, then we recommend that you do consider wandering around Sefton Park. This is a beautiful stretch of green that will take you away from the hustle and bustle of the city streets. You can easily spend a couple of hours here and never get bored.
Our top recommendation would be to make sure that you do head down to the water in the centre of the park. Here, you’ll be able to find a lovely ice cream store that arguably sells the best ice cream that Liverpool has to offer. Sefton Park is also home to countless music festivals throughout the year. So, if you’re lucky, then you might be in the city when one of these is in full swing. Another reason to visit Sefton Park is the peace that it can provide. The park is 250 acres of green space so you will definitely be able to find a spot to call your own here. As well as plenty of places to lie down and enjoy the sunshine, there are also hidden caves, waterfalls, and even a Victorian Palm House. You definitely won’t want to leave without heading around the Botanical Gardens.
Shopping
As with any city, no trip to Liverpool would be complete without a shopping day. You’ll find all your favorite brands are available here from clothing shops to popular classic boutiques. Liverpool’s shops are always busy whether you head out in mid-afternoon or in the early evening. You can venture to the docks or head into the centre and you’ll always find plenty of wonderful places to visit. We certainly suggest that you plan to take at least a couple hundred in spending money.
Head On A Safari
Head about fifteen minutes out of Liverpool and you will find Knowsley Safari Park. This is widely rated as the best Safari that the UK and certainly England has to offer. There are plenty of different types of animals to see on the car section of the safari. When you’ve travelled around a couple of times, you can then explore some of the on-foot attractions. There’s also little activities and adventures that will be perfect for every member of the family regardless of age. If you’re brave, then you can head into the dark bat house.
You can also think about checking out the Go Ape experience that also exists outside the park. This a climbing challenge that will take you nearly 100 feet up in the air. You’ll be attached to a line so you can safely try and scramble up rock climbing walls and across nets to get to the end of the course. If you’re not scared of heights it’s great fun.
Delicious Dining
Finally, you might want to think about exploring the best places to dine in Liverpool. The city is a great spot for a foodie and there are plenty of dining experiences that you won’t want to miss. For instance, you could head to BoBo. BoBo is a great place for lunches because it provides delicious tapas. The drinks are also splendid, offering the perfect afternoon treat. As for the main menu, you can choose from options including codfish cakes, squid, and various other dishes that are clearly influenced by Spanish cuisine.
Or, if you want to head in a completely different direction, then you could think about going somewhere such as Yard & Coop. This provides a wonderful choice of fried chicken with an American-inspired menu that is a cut above the typical options that you’ll get from places like KFC. The design of this restaurant is far from Insta-worthy. However, you’ll definitely see that a lot of thought and effort has been put into ensuring that the best foods have been prepared for you to sample.
Are you in the mood for some Thai food? If so, then you should consider visiting Rosa’s Thai Cafe Liverpool. Located on the Albert Dock, this is the first branch of this particular brand to come to the Northwest of England. The menu includes a selection of different food including curries and soups to name just a couple.
We hope this helps you see that there are some incredible activities in and around Liverpool that you might want to explore. Whether you’re keen to enjoy a football match or learn more about one of the most famous and popular bands to ever take the stage, Liverpool has it all.