an introduction to Manchester

[ OVERVIEW ]

This Manchester walking tour is a thoughtful introduction to the city and the forces that shaped it. Over 1 ½ hours, you’ll meander through the backbone of Manchester city centre, weaving from controversial modern interventions and bold civic spaces back through earlier layers of the city’s history.

Along the way, the tour explores how faith, music, trade, growth, protest, and reinvention have all left their mark on Manchester.

Using historic photographs, maps, and on-site observation, the walk reveals how confidence and conflict have repeatedly driven change… from industrial expansion and global trade to bombing, rebuilding, and a constantly evolving skyline.

This is a relaxed, conversational city-centre walk rather than a lecture. Designed for first-time visitors and curious locals alike, it provides context, stories, and a deeper understanding of how Manchester became the city it is today. The tour finishes centrally, leaving you well oriented and ready to explore further.

Tour Details

Pricing

£15 per person

Please see our Tour Calendar

Next Dates

Tour Duration

1.5 hours

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outside Chetham's Library
The Royal Exchange

Meeting Place

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In the new Library Walks covered entrance lobby, which is just outside the Tourist Information area inside Central Library.

Your guide will have a small yellow flag and will be clearly identifiable

  • We’ll start the tour on time, if you’re running a little late, you might find us at the first stopping point in Albert Square, opposite the town hall.

  • There won’t be any formal breaks but just over half-way through the tour we’ll be passing by The Royal Exchange where there are some toilets… there will be time for a very quick break.

  • We’ll end the tour outside Chetham’s Library. The length of the walk is just under 2km.

What’s nearby

  • Corbières

    A basement bar hidden away in a side street off St Anns Square, it first opened in 1978, and is the self-proclaimed ‘worst kept secret’ in the city?

    Details (Creative Tourist)
  • The Royal Exchange Theatre is one of the stopping places on our walking tour of the Medieval Quarter of Manchester.

    Royal Exchange Theatre

    The Royal Exchange is one of the most celebrated theatres in the country, highly regarded for both new writing and its take on the classics.

    details (Creative tourist)
  • Chetham’s in Manchester is the oldest surviving public library in the country – and the esteemed ancestor of Central Library.

    Chetham’s Library

    Chetham’s Library is one of the must-sees of any visit to Manchester. The library was founded in 1653, and is the oldest public library in the world – but the building dates back even further, to 1421.

    Details (Creative Tourist)
  • Mowgli offer some great Indian street food in The Corn Exchange that we'll pass through on our walk.

    Mowgli Street Food

    The brainchild of cookbook writer and curry evangelist Nisha Katona, Mowgli brings authentic Indian street food to Manchester’s Corn Exchange.

    Details (creative tourist)
  • Cathedral Gardens is one of few green spaces in Manchester.

    Cathedral Gardens

    Cathedral Gardens is a partially lawned public space in Manchester city centre, located between Manchester Cathedral and the National Football Museum.

    details (creative tourist)