Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Johnny James, Managing Editor

With its rich industrial past, iconic architecture and vibrant arts scene, Manchester is a city that begs to be explored step by step. It’s the only way to truly connect with the place. But one better than strolling solo is to book onto a walking tour, led by a guide who knows the city like the back of their hand.

Enter Jonathan Schofield, Manchester’s top walking tour provider and a registered Blue Badge Guide since 1996. What Jonathan and his team don’t know about this city isn’t worth knowing, and the mix of information and entertainment they bring is pitch perfect.

Led by a knowledgeable and experienced tour guide, you’ll get closer to the sights, sounds, and feel of the city. You’ll also uncover more than meets the eye. After all, this is a city of stories. Of people who shattered convention. Of ideas that changed the world. Of workers, of thinkers, of dreamers.

The walking tours below will place you at the heart of these stories, while Jonathan Schofield and his team bring them to vivid life. Some take place in the city centre, others leafy suburbs, and there are even a few walks near Manchester, for those wishing to nip beyond the city limits.

Whether you’re a history buff, culture enthusiast, or just looking to uncover the soul of Manchester, these Manchester walking tours are the perfect way to get to know the city a whole lot better.

Our top picks

The Manchester Music Walkabout

The Manchester Music Walkabout at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, Until 6 December 2025, from £25.00 - Book now

Manchester’s famous musical legacy comes to life in this walking tour around the city, which will take you from the 1960s to the present day as you tread in the footsteps of everyone from Joy Division to Oasis.

Walking Tour Stock imagery
istock.com - Iryna Melnyk

The Manchester Pub Walkabout

The Manchester Pub Walkabout at Manchester Central Library, Manchester, Until 6 December 2025, from £25.00 - Book now

Stagger across three hundred years of Manchester’s drinking history in one of the city’s most fun-loving walking tours, packed with fascinating stories, brilliantly bizarre facts and hilarious fun and games.

Bars
Band on the Wall

Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx in Manchester

Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx in Manchester at John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Manchester, 3 May–29 November 2025, from £20.00 - Book now

The remarkable tale of two men who changed the political world is told on this tour, which explores the ways in which Manchester helped shape and reinforce their ideas.

Photo of the John Rylands Library from outside
The University of Manchester

Strangeways & Cheetham Hill

Strangeways & Cheetham Hill at Victoria Station, 4 May 2025, from £20.00 - Book now

A real city centre hinterland, Cheetham Hill comes loaded with incredible stories and heritage. It contains a lost river, a Roman road and the sparse remnants of one of the greatest of Victorian buildings…

Manchester Jewish Museum
Joel Chester Fildes

Chetham’s Medieval Buildings

Chetham's Medieval Buildings at Chetham’s Library, Manchester, 7 May–10 September 2025, from £20.00 - Book now

With a history stretching back to the 1420s, Chetham’s Library and the surrounding school are among the most venerable buildings in the North West. Exploring their interiors is a rare privilege, and one granted to Jonathan Schofield Tours.

After Hours at Chetham's Library
Chetham's Library

Secrets of Didsbury

Secrets of Didsbury, 17 May–4 October 2025, from £20.00 - Book now

No matter how well you think you know Didsbury, there are hidden histories, fascinating buildings, and lots of local personalities that you almost certainly won’t know on this walking tour.

Metropolitan Didsbury
Metropolitan Didsbury

Suffragettes, Significant Women and Manchester

Suffragettes, Significant Women and Manchester at Manchester Central Library, Manchester, 17 May–12 October 2025, from £20.00 - Book now

In 1905, the Suffragettes raised their first ‘Votes for Women’ banner at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall. It’s just one of many pivotal moments in the fight for equality explored here.

Manchester Central Library
Manchester Central Library

More Jonathan Schofield Walking Tours

Photo of the exterior of the Palace Hotel
Spotlight on

Hotels in Manchester

To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to Manchester's best hotels.

Take me there

More things to do in Manchester

GROVE
MusicManchester
Sounds From The Other City

One of the country’s foremost festivals showcasing new and emerging talent, Sounds From The Other City is back over Early May Bank Holiday.

from £30
Myra's Story at Lowry
TheatreSalford
Myra’s Story at Lowry

Direct from London’s West End, a critically acclaimed play shining a light on homelessness, addiction and resilience through one woman’s unforgettable story.  

from £28.50
Ego Death
Spotlight on

Hidden Bars in Manchester

Manchester's best secret, hidden and hard to find bars - here's our guide.

Take me there
Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Tours and Activities in the North

We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.

Take me there

Culture guides

  • Sextile
    Music in the North

    Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring. 

  • A woman sits in a car with hands holding the steering wheel.
    Cinema in the North

    Vintage Alfred Hitchcock and a family friendly film festival are amongst our highlights this May.

  • Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
    Exhibitions in the North

    Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

  • Image by Jonathan Schofield.
    Tours and Activities in the North

    We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.

  • Theatre in Manchester and the North
    Theatre in the North

    Dynamic dance, party-performance, high-energy stand-up and a site-specific show set in a pub. All this and more in our newest theatre guide.

  • Okechukwu Nzelu
    Literature Events in the North

    If it's inspiring, inclusive events and avant-garde, experimental afternoons you're after, look no further than live literature this spring – we've got you covered.

  • Classical Music in the North

    Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.

Hotels in Manchester

ABode Manchester
Manchester
Hotel
ABode Manchester

ABode Manchester is a boutique hotel. With a signature restaurant and bar. Conveniently situated Near Piccadilly Station.

Manchester
Hotel
Hatters Hostel Newton Street

A hostel in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Ideally located just minutes away from Piccadilly train station, the hostel offers guest free breakfast and Wi-Fi. Beneath the hostel sit Hold Fast Bar, a Jules Verne inspired bar which stays open late.

Velvet Hotel
Canal Street
Hotel
Velvet Hotel

Elegantly designed and packed with character, Velvet Hotel is a 4* boutique hotel on Canal Street, the heart of Manchester’s famous Gay Village.

Manchester
Hotel
Dakota Manchester

Dakota is a top tier luxury hotel near Piccadilly Station, featuring the largest suite in Manchester, a Champagne Room and Cigar Garden.