From cheese crawls and ghost walks to canal-side kayaking and hands-on workshops in galleries and print studios, the North is packed with ways to explore beyond your usual haunts. Big cultural moments like Hockney at Aviva Studios sit alongside city walking tours, brewery tastings and craft sessions – all easy excuses to turn an ordinary day into something a bit more memorable.
In the centenary year of the 1926 General Strike, People’s History Museum explores a century of industrial action – through banners, posters, artworks, photography and everyday ephemera.
Join the Portico Library for a mindful days of workshops and intriguing evenings of talks with artists, curators and researchers.
Dungeons and Flagons are extending the table top fun throughout Manchester with boardgames nights popping up regularly around town.
Learn through doing with a packed programme of hands-one workshops at Bluecoat, including crafts, family friendly arts and printing socials.
This guided walking tour will bring those stories to life. Led by a local expert, the experience is set to be a lively introduction to the people, places and ideas that have shaped one of the UK’s most influential cities.
Check out the ways you can get hands on creatively with workshops at FACT in Liverpool, as well as taking their daily guided tour.
Enjoy a day long workshop or week long courses exploring the boundaries of printmaking at Leeds Print Workshop.
Leeds is a city best explored on foot. With a local guide leading the way, this 90-minute walking tour offers an engaging introduction to a city.
A friendly place for adult learning in Leeds, whether you’re interested in art, philosophy, language or just meeting new friends.
Eat your way through the dairy based delights of Manchester, with the Manchester Cheese Crawl walking tour. The city’s very own homage to fromage.
Meet like minded creatives both professional and amateur in HOME’s regular group sessions and one off workshops.
Create stunning pottery, jewellery, sketches, watercolours and more with the vast array of craft workshops at MCDC.
Delve into the treasure trove of 20th Century architecture design with the expert knowledge and passionate curation of the Modernist App.
Take a deeper look into Manchester Art Gallery’s collection with their regular, informative and fascinating gallery tours.
Expect chilling street theatre and immersive thrills as the award winning Shiverpool return to Liverpool’s streets.
The Old Dock tour is a treat for younger and older visitors alike, fans of Liverpool’s maritime past, and anybody curious about local history.
From the urban hum of Manchester to the serene embrace of the Lake District, Rabbie’s one-day tour offers a poetic escape into one of England’s most storied landscapes.
Cloudwater is a jewel in Manchester’s local brewery crown. Join them for a brewery tour and tasting at the Unit 9 Taproom.
With its rich industrial past, iconic architecture and vibrant arts scene, Manchester is a city that begs to be explored step by step.
Have your very own Night at the Museum moment in this adults-only evening of cosmic cabaret, scary surprises and galactic games.
From £6.00
On the eve of Elizabeth Gaskell’s birthday, join Jonathan Schofield Tours for a stroll around the sites (and sights) of Manchester’s literary past.
From £20.00
Join Jonathan Schofield Tours and explore the fascinating stories and stunning architecture of a town on a meteoric rise.
From £20.00
Explore the ways in which Manchester helped shape and reinforce the ideas of the fathers of communism, Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx.
From £20.00
With interactive encounters and live performance, Compass Festival is set to animate the city of Leeds once again this November.
Free entry
Come face to face with SEA LIFE Blackpool’s hungriest resident. This unique experience gives you the chance to feed Phoenix the green sea turtle and learn about this endangered species.
From £75.00
Epic architecture, hidden green spaces and ideas that changed the world. Explore the rich history of achievement at The University of Manchester.
From £20.00
Marking the anniversary of the Christmas Blitz, this walking tour explores Manchester’s history of conflict, from the English Civil Wars to the World Wars and beyond.
From £20.00
Explore Manchester’s ghostly past with Jonathan Schofield. Uncover eerie tales of lost...
A tour through idyllic Derbyshire and the Peak District, where rolling hills,...
Salford Lads Club shot to global fame as the iconic backdrop on...
From wild buildings to wilder characters, explore hidden histories and architectural oddities...
Stagger across three hundred years of Manchester's drinking history in one of...
Leeds has long been a city built on beer — from its industrial-era brewing giants to the new wave of craft innovators reshaping the scene today.
Brewery tours across the North offer more than just a behind-the-scenes look at hops and fermenters. They’re a window into the region’s character.
A growing number of breweries and independent tour operators now offer behind-the-scenes access to the city’s thriving beer scene.
Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.
To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to Manchester's best hotels.
There’s no shortage of hotels in Liverpool, but you don’t have to go far to find something a bit more stylish than a Travelodge. Here’s our guide.
Leeds has plenty of new types of accommodation, from sleek, modern luxury to affordable art hostels and grand accommodation in green space.
For a weekend break in a private apartment or an overnight stay in high luxury, we've rounded up the best places to stay in Bradford, Ilkley and Saltaire.
Niall Keating has brought his Michelin-approved style of cooking to Tender at The Stock Exchange.
GiGi is a lavish Italian restaurant just off Deansgate, with 1950s décor and a menu that sticks to the classics.
Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.
After two decades out of action, the historic Black Friar is back open and now serving high-end cuisine in stunning surroundings.
Liverpool’s Albert Dock is a reliably great day or night out, and here’s what’s on offer there over the Christmas weeks.
Pentonbridge Inn is a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms in north Cumbria. Eight courses of bunkum-free fine dining from head chef Chris Archer.
Manchester has more than one top-tier Indian restaurant, but Zouk is right up there with the best, and counts Drake as a fan.
Step into autumn safe in the knowledge that you have the North's very best mid-September guide to food and drink in Manchester and beyond.
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