Tours

Recommended Tours

TOUR 1: Shopping & Culture

Morning So you've had your breakfast, now what? The Lowry is Manchester's latest cultural and architectural offering and is easily accessible by road or Metrolink. The main exhibition is of course by L S Lowry, but there are plenty of other innovative displays by up and coming artists that change on a regular basis.

Lunch Although the Lowry has its own cafe and restaurant, you're probably ready for a change of scene by now and Manchester city centre has plenty of cafe bars and coffee shops to suit all budgets and palates. For a quick bite to eat American style you could try a Starbucks on Deansgate or for a more relaxing, leisurely lunch head for the Grinch bar, which has live jazz performances on certain evenings during the week. However, if you're vegetarian then check out Earth cafe underneath the Manchester Buddhist Centre where you're spirit and stomach can be refreshed at the same time.

Shopping These days its hard to fit the whole of Manchester into just one afternoon shopping spree, so you may want to decide on what you want and how much you want to spend in advance. The best places for alternative cheap to mid-range clothes, gifts and records are to be found in the Northern Quarter under the guises of Afflecks Palace and The Coliseum emporiums. It is easy to get lost in the maze of stalls that are contained within these buildings, but if you're looking for something different or retro then these are a must.

For more mainstream offerings then you only have to walk around the corner to find the Arndale Centre and Market Street where you will find the usual array off shops such as Top Shop, Virgin, Dolcis and Next. If toiletries are your thing, its worth noting that the Boots on Market Street is the largest in Europe, so they stock just about everything you could wish for.

Now if you're looking for that special dress or present then there are three places that you need to target. Firstly The Triangle, which has been created as part of the redevelopment of the city after the IRA bomb in 1996, it houses designer clothes and beauty shops including Giant and Molton Brown all under one roof. A stone's throw away is the St Ann's/ Kings Street district, which is home to the high end of high street fashion houses such as Kookai, Emporio Armani and the ever fashionable Habitat.

Lastly, if you want a shopping experience that has everything then look no further than Kendals on Deansgate, which has whole floors dedicated to high class clothes, food, cosmetics and electronic good. At times during the year they also have major fashion shows, which come as a delightful surprise if you aren't expecting it.

Theatres and Concerts Well you've bought the outfit, now it's time to show the world. Manchester has a plethora of theatres to choose from that accommodate most literary styles, the Palace Theatre, tends to show musicals whilst the Opera House, does opera and ballet. For the unusual and contemporary the Royal Exchange and Contact Theatre are the places to go, they quite often have productions by local writers and performers. Alternatively, maybe you would like to hear some music. The Bridgewater Hall, built to house the Halle Orchestra, is a breathtaking building with a spacious and modern bar and did you know it's built on springs. Manchester is also the home of the Royal Northern College of Music and the Northern Ballet, who regularly hold performances and recitals. However, if it's rock and pop that you're after then the Manchester Evening News Arena, Apollo or Manchester Academy is where you're likely to end up, with the likes of Robbie Williams to entertain you. Dining After your entertainment of choice you may still wish to take a meal, so why not a trip into Chinatown to the New Emperor, the food is excellent and the restaurant itself is close to many of the theatres. If Chinese is not you're taste, then try Paolo's for freshly prepared Sardinian dishes or Nico Central for more sophisticated French styled cuisine.

Drinks If you've eaten and just want to have a drink then Castlefield, Deansgate Locks or the Gay Village have some of the best bars around. Castlefield is a soothing place for a walk on a late summer evening where Dukes 92 and Barça are situated close to one another. Dukes 92 on Castle Street has two floors with tables outside, while on cold winter's evenings, there is a roaring fire and it's a wonderful place to feel serene and chat with friends. Dukes can be lively, whereas Barça owned by Mick Hucknall of Simply Red, is positively frenetic and a pre-club favourite.

Deansgate Locks, under the railway arches at the back of G-Mex, with it's row of bars including The Lock is now the place for the beautiful people to be seen. Some of the bars have strict door policies and high drink prices, it also gets very busy at night so if there's a large group of you it's worth arriving early. The development of Deansgate Locks means that the Gay Village has now returned to how it used to be, both chilled out and devilishly hedonistic. Favourites such as Manto, Prague Five and Via Fossa are still going strong and it's nice to sit by the canal-side and watch the night unfurl.

TOUR 2: Family Day Out

Morning Never let it be said that Manchester is just a city for students, there are lots of things you can do together as a family. The city centre is a fun and educative place for both adults and children alike. First, take a bus to Oxford Road, where you'll find Manchester Museum. There are guided tours for school children and fantastic Egyptology exhibitions. The museum is free, although donations are appreciated.

Next, take a bus into Piccadilly Gardens, once there, head along Market Street, and turn left onto Deansgate. At the top you will find Liverpool Street and The Museum of Science & Industry. This is a great museum because it is so totally interactive. You can strap yourself into the flight simulator, play educational games and see what Manchester was like a century or so ago. There are always interesting exhibitions on show and you can be confident that you will all learn something new.

Lunch Simply walk across Liverpool Street to get to Castlefield Arena. Once there, head for the arches near the Canal basin — straight ahead of you is Castle Street and Dukes 92. This is a great place for adults and children. You can relax in homely surroundings, read the paper and have a drink, while the children enjoy the feeling of having lunch in an adults pub – they also provide both highchairs and baby changing facilities for your younger ones. During the summer you are close enough to the canal to be able to watch the barges go by, so after lunch how about a cruise down the river? The whole family can learn about the industrial history of Manchester gliding along in comfort. Castlefield Canal Cruises offer trips to the general public on Sundays. If you are in Manchester on a weekday, then take a tram from Castlefield to Heaton Park, which is a large and beautiful expanse of parkland. There's a mini train for the children to travel around part of the grounds, affording a view of the beautiful Hall and farm.

Dinner Yang Sing on Charlotte Street welcomes families and serves delicious food. If you're in Heaton Park, then take a tram to Piccadilly Gardens, walk along Mosley Street and you'll find Chinatown on your left. You might want to try a wonderful Indian meal from one of the many restaurants along the middle section of Wilmslow Road, Rusholme. Curries can be as mild as you like and some restaurants serve English dishes, so the children can have something a little less exotic if they wish, while you savour the delights of vindaloo, madras, jal frezi and bhuna. There are plenty of buses that will take you from the city centre to Rusholme, making it very easy to reach. Finally if they prefer pizza to poppadums then Est, Est, Est at 5 Ridgefield, (one of the side streets off the middle of Deansgate) is a great child-friendly Italian restaurant, the owners are warm and friendly and the food is of a high standard.