Things to do · Glasgow · United Kingdom
18 best things to do in Glasgow
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Julesn84 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Glasgow are Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow Cathedral and Gallery of Modern Art. Of the 18 picks below, 14 are free, 8 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
- Free sights
- 14
- Good on a rainy day
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum | West End | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Glasgow Cathedral | Townhead | 1 hour | Free |
| Gallery of Modern Art | City Centre | 1 hour | Free |
| Glasgow Necropolis | Townhead | 1 hour | Free |
| Riverside Museum | Partick | 2 hours | Free |
| Burrell Collection | Pollok Country Park | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Pollok Country Park | Southside | 2 hours | Free |
| University of Glasgow and the Hunterian | West End | 2 hours | Free |
| George Square and the City Chambers | City Centre | 1 hour | Free |
| Mackintosh at the Willow | City Centre | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Glasgow Botanic Gardens | West End | 1 hour | Free |
| Glasgow Science Centre | Pacific Quay | 3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Clyde Walkway and the Finnieston Crane | Finnieston | 1–2 hours | Free |
| City Centre Mural Trail | City Centre | 2 hours | Free |
| Provand's Lordship | Townhead | 30 minutes | Free |
| Ashton Lane | West End | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| The Barras | East End | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park | Southside | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
The 18 best things to do
Museum · West End
1.Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Glasgow's best-loved museum fills a red sandstone palace with around 8,000 objects, from Salvador Dalí's Christ of Saint John of the Cross and Scottish Colourist paintings to natural history, armour and a Spitfire hanging above the west court. Galleries on the Glasgow Boys and Mackintosh's designs give a good introduction to the city.
Time your visit for one of the organ recitals in the centre hall, which are usually held in the early afternoon.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Religious site · Townhead
2.Glasgow Cathedral
The medieval cathedral is the only mainland Scottish cathedral to have survived the 1560 Reformation with its roof intact. Its lower church holds the tomb of St Mungo, the city's patron saint, and the building has a large collection of post-war stained glass. Entry is free.
Visit the cathedral first, then cross the Bridge of Sighs behind it to the Necropolis for the view back over the roof.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Iconic
Gallery · City Centre
3.Gallery of Modern Art
GoMA occupies the neoclassical former Royal Exchange on Royal Exchange Square and shows contemporary art, often by Scottish artists. Outside, the equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington has worn a traffic cone on its head for decades and has become the city's unofficial mascot.
Photograph the cone-topped Duke of Wellington statue, then explore the café-lined lanes around Royal Exchange Square.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Historic site · Townhead
4.Glasgow Necropolis
This Victorian garden cemetery covers a hill east of the cathedral with some 3,500 monuments to the merchants and industrialists who built the city, topped by a column to the reformer John Knox. Paths wind to the summit, which gives one of the best free views across Glasgow.
Paths are steep and uneven; wear proper shoes and come on a dry day if you can.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Museum · Partick
5.Riverside Museum
Zaha Hadid's zigzag-roofed building on the Clyde houses Glasgow's transport museum: trams, locomotives, a wall of vintage cars and a recreated cobbled street of old shops. The Tall Ship Glenlee, a restored 1896 sailing ship, is moored alongside and can be boarded.
Combine it with a walk along the Clyde Walkway from Finnieston, or take the seasonal ferry across to the Govan side.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- History
Museum · Pollok Country Park
6.Burrell Collection
Shipping magnate Sir William Burrell's gift to the city holds more than 9,000 objects — Chinese ceramics, medieval tapestries and stained glass, and works by Degas and Cézanne — in a glass-walled building that looks out into woodland. It reopened in 2022 after a long refurbishment.
Take the train to Pollokshaws West and walk through Pollok Country Park, stopping to see the Highland cattle on the way.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Park · Southside
7.Pollok Country Park
Glasgow's largest park has woodland trails, a fold of Highland cattle, gardens and Pollok House, an 18th-century mansion run by the National Trust for Scotland with Spanish paintings including works by El Greco and Goya. The Burrell Collection stands inside the park.
The Highland cattle field near the stables is the easiest place for children to see the shaggy cows up close.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Museum · West End
8.University of Glasgow and the Hunterian
The university's Gothic Revival main building on Gilmorehill has vaulted cloisters and a landmark tower. Inside, the Hunterian Museum, Scotland's oldest public museum, displays Roman finds from the Antonine Wall and William Hunter's anatomy collections, and the Hunterian Art Gallery has a large Whistler collection and the reassembled Mackintosh House.
The Mackintosh House is visited on a separate paid ticket; the museum and cloisters are free.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
Architecture · City Centre
1.George Square and the City Chambers
George Square is the city's civic centre, lined with statues of Robert Burns, Walter Scott and James Watt. On its east side the 1888 City Chambers has a marble and alabaster staircase and banqueting hall; the council usually runs free guided tours on weekdays.
Check the council's website before you go, as tours can be cancelled for civic events.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
Architecture · City Centre
2.Mackintosh at the Willow
Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed the Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street for Kate Cranston in 1903. The building has been restored and reopened as a working tea room with a visitor centre, so you can have tea and scones in the high-backed-chair interiors including the Salon de Luxe.
Book a table for afternoon tea in the Salon de Luxe if you want the most elaborate Mackintosh room.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Food
- Couples
- Art
Garden · West End
3.Glasgow Botanic Gardens
At the top of Byres Road, the Botanic Gardens are free to enter and centre on the Kibble Palace, a curved Victorian iron-and-glass house filled with tree ferns and marble statues. Paths lead down to the River Kelvin walkway, which you can follow back towards Kelvingrove.
On a wet day, the Kibble Palace and the main glasshouse range make a warm, free hour indoors.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Rainy day
Museum · Pacific Quay
4.Glasgow Science Centre
The titanium-clad science centre on the south bank of the Clyde has three floors of hands-on exhibits, a planetarium and science shows. It faces the SEC across the river and is one of the city's main paid attractions for families.
Walk across the Bell's Bridge footbridge from the SEC side; it takes about five minutes.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Finnieston
5.Clyde Walkway and the Finnieston Crane
The riverside path runs past the reminders of Glasgow's shipbuilding past, including the 50-metre Finnieston Crane, once used to load locomotives onto ships, and modern landmarks such as the SEC Armadillo, the OVO Hydro arena and the Squinty Bridge. It links the city centre to the Riverside Museum.
Walk west from the city centre in the late afternoon and finish with dinner on Finnieston's Argyle Street.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- History
- After dark
Experience · City Centre
6.City Centre Mural Trail
Dozens of large-scale murals cover gable ends and walls around the centre and Merchant City, including a modern St Mungo with a robin on High Street. A free trail map links them into a self-guided walk of a couple of hours.
Start on High Street near the cathedral and finish in the Merchant City, where several of the largest works are close together.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Historic site · Townhead
7.Provand's Lordship
Built in 1471 opposite the cathedral, Provand's Lordship is the oldest house in Glasgow. Its low rooms hold period furniture, and behind it the small St Nicholas Garden is laid out as a medieval physic garden.
It takes only half an hour, so fit it between the cathedral and the Necropolis.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Off the beaten path
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Street · West End
8.Ashton Lane
A cobbled lane just off Byres Road strung with fairy lights, pubs, restaurants and the Grosvenor cinema. It is the West End's evening meeting point and gets lively with university students during term.
Arrive early on Friday or Saturday evenings to get a seat in the beer gardens and upstairs terraces.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- After dark
- Food
- Couples
Market · East End
9.The Barras
Glasgow's long-running weekend market around Gallowgate sells second-hand goods, bric-a-brac and street food, with the neon sign of the Barrowland Ballroom above. The surrounding Barras Art and Design area has studios and food spaces in former warehouses.
Go on a weekend morning and keep an eye on your belongings in the crowds.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- History
Museum · Southside
10.Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park
Inside Hampden Park, Scotland's national stadium, the museum covers the country's role in the early history of the game, with the oldest national cup trophy and memorabilia from Celtic, Rangers and the national team. Stadium tours are usually available on non-event days.
Football is a passion in Glasgow; if you want to see a match, look at fixtures at Celtic Park, Ibrox or Hampden well ahead.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Gallery of Modern Art, Riverside Museum and Burrell Collection |
| History | Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow Cathedral, Glasgow Necropolis and Riverside Museum |
| Views | Glasgow Necropolis |
| Outdoors and nature | Glasgow Necropolis, Pollok Country Park, Glasgow Botanic Gardens and Clyde Walkway and the Finnieston Crane |
| Food and markets | Mackintosh at the Willow, Ashton Lane and The Barras |
| After dark | Clyde Walkway and the Finnieston Crane and Ashton Lane |
| With children | Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Riverside Museum, Pollok Country Park and Glasgow Botanic Gardens |
| On a rainy day | Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Riverside Museum, Burrell Collection and University of Glasgow and the Hunterian |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Glasgow?
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Glasgow's best-loved museum fills a red sandstone palace with around 8,000 objects, from Salvador Dalí's Christ of Saint John of the Cross and Scottish Colourist paintings to natural history, armour and a Spitfire hanging above the west court.
+What can you do for free in Glasgow?
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow Cathedral, Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow Necropolis and Riverside Museum. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Glasgow when it rains?
Head indoors to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Riverside Museum, Burrell Collection and University of Glasgow and the Hunterian.
+What is there to do in Glasgow at night?
Clyde Walkway and the Finnieston Crane and Ashton Lane are best after dark.