Things to do · Liverpool · United Kingdom
19 best things to do in Liverpool
19 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Lipinski, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Liverpool are Royal Albert Dock, The Beatles Story and Pier Head and the Three Graces. Of the 19 picks below, 11 are free, 9 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Royal Albert Dock
- Free sights
- 11
- Good on a rainy day
- The Beatles Story
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Albert Dock | Waterfront | 1–2 hours | Free |
| The Beatles Story | Waterfront | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Pier Head and the Three Graces | Waterfront | 45 minutes | Free |
| Mersey Ferry river cruise | Pier Head | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Liverpool Cathedral | Georgian Quarter | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Cavern Club and Mathew Street | Cavern Quarter | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Anfield stadium tour | Anfield | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Royal Liver Building tower tour | Waterfront | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Museum of Liverpool | Waterfront | 2 hours | Free |
| Metropolitan Cathedral | Georgian Quarter | 45 minutes | Free |
| Walker Art Gallery | William Brown Street | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| World Museum | William Brown Street | 2 hours | Free |
| St George's Hall | City Centre | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Liverpool Central Library | William Brown Street | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Strawberry Field | Woolton | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Beatles childhood homes (National Trust) | Woolton and Allerton | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| Sefton Park and Palm House | Sefton Park | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Baltic Triangle street art and Baltic Market | Baltic Triangle | 2 hours | Free |
| Chinatown | Chinatown | 1 hour | Free |
The 19 best things to do
Waterfront · Waterfront
1.Royal Albert Dock
Opened in 1846 to designs by the dock engineer Jesse Hartley, the Albert Dock was the first structure in Britain built entirely of cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood, so it would not burn. Its Grade I-listed colonnaded warehouses around the water now hold museums, restaurants, bars and hotels.
Walk the full square of the dock and cross to the Pier Head for the classic view of the Three Graces.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Museum · Waterfront
2.The Beatles Story
A walk-through exhibition in the vaults of the Albert Dock follows the band from their Liverpool childhoods and Hamburg years to Beatlemania and their solo careers, with a replica of the Cavern Club, original instruments and an audio guide narrated in part by family members.
Allow at least two hours; the audio guide is detailed and the final rooms on the solo years are easy to rush.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
Landmark · Waterfront
3.Pier Head and the Three Graces
The Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building, built in the early 20th century, form the city's famous waterfront skyline. Statues of the Beatles, a memorial to the engineers of the Titanic and the Mersey Ferry terminal are all on the riverside plaza.
Photograph the Beatles statue early in the morning, before queues form, then catch a ferry for the view from the river.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Views
Experience · Pier Head
4.Mersey Ferry river cruise
The ferries made famous by Gerry and the Pacemakers' song run a 50-minute river explorer cruise from the Pier Head to Seacombe and Woodside on the Wirral and back, with commentary on the docks, ships and waterfront buildings.
Sit on the open upper deck on the way out for the best photographs of the waterfront skyline.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Kids
- Views
- Couples
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Religious site · Georgian Quarter
5.Liverpool Cathedral
Giles Gilbert Scott's red sandstone Anglican cathedral, built between 1904 and 1978, is the largest cathedral in Britain, with a vast nave and the highest and heaviest ring of bells in the world. A lift and stairs take visitors up the tower for views over the city and the Mersey.
Climb the tower on a clear day, then walk along Hope Street to the Metropolitan Cathedral.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
- Iconic
- Rainy day
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Experience · Cavern Quarter
6.Cavern Club and Mathew Street
The Beatles played nearly 300 times at the original Cavern Club before it was demolished in 1973; the club was rebuilt on largely the same site using many of the original bricks. Live bands play most days, and Mathew Street around it is lined with Beatles-themed pubs and the Wall of Fame.
Daytime sessions are calmer than evenings, and entry is usually free or cheap before the evening bands start.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- After dark
- History
Experience · Anfield
7.Anfield stadium tour
Liverpool FC's stadium, about 4 km north-east of the centre, offers tours of the dressing rooms, the 'This Is Anfield' sign in the tunnel and pitch-side, plus a museum of the club's trophies. Everton's new stadium on the waterfront at Bramley-Moore Dock replaced Goodison Park nearby in 2025.
Tours are not available on match days; take a bus from Queen Square or a taxi rather than walking.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Book online in advance, especially around school holidays and match weekends.
- Iconic
- Kids
- Rainy day
Viewpoint · Waterfront
8.Royal Liver Building tower tour
Guided tours of the 1911 Royal Liver Building take visitors up the clock tower beneath one of the two copper Liver Birds, past clock faces larger than those of Big Ben, to a 360-degree view across the Mersey, the Wirral and the city.
Choose a clear day; on a good day you can see the Welsh hills across the Wirral.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Tours run in small groups at set times; book online in advance.
- Views
- Architecture
- History
Museum · Waterfront
1.Museum of Liverpool
The city's history museum at the Pier Head tells Liverpool's story through its port, migration, music and football, with galleries on the Overhead Railway, the city's working-class history and the Beatles. Its large windows look out onto the waterfront.
Climb to the top-floor windows for a framed view of the Three Graces from above.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Religious site · Georgian Quarter
2.Metropolitan Cathedral
Frederick Gibberd's circular Roman Catholic cathedral of 1967, nicknamed 'Paddy's Wigwam', has a central altar beneath a lantern tower of coloured glass that floods the interior with blue light. Below it lies the crypt of Edwin Lutyens's earlier, unfinished design.
Visit on a sunny afternoon, when the stained-glass lantern throws colour across the floor.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Rainy day
Gallery · William Brown Street
3.Walker Art Gallery
One of the largest art galleries in England outside London, the Walker on William Brown Street has paintings from the medieval period to the present, including a notable Pre-Raphaelite collection, Rembrandt and Rubens, and a family gallery called Big Art for Little Artists.
Combine it with the World Museum and Central Library next door on the same street.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Rainy day
- Kids
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Museum · William Brown Street
4.World Museum
Liverpool's museum of natural history, world cultures and archaeology has a large ancient Egypt gallery, dinosaurs, an aquarium, a bug house and a planetarium. It is one of the most child-friendly museums in the north-west.
Check the planetarium show times on arrival; shows are short and fill up during school holidays.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Nature
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Architecture · City Centre
5.St George's Hall
Opposite Lime Street station, this neoclassical hall of 1854 combines law courts and a great concert hall under one colonnaded roof. Its Minton-tiled floor, usually covered, is revealed on certain occasions, and the old court rooms and cells can be explored.
Visit the restored small concert room upstairs, where Charles Dickens gave readings.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
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Architecture · William Brown Street
6.Liverpool Central Library
Behind its Victorian facade, the library mixes a modern atrium with the circular Picton Reading Room of 1879 and the wood-panelled Hornby Library. It is free to walk in, and the rooftop terrace looks across to St George's Hall.
Head up to the roof terrace, then down to the domed Picton Reading Room.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Woolton
7.Strawberry Field
The former Salvation Army children's home whose garden inspired John Lennon's song opened to the public in 2019 with an exhibition on Lennon's childhood and the song, the famous red gates and a garden. It is in the suburb of Woolton, about 8 km south-east of the centre.
Pair it with a walk past Mendips, Lennon's childhood home on Menlove Avenue, a short distance away.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Outdoors
Historic site · Woolton and Allerton
8.Beatles childhood homes (National Trust)
The National Trust looks after Mendips, the 1930s semi where John Lennon grew up with his Aunt Mimi, and 20 Forthlin Road, the terraced house where Paul McCartney lived and where the pair wrote early songs. Interiors are restored to their 1950s state, and access is by minibus tour only.
Photography inside the houses is not allowed, so take your photos from the street and front garden.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Places on the small minibus tours are limited; book with the National Trust in advance.
- History
- Off the beaten path
Park · Sefton Park
9.Sefton Park and Palm House
A large Victorian park of about 95 hectares with a boating lake, woodland, a café and the restored Palm House, a three-tier glass conservatory of 1896 surrounded by statues of explorers and botanists. Lark Lane's pubs and cafés are on its edge.
Combine a walk round the lake with lunch on Lark Lane.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Neighbourhood · Baltic Triangle
10.Baltic Triangle street art and Baltic Market
The former warehouse district south of the docks is covered in large murals and filled with creative studios. The Baltic Market food hall in a converted brewery building gathers street-food traders and bars, and craft breweries and music venues are scattered around the surrounding streets.
Walk the side streets for the murals in daylight, then return to the food hall in the evening.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Art
- After dark
Neighbourhood · Chinatown
11.Chinatown
Liverpool's Chinese community, one of the oldest in Europe, dates back to seafarers of the 19th century. The ornate Chinese Arch at the top of Nelson Street, made in Shanghai, leads to Cantonese restaurants, supermarkets and bakeries.
Visit during Chinese New Year for lion dances and fireworks, or simply for dim sum on a weekend lunchtime.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Photo spot
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | The Beatles Story, Museum of Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery and World Museum |
| History | Royal Albert Dock, The Beatles Story, Royal Liver Building tower tour and Museum of Liverpool |
| Views | Pier Head and the Three Graces, Royal Liver Building tower tour, Mersey Ferry river cruise and Liverpool Cathedral |
| Outdoors and nature | World Museum, Strawberry Field and Sefton Park and Palm House |
| Food and markets | Baltic Triangle street art and Baltic Market and Chinatown |
| After dark | Cavern Club and Mathew Street and Baltic Triangle street art and Baltic Market |
| With children | Museum of Liverpool, Mersey Ferry river cruise, Walker Art Gallery and World Museum |
| On a rainy day | The Beatles Story, Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool Cathedral and Metropolitan Cathedral |
What to book ahead
- Anfield stadium tour: Book online in advance, especially around school holidays and match weekends.
- Royal Liver Building tower tour: Tours run in small groups at set times; book online in advance.
- Beatles childhood homes (National Trust): Places on the small minibus tours are limited; book with the National Trust in advance.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Liverpool?
Royal Albert Dock. Opened in 1846 to designs by the dock engineer Jesse Hartley, the Albert Dock was the first structure in Britain built entirely of cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood, so it would not burn.
+What can you do for free in Liverpool?
Royal Albert Dock, Pier Head and the Three Graces, Liverpool Cathedral, Museum of Liverpool and Metropolitan Cathedral. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Liverpool when it rains?
Head indoors to The Beatles Story, Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool Cathedral and Metropolitan Cathedral.
+What is there to do in Liverpool at night?
Cavern Club and Mathew Street and Baltic Triangle street art and Baltic Market are best after dark.