2 days in Manchester

Day by day

1. Day 1: Science and Industry Museum and Castlefield canals and Roman fort

   Science and Industry Museum, Castlefield canals and Roman fort, Old Trafford stadium tour and John Rylands Library, then Northern Quarter in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Science and Industry Museum

      Parts of the site have been under long-running restoration, so which galleries are open varies.

   2. Late morning

      Castlefield canals and Roman fort

      Canal basins where the Bridgewater Canal met the city are crossed by iron railway viaducts, with towpaths, pubs and a reconstructed gateway and walls of the Roman fort of Mamucium, from which the city's name derives.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Curry on the Curry Mile

      Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, a short bus ride south along Oxford Road from the city centre.

   4. Afternoon

      Old Trafford stadium tour

      The museum and stadium tour takes in the dressing rooms, the players' tunnel and pitch-side dugouts, and the trophy displays. The stadium is a short walk from the Old Trafford and Exchange Quay tram stops.

   5. Late afternoon

      John Rylands Library

      The vaulted Historic Reading Room looks more like a cathedral than a library, and the University of Manchester's special collections on display include medieval manuscripts and a fragment of St John's Gospel among the earliest surviving New Testament texts.

   6. Evening

      Northern Quarter

      The densest mix of bars, small gig venues, cocktail bars and late-night spots around Oldham Street, Thomas Street and Stevenson Square.

2. Day 2: Manchester Museum and The Whitworth

   Manchester Museum, The Whitworth, Manchester Art Gallery and Etihad Stadium tour, then Gay Village in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Manchester Museum

      Its collections range from a cast of the Tyrannosaurus rex known as Stan and ancient Egyptian mummies to a vivarium of frogs and lizards, and new galleries include a South Asia Gallery and a Chinese culture gallery.

   2. Late morning

      The Whitworth

      It is known for one of Britain's largest collections of historic wallpapers and textiles, alongside works on paper by Turner, Blake and modern artists, and a café that looks out into the trees.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Dim sum in Chinatown

      Faulkner Street, George Street and Nicholas Street, around the ornamental arch near Piccadilly Gardens.

   4. Afternoon

      Manchester Art Gallery

      It has a family-friendly Clore Art Studio for young children.

   5. Late afternoon

      Etihad Stadium tour

      Tours visit the dressing room, the tunnel and the pitch-side area, and the club's trophies are on display.

   6. Evening

      Gay Village

      Bars and clubs along Canal Street and the surrounding streets beside the Rochdale Canal, busiest from Thursday to Saturday.

Before you go

• Old Trafford stadium tour: Book stadium tours online in advance, especially during school holidays.
• Etihad Stadium tour: Book online in advance; tours do not run on match days.

If it rains

• Swap in National Football Museum (City Centre): Allow time for the interactive Football Plus zone if you have children with you.
• Swap in Manchester Cathedral (City Centre): Look under the choir-stall seats for the carved misericords, including a rabbit cooking a hunter.
• Swap in People's History Museum (Spinningfields): Don't miss the textile conservation studio, where banners are restored in view of visitors.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–14 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.5 hours in December to 17 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. From Piccadilly station to Castlefield via the Northern Quarter, Market Street and Deansgate is about 2.5 km; most central sights are within 15–20 minutes of each other on foot.

More or fewer days

• One day in Manchester
• 3 days in Manchester

Questions travellers ask