7 best day trips from Manchester

Day trips compared

The day trips

45 km · About 45 minutes–1 hour by train

1.Peak District: Edale and Castleton

The Hope Valley line runs straight into the Peak District National Park. From Edale, walkers climb onto Kinder Scout or follow the ridge to Mam Tor, and Castleton, near Hope, has show caves such as Peak Cavern and the ruins of Peveril Castle above the village.

Getting there

Train from Piccadilly to Edale or Hope

Best for

Families, Quiet stays, Couples

50 km · About 35–50 minutes by train

2.Liverpool

Manchester's neighbour has the Royal Albert Dock, the Beatles Story, free national museums, two cathedrals linked by Hope Street, and the Pier Head waterfront with the Royal Liver Building.

Getting there

Train from Piccadilly, Oxford Road or Victoria to Lime Street

Best for

Culture, First-timers, Nightlife

55 km · About 1 hour by train

3.Chester

A walled Roman city with the most complete circuit of city walls in Britain, the two-tier timber-framed shopping galleries called the Rows, a Gothic cathedral and Chester Zoo just north of town.

Getting there

Train from Piccadilly or Oxford Road

Best for

Families, Couples, Culture

105 km · About 1 hour 20–30 minutes by train

4.York

The medieval walled city of York has York Minster, the timber-framed Shambles, the free National Railway Museum and the JORVIK Viking Centre, all within a walk of the station.

Getting there

TransPennine Express from Piccadilly or Victoria

Best for

Culture, First-timers, Families

15 km · About 30–40 minutes by train and walk

5.Quarry Bank

A National Trust cotton mill of 1784 in the Bollin valley near the airport, with working machinery, the mill workers' village and the Apprentice House where child workers lived, plus riverside gardens and woods.

Getting there

Train to Styal, then a short walk; or a short drive

Best for

Families, Culture, Quiet stays

35 km · About 35–50 minutes by train

6.Hebden Bridge

A former mill town in a steep Pennine valley, now known for independent shops, cafés and canal-side walks along the Rochdale Canal, with Hardcastle Crags woodland and the hilltop village of Heptonstall close by.

Getting there

Train from Victoria

Best for

Quiet stays, Couples, Food lovers

120 km · About 1 hour 45 minutes–2 hours by train

7.Lake District: Windermere

England's largest lake is surrounded by fells, with lake cruises from Bowness and Ambleside and lakeside walks. It is a long but manageable day from Manchester; an overnight stay gives more time for the fells.

Getting there

Train from Piccadilly or the airport, sometimes changing at Oxenholme

Best for

Couples, Quiet stays, Families

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Bee Network buses run across Greater Manchester, with frequent services along Oxford Road to the universities, the Whitworth and the Curry Mile in Rusholme.
• Piccadilly, Victoria, Oxford Road and Deansgate stations connect the centre to the airport, Liverpool, Leeds, York, Chester and the Peak District.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask