Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Johnny James, Managing Editor

With its rich industrial past, iconic architecture and vibrant arts scene, Manchester is a city that begs to be explored step by step. It’s the only way to truly connect with the place. But one better than strolling solo is to book onto a walking tour, led by a guide who knows the city like the back of their hand.

Enter Jonathan Schofield, Manchester’s top walking tour provider and a registered Blue Badge Guide since 1996. What Jonathan and his team don’t know about this city isn’t worth knowing, and the mix of information and entertainment they bring is pitch perfect.

Led by a knowledgeable and experienced tour guide, you’ll get closer to the sights, sounds, and spirit of the city. You’ll also uncover more than meets the eye. After all, this is a city of stories. Of people who shattered convention. Of ideas that changed the world. Of workers, of thinkers, of dreamers.

The walking tours below will place you at the heart of these stories, while Jonathan Schofield and his team bring them to vivid life. Some take place in the city centre, others leafy suburbs, and there are even a few walks near Manchester, for those wishing to nip beyond the city limits.

Whether you’re a history buff, culture enthusiast, or just looking to uncover the soul of Manchester, these Manchester walking tours are the perfect way to get to know the city a whole lot better.

Our top picks

The Manchester Music Walkabout

The Manchester Music Walkabout: Explore the City’s Musical Legacy at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, Until 5 June 2027, From £25.00 - Book now

Manchester’s famous musical legacy comes to life in this walking tour around the city, which will take you from the 1960s to the present day as you tread in the footsteps of everyone from Joy Division to Oasis.

2025-06-21-Jonathan-Schofield-MCR-Music-Walking-Tour-(©FionaFinchett)-30-L
Fiona Finchett

The Manchester Pub Walkabout

The Manchester Pub Walkabout at Manchester Central Library, Manchester, Until 5 June 2027, From £25 - Book now

Stagger across three hundred years of Manchester’s drinking history in one of the city’s most fun-loving walking tours, packed with fascinating stories, brilliantly bizarre facts and hilarious fun and games.

Bars
Band on the Wall

Secrets of Ancoats and New Islington

Secrets of Ancoats and New Islington, Until 11 July 2026, From £20.00 - Book now

From years spent languishing in post-industrial decline to being crowned one of ‘the coolest neighbourhoods in the world’ in the blink of an eye. What’s the story here?

Cutting Room Square
JJ.

Secrets of Stockport

Secrets of Stockport, Until 7 November 2026, From £20.00 - Book now

The ‘new Berlin’, which it’s been dubbed recently, might be a bit of a stretch, but Stockport is most certainly on a meteoric rise, with so much of interest to see and learn here.

Stockport Plaza
Stockport Plaza

The Peterloo Massacre Tour

The Peterloo Massacre Tour at Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester, 15 August 2026, From £20.00 - Book now

Join the definitive tour about a moment that helped shape the future of the nation: The Peterloo Massacre.

Peterloo Tour Jonathan Schofield
Jonathan Schofield Walking Tours

Southern Cemetery Tour

Southern Cemetery Tour at Southern Cemetery, Manchester, 4 April–5 September 2026, From £20.00 - Book now

The UK’s largest public cemetery is home to fascinating stories, beautiful architectural details, and the inspiration behind one of The Smiths’ best songs.

Southern Cemetary Chorlton by Tom Jeffs
Tom Jeffs

The Railway Age Begins: An Anniversary Tour

The Railway Age Begins: An Anniversary Tour at Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, 19 September 2026, From £20.00 - Book now

On 15 September 1830, a page was turned in human history, with the Liverpool to Manchester Railway becoming the first fully operational, steam-powered passenger railway in the world. Join Jonathan Schofield Tours for a closer look at this breakthrough moment via the buildings that remain of that period, while exploring the far-reaching developments that followed.

Science and Industry Museum
Science and Industry Museum

Secrets of Didsbury

Secrets of Didsbury, Until 3 October 2026, From £20.00 - Book now

No matter how well you think you know Didsbury, there are hidden histories, fascinating buildings, and lots of local personalities that you almost certainly won’t know on this walking tour.

Metropolitan Didsbury
Metropolitan Didsbury

Secrets of The University of Manchester with Interior Visits

Secrets of the University of Manchester with Interior Visits at The University of Manchester, Manchester, Until 10 December 2026, From £20.00 - Book now

Epic architecture, hidden green spaces and ideas that changed the world. The University of Manchester is home to some incredible stories, and this walking tour places you at the heart of them.

The University of Manchester
The University of Manchester

Suffragettes, Significant Women and Manchester

Suffragettes, Significant Women and Manchester at Manchester Central Library, Manchester, Until 11 October 2026, From £20.00 - Book now

In 1905, the Suffragettes raised their first ‘Votes for Women’ banner at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall. It’s just one of many pivotal moments in the fight for equality explored here.

Emmeline Pankhurst statue, St Peter's Square
Jonathan Schofield

More Jonathan Schofield Walking Tours

Emmeline Pankhurst statue, St Peter's Square
Until
TourManchester
Suffragettes, Significant Women and Manchester

Explore the Suffragettes’ epic fight for equal rights on this guided tour around significant buildings and landmarks.

Elizabeth Gaskell's House
TourManchester
The Manchester Literary Tour

On the eve of Elizabeth Gaskell’s birthday, join Jonathan Schofield Tours for a stroll around the sites (and sights) of Manchester’s literary past.

John Rylands External Copyright of The University of Manchester, 2015
Until
TourCity Centre
Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx in Manchester

Explore the ways in which Manchester helped shape and reinforce the ideas of the fathers of communism, Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx.

Walking Stock Image
Until
TourManchester
Bombed and Besieged: Manchester at War

Marking the anniversary of the Christmas Blitz, this walking tour explores Manchester’s history of conflict, from the English Civil Wars to the World Wars and beyond.

Photo of the exterior of the Palace Hotel
Spotlight on

Hotels in Manchester

To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to Manchester's best hotels.

Take me there

More things to do in Manchester

District guides

  • Northern Quarter, Manchester
    Northern Quarter, Manchester

    Manchester’s most characterful, independent district is a jumbled network of streets to one side of Piccadilly Gardens. Here are the places you need to check out.

  • Salford museum and art gallery exterior
    Salford, Greater Manchester

    Cross over the River Irwell, and you’ll find yourself in another city entirely – Salford, which is enjoying something of a regeneration.

  • The cafe in the trees at the Whitworth
    Oxford Road, Manchester

    We cherrypick our favourite spots on Oxford Road, taking in unique theatres, characterful gig venues and fascinating museums.

  • The front of Didsbury restaurant Volta.
    Didsbury, Manchester

    Didsbury has the perfect split between big brands and independent businesses, welcoming all from far and wide.

  • Deansgate, Manchester

    The busy thoroughfare of Deansgate runs through Castlefield, joining the dots between it, Spinningfields and Manchester’s Cathedral Quarter at the opposite end. Deansgate is home to its fair share of...

  • City Centre, Manchester

    Visit Manchester Town Hall and you’ll spot bees picked out in the mosaics across the lobby floor – once seen, you’ll notice them everywhere. Appearing on benches, council flower pots and...

  • Chorlton, Manchester

    Chorlton is a left-leaning suburb a few miles south of Manchester’s city centre (and only 10-odd minutes away by tram). A sprawling hive of artisan coffee shops, boutique clothing stores,...

  • Ancoats, Manchester
    Ancoats & New Islington

    Ancoats, just off the Northern Quarter in Manchester, is one of the city's most increasingly desirable neighbourhoods. Find out why.

  • People enjoying drinking in Altrincham
    Things to Do in Altrincham

    Plan a day out down Altrincham way, and you’ll soon find that one day isn’t nearly enough. Getting there is easy on the tram, or how about cycling along the...

  • chinatown, manchester in sun by ben williams
    Chinatown, Manchester

    Chinatown is a network of back streets dotted with Chinese restaurants – go to Ho’s Bakery for perfect honey buns, Hunan for spice and Middle Kingdom for a very affordable menu.

  • The Quays, Greater Manchester

    The Quays is home to MediaCityUK (the largest media hub in Europe) and studios purpose-built for the BBC’s move up North in 2011.

  • Cheetham Hill, Manchester

    Cheetham Hill gets a bad rap as an area, however as you begin to look round you will find it has plenty to do. Let us be your guide.

Ego Death
Spotlight on

Hidden Bars in Manchester

Manchester's best secret, hidden and hard to find bars - here's our guide.

Take me there

Visitor guides

  • Manchester Restaurant Deals

    Manchester's restaurants are bending over backwards to create deals that take the sting out of eating out. Here are the best of the bunch for January.

  • Vegan and Vegetarian Food

    Whether you’re a proud vegan or merely curious, let us guide you towards the best vegan food in Manchester for Veganuary.

  • Bars & Pubs

    Pint of mild, limited-run natural wine or cocktail drowning in dry ice? You'll find them all in Manchester. But maybe not together

  • Tasting Menus in The North

    Looking for the finest luxury multi-course restaurants in Manchester? Look no further. We've picked out the very best tasting menus in the city.

  • Casual Dining in Manchester

    Casual dining doesn't mean low effort. Manchester has a host of laid-back restaurants where you can drop in and kick back.

  • Sunday Roasts in Manchester

    Looking for the finest roast dinners in Manchester? Look no further. We've picked out the very best Sunday dinners in the city.

  • UNITOM bookshop
    Bookshops in Manchester

    Manchester is a UNESCO City of Literature, so of course there are a few go-tos for books. Read our guide to discover the best places to pick them up.

Bluecoat
Spotlight on

Tours and Activities in the North

Step away from the usual. Tours and activities that spark curiosity, inspire creativity and offer something refreshingly different.

Take me there

Culture guides

  • Music in the North

    Manchester’s starting the new year with a run of gigs from some of the country’s best underground exports.

  • Textured portrait image of Jarman
    Theatre in the North

    Theatre across the North West splits between festive escape and sharp, urgent work exploring politics, power and resistance.

  • A doll with makeup peeks out of a hanging wall of butter yellow fabric. Red and black threads descend and cascade around the doll.
    Exhibitions in the North

    This season, exhibitions across the North West feel attuned to the world beneath the world – the forces and stories shaping how we see, feel and imagine.

  • A performer in a bright red costume sits on a snowy stage set, holding a large snowball between their legs with a surprised expression. The colourful winter backdrop features snowflakes, hills, a snowman, and a traffic light with glowing lights.
    Family things to do in the North

    Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

  • A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
    Cinema in the North

    There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.

  • Food and Drink in the North

    Hear ye, hear ye. Take some eating-out tips from our wintertime guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.

  • Poet Helen Mort.
    Literature Events in the North

    One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...

Hotels in Manchester

Chancellors Hotel is a Grade II listed Victorian mansion located in South Manchester surrounded by five acres of beautiful landscaped gardens, in a relaxed, scenic and picturesque setting.
Manchester
Hotel
Chancellors Hotel

Chancellors Hotel is a Grade II listed Victorian mansion located in South Manchester surrounded by five acres of beautiful landscaped gardens, in a relaxed, scenic and picturesque setting.

iStock.com/SimoneN
Manchester
Hotel
Malmaison Manchester Deansgate

The building’s striking architecture combines classic brickwork with sleek, modern design elements, creating an inviting atmosphere that captures the essence of Manchester’s vibrant energy.

Manchester
Hotel
Forty-Seven

Forty-Seven is a luxury boutique hotel on Peter Street in Manchester city centre, above the high-end Indian restaurant Asha’s.

City Centre
Hotel
Treehouse Manchester

Treehouse Manchester brings a new kind of luxury hotel experience to Manchester, with food curated by some of the city’s most admired names.