From cheese crawls and ghost walks to canal-side kayaking and hands-on workshops in galleries and print studios, the North is packed with ways to explore beyond your usual haunts. Big cultural moments like Hockney at Aviva Studios sit alongside city walking tours, brewery tastings and craft sessions – all easy excuses to turn an ordinary day into something a bit more memorable.
Following sold-out runs in both London and Manchester, David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) is back in Aviva Studios this winter.
Join the Portico Library for a mindful days of workshops and intriguing evenings of talks with artists, curators and researchers.
Dungeons and Flagons are extending the table top fun throughout Manchester with boardgames nights popping up regularly around town.
Learn through doing with a packed programme of hands-one workshops at Bluecoat, including crafts, family friendly arts and printing socials.
This guided walking tour will bring those stories to life. Led by a local expert, the experience is set to be a lively introduction to the people, places and ideas that have shaped one of the UK’s most influential cities.
Check out the ways you can get hands on creatively with workshops at FACT in Liverpool, as well as taking their daily guided tour.
Enjoy a day long workshop or week long courses exploring the boundaries of printmaking at Leeds Print Workshop.
Leeds is a city best explored on foot. With a local guide leading the way, this 90-minute walking tour offers an engaging introduction to a city.
A friendly place for adult learning in Leeds, whether you’re interested in art, philosophy, language or just meeting new friends.
Eat your way through the dairy based delights of Manchester, with the Manchester Cheese Crawl walking tour. The city’s very own homage to fromage.
Meet like minded creatives both professional and amateur in HOME’s regular group sessions and one off workshops.
Create stunning pottery, jewellery, sketches, watercolours and more with the vast array of craft workshops at MCDC.
Experience the River Mersey from a more intimate perspective with canoeing and kayaking trips from Venture Out.
Delve into the treasure trove of 20th Century architecture design with the expert knowledge and passionate curation of the Modernist App.
Take a deeper look into Manchester Art Gallery’s collection with their regular, informative and fascinating gallery tours.
Expect chilling street theatre and immersive thrills as the award winning Shiverpool return to Liverpool’s streets.
The Old Dock tour is a treat for younger and older visitors alike, fans of Liverpool’s maritime past, and anybody curious about local history.
Part interactive gallery, part surreal playground – SUPERMASSIVE crash lands on the rooftop of Depot Mayfield.
From the urban hum of Manchester to the serene embrace of the Lake District, Rabbie’s one-day tour offers a poetic escape into one of England’s most storied landscapes.
Discover the wealth of outdoor free activities, artworks, walks and sound trails to be explored as part of Bradford City of Culture 2025.
Cloudwater is a jewel in Manchester’s local brewery crown. Join them for a brewery tour and tasting at the Unit 9 Taproom.
With its rich industrial past, iconic architecture and vibrant arts scene, Manchester is a city that begs to be explored step by step.
Every weekend in Liverpool’s buzzing Baltic Triangle, Love Lane Brewery invites visitors behind the scenes for an hour-long tour through its striking, industrial space. Housed in a converted rubber factory,
From £25.00
Explore the People’s History Museum with your banner bingo card in hand as you navigate their galleries through the lens of craftivism.
Free entry
Street art takes centre stage in BD Walls, with vibrant murals transforming the city into an open-air cultural gallery.
Free entry
Join Manchester Sacred Harp for an afternoon of uplifting four-part harmony social singing at Whitworth Art Gallery.
Free entry
Salvi’s Pasta Classes are an opportunity for people to learn the skills and secrets of exceptional pasta making.
From £55.00
Artist Social for all creatives at any stage for their career to network, mingle and connect with Factory International.
Explore art in the moorlands, soundscapes through the glen and appreciate how the city has become totally transformed when you get outside with Bradford 2025.
Free entry
Part interactive gallery, part surreal playground – SUPERMASSIVE crash lands on the rooftop of Depot Mayfield this summer.
From £16
Explore Manchester’s ghostly past with Jonathan Schofield. Uncover eerie tales of lost...
A tour through idyllic Derbyshire and the Peak District, where rolling hills,...
Salford Lads Club shot to global fame as the iconic backdrop on...
From wild buildings to wilder characters, explore hidden histories and architectural oddities...
Stagger across three hundred years of Manchester's drinking history in one of...
Leeds has long been a city built on beer — from its industrial-era brewing giants to the new wave of craft innovators reshaping the scene today.
Brewery tours across the North offer more than just a behind-the-scenes look at hops and fermenters. They’re a window into the region’s character.
A growing number of breweries and independent tour operators now offer behind-the-scenes access to the city’s thriving beer scene.
Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.
To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to Manchester's best hotels.
There’s no shortage of hotels in Liverpool, but you don’t have to go far to find something a bit more stylish than a Travelodge. Here’s our guide.
Leeds has plenty of new types of accommodation, from sleek, modern luxury to affordable art hostels and grand accommodation in green space.
For a weekend break in a private apartment or an overnight stay in high luxury, we've rounded up the best places to stay in Bradford, Ilkley and Saltaire.
Chorlton’s magnificent Horse and Jockey has had an almighty do-over, transforming it into one of South Manchester’s top must-visit drinking and dining destinations.
Modern high-end British cuisine, set in a beautifully-lit venue on the edge of Spinningfields.
18th-century village pub serving up a superb range of wines and high-quality food.
Grand food hall with a superb outdoor space and a smart selection of in-house indie food traders
A new alternative Manchester Christmas market from the well-seasoned team behind our street food faves Grub.
Hawksmoor Manchester launches a new daytime menu full of fan favourites.
The Lawn Club is Manchester’s answer to an alfresco oasis in the heart of the city.
A Rat Pack-style restaurant with of live music and upscale Italian-American dining, and strictly no phones.
Hear ye, hear ye. Take some eating-out tips from our wintertime guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.
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