Tours and Activities in Manchester and the North

Carmel Smickersgill, Tours & Activities Editor

Last Updated 28 July 2021

Summer is here and we’re so excited to be out in the world touring, making, playing and doing all the things Manchester and the North has to offer. We’ve rounded up some must-see and more alternative tours and activities that you can have a go at this summer.

The Manchester Jewish Museum is making the most of its new learning kitchen with weekly Summer Bake Off sessions. You can learn about the heritage of each baked delight while you make them. Then, at the end of the session, you’ll get to fully appreciate this cultural experience, when you get the chance to eat the baked goods.

Find the Yorkshiresaurus, a newly imagined dinosaur with a ‘Y’ shaped spine and rhubarb tail

In Leeds, the summer is turning prehistoric with the arrival of the Jurassic Trail. Gigantic, moving, roaring dinosaurs are scattered throughout the city centre. Using the app, you can find them all and learn about each one’s life in prehistoric times. You can also discover the Yorkshiresaurus, a newly imagined dinosaur with a ‘Y’ shaped spine and rhubarb tail.

Build and decorate your own animal sculpture

If you’re looking for a new hobby to embark on, fishing may not be the first thing you’d think of, but the King Edward IV Angling society at Boggart Hole Clough is holding an all-female taster session for beginner anglers. It’s the perfect introduction to a typically male sport. For something completely different and a bit more creative, why not join ceramicist Katherine Lees at Manchester Craft and Design Centre for a workshop where you can build and decorate your own animal sculpture.

Partisan are embarking on a new venture in August with Queer Gym Manchester. These new exercise classes are inclusive spaces for all, giving the LGBT+ community a safe space to enjoy fitness.

Scroll down to find out more, alongside some other tops picks of tours and activities, and stay well folks.

Here are our picks

1. Summer Bake Off at Manchester Jewish Museum

Manchester Jewish Museum baking challah bread, Chris Payne, 2021

Summer Bake Off at Manchester Jewish Museum at Manchester Jewish Museum, Cheetham Hill, Until 25 August 2021, from £4 - Book now

Get hands on with heritage and learn some new skills with the summer bake off at Manchester Jewish Museum.

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2. Ceramic Animal Sculpture Workshop at MCDC

Katherine Lees

Ceramic Animal Sculpture Workshop at MCDC at Manchester Craft & Design Centre, Manchester, 18 September 2021, from £35 - Book now

Join award-winning ceramicist Katherine Lees to sculpt your own ceramic animal sculpture and hand decorate it with coloured underglazes.

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3. Jurassic Trail 2 in Leeds City Centre

via Leeds Inspired

Leeds Jurassic Trail 2, Until 12 September 2021 - Book now

This summer, Leeds is been taken over by a crowd of gigantic animatronic dinosaurs. Find diplodocus, Stegosaurus and Yorkshiresaurus among others on the Jurassic trail.

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4. All female fishing at Boggart Hole Clough

pexels Karolina Grabowska

Ladies Introduction Into Fishing at Boggert Hole Clough, urban park in Blackley, Manchester, 21 August 2021, free entry

Join the King Edward IV Angling Society and the Lakeside Cafe at Boggart Hole Clough for a day of all female fishing fun.

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5. Queer Gym Manchester at Partisan

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels

Queer Gym at Partisan at Partisan, Manchester, 9 August 2021, from £9 - Book now

Aria Scere-Jacobs will be leading a fitness space with an open mind to bodies, identities and getting sweaty with Queer Gym at Partisan.

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6. The Liver Bird Safari Walking Tour

ArtsGroupie

The Liver Bird Safari Walking Tour at Bluecoat, City Centre, Until 30 August 2021, from £10 - Book now

Liverpool has over 100 Liver birds hidden within its architecture. Join ArtsGroupie for a Liver Bird Safari where you’ll learn about these mythical creatures and their heritage ties to the city.

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7. Curious About Leeds, Self guided walking tour of Leeds

via Leeds Inspired

Curious About Leeds - Heritage Walks for the Curious!, Until 26 March 2022 - Book now

Take a walk through the heritage of Leeds city centre in your own time and your own way, with this self guided walking tour.

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8. Candle making at Cheshire Workshops

Courtesy of Cheshire Workshops

Candle making (Cheshire Workshops), Until 31 December 2021, from £13 - Book now

Try your hand at candle making with the experts at Cheshire Workshops, this fun and creative skill is suitable for all ages.

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9. Craft Beer Tour Around Manchester

The Craft Tour Company

Craft Beer Tour Around Manchester, 7 August–18 December 2021, from £30 - Book now

Craft Beer Tour Manchester bring the best Mancunian brewing talent, into the space of one afternoon. Expect to find a new favourite tipple.

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10. Eat The City – Scranchester Tours

Scranchester tours

Eat The City - Scranchester Tours, Until 31 December 2021, from £50 - Book now

Satisfy your hunger for knowledge as well as lunch with Scranchester’s food tours of the city centre. You may discover a new favourite hidden gem or learn a bit more about the cultural or historical significance of the food you eat all the time.

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11. Play Reading with Hope Mill Theatre

Hope Mill Theatre

Play Reading with Hope Mill Theatre at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, Until 24 September 2021, free entry - Visit now

Every last Friday of the month, Hope Mill host a (currently online) pay as you feel play reading group facilitated by actor Janelle Thompson.

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12. Daily Manchester Walking Tours

Lee Baxter

Free Manchester Walking Tours, Until 30 September 2021, free entry - Visit now

Free Manchester Walking Tours offer a friendly introduction to the city. Setting off every day at 11am, they’ll help you get into the architecture, art and culture of this diverse microcosm.

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13. Elders Mondays with the Royal Exchange

Royal Exchange

Elders Mondays with the Royal Exchange, online, Until 31 August 2021, from £4 - Book now

Feel connected and stay creative with a group of like minded older people with Elders Mondays from the Royal Exchange.

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14. The Manchester Cheese Crawl

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels

The Manchester Cheese Crawl at St Ann’s Square, City Centre, Until 28 August 2021, from £25 - Book now

Eat your way through the dairy based delights of Manchester, with the Manchester Cheese Crawl walking tour.

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15. Botanical Embroidery Workshop at OBJECT

Rebecca Stevens

Botanical Embroidery Workshop at OBJECT, Chorlton, Chorlton, 9 October 2021, from £49.1 - Book now

Join artist Rebecca Stevens for an afternoon of crafting where you’ll make your own botanical embroidery with 3 simple embroidery stitches.

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16. Women and Girls Skate sessions at Projekts

Women and Girls Skate sessions at Projekts at Projekts MCR Skatepark, City Centre, Until 26 August 2021, from £8 - Book now

Join Projekts skate park exclusively for women and girls skating, every Thursday from 7 – 9 pm. Be warned the sessions are very popular so book in advance to avoid disappointment.

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17. Zoom Tours: Jonathan Schofield’s New Series

Johnathan Schofield

Johnathan Schofield's Zoom Tours Series, online, Until 24 August 2021, free entry - Visit now

Join expert tour guide Johnathan Schofield as he travels chronologically and geographically through the culture, architecture and geography of Manchester.

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18. Goodtime Games

Goodtime Games

Goodtime Games, 212 Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2LW - Visit now

Goodtime Games is the latest arrival to Burton Road. Serving up delicious vegan and vegetarian food alongside a plethora of table top fun.

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19. Alliance Française de Manchester

Alliance Française de Manchester, 125 Portland St,, Manchester, M1 4QD - Visit now

Le français, c’est chic! The Alliance Française de Manchester has a large range of online and onsite French courses starting 14 September.

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Activity Until 30 September 2021,

A Garden Through Time (Online)

A Garden Through time is an audio tour designed to help you explore the site of the old Leeds Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

Activity Until 31 December 2021, FREE

Blackburn Open Walls

Over 3 years, forgotten walls of Blackburn were brought to life with the creation of a vibrant outdoor gallery, by international, national and local artists, who together over 2 weeks, created a collection of large scale murals and art walk trails for the residents and visitors of Blackburn to enjoy.

Activity Until 31 December 2021, from £18

Pendle Hill Witch Experience Tours

Group tours of Lancashire in the area surrounding Pendle Hill. Through visiting the countryside and villages of Pendle, visitors learn all about the dark deeds and wicked plots surrounding the Pendle Witches in the 1600s.

Activity Until 31 December 2021, from £80

Discover Buxton Tram Tours

Enjoy a journey through time on Discover Buxton Tour’s unique vintage tram.

Activity Until 31 December 2021, from £15

Discover Buxton Character Tours

These colourful character guides offer unique and entertaining insights into the history of some of Buxton’s most iconic buildings.

Activity Until 31 December 2021, from £10

Discover Buxton Walking Tours

Have your history delivered by expert guides whose passion for the heritage of Buxton spills into the unexpected.

Activity Until 31 December 2021, from £15

Discover Buxton Roman Tours

Join local historian Brian Shepherd for a walk around the town and learn what Buxton may have looked like during Britain’s Roman occupation.

Activity Until 31 December 2021, from £10

Discover Buxton Audio Tours

Discover Buxton’s audio tours of The Peak cover the area around Buxton and are designed to be enjoyed from the comfort of your own vehicle.

doodle den at people's history museum, young girl using thick marker pen to drawer on a glass panel

Activity Until 31 December 2021, FREE

Doodle Den: Playful Protests Online

Pick up a pen and encourage the whole family to explore the art of peaceful protest.

Culture Guides

Cinema in Manchester and the North

Hong Kong classics, a John Carpenter marathon and an obscene midnight movie masterpiece all feature in this month’s cinema guide.

Rachel Kneebone: 399 Days at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Exhibitions

Tales of antiquity, cloud gazing, and a return to the forest all feature among this month’s hand-picked selection of exhibition highlights.

Grimm Tales: Witches, Wolves, Fairies and Frogs at Williamson Park

Families

With summer in full bloom in Costa del Manchester and the North, we round up our top alfresco activities to do with the family, plus exciting indoor offerings.

Literature

With August, the literature scene is promising some hot events, both online and in real life: with book launches, short story showcases, regular poetry chats, live readings and even an exhibition of word art…

Music

Outdoor shows, candle-lit jazz gigs, boozy all-dayers. Manchester and the North’s live music scene is making up for lost time.

Theatre

As some of our favourite theatre teams head back into the rehearsal room, we take a look ahead to some of the performances we’re most looking forward to, as well as the outdoor theatre happening now.