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 feel 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

Trees, Flowers and Manchester City Centre Green Spaces Tour

Trees, Flowers and Manchester City Centre Green Spaces Tour at St Ann’s Square, Manchester, 24–25 May 2025, From £20.00 - Book now

Beneath the glass and steel of modern Manchester, the city conceals a softer story: one of gardens grown from graveyards, viaducts re-wilded above railway lines, and canals carving silent paths between old mills and new towers.

The Manchester Music Walkabout

The Manchester Music Walkabout at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, Until 6 December 2025, 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.

Walking Tour Stock imagery
istock.com - Iryna Melnyk

The Manchester Pub Walkabout

The Manchester Pub Walkabout at Manchester Central Library, Manchester, Until 6 December 2025, From £25.00 - 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 Didsbury

Secrets of Didsbury, 4 October 2025, 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.

St James' Church, Didsbury (1)
Jonathan Schofield

Suffragettes, Significant Women and Manchester

Suffragettes, Significant Women and Manchester at Manchester Central Library, Manchester, Until 12 October 2025, 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

The Kimpton Clocktower Tour

The Kimpton Clocktower Tour at Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Manchester and online, 24 May–8 November 2025, From £20 - Book now

Explore the incredible history behind one of Britain’s grandest and most storied commercial buildings while getting exclusive access to hidden spaces full of original features.

jonathan schofield giving tour
jonathanschofieldtours.com

The Secrets of Rochdale with a Visit to the Town Hall

The Secrets of Rochdale with a Visit to the Town Hall at Rochdale Pioneers Museum, Manchester, 31 May 2025, From £20.00 - Book now

Incorporating the esplanade, Town Hall and Pioneers Museum, Rochdale has an incredible story to tell. Hear it brought to life as you explore the sites (and sights) of this fascinating town.

Rochdale Town Hall
Jonathan Schofield

Secrets of Angel Meadow and the Irk Valley

Secrets of Angel Meadow and the Irk Valley, 7 June 2025, From £20.00 - Book now

In the north of Manchester City Centre lies an area that many aren’t familiar with – yet. It’s home to green landscapes, captivating architecture, and some very dark stories.

Angel Meadow
Jonathan Schofield Tours

The Secrets of Heaton Hall and Park

The Secrets of Heaton Hall and Park at Heaton Park, Manchester, 8 June 2025, From £25.00 - Book now

James Wyatt was one of the great architects of his day and Heaton Hall is one of his masterworks, built in phases between 1778 and 1789. This guided tour includes a rare visit inside the house where you’ll explore its glorious interiors.

Heaton Hall
Heaton Hall

Salford Lads Club Tour

Salford Lads Club Tour, 14 June 2025, From £20.00 - Book now

Made world famous as the centre-fold of The Smiths album, The Queen is Dead, Salford Lads Club is the finest example of its type and date in the country. Indeed it’s the only surviving Lads Club anywhere.

Salford Lads Club Exterior
Leslie Holmes

More Jonathan Schofield Walking Tours

jonathan schofield giving tour
Manchester
The Kimpton Clocktower Tour

Explore the incredible history behind one of Britain’s grandest and most storied commercial buildings: Manchester’s Grade II listed Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.

Rochdale Town Hall
TourRochdale
The Secrets of Rochdale with a Visit to the Town Hall

Discover Rochdale’s rich history on this guided tour, featuring the newly restored Town Hall, St Chad’s Church, and the Pioneers Museum.

Angel Meadow
TourManchester
Secrets of Angel Meadow and the Irk Valley

Explore green spaces, striking architecture, and fascinating stories at Angel Meadow and the Irk Valley, which has a dark past but bright future.

Heaton Hall
TourManchester
The Secrets of Heaton Hall and Park

Enjoy a rare visit inside the glorious Heaton Hall, while uncovering the fascinating history of the ‘people’s park’ outside.

Salford Lads Club Exterior
TourManchester
Salford Lads Club Tour

Salford Lads Club shot to global fame as the iconic backdrop on The Smiths’ album The Queen is Dead, but its significance goes far beyond its musical ties.

Horse and Jockey Chorlton
Walking TourManchester
The Secrets of Chorlton

From a hamlet on a road to nowhere to one of Manchester’s most desirable suburbs. What’s the story behind Chorlton-cum-Hardy?

Cutting Room Square
Until
TourManchester
Secrets of Ancoats and New Islington

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

Stockport Plaza
Until
TourManchester
Secrets of Stockport

Join Jonathan Schofield Tours and explore the fascinating stories and stunning architecture of a town on a meteoric rise.

Manchester Town Hall
TourManchester
The Magical Mystery Bike Tour

Hop on your bike for this guided cycling tour, exploring fascinating corners of Manchester you may never have seen before.

Peterloo Tour
TourManchester
The Peterloo Massacre Tour

Visit key locations associated with a moment that helped shape the future of the nation, tracing the footsteps of those who stood for change.

Southern Cemetary Chorlton by Tom Jeffs
Until
TourChorlton
Southern Cemetery Tour

Within Chorlton’s Southern Cemetery lie fascinating stories, beautiful architectural details, and the inspiration behind one of The Smith’s best songs.

Knutsford Tour
TourKnutsford
Secrets of Knutsford

From wild buildings to wilder characters, explore hidden histories and architectural oddities in the Cheshire town of Knutsford.

Science and Industry Museum
TourManchester
The Railway Age Begins: An Anniversary Tour

In 1830, the world’s first fully operational, steam-powered passenger railway opened between Liverpool and Manchester. Take a closer look at this breakthrough moment.

The University of Manchester
Until
TourManchester
Secrets of The University of Manchester with Interior Visits

Epic architecture, hidden green spaces and ideas that changed the world. Explore the rich history of achievement at The University of Manchester.

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.

Halloween Ghost Tour
TourManchester
Halloween: The Ghosts of Manchester

Explore Manchester’s creepiest corners this Halloween, when Jonathan Schofield Tours will reveal the city’s ghosts with the most.

Walking Stock Image
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

Free Activity at Aviva Studios
Until
ComedyManchester
Free Activity at Aviva Studios

From comedy nights to drop-in family craft sessions, Factory International bring an accessible and inclusive programme of events this spring – the best thing, it’s all free.

Free entry
Rina Srabonian.
Until
MusicCity Centre
manchester jazz festival 2025

manchester jazz festival is back this May with 10 days of live music from some of the best northern, national and international musicians operating in the world of contemporary jazz.

0-£30

District guides

  • 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.

  • 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...

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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,...

  • 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.

  • A coffee stand at Levenshulme Market
    Levenshulme, Manchester

    From cultural points of interest to unique watering holes, explore what Levenshulme has to offer in our guide.

  • Canal Street, Manchester

    Manchester’s picturesque Canal Street and its surroundings constitute what is reputedly the oldest gay village in the country.

  • Photo of a handwritten label in a cafe that says
    Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester

    Tis Burton Road is the heart of West Didsbury, a beautifully maintained leafy hubbub of shops, bars and restaurants where independence is paramount. The main strip is home to fifteen...

  • Beech Road Chorlton, Manchester

    A laid-back mix of gift shops, independent outfitters, restaurants, pubs and parks, on a sunny weekend afternoon it’s heaving.

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

A man wearing red eye makeup dressed in black with a top hat and a cane over his shoulder.
Spotlight on

Tours and Activities in the North

Books, beer and burlesque. Dive into a glorious tangle of joyful happenings.

Take me there

Culture guides

  • Theatre in Manchester and the North
    Theatre in the North

    Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our guide.

  • Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
    Exhibitions in the North

    Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

  • portrait of Lorsung in a dark shirt with dark hair and dark round glasses
    Literature Events in the North

    We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.

  • Sextile
    Music in the North

    Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring. 

  • Classical Music in the North

    Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.

  • Three men sit next to each other. One's head is bandaged, one holds a torch and one wears a sleepmask.
    Cinema in the North

    Live scores, midnight movies and the latest from Wes Anderson are just some of our upcoming film highlights.

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
Deansgate
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.