The Best Day Trips from Manchester

Manchester is a fantastic city, but sometimes, a quick escape is just what you need. Luckily, there are plenty of amazing day trips within easy reach—whether you’re after history, nature, or just a change of scenery. Here are some of the best options for a day out from Manchester.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a car – many of these can be reached by train. However, you may want to check my other post on best day trips from Manchester if you don’t have a car!

1. Peak District – For Nature Lovers

🚗 Distance: 1 hour by car | 🚆 45 minutes by train (to Edale or Hope)

If you love the outdoors, the Peak District is the perfect getaway. You’ll find breathtaking landscapes, rolling hills, and charming villages. Popular spots include:

Mam Tor – A scenic hike with stunning views.
Castleton – A picturesque village with caves to explore.
Bakewell – Try the famous Bakewell tart while wandering the quaint streets.

2. Liverpool – For Music & Culture

🚗 Distance: 1 hour by car | 🚆 50 minutes by train

A must-visit for Beatles fans and culture lovers! Liverpool offers:

The Beatles Story Museum – Dive into the history of the Fab Four.
Albert Dock – Home to the Tate Liverpool, museums, and great waterfront views. You can stroll, enjoy some coffee, or even take a sightseeing cruise!
Anfield Stadium – A pilgrimage for Liverpool fans! You can also take a stadium tour.

If you love beaches, Liverpool has multiple beach too!

Formby Beach – beautiful beach and a great place to see the native red squirrels!
Crosby Beach – enjoy the art installation of “Another Place” by Antony Gormley! The art installation consists of 100 cast-iron figures, modeled after the artist’s own body, placed on the beach and facing the sea. You can swim, picnic and do your favourite beach activities here. Great for walks too!

blue sky with clouds and empty streets of Liverpool near Albert dock, surrounded by tall white buildings with lots of glass windows. — quiet street of Liverpool on a Sunday morning!

3. Chester – For History & Architecture

🚗 Distance: 1 hour by car | 🚆 1 hour by train

This Roman city is full of history and charm. Don’t miss:

Chester Roman Amphitheatre – Explore ancient ruins. Free to see!
Chester Rows – Unique medieval shopping galleries – but my favourite things to do here is not shopping, but walking around to see the unique architecture of Chester.
Chester Zoo – One of the UK’s best zoos, perfect for families.
Chester City Wall – go up, walk a lap of the city wall and admire the city from above!

view of streets of Chester on a grey day. the building are in black and white architecture - black wooden beams and white walls. — loving the Chester white and black architecture, taken from the Chester wall.

4. York – For a Fairytale Town

🚗 Distance: 1.5 hours by car | 🚆 1 hour 20 minutes by train

Tip: parking in the middle of York city centre is a nightmare, I definitely suggest taking a train if visiting York city centre.

York is a dream for history and Instagram lovers alike. Highlights include:

York Minster – A stunning Gothic cathedral.
The Shambles – A medieval street that inspired Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley.
Jorvik Viking Centre – Step back in time to the Viking era.
York Chocolate’s Story – absolutely popular place for the kids (and adults too!)!
York Dungeon – if dark history and horror is your kinda thing….
River Cruise! – After all the walking and exciting opportunity, why not enjoy a relaxing cruise on the River Ouse and see the sights of York from the water with live commentary!

Tip: if you are visiting all the above – get the York City Pass for £64 to save money!

multiple hot air balloons lit up on a black dark sky background, with a crowd of people watching. — Yorkshire Hot Air Balloons Festival is another reason to visit York in autumn!

5. The Lake District – Beautiful Lakes

🚗 Distance: 1.5–2 hours by car | 🚆 1.5 hours by train (to Windermere)

For jaw-droppingly gorgeous landscapes, the Lake District is unbeatable. There’s so many lakes to visit in Lake District and things to do! I have been there for cumulatively more than a month and can’t absolutely finish everything. Saying that, you need to start from somewhere so here’s some top things to do:

Windermere (South)– Take a boat cruise on England’s largest lake. It’s the closest to Manchester but can be quite
Grasmere (Middle-ish)– Smaller and probably least touristy, quiet lake.Visit the home of poet William Wordsworth. Or a distillery tour?
Keswick (North) – towards the north end so the furthest away from Manchester. Not as small as Grasmere and nowhere as popular as Windermere! Great place to active things like do some canyoning or scrambling adventure!
Catbells – If you want a hike, Catbells is steep but rewarding climb with epic views. Saying that – I climbed it with a 5 year old lol. The views are absolutely amazing and worth it!

view of a lake in lake district, surrounded by lush green rolling hills. — Gorgeous view of the Lake District, even more dramatic on cloudy days!

6. Leeds – For Shopping & Nightlife

🚗 Distance: 1 hour by car | 🚆 50 minutes by train

I’m surprised by how many Mancunians, even residents, who haven’t been to Leeds yet. I am grateful to live in between Leeds and Manchester for many years. Leeds is a vibrant city with plenty to do:

Victoria Quarter & Trinity Leeds – Perfect for shopping.
Royal Armouries Museum – A fascinating (and free!) collection of weapons and armor.
Call Lane – One of the UK’s best nightlife spots!

aerial photo of Leeds. — Aerial photo of Leeds – Photo by Benjamin Elliott on Unsplash

7. North Wales – Mountain and Sea!

🚗 Distance: 1.5–2 hours by car | 🚆 1.5-3 hours by train

For both amazing coastal views or mountain adventures, North Wales is an incredible day trip. Top spots include:

Llandudno – A charming seaside town with a Victorian pier. If you have your car, Great Orme is an absolutely beautiful drive around (or you can take the tramway up!). My husband and I love it so much we had our engagement pictures taken in Llandudno! Beautiful pictures with both stunning blue water with a backdrop of green lush mountains.
Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park – Stunning landscapes and hikes (including Mount Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa!). Snowdon takes about 8 hours to climb but I am not the best hikers ever. Some people climb them in 4 hours.
Conwy Castle – A well-preserved medieval fortress.

2 sheep munching on the grass, with the view of lakes, rolling hills from the top of snowdonia on a beautiful clear day as a background. — Absolutely gorgeous view from Snowdon – featuring a munching sheep!

8. Hebden Bridge – For a Quirky Escape

🚗 Distance: 45 minutes by car | 🚆 30 minutes by train

This artsy town is a hidden gem with:

Independent shops and cafés – Perfect for a relaxed day out. I love Hebden Bridge cute little town.
Hardcastle Crags – A beautiful woodland walk. The bluebells bloom in May which turns to forest floor into absolutely gorgeous purple carpets. Or visit in autumn to see the amazing autum foliage!
Canal Walk – I used to run on the canal for my marathon training – it’s absolutely beautiful place to walk.

view of trees on hills with a river in between the hills, under a blue clear sky of Hardcastle Cragg in Hebden Bridge — Beautiful in every season but I absolutely love visiting Hebden Bridge in autumn colours.

Final Thoughts

Whether you want adventure, history, or just a peaceful retreat, these day trips from Manchester offer something for everyone. Which one will you choose first?

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