Manchester
Explore Manchester's trendy North Quarter
Traditions & Heritage • 3 hours
5.0
(6)
Explore Manchester's trendy North Quarter
Dive into Manchester's music vibe on a private tour. Stroll Northern Quarter, uncovering Piccadilly Records, craft designs, and local brews.
What makes this experience special
Key highlights
- Roam around the hip, North Quarter with a trendy host by your side.
- Your experience, your way - walk the streets, slowly taking in the new and old elements
- Visit the Manchester Craft and Design Centre, also grab a unique bite from a local bar
- Flip through vinyl at Piccadilly Records
- See unique secret spots known only to locals, from your host's point of view
- Throughout your time with them, speak to your host about what they think you’ll enjoy in NQ and other parts of MCR
What to know before you go
Here’s everything you need to know before your day unfolds.
3 hours
Fully tailored to your preferences
English Other languages may be requested
What’s included
A private and personalised experience
3 hours with your host
Walking experience (if required, your host can suggest public transport or private taxi options)
Hotel meet-up (available on request for central location)
What’s not included
Food and drink
Tickets to any attractions
Transportation costs
Gratuities (optional)
Meeting point
Your hotel/apartment or any other central locationCancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experienceWhat to bring
- We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and carrying a light bag for your essentials.
- Public transport may be used during the experience - please bring a travel card or small amount of cash for fares.
How your day could unfold
A flexible, unscripted experience designed entirely around your interests. Your host will adapt the day based on what excites you mostWhat you’ll do
Get your culture fix in the eclectic Northern Quarter - the trendiest neighborhood in Manchester. One of our Manchester hosts is ready and excited to show you what this unique and hip area has on offer.
Whatever your preferences - music, food, art (we’d take all three), your new-found friend aka our host (although to be honest, in this northern city everyone’s so friendly you’ll have plenty of new pals) will take you the coolest spots around.
You could pop into the patchwork of galleries, bars, and lifestyle stores or a popular attraction like the artists’ studios at Manchester Craft and Design Centre.
Despite the gentrification of the neighborhood, it’s stayed true to its original flare and is still loved by locals and visitors eager to get a taste of NQ’s unique vibe.
The music culture is rife in the North Quarter, so you could stop by live music venues, music history-filled pubs, and our recommendation, Piccadilly Records, an NQ institution where you’ll find vinyl to suit every taste.
And we’d be wrong to deprive you of even just a sample of drinks and snacks - skip from bar to bar, taste local craft brews and tantalizing cocktails, and eat your way from Thailand to Texas in the areas quirky and diverse eateries.
Welcome to where the cool kids hang out.
1. Select a date
2. Select start time
3. Tailor your experience
Answer a few quick questions to help your host craft the perfect day tailored to you.
1. What’s your preferred hosting style?
2. How would you like the pace of your day?
3. What’s your walking comfort level?
4. Are you celebrating something special?
Real Stories, Real Connections
See our hosts and guests creating memories
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What travelers think of this experience
DeEtte
Apr 2025
This was a highlight of my trip to Europe! The weather was disastrous but I had so much fun visiting all of the “Madchester” sites and hearing the AMAZING stories (historical and personal) that Darren had to share. He was beyond personable and if I didn’t live in another country I’d beg him to be my drinking buddy! Even if he supports United. Boo.
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Nicola
Mar 2025
Manchester is such a cool City and my tour guide Darren was perfect. He has lots of interesting local knowledge about the town’s history and culture. He was fascinating on the music scene in particular. It was fun and I would highly recommend.
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Nicola
Mar 2025
Manchester is such a fantastic City. There is so much to see but it is all very walkable. Darren was interesting and funny and passed on his love for the area. He knows a great deal about the history of the City and the music scene in particular. It was a fab morning tour! I would highly recommend.
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Rick
Mar 2025
Did you know that the “insert item” was invented in Manchester? We learned so much on our two hour tour including the incredible listing of invented/created in Manchester tidbits that we have a new found affinity for the city that has nothing to do with its football teams. Jutta was always communicating prior to the tour and even gave us a great pub suggestion for the day before our scheduled tour - she gave us a great 2 hour tour covering everything we asked for in the lead up to the tour. We wanted to know about the history of the city with some emphasis on the music scene in particular the late 70’s and early 80’s punk and new wave music makers. We ended the tour with another great suggestion for a quiet coffee and scone location. Jutta can easily be hired for a longer tour should one have the time or inclination. I’m sure we missed so much. However, it was what we asked for and she delivered in spades. A great tour!
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Madison
Mar 2025
My husband and I had a great time on the tour with Roy. He is exceptionally kind, vastly knowledgeable, and engages in easy, friendly conversation. He provided us an eclectic history of Manchester with lessons on the city’s origins, music, food, architecture, and much more.
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Matthew
Mar 2025
Our guide, Darren, was fantastic! We signed up for the Manchester Music Tour, but Darren did such a great job with combining it with Football history along with overall history of the City of Manchester. He had first hand knowledge of so many of the places that we visited and it was so great to get his perspective having lived through the Madchester scene! Darren was extremely personable and we got on with him very well. I would strongly recommend him to anyone that has a chance to participate in one of his many tours.
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