Liverpool is well know for its history as one of the country’s largest ports but also for famous musicians from the 50s and beyond, most notably the Beatles. In this article we will take you through the best way to spend two days here and you’ll find out why it’s loved by both local and international tourists.
Day one
Getting there
If you travelling to Liverpool from somewhere in the UK you’ll most likely be arriving by car or rail. Both are super easy and will lead you directly into the heart of the city. By car all you need to do is make your way to the M62 if you’re travelling in from the north or the M53 if you’re travelling in from the south. However, if you are going this southern route you’ll have to go through one of the Mersey Tunnels which will cost you a few pounds depending on your vehicle a full list of prices is available here. Another thing to keep in mind if you are in a car that parking in Liverpool is quite hard and quite expensive which is why we would recommend traveling by train if you can.
Travelling by train is a great choice for anyone wanting to get to Liverpool quickly and easily. It’s especially good for the rail fans out there as the Liverpool and Manchester line is steeped in history thanks to it being the first inter-city rail line in the world. You’ll arrive into Liverpool Lime Street station which is also the world’s oldest still-operating train terminus in the world (the oldest operating station in the world is a few stations up the line at broad green). Lime Street has direct connections to almost all major UK cities including London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham and Newcastle.
If you’re traveling from abroad and arriving by plane you have the options of both Liverpool and Manchester airport. Manchester airport is connected directly to Liverpool by a train to Lime Street station and Liverpool airport has several direct bus connections into the city centre including the 500 (the dedicated airport bus) and the 86A and 80A.
The Docks of Liverpool
One of things Liverpool is most famous for is extensive dockland, this was much bigger one hundred years ago but there are still bits left for you to explore. The main one of these is the Royal Albert dock which was restored to its former glory in the 1980s. There is a mix of shops and restaurants and bars in the dock as well as boat rides and water sports. We would recommend going here as early in the morning as you can as it often gets very busy with tourists the later on in the day you go. There is also docks and other attractions in the area surrounding the albert dock including the M&S bank Arena and The Wheel of Liverpool.
Ferry Across the Mersey
After exploring the waterfront your next stop is the iconic Mersey ferries. These leave from the Liverpool pier head (just outside the Liver Building) once an hour between 10am and 6pm (there are also commuter services before and after these times). The regular River Explorer cruise is a 50 minute round trip and will cost you £11.00 for an adult (16+), £7.00 for a child (5-15) and £9.50 for a concession (anyone over 60 or students with an NUS card).
Liverpool Museums
The rest of your day will be spent exploring the large amount of museums and art galleries that litter Liverpool. We have an article all about the museums that you can find here but for the art galleries there are two main ones: the Tate Liverpool, which is mainly modern art similar the the famous Tate Modern in London, and The Walker Art Gallery which has more traditional art and special exhibitions. Both of these galleries are free to get into!
Visit the Cavern Club
After spending some time at the museums your final stop of the day will be the world famous Cavern Club! Shows here range from a wide variety of music to even comedy on some nights (although if you’re a comedy fan would would recommend the Hot Water Comedy Club instead). To find out what’s on at the Cavern when you’re visiting check out the page on their website here.
Day Two
Day two has no set plan so is flexible depending on what you want to get out of the rest of your trip in Liverpool
If you are a museum buff it is likely that you didn’t get through all of the museums on day one so we would recommend allowing at least some of the second day to explore some of the remaining ones mentioned in our museum article.
If you’re a fan of animals or just want to visit another nearby historic town, Chester is just a short train ride away, you can also get there by car if you want by heading through the mersey tunnel. You can check our full 48 hours in Chester article here to find out if there’s something there for you.
Beatles fanatics will love to do a Beatles tour during their visit and there’s a couple of ways to do this. You can take the “Magical Mystery Tour” which is a two hour coach tour that starts from the ALbert dock and goes to famous sites such as Penny Lane and Strawberry fields. Tickets to this tour are expensive with an adult ticket costing £19.95 and a child ticket (anyone under 16) costing £10.00. If you fancy saving this money you can always do a tour yourself such as this one from GPSmycity. These are a great alternative seeing a lot of the same sights but cost you nothing.
Furthermore, for Beatles fans, there the Beatles Story museum, once again in the Albert Dock. This museum is the largest one in the world dedicated to The Beatles and has replicas of things such as Abbey road studios and The Cavern Club for you to explore. Due to its size it does come with a hefty entrance fee, £16.00 for an adult over 16 and £9.00 for a child 15 and under. A full price list is available here.
To finish your day head to Bold street in the heart of the city centre to find the perfect restaurant to enjoy before you leave. We would recommend Mowgli which serves traditional indian street food and curries, their full menu can be found here.
If you enjoyed this article why not check out one of our other 48 hours posts on Edinburgh here.
Do you have any tips for a trip to Liverpool? Let us know in the comments below.
Seagull With a Suitcase 
I only know of Liverpool thanks to The Beatles, but after reading your post and several others who’ve gone, it shows that there’s more than what meets the eye with this city! I’d love to check it out someday, that’s for sure. 🙂
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It’s truly a great city, but it is definitely overshadowed by the Beatles at times. Definitely worth a visit!
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