Manchester is one of those cities where you can constantly find something to do, whether that be taking in some football, indulging in the many places to eat in Manchester, or enjoying the city’s history. It’s also known as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, so there are plenty of museums and unique places to visit. Spending 2 days in Manchester is easy to do, and you may even find that you need more time to take everything in.
Manchester is a city that blends its history with its progressiveness perfectly, and I’d highly recommend spending at least one night in the city. Here are a few recommendations about what to do in Manchester.
Things to do in 2 days in Manchester
Visit Old Trafford
No 2 days in Manchester is complete without visiting the best football stadium in the world – Old Trafford. You can walk around the outside of the grounds for free and enter their official shop, but I would highly recommend going on the stadium tour, which costs £25 per adult. If you travel by train and plan to visit on the same day, check out Northern Rail’s 2-for-1 ticket vouchers beforehand, it’s a great way to save money.
Manchester’s Northern Quarter
Manchester’s Northern Quarter is bursting with fantastic places to eat and shops to explore. This is one of the best areas in the city to go for brunch, and most of the restaurants and cafes are very unique and locally run. Even if you only have a half day in Manchester, make your way here for some tasty food.
Grab a drink at The Alchemist
You absolutely need to head over to Spinningfields for the best cocktail spots and upscale restaurants. The Alchemist is a favourite of mine, and even though the cocktails are quite pricey, they’re worth it for how they’re presented. They also have a fantastic food menu.
The Alchemist’s cocktail menu is vast, and they’re always adding new ones to the mix. If you sit at the bar, you can watch as your cocktails are blended with a bit of science to create a magical experience. They have a few locations across England too, such as in nearby Chester or Liverpool.
Look out for the Manchester bees
Bees are an important symbol to the city of Manchester, and there are now loads of statues placed all over the city for you to find. This one in particular was in front of Old Trafford, but I saw quite a few others uniquely decorated throughout the city centre too.
Marvel at John Rylands Library
The John Rylands Library is a stunning place to visit in Manchester, situated right in the heart of the city, next to Spinningfields. There is a lot of history behind it, and it looks like something you would find at Hogwarts. Best of all, it’s something free to do, so if you’ve got 2 days in Manchester I’d definitely recommend coming here for an hour or so.
Dine at Revolucion de Cuba
Tapas and Margaritas. What more could you ask for? Revolucion de Cuba is located on Peter Street, and sits right across from the cinema. This is one of my favourite restaurants in Manchester, and is very reasonably priced too.
Grab a sweet treat at Black Milk
Black Milk has the most incredible freakshakes ever. If you’re spending 2 days in Manchester, or even just a few hours, I would definitely visit this spot for a sweet treat. They’re located in the Northern Quarter, and have a few other dessert options on the menu too other than freakshakes.
Enjoy Manchester Pride
The Manchester Pride festival takes place every year at the end of August. It lasts for four days and it’s one of the city’s most anticipated events of the year. Unlike other Pride weekends in Europe, for this one you’ll need to purchase a ticket to enter Manchester’s Gay Village. This is where you’ll find all of the popular bars, several stages with world famous acts, and plenty of food stalls and street performers. The atmosphere is like nothing else, so if you’re spending 2 days in Manchester and it happens to land over Pride Weekend, make sure you get a ticket!
Where to stay in Manchester
Novotel Manchester City Centre
Novotel Manchester City Centre is in the perfect location to explore Manchester from. It sits directly opposite Chinatown, and it’s only a 5 minute walk from Oxford Road train station. Our room had an enormous smart television in it, a Bose speaker system, and a very unique glass wall in the shower that changed from transparent to solid with the press of a button.
There’s a buffet style breakfast served every morning which I’d highly recommend adding to your booking too. They also have an on-site restaurant, Exchange Food & Drink Lounge, which has a good menu to choose from.
We stayed here for three nights and loved everything about it. Prices vary depending on your room choice, but it’s definitely good value for money. The Accor Group hotels always have great options for accommodation. We even chose to stay at one when we visited Tallinn in the summer.
>> Check the availability at the Novotel Manchester City Centre <<
I thoroughly enjoyed my 2 days in Manchester, and can’t wait to return to explore more of the city’s key attractions. It looks like all I did was eat, but I did explore the streets and shops as well. There are loads of amazing things to see in Manchester, and there’s definitely something for everyone!
There are quite a few cities close to Manchester that you can go on a day trip to if you have the time, such as Liverpool and Blackpool. Don’t forget to follow my travels on Instagram too!
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