Liverpool 3-day Itinerary

This tour offers a rare glimpse inside one of Liverpool’s most iconic buildings, the Grade I-listed Royal Liver Building. Catch the cityscape views from the 10th floor balcony then climb up the historic clock tower to watch the audio-visual show.

A waterfront stroll along the River Mersey banks via the Albert Dock showcases Liverpool’s maritime-heritage architecture. The Pier Head is home to Liverpool’s iconic Three Graces, namely The Royal Liver Building, The Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building.

This popular museum tells the story of the Fab Four, the lads from Liverpool who went on to dominate the charts.

It’s presented via a trail through a series of galleries, recreating key landmarks in their story, such as the Hamburg club residency and the Abbey Road recording sessions. Of particular interest is a gallery devoted to The Beatles’ 1968 trip to Rishikesh, India, where they collaborated with sitar player Ravi Shankar to popularise the use of Indian instruments in 1960s pop music.

Overall, it’s a good, all-round introduction to the world’s most famous band and suitable for all ages.

Although best known for football and the Beatles, Liverpool first earned its place on the global stage as a major port during the Industrial Revolution; at one time, more than 40 percent of the world’s trade was passing through its docks.

This museum, located in a suitably stand-out building, does a fine job of celebrating, preserving and explaining this fascinating city’s heritage – industrial, artistic, cultural and sporting – with a balanced mix of collections and interactive displays.

This museum celebrates Liverpool’s seafaring heritage, including links to the Titanic story and a collection of vintage cruise posters. Don’t miss the Life on Board gallery, which documents the golden age of ocean liners from the 20th century to the current day.

Formed in Liverpool around 1960 and based around the ying-yang songwriting partnership of Paul McCartney and John Lennon, The Beatles are the world’s most successful ever band.

They are the best-selling music act of all time and hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart. After their breakthrough 1962 hit, Love Me Do, they went onto conquer America and spark Beatlemania, the hysteria that would later be associated with boy bands.

These days Liverpool is synonymous with the Fab Four – their faces smile down over the city from street-art facades; cafes, bars and even hotels play on the Beatles theme. Indeed, they’re now Liverpool’s primary visitor attraction, pulling in tourism from around the world.

Thankfully, their remarkable story lives on at various sites across the city.

This museum in the Cavern Quarter, run by the local Best family, focuses on the early years, notably The Quarrymen, the late Fifties skiffle band featuring a young Lennon, McCartney and Harrison. Pete Best, the owner’s brother, was the band’s first drummer before Ringo.

Heart of the Mathew Street Cavern Quarter, home to Beatles-themed bars, shops and the Hard Days Night Hotel, this cellar-like music venue is where The Beatles played their first gig at a lunchtime session in 1961. It hosts live music to this day.

A visit to Forthlin Road, the McCartney’s family home from 1955 to 1964, highlights the stories from Paul’s teenage years and illustrates how his gentler character complemented John’s humour and spikiness to form the ultimate songwriting partnership. Guided tours only

The leafy South Liverpool suburb of Woolton is home to the childhood houses of Lennon and McCartney, both now owned by the National Trust. Lennon’s home, preserved in its 1950s heyday, include his teenage bedroom, where he first wrote Please, Please Me. The guided tours also include a visit to 20 Forthlin Road, Paul McCartney’s childhood home.

The former Salvation Army children’s home, made famous by the 1967 song Strawberry Fields Forever, is now an exhibition about Lennon’s early life. The site first opened in 1936 and the young John would play in the gardens while living nearby with his aunt Mimi.

Beatles devotees will love the nostalgic ambiance of this Beatles-themed hotel, which borders the city-centre Cavern Quarter.

It plays up its adoration for the Fab Four with a pop-art-motif décor and a menu of classic modern British food at Blakes Restaurant, plus serves the hotel’s signature Sgt. Pepper afternoon tea in the Lounge.

Show your musical allegiance by choosing between the McCartney and Lennon suite, the later with its statement white piano to inspire a rendition of Lennon’s Imagine.

A night surrounded by Beatles memorabilia doesn’t come cheap, but the central location means the main attractions are walking distance, including a 15-minute walk towards the waterfront, as well as the Beatles attractions.

Liverpool Football Club (LFC) has a proud sporting history and this behind-the-scenes tour to a site of footballing pilgrimage is a must-do for football fans.

The guided tour, led by a knowledgeable local guide, takes in all the essential sites, such as the home team dressing room, the pitch, player’s tunnel, cityscape views from the top level of the main stand, and selfies in the manager’s seat in the dugout. It’s an opportunity to celebrate 130 years plus of sporting heritage with broad appeal for all ages.

The northern counterpart of the world-renowned Tate enterprise occupies a converted warehouse on the waterfront at Liverpool’s iconic, cast-iron Albert Dock. Built in 1846, this grand complex of Grade-I listed buildings was considered revolutionary in its design; a suitable environment, then, to house the Tate’s eclectic collection of British art dating from 1500 to the modern day.

Expect a diverse and inspired programme of special exhibitions plus plenty of children’s activities on offer. There’s also a great on-site shop and café with a strong art motif.

Often dubbed ‘the National Gallery of the North’, the Walker boasts the largest collection of art outside London.

Housed in a grand, neoclassical building, its first-floor works range from European Art from 1300-1900, including pieces by Rembrandt, Turner, Poussin and Degas, to 20th-century works by Lucian Freud, David Hockney, and Gilbert and George.

The ground floor has a craft and design gallery, a sculpture gallery, and a special gallery dedicated to children. There is also a programme of regular temporary exhibitions. The gallery is very family-friendly, with a special family gallery is designed to introduce under-eights to the collection.