A plan for Liverpool

Liverpool is a city with great cultural heritage and was awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2008, with the famous Pier Head Waterfront being a UNESCO World Heritage site between 2004 and 2021. Liverpool is home to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and is also renowned for nurturing the talents of a wide range of musicians and band such as The Beatles, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Elvis Costello. The city possesses the largest national museum collection outside of London and has a fascinating and turbulent history as a great world maritime centre. Liverpool is home to Europe's oldest Chinatown. The famous Grand National Horse Race takes place in the outskirts of the city (Aintree). It is also home to two very successful Premier League football clubs, Liverpool and Everton. People from Liverpool are called Liverpudlians, or more popularly, Scousers. The latter name comes from the local lamb stew recipe, scouse. The word "Liverpudlian" can also refer to supporters of Liverpool FC, while "Scouser" is seen as more inclusive of Evertonians.

Although historically part of Lancashire, in contrast to natives of neighbouring Manchester, most Scousers have a strong local identity and do not identify as Lancastrians.

Visitor information

1 Liverpool Tourist Information Liverpool ONE, ONE, 5 Wall St, ☏ +44 151 233-2008, liverpoolvisitorcentre@liverpool.gov.uk. Mon-Sat 9:30AM-5:30PM, Sun 10:30AM-5PM (April-September) or 10AM-5PM (October-March). (updated Sep 2023)

Visit Liverpool tourist information.

Climate

Liverpool has a temperate maritime climate with mild summers, cool winters, and evenly spread rainfall throughout the year. The summer months have daytime highs averaging around 20 °C (68 °F) and overnight lows around 14 °C (57 °F). At its hottest, the temperature can climb towards and exceed 25 °C (77 °F) and not go below 16 °C (61 °F) at night, though these instances are uncommon. Daylight hours range between 4:45AM - 9:30PM in the summer months to 8:15AM - 4PM in the winter months.

Liverpool is particularly famous for its architecture, to the point where English Heritage consider it England's finest Victorian city. Once dilapidated and dirty during the dark times of the 1980s, modern Liverpool presents its architecture with full civic pride.

Pier Head

The harbour of Liverpool has played a very important role in the modern history of the city. The wharf area drained by the Mersey River gives to the city an air of antiquity, which is quite strange and interesting because of the contrast between modern and conventional buildings. The Pier Head was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO between 2004 and 2021, when it was controversially delisted due to modern development.

1 Museum of Liverpool, Pier Head, Liverpool Waterfront, Liverpool L3 1DG (on the riverside, get off at James St station), ☏ +44 151 478-4545. 10AM-5PM. A large museum all about the city of Liverpool and its history from ancient inhabitants of the area to its modern revival. Not to be confused with the World Museum, which is more "general" in scope. Free. (updated Jul 2022)

2 Royal Liver Building (on the riverside). Iconic symbol of Liverpool waterfront. This 1911 skyscraper still dominates the distinctive Liverpool skyline. It is the home of the legendary Liver Birds that sit on top of the building looking out across to the Wirral. The river-facing face of the clock is six feet larger in diameter than that of the clock tower at Westminster.

Titanic Memorial is north side of the Royal Liver Building, a sober granite monument to the 244 engineers lost with the ship.

3 The Beatles Story (Fab4D Cinema), Pier Head. A film telling a story using The Beatles as a theme.

4 Canada Boulevard, The Pierhead. Runs the entire length of the Three Graces frontage and consists of a boulevard of maple trees with plaques laid into the pavement listing the Canadian ships lost during the Second World War. (updated May 2026)

5 British Music Experience, Cunard Building, L3 1DS, ☏ +44 151 519-0915. 10AM-5PM. An exhibition telling the history of British rock and pop music since 1945. £20. (updated May 2026)

6 Open Eye Gallery, 19 Mann Island, L3 1BP, ☏ +44 151 236-6768. 10AM-5PM. (updated Aug 2019)

Note that many museums and galleries (including the Liverpool Museums ones) are closed Mondays.

1 The Bluecoat, School Lane, L1 3BX (Merseyrail: Liverpool Central Northern Wirral ), ☏ +44 151 702-5324, info@thebluecoat.org.uk. The Bluecoat (not to be confused with The Bluecoat School, which is a grammar school in Wavertree) is a world-famous prestigious school dating back to the 18th century, and is one of the oldest arts schools in Europe. It hosts arts exhibitions as well as music and literary events, but also offers tuition in fine art, music and literature.

2 Liverpool Arena (M&S Bank Arena), Kings Dock, Liverpool Waterfront, L3 4FP (Merseyrail: James Street Wirral ), ☏ +44 844 800 0400. 11,000-capacity arena for music, comedy and theatre performances. (updated Nov 2022)

3 Mersey Ferries, Gerry Marsden (former Pier Head) Ferry Terminal, George Parade, L3 1DP (Merseyrail: James Street Wirral in front of the Cunard Building), ☏ +44 151 330-1003. Departures hourly Mon-Fri 10AM-4PM Sat Sun 10AM-6PM. Immortalised by the hit song "Ferry Cross the Mersey" by Gerry & the Pacemakers, the ferries offer a fun 50-minute cruise with commentary up and down the river and across to Birkenhead, where you may disembark. There's no better way to see Liverpool's skyline. No matter the time of year or the weather conditions on land, bring warm clothing. See Mersey Ferry for more. River explorer: adult £11.50, child (aged 5-15) £7.50, under 5 free, concession £10.

Tour de France arrives in town on Sa 3 July 2027. This is the end of Day 2, racing 223 km from Keswick through the Lake District and Forest of Bowland. Check local media for road closures. Next day they race from Welshpool to Cardiff.

There are various pubs serving food across the city centre and its suburbs, of course. The two main areas are the City Centre and Lark Lane about three miles from the city centre in Aigburth. There are various restaurants on Allerton Road (near Liverpool South Parkway) as well. Expect to spend £20 for a meal for two. Check with your hotel first if they allow food delivery. There is also quite a number of places to eat in Liverpool One.

City Centre

1 Upstairs Restaurant Bar (Bluecoats), School Ln, ☏ +44 151 702-7783. Sun Mon 11:30AM-6PM; Tue-Sat lunch 11:30AM-3PM, afternoon tea 3PM-5:30PM, dinner 6PM-11PM. Offering seasonal food and a great wine list in a creative setting. Also offers a special children's menu (under 12s).

2 Espresso Bluecoat (Bluecoats), School Ln. 8AM-6PM daily (later when there is an event on). Offering Illy coffee, Jing leaf teas, Monbana hot chocolate and a range of soft drinks together with a selection of sandwiches, salads, homemade cakes and biscuits that are freshly made on the premises and able to be eaten on site or taken away. Also available, is a fine selection of alcoholic beverages ranging from locally produced bottled lager to wines by the glass or by the bottle.

Rococo, 61 Lord St, L2 6PB, ☏ +44 151 227-4822. (updated Aug 2019)

Student District, Georgian Quarter, and Hope Street

3 The Art School Restaurant, 1 Sugnall Street, L7 7DX, ☏ +44 151 230-8600, eat@theartschoolrestaurant.co.uk. Fine dining.

4 Fredericks, 32 Hope St, L1 9BX, ☏ +44 151 708-9574. Daily 10AM-11PM. £5-10..

5 Everyman Theatre Basement Bistro, 13 Hope St, L1 9BH, ☏ +44 151 709-4776. Daily 10AM-11PM. £5-10.

6 Free State Kitchen, 1 Maryland St, L1 9DE, ☏ +44 151 708-5005. Daily 10AM-11PM. £5-10.

Liverpool's nightlife is both famous and infamous, with Rough Guides placing a night out in the city at number three on their list of fifty things to do before you die. There's a huge selection of pubs, clubs and bars to suit a variety of music and atmospheric tastes. Friday and especially Saturday nights are the busiest nights, although a few bars are busy with students throughout the week. The areas around Mathew Street and Concert Square with nearby Wood Street are the main two nocturnal focal points. There is a good mix of locals and students. It is best to dress smart for the majority of bars and clubs (such as "Society" and "Garlands"). Notable exceptions are places like Le Bateau, the Krazy house, the Caledonia, and other places of a similar alternative style. Like any major UK city, it is pretty safe out at night. The local police have had a heavy presence on a Friday and Saturday night to combat any problems and are largely succeeding. It is pretty busy getting out of the city centre at the end of a weekend (especially at the start of university term time - Sep/Oct). There are plenty of black hackney cabs which congregate at various taxi ranks.

The Merseyrail system works until about midnight, whilst there are a series of dedicated night buses which run from the main bus stations, usually for a flat fare. All modes of transport tend to become very busy from around midnight.

Liverpool is home to the Cains brewery which produces a large selection of cask beers.

Dr Duncan's, St John's Lane – This is the premier pub for the local Cains brewery. It has a fine reputation and consequently is full of middle-aged professional drinkers. The pub has the full range of Cains beers, including Dr Duncan's IPA. Rudimentary bar menu, but good busy atmosphere on the weekend.

The Dispensary, Intersection of Renshaw and Leece Streets – Another of the local Cains brewery houses. Charming Victorian bar area. Usually has two rotating guest beers, plus a large selection of bottled beers and ciders.

Bus providers strongly encourage contactless payment, but will take exact fares at a pinch.

Liverpool City Centre is walkable, but those with mobility impairments or who are feeling lazy may prefer buses, Merseyrail, or taxis (including Uber, Ola, and local Delta as well as well as plentiful black cabs).

By public transport

By bus

Buses run out from the centre regularly from Liverpool One Bus Station in Canning Place (mainly to the south) and Queen Square Bus Station in Roe and Hood St. (mainly north/east). Both bus stations have travel centres with staff who will assist with which bus to get and from where. These travel centres also stock free transport guides and detailed timetable leaflets for each bus and train service. Highly recommended are the free 'map and guide' leaflets of the four main transport subdivisions of the Liverpool metropolitan area: Liverpool, Wirral (west), Southport (north) and St. Helens (east); these giant fold-out street maps show at a glance the route of every bus service (individual service leaflets are required for timetable information).

By Merseyrail (underground / metro)

Liverpool and the surrounding region is served by an excellent mass-transit system, which is indispensable for the visitor who wishes to explore outside the city centre. Destinations such as Chester, the Anthony Gormley sculpture "Another Place" (in Crosby), and the seaside town of Southport are popular tourist destinations on the network.

Due to the short distances involved, and the few central stations, the Merseyrail network is of limited value for money getting around the City Centre as the stations can usually be walked between in the time it takes to descend, travel, and ascend, with the possible exception of James Street to Lime Street. The network has several gaps in coverage as the latest expansions of the City Centre (such as the Baltic Triangle and North Docks), and Anfield Stadium do not have nearby stations. The Knowledge Quarter university district also suffers from poor Merseyrail connectivity, with the nearest station down a steep hill. The local government is seeking to amend some of these deficits - for example, funding has been approved to re-open a defunct station in the Baltic Triangle.

Liverpool is policed by Merseyside Police. If you need immediate assistance in an emergency, dial 999. For non-emergency assistance, either telephone 101 or visit the city centre Police stations open to the public:

St Anne's St Police Station, St Anne's St, Liverpool, L3 3HJ

Crime rates in Liverpool are low compared with most other large cities in the UK. You are no more likely to be a victim here than most other European cities. However, as in other cities, you should observe a few simple precautions. Don't leave valuables on display in an unattended car, for example. Even an empty car will get a smashed window from time to time, so try to park yours at private parks when the night comes. Try to stay aware of your surroundings and be discreet with cash, expensive camera equipment, etc.

You will find that Mancunians and Scousers get along much better than the stereotype suggests and you will very often come across each in each other's city. Be particularly aware of people who approach you in the street with stories of having lost their train fare home. These are typically begging techniques.

Stay on the beaten track at night and stick to the many themed pub and bars and avoid some of the larger dance clubs as these are more suited to streetwise locals or people who understand Liverpool culture well, although to be fair, most Scousers will welcome anyone to their city, and especially their clubs! Be prepared to wait for a taxi at night and don't be tempted to walk back to your hotel unless you are close by. Although Liverpool is a quite friendly place, a slightly sinister side appears after hours.

Some of the City's districts should be avoided by non-locals. Areas such as Croxteth, Dovecot, Everton, Huyton, Kensington, Kirkdale, Norris Green, Page Moss, Stockbridge Village and Toxteth are seeing some serious issues with gang related violence including increases in gun and knife crime and several murders have been recorded.