Last Updated on April 29, 2024 by Sam
While the city itself has lots to offer, there are also some amazing tours and day trips from Liverpool. There are plenty of great spots to visit nearby, including Crosby Beach, the Formby sand dunes and Southport. If you’re willing to go a bit further afield then you can also visit stunning spots like the Lake District, North Wales and the Peak District as day trips from Liverpool. With a variety of interesting places to visit within 1 or 2 hours of Liverpool, there’s something for everyone – from family days out to hikes in beautiful national parks. Check out the best tours and day trips from Liverpool below!
If you’re looking for things to do in the city itself then make sure to check out our guide to a day in Liverpool!
Best day trips and tours from Liverpool
Crosby Beach
Just a few miles north of Liverpool City Centre you will find Anthony Gormley’s impressive ‘Another Place’ installation at Crosby Beach. Consisting of 100 life-size, cast-iron figures looking out to sea, the installation stretches for around 3 kilometres along the beach.
The statues are spread out along the beachfront, and are made from casts of the artist’s own body. Some of the statues are even situated in the water, with the installation stretching for a kilometre out to sea.
This unique installation makes a walk along Crosby Beach ideal if you’re looking for some different things to do in Liverpool. You can easily pass an hour wandering along the beach and admiring this work of art. You can find out more about the artwork on Anthony Gormley’s website.
Pay and display parking is available near Crosby Beach if you want to drive. Alternatively you can use public transport, with both buses and trains running from Liverpool to Crosby, and vice versa, making it one of the easiest day trips to do.
If you are interested in his artwork you can find more here in the seaside town of Folkestone in Kent.
Lake District
A visit to the Lake District is one of the best day trips and tours you can do from Liverpool. There are plenty of great walks to do in the area, as well as some truly breathtaking viewpoints to visit.
Click here to see what amazing hikes you can do in the Lake District with AllTrails!
The Lake District is England’s biggest national park close to the border of Scotland, and is home to some of the highest mountains and peaks in the country. It’s an incredibly scenic area thanks to the stunning views created by a combination of the peaks and lakes.
It’s around an hour and a half drive from Liverpool to the southern part of the Lake District, with Windermere being one of the most popular spots in this area. If you don’t drive then it’s actually possible to take a tour to the area, which is considerably easier than trying to use public transport to get there and back in one day!
We recommend booking online in advance through Get Your Guide, as they offer a couple of tours and day trips from Liverpool to the Lake District with brilliant reviews. The exact itineraries do vary depending on the tour, but you’ll undoubtedly see some wonderful scenery throughout the course of the day. Lake District tours from Liverpool start from just £59 per person.
Click here to book a tour of the Lake District through Get Your Guide!
Alternatively, driving yourself means you can pick exactly which spots you want to visit in the area. If you plan to drive then we recommend reading our list of hidden gems in the Lake District, which covers some amazing spots like Blea Tarn and Cathedral Quarry.
We normally recommend spending at least a few days exploring the area, but if you don’t have time then a day trip from Liverpool is still worthwhile. If you do have the time to spend a night or two in the area though, we recommend doing so!
Click here to find some great accommodation options in the Lake District on Booking.com!
Manchester
Manchester is one of the easiest day trips from Liverpool by train, with the journey taking just over half an hour. Trains run regularly between both cities throughout the day, so it’s a great option for a spontaneous day trip if you don’t fancy planning ahead!
Manchester has plenty to offer, from museums and art galleries to large open parks and quirky bars. Popular spots to visit include the Science and Industry Museum, Heaton Park and the John Rylands Library, which is well-known for its beautiful interior architecture.
Football fans may want to take the chance to take a stadium tour of either Old Trafford or the Etihad Stadium – the grounds of Manchester United and Manchester City respectively. If you’re visiting on a matchday then you may even be able to go watch a game (if you can get a ticket!), but if not then you can always visit the National Football Museum.
Click here to book your National Football Museum tickets!
Get Your Guide offer plenty of tours and things to do in Manchester, which can easily be booked via their website. One of the best options for seeing what the city has to offer is the hop-on hop-off bus tour. Tickets for this tour cost just £12 and there are 15 stops to help you discover some of the most interesting parts of the city.
Click here to book a hop-on hop-off bus tour of Manchester on Get Your Guide!
If that doesn’t take your fancy then there are a number of other options available on Get Your Guide – from football stadium tours to food tours.
Click here to see what else Get Your Guide for your day trip to Manchester!
As one of England’s largest cities, it’s hard to see everything Manchester has to offer in just one day, so we do recommend spending a few days here if possible. Saying that, it’s still better to visit the city on a day trip from Liverpool than to not visit at all! If you do have time for two days in the city though, make sure to check out our weekend in Manchester itinerary!
Train tickets for your day trip from Liverpool to Manchester can be booked online in advance through Omio’s website, with prices starting from just £7 return.
Click here to book train tickets to Manchester through Omio’s website!
Beatles day tour in Liverpool
It’s almost impossible to visit the city without at least a mention of the Beatles, so it’s hardly surprising that a number of days trips and tours in Liverpool focus on the Fab Four. It’s not exactly a day trip from the city, but a Beatles-themed day out is still a great option if you’re looking to fill a day!
There are plenty of notable locations to visit throughout the city, including Penny Lane, Strawberry Field, the Beatles statue, the famous Cavern Club and more. If that’s not enough for you then you can also visit the Beatles Story museum – a permanent exhibition of the band’s history.
The Beatles Story is home to an array of memorabilia, as well as replicas of significant locations including Abbey Road Studios and the aforementioned Cavern Club. Tickets to the museum cost just £19 per person if you book in advance through Get Your Guide.
Click here to book entry to the fascinating Beatles Story through Get Your Guide!
If you’re looking to have a day out visiting some of the famous Beatles locations in Liverpool, then there are some more great options available on Get Your Guide. For £18 you can book a Beatles tour with stops at Penny Lane and Strawberry Field, also including a ticket to a hop-on hop-off bus tour of the city, which stops nearby the Cavern Club.
Click here to book a Beatles tour of the city on the Get Your Guide website!
North Wales
North Wales is an easy day trip from Liverpool, with the option of taking an organised tour or planning your own trip. In many ways it’s worth taking a tour as it saves you the hassle of driving, and also gives you the chance to learn about the area from the friendly tour guides.
Get Your Guide have a wonderful day trip to North Wales from Liverpool, visiting Llandudno, Conwy and the beautiful Snowdonia National Park. You’ll also have the chance to visit the impressive Conwy Castle, which was built towards the end of the 13th Century.
Starting from £59 per person, it’s an affordable way to explore North Wales with an informative tour guide. Going inside Conwy Castle comes at an extra cost, but as it’s optional you can always give it a miss if you want to keep costs down.
Click here to book an amazing tour of North Wales through Get Your Guide!
It is possible to visit North Wales using public transport, but it can be time consuming and a hassle getting between different spots in one day. If you don’t want to take a tour then the best option is to drive.
There are plenty of great spots to visit if you do decide to drive to North Wales on a day trip from Liverpool. Some highlights include Snowdonia National Park, Anglesey and Caernarfon Castle, but there are plenty of great spots to discover!
Formby
A great day trip near Liverpool is to the dramatic Formby sand dunes. The impressive sand dunes here reach impressive heights, just a few metres away from the sea.
From the top of the dunes you get some lovely views of Formby beach, which stretches on for miles.
If you’re looking for cheap and easy family days out from Liverpool, then you definitely can’t go wrong with a visit to Formby. Both the dunes and the forest make it a great place for both adults and children alike.
There are a few different walking routes at Formby including a Squirrel walk and the Sefton Coastal Path, the latter of which stretches for 21 miles. For more information about what you can do in the area make sure to check out the National Trust’s website.
Situated around a 45-minute drive from Liverpool, the beach is easily accessible if you have your own car as a day trip. If not, then the best option is to take a train to Formby station, and it’s around a 35-minute walk to the beach from there.
Parking at the Formby car park is free for National Trust members, but costs £8.50 for non-members. If, like us, you think the parking is too expensive then you can find free roadside parking nearby on Harington Road.
Click here to see what different walks and hikes you can do at Formby with AllTrails!
Peak District
There are some great walks and viewpoints in the Peak District National Park that can easily be visited as a day trip or tour from Liverpool. The national park is perfect for those looking to go walking or hiking, but is also home to impressive stately homes, quaint villages and more.
Some of our favourite walks in the Peak District are at Chrome Hill, Thor’s Cave and Stanage Edge, which are all less than a 2 hour drive from Liverpool. If you’re looking to get out and about but don’t want anything too strenuous, then make sure to check out our list of easy walks in the Peak District.
Click here to see some of our favourite walks and many more in the Peak District with AllTrails!
Other spots to visit on a day trip from Liverpool include Haddon Hall, Chatsworth House, Matlock Bath and more. If you have an early start then you should be able to visit a few different spots in the Peak District in one day!
Getting to the Peak District from Liverpool is easiest if you drive yourself, as public transport is limited in the area. If you don’t have a car but know how to drive we recommend renting one for the day, as it’s by far the most convenient way to get around.
Click here to find great deals on renting a car on the Discover Cars website!
Southport
Last, but not least, on this list of day trips from Liverpool is the lovely coastal town of Southport. The town’s relaxed atmosphere make it an enjoyable escape from Liverpool’s bustling city centre.
Southport is a particularly great family day out from Liverpool thanks to the Pleasureland amusement park and Southport Pier, which is home to an array of working vintage amusement machines.
Other attractions in the area are the town’s beach and the RSPB Marshside Nature Reserve, which is a spot birdwatchers won’t want to miss! Find out more about the reserve on the RSPB website.
Southport is around a 45-minute drive from Liverpool, and can easily be combined with trips to Crosby and Formby. Alternatively, it is possible to take a train from Liverpool Central to Southport, but if you have the option to drive it makes it easier to visit a few spots in one trip.
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