The first thing most people think of when they hear the name Liverpool is of course The Beatles, who became the biggest band in the world when they revolutionised the music industry at the height of their fame, however there is so much more to the city than just music, so check out our guide to the top 10 things to do in Liverpool and see why it is one of the most popular city breaks destinations in the UK.

Mathew Street & The Beatles Story

Firstly, you cannot visit Liverpool and not check out Mathew Street, where it all began for The Beatles. Most of the pubs and clubs around the street are dedicated to the fab 4, most notably The Cavern Club, which although is not the original venue where it all started for the band, it has been built to resemble it as close as possible. There’s a statute of John Lennon leaning against the wall at the top of the street, which you will probably have to get in a small queue to have your photo taken with.

There’s also a museum at the Albert docks called The Beatles Story; dedicated to Paul, John, George and Ringo, detailing their rise to mega stardom with memorabilia from the 50s, 60s and 70s, plus a 3d interactive area where you can watch videos and play along to some of their most famous songs. Admission for adults is £12.95, and £6.50 for children.

Albert Dock

The Albert Dock is a five or ten minute walk from the town centre, but once you’re there, museums, an art gallery, bars, restaurants and boat tours are available. The Tate Liverpool gallery is free for everyone, and is home to modern art with special temporary exhibitions put on throughout the year.

As mentioned above, there’s The Beatles Story museum, along with the Maritime museum, and the International Slavery museum.

You can also check out the skyline of Liverpool from nearly 200ft in the air, on the Liverpool Echo wheel, a smaller version of the London Eye. If you’re at the Albert Dock, then you have to get on the Duckmarine – a tour bus that also doubles up as a boat, and ends in the water of the dock. The Duckmarine tours the city so you can see the likes of St George’s Hall, The Pier Head and The Cathedrals, before you plunge into the water and continue the tour by boat.

Watch a show at the Echo Arena

Liverpool has its own concert venue which opened in 2008, and has since been a fixture on many superstar’s world tours, with the likes of Beyonce, Michel Buble, Justin Bieber, Kings of Leon, The Killers, Lady Gaga, Oasis, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Usher and Kanye West all playing there in recent years. The Echo Arena has also hosted WWE events, boxing, football masters, basketball and it is rumoured to be one of the venues under consideration for the next UFC event in the UK.

Comedy gigs & Pantomimes

There are a few smaller venues around the city, where there are comedy gigs on most weekends, such as the Slaughterhouse pub, the Royal Court or the Liverpool Empire. The Royal Court and the Empire sometimes act as intimate venues for concerts, although more often than not they are pantomime venues.

Visit the World Museum & the Museum of Liverpool

The World Museum is free to enter for everyone, and is home to many different areas including a planetarium, and aquarium, a bug house, a treasure house, films and a discovery centre with musical instruments and various objects from all corners of the globe. There’s also areas dedicated to the ancient world, dinosaurs, space and time. Coming soon is the Museum of Liverpool opening up on the docks which will have four themes: the great port, the global city, the People’s Republic and wondrous place. There will be memorabilia explaining the history of the shipping port of Liverpool, botanic collections, archaeological material and sporting items.

Watch a football match & stadium tours.

Between August and May, Liverpool and Everton will be playing at home on alternate weekends if you want to watch a game.

Tickets can cost up to £45 depending on who they’re playing, and for the bigger games you might struggle to get a ticket, however for most games you should be able to pick up a ticket from the ticket office a few days before the game. On the days before and after a match, many of the hotels in Liverpool get booked up quickly due to the number of supporters who travel over for the weekend to watch their favourite teams in action.

If you can’t get a ticket, there are tours of both Anfield & Goodison Park stadiums available, and there’s less than a mile between the two stadiums. You’ll learn about the history of both clubs, and be taken around the museum and trophy rooms where there’s ample opportunity to take pictures of the vast amounts of silverware on display. At Anfield, there’s the 5 European Cups proudly on display – something no other football team in the country can boast.

Visit the two Cathedrals

Liverpool is home to two cathedrals, both of which are located on opposite ends of Hope Street, just a few minutes walk apart. Liverpool Cathedral opened in 1978, taking 75 years to complete, and although it is a place of worship, it is often used as a base for learning courses. You are still free to visit and take pictures in and around the grounds, with guided tours available.

At the other end of the street stands Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, known by locals as ‘Paddy’s Wigwam’ due to its circular shape with a stunning stained glass ceiling. There are four large bells outside which ring out loudly on before evening prayers, and on Sunday mornings.

Go Shopping!

The recently opened Liverpool One development has over 160 stores ranging from clothing to jewellery to technology & music stores, featuring high street names and designer brands. Just round the corner from Liverpool One is the Metquarter, a small shopping centre with designer stores in – you might even spot a celebrity shopping in there.

Get something to eat at one of the many restaurants

Above Liverpool One there are a number of restaurants offering everything from sushi to burgers, pizzas and burritos, all at a relatively low price. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has his own Italian restaurant there, while around the town there’s something for everyone – Chinese, Indian, Mexican, French, Spanish Tapas and a new Catalan restaurant. If you don’t fancy a slap up meal, there’s plenty of pubs offering the usual pub food for around £10 a head including a drink.

Watch live music

Music and Liverpool are synonymous with each other, again because of The Beatles, but today many of the city’s bars have live music on where you can catch tribute acts or local bands playing their own tunes. Check out The Cavern Pub, Lennon’s Bar, Heebie Jeebies, The Shipping Forecast, Zanzibar club, Bumper or O’Neills to hear everything from rock to traditional Irish music – it’s cheap entertainment that can create a great atmosphere, so head to one of the above mentioned and see what’s on offer.

As you can see, there’s so much to see and do in Liverpool, and the best part about it is that all the landmarks and things to do are within short distance of each other, so there’s little point to hiring a car. You never have to venture out too far in Liverpool to be entertained.

Some travelers to the U.K. recently have been put off by alleged bad behavior by their British hosts. It seems that the British charm that visitors from overseas have come to expect appears to be rooted in lore rather than legend. It’s making it challenging for tourism officials to sell U.K. holidays to overseas guests.

Christopher Rodrigues, chief of tourism with VisitBritain, recently did something that was a little bit out-of-character. He openly criticized hotel owners and managers and other industries that cater to tourists, such as restaurants. He warned that complaints of poor service were nothing to sneeze at. They may cost tens of thousands of Brits their jobs.

Tourism in the U.K. is already suffering due to the worldwide economic downturn. Fewer people are traveling, choosing instead to hang onto their money in the face of economic insecurity.

Those who are still traveling are being far more conservative than in previous years. Many are avoiding U.K. holidays altogether because of high prices and weak dollars. Travelers who are still choosing a U.K. holiday are spending less than they have in prior years. They are eating out less, choosing economy hotels e.g Hote lTobago Turtle Beach or self-catered holidays and being conservative with souvenir purchases.

It’s not just economy hotels that are skimping on service though. The lack of British charm has been experienced in Britain’s finest luxury hotels too.

Rodrigues says that customer service should always be a priority no matter how the economy is. However, in an economic downturn, tourism business owners should be focusing 110 percent of its efforts into excellent customer service. If ever U.K. tourism needed a shot in the arm, it’s now.

Rodrigues conjectures that the only way for tourism-based businesses to remain competitive is not to compromise on customer service. This may mean re-training staff in basic customer service skills and/or closer scrutiny of interpersonal action between staff and customers.

It also means taking even the small things seriously. Visitors to the U.K. in recent months have complained that even amenities are lacking. Apparently some hotels are failing to provide such basics as fresh soap.

Rodrigues knows that visitors from overseas will simply not tolerate such behavior. This is why he has spoken out critically and urged those with an interest in tourism dollars to re-focus.

After all, the U.K. hasn’t changed. It still has a great deal to offer to foreign tourists in the way of culture and history. London remains a top British tourist destination. The standard tourist favorites haven’t changed in decades. Tourists can visit Buckingham Palace and watch the changing of the guard. The Houses of Parliament are another popular tourist attraction. Visitors may also take a scenic train ride to Windsor Castle.

Return guests to London who haven’t visited in years will find new and exciting things to do in London as well. The London Eye, the world’s largest Ferris wheel is a world-class attraction. Tourists who visit during special times of year, such as holidays, may be able to catch one of the many special London Eye events. The Champagne Flight is one such popular ride.

Those who are squeamish about heights may still be able to enjoy the London Eye from a different angle. River Thames cruises give visitors an up-close and guided look at the Eye as well as other famous city landmarks.

Rodrigues hopes that tourists will not lose faith in the charm of Britain. His admonishment has likely served as a wake-up call to the tourism sector. He and other proponents of tourism urge foreigners to give U.K. holidays another try. Travelers might be pleasantly surprised at what they find.

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