Manchester is a great city to visit in the north of England. If you’ve got several days in the area, there are lots of other great things nearby. Combine a trip to Manchester with a visit to the seaside at Blackpool, and the green Peak District hills of Lyme Park. Here’s how to spend 3 days in and around Manchester.
The city of Manchester, in the north of England, has lots of interesting history and fun things to do. You could easily spend several days in the city. However, there are lots of other great things to do around Manchester as well. If you’ve got 3 days in the area, I’d recommend spending some time outside of the city of Manchester to visit the surrounding area. You can visit the beach at Blackpool, and enjoy the scenery of the Peak District in Lyme Park. Here’s how to spend 3 days in and around Manchester.
To fully enjoy these 3 days, I’d recommend having your own car. Manchester is an easily walkable city, so you can just park your car and walk around Manchester. Blackpool is also easy to explore on foot. But getting to Lyme Park and any of the scenery of the Peak District will require having your own car. Public transport to the Peak District is limited. So having your own car will ensure you can have a great 3 days in and around Manchester.
Day 1: Visit Manchester’s top sights and museums
For your first of 3 days in and around Manchester, I’d recommend spending the day in Manchester. You can read more about the top free things to do in Manchester here, with a numbered route to ensure you can make the most of your day.
Start your day with a visit to Manchester Cathedral, and then walk 10 minutes to John Ryland’s Library. This really impressive library is part of the University of Manchester, and you can learn about the history of the city here.
Continue learning about the history of Manchester at the Science and Industry Museum. Learn how the city rose during the cotton trade of the Industrial Revolution.
Castlefield Viaduct is a peaceful inner city green space, perfect for escaping the busy city life. Climb up to the top of the viaduct to enjoy the gardens and also great views over Manchester.
Manchester has a lot of canals, which date back to the Industrial Revolution. You can walk along the canals, and walk to Canal Street at the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village.
Finish your sightseeing day in Manchester with a trip to St Peter’s Square, and then head to the People’s History Museum to learn more about the fight for democracy throughout history.
Manchester has some great restaurants, bars and nightlife as well. Spend the evening checking out the nightlife, or head to the impressive AO Arena for a show in the evening.
Remember you can read more about the top free things to do in Manchester here.
Day 2: Take a day trip to the seaside at Blackpool
Blackpool is about an hour’s drive from Manchester. You can easily park in Blackpool, and then head off to explore Blackpool’s beaches and entertainment. You can read my more detailed guide about spending a day in Blackpool here.
Start your day in Blackpool at the North Pier, which gives great views over the sea.
Blackpool Tower is the most iconic landmark in Blackpool. You can get great views of it from the beach, and also from the Blackpool Comedy Carpet – which is another fun place to visit!
No trip to the seaside in the UK is complete without eating fish and chips. The fish and chip restaurant called Harry Ramsdens is just next to Blackpool Tower, and is a great place for lunch.
Spend your afternoon at the Blackpool Sea Life Aquarium, and also playing arcade games on the piers and amusement arcades.
You can also enjoy a peaceful walk along the beach at Blackpool, enjoying the sea air and views.
If you want to go on some roller coasters and rides, check out Blackpool Pleasure Gardens and the South Pier. It’s perfect for adrenaline junkies looking for some fun!
End your day in Blackpool with a night time walk along the promenade, enjoying the views of the Blackpool Tower and piers lit up at night.
Remember you can read my more detailed guide to a day in Blackpool here.
Day 3: Enjoy the green hills of Lyme Park
On the last of your 3 days in and around Manchester, I’d recommend heading to the south of Manchester, to the edge of the Peak District. The Peak District is a great place to visit – you can easily spend a week here. You can check out my detailed guide to the Peak District here. But if you’ve just got one day and you’re travelling from Manchester, I’d recommend visiting Lyme Park.
Lyme Park is owned by the National Trust. It’s a historic stately home, with pretty gardens and huge grounds with scenic views and deer. Check out opening times and prices here.
Start your day at Lyme Park with a walk around the lake at the front of the property. Fans of Pride and Prejudice will recognise this lake. It was featured in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and is the site of the famous scene where Mr Darcy (played by Colin Firth) comes out of the lake in a wet shirt and meets Elizabeth…
I visited Lyme Park in March, which was a lovely time to visit as the daffodils and flowers were just coming out in the spring. There are lovely formal gardens at Lyme to walk around.
You can go inside the house at Lyme as well. It’s a really impressive stately home, with ornate interior rooms. It’s like stepping back into Jane Austen’s world.
One of the highlights of Lyme Park is the expansive grounds. There are numerous walks you can do, of various lengths depending what you feel like that day. I really enjoyed the walks in the grounds and the views across the moorland of the Peak District.
Lyme Park also has a herd of red deer as well. If you’re lucky, you can see the deer on one of your walks and get really close. It’s a great way to end your 3 days in and around Manchester.
Hope you enjoyed my guide to spending 3 days in and around Manchester! Make sure you check out my detailed guide to the top free things to do in Manchester, and also my guide to visiting Blackpool for a day. You can also check out my other guides to the great things to do in the UK.
