Sightseeing Manchester
ENTRY
from £8
WHERE
Manchester
What it’s like
An open-top bus loop round Manchester's big sights, with a ticket that lets you hop off and back on for two days.
The whole point is the top deck. You get English commentary as the bus loops past Old Trafford and round Piccadilly Gardens, and the ticket lets you hop off wherever takes your fancy and pick up a later bus to carry on. One full loop is about 90 minutes if you just sit tight, but the real value is treating it as two days out rather than one, since the ticket stays valid for 48 hours after your first departure.
For younger kids it's a decent way to see a lot of the city without much walking, and older ones who like buses or football will get a kick out of spotting Old Trafford from the top deck. There's no set age range given, so use your judgement on whether a squirmy toddler will sit still for a loop.
The catch is the weather. That top deck is open-air, and Manchester does what Manchester does, so a light jacket or a brolly is worth having even if the forecast looks fine when you set off. Tours start from outside Bridgewater Hall on Lower Mosley Street, and while you can usually just turn up and buy a ticket, booking ahead is sensible if you're going on a summer weekend when everyone else has had the same idea.
At £15 a head for an adult, or £30 for a family of four, it's not the cheapest hour and a half in the city, but the hop-on hop-off bit does stretch it into a proper day's use if you plan your stops around lunch or a museum visit.
Need to know
- Booking
- Advance booking recommended during peak seasons and weekends, but walk-up tickets usually available
- How long to allow
- 90 minutes loop
- Worth knowing
- Tickets valid for 2 operating days (48 hours after departure)
- Ticket covers 48 operating hours, so it's worth splitting the loop across two days rather than rushing one
- Old Trafford and Piccadilly Gardens are both on the route
- Summer weekends get busy, so an earlier departure gives you more room on top
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£15 for an adult, £8 concession, and £30 for a family of two adults and two children. There's also a group rate of £40 for up to four people.
Do we need to book ahead?
Walk-up tickets are usually available, but they recommend booking in advance for summer and weekends when it gets busy.
Can we hop off and explore, then get back on?
Yes, and the ticket stays valid for 48 hours after your departure time, so you can spread it across two days if you want.
Where does it start?
Outside Bridgewater Hall on Lower Mosley Street, M2 3WS.
What if it rains?
The top deck is open-air, so bring a light jacket or umbrella regardless of what the forecast says that morning.
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