Manchester Sightseeing Bus Tour

Albert Square, the Town Hall and St Peter's Square

Manchester Town Hall, designed by Alfred Waterhouse and completed in 1877, is one of the finest neo-Gothic buildings in Britain, with an 85-metre clock tower overlooking Albert Square. Around the corner, St Peter's Square is dominated by the circular Central Library, opened in 1934 and inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.

These buildings reflect the wealth Manchester earned as the centre of the world's cotton trade in the 19th century, when it was nicknamed Cottonopolis. A Manchester sightseeing tour usually starts here because the civic heart of the city shows so clearly how industry paid for grand architecture. Parts of the Town Hall may be closed for long-running restoration works.

Deansgate, the John Rylands Library and the Cathedral

Along Deansgate stands the John Rylands Library, a red sandstone Gothic building opened in 1900 by Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her husband, a cotton magnate. Its vaulted reading room looks like a cathedral, and the library holds rare manuscripts and early printed books; entry is usually free.

Further north, Manchester Cathedral dates mainly from the 15th century and is known for its carved wooden choir stalls. Is the John Rylands Library worth visiting? Yes, it is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, and after the bus tour you can walk back to see it inside in about 45 minutes.

Castlefield and the Birthplace of the Industrial City

Castlefield is where Manchester began: the Romans built a fort called Mamucium here around AD 79, and part of its wall has been reconstructed. In 1761 the Bridgewater Canal arrived, often called Britain's first true industrial canal, followed by warehouses and the world's first inter-city passenger railway station, opened in 1830.

Today Castlefield is an urban heritage park of canal basins, iron railway viaducts and restored warehouses, and the Science and Industry Museum occupies the old station. It is one of the most photogenic corners of the city, and the bus gives you a good overview before you return for a walk along the towpaths.

Planning Your Manchester City Tour

The tour lasts about an hour and a half and runs as a loop, so it works well at the start of a visit. The exact route can vary with traffic and events, but it is designed to show the city's main landmarks, from the Victorian centre to the modern skyline around Deansgate and Spinningfields.

What is the best time to visit Manchester? Late spring to early autumn brings the driest weather, though a bus tour is a good choice on rainy days too. Many visitors combine it with the Manchester canal cruise from Salford Quays, a football stadium tour or the city's free museums.