Cheap things to do in Manchester
Football museums, canal walks, curry canteens and proper local bars
This is Manchester for people who want the real thing: independent coffee shops, back-street canteens, free culture and pints in rooms with actual character. Day one covers the Northern Quarter and Ancoats, day two is free museums, the Castlefield canals and the John Rylands Library, and day three finishes in Stockport's old town. You won't need a big budget, but you will need comfortable shoes.
Day 1: Northern Quarter and Ancoats
Start with football history and a legendary curry canteen, then walk the Ancoats canals and end the night with Neapolitan pizza and live music.
- 9:30 AM
Ezra & Gil
Big-windowed Northern Quarter café on Hilton Street; a flat white and a pastry to start the day.
Map - 10:15 AM
National Football Museum
Four floors of football history and a penalty-shootout game; ticketed, so if money's tight see the free Cathedral instead.
Map - 12:30 PM
This & That
Rice and three curries for under £8 in a back-street canteen, a true Manchester institution.
Map - 4:30 PM
Ancoats
The world's first industrial suburb: restored cotton mills, the Rochdale Canal towpath and indie bakeries.
Map - 7:30 PM
Rudy's Pizza Napoletana - Ancoats
Top-rated Neapolitan pizza in Ancoats at street-food prices, swear-by favourite.
Map - 9:00 PM
Band on the Wall
World, jazz and folk gigs in the city's best small room, serves as a bar between shows, great local atmosphere.
Map
Day 2: Free museums and Castlefield canals
The Science and Industry Museum, a canal walk round Castlefield Basin, lunch at Federal, the John Rylands Library, Bundobust for dinner and a pint at the Briton's Protection.
- 10:00 AM
Science and Industry Museum
Free: cotton-spinning machines and steam engines on the site of the 1830 Liverpool Road station.
Map - 12:00 PM
Castlefield Basin
Free canal walk past restored warehouses, iron railway bridges and the rebuilt Roman fort gate.
Map - 1:00 PM
Federal Cafe Bar
Australian-run cafe on Deansgate; a big brunch plate here carries you through to dinner.
Map - 2:30 PM
John Rylands Library
Free Victorian Gothic reading hall of vaulted stone and stained glass; open Wednesday to Saturday only.
Map - 6:30 PM
Bundobust
Indian vegetarian street food and craft beer on Oxford Street; order the okra fries and a few small plates.
Map - 8:30 PM
The Briton's Protection
Wood-panelled 19th-century pub by the Bridgewater Hall with cask ale and a long whisky list.
Map
Day 3: Stockport on a shoestring
Free entry at Hat Works, a Yellowhammer sandwich, the Air Raid Shelters and a wander down the Underbanks, then noodles at The Mekong Cat and a pint at the Arden Arms.
- 10:00 AM
Hat Works
Free museum of hat-making in a Victorian mill by the station; open Thursday to Saturday only.
Map - 12:30 PM
Yellowhammer
A sourdough sandwich and a bun from a bakery and deli on Lower Hillgate; shut Monday and Tuesday.
Map - 2:00 PM
Stockport Air Raid Shelters
Nearly a mile of wartime tunnels under the town centre; weekday entry starts at 13:00, closed Mondays.
Map - 3:30 PM
The Underbanks
Free: the old streets below the Market Place, with timber-framed fronts and independent shops.
Map - 6:30 PM
The Mekong Cat
Cheap Cambodian, Thai and Vietnamese noodles on Lower Hillgate; open until 21:00, closed Mondays.
Map - 8:00 PM
Arden Arms
Listed Robinsons pub on Millgate; take your pint into the snug you reach through the bar.
Map
Where to stay
Native Manchester
Budget-friendly aparthotel a short walk from the Northern Quarter, right in the middle of days one and two.
ibis Styles Manchester Portland Street
One of the cheapest reliable beds in the city centre, close to Piccadilly for day trips out to Ashton and Stockport.
Make Manchester your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Chetham's Library: a few days ahead
- The Warehouse Project: weeks ahead
- Co-op Live: weeks ahead
- AO Arena: weeks ahead
- Aviva Studios: weeks ahead
- National Cycling Centre: weeks ahead
Skip these
- The Printworks and Deansgate Locks are chain bar nightlife complexes. Drink in the Northern Quarter or Ancoats instead.
- Piccadilly Gardens is a transport interchange with grass, not a sight. Do not picnic there or book a garden view room.
- The Curry Mile is an experience, not automatically the best curry in Manchester. Pick a place before you go rather than following the touts.
- Unofficial football ticket resale is a scam and touting risk. Use club sites only.
The full Manchester travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around