Manchester Walking Tour: Explore Hidden Gems, Street Art, and Historic Landmarks

Discover hidden gems, street art, and historic landmarks on the #1 Google rated walking tour of Manchester. Uncover the secrets of Manchester’s past and explore its vibrant street art scene. Learn about the city’s contributions to world history and music. Book now!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Free Trade Hall - Discover the venue where Bob Dylan had his legendary moment with the audience!
  • Manchester Central Library - Inspired by Rome’s Pantheon, this was once the largest public library in Britain.
  • Chinatown - The second largest Chinatown in the UK and the third largest in Europe. Find out why the Chinese community settled in…
What's Included
  • Tour guide
  • Guided tour
Additional Information

Join Jo on the top-ranked Google walking tour of Manchester. Explore the city streets and discover Manchester’s hidden treasures and secrets!
During your explorative journey, you will witness the sets of BBC and Netflix shows. Not only that, but you will also get to see the locations where Hollywood movies have been shot and get a feel of New York…

Location
The Edwardian Manchester, A Radisson Collection Hotel
Peter Street
Tours leave from The Edwardian Manchester, A Radisson Collection Hotel.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(587 Ratings)
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1 star
Craig
Nov 23, 2025
Private tour with Joe - We had Joe as our private tour guide, who was great prior to the tour beginning with details about pick up and our interests. The tour went for 2 hours and it was full of amazing insights into the history of Manchester along with some fab insider stories of the music scene here in the 80’s and 90’s. We also picked up stories about quirky events which help shape Manchester. We all thoroughly enjoyed Joe who was passionate about his heritage and the way he kept the tour flowing. It really set us up for what was an incredible Saturday in the city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Scaryfeet911
Oct 26, 2025
Manchester walking tour - Very knowledgeable about music scene in Manchester. Friendly and amusing. An enjoyable couple of hours in the streets of Manchester. Thanks Joe
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inspire22887869211
Oct 17, 2025
Great tour, really enjoyed the musical history of Manchester and what shaped Oasis - This is a must for anyone interested in the musical hearbeat of Manchester. After finally getting to see Oasis in July at Heaton Park, this tour was a fantastic way to spend a couple of hours. Myself and my partner really enjoyed the stories and history from Joe and the other characters we met along the way. After hearing on a Noel Gallagher interview about how he came about meeting Johnny Marr through his brother and walking in those footsteps by the site of the Haçienda was amazing. Also great to see where the band used to rehearse and popping in the pub where they used to go for a pint, to Johnny Roadhouse where Noel and Bonehead bought their early gear, not to mention all of the historic music venues along the way. It was great to hear the stories from Joe and the landlady of the pub from their lived experience growing up in the same era and especially Joe having been at the same school as the brothers. Great tour, highly recommended!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trailerbythesea07
Oct 11, 2025
Ultimate history tour of Manchester everyone should do this one!The ultimate history tour of Manchester everyone should - What a wonderful two hours, the time flew, very informed tour guide, Joe accommodates the groups interests, which rested perfect with myself, covering everything from the industrial history, cotton trade, slave trade, amazing scientific discoveries from the past, but covering all the more modern, contemporary music connections, Development of the Manchester music scene, taking us around the northern quarter, illuminating the relevance of structures, murals, city features we have never noticed! This tour was amazing, giving me a much deeper insight into the Manchester music scene, the history around that, and highlighting for my daughter how the city has evolved, amazing facts, details about the iron curbstones, the reason for the Manchester ship Canal, and with a light sense of humour, many jokes, Very interactive and informative! I will definitely do this one again, and take along other friends!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
392aliw
Oct 11, 2025
Brilliant Tour with an Authentic Mancunian Guide! - My wife Chloe and I had a brilliant time on Joe's Rock and Goal walking tour! As a true Mancunian who clearly lives and breathes his city, Joe was incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining throughout the entire experience. His passion for Manchester's music and football heritage really shone through. What made the tour truly special was Joe's unique touch of playing songs on his portable speaker by the artists who actually performed or recorded at the exact locations we were visiting—a fantastic way to bring the city's musical history to life! His musical talent extends beyond guiding too; he even played the flute for us, which was a wonderful surprise. The tour was packed with fascinating stories and insider knowledge that you simply won't find anywhere else. Joe expertly showed us hidden gems, iconic street art in the Northern Quarter, and important historical sites. We also appreciated his excellent recommendations for places to eat and other interesting spots to explore on our own later. As a lovely memento, Joe gave us an Oasis keepsake at the end of the tour—a perfect reminder of our Manchester adventure. If you're visiting Manchester and want to experience the real city through the eyes of a local who knows it like the back of his hand, Joe's tour is an absolute must!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pablo_b
Oct 5, 2025
Great Music Tour - Great experience. A must tour to know the secrets of Manchester. Great secret locations. Bring your sport shoes for this great tour.
Review provided by Viator
Dublinlola10
Sep 19, 2025
Highly recommend - Great tour, learnt so much and Joe was a diamond tour guide. Highly recommend. My teenage son loved it, perfect for music lovers of all ages.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amy_y
Oct 26, 2025
Great if you like Oasis and double check the itinerary as it may change - It was a rainy and windy day. The itinerary was focused on Oasis and it didn’t match with what we have signed up through Viator. Maybe it was our fault for not clarifying the itinerary changed when our guide sent us the note that it was going to be focused on Oasis that day. Guide is knowledgeable on Oasis and the places, just that it didn’t go to the other places that we saw on the itinerary.
Review provided by Viator
Margaretao1565wt
Oct 21, 2025
Interesting and unusual take on Manchester with great guide - Interesting tour, although I learnt more about local music and street art than the buildings I was expecting. Appreciated my guide's willingness to do the tour even though I was the only participant.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kazsnart
Sep 21, 2025
Walking tour of the city - From the history of Manchester to the trivia associated with rock bands that emerged from places such as Oasis, the book is a fun way to explore places you didn't know existed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $20
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).