No shortage of things to do here. Liverpool has more museums and galleries, many of them free, than anywhere except London. Watch the footy at Anfield or Goodison. Have a flutter on the Grand National. Or explore the birthplace of The Beatles on a Magical Mystery Tour from Albert Dock to the Cavern Club.
Head to the vast outdoor spaces of Sefton Park for 200 acres of parkland that’s alive all year round. Take in the Africa Oyé festival in the summer and some sensational fireworks in winter. Or check out the two cathedrals – vastly different in architecture but both grand and inspiring.
Make like the Pacemakers and take the ferry across the Mersey for sensational views of the UNESCO World Heritage waterfront. Enhance the enjoyment by calling in on the Spaceport sci-fi icons exhibition or the U-Boat Story. Try beer-tasting with Black Lodge Brewery or mix your own cocktails at Revolution.
Splat your pals at Ultimate Indoor Paintball, try quad-biking in Formby. Or how about turning the house into your own spa? Book a mobile massage and beauty service with My Personal Sanctuary. Or shop everything from high street to high end at Liverpool One or Chester’s Cheshire Oaks outlet village.
If choice is the enemy of the consumer, you’ll be stumped in Liverpool. Pick from 15 theatres and venues, including the Echo Arena, the Philharmonic Hall and the Liverpool Empire, the UK’s second-largest theatre. It’s also bursting with pubs, clubs, dance warehouses and comedy venues.
Try Seel Street for glamour and Latin dancers at Alma de Cuba, Salt Dog Slims for hot dogs and steins, or Hawaiian-themed cocktail bar Aloha. Wind up throwing shapes at The Peacock and Heebie Jeebies. Or head to Hardman Street’s traditional pubs, including The Pilgrim and Ye Cracke, once a favourite of John Lennon.
See the Cavern Club, made famous as the birthplace of The Beatles, at Mathew Street. Get down to Walkabout and Revolution on Concert Square, or enjoy the vast warehouse spaces of the Baltic Triangle, home to Eurovision parties, Scandinavian festivals, the Biennial exhibition and weekly food slams.
Head to La’go for ‘music from the 60s and prices from the 90s’, to Blind Tiger for an Asian-inspired basement bar, or to Palm Sugar Lounge for the city’s most luxurious cocktail experience. Try the Boston Pool Loft for cool bar games and icy pints. Or sample three floors of music, each a different genre, at Level Nightclub.
