The Ultimate Day Out in Liverpool

We start the day at Gusto, a lovely Italian restaurant in the Albert Dock. With the first City Explorer bus not set to leave until an hour’s time, this gives us plenty of time to enjoy a delicious breakfast and make sure we have enough energy for the rest of the day.

So what’s on the menu? You have your tried and tested breakfast dishes such as a full English and Eggs Benedict, as well as mouthwatering pancakes topped with tasty goodness like Nutella and Ginger Sauce. You should also give the Avocado Burger a try, it taste as incredible as it looks!

For drinks, you can’t go wrong with a Cappuccino to warm yourself up or on days when the sun is scorching, the juice options are incredible refreshing. If you’re a bit of an adventurous person, then perhaps 9am isn’t a bad time to try a Torino Bloody Mary. Also, cocktails are 2 for 1 when purchasing a main breakfast dish!

So with breakfast taken care of, it’s time to catch the first bus of the day just a few seconds away from Gusto. An enthusiastic guide is happy to welcome us onboard and offers some entertaining commentary as the bus begins its journey from the Albert Dock towards the Pier Head, catching a lovely breeze on the top floor as we go. What’s a good remedy for walking off a full stomach? Shopping!

Our first disembark is at Liverpool One, the best place to shop in the city. The biggest dilemma here is where do we begin without taking up too much time. With Foot Locker having just opened up a flagship new store, this seems like a great place to start. Having secured some new shoes, we decide to do some window shopping; Michael Kors, Zara and AllSaints at the top of our list. We catch a whiff of Nando’s but it’s far too soon to be contemplating food again.

With some light shopping done, we decide to head to the Museum District for a bit of a history lesson. There are are a lot of iconic buildings to check out here, including the World Museum, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Central Library and St Georges Hall. Best of all, each one is completely free to access so there’s plenty of value for money.

The Walker Art Gallery is somewhat a bit of an unknown to us compared to the other buildings so we make that our first priority. There are some fascinating artefacts on show and the renaissance art in particular was of interest and a throwback to some projects many years ago. The World Museum is always worth a visit and seems to have something new each time. Live insects and fish, dinosaur skeletons, planetarium events – it has it all!

We intend to check out Liverpool’s two cathedral’s during the day’s activities, but first up is the Metropolitan Cathedral. Built in 1967, the Metropolitan is still described as the city’s ‘new’ cathedral and is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool. The cathedral has earned nicknames from locals such as the ‘Catholic Cathedral’, ‘Paddy’s Wigwam’ and ‘The Pope’s Launching Pad’.

The cathedral is recognised by its unusual shape, a feature which helps it form a unique section of the Liverpool skyline, and the building is quite a sight to behold. As soon as you walk through the doors you’ll be surprised at the interior of the cathedral. The large, circular environment combines stunning architecture, immersive lighting and iconic art to deliver a historic and authentic yet modern place of worship.

The morning’s breakfast has well and truly been digested so it’s time to head back on the bus and travel to the nearby Philharmonic Pub for a bite to eat and some refreshments. Next to the city’s famous concert hall of the same name, the Philharmonic Dining Rooms isn’t your usual public house. Instead, this pub combines traditional character and hospitality with a lavish style to deliver a high-quality experience.

Fill your appetite for the rest of the day with some of Britain’s classic dishes. For starters, you can enjoy the soup of the day or even a smoked salmon. When you’re ready for the big dishes, this pub serves traditional fish & chips, steak pie, mixed grill and a range of classic burgers. If you fancy sharing, you can even get a platter. Think you can handle a dessert? The lemon tart and stick toffee pudding are two of our favourites!

Re-energised, it’s time to check out the next place on our must-see list, the ‘old’ cathedral. The Anglican Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Liverpool and is the largest cathedral and religious building in Britain. In fact, it is also the third tallest building in Liverpool which makes it a great place to catch sightseeing views. If you manage to book a tower experience, you’ll be able to see some of the best panoramic views of the city.

The exterior of this building portrays an imposing figure and features as a prominent sight in Liverpool’s skyline. Compared to the modern architecture of the Metropolitan, the Anglican Cathedral is much more in line with the appearance of a traditional religious building. The interior of this cathedral is truly stunning. With its incredible architecture, stained glass windows and inspired art, this is a location you should definitely be visiting.

Our next destination is St Luke’s Church, or as it is more commonly known as by locals, the Bombed Out Church. This iconic landmark is on the edge of the Ropewalks district and comes with quite the history. The church was bombed in 1941 during the Liverpool Blitz when an incendiary device caused a blaze which left just a burnt-out shell of the building. Since the bombing, the church has been left in its current state to act as a memorial for those who died during the war.

From 2007, St Luke’s Church has become a site for entertainment as much as a historical landmark. As a visitor there’s a constant flow of exhibitions and events to check out all year round, both inside and outside the grounds. The church is at the very top of Liverpool’s vibrant Bold Street so there’s plenty of opportunities to do some shopping or dining at some smaller and more cultural venues when compared to Liverpool One.

Before time runs out on our fantastic day out in Liverpool, we have some time to head to the Cains Brewery Village in the south part of town. As far as unique areas bustling with creativity and artistic vision is concerned, this stop completely ticked all our boxes. This location is perhaps more out the way than the other destinations we’ve visited but you can tell that the village benefits. The Cains Brewery Village is where independent thinkers and innovators come together to make use of workspaces and venues in order to bring their ideas to life.

There are so many different bars to choose from here, each of which feature their own quirky atmosphere and themed environments. If you’re a television fanatic, we definitely recommend the Peaky Blinders bar! After a quick drink, we decide to have a walk around some of the vintage shops which sell everything from antique furniture to clothing. Just before hopping on the bus towards our last stop, we grab a quick bite at the Baltic Food Market which hosts traders from some of the best businesses around the city such as Death Row Diner, The Midnight Delivery and Little Furnace.

And so our ultimate day out in Liverpool is about to come to an end. The bus makes the short journey from the Cains Brewery Village towards the Echo Arena where we take in the last few sights onboard. The day isn’t quite ready to end yet, however.

With the sun still high in the sky and the fresh wind giving us a cool breeze, now is the perfect time to enjoy a brisk walk around the Albert Dock to watch water activities in full swing and enjoy the moment. A meal at the Smuggler’s Cove restaurant gives us the best farewell as we cap off a wonderful day and head home.