11 min readWhen we visit a new destination, more and more of us are thinking about the impact we leave behind, whether that’s our carbon footprint or our positive impact on the community. Luckily, Manchester makes visiting in a sustainable way easy, with plenty of low-carbon transport options, green hotels, and eco-friendly activities and initiatives to get involved with.
To help give you some inspiration, we’ve put together an itinerary of how to spend 48 hours in Manchester City Centre as a sustainable tourist.
Day One
Arrive by train
Manchester is one of the UK’s best-connected cities, with three stations in the city-centre boasting strong rail links to most major cities. Manchester is just over 2 hours from London, 1.5 hours from Birmingham, half an hour from Liverpool and just over 3 hours from Edinburgh. We all know to be a sustainable tourist it’s best to use public transport, and with great train connections to and from Manchester, it’s never been easier to leave the car at home.
Hop onboard with the Bee Network
Once you’re in Manchester, getting around sustainably couldn’t be simpler. For one thing, Manchester is an incredibly walkable city, so if you’re able, the best way to get to where you need to be in the city centre is to walk. However, if you do need some sort of transport to get yourself and your luggage from A to B, forget taxis and private cars, the easiest way to get around Manchester City Centre is via the Bee Network, which incorporates trams, buses and rental bikes.
Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria train stations each have their own Metrolink stations with tap-in, tap-out facilities on contactless cards to transport you across the city centre and to various boroughs. While Oxford Road station is on one of the city's most popular bus routes and just a short walk from St Peter’s Square, one of the best-connected Metrolink stations. You’ll also find Bee Network Starling Bank rental bikes across the city centre, that you can hire via an app from just 5p per minute. With electric and pedal bikes available and low-cost unlocking fees, this is a great low-emission way to travel across the city.
For short city-centre journeys Manchester has a free bus which is wheelchair accessible. Running from 7am to 11:30pm every day but Sundays, these buses make travel around the city simple and connect most train stations via two routes. You can hop on and hop off as you please, making city-centre transport accessible and free.
Check into a sustainable hotel
Like many visitors, when you first arrive in Manchester, you’ll want to drop your bags and check into your accommodation. The City Centre has many sustainable hotel options to suit all budgets, with many of our accommodation providers certified by either Green Tourism or Green Key, working to become greener every day, so finding somewhere to stay that has a lower carbon footprint won’t be a problem.
Yotel Manchester Deansgate has an emphasis on environmental responsibility, combining modern convenience with a commitment to reducing its impact on the planet. Yotel buildings are designed to keep waste and maintenance as low as possible, they recycle and reuse as many materials as possible and are committed to supporting their people, so you can stay here with a clean conscience.
For a boutique option, The Alan in Manchester City Centre is focused on sustainability, using local suppliers, recycling materials and reducing plastic use. It works closely with the local community to ensure sustainable practices, and its quality restaurant works with suppliers of sustainable products with low food milage.
And for a luxury option, The Lowry hotel is wholeheartedly embracing sustainability with renewable energy, waste management and locally sourced ingredients playing a key role in its everyday management. It recognises that taking steps to become greener has benefits for the hotel but also allows guests to reduce their carbon footprint too.
Visit an outdoor space
Once you’re checked in, make the most of Manchester City Centre’s blooming outdoor spaces. As a city, we’re investing in our green spaces and biodiversity to support future generations. Mayfield Park, the city’s first new park in over 100 years, is a great example of sustainability in action; it prioritises biodiversity and even used recycled materials in its construction. Mayfield Park recently won a green flag award and was credited as an outstanding urban park.
Castlefield Viaduct is a National Trust park on top of one of Manchester’s historic viaducts, and is a great example of urban greening. Not only can you take in our iconic city-scape but you can be surrounded by lush greenery and community gardens made up to represent the best of the city.
Find a locally sourced lunch
Manchester is known for its food and drink scene, with delicious eateries covering almost every cuisine. Finding restaurants that prioritise local ingredients is a delicious way to lower your carbon footprint, and luckily Manchester City Centre has plenty of them. Try TNQ or Trof in the Northern Quarter for locally produced dishes, while Madre is great for a Mexican fix. Bundobust is a vegetarian Indian fusion restaurant that uses only reusable cutlery and plates while Open Kitchen in the People’s History Museum combines food that would otherwise go to waste with ingredients from locally sourced, ethical suppliers to create delicious eco-conscious dishes.
Shop Sustainably
Manchester is also full of incredible shops that can reduce your impact on the planet; from finding vintage and pre-loved treasures to local indie shops. Did you know that by buying just one pre-loved t shirt and one pair of pre-loved jeans, you can save the equivalent of 20,000 500ml bottles of water? The Northern Quarter is full of vintage fashion shops like Blue Rinse Manchester, Cow Vintage and Pop Boutique. Deadstock General Store in the Northern Quarter also stocks a range of items that are designed to last, with sustainability in mind. Across the city-centre you’ll find various big-name sustainable brands like Patagonia, Lucy and Yak and more, while Selfridges also offers preloved and repair services for clothes. On Oxford Road, you’ll find zero waste shops like student-run, Want Not Waste and Eighth Day; while Manchester’s General Stores are sustainably-led convenience stores stocking craft products, locally-sourced products and vegan produce.
Visit a Museum
Manchester’s museums are really setting the standard when it comes to sustainability, building attractions fit for the future and prioritising the natural environment.
The Manchester Museum aims to promote sustainable behaviours and build an understanding between other cultures and a more sustainable world. The museum’s collections give visitors an idea of our ever-changing natural world; giving visitors an understanding of evolution, climate change and the human impact on nature. Having undergone a major refurbishment, the museum’s new galleries and exhibitions are a must see in the city – and the museum itself has revamped to become greener reducing energy consumption, recycling as many materials as possible and using a largely locally-sourced plant based menu in its cafes.
The Science and Industry Museum explores discoveries in science and technology and how they’re shaping the future, including how we address climate change. The museum sits on the site of the oldest surviving railway station, which played a huge role in Manchester becoming the world’s first industrial city – making it an ideal place to learn about the city’s history of innovation and plans for a greener future – and is currently going through a massive decarbonisation project to minimise its environmental impact.
Take a vegetarian cooking class
Although you could eat at one of Manchester’s many delicious restaurants, why not learn a new skill and take a vegetarian cooking class? Hop on a Metrolink tram to Altrincham and you’ll find The Vegetarian Society Manchester’s Cookery School, where you can learn to cook dishes from a range of international cuisines and learn some handy tips and tricks for the kitchen. The tutors also offer free courses to community groups, so supporting this business means supporting Greater Manchester too.
Day 2
Take a Tour of a Sustainable Stadium
It wouldn’t be a trip to Manchester without some football. Luckily, a stadium visit can still fit into your sustainability plans as Manchester City are working to create a more sustainable stadium; installing thousands of solar panels, reducing energy and water consumption, reducing waste, and using locally sourced products. Hop on the Metrolink to take a tour of the stadium and gain an insight into how the champions play, but also how to be a champion of sustainability.
Grab a vegan lunch
Manchester City Centre has plenty of places to grab a vegan lunch and reduce your impact on the planet. Evelyn’s Café Bar in The Northern Quarter has some of the finest plant-based plates in Manchester, Rola Wala on Deansgate has a 50% vegan menu and Diecast offers plenty of vegan options, including a juicy vegan cheeseburger.
Take a Tour of the City
As we mentioned, Manchester is a very walkable city and there are a series of walking tours that will help you learn more about the city from local experts. Invisible Cities offer tours curated by people affected by homelessness which have a focus on Manchester’s musical heritage, political history, culture and street art, while other tours visit local restaurants, breweries and pubs to cater to the foodies. But there are also generic Manchester walking tours that show you the best of the city on foot, each with an expert guide that is sure to add their own personality to your day out.
Aside from walking tours you can also hop in a taxi, but not just any taxi. Manchester Taxi Tours with John Consterdine, take place in a fully electric taxi for a sustainable option. The unique sightseeing tours are low emission and can be personalised to include the landmarks you really want to see. There are special themed tours around music, sports, history and culture, or if you want to make it extra special you can add a locally sourced afternoon tea to make a day of it.
Evening Entertainment
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to evening entertainment in Manchester, so to make the most of your final night. There are some sustainable venues across the town all working hard to reduce carbon emissions and their environmental impact, so you can enjoy entertainment knowing that the venue is doing its bit for the environment and the community.
You could watch a film or play at HOME, Manchester’s independent cinema, theatre and art gallery to support local and independent artists. Or you could enjoy one of Manchester’s many theatres, like The Lowry at Salford Quays which is just a short tram ride from the centre. Or, if music or comedy is more your thing, you could catch a gig.. Manchester’s Co-Op Live is an arena built with sustainability at the forefront, and other venues like the AO arena are working hard to become greener.
Day 3
Travel Home
And that concludes your 48 hours in Manchester, which have been jam packed with sustainable activities. When travelling home, make sure to make use of the city’s sustainable transport options like train networks and buses.
Or extend your day with a trip
Being a sustainable tourist often means staying in a destination for longer and reducing travel emissions, so why not extend your stay in the North by catching a train to Wales, The Lake District or another great city? Known as the Gateway to the North, Manchester benefits from great transport links and it’s easier than ever to visit the best of this region.
For more inspiration of how to spend your time in Manchester, view our blogs. Or to find specific events taking place during your time in the city, visit our What’s On page.
