Joining a tour is one of the best ways to get under the skin of a city-region like Greater Manchester, whose stories are often best told by an experienced guide.  

There is a tour for almost any topic you can think about  – from industrial heritage and politics to music and TV – and this summer six new tours developed during lockdown are launching, offering even more ways to discover and explore Greater Manchester, as well as a convenient way to visit one of Greater Manchester’s most exciting new attractions for 2021, RHS Garden Bridgewater. 

First up is a brand new offering from Scranchester who have delivered food and drink tours in and around Manchester city centre since 2017. Scranchester’s new Explore Ancoats tour tells the story of one of Manchester’s most popular neighbourhoods, its incredible industrial history and its current status as the city’s premier foodie hotspot. The new multi-stop food tour runs weekly on Fridays and costs £55 per person. 

Sticking with the foodie theme, the team behind Craft Beer Tour Manchester have diversified their offering to create the new Brunch Tour Manchester; a three hour guided walk around the city with stops at some of the city’s best independent brunch spots. The tour runs every Friday and Saturday and costs £35 per person.  

The award-winning Manchester Taxi Tours has two new tours that can be booked privately any time with pricing starting from £150. Guide John Consterdine’s bespoke taxi tour is based on visitors’ own interests and is delivered in a state-of-the-art, glass-roofed electric vehicle. A new addition allows visitors to book a special Afternoon Tea Taxi Tour with food and treats supplied by Bury’s iconic Slattery Pâtissier and Chocolatier. A second new tour, focused on some of John’s most-requested tour locations, is the Manchester United Taxi Tour, which includes a trip to Old Trafford as well as visits to iconic landmarks and locations associated with the club. 

In preparation for the return of international travel and building on the significant Chinese community already based in the city, RobinGo has launched a Mandarin-language Urban Buddies Walking Tour of Manchester. The two-hour tour is now up and running every Saturday covering key locations, landmarks, and attractions within Manchester city centre for £25 per person. A further Mandarin-language tour specifically focused on Manchester Christmas Markets can be booked for Saturdays and Sundays throughout November and December. 

One of Greater Manchester’s tourism highlights for 2021 has been the 154-acre RHS Garden Bridgewater, which is now open after the herculean task of restoring, regenerating and replanting over several years. Building on the increased interest in the area around the Garden and the Bridgewater Canal which is RHS Garden Bridgewater’s namesake, a new Coal, Canal and Cake walking tour has been launched by Bridgewater Canal Guided Tours. Priced at £16 per person and now running every Saturday, the tour takes a deep dive into Worsley Village, once the hub of a thriving industry built upon the coal belonging to the Duke of Bridgewater. 

Also building on the popularity of the new Garden and offering a convenient way to travel there from Manchester city centre, Swans Travel in partnership with Manchester Sightseeing have launched a daily Express Bus Service. Departing from and returning to Piccadilly and Victoria Train Stations, prices start from £6 for just the transfer, with combo bus and entry ticket available for £14.  

Find out more about all of these tours and many more here.