This brand-new theatre and community hub was inspired by the only sixteenth-century indoor playhouse in the UK outside of London. Go for its excellent programme of plays by Shakespeare as well as contemporary theatre, comedy and other live events. Shakespeare North Playhouse represents a massive addition to Liverpool’s cultural scene, made all the more impressive by being outside the city centre.

The northern home of Britain’s famous Tate galleries, Tate Liverpool is one of the most impressive art galleries in the UK. Take a trip to Albert Dock to see how James Stirling converted the historic building into a modern behemoth that makes an architectural virtue out of the building’s original features. Recent exhibitions include Keith Haring, Lucian Freud and Louise Bourgeois.

This is the main venue in the city for classical orchestral performances as well as other types of music, from pop to folk. It's a hugely impressive concert hall, home to Liverpool’s very own orchestra. So if you’re into your classical music, there’s no better venue in the city. You can marvel at the architecture and the acoustics and enjoy the diverse programme, from Gustav Mahler to Martha Wainwright.

The oldest building in Liverpool city centre, this Grade I-listed former school is now a centre for contemporary arts with shops and a café. Aside from the stunning building itself, the changing exhibitions in the excellent gallery spaces and a constantly inspiring events programme, Bluecoat is the base for a whole host of cool organisations like DaDa (Deaf and Disability Arts) and the Arabic Arts Festival.

When city live gets a bit full-on, head to Sefton Park and enjoy 250 acres of beautiful green space. Granted Grade I-listed status (and well deserving of it), this urban oasis has hidden caves, waterfalls and a Victorian Palm House. Get house-plant inspiration in the Botanical Gardens and breathe a little easier on the bus ride home.

This award-winning homage to the Fab Four isn’t just for fans. Not only will you find out more than you’ll ever need to know about the band, you’ll get a taste of the swinging ’60s too, with recreations of The Casbah, Mathew Street and The Cavern Club, plus cabinets filled with one-off memorabilia and interactive areas. There’s also the largest selection of official Beatles merchandise in the world, should you fancy splashing out on a memento.

A bit like Seattle’s Space Needle, this pointy landmark has towered above the city since 1969. There are few places with better views of Liverpool than the observation deck of Radio City Tower. Officially known (but never referred to) as St John’s Beacon, this structure is 138 metres tall and its 360-degree panoramas are incredible. In case you hadn’t figured it out already, Radio City also broadcasts from here.

If Gerry And The Pacemakers thought it was worth singing about, it’s probably worth a ride on this hop-on-hop-off ride along the Mersey. At the very least you’ll get good views of the city. Choose from a standard hop-on-hop-off cruise or a combination ticket that includes entrance to other Liverpool attractions, including the family-friendly interactive Spaceport attraction and the U-Boat Story, where you get to mooch around a genuine German submarine.

Liverpool Cathedral is the largest religious building in Britain and the fifth-largest cathedral in the world. Built between 1904 and 1978, it’s now open to the public every day of the year. Here you can admire the world’s highest and widest Gothic arches, the UK’s largest organ and an array of stunning stained-glass windows. The cathedral also plays host to art exhibitions and charity dinners throughout the year, so it’s worth checking the website before your visit.

From Liverpool’s unique geography to its rich history and vibrant culture, the Museum of Liverpool will tell you everything you need to know about this fabulous city. Just a short gallop away from RIBA North, the museum documents the importance of Liverpool in relation to the rest of the UK and the vital role the port has played throughout its history. Once inside, you’ll be bombarded with a host of Liverpool-centric things, from archaeological finds to iconic tunes.

No visit to Liverpool would be complete without a trip to this ode to the city’s sea-trading legacy – especially since it provides fun for all the family. First, there’s a load of model ships and full-sized vessels to examine, as well as eye-catching maritime paintings and posters, films and even a genuine lifejacket worn by a Titanic survivor. You’ll also find the rather harrowing International Slavery Museum on the third floor and the National Border Force Museum in the basement.

Your guide will have a wealth of local knowledge – including plenty of titbits on the Beatles. After all, a tour of Liverpool wouldn’t be complete without dipping into the story of the Fab Four, right? En route, explore the waterfront, learn about the historic docks and find out how the place has changed since John, Paul, George and Ringo made it big. Then you can take in a Beatles film and see loads of locations only accessible by foot, including NEMS and the Cavern Club, where it all began.

Home to the magnificent Lady Lever Art Gallery, the entire village of Port Sunlight is a conservation area, where the original worker’s houses are Grade II-listed and set in some stunning parkland. It’s a perfect excursion for a sunny day, and you’ll need to take the ferry or go through the Mersey Tunnel from Liverpool to get to it. The picturesque village on The Wirral was founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1888 as a place for ‘Sunlight Soap’ factory workers to live.

This underground cellar started life in 1957 as a jazz and skiffle joint, before playing an instrumental role in the birth of the Beatles. Lennon and McCartney played here in the Quarrymen before forming the Fab Four and setting up for almost 300 gigs on its stage. Other major acts followed them, including the Hollies, Rolling Stones and the Kinks, before the venue was bulldozed in the early ’80s. Thanks to investment from Liverpool FC player Tommy Smith, the Cavern Club reopened in 1984.

This is the spiritual home for outstanding British design: through a series of exhibitions, talks and city tours you can learn about world-beating art, architecture and craftsmanship. The building itself is an angular delight, jutting up from Canning Dock and contrasting beautifully with the ornate, early-twentieth-century architecture of the nearby ‘Three Graces’ – the Liver, Cunard and Port of Liverpool buildings.

Built between 1908 and 1911, the Grade I-listed Royal Liver Building (that’s ‘liver’ to rhyme with ‘diver’) is one of the sights that earned Liverpool its Unesco World Heritage status. It was designed by Walter Aubrey Thomas for an insurance company and was one of the first structures in the world to be built using reinforced concrete. Its most notable features are its two clock towers, on top of which perch two mythical, cormorant-like liver birds. A tour of the clocktower offers superb views.

In this sprawling, vibrant and interactive exhibition, visitors can find out just about everything there is to know about pop music in the UK. Highlights? Genuine outfits worn by stars such as David Bowie, as well as instruments that once belonged to Noel Gallagher and the Sex Pistols. You can also have a go at rock stardom yourself by picking up one of various guitars, drum kits and keyboards, or belting out a tune or two in a vocal booth.

Remember as a kid when you hoped that wardrobes and doorways in garden walls might lead to some magical place? Welcome to 69A, the closest Liverpool has to that. Step inside and you’re transported into an emporium where you might come across a small toy reminding you of your childhood for just a few quid, a first edition you’ll need to take a loan out to buy or some vintage clothing you just have to have. You can get lost in here for hours.

Those seeking an action-packed outing should check out the M&S Bank Arena, which regularly plays host to massive gigs, live sporting events, comedy shows and family-friendly performances. Sir Paul McCartney has graced the arena’s stage, and so too have Beyoncé and Iron Maiden. They’ve also held the Mobo Awards and the Davis Cup here, as well as telly favourites ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and ‘The X Factor’. And in 2023, the venue is playing host to actual Eurovision. Plenty of strings to its bow!