What to do in Liverpool for a day

Make the most of your trip to Liverpool with this guide showing what to do in Liverpool for a day. Check out our Liverpool Guide (coming soon!) for more about how to make your stay memorable in the lovely city of Liverpool.

This tour can be broken into two days, allowing ample time to see attractions that need to be booked in advance. Or, if you are quick and less interested in the museums, Liverpool can definitely be done in a day. Please refer to the links ahead of your trip to ensure you are booked in to see the attractions. 

This is based on our own trip to Liverpool which we did with my husband, myself, and our 3 month old.

Day 1:

The Beatles Story – £18 – 10AM / Royal Albert Docks

Being the birthplace of the Beatles, Liverpool is, rightfully so, very proud of their connection to the iconic band. Even if you are not a Beatles fan (although I think you’d be surprised how many Beatles songs you do actually know), I’d highly recommend this experience to fans and novices alike. It is an immersive, audio-guided experience taking you through the band’s history and music. I would suggest an early start as we booked for 10AM and it was just about as busy as we could bare. Also, you are not allowed to bring drinks into the experience. Don’t make the same mistake and have to chug your hot, £4 cappuccino like we did.

Mom tip: there is a ladies toilet with a changing table halfway through the experience. 

You’ll learn about the Royal Albert Docks in the Maritime Museum. It is one of Liverpool’s many historical docks however it is now preserved for recreational use only.

Merseyside Maritime Museum – Free

Considering Liverpool’s impressive maritime presence, this museum pretty much covered Liverpool’s history in its entirety. We’d highly recommend spending time on the Ground floor as well as floors 1 and 2 which cover Liverpool’s local maritime history as well as Liverpool’s connections to the Lusitania and the Titanic. 

Mom tip: changing tables are on the ground floor (opposite the entrance to the museum) or on the top floor all the way at the back. 

Mersey Ferry – £11.50

Mersey Ferries have a long history in Liverpool (which they will tell you about) and they now do a great job running this fun little sight-seeing ferry. It takes you from the dock (near the Museum of Liverpool and the Beatles statue) down the river a ways and then back up again before docking across the river at Birkenhead. You then have the option to disembark and explore or stay on and return to the Liverpool side. The entire ride, there is a recording describing the sights. However, you will want to sit on the starboard side (while facing the front of the boat, the right side) as this is the side the recording describes. The boat docks on the port side and swings around once launched. 

Cavern Club & The Cavern Club Restaurant

If you learn anything about the Beatles in Liverpool, it will be that they were made famous at the Cavern Club on Mathew Street. The club is still very much an active club and is flocked with tourists and party-goers alike. Unfortunately, as we had our baby with us, we were unable to attend the club but, instead, chose to have a lovely dinner across the street at the Cavern Club Restaurant to watch the crowds from the safety of our comfy table. We enjoyed the food and drinks and would recommend it as a nice alternative or an addition to kick off your night out down in the club. 

Day 2:

The Bluecoat

The Bluecoat is the oldest building in Liverpool city centre (1716-1717) and is a Grade I-listed former school that is now a centre for contemporary arts with shops and a café. We did not go in but considering Liverpool’s extensive damage in WWII, it is an neat find.

Liverpool Cathedral – Free

Liverpool Cathedral is the largest religious building in Britain and the fifth largest church in the world. It was constructed between 1904 and 1978. There is a cafe inside and church services on Sunday. You are can observe the services which is nice as then you get to listen to it’s impressive organs. 

Beatles Statue

Of course you can visit this statue at any point during your visit however I’d suggest going early or staying late (after the surrounding attractions close) as it does get very busy as people, in true British fashion, queue to get a photo. We went right before our dinner reservation at about 6PM on Sunday and didn’t have to wait more than a few mins.

The Three Graces

While taking your picture with the Beatles statue, you can also admire the beautiful ‘three graces’ buildings behind them. Built in the early 1900s, the buildings are home to some of Liverpool’s history and help make up Liverpool’s skyline as seen from the river front.

Outside Liverpool city centre:

Casbah Coffee Club

The REAL place the Beatles started. 

Mendips – John Lennon Home

John Lennon’s childhood home.

Strawberry Field

A former orphanage immortalized by the Beatles.

Speke Hall – £9.80

National Trust sight.

Other things to see in Liverpool:

Museum of Liverpool – Free

**While we did visit this museum, we found it quite redundant of the other activities and wish we would’ve spent time visiting somewhere else. It does, however, have a rail exhibit and an exhibit around ancient Liverpool which is unique. As it is free, I have left it on this list of other suggestions in case others would find these bits more interesting than we did. 

Mom tip: also, as it is free and fairly central, it is a great place to have a quick toilet break and/or change a diaper as these facilities are on the ground floor in the atrium where you walk in.

Williamson’s Tunnels

**We did not go to the Williamson’s Tunnels but would have had we had more time.

St George’s Hall

**We did not go to St George’s Hall but would have had we had more time.

Liverpool Chinatown

Liverpool is home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe. Their impressive gate stands just down from the cathedral making it a convenient stop on the way to or from, assuming you are coming from the city centre.

Enjoyed this guide? Check out our other guides here!