Liverpool & Manchester Christmas Markets

From a morning pickup in your local area, we travel to the vibrant city of Liverpool, to explore its magical Christmas market. This is the perfect time to visit, as the city is filled with seasonal cheer, twinkling lights and towering Christmas trees. Find unique gifts made by local crafters, with special food produce, art, fine soaps and jewellery or enjoy a warming festive drink at one of the Bavarian-style bars. There is time to enjoy dinner before we head to the hotel in the evening for our overnight stay.

Liverpool & Manchester Christmas Markets

After breakfast, we make our way to Manchester’s impressive Christmas market, with its vast array of delightful stalls surrounded by glowing lights and sparkling decorations. A foodie’s haven, with many tasty treats on offer, such as freshly made pancakes or chocolate-dipped churros as well as music and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, this market is the perfect way to round off our trip.

Arriving on day 1, step into the festive heart of Liverpool as you explore the Christmas market set around St George’s Hall and along William Brown Street. Browse rustic wooden chalets for handmade crafts, fine soaps and local art while warming your hands around spiced gluhwein. Street music, the scent of cinnamon and the glow of twinkling lights create an inviting winter atmosphere.

St George’s Hall is a grand neoclassical landmark of Victorian civic pride, its colonnaded facade facing a cultural boulevard that includes the Walker Art Gallery and the World Museum. With the architecture as a backdrop, you can savour bratwurst, roasted nuts or hot chocolate and enjoy a free evening to dine at leisure before we continue to the hotel for our overnight stay.

After breakfast on day 2, make your way through Manchester’s festive streets on a gentle self-guided markets trail. Follow the lights from Piccadilly Gardens Winter Gardens to Exchange Square, King Street and St Ann’s Square, where artisans sell hand-crafted gifts and seasonal decorations. Sample Dutch pancakes, bratwurst or chocolate-dipped churros, and warm up with mulled wine or hot cider between stalls.

Against the city’s red-brick and Victorian grandeur—reminders of “Cottonopolis”—you’ll pass landmarks like the Royal Exchange and Central Library while buskers and choirs set a convivial tone. Enjoy time to browse, pick out last-minute gifts and soak in the lively atmosphere before rejoining the coach for the journey home later in the day.

If time allows on day 1, take the Mersey Ferry for a scenic River Explorer Cruise, gliding past Liverpool’s legendary waterfront. From the open deck, admire the Three Graces – Royal Liver Building, Cunard Building and Port of Liverpool Building – and the brick arcades of the Royal Albert Dock as gulls wheel overhead and the river breeze sharpens the winter air.

Immortalised by “Ferry Cross the Mersey”, the route offers commentary on centuries of maritime trade, transatlantic liners and the city’s modern revival. It’s a vivid way to understand Liverpool’s skyline and pause for photos and reflection before returning to the Christmas market. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to sailing schedules and availability.

Deepen your Liverpool visit on day 1 with entry to The Beatles Story at the Royal Albert Dock. Walk through immersive galleries charting the band’s rise—from Hamburg clubs to global tours—past rare instruments, stage outfits and a replica Cavern Club pulsing with early Merseybeat energy. Audio stories bring the city’s music heritage to life.

Afterwards, stroll the Cavern Quarter and Mathew Street to see statues, plaques and venues tied to the Fab Four, feeling the neighbourhood’s enduring musical pulse. This optional visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with time to rejoin the market festivities nearby.

Add a dash of winter sparkle on day 2 with a session at the Skate Manchester ice rink at Cathedral Gardens. Lace up, step onto the ice beneath fairy lights and glide to a festive soundtrack as the aroma of cinnamon and hot chocolate drifts over from nearby stalls. Skate hire is available on site.

Set beside the National Football Museum and Manchester Cathedral, the rink anchors one of the city’s most atmospheric market zones, perfect for photos before or after your glide. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with sessions subject to daily schedules and availability.

Begin your break as you board the comfortable coach from your local pickup on day 1, settling in for a relaxed journey through England’s winter countryside. On arrival in Liverpool, enjoy a short orientation drive past the Royal Albert Dock, St George’s Quarter and Liverpool ONE so you can get your bearings and enjoy a free afternoon at the market.

On day 2, we travel to Manchester where your driver highlights the main hubs of the Manchester Christmas Markets around Piccadilly Gardens (Winter Gardens), Exchange Square and St Ann’s Square. Use the pointers to navigate easily, sample seasonal treats and pause for photos and reflection before our comfortable return coach journey home. Please note, the order of visits may be reversed to suit local conditions.