Manchester Stadium and Library Tours

November 5, 2026

Manchester’s organised attractions are built around football, a medieval library and a few sightseeing options. Prices are in pounds sterling (GBP), and most places sell timed slots online, so book ahead for weekends and school holidays.

Old Trafford Tour and Museum

Manchester United’s tour on Sir Matt Busby Way in Stretford takes about 70 minutes. Adult tickets start from about GBP 28 when booked online and junior or concession tickets from about GBP 15. Walk-up tickets cost more, and peak days cost more than quiet ones, so book at the club’s site. There are no tours on first-team home matchdays. Babies need a ticket but pay nothing.

Etihad Stadium Tour

Manchester City’s tour at the Etihad Campus starts from about GBP 28 for adults and GBP 18 for under-16s, with family packages from about GBP 75. The Metrolink stop is Etihad Campus, in zone 2, a short ride from Piccadilly. Matchday tours are a separate product, so check which one you are booking.

Chetham’s Library

Founded in 1653, Chetham’s is the oldest free public reference library in the English-speaking world, and Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels studied there in 1845. Visits are only by pre-booked guided tour, never drop-in. Guided tours are for ages 8 and over, and a standard tour is about GBP 12 to GBP 15. The library is on Long Millgate beside the cathedral.

Sightseeing Manchester bus

The hop-on hop-off bus leaves from outside the Bridgewater Hall on Lower Mosley Street and runs a 90-minute loop. An adult ticket is GBP 15, a concession ticket GBP 8 and a family ticket for two adults and two children GBP 30. Tickets last two days. The operating days are listed on the operator’s timetable, and some weeks the bus does not run every day, so check before you plan around it.

Manchester Cathedral tours

Free guided tours run Monday to Saturday between 10:00 and 16:00, depending on volunteers. Private group tours cost GBP 6 per adult and need two weeks’ notice. The cathedral is closed to groups from 13:00 to 14:00.

Spirit of Manchester Distillery

Under the railway arches on Watson Street, the distillery offers a gin tasting tour and a longer gin-making session. Both are for adults only, and photo ID is needed. Book on the distillery’s own booking page.

Tips

Manchester has no official city pass, so there is no single ticket for all attractions.
Metrolink fares are frozen for 2026. Tap in on the platform reader before you board.

Official pages: Old Trafford Tour , Sightseeing Manchester , Chetham’s Library . Compare guided options on Viator .