Skip page header and navigation

Why we love Leeds

A hotbed for shopping and the arts, you’ll find lots to do in Leeds. From exploring the grounds of impressive historical houses to hunting for bargains in Europe’s biggest indoor market, the Grade I listed Kirkgate Market. Rich in heritage, this energetic former mill town boasts a thriving independent food scene, international beer festivals and a dazzling array of street art, including Britain’s tallest mural, Athena Rising. 

Whether it’s tasting tours, Europe’s biggest music festivals, or celebrating its Year of Culture for 2023, Leeds rocks it all. While its compact size makes it discoverable, its diversity means there’s always something to do, whether that’s burlesque to hip-hop, culture to clubbing. Sports fans are well catered for too, with cricket and rugby league at Headingley, and Leeds United Football club playing at Elland Road. And if you want to escape to nature — relax in one of Europe’s largest city parks, Roundhay Park. Or it’s just a short jaunt to the glorious Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Things to do in Leeds

This is the home of Britain’s biggest collection of weapons and armour – including Henry VIII’s battle outfit.

Step into history at Royal Armouries Museum

jacks.jollies

A set of elephant armor on display at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds
Royal Armouries Museum

More than just retail heaven, this shopping district is a vision of beautiful Victorian-inspired architecture. Great style, in every direction.

Shop ’til you drop at Victoria Gate

victorialeeds_

Victoria Gate
Victoria Gate

This spectacular home starred as Princess Mary’s residence in the Downton Abbey film – and now hosts private tours and festivals.

Plan your trip to Harewood House

VisitBritain/Thomas Heaton

The Victorian formal gardens with statues and low hedges in front of Harewood House
Harewood House

From the juiciest burgers to the best local beers, Leeds Indie Food is your one-stop guide to the finest food in England’s north.

Tuck into Leeds Indie Food

Amy Heycock

portrait OWT Leeds Corn Exchange - Amy Heycock for Visit Leeds (18) copy
Leeds Indie Food

Built in the 1800s, this intimate theatre has a truly decadent interior, and attracts stellar shows and acts to its stage.

Catch a show at Leeds Grand Theatre

Ant Robling

Leeds Grand Theatre credit Ant Robling
Leeds Grand Theatre

See a match or take a tour of Leeds United home ground Elland Road, the footballing heart of the city.

Book a tour of Elland Road, here

Park Dale / Alamy Stock Photo

Lake District

Billy Bremner Sculpture outside the East Stand at Elland Road, home of Leeds United Football Club
Leeds United

Head to Wetherby Racecourse for a great day out, just outside of Leeds.

Place your bets at Wetherby Racecourse.

Wetherby Racecourse

Leeds

A horse and rider leaping over a fence at Wetherby Racecourse
Wetherby Racecourse

Go behind the scenes at Headingley Cricket Ground, the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, with a tour of this prestigious ground.

See behind the scenes of Headingley Cricket Ground, here

Shutterstock / Brian A Jackson

Lake District

Cricket,Batsman,Hitting,A,Ball,Shot,From,Below,Against,A
Headingley Cricket Ground Tour

Get your art on at Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute next door, two wonderful spaces in Leeds.

Visit the Leeds Art Gallery here and Henry Moore Insitute

Min Young Lim

Leeds

A child looking at an art exhibit in Leeds Art Gallery
Leeds Art Gallery and Henry Moore Institute

Check out The Tetley, the stunning contemporary art gallery in the former Tetley Brewery company building, in Leeds.

Make time for The Tetley art gallery in Leeds

Jo Ritchie/Tetley Art Gallery

Lake District

Children explore Emily Hesse The Witches' Institution at The Tetley in Leeds
The Tetley art gallery

See a show at the dynamic Leeds Playhouse, a theatre by and for the people of the city.

Book tickets now for Leeds Playhouse

Park Dale / Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

Exterior of Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, Yorkshire, previously West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Leeds Playhouse

Hear some arias at a performance by Opera North, the proud opera company based in Leeds.

Tune up with a visit to Opera North.

gavanring

Leeds

Theatres in Leeds
Opera North

Treat yourself to some of Leeds’ best Indian food at Prashad, a Bib Gourmand restaurant in Drighlington.

Book now for a memorable meal at Prashad

Prashad Restaurant

Leeds

Various dishes served on a table at Prashad Restaurant in Leeds
Prashad restaurant

Take a gin tour of Leeds, discovering all about the art of gin, as well as the city’s gin-ful past.

Book a Gin Journey around Leeds, here

Madeline Penfold

Leeds

A tour group being shown around a gin distillery in Leeds
Gin Journey

Discover all about Leeds’ fabulous food heritage on a guided Leeds Food Tour, full of food and facts.

Get your fill on a Leeds Food Tour

Wirestock, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

Closeup shot of vegan burgers on a table in a restaurant
Leeds Food Tours

Head to Harvey Nichols’ Fourth Floor Bar, for the most glamorous pit-stop whilst shopping.

Head to Harvey Nichols’ Fourth Floor Bar and refuel

Fourth Floor Bar, Harvey Nichols Leeds

Leeds

Plates of food being served on a table at Fourth Floor Bar in Harvey Nichols Leeds
Fourth Floor Bar

Go behind the scenes of Emmerdale in the Yorkshire Dales, as you visit the set of this much-loved soap.

Book a trip to Emmerdale, here

Tom Arber Photo / Continuum Entertainment

Leeds

Two people posing outside the Emmerdale sign on a tour
The Emmerdale Village Tour

Wander around the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey and learn about what life would have been like as a monk in this historic Cistercian monastery.

Step back in time at Kirkstall Abbey.

Courtesy of Leeds Museums & Galleries

Leeds

A parent and child exploring Kirkstall Abbey
Kirkstall Abbey

From Ancient Rome to the natural world, Leeds City Museum is a must-visit for anyone in the city.

Plan your visit to Leeds City Museum

Dawn Kilner

Leeds

A girl posing in front of a tiger exhibit at Leeds City Museum
Leeds City Museum

Walk through the history of medicine in the fascinating Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds.

Walk through the history of medicine at Thackray Museum of Medicine

Chapter 81

Leeds

Children looking at an exhibit in Thackray Museum of Medicine, Leeds
Thackray Museum of Medicine

Discover Leeds’ industrial past at Armley Mills, which has everything from steam engines to a 1920s cinema.

Learn about Leeds’ past at Leeds Industrial Museum

Courtesy of Leeds Museums & Galleries

Leeds

A grandparent and child looking at an industrial exhibit in Leeds Industrial Museum
Leeds Industrial Museum

Head down to Leeds’ Freedom Quarter and discover a hub of LGBTQIA+ venues, from pubs and clubs to cafes.

Check out Leeds’ fun Freedom Quarter

Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

Young Woman Blowing Whistle On Gay Pride Parade
The Freedom Quarter

Join in with the celebration at the UK’s biggest comic art festival, Thought Bubble, in Yorkshire.

Get your Cosplay outfit ready for Thought Bubble

Clare Jackson / Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

A female cosplayer dressed as a Japanese Anime character with colourful wig and make up at a comic con event
Thought Bubble

Rock on for three days of live music at Leeds Festival, in Bramham Park, one of the biggest dates on the festival calendar.

Make a date for Leeds Festival

Ellen Offredy

Leeds

Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival

Heavy metal fans will flock to the Damnation Festival, a one-day celebration of metal in the BEC Arena, Manchester.

Rock on at Damnation Festival

Getty Images/Flashpop

Leeds

Girl with dyed hair, smiling, dancing with a group of people
Damnation Festival

Take time out at the fabulous Roundhay Park in Leeds – with 700 stunning acres of parkland to explore.

Enjoy the green spaces of Roundhay Park

Joanne Crawford

Leeds

Children and parents sitting on the fields around Temple Newsam in Leeds
Roundhay Park

Do some forest-bathing at Otley Chevin Forest Park, a 700-acre nature reserve near Otley, West Yorkshire.

Find out more about Otley Chevin Forest Park

Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

The colours of early autumn fill Chevin Forest Park on a damp October day with a single orange sapling dwarfed by the surrounding trees.
Otley Chevin Forest Park

Take a day out of the rat race on a one-day yoga retreat with Nichi Green, near Otley, Leeds.

Book a yoga retreat at The Yoga Space.

Shutterstock / fizkes

Leeds

A group of people in a yoga class
Yoga Retreats

Enjoy the opulence of the magnificent 18th century Harewood House, the lavish former home of Princess Mary.

Head to Harewood for a royal day out

Shutterstock / Russell Webb

Leeds

An outside view of Harewood House
Harewood House

Visit the beautiful Victoria Quarter, one half of Victoria Leeds upmarket shopping district.

Shop till you drop at Victoria Leeds

Park Dale / Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

Victoria Quarter shopping arcade in Leeds, UK
Victoria Quarter

Make a date for Kirkstall Abbey Markets, a weekend market in the stunning setting of the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey.

Shop locally at the atmospheric Kirkstall Abbey Markets

Dawn Kilner

Leeds

Groups of people eating and shopping outside Kirkstall Abbey
Kirkstall Abbey Markets

For shopping with a difference, head to Leeds Corn Exchange and its array of independent retailers.

Visit Leeds Corn Exchange for something different

Amy Heycock for Visit Leeds

Leeds

People looking around the interior of Leeds Corn Exchange
Leeds Corn Exchange

Aim for a zero-waste lifestyle by refilling and restocking at EcoTopia’s eco-friendly stores in Leeds.

Go zero-waste at EcoTopia, Leeds

Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images

Leeds

Man filling container from dispenser for body and beauty products
EcoTopia

Get together at Green Room, a bar and terrace which is all about local talent, food and drink.

Feel good at the Green Room

Green Room / Thirty-Six Leeds Ltd

Leeds

Groups of people sitting outside and drinking
Green Room

This is the home of Britain’s biggest collection of weapons and armour – including Henry VIII’s battle outfit.

Step into history at Royal Armouries Museum

jacks.jollies

A set of elephant armor on display at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds
Royal Armouries Museum

More than just retail heaven, this shopping district is a vision of beautiful Victorian-inspired architecture. Great style, in every direction.

Shop ’til you drop at Victoria Gate

victorialeeds_

Victoria Gate
Victoria Gate

This spectacular home starred as Princess Mary’s residence in the Downton Abbey film – and now hosts private tours and festivals.

Plan your trip to Harewood House

VisitBritain/Thomas Heaton

The Victorian formal gardens with statues and low hedges in front of Harewood House
Harewood House

From the juiciest burgers to the best local beers, Leeds Indie Food is your one-stop guide to the finest food in England’s north.

Tuck into Leeds Indie Food

Amy Heycock

portrait OWT Leeds Corn Exchange - Amy Heycock for Visit Leeds (18) copy
Leeds Indie Food

Built in the 1800s, this intimate theatre has a truly decadent interior, and attracts stellar shows and acts to its stage.

Catch a show at Leeds Grand Theatre

Ant Robling

Leeds Grand Theatre credit Ant Robling
Leeds Grand Theatre

See a match or take a tour of Leeds United home ground Elland Road, the footballing heart of the city.

Book a tour of Elland Road, here

Park Dale / Alamy Stock Photo

Lake District

Billy Bremner Sculpture outside the East Stand at Elland Road, home of Leeds United Football Club
Leeds United

Head to Wetherby Racecourse for a great day out, just outside of Leeds.

Place your bets at Wetherby Racecourse.

Wetherby Racecourse

Leeds

A horse and rider leaping over a fence at Wetherby Racecourse
Wetherby Racecourse

Go behind the scenes at Headingley Cricket Ground, the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, with a tour of this prestigious ground.

See behind the scenes of Headingley Cricket Ground, here

Shutterstock / Brian A Jackson

Lake District

Cricket,Batsman,Hitting,A,Ball,Shot,From,Below,Against,A
Headingley Cricket Ground Tour

Get your art on at Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute next door, two wonderful spaces in Leeds.

Visit the Leeds Art Gallery here and Henry Moore Insitute

Min Young Lim

Leeds

A child looking at an art exhibit in Leeds Art Gallery
Leeds Art Gallery and Henry Moore Institute

Check out The Tetley, the stunning contemporary art gallery in the former Tetley Brewery company building, in Leeds.

Make time for The Tetley art gallery in Leeds

Jo Ritchie/Tetley Art Gallery

Lake District

Children explore Emily Hesse The Witches' Institution at The Tetley in Leeds
The Tetley art gallery

See a show at the dynamic Leeds Playhouse, a theatre by and for the people of the city.

Book tickets now for Leeds Playhouse

Park Dale / Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

Exterior of Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, Yorkshire, previously West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Leeds Playhouse

Hear some arias at a performance by Opera North, the proud opera company based in Leeds.

Tune up with a visit to Opera North.

gavanring

Leeds

Theatres in Leeds
Opera North

Treat yourself to some of Leeds’ best Indian food at Prashad, a Bib Gourmand restaurant in Drighlington.

Book now for a memorable meal at Prashad

Prashad Restaurant

Leeds

Various dishes served on a table at Prashad Restaurant in Leeds
Prashad restaurant

Take a gin tour of Leeds, discovering all about the art of gin, as well as the city’s gin-ful past.

Book a Gin Journey around Leeds, here

Madeline Penfold

Leeds

A tour group being shown around a gin distillery in Leeds
Gin Journey

Discover all about Leeds’ fabulous food heritage on a guided Leeds Food Tour, full of food and facts.

Get your fill on a Leeds Food Tour

Wirestock, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

Closeup shot of vegan burgers on a table in a restaurant
Leeds Food Tours

Head to Harvey Nichols’ Fourth Floor Bar, for the most glamorous pit-stop whilst shopping.

Head to Harvey Nichols’ Fourth Floor Bar and refuel

Fourth Floor Bar, Harvey Nichols Leeds

Leeds

Plates of food being served on a table at Fourth Floor Bar in Harvey Nichols Leeds
Fourth Floor Bar

Go behind the scenes of Emmerdale in the Yorkshire Dales, as you visit the set of this much-loved soap.

Book a trip to Emmerdale, here

Tom Arber Photo / Continuum Entertainment

Leeds

Two people posing outside the Emmerdale sign on a tour
The Emmerdale Village Tour

Wander around the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey and learn about what life would have been like as a monk in this historic Cistercian monastery.

Step back in time at Kirkstall Abbey.

Courtesy of Leeds Museums & Galleries

Leeds

A parent and child exploring Kirkstall Abbey
Kirkstall Abbey

From Ancient Rome to the natural world, Leeds City Museum is a must-visit for anyone in the city.

Plan your visit to Leeds City Museum

Dawn Kilner

Leeds

A girl posing in front of a tiger exhibit at Leeds City Museum
Leeds City Museum

Walk through the history of medicine in the fascinating Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds.

Walk through the history of medicine at Thackray Museum of Medicine

Chapter 81

Leeds

Children looking at an exhibit in Thackray Museum of Medicine, Leeds
Thackray Museum of Medicine

Discover Leeds’ industrial past at Armley Mills, which has everything from steam engines to a 1920s cinema.

Learn about Leeds’ past at Leeds Industrial Museum

Courtesy of Leeds Museums & Galleries

Leeds

A grandparent and child looking at an industrial exhibit in Leeds Industrial Museum
Leeds Industrial Museum

Head down to Leeds’ Freedom Quarter and discover a hub of LGBTQIA+ venues, from pubs and clubs to cafes.

Check out Leeds’ fun Freedom Quarter

Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

Young Woman Blowing Whistle On Gay Pride Parade
The Freedom Quarter

Join in with the celebration at the UK’s biggest comic art festival, Thought Bubble, in Yorkshire.

Get your Cosplay outfit ready for Thought Bubble

Clare Jackson / Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

A female cosplayer dressed as a Japanese Anime character with colourful wig and make up at a comic con event
Thought Bubble

Rock on for three days of live music at Leeds Festival, in Bramham Park, one of the biggest dates on the festival calendar.

Make a date for Leeds Festival

Ellen Offredy

Leeds

Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival

Heavy metal fans will flock to the Damnation Festival, a one-day celebration of metal in the BEC Arena, Manchester.

Rock on at Damnation Festival

Getty Images/Flashpop

Leeds

Girl with dyed hair, smiling, dancing with a group of people
Damnation Festival

Take time out at the fabulous Roundhay Park in Leeds – with 700 stunning acres of parkland to explore.

Enjoy the green spaces of Roundhay Park

Joanne Crawford

Leeds

Children and parents sitting on the fields around Temple Newsam in Leeds
Roundhay Park

Do some forest-bathing at Otley Chevin Forest Park, a 700-acre nature reserve near Otley, West Yorkshire.

Find out more about Otley Chevin Forest Park

Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

The colours of early autumn fill Chevin Forest Park on a damp October day with a single orange sapling dwarfed by the surrounding trees.
Otley Chevin Forest Park

Take a day out of the rat race on a one-day yoga retreat with Nichi Green, near Otley, Leeds.

Book a yoga retreat at The Yoga Space.

Shutterstock / fizkes

Leeds

A group of people in a yoga class
Yoga Retreats

Enjoy the opulence of the magnificent 18th century Harewood House, the lavish former home of Princess Mary.

Head to Harewood for a royal day out

Shutterstock / Russell Webb

Leeds

An outside view of Harewood House
Harewood House

Visit the beautiful Victoria Quarter, one half of Victoria Leeds upmarket shopping district.

Shop till you drop at Victoria Leeds

Park Dale / Alamy Stock Photo

Leeds

Victoria Quarter shopping arcade in Leeds, UK
Victoria Quarter

Make a date for Kirkstall Abbey Markets, a weekend market in the stunning setting of the ruins of Kirkstall Abbey.

Shop locally at the atmospheric Kirkstall Abbey Markets

Dawn Kilner

Leeds

Groups of people eating and shopping outside Kirkstall Abbey
Kirkstall Abbey Markets

For shopping with a difference, head to Leeds Corn Exchange and its array of independent retailers.

Visit Leeds Corn Exchange for something different

Amy Heycock for Visit Leeds

Leeds

People looking around the interior of Leeds Corn Exchange
Leeds Corn Exchange

Aim for a zero-waste lifestyle by refilling and restocking at EcoTopia’s eco-friendly stores in Leeds.

Go zero-waste at EcoTopia, Leeds

Shutterstock / Monkey Business Images

Leeds

Man filling container from dispenser for body and beauty products
EcoTopia

Get together at Green Room, a bar and terrace which is all about local talent, food and drink.

Feel good at the Green Room

Green Room / Thirty-Six Leeds Ltd

Leeds

Groups of people sitting outside and drinking
Green Room

Places to stay in Leeds

Roundhay

Roundhay Park offers is to go to place for music and food festivals, and provides acres of green space, lakes, gardens and a tropical bird and butterfly house. Find lots of delis and restaurants, and all just a small walk into the centre

Headingley

Headingley has been the student centre, but with it comes a thriving centre of shops, vintage wear, book shops, cafes and and lots of pubs and bars. It’s a short journey to the city centre.

Otley

If you want the best of both words - Otley offers the beauty of the Wharfe Valley and the Chevin Forest Park where hiking and biking are a must, and is also a scenic and lively market town too.

Explore nearby

Small and mighty – York is the medieval walled city that really packs a punch.

VisitBritain/Sam Barker

Woman wearing trench coat and pink hat walking

World-class football and a music scene that brought Oasis to centre stage – there’s lots to love about Manchester.

VisitBritain/Manchester Craft Beer Festival

DJ playing to groups of people at Manchester Craft Beer Festival, in Depot Mayfield, Manchester

Rugged yet beautiful, wild yet welcoming – the North York Moors National Park is full of surprises.

VisitBritain/Sam Barker

Chef wearing apron on pier holding lobster trap with lobster

Proof that perfection can’t be rushed, the Yorkshire Dales was millions of years in-the-making.

VisitBritain/MattCant

Cyclist riding on road through green dales. Panoramic views

Getting to Leeds

As the largest city in West Yorkshire, the nearest main airport to Leeds is in Manchester, which serves around 225 destinations globally. Direct trains from Manchester Airport to Leeds take around 90 minutes, with driving taking a little longer. Train routes from London take just two-and-a-half-hours. Leeds Bradford Airport, around eight miles to the northwest of Leeds city centre (a 30 minute drive), also has connections to more than 75 European destinations, while National Express coaches provide routes into Leeds from both airports.

Getting around

An extensive public transport network makes Leeds simple to explore and provides fantastic connections to the rest of Britain. For guidance, pop into the Visit Leeds and Art Gallery Shop, which doubles as the city’s tourist information centre.

By foot

Much of central Leeds, including the shopping areas at Trinity Leeds and Victoria Gate, is pedestrianised, making it east to explore on foot.

By train

The Metro network services towns and villages in the surrounding area, providing reliable links to areas across West Yorkshire.

By bus

An extensive bus network connects the main places to visit in Leeds. First Bus operates more than 60 routes in the city, while Arriva and Stagecoach also provide regular services.

By boat

A daily water taxi service meanders between Granary Wharf and Leeds Dock, providing an excellent way to see the historic waterfront area.

Want to know more?

Check out Visit Leeds for insider tips and travel inspiration.