Things To Do In Glasgow: A Weekend City Guide

*This is a collaborative post on things to do in Glasgow

I’ve been up to Glasgow a handful of times now, from a snowed in airport stopover years ago to a weekend trip for Taylor Swift, and each time I leave wondering why I don’t visit Scotland more often. It’s one of those cities that doesn’t shout about itself the way Edinburgh does, but once you’re there you realise there’s a genuinely brilliant mix of culture, food and things to see in Glasgow packed into a fairly walkable city centre.

If you’re planning a weekend away and want to know what to do in Glasgow, here’s my rundown of the best bits, plus a few free things to do in Glasgow if you’re travelling on a budget.

Wander around Glasgow cathedral

Glasgow Cathedral is one of the few Scottish medieval cathedrals to have survived the Reformation still standing, and it’s honestly a stunning spot to start a day of sightseeing. It’s free to go into, the architecture is incredible and the surrounding Necropolis (AKA Glasgow’s City of the Dead) is worth the climb up afterwards. There’s also a brand new bee trail you can check out too! Give yourself an hour here, more if you want to properly explore the Necropolis or do the bee trail too.

Get lost in the West End

The West End is where I’d happily spend a whole day. It’s full of independent coffee shops, vintage stores and leafy streets, and it has a completely different feel to the city centre. Byres Road is the main hub if you want to browse and stop for brunch, and it’s an easy walk from here down to the Botanic Gardens if you fancy some greenery. It reminded me a lot of the itinerary building I did when I wrote about the places I’d love to visit in Scotland, since the West End has that same slower, more local pace.

Learn to pour the perfect pint at a tennent’s masterclass

Glasgow and beer go hand in hand, quite literally, since Tennent’s has been brewed in the city since 1885. If you want something a bit different from the usual sightseeing, a Tennent’s Tour and Beer Masterclass is a genuinely fun few hours. You get a tour of the working brewery, a rundown of how lager actually gets made, and a tasting session at the end where you learn to properly pour and pour again until you’ve got it right. It’s a nice one to book onto with a group, especially if you’re doing a girls’ or lads’ weekend, and it gives your day some structure beyond just wandering around looking at buildings.

Browse the shops on Buchanan Street

If shopping is part of your city break, Buchanan Street is Glasgow’s main shopping strip and it’s pedestrianised, so it’s an easy, relaxed wander. You’ll find all the usual high street names alongside the Buchanan Galleries, plus plenty of street performers keeping things entertaining along the way. It’s also a good central point to base yourself from if you’re working out how to get everywhere else on this list, since most of the attractions are within a fifteen to twenty minute walk.

Take in art at Kelvingrove art gallery and museum

Kelvingrove is one of the most visited museums in the UK outside London, and once you’re inside it’s obvious why. The building itself is beautiful, and the collections range from fine art to natural history to a full sized Spitfire hanging from the ceiling. Best of all, it’s completely free to get in, which makes it an easy add to any Glasgow itinerary if you’re trying to keep costs down. I’d allow at least two hours here, though it’s easy to lose half a day if you’re a museum person.

Explore the riverside museum

A little further out but well worth the trip, the Riverside Museum sits on the banks of the Clyde and covers Glasgow’s transport history, from old trams to steam locomotives to a recreated 1930s street. It’s another free one, and if the weather’s on your side you can also step aboard the Tall Ship moored just outside. I’d combine this with a walk along the river back towards the city centre if you’ve got the time and the legs for it.

Grab a bite in Finnieston

Finnieston has properly cemented itself as Glasgow’s foodie neighbourhood over the last few years, and it’s where I’d send anyone wanting a good dinner. There’s everything from small plates to steak restaurants to some brilliant cocktail bars, and it’s a short walk from the Riverside Museum, so it works well as an end point to a day of sightseeing. It’s busy at weekends, so booking ahead is worth it if you’ve got somewhere specific in mind.

Glasgow packs a lot into a small space, and honestly a lot of the best bits, the Cathedral, Kelvingrove, the Riverside Museum, don’t cost a thing to visit. If you’re planning the trip on a budget, it’s worth reading through my tips on how to travel on a budget, since a lot of them apply just as well to a weekend in Scotland as they do further afield.

And if Glasgow has whetted your appetite for more of the country, I’ve also written about all the other places in Scotland I’d love to visit, from the Fairy Pools on Skye to the Outer Hebrides.

Have you been to Glasgow? What would you add to this list?