City centre
First-timersAround George Square and Buchanan Street.
Glasgow city guide
Things To Do In Glasgow
Scotland's biggest city: Victorian grandeur, free museums, Mackintosh architecture, giant murals and the best live music in Britain. Friendlier than Edinburgh, and cheaper.
6
Hostels in the city
7.1
Average, from 14,514 reviews
Free
Kelvingrove and the Burrell
1896
The Subway opens
50 min
To Edinburgh
The second city of the empire
In the nineteenth century, Glasgow was one of the great industrial cities of the world, building a fifth of the world's ships on the Clyde and calling itself the second city of the British Empire. Its grand Victorian buildings, parks and museums come from that era.
The industry collapsed in the twentieth century, and Glasgow reinvented itself around culture, music and design. It has the best live music scene in Britain, the art nouveau of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and a trail of huge murals across the centre.
Glaswegians are famously friendly, and strangers will talk to you. Two or three days is right, with Loch Lomond close by.
Where to stay
The centre and the West End are the bases. The Merchant City has bars and restaurants.
West End
AtmosphereKelvingrove, the university and Ashton Lane.
Merchant City
NightlifeBars and restaurants in old warehouses.
Finnieston
FoodRestaurants and bars near the SEC.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 4 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Glasgow
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, in a red sandstone palace in the West End, is free and holds Dalí's Christ of Saint John of the Cross. The Riverside Museum, a transport museum on the Clyde, and the reopened Burrell Collection in Pollok Park are also free.
Glasgow Cathedral is the only medieval mainland cathedral in Scotland to survive the Reformation intact, and the Necropolis on the hill behind it has the best view in the city.
Follow the City Centre Mural Trail, and see Mackintosh at the Mackintosh House in the Hunterian and the Willow Tea Rooms.
At weekends, the Barras market in the East End is the old market of the city.
Free things
Free things to do in Glasgow
Kelvingrove, the Riverside Museum, the Burrell Collection and the Gallery of Modern Art are free.
The cathedral, the Necropolis, the mural trail and the city's parks are free.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Glasgow
Glasgow's food is cheap and varied, from curry houses to Finnieston's restaurants. The city claims to have invented chicken tikka masala.
A pub meal is £10 to £16.
Nightlife
Going out in Glasgow
Glasgow is the night out in Scotland. King Tut's, the Barrowland Ballroom and SWG3 are the famous venues, with gigs most nights.
Ashton Lane in the West End, the Merchant City and Sauchiehall Street are the bar districts.
A pint is £4.50 to £6, cheaper than Edinburgh.
Getting around
Getting around Glasgow
The centre is walkable. The Subway, a single circular line nicknamed the Clockwork Orange, links the centre with the West End.
The Glasgow Airport Express bus reaches the centre in about twenty minutes.
Trains reach Edinburgh in under an hour, Oban in about three hours and Fort William in about three and three-quarter hours on the West Highland Line.
Costs
What Glasgow costs
Glasgow is cheaper than Edinburgh. Dorms start around £20. A careful day is £45 to £60.
From 25 January 2027, a 5% visitor levy will be added to accommodation for the whole length of the stay, and bookings made now for stays after that date already include it.
The currency is the pound sterling, and Scottish banknotes are legal tender. Cards work almost everywhere, including contactless on buses.
Safety
Staying safe in Glasgow
Glasgow is safe for visitors, with the usual big-city care at night.
Football derbies between Celtic and Rangers are best avoided in the areas around the grounds and in bars showing the match.
Emergency number is 999 or 112; for mountain rescue, call 999 and ask for police, then mountain rescue.
Day trips from Glasgow
Lochs, islands and the start of the Highlands.
Loch Lomond
Scotland's largest loch by area, and the start of the Highlands.
Isle of Arran
Scotland in miniature, with mountains and castles.
Stirling
The castle and the Wallace Monument.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Celtic Connections fills the city in the darkest weeks.
Staff pick
13 Jun – 18 Oct
Barbie®: The Exhibition
Barbie®: The Exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum invites visitors to explore the evolution of one of the world’s most recognizable dolls. With…
Staff pick
24 Sep – 4 Oct
Sonica Glasgow
Sonica Glasgow is a renowned biennial festival celebrating cutting-edge audio-visual art and sound, produced by Cryptic since 1994. Showcasing innovative UK and international artists,…
Staff pick
30 Sep – 1 Oct
Westlife
Westlife is an internationally acclaimed Irish pop group renowned for their powerful harmonies and chart-topping ballads. Since their debut in 1999, Westlife has sold…
Staff pick
3–4 October
The AJ Bell Great Scottish Run
The AJ Bell Great Scottish Run is Scotland’s largest running event, bringing together more than 20,000 participants of all ages and abilities for a…
Staff pick
2 November
Van Morrison
Van Morrison is a Northern Irish record producer and instrumentalist. He is a multiple award winner who rose to prominence in the '60s as…
Staff pick
12 December
Hoolie in the Hydro
Hoolie in the Hydro is Scotland’s largest celebration of traditional music, drawing thousands of fans to Glasgow’s iconic OVO Hydro each year. The event…
Staff pick
10 October
Tenement Trail Festival
The Tenement Trail Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, is a must-attend event for music lovers seeking to discover the next big thing in the indie…
Staff pick
31 October
John O'Callaghan
John O'Callaghan is a renowned trance DJ and producer known for high-energy sets and uplifting, melodic soundscapes. His performances often feature fan favorites like…
Hostels
Where to stay in Glasgow
The top-rated places to stay in Glasgow right now, live from Hostelworld.
When to go
May to September is best. Celtic Connections brightens January.
Jan
Celtic Connections
Feb
Film festival
Mar
Spring
Apr
Spring
May
Good
Jun
West End Festival
Jul
TRNSMT
Aug
Summer
Sep
Good
Oct
Wet
Nov
Dark
Dec
Christmas
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Glasgow is wetter than Edinburgh.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in pounds.
Big concert weekends run above these figures.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Glasgow travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Glasgow worth visiting?
Yes, for free museums, Mackintosh, murals and the best live music in Britain.
Glasgow or Edinburgh?
Both, fifty minutes apart. Glasgow is bigger, cheaper and better for music.
Are Glasgow's museums free?
Most are, including Kelvingrove, the Riverside and the Burrell.
How do I get from the airport?
By the Airport Express bus, about twenty minutes.
Is Glasgow safe?
Yes, with ordinary big-city care at night.
How many days do you need?
Two or three.
When is the best time to visit?
May to September, or January for Celtic Connections.
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