Spend a day out in Glasgow city centre
Spend a day out in Glasgow city centre
Get into the heart of it all with a day and evening out in the city centre. Enjoy amazing restaurants, bars, museums, music and shops, 7 days a week!
A day of updating your wardrobe
The city centre is where you'll find Glasgow's biggest and best retail offering. Whether browsing for high street fashion in shopping centres, exclusive brands on elegant streets or finding quirky gifts in independent stores - the city centre has it all.
The shopping centres of Buchanan Galleries, Princes Square, St. Enoch Centre and Argyll Arcade have a great selection of well-known brands, including LEGO Store, Kate Spade New York, John Lewis, Hamleys and ROX. Visit our shopping pages for inspiration.
A day of discovery
Be a tourist in your own city and see your city differently. Hop aboard the City Sightseeing Bus Tour for a fun tour of must-see sights with some you may never have seen before! Visit city-sightseeing.com to book.
There are a great range of walking tours in the city centre, taking in the likes of murals, contemporary art, music, whisky and more. Check out our tours page for information. For quieter times to take it all in, make your visit mid-week.
Discover amazing art in the Gallery of Modern Art and the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) or walk on the stage of the world's oldest surviving music hall, Britannia Panopticon. Any day trip is made extra special with a visit to Mackintosh at the Willow where you can enjoy afternoon tea, an exhibition and a gift shop all in one cultural gem of a building. Visit our city centre neighbourhood page for ideas on well-known and new-to-you attractions to visit.
The city centre is also a brilliant place for a walk or a cycle. Don't forget to 'look up' to take in the impressive range of architecture from across the eras. If looking for more space to stretch the legs, then head to Glasgow Green or along the banks of the River Clyde.
A day of fine dining
In the city centre, you are spoilt for choice with Glasgow's best bars and great food in beautiful surroundings. The only challenge is choosing where to go in a city named as a 'top 5 UK city for food and drink' (Which?, 2021).
Visit old favourites that have been delighting for decades, such as La Lanterna and Cafe Gandolfi, or try the newest places on the block, such as Glaschu and Mowgli. Check out our top 10 new places to eat and drink page for the hottest new openings and look out for mid-week deals.
From drinking al fresco to cosy pubs, whatever the weather, whatever your mood, Glasgow city centre has you covered. Top tip - many of the city's most stylish bars can be found in hotels, such as Champagne Central at Voco Grand Central or Iasg at Kimpton Blythswood Square. Check out our 12 top hotel bars page and treat yourself! Visit our eat and drink section for inspiration.
A night of opening your world
Glasgow is a city in love with culture and knows how to put on a show! Expect a varied programme of everything from opera to West End hits to comedy at the city's historic Kings Theatre, Theatre Royal and Pavilion. While the likes of The Tron Theatre offer cutting-edge contemporary shows.
For music, visit glasgowconcerthalls.com to view the incredible range of concerts and events at stunning venues, the Old Fruitmarket, City Halls and Royal Concert Hall. Music fans will find everything they need to know by visiting our hub for music lovers.
The shopping centres are also becoming entertainment hubs with Princes Square home to the boutique Everyman Cinema and St. Enoch Centre home to the VUE Cinema and Scotland's first Boom Battle Bar, full of games and experiences for family and friend groups.
And entertainment spills out into the streets of the city, with the likes of the carnivalesque Merchant City Festival taking over in July. Visit our what's on section for ideas.
A night danced away
Bring your day out to an end by dancing the night away in one of the city centre's amazing clubs or music venues.
The frequently named 'best small venue in the UK', King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, and the longest-running underground dance club in the world, Sub Club, are just 2 of the city's famous nightlife spots. Visit our clubs and late night bars page for more places to visit, from Sauchiehall Street favourites to LGBTQ+ spots.
One of the reasons Glasgow was named the UK's first-ever UNESCO City of Music is because of the huge number of gigs each day. If you haven't booked something ahead, then there's no need to worry. Visit our bars with free live music for ideas on where to stumble upon jazz, rock, open mic nights and more.
People make Glasgow. Make it yours.
Article last updated: May 2022
