The Top 13 Birmingham Walking Tours In 2025 – From A Local
Take a look at these Top 13 Birmingham walking tours – reviewed by a local!
As a local Midland native (I’m based in Wolverhampton), I can appreciate how important walking tours are if you’re visiting the city of Birmingham for the first time.
Walking tours are hugely popular in the second city, all of which promise to give unique insights into the city. But are they actually any good?
I’m very experienced with the best places to visit in Birmingham, which makes me the ideal person to review which walking tours are worth paying for and which ones are best to avoid.
So that’s why I’ve curated a detailed list of the 13 top walking tours, providing everything you need to know for each one and giving my expert opinion to help make your decision easier.
Short on time? Here are my Top 13 Birmingham walking tours that I recommend:
1. From Canals & Victorians to Today’s City: Birmingham Walking Tour
2. Birmingham Slogging Gangs Walking Tour with Edward Shelby
3. Birmingham Gangs Night time Historical Walking Tour with Pub Stops
4. Birmingham City Centre Daily Walking Tour (10:30am & 5:30pm)
5. Discovering Birmingham 2 hour Walking Tour to the Jewellery Quarter
6. Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham: A Walking Adventure
7. Birmingham Black Heritage Walking Tour
8. Birmingham Private Walking Tour with a Professional Guide
9. Digbeth, Public Art & Peaky Blinders
10. Birmingham Walking Tour: Migration Stories from the Stratford Road
11. Private Birmingham Ghosts & Gallows Tour
12. Guided Tour of Street Art in Birmingham
13. Birmingham’s Public Art – City Centre Walking Tour
Top 13 Birmingham Walking Tours
In no particular order, let’s look at the top 13 Birmingham walking tours, what’s included with each of them, what to expect and my own verdict on each one too, in no particular order:
1. From Canals and Victorians to Today’s City: Birmingham Walking Tour
⭐ Rating: 5/5 (293 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 2 hours | ✅ Book it here!
Learning about modern Birmingham’s rich history is key to understanding the city, and this tour promises to give you a comprehensive insight into the city’s past as well as featuring all the key modern day landmarks too.
This is a detailed tour that stops off at most of the major iconic landmark buildings in Birmingham city centre and will give you a good idea of the layout of the city, including its historical and famous canal system.
It’s ideal if you’re new to the city but will also provide interesting insights into the city that locals may not be aware of and it is also good value for money (only £15).
Here are all the places you will get to visit on this tour:
📍 Library of Birmingham – one of the top tourist attractions in the city and an amazing piece of modern architecture.
📍 Brindley Place – the trendy part of central Birmingham, full of top restaurants and bars right next to the city’s canals.
📍 Gas Street Basin – this is the central canal basin of Birmingham and where you will get to learn all about the fascinating canal history in the city.
📍 Victoria Square – the centre of Birmingham, featuring some stunning Victorian architecture.
📍 Chamberlain Square – another beautiful main square of Birmingham, featuring a mix of modern and historical architecture.
📍 Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery – this is a key historical building in the centre of Chamberlain Square.
📍 The Mailbox – one of the most iconic Birmingham landmarks, home to boutique stores, restaurants, bars and more.
📍 The Cube – a fairly new modern building that’s now a key feature of Birmingham’s cityscape.
📍 Ikon Gallery (Pass By) – one of the most important and popular art exhibition buildings in the city.
📍 Hall of Memory – this is an important war memorial in Centenary square.
📍 Birmingham Town Hall – another key historical building in Birmingham.
⭐ Check out Rebecca’s 5 star review of this walking tour:
“Jonathan was an excellent guide, very informative and entertaining. A thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours. We’ve visited Birmingham many times but on this tour we learned so much about its history. Highly recommend.”
➡️ Book your ticket for this Birmingham Walking Tour here
2. Birmingham Slogging Gangs Walking Tour with Edward Shelby
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 (158 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 2 hours| ✅ Book it here!
If you’re a fan of the hit British TV series: ‘Peaky Blinders‘ (which I most definitely am!) then this is the perfect walking tour for you when visiting Birmingham. This is a fun, unique and interactive tour with your guide dressed up in character as Edward Shelby.
Your guide will tell you everything about Birmingham’s criminal history that inspired the TV show. You’ll also get to visit a few traditional pubs in the area too, which is always a bonus!
👉 Travel Tip: If you want to visit some of the filming locations for ‘Peaky Blinders’, then take a day trip to the Black Country Living Museum, just a 1 hour drive away from Birmingham in Dudley.
Here’s where you will get to visit on this Birmingham Slogging gangs tour:
📍 West Midlands Police Museum – note that you won’t enter the museum here.
📍 The Gunmakers Quarter – this area was once known as the world’s gun-making industrial centre.
📍 Chinese Quarter – this is one of my favourite areas in Birmingham and was also featured in Peaky Blinders.
📍 Birmingham high street – here you’ll get to learn about the history of the tea trade and it’s links to Birmingham.
⭐ Check out Jacqueline’s 5 star review of this tour:
“Very interesting and Edward is very knowledgeable on the subject. Such a people person and very friendly, makes everyone welcome. Would recommend the walk if keen on the history of gangs but also some of the buildings.”
➡️ Book a ticket for Birmingham Slogging Gangs Walking Tour here
3. Birmingham Gangs Night time Historical Walking Tour with Pub Stops
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 (from 23 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 3 hours | ✅ Book it here!
This is slightly different form the Birmingham Slogging gangs tour described above as it takes place at night, making it all the more atmospheric!
This tour focuses more on the alcohol trade that the gangs ran and you’ll get to visit five uniquely different drinking establishments in the city, ranging from traditional pubs to gin palaces and cocktail bars.
This is equally as popular as the daytime gangs tour and arguably more fun with all the pub visits and games you’ll play along the way. You’ll also visit these stops on the walking tour:
📍 Birmingham Canalside – here you’ll learn about how the gangs used the city’s famous canals and the impact the alcohol trade.
📍 Burlington Arcade – visit one of the UK’s oldest shopping arcades and it’s ties to the city’s gangs.
📍 Birmingham New Street Railway Station – here you’ll get to visit a Peaky Blinders art installation.
⭐ Check out Alessandro’s 5 star review:
“Beautiful night sightseeing tour, the guide enriched the walk with detailed stories about the gangs that ruled Birmingham or the city’s trades. Highly recommend.”
➡️ Book a ticket for Birmingham Gangs Night time Historical Walking Tour here
4. Birmingham City Centre Daily Walking Tour (10:30am & 5:30pm)
⭐ Rating: 5/5 (160 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes | ✅ Book it here!
This is a very popular city centre tour that will take you to all the major landmarks and fill you in on the history, culture and hidden gems of this fantastic city.
It’s very good value for money (only £12 per ticket) and it’s not too long as well – lasting just an hour and a half – meaning you won’t be too exhausted by the end of it!
There are 10 stops in total on this tour (most of them I’ve detailed above in other tours) but the tour also visits these iconic places:
📍 Cathedral Square – this is truly the heart of Birmingham city, right next to Birmingham Cathedral.
📍 St Philip’s Cathedral Garden – this is a beautiful part of Birmingham in the Jewellery Quarter, one of my favourite areas of the whole city!
📍 Birmingham Town Hall – the city’s oldest venue and is noticeable for its Roman inspired architecture.
📍 Centenary Square – another public square that is home to the city’s library and war memorials.
📍 Baskerville House – a beautiful civic centre building!
📍 Broad Street – see Birmingham’s very own Walk of Fame on Broad street and learn about some of the city’s most famous celebs.
📍 Symphony Hall – the city’s most popular concert venue near Centenary Square.
⭐ Check out Jassi’s 5 star review of this tour:
“Dee was an excellent tour guide. Very knowledgeable and had interesting stories to tell. A great way to start a visit to Birmingham.”
➡️ Book a ticket for Birmingham City Centre Walking Tour here
5. Discovering Birmingham 2 hour Walking Tour to the Jewellery Quarter
⭐ Rating: 5/5 (278 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 2 hours | ✅ Book it here!
The Jewellery Quarter is Birmingham’s most historically fascinating area. It was the heart of the jewellery making industry for hundreds of years and this tour focuses on this unique place.
You’ll get to visit the Jewellery Quarter via a secret canal route and see how it is thriving in the modern era. You’ll also visit some of the city’s most iconic churches, cathedrals and public squares.
This is the ideal tour if you want to learn more about this historical place, whether your new to the city or a local.
⭐ Check out Katharine’s 5 star review of this tour:
“Full of fascinating facts and history. I’m a born and bred Brummie and learned so much about the city, places I’d walked past many times before without a second glance. Highly recommend.”
➡️ Book a ticket for this 2 hour tour of Birmingham & the Jewellery Quarter
6. Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham: A Walking Adventure
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 (2 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 2 hours | ✅ Book it here!
This is a fantastic private walking tour that also focuses on the Jewellery Quarter, where you’ll get to learn about the area’s most famous jewellers and visit some unique locations, such as:
📍 Coffin Works Museum – a heritage attraction museum site on the edge of the Jewellery Quarter that is based inside a former Victorian coffin making factory.
📍 Button Factory food mall – a renovated Victorian factory that is now considered the Jewellery Quarter’s trendiest hang out location.
⭐ Check out Andy’s 5 star review of this tour:
“Vicky our tour guide was absolutely brilliant. Her depth of knowledge was incredible and she really brought our tour of the Jewellery Quarter to life. She could talk about every aspect of the history of the area. Fascinating!”
➡️ Book a ticket for Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham: A Walking Adventure here
7. Birmingham Black Heritage Walking Tour
⭐ Rating: 5 stars (37 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 2.5 hours | ✅ Book it here!
This unique walking tour focuses on the history of the African Caribbean community of Birmingham and it’s heritage.
This is totally different from all the other tours on this list, visiting areas most tourists don’t get to visit and it focuses on a side of Birmingham that isn’t celebrated enough.
You’ll learn about the many different diverse communities that has made up this city, discover what local celebrities and musicians come from the area and visit art trails, parks and local areas that is off the usual touristic path.
Places you’ll get to visit on this tour:
📍 Soho House (Pass By) – this is an 18th century building that was home to industrialist Matthew Boulton.
📍 Handsworth Park – here you’ll visit the arts trail and learn about the famous musicians, poets and celebrities that grew up near this park.
📍 Handsworth – you’ll visit this inner-city area of Birmingham and learn about its heritage.
⭐ Check out Kagiso’s 5 star review of this tour:
What an amazing experience my partner and I had on this tour. We learnt the history that isn’t spoken about that created what we know today as modern Birmingham. An absolutely must do tour!”
➡️ Book a ticket for Birmingham Black Heritage Walking Tour here
8. Birmingham Private Walking Tour with a Professional Guide
⭐ Rating: 5 stars (2 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 2 hours | ✅ Book it here!
This customized private walking tour of the second city is the best tour to book if you’re a history buff! You will visit all the major landmarks with a professional guide who will educate you on the history of Birmingham.
Topics you’ll learn about include: the Roman conquest of Britain, the English civil war, the Battle of Britain and many more historical events and how Birmingham played a part in them.
⭐ Check out this 5 star review on TripAdvisor:
“Our family had a great tour of the city centre by tour guide Mary. It was a perfect intro to the city and helped us decide what to explore further later on during our visit.”
➡️ Book a ticket for Birmingham Private Walking Tour with a Professional Guide here
9. Digbeth, Public Art & Peaky Blinders
⭐ Rating: 5 stars (65 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 2 hours | ✅ Book it here!
Digbeth is my favourite neighbourhood in all of Birmingham; it has a really interesting history and has now been transformed into a trendy social scene full of awesome street art.
This walking tour focuses on Digbeth where you’ll learn about it’s history, see some great public art and learn how the area inspired: ‘Peaky Blinders‘. The tour stops at the following places:
📍 St. Martin in the Bull Ring – you’ll walk past this iconic church on the way to Digbeth.
📍 Digbeth – spend a full hour exploring Digbeth with your guide.
📍 Custard Factory – learn about the history behind this former factory and see how it has been transformed.
📍 Old Square – discover some amazing public art in the old square.
📍 Great Western Arcade – you’ll finish the tour at this amazingly beautiful Victorian shopping arcade.
⭐ Check out this 5 star review on TripAdvisor:
“Fascinating tour. Expertly and interestingly led by Jonathan. Probably more street art focused than Peaky Blinders but that suited me personally. Highly recommend.”
➡️ Book a ticket for Digbeth, Public Art & Peaky Blinders Walking Tour here
10. Birmingham Walking Tour: Migration Stories from the Stratford Road
⭐ Rating: 5/5 (16 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes | ✅ Book it here!
This is a unique walking tour where you’ll discover the migrant history on one of Birmingham’s most multiculturally diverse areas; the Stratford road.
You’ll visit such diverse landmark places like a Hindu temple, eat food at a Yemeni restaurant, visit an Indian wedding superstore and see abandoned Irish pubs.
This tour will give you a greater insight into how people have migrated to Birmingham from all around the world, including Irish, Asian, Yemeni and Somalian migrants.
⭐ Check out Claire’s 5 star review of this tour:
“Really interesting guided walk. We learnt a lot about the diverse population of Stratford Road that shaped the community of the area, both in the past and today. A really enjoyable couple of hours.”
➡️ Book a ticket for Migration Stories from the Stratford Road here
11. Private Birmingham Ghosts & Gallows Tour
⭐ Rating: No reviews | ⌚ Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes | ✅ Book it here!
Ghosts tours are always great fun and this tour promises exactly that! On this special tour you’ll visit some of Birmingham’s most haunted locations and learn about public hangings, murders and more related to the city’s grisly past.
The tour will visit these locations:
📍 Snow Hill Mural – here you’ll learn about Birmingham’s first public hanging and see the bronze plaque commemoration.
📍 St Philip’s Cathedral Garden – learn about some of the 60,000 people that have been buried here!
📍 Temple Street – visit the supposedly haunted Trocadero pub.
📍 Birmingham New Street Railway Station – learn all about the ghost that haunts platform 4.
📍 Council House – discover a haunted council house in the city.
📍 Paradise Lane – learn the history behind the man who first faced capital punishment here.
📍 Baskerville House – see the location that is said to have inspired Arthur Conan Doyle.
➡️ Book a ticket for Birmingham Ghosts & Gallows Tour here
12. Guided Tour of Street Art in Birmingham
⭐ Rating: 5/5 (1 review) | ⌚ Duration: 1 hr 30 mins to 2 hrs | ✅ Book it here!
In my opinion, Birmingham is one of the best cities in the UK for street art (only Brighton betters it), and this is the perfect tour to discover the amazing art that’s in the city.
Digbeth in particular has some amazing street art and this tour will show you the most inspiring and creative street art in this neighbourhood, and you’ll also visit the Birmingham canals to discover more local street art.
➡️ Book a ticket for Guided Tour of Street Art in Birmingham here
13. Birmingham’s Public Art – City Centre Walking Tour
⭐ Rating: 5/5 (37 reviews) | ⌚ Duration: 2 hours | ✅ Book it here!
This is fantastic tour of Birmingham’s public art and comes very highly rated. It focuses on the city’s architecture and how it has changed over the years.
Birmingham is full of conflicting architectural styles, from the harsh brutalism of buildings built in the 1950’s and 60’s to it’s Gothic churches and cathedrals and of course it’s modern skyscrapers.
You’ll learn all about English designer Sir Edward Burne-Jones and his ties to Birmingham and you’ll visit plenty of the city’s major iconic sights, starting with the Ozzy the Bull statue outside the Bullring shopping centre.
⭐ Check out this 5 star review on TripAdvisor:
“Fascinating walk around Birmingham looking at a range of interesting public arts. A lovely way to spend a couple of hours seeing things that you may not necessarily notice otherwise, highly recommend.”
➡️ Book a ticket for Birmingham’s Public Art – City Centre Walking Tour here
Birmingham Walking Tours Map
Check out this interactive map of Birmingham that features pinpoints of all the iconic places mentioned in each of the 13 tours I’ve reviewed, that you can expect to see on your tour:
Birmingham Walking Tours FAQs
Still not sure about going on a walking tour of Birmingham? Let’s answer some of the most commonly asked questions about this topic:
Is Birmingham a walkable city?
Yes, unlike London, Birmingham is very much a walkable city and a lovely city to walk through as well! Although it’s a very big city, if you just plan on visiting the main city centre areas then it’s easily walkable.
Popular neighbourhoods like the Jewellery Quarter and Digbeth take longer to reach by foot and you may be better catching a bus to these places, but if you’re in good physical condition then walking is a great option.
What if I’m late for my walking tour?
It’s advised that you arrive at the starting point for each tour 10-15 minutes before the starting time advertised. Tour companies won’t give you a refund if you’re late!
Definitely check online where exactly your starting point is ahead of time to ensure you don’t get lost and be late for your tour.
What if it’s bad weather on the day of my tour?
Birmingham weather can be very bad at times! Most tours will still go ahead as long as there are no amber weather warnings issued by the Met Office, which is very unlikely to be honest.
However, there’s a good chance it may rain on the day of your tour (even during summer!), so check online for the weather forecast and bring an umbrella with you if rain is forecasted.
It’s also advised to wear good walking shoes for the tour and suitable layered clothing, especially during the winter months.
Are walking tours suitable for wheelchair users?
All of these walking tours take place on pavements so yes, they are suitable for wheelchair users.
I advise to check with each tour guide ahead of your tour as some certain locations (Birmingham canals for example) may be difficult to access for wheelchair users.
Conclusion: Top 13 Birmingham Walking Tours
So that concludes my post on the top 13 Birmingham walking tours for 2025. There is such a huge variety of different walking tours you can experience in this fascinating city!
Whether you just want to see Birmingham’s major landmarks in the city centre or see some cool street art or go off the touristic path and discover some hidden gems, there is a tour for everyone.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading through my post on what this fantastic city has available for you, and now you know what expect on your next walking tour of Birmingham!
You might also like these blog posts about Birmingham:
➡️ Why Birmingham At Christmas Time Is The Best UK City To Visit
➡️ How To Get To Stonehenge From Birmingham: Everything You Need To Know
➡️ The 25 Best Day Trips From Birmingham That Are A Must In 2025
➡️ 15 Things To Do In Birmingham Alone: The BEST Solo Travel Guide
➡️ Birmingham vs London: Which City Is Better To Visit In 2025?
➡️ Is It Better To Visit Wolverhampton or Birmingham? Review By A Local
➡️ Is Birmingham Worth Visiting? Top 27 Things To Do – By A Local
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➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights