Is Birmingham Worth Visiting? Top 27 Things To Do – By A Local
Thinking of visiting Birmingham? Read on for the top things to do!
I have lived close to Birmingham for the majority of my life and I can totally understand why people may be wondering if it is worth visiting or not.
Birmingham may not be the most obvious tourist destination in the UK, but you would be surprised at just how much the city has to offer.
It’s a place I have really grown to love over the years and is in my opinion a diverse, modern and lively city and is arguably nicer than other big UK cities such as Manchester.
Using my insider local knowledge, I’ve put together all the top things you can do in the city that no other blogger knows about, as well as list the best places to stay and more.
⌚ In a rush? Here Are My Top Birmingham Tours:
✅ Take a fascinating Birmingham Walking Tour
✅ Experience the Amazing Cadbury World
✅ Go Kayaking on the Birmingham Canals
🏨 My Hotel Recommendations for Birmingham
⭐ Birmingham Central Backpackers
⭐ The Cube Hotel
⭐ Radisson Blu Hotel
Is Birmingham Worth Visiting?
The answer to that question is definitely YES, Birmingham is indeed worth visiting when in the UK. England’s official second city has had a long reputation for being a somewhat drab, uninspiring and depressing city to visit.
Many Brits still have that same perception of Birmingham, which is a massive shame.
Over the past 10-15 years, the city has experienced quite a huge transformation. It has become increasingly modernised, revamped and regenerated, making it an impressive place now unrecognisable from its past.
Birmingham is home to a major train UK train station, a major shopping centre and a tram line connecting it to other parts of the Midlands, such as Wolverhampton and West Bromwich.
And the city’s reinvention in recent years saw it become home to the Commonwealth Games in 2022, a hugely important international athletics event which showed off how great the city really is and attracted more investment and visitors.
In all honesty, Birmingham is now one of the top cities in the UK, not just England, and people are slowly realising this.
The second city is only going to continue to grow at a rapid rate and become more popular – which is fantastic to see!
Top 27 Things To Do In Birmingham
So now we’ve answered that yes, Birmingham is indeed worth visiting, what is there to do there? Well, let’s see what the top 27 things to do in Birmingham are, in no particular order:
1. Go on a Walking Tour of Birmingham
A walking tour is always the best way to discover a new city, and this is most definitely the case for Birmingham too.
With Birmingham being such a big city and with so many places worth seeing, a walking tour is perfect to get an understanding of the layout and history of the city and see some of it’s many iconic landmarks.
➡️ Go on the Discovering Birmingham Walking Tour
Book your ticket easily by clicking here
2. Visit the Bullring Shopping Centre 🛍️
Birmingham is home to one of the best major shopping centres in the whole of the UK; the iconic Bullring shopping centre.
Located in the heart of the city centre just a couple of minutes walk from the train station, the Bullring has over 160 shops.
Featuring every type of shop from high end clothes stores to jewellery shops to restaurants, there is something for everyone here.
I visit several shops in the Bullring quite often and it is in my opinion one of the best shopping centres in the whole country.
3. Learn about the Gangs of Birmingham with a Tour
Birmingham is synonymous with the hit TV series ‘Peaky Blinders‘ which is all about the gangs that operated in the city back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
If you’re a fan of the show then you may want to experience a tour all about the real life Peaky Blinders when visiting Birmingham.
This 2 hour walking tour is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the history of Birmingham’s ‘slogging gangs‘ that the Peaky Blinders was based on.
➡️ Experience the Birmingham Slogging Gangs Tour:
Book your ticket hassle free by clicking here
4. Enjoy a Concert at the Birmingham Symphony Hall 🎵
This impressive venue is a 2,262 seater concert hall that is also home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
There always a lot of events on at the Hall, from classical orchestral musical acts to comedians, so keep an eye out when visiting Birmingham!
5. Visit Birmingham Botanical Gardens 🌷
These gardens located just on the edge of the city centre is a perfect oasis away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
It features Victorian glass houses that are home to exotic flora and birds and the surrounding gardens are a delight to wander around, especially on a nice sunny summer day.
6. Experience Cadbury World 🍫
Birmingham has it’s very own chocolate factory! Yes, the second city is home to Cadbury, the UK’s number one chocolate brand.
You can go on a self guided interactive tour here and learn all about the history of Cadbury. The majority of visitors at Cadbury World spend a good few hours here and the best thing of all is that each visitor receives free chocolate!
Here you can experience the chocolate dipping zone, take a ride and learn exactly how your favourite chocolate bars are made – an ideal family activity in Birmingham.
➡️ Experience the Amazing Cadbury World!
Book your ticket straight away by clicking here
7. Discover Trendy Digbeth
A short 10 minute walk from the city centre is the interesting, trendy area of Birmingham; Digbeth.
Digbeth is home to many local Birmingham creatives and is known as the coolest part of the city as well. Some people have even dubbed Digbeth as the coolest neighbourhood and place to live in all of England.
Here you will find plenty of really nice bars, cafes and awesome street art too. There is an amazing JFK mosaic memorial artwork as you enter Digbeth which is a beautiful piece of art.
Digbeth has a fascinating history too – it is a former industrial area and was the first area of Birmingham to be settled in the 7th century.
I visit Digbeth with friends quite often – it is probably the most trendy and happening place in the whole city of Birmingham and recommend it if you’re looking for a good night out.
8. Enjoy a Theatre Show at the Birmingham Rep 🎭
The Birmingham Rep, or just ‘The Rep‘ as it’s known to locals for hosting innovative, fascinating theatre plays near the centre of the city in Centenary Square.
It’s a great location, has a nice bar with food options and often hosts diverse theatre shows for adults as well as youngsters. It’s a perfect night out if you’re in the mood for some drama.
9. Walk the Birmingham Canals
Birmingham has a huge network of canals running through the city, over 35 miles worth of canals in total – which is more than Venice in Italy!
Walking through the intricate canals in Birmingham is a really fun and interesting way to see a different side of the city.
Here you will get to see countless barges, narrowboats and more. The canal side area in Birmingham known as: ‘Brindley Place‘ is home to a lot of fantastic restaurants and pubs, making for a pleasant visit.
10. Get Cultured at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Although temporarily closed at the time of writing (it’s undergoing renovation), the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is known to be one the best museum and art gallery in the city.
It is free to the public and showcases exemplary, world class museum exhibitions.
11. Be Fine Dined at a Michelin Starred Restaurant
As mentioned earlier in this post, Birmingham is home to a total of 5 Michelin starred restaurants and has a fantastic culinary scene.
Probably the most well known Michelin starred restaurant in Birmingham is Purnell’s, which is located centrally and run by TV cooking personality and well known Brummie Glynn Purnell.
If Michelin starred restaurants sounds a little too fancy for your liking, then you can find every other type of restaurant within the city, whatever you’re in the mood for.
12. Go Luxury Shopping at the Mailbox
You really are spoilt for choice if you’re a shopaholic and visiting Birmingham! Not only does it have the Bullring shopping centre, but also The Mailbox, situated near the canal side area in the city.
The Mailbox is home to luxury clothing brand stores but is also home to more top quality restaurants, cocktail bars, BBC TV studios, offices, apartments and more.
It’s location is quite idyllic as well with beautiful canal side views, making for a nice alternative from the city centre.
13. Relax at St. Paul’s Square
Talking of idyllic, the St. Paul’s area in Birmingham is probably the most peaceful part of the city in my humble opinion.
Located just outside of the city centre and the start of the Jewellery Quarter, St. Paul’s square is a very serene location.
At the centre is the church it is named after which dates back to the 18th century, and it is the last Georgian square in the city.
There are plenty of nice restaurants and bars here too of course, but it’s a less crowded and more quieter affair compared to the centre of the city.
I love visiting St. Paul’s square; It’s a very beautiful place to stroll through, especially during the autumnal months and it is such a contrast to the rest of the busy city.
14. Discover the Inspiration for: ‘Lord of the Rings’ – Moseley Bog
If you’re a fan of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie/book series, then you will really enjoy a visit to Moseley Bog.
Moseley Bog is a nature reserve area in the Moseley district of Birmingham. A little known fact is that this was the childhood playground of the Lord of the Rings author J.R.R Tolkien and served as inspiration for writing the books.
Walking through the forestry area is a pleasant experience away from the crowds of the city centre and a fascinating insight into Tolkien’s past.
15. Get Lego Building at Lego Land
If you have kids who are lovers of all things Lego, then you most definitely should plan to visit Lego Land when in Birmingham.
Aimed at young children, Legoland is a discovery centre that features rides, play zones, a 4D cinema and of course Lego building workshops.
This is a 2-3 hour experience (depending on how much your children love Lego!) and is a perfect family orientated way to spend an afternoon in Birmingham.
16. Experience the magical National Sea Life Centre
Right next door to Lego Land is another perfect family orientated experience; Birmingham’s National Sea Life centre.
There are several Sea Life centres in other cities throughout the UK (my favourite one being in Weymouth), and they are always great fun and excellent value for money.
The Birmingham National Sea Life centre is rated as one of the best in the UK and features over 60 displays of freshwater and marine life.
With every type of sea creature from tropical fish to sharks and turtles, this is a fantastic experience when visiting Birmingham.
17. Watch a Premiere League Game at Villa Park ⚽
If you’re a fan of football then going to a live Premiere League game when in England is a must!
And in Birmingham you can do exactly that, with Aston Villa currently doing extremely well in the English Premiere League.
Games at Villa Park happen regularly mostly at weekends, though check the football fixtures in advance and book a ticket early if you plan on watching a game.
If there are no games scheduled during your Birmingham visit, then you can go on a tour of Villa Park stadium and learn all about the club’s history and past successes.
18. Watch a Show by the Birmingham Royal Ballet
One of the five major ballet companies in the UK, the Birmingham Royal Ballet is a touring company but often put on performances at the Birmingham Hippodrome.
With performances such as ‘The Nutcracker‘ and ‘Sleeping Beauty‘, this is a great cultural experience when in Birmingham that is not to be missed.
19. Enjoy the Nightlife 🍻
Birmingham is a fantastic night out (arguably it has the best nightlife compared to any other UK city), especially on weekends but it is also pretty lively on weeknights too.
The city has countless drinking places worth visiting in absolutely beautiful historical buildings, such as classy cocktail bars like ‘Lost and Found‘ to more traditional pubs such as ‘The Wellington‘.
Birmingham can get quite crowded however, so an alternative option is to visit Wolverhampton close by and experience some of the many cocktail bars and hidden gem food places that this city has to offer as well.
20. Visit Birmingham’s Christmas Market
Perhaps surprisingly, Birmingham is home to the largest and most authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria.
Each November and December, the main shopping streets of the city centre is transformed with outdoor food and drink merchants selling beers, German hot dogs and lots more.
The city centre does become extremely crowded during the run up to Christmas, especially in Victoria Square. But it’s a great way to get into the Christmas festive spirit.
Birmingham rivals most other UK tourist destinations during the Christmas period, including Blackpool, which is famed for it’s Illuminations light show at this time of year.
I always make sure to pay a visit to Birmingham every December to experience the Christmas market’s awesome atmosphere and to help get me into the festive spirit!
21. Experience Winterbourne House & Garden
Winterbourne House and Garden is a beautiful heritage site and botanical garden situated in Edgbaston on the outskirts of the city centre.
The botanical garden is seven acres in total and features over 6,000 plant species. Needless to say, visiting the gardens is a delightfully tranquil experience, as is Winterbourne House itself.
The house is an Edwardian building that dates back to 1903 and features two floors of exhibition rooms.
This is an absolute hidden gem in a quiet part of the Birmingham and a great escape from modern life for a few hours.
22. Go Kayaking on the Birmingham Canals
If you’re looking for a totally unique way to see Birmingham, then it is possible to go kayaking on the Birmingham canals!
This private kayak tour is unlike any other tour of the city and allows you to learn all about the history of the canals from a different perspective.
This is a fantastically fun activity that lasts for 2 hours, with skills instruction provided by the tour guide.
➡️ Go on a Private Kayak Tour of the Birmingham Canals
Click this link here to book your ticket hassle free
23. Watch some Cricket at Edgbaston 🏏
Home to Warwickshire Country Cricket club and the T20 team Birmingham Bears, the Edgbaston cricket ground offers another fun experience in the city.
Cricket may not be the easiest of sports to follow if you’re not familiar with it, but the atmosphere is always good with lively crowds. And if you are a cricket fan, then definitely pay a visit!
24. Go Window Shopping at the Jewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter is just a short walk from Birmingham city centre and is one of the most fascinating areas in the whole city. It’s viewed as a national treasure in England because of it’s rich heritage.
It’s a historical, industrial area with Victorian buildings and over 100 jewellery specialist retailers. Although that is a far cry from the area’s heyday of the 19th century, when there were over 30,000 workers in the area.
Over 40% of the UK’s jewellery is produced here and the area has over 250 years of history. Walking through it does indeed make you feel like you’re walking through a different era altogether.
25. Take a Day Trip to the Cotswolds
Less than two hours south from Birmingham is in my experience one of the most beautiful regions in England; the Cotswolds. I love going for a long hike in this area of England where the countryside is really lush.
If you’re looking to escape city life for a day and visit an authentic place of England with lovely nature and quaint villages with stoned buildings, then look no further than the Cotswolds.
It’s a peaceful, aesthetically pleasing place and ideal for a hike through the many surrounding hills, or just a stroll through the towns and villages stopping off at traditional pubs along the way.
26. Marvel at the Library of Birmingham Building
One of the most iconic and impressive looking buildings in the whole city is the Library of Birmingham.
Based in Centenary square next to the Birmingham Rep and Symphony Hall, this library is very modern, having opened only in 2013.
The architecture is what really makes this building special however, featuring patterns of gold, silver and glass rings.
It’s possible to visit the terrace at the top of the library as well, for the most breathtakingly panoramic views of Birmingham you’ll find.
27. Take a Day Trip to Shrewsbury
And finally, another good day trip option from Birmingham is to Shrewsbury, an absolutely beautiful medieval town based over an hour away by train in the Shropshire region.
Shrewsbury is a hidden gem not only in the midlands but the whole of England and I believe is seriously overlooked by tourists. Located around the River Severn, this market town is famous for being the birthplace of Charles Darwin.
There are plenty of historical buildings and quaint streets to wander through, with architecture from the Tudor and Edwardian eras. Shrewsbury Abbey and Shrewsbury Castle are both worth checking out when visiting.
Where To Stay in Birmingham
Finding the right place to stay in Birmingham is not an easy choice as the city is full of fantastic hotels and accommodation. Let’s take a look at three possibilities with different price points, simply click on the link of each hotel for more info:
📍 Budget Recommendation: Birmingham Central Backpackers
Located very close to the National Express bus station, Digbeth and just a few minutes walk from the city centre is the Birmingham Central Backpackers hostel.
This hostel is very cheap with a lot of different sized dormitory rooms as well as private rooms, so is perfect if you’re visiting Birmingham on a budget.
📍 Mid-Range Recommendation: The Cube Hotel
The Cube is quite an iconic looking building based near the Mailbox area, with a very modern, unique looking exterior and colourful décor.
This is a 4 star hotel with panoramic views of the city on the 25th floor, which is where Marco Pierre White’s restaurant is also based.
📍 Luxury Recommendation: Radisson Blu Hotel
Unmissable on Birmingham’s skyline, the Radisson Blu Hotel is an impressive 39 storey glass skyscraper which obviously features some of the most stunning views of the entire city.
It is a 4 star hotel, located very centrally and features a gym, bar and restaurant and is one of the best hotel options in the whole of the city.
Birmingham FAQ’s
Still not sure if Birmingham is worth visiting? Let’s answer some commonly asked questions tourists have about England’s second city:
Is Birmingham better than Manchester?
This question is very much open to debate! Most Brits would say that Manchester is the better city to visit and it is certainly the more popular option.
But with Birmingham’s reinvention over recent years, the answer is not so clear cut. In truth, I would say that both cities are on an equal par with each other.
Everything that you can do in Manchester you can find in Birmingham, and Birmingham is the larger of the two and they both have very similar population numbers.
When is the best time to visit Birmingham?
As previously mentioned in this post, the Christmas period and weeks leading up to it are an exciting time for the city.
This is because of Birmingham’s German market, which is absolutely huge and attracts large numbers of crowds every year.
The summer period is also a good time to visit the city, as the weather is usually at its best. And the spring/autumn seasons are good options too, with the weather being a little more unpredictable but still having decent temperatures.
How many days should you visit Birmingham for?
This really depends on how much you want to do when you visit Birmingham, as there are so many activities and interesting parts of the city worth exploring.
I would recommend a minimum of two days is perfect in order to really get a feel of the city and it’s people, whether travelling there alone or with friends/family. One day is a little too short, while 3-4 days are good options too.
Conclusion: Is Birmingham Worth Visiting?
If you’ve made it this far to the blog then you’ll have realised that yes, Birmingham is most definitely worth visiting.
It is in my opinion one of the most interesting, dynamic, modern and diverse cities in the UK, rivalling London with so much to offer in terms of activities and things to do for the whole family.
Whether you want to learn about the historic Jewellery Quarter, discover why Digbeth is so trendy, or you just want to experience the fantastic night life, you have a lot of options in England’s second city.
So you should really consider a trip to Birmingham when planning your next trip to the UK, and you can discover for yourself why it is for sure worth visiting.
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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
