Turn your trip to Leeds into an unforgettable adventure with experiences that bring the city to life.
Taste your way through one of the UK’s most exciting food scenes, explore centuries of history on guided tours, paddleboard through the heart of the city, learn a new creative skill or unwind with a luxury spa experience. Whether you’re travelling as a couple, with friends, as a family or exploring solo, Leeds is packed with unique activities and memorable moments waiting to be discovered.
Food and Drink Experiences in Leeds
From guided food tours and brewery tastings to chocolate-making workshops and wine masterclasses, Leeds offers unforgettable food and drink experiences that showcase the city’s creative, independent and award-winning hospitality scene.
(Leeds Food Tours – credit Conor Spencer)
Take a Taste Tour of Leeds
The best way to get to know Leeds is through its food. Join Leeds Food Tours and discover hidden gems, local favourites and the stories behind the city’s thriving culinary scene. For something more specialised, Yorkshire Appetite’s Indian Food Tour takes visitors on a flavour-packed journey through some of Leeds’ finest Indian restaurants, celebrating a cuisine that has helped shape the city’s food culture.
Get Hands-On with Food Experiences
For a more interactive experience, roll up your sleeves and learn something new. Create your own luxury truffles at Leeds Chocolate Workshops, sample exceptional cheeses at events hosted by The Cheesy Living Co, or experience seasonal dining events, foraging experiences and immersive food gatherings at the Harewood Food & Drink Project.
Raise a Glass
Leeds has built a reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting destinations for independent beer, spirits and cocktail culture. It’s the Beer Talking offer curated beer experiences including talks, trails and tastings, which take you on a journey through 300 years of Leeds’ breweries and pubs. Go behind the scenes at Northern Monk Brewery or discover the craft of rum-making with a tour at Libations Rum.
Get Creative
From pottery painting and textile workshops to stone carving and paint-and-sip experiences, Leeds is packed with creative activities that let you learn a new skill, make something memorable and connect with the city’s vibrant independent arts scene.
(Jackrabbits Pottery)
Make Something Memorable
Create your own masterpiece at Jackrabbits Pottery, where you can paint pottery while enjoying a coffee and cake in a relaxed and welcoming setting. Or discover the increasingly popular art of rug tufting at Tadatuft, where you’ll learn new techniques and leave with a handmade piece that’s uniquely yours.
Learn a New Skill
Take part in a workshop led by expert makers and artists. Enjoy a paint-and-sip session at Pinot & Picasso, have a go at stone carving with The Sculpture Gallery in Leeds Corn Exchange, or explore the programme of creative courses at Sunny Bank Mills, including weaving, botanical printing, stained glass and textile crafts.
Discover Leeds’ Creative Community
For those looking to immerse themselves in the city’s independent creative scene, Left Bank Leeds hosts a varied programme of workshops and events in a stunning former church building. From craft sessions and textile projects to unique themed workshops, it’s a fantastic way to meet like-minded people, discover local talent and experience a different side of Leeds
Uncover Leeds through a Walking Tour
One of the best ways to experience Leeds is on foot. Compact, walkable and packed with fascinating stories, the city rewards curious explorers with striking architecture, hidden heritage, vibrant neighbourhoods and unexpected discoveries around every corner.
(Leeds Walking Tour)
Explore the City’s Stories
Join expert local guides from Blue Badge Holders Leeds Walking Tours, urban geographer Rachel Unsworth Leeds City Walking Tours, Leeds Civic Trust, and five-star reviewed Walking Tours in Leeds to uncover the history, culture and character that have shaped Leeds into the vibrant city it is today.
Discover Leeds’ Diverse Heritage
Join one of The Bookish Type’s Queer History Tours to explore the people, places and moments that have contributed to the city’s LGBTQ+ heritage, offering a fresh perspective on Leeds through stories that are often overlooked in traditional history tours.
Go Behind the Scenes
Discover places that many visitors never get to see. Take a guided tour of Kirkgate Market, explore historic hidden gem The Leeds Library through tours and events or delve into the stories of Temple Newsam and Kirkstall Abbey.
Follow the Unexpected
Looking for something a little different? Step into Leeds’ darker past on a guided Ghost Tour, where mysterious tales, local legends and historic streets come together for an unforgettable experience. Or take a self-guided tour of the city through a Treasure Hunt, follow the cryptic clues to find answers in the city streets and unearth the city’s secrets.
Play, Compete & Explore
From interactive darts and crazy golf to immersive escape rooms, retro arcades and high-speed go-karting, Leeds offers a fantastic range of entertainment experiences perfect for a rainy day, group plans or a unique date night.
(Flight Club)
Challenge Your Friends!
Gather your team and put your skills to the test at some of Leeds’ most popular social gaming venues. Take on a game of shuffleboard at Electric Shuffle or BOX, aim for victory at Flight Club’s interactive darts experience, enjoy a round of crazy golf at Junkyard Golf Club, or challenge your friends to beer pong, bowling and more at Roxy Ball Room and Roxy Lanes.
Beat the Clock
Think you’ve got what it takes to escape? Test your problem-solving skills with an immersive escape room experience at Escape Hunt or tackle the unique challenge at RA/ID at the Royal Armouries Museum. These experiences are perfect for families, friendship groups, work teams and curious solo travellers looking to join a session and meet new people.
Level Up Your Day
For gaming enthusiasts, Leeds offers everything from retro favourites to cutting-edge experiences. Enjoy cocktails alongside classic arcade games at NQ64 and Pixel Bar, or spend hours exploring Arcade Club, Europe’s largest free-play video arcade. Whether you’re reliving childhood memories or discovering new games, there’s plenty to keep players entertained.
Turn Up the Adrenaline
Looking for something a little more fast-paced? Race around Yorkshire’s largest indoor track with TeamSport Go Karting, try the wide range of competitive challenges at Boom Battle Bar, or experience the excitement of Victoria Gate Casino, one of the largest casinos in the UK.
Family-Friendly Fun
Step into a world of magic at The Hole In Wand, a themed mini-golf adventure packed with wizarding fun, or enjoy activities suitable for all ages across many of Leeds’ gaming and entertainment venues.
Get Outdoors
Think Leeds is all city streets and shopping arcades? Think again. From watersports and wildlife encounters to breathtaking views from above, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors and experience a different side of the city.
Take to the Water
See Leeds from a new perspective with Leeds Dock Paddle Boarding. Suitable for beginners and experienced paddlers alike, the team offer guided sessions on the water, providing a unique way to explore one of the city’s most vibrant waterfront destinations.
Get Closer to Nature
Meet some of Leeds’ most popular residents with unforgettable animal experiences at Lotherton Wildlife World. Feed the Humboldt penguins, learn about their care and conservation, and enjoy the rare opportunity to see these charismatic birds up close both on land and in the water. Or get even closer to wildlife with the Capybara Experience, where you’ll meet and feed resident capybaras Carly and Bryan during a keeper-led encounter.
Take in the View
For an experience you’ll never forget, soar above the Yorkshire landscape on a hot air balloon flight departing from Lotherton Hall. As fields, woodlands and historic landmarks unfold beneath you, it’s an incredible way to experience the region from a whole new perspective and create lasting memories of your visit.
Unwind & Recharge
Balance the energy of the city with a little well-deserved relaxation. From luxury spa days and holistic wellness retreats to soothing treatments and outdoor yoga, Leeds offers plenty of opportunities to slow down, recharge and make time for yourself during your stay.
Relax in the City
Enjoy a moment of calm without leaving the city centre. Treat yourself to a luxurious facial, massage or beauty treatment at Dragonfly Skin, or indulge in one of Lush Leeds’ distinctive spa experiences, combining wellbeing with their signature handmade products.
Reconnect with Nature
Just beyond the city centre, Harewood Holistics offers wellness experiences in beautiful natural surroundings, including yoga, pilates, massage treatments, reiki and outdoor events. It’s the perfect opportunity to step away from everyday routines and embrace a slower pace of life.
Indulge in a Spa Escape
Turn your visit into a true retreat with a spa day or overnight break at one of the region’s leading spa destinations. Relax in stylish surroundings at Oulton Hall, Thorpe Park Hotel & Spa or Chevin Country Park Hotel & Spa, where wellness facilities, treatments and countryside views combine for the ultimate escape.
Experience Leeds Icons
Photo by Gareth Copley – ECB/ECB via Getty Images
Go behind the scenes at some of the region’s most recognisable attractions. Cricket fans can explore the rich sporting heritage of Headingley Stadium with a guided tour, while television enthusiasts can step into the world of one of Britain’s best-loved soaps on the Emmerdale Village Tour, visiting iconic filming locations and learning more about life behind the camera.
For something a little different, take a tour of Leeds-based Sound Leisure, Europe’s only manufacturer of classic vinyl jukeboxes, and discover how these iconic music machines are designed and built, from the workshop floor to the finished product showroom.
Beyond the City-Centre
Leeds is perfectly placed for exploring some of Yorkshire’s most iconic attractions, landscapes and visitor experiences. With excellent transport connections and a range of guided tours departing from the city, it’s easy to venture beyond Leeds and discover even more of what the region has to offer.
(Askrigg, Yorkshire Dales – credit Welcome to Yorkshire)
Explore Yorkshire’s Hidden Gems
Discover the landscapes, history and culture that make Yorkshire one of Britain’s most loved destinations. Real Yorkshire Tours offers immersive guided experiences across the region, while Kee Travel Coaches and Blue Sky Coaches provide a range of excursions to seaside towns, historic cities, scenic countryside and family-friendly attractions.
For a truly memorable day out, board the luxurious Northern Belle and enjoy fine dining, elegant surroundings and spectacular scenery on journeys departing from Leeds to destinations across the UK, including Yorkshire favourites and historic cities further afield.
With so much to experience in Leeds, why not extend your visit with a stay?