Tours & trails
Explore Leeds with these tours and trails.
Enjoy behind the scenes access of theatres and stadiums, discover secrets of the city with guided walking tours or explore on your own with self-guided trails.
Walking tours
Leeds is bursting with attractions, beautiful architecture and Victorian heritage, but can be easily explore on foot due to the compact city, making it perfect for a walking tour…
Tours of Leeds is run by independent and local guide Mike Hampshire who specialises in tours exploring the heritage of Leeds. Guided tours available include a city centre tour, a waterfront heritage tour and a heritage pub tour (with inclusive drinks!). Most guided tours are available daily, with downloadable audio guides for people who wish to enjoy tours at their leisure. Mike is a five-time winner of the Yorkshire Specialist Tour Company of the Year award.
Leeds Civic Trust can create bespoke tours to suit your needs. Or join one of their Supper Walks, an informative and enjoyable way to spend a spring evening in Leeds.
Leeds Walking Tours give you the chance to feel the energy of this vibrant city and discover its heritage with a walking tour led by professional Blue Badge Registered Guides. Meet every Saturday, 11am at the Black Prince Statue, City Square.
Walking Tours In Leeds run a city tour of Leeds every day at 10.30am for only £12pp (kids under 12 go free!). They offer the chance to discover Leeds through a local’s eyes, with a local, expert guide. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the city as you travel back through the centuries to discover how our city has developed into the cultural paradise you see today.
Leeds City Walking Tours run regular walks exploring the history of the city and discovering hidden gems.
Yorkshire Central Tour Guides are a team of local guides who are passionate about Leeds and all it has to offer. Friendly and flexible, they are all qualified Blue Badge guides and have VisitEngland ‘Good to Go’ accreditation. They can plan an itinerary tailored to your own interests to make sure you get the most from your visit to this fantastic city. Their tours include art, history, textiles and famous Yorkshire folk and are delivered with humour and panache.
Blue Badge Guides cover Leeds and the wider area and have a breadth of knowledge, walks can be tailored to suit your interests. Blue Badge Guides are members of the Yorkshire Society; a not-for-profit society promoting Yorkshire’s economy, history and culture.
Self-guided tours
Download one of the self-guided trails from our Maps and More page. The trails cover a range of topics and interests, from Marks & Spencer Heritage and Potts Clocks to Leeds Industrial Heritage and the History of Medicine. Street art has made a splash in Leeds in recent years, bringing a burst of colour to the city’s buildings. Follow the street art trail to discover the striking works. Or follow the architecture trail to find the city’s architectural wonders – please note these are currently being updated.
The University of Leeds has a fantastic collection of public art, including pieces from Yorkshire’s own Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, which you can follow via a physical map that can be picked up from The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery or an audio trail, which features interviews from experts, academics and some of the artists themselves.
Tours of Leeds offers a series of self-guided audio tours, downloaded straight to your smart phone. Tours include interactive activities to enjoy and discounts at several venues along the route.
Leeds Ghost Tours
Led by ghoulish guide, Lord Bartholomew Catch, the Leeds Ghost Tour begins at the Corn Exchange and takes you around some of the most haunted places in Leeds. Expect miserable history: witches, peasants, murderers and more… Leeds really was ‘orrible back in the day. The tour is wheelchair accessible, dogs are welcome, and it’s suitable for all ages.
Or visit the small market town of Otley for the Otley Ghost Tour. Led by Otleyenzian ghost, Spindleshanks McScrew, it’s an hour long walking tour stopping at all the Orrible Otspots of Otley town. Emotional Support Ghosts are available for our more sensitive guests.
History and heritage
Leeds Kirkgate Market is one of the city’s most striking and iconic buildings. Join a FREE Leeds Kirkgate Market Heritage Tour to discover more, booking essential.
The Leeds Library is the oldest surviving subscription library of its type in the UK and was founded in 1768. A good way to sample the library is to attend a tour which are held on the first Saturday and the middle Wednesday of the month.
At Temple Newsam, they host a wide range of tours focusing on subjects such as the Stuarts, the ghosts of the house and fashion history within portraiture which can all be found here.
Take a tour of Leeds’ Queer History Highlights from Pride to squats, from 1840s court cases to 1990s raves, you’ll see the city and its past in a new light.
For a unique walking tour take the Leeds Black History walk, meet at the University of Leeds Parkinson Building the first Saturday of the month at 11am.
Stadium Tours
LEEDS UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB – Guided Tours of the Elland Road stadium are available. You will visit all the places of interest including media areas, director’s box, international board, dressing rooms and pitch side. Please note cameras are welcome. To book tour tickets click here.
Emerald Headingley Cricket Ground tours allows you access to restricted areas and gives you an insight into what happens on a daily basis and on match days at Yorkshire County Cricket Club. This experience encompasses the Museum and the Long Room in the East Stand; the Players’ Dining and Changing Rooms (subject to availability); the Media Centre (which offers a magnificent panoramic view of the cricket ground and the city of Leeds) and the new Emerald Stand.
Food & drink tours
Bring your appetite for Leeds Food Tours: Discover the best independent pubs, restaurants and more, taste the best produce that Yorkshire has to offer and learn the importance of eating and drinking local – with a bit of history thrown in too!
The Indian Food scene is buzzing in Leeds and with a tour guide to take you through a discovery of dishes from all over the continent your taste buds will not know what has hit them. Discover and taste the wonderful flavours of India in Leeds with Yorkshire Appetite Tours.
The Leeds Heritage Pub Tour, run by Tours of Leeds since 2019, explores three centuries of pub and brewing heritage in Leeds. From the incredible story of the rise and fall of Tetley Brewery, to the enthralling history of 300+ year old Whitelock’s Ale House, and lots more! This tour takes guests on a wonderful journey through time. Tour tickets include refreshments along the way too!
Join journalist and author of The Great Leeds Pub Crawl, Simon Jenkins, as he takes you on a variety of tours of the history of Leeds along with a few stops at our heritage pubs for a pint. Learn about the history of the University of Leeds, Briggate or the City Centre on one of their ‘It’s The Beer Walking’ curated beer experiences.
Get behind the scenes of the brewing process with a tour at Northern Monk before sampling their ales in the refectory.
Leeds Gin Journey is a chaffeur driven tour of five fabulous venues complete with plenty of gin!
Maybe rum is more your thing? At Libations Rum, England’s first Distillery & Blending House, you can enjoy some samples of their award-winning drinks as they talk you through the art of how to make a great local and sustainable product.
Emmerdale
The Emmerdale Village Tour will take you into the Yorkshire Dales for an unforgettable experience. See behind the scenes on the set of Emmerdale and walk in the footsteps of your favourite characters as you explore the beautiful countryside of your favourite soap. Starting from the grounds of Harewood House.
Explore further
Explore the beauty of the surrounding countryside and coast with a private tour from BOBH – Day Tours of Yorkshire. Picking up from a location of your choosing in Leeds, choose a tour of the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors, Haworth or Whitby. These tours are dog friendly too!
Do you want to discover the real history, culture and character of the region with an entertaining, expertly qualified Yorkshire tour guide? Real Yorkshire Travel and Tours are here to help.
Hop on a Kee Travel coach, picking up in several local areas, for a wide range of tours including Bridlington, Blackpool, Alnwick and more.