Day trip guide and what to do in Glasgow, Scotland

I had the opportunity to visit the city of Glasgow Scotland a few times. And to help anyone who wants to visit the largest city in the country, I worte a really cool travel itinerary to enjoy the best sights.

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But first, something very important: the choice of hotel.

Where I stayed in Glasgow, Scotland

I stayed in two hotels during my visits to the city.

Best Western Glasgow City Hotel – It is away from the points of interest and is more than half an hour walking to George Square. I know it’s not much, but the area where the hotel is not the best. And the hotel is horrible. Dirty, tiny room with the saddest breakfast I’ve ever seen in my life and the service… my friend… Yes, I didn’t like it. (Update: it is not accepting reservations via Booking.com)

Carlton George V Hotel – Hotel with great location, next to the Buchanan Street subway station, which helped a lot when I visited a more remote part of the city. The room I stayed in was comfortable and I had access to a lounge where food and drinks were available to guests. The breakfast was very good and with a very beautiful view of the city.

Find other hotels and hostels in Glasgow that may fit your itinerary and budget on the Booking.com website.

Day Trip Guide & What to do in Glasgow, Scotland

I will divide the itinerary and attractions in periods of the day, because I think this will make it easier to define the planning of an one day trip.

In the morning

Start the day with a nice breakfast. I had the opportunity to have breakfast admiring the roofs of the city and the sun illuminating the Church of Saint George’s Tron Parish, also called the Church Martin Luther King.

It’s time to walk to George Square, the heart of the city. In the square there are several sculptures of British personalities and also The Cenotaph, which is a tribute to the people who died during the First World War. It is in the square that is the beautiful City Chambers, the city hall.

One block below George Square is GoMA – Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art. Where the most interesting to see is the statue of the Duke of Wellington, with curious artistic interventions.

The next activity is to walk on Buchanan Street, which is the city’s busiest shopping street with several famous shops as well as huge department stores. Here do like me, take the scorpion out of your pocket and spend a few pounds. The shopping area here is worth it.

I walked until I reached Saint Enoch Station. I really liked the place because it still has the old building that was the subway entrance. That contrast between the new and the old, that I love. Going in the opposite direction is Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, worth a stop.

For lunch has several options, I went to the Five Guys and Wagamama. But if you want something more Brit, there’s the Willow Tea Rooms, which looked pretty interesting, but I found the price salty.

In the afternoon

It’s time to burn the calories and spend shoe sole. I went up to Cathedral Street, where I’ve found some very famous Street Arts in Glasgow. The goal was to visit the Saint Mungo Cathedral, the Glasgow Cathedral, but unfortunately the two times I tried I couldn’t see it from the inside because it was closed. Anyway, its facade and square where it is located are very beautiful.

Next, I went straight to the Necropolis in Glasgow, which surprised me. I do not usually visit famous cemeteries, which end up entering the list of attractions in travel guides, but this time it was worth it, because the place is very beautiful.

Admission to the Necropolis is next to the cathedral and is free. Besides the architecture of the place, one of its main attractions is to be able to take beautiful pictures of the city of Glasgow. And the sunset on the hill is charming! The two times I visited the city, I made it a point to go, because your views are really amazing.

Leaving the Necropolis, I found a Tardis in a square on the way downtown! (Hello Doctor Who fans !?). From there, I continued down Castle Street and found the prettiest Street Art in town!

At night

The city has several options of pubs in the center and cool restaurants to enjoy the night. But unfortunately, I didn’t go anywhere, because I had to have the “beauty sleep” and prepare for the work meetings the next day.

Tours & Sightseeing in Glasgow Scotland

Other places I also visited in Glasgow

If you have a few more hours the next day in the city, it’s also cool to make a route farther from downtown. Another part I met in Glasgow was the Kelvingrove Park region. I walked downtown from Buchanan Street and took about 50 minutes. The park is very English style, very extensive and beautiful.

I got to know the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which, for one more surprise, was really cool. It is quite small, but has many interesting pieces and works by famous painters such as Picasso and Salvador Dali. And the museum is free, freeing up more pounds to spend on Boots.

From the museum, I headed toward the University of Glasgow and felt in the Harry Potter movies. Okay, it’s not Oxford, but that sense of grand old buildings and age-old classrooms is there. I walked through the secular courtyards until I inadvertently found the Hunterian Museum, Scotland’s oldest museum, also free and very small. Thanks for the curiosity.

I finished the tour visiting Glasgow’s two hippest alleys: Ashton Lane, where there are several pubs and restaurants, which I found very cool and should be crowded at night; and Ruthven Lane, which has nothing much to do (come back and invest your time on Ashton Lane).

This extra tour can be done in 3-4 hours. Just plan it right, I did between meetings at work.

What I used for transportation in Glasgow Scotland

In addition to walk the streets of Glasgow, which are well beautiful and full of graffiti, I also took the subway, called SPT, which is super easy to use. On the official site has the schedule and price of tickets.

But it’s pretty easy to use, it’s a circular subway with two lines to Inner Circle and Outer Circle. The main tip is just pay attention not to take the line in the opposite direction to the point you want to reach, because the risk is to go much longer than expected. But don’t worry, there is no way you won’t arrive.

That last travel tip

If you are traveling in Scotland, don’t miss Edinburgh too, with its interesting tourist attractions such as its Castle and the Whiskey Museum. And if you want to know a city in the middle of the Highlands, our tip is the city of Moffat, small and very typical of the country, where we know beautiful landscapes.

Hotel, hostel and B&B deals in Glasgow in Scotland

You can find great deals to stay in Glasgow Scotland:

Booking.com

General international travel tips

For general travel tips, be sure to check out:

• The best Travel Quotes to motivate your trip on an adventure!
• Tips for using Google Flights and buying the best airfare