Fun Things To Do In Leeds: My Weekend Guide

If you love shopping, beautiful architecture and raucous nightlife, a weekend in Leeds allows you to indulge in all three.

The West Yorkshire city is the third largest in the UK and is perfect for girly weekends away, romantic breaks, shopping trips and even fun family days out.

When I was invited to take a trip to a city of my choice with National Express, I opted for Leeds because it was one of the only big cities in the north of England that I hadn’t explored yet.

I invited a friend to join me, and our trip from Sunderland to Leeds on the comfortable coach took just over two hours.

The price of train travel in the UK often puts me off planning a city break, but National Express offer competitive prices with thousands of tickets for £5 or less (plus booking fee).

National Express coaches are modern and comfortable with leather seats, air conditioning (necessary on the hot day we travelled) and free entertainment via VUER – a complimentary onboard entertainment app offering films, TV and magazines.

There are power sockets and toilets onboard. Plus, plenty of luggage allowance and your stuff is stowed safely in the undercarriage. I found it a lot less stressful than a train journey.

The National Express coaches are worth checking out if you’re travelling around England on a budget.

What to do in Leeds on a weekend break

Day one in Leeds

Jump off the bus at the Dyer Street Station in the morning, check in to your hotel and set out to explore all of the fun things to see and do in Leeds city centre!

Shop in the UK’s best shopping destination

Leeds is famous for its shopping, so it would be rude not to hit the tills.

Fortunately, you can disguise your spending as a cultural activity in Leeds because many of the city’s designer stores are housed in a trio of magnificent Victorian arcades: Queens Arcade, The Grand Arcade and Thorntons Arcade.

There’s also The Victoria Quarter, the luxury shopping mecca which has the largest stained glass roof in Britain. Then there’s Trinity Leeds, which has over 120 shops and eateries, and of course Briggate, the busy high street.

Grab a casual lunch in a local market

If shopping makes you hungry (it can’t just be me?) head to Kirkgate Market for lunch. This Leeds landmark is a must-visit.

The Grade I listed building dates back to 1875 and it’s one of the largest covered markets in Europe. It’s also the birthplace of Marks & Spencer!

Open six days a week, the market has over 800 stalls including independent food vendors. It’s the perfect place to get a relaxed bite to eat at local favourite Café Moor while you soak up the sights and sounds of a bustling modern day market.

I particularly loved the vintage stalls.

Visit some of Leeds’ best cultural attractions

If you’re all spent up after shopping and ready to take advantage of some of the free attractions in Leeds, you won’t be lost for things to do in the afternoon.

In fact, it’s not hard to have a completely free day out in Leeds thanks to a myriad of local points of interest that don’t charge an admission fee.

Leeds City Museum in Millennium Square is the perfect place to spend a rainy day in Leeds, and even the kids will enjoy it.

Alternatively, Leeds Art Gallery has one of the largest collections of 20th-century British art in the UK. After your visit, pop down to The Craft Centre and Design Gallery beneath.

Entry is also free for The Gallery at 164, which showcases photography and illustration.

Architecture enthusiasts might also like to pop into the grandiose Leeds Minster to appreciate its stunning interior.

Eat dinner in one of the city’s great restaurants

We had a fantastic meal at Estabulo Rodizio Bar & Grill, a Brazilian restaurant where the meat is served directly to your table on skewers, fresh from the grill. It was amazing, but definitely one for the carnivores!

Leeds has no shortage of top notch local restaurants. Some of the most popular are Ox Club, Sukothai, Vice & Virtue and uber swanky Angelica, which is on my to-visit list for my next trip.

Experience Leeds nightlife

It’s a university city so it’s no surprise that Leeds’ nightlife is part of its lure. Get your night started at Millennium Square and Park Row then head to Call Lane.

If you prefer a quieter night, Briggate has plenty of pubs and you’re sure to find a gig somewhere, no matter what day of the week it is.

The Calls and Lower Briggate cater to the LGBT crowd. Our visit coincided with Pride!

If you don’t fancy bars or clubs, you can head to Hyde Park Picture House to catch an indie flick or buy tickets for a show at The Grand Theater and Opera House.

Day two in Leeds

Fuel up for a day of sightseeing

Breakfast was included in our hotel stay, but if your hotel charges extra for brekkie, I recommend heading out!

Some of the best-loved places for breakfast in Leeds are Wapentake, where the ingredients come from Kirkgate Market, or Hepworth’s Deli in Thorntons Arcade, which serves delicious food all day.

Ride the yellow taxi

Touristy? Yes. Fun anyway? Also yes. The yellow water taxi goes from Granary Wharf to Leeds Dock and offers a chance to see the city from the water.

It only costs a quid per person and is one of the best cheap things to do in Leeds, especially if you’re taking kids! I loved our little sailing.

Explore Leeds Dock

Once you get off the water taxi, spend some time strolling around the docks, a former industrial hub that has been transformed into a leisure destination.

Grab a coffee at hipster haven North Star Coffee Roasters and go for a wander, cup in hand.

While you’re at the dock, visit the Royal Armouries Museum to see a collection of 8,500 of England’s armaments.

Immerse yourself in Leeds’ contemporary art scene

Art lovers will enjoy The Tetley, a contemporary art gallery housed in the old Tetley Brewery.

Entry is free, it’s a good indoor activity if the weather turns and the on-site bar and kitchen is worth a try.

Prefer to take in the views from the pavement? There’s loads of cool street art to be found in Leeds. Check out this public art trail, which takes you from Leeds Train Station across Briggate and on to Mabgate…

Try local street food

Head to Trinity Kitchen for lunch on your second day in Leeds. Trinity Kitchen rotates six new street food vans every eight weeks.

I wouldn’t normally recommend a shopping centre for food, but this is something special and one of the most unique Leeds attractions!

Marvel at the Corn Exchange

You can’t skip the iconic Corn Exchange, whether you’re in Leeds for a couple of hours or a full week.

Pop in before the end of your trip to browse the independent retailers and marvel at the impressive architecture. You’ll soon understand why it’s one of the top places to visit in Leeds.

Isn’t it great to see this magnificent building still in use with local traders?

Drink cocktails in a rooftop bar

Every metropolis worth its salt has a smattering of Instagram-worthy rooftop bars from which thirsty visitors can ogle the city below, and Leeds is no exception.

There’s Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen, the aforementioned Angelica, the DoubleTree Hilton’s Sky Lounge, Headrow House and Issho.

A cocktail or two in one of these venues has to be one of the most romantic things to do in Leeds, but it’s equally fun if you’re with a girlfriend like I was!

We went to East 59th which is located on top of Victoria Gate and has a Manhattan vibe. It’s right next to the coach station, so it was the ideal place to toast the end of two fabulous days in Leeds before our journey home. The Strawberry & Sage Sling is to die for.

If you’ve worked your way through this Leeds itinerary, it should be time to head back to the station and go home now!

I booked a coach to leave just before 5pm so we had the full second day in the city, which was great. There’s nothing I loathe more than having to leave a place earlier than I want to!

More things to do in and around Leeds

Got more than just the weekend in Leeds? Here are some of the other cultural and slightly less obvious things to do in the city and surrounding areas:

• Have a picnic in Roundhay Park
• Explore the ancient ruins of Kirkstall Abbey
• Catch an exhibition at The Henry Moore Institute
• Take an Afternoon Tea cruise along the Leeds/Liverpool canal
• or a Roast Dinner cruise!
• Visit The Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery in University of Leeds
• or try The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery (both free!)
• Hunt out some of Leeds’ best street art
• Visit three of Leeds’ breweries on this brewery tour
• Go to the free Marks in Time exhibition at the M&S Company Archive
• Look out for owls! You’ll see these figures all over the city, because they appear on Leeds’ coat of arms.
• Tour the Emmerdale studio – you can buy tickets online here.

Where to stay in Leeds

We stayed at the Marriott, which was ideally located and meant we could reach everything on my Leeds itinerary on foot.

If you would prefer to enjoy a spa weekend outside of the city and come in for shopping and activities, I’ve previously stayed at Thorpe Park Hotel and would recommend it. You can book here and read my Thorpe Park Hotel review for more details.

More Yorkshire travel guides

My favourite cities to visit in the north of England

How to have a perfect weekend in York

Best things to do in Scarborough

How to spend a day in Knaresborough

What to do in Whitby, North Yorkshire

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I hope you found my guide to the best things to do in Leeds useful for planning a weekend break! Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments! You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for more travel inspiration for the UK and beyond.

As mentioned at the beginning of my guide to Leeds, this post is sponsored by National Express. National Express is the largest operator of scheduled coach services in the UK operating high-frequency services linking more than 750 destinations. 

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