Visiting Birmingham - Tourist Tips

Q & As Is there a tour bus in Birmingham? There is no hop-on, hop-off tour bus in Birmingham. There used to be but the engine blew up! However, there are some great walking tours, including those that you can book from us at weekends here….. In the summer months there are also canal boat trips that tour the city centre canals with a commentary. Where is the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery? The Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is in Chamberlain Square right in the middle of Birmingham. The Musuem & Art Gallery has partially reopened it’s galleries from October 2024. However, it is not open on a Monday or Tuesday. Finding things to do on a Monday in this city is not so easy - see below for some tips! Where is Birmingham’s Tourist Office? There is a tourism help desk in the foyer of the Library of Birmingham. It is not open on a Sunday and opening hours reflect the opening hours of the Library of Birmingham - see here…. What is there to do in Birmingham as a tourist? There are lots of things to see and do in Birmingham. Start with a walking tour to get an understanding of Birmingham. We run tours at weekends and others run them during the week. We also have a couple of self-guided tours that you can do on your phone and can be purchased here…. As well as the Museum & Art Gallery there are a number of other art galleries and museums. If you are planning a visit to the city then grab a copy of the Discovering Birmingham guide, which has a list of all the key things to do in the city. Just £5 from Amazon here…… You can purchase one at Waterstones bookshop close to the top of the Bullring shopping centre. When is Birmingham Pride Weekend in 2025? Birmingham Pride takes place the weekend of the 24th- 25th May 2025. It is a huge celebration including a large parade on the Saturday morning through the city followed by major events in the Southside are of Birmingham. Tickets are on sale here….. Is there a Museum in the Jewellery Quarter? There used to be a Museum of the Jewellery Quarter run by Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery in Vyse Street. Unfortunately this is not open for public visits at present - due to ‘ongoing maintenance issues’. It never reopened since Covid but hopefully will do in the future. However, the Coffin Works is a fantastic museum which is open to visit. See here…. Birmingham Clean Air Zone (CAZ) The Birmingham Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is the equivalent of the ULEZ in London. If you go inside Birmingham’s inner ring road then if your vehicle is classed as heavily polluting you need to pay the CAZ charge. For cars that need to pay the CAZ it is £8 per day. You can check if you need to pay the Birmingham CAZ charge by putting your car numberplate in on this page….. Where is the Frankfurt Christmas Market? The Frankfurt Christmas Market is based on Victoria Square and New Street right in the centre of Birmingham. It runs from early November until just before Christmas. There is also an ice rink and big wheel which are based in Centenary Square and stay into the New Year. What is there for children in Birmingham City Centre? Here are things to do in Birmingham city centre for children. The National Sealife Centre is great fun. Legoland Discovery Centre is close by directly opposite on the canal. For older children the Museum & Art Gallery has areas for children to have fun. To eat there are a couple of great family pizza restaurants on Bennett’s Hill. Has Birminham More Canals than Venice Yes, while there are many different ways of measuring the canals of Birmingham this is a commonly held belief. Birmingham’s 35 miles of canals, more than Venice’s 29 miles. However, we forget to mention that Amsterdam has over 60 miles of canals! Getting around Birmingham city centre The centre of Birmingham is pedestrianed all the way from the Bullring Shopping Centre right though to the canal by the International Convention Centre (ICC). You can walk through the city centre squares in what is a surprisingly compact space. The Midland Metro tram can take you from the centre out to Edgbastion Village along the Hagley Road where many of the hotels are based. The tram can also take you to the Jewellery Quarter district of the city Where are Public Toilets in Birmingham City Centre? Here are some good places for toilets in the city centre of Birmingham: • International Convention Centre (ICC) - of to the right as you enter the mall from Centenary Square • Library of Birmingham - has accessible toilets as you enter to the right. • Bullring Shopping Centre - Excellent toilets which are clearly signposted, Are Positively Birmingham Walking tours suitable for wheelchairs and mobility scooters? Yes, most of our tours can accomodate mobility scooters and wheelchairs. Please let us know when you book though so we can ensure we are ready for you. Things to do - 1 Day in Birmingham • Visit the Library of Birmingham and pick up a copy of the Discovering Birmingham guide to the city from the tourist shop. The guide details around 75 things to see and do while in the city. If planning ahead order here: here… • Take a tour of the Coffin Works or the Back to Back houses. (For both of these pre-booking is advised) • See Ozzy the Bull in New Street Station - note he does an act every ¼ of an hour but the ¼ past the hours is the most fun. • Explore the public art and buildings of Victoria Square • Visit St Philip’s Cathedral and see the famous Burne-Jones Windows To eat and drink: • Waterloo Street for the Purecraft Bar or the Old Joint Stock in St Philip’s Square - both are traditional style English pubs and also do reasonably priced pub food. • Eateries on Bennetts Hill • Mailbox bars and eateries by the canal Things to do - 3 days in Birmingham • A visit to Aston Hall or the Black Country Living Museum, Cadbury World or the National Sealife Centre in Birmingham • Experience the street art of Digbeth and a drink & lunch at the Old Crown public house close to the Custard Factory. • Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum in the Millennium Point complext is a 10 minute walk from the Bullring shopping centre. It has exhibits that explain the industrial past of Birmingham and plenty for younger memebrs of your group to enjoy. • Check out a concert at the Town Hall or Symphony Hall . Go to a play at the Birmingham REP or Old Joint Stock Theatre Company. Check for returns for a major pop concert at the Utilita Arena in the city centre or the Arena at the NEC. Eating & drinking: • Enjoy the noodle bars in Southside or the many restaurants of the city centre. To stay: • Lots of well priced hotels in the city centre and Jewellery Quarter. Things to do - 7 days in Birmingham Why not make Birmingham your UK base and using the excellent train service take day trips. London is close by train (under 2 hours) and staying in Birmingham saves a lot of money in expensive hotels. Make sure you travel outside peak times for best ticket prices. So. now you can add to your Birmingham adventures with: • Day trip to London by train. Day return prices can be below £40. Trains run from Moor Street to Marylebone or New Street to Euston, both delivering you right into central London. A great way to see the English countryside and then head to the tourist sites of London. • Take a train ride to Stratford and experience the River Avon and perhaps see a matinee. This fine Warwickshire town and home of William Shakespeare has plenty of bars and restaurants and in season why not take a rowing boat out on the river. • Take a train from Moor Street or Snow Hill stations to Warwick Castle.

Five Great FREE Experiences in Birmingham

Burne-Jones windows: Perhaps the most stunning stained glass artistry you will experience in your lifetime. St Philip’s Cathedral is right in the middle of the city and free to enter. The friendly staff will tell you all about the windows, designed by local boy Sir Edward Burne-Jones and produced by his great friend William Morris.

Visit Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Now partially reopened again after refurbishment. You can experience the Edwardian Tea Rooms and hopefully grab a copy of our book Birmingham’s Public Art in the museum shop.

View Birmingham from the Library of Birmingham Secret

Gardens

The Library of Birmingham is open every day except Sunday - although not until 11 am on some days. It has two gardens areas on higher levels that offer great views of the city. Go right to the top and see the Shakespeare Memorial oak panelled room.

Take a FREE Walking Tour

Positively Birmingham Walking Tours sometimes has FREE walking tours on offer. If not then standard paid tours are great value at just £15 per person. See here…. Barber Institute of Fine Arts is FREE to enter The Barber is a fantastic art gallery on the campus of the University of Birmingham. It is FREE and easy to get to by taking the train 2 stops from New Street in the city centre to University Station, then walking through the campus. Open every day except Monday. Check opening times here….. and also look for events on at the Barber. Things to do on a Monday in Birmingham If you know where to look there are leisure experiences that are open on a Monday. Here are some ideas for places to visit on a Monday in Birmingham city centre and within a few minutes by public transport: Library of Birmingham: The Library is open on a Monday with free entry to all as is a key Birmingham tourist attraction. it includes access to the Shakespeare Memorial Room on the top floor and also the secret gardens with their fine views over the city. Helpful staff on the tourist desk will also have up to date information on other things to see and do on a Monday. Winterbourne House and Garden: Open 7 days a week and a great house and garden to experience. You can also visit the University of Birmingham campus at the same time. The Lapworth Museum of Geology is on the campus and open on Mondays. Even better, University station is just a few minutes ride from New Street station with trains every few minutes if you are city centre based. See Winterbourne website here…. and Lapworth Museum here…. Large Tourist attractions such as Cadbury World and the National Sealife Centre are generally open on a Monday. Smaller, but often very popular venues such as the NT Back to Back houses often take Monday off.