3 Days in Glasgow

Get to know Glasgow's creative side, from world-class art collections and the tropical vibe of Victorian glasshouses to a buzzing live music scene. Spend a day taking in inspiring sights, peaceful spaces and the energising sounds of the city.

Highlights of the day include:

• Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum – feast your eyes with the ornate architecture, soaring ceilings and galleries filled with extraordinary artworks at this museum. Packed with over 8,000 intriguing objects and artefacts, you'll find a fabulous collection of art, from the vivid colours of the French Impressionists and the Dutch Old Masters, to perhaps its most famous piece, the striking Christ of St John of the Cross by Salvador Dalí.
• Glasgow Botanic Gardens – escape the city’s bustle and enjoy the slower pace as you follow the winding paths beneath mature trees and along colourful flowerbeds. Inside the magnificent Kibble Palace, an exquisite restored Victorian glasshouse, feel as if you’ve been transported somewhere exotic with towering palms, tropical plants and lush greenery. If you’re feeling peckish, the tearoom offers a tasty selection of cakes, sandwiches, teas and coffees.
• Gallery of Modern Art – found in the heart of the city, explore Glasgow's most extensive modern and contemporary art collection including thought-provoking artworks, unexpected installations and perception-challenging exhibitions. Outside, in Royal Exchange Square, take in the historic architecture, the buzzing energy of the city centre and the famous Wellington statue, complete with its traffic-cone crown.
• UNESCO City of Music – Glasgow's reputation for live music is legendary; so much so that the city has been given UNESCO City of Music status. Make sure to catch a gig in one of its amazing venues. Soak up the intimate atmosphere of King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut where you can see up-and-coming indie artists, enjoy the grand acoustics at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, or see the big-name stars at the OVO Hydro.

If you’re visiting the city for two consecutive days, take advantage of the hop-on, hop-off’ City Sightseeing tour bus, which takes in a number of Glasgow’s attractions. Alternatively, you can use the Glasgow Subway to get round the city centre and the West End.

Find out more about Glasgow's City Sightseeing tour bus

Enjoy more of Glasgow’s free cultural attractions and learn about the city's fascinating past, from its shipbuilding heritage along the River Clyde to its striking architecture by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Wander through cultural collections, then soak up the inviting atmosphere of the West End.

• Riverside Museum and Tall Ship –  housed in one of the most striking modern buildings in Scotland by world- renowned architect, Zaha Hadid, follow Glasgow's industrial story and learn how people once travelled, worked and lived. From vintage cars and bicycles to locomotives, interactive displays bring the past to life. Board the Clyde-built Tall Ship, which is berthed alongside the museum, and imagine the bustle of sailors preparing for a voyage as you wander along the creaking timber floor.
• House for an Art Lover – just south of the River Clyde, explore the works of one of the city’s favourite sons, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The beautiful House for an Art Lover is a stunning Mackintosh design. Elegant lines, carefully balanced shapes, harmonious interiors and decorative furnishings offer a glimpse into a style that transformed modern design. Although it wasn’t built in his lifetime, it’s a true art nouveau dream fully realised. Afterwards, enjoy the peaceful surroundings of Bellahouston Park.
• The Burrell Collection – from sculptures, paintings and tapestries to delicate Chinese ceramics, Islamic art and works by celebrated European artists such as Rodin, Degas and Cézanne, this building is home to one of the greatest art collections with thousands of objects spread across 24 galleries and spanning more than 6,000 years of history. Situated in the heart of Pollok Country Park, you can also explore the park’s peaceful paths or have a picnic before you continue.
• Glasgow’s West End – head to Ashton Lane, a pretty, cobbled pedestrian street near Byres Road, which has a great mix of bars, pubs and eateries, as well as a cinema, or try the Finnieston area – home to a number of the city’s best new restaurants. 

If you want to explore more of Glasgow’s neighbourhoods, head to Merchant City, a trendy area packed with fashionable cocktail and wine bars, clubs and restaurants, or Southside with classic tenements and a mix of nature and local culture.

Venture into Glasgow's friendly neighbourhoods

Spend a day experiencing Glasgow through the big and small screen, visiting locations featured in recent blockbuster films and hit TV shows. Boasting medieval landmarks, Gothic architecture, sweeping Victorian boulevards, and striking modernist buildings, discover the places that have served as backdrops for everything from Marvel’s Spiderman, where Glasgow's city centre and Merchant City were transformed into New York City, to period dramas and futuristic action-thrillers.

• Glasgow Cathedral and Glasgow Necropolis – start the day in Glasgow’s historic east end, where two of the city’s most atmospheric landmarks have appeared on screen. Glasgow Cathedral recently provided the setting for an emotional climax between Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. Next door, Glasgow Necropolis, the Victorian cemetery on the hill just behind Glasgow Cathedral, served as a seamless gothic backdrop as Gotham City for Matt Reeves’ The Batman, with scenes featuring Batman and Catwoman racing through the cemetery and out of the ornate iron gates at sunset.
• George Square – discover one of Glasgow’s most sought-after filming locations. George Square and the surrounding streets transformed into Philadelphia for the opening of zombie apocalypse blockbuster World War Z helmed by Brad Pitt, while Succession used locations around George Square and Cochrane Street to double for London and Dundee, the hometown of the fearsome Scottish billionaire Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox.
• Glasgow City Chambers – the magnificent interior of this municipal building was a natural choice for the filmmakers of the Gilded Age drama The Buccaneers, based on Edith Wharton's novel. See the magnificent Carrera marble staircase the dazzling young debutantes glide down on their way to a ball. Be sure to head to nearby Cochrane Street also. Just one of the stylish streets used to re-create late 19th century New York and other locations, it's a fine example of elegant stone façades and grid-plan layout that make Glasgow a prime destination for period drama productions.
• St Vincent Street & the city centre – this street – in an area of central Glasgow known as Blythswood –became 1969 New York for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, with the imposing neoclassical sandstone buildings draped with Stars and Stripes flags, recreating the ticker-tape celebrations for the Apollo 11 astronauts., with the imposing neoclassical sandstone buildings draped with Stars and Stripes flags, recreating the ticker-tape celebrations for the Apollo 11 astronauts.
• The Running Man filming locations – discover some of the locations used to create the dystopian world of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, starring Glen Powell. Buchanan Bus Station, the Anderston area, Cadogan Square, and venues including the OVO Hydro and SEC Armadillo set the scene for a film packed with tense stand-offs and riveting chases.
• University of Glasgow – head west to admire the university’s spectacular Gothic Revival architecture and atmospheric cloisters. In the historical epic Outlaw King, starring Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce, the cloisters featured in an opulent medieval banquet scene, while the university courtyard was used for scenes of King Edward practising archery. A must-visit for Harry Potter fans as well, with its atmospheric cloisters resembling the corridors of Hogwarts.

With so many amazing locations to discover, choose one or two of these highlights to add to your trip, leaving plenty of time to enjoy Glasgow along the way.