Glasgow Sights and Tourist Attractions
Come and experience some of the best Glasgow attractions. Whether you've got a passion for art, history or nature, we've got a variety of attractions you'll love and will never forget. Get the most out of your time spent in one of the world’s most fascinating and beautiful places.
Historic attractions in Glasgow
Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral has been in continuous use for over 800 years and for just as long has been drawing pilgrims and tourists to the area to enjoy its spectacular architecture and wonderful history. The Cathedral is one of the defining features of Glasgow and a big part of local identity, community and a source of pride for many of the local residents – so if you want to really get to know Glasgow, it’s simply a must-see. The Cathedral is open to the public during the morning and daytime every day, with late opening on Sunday, and you are at liberty to join in worship or to stand back and just enjoy the architecture and beauty of the building. Notable for its beautiful collection of stained glass windows and exceptional stonemasonry, Glasgow Cathedral really provides visitors with an unforgettable set of sights, the grandeur of which are hard to find in many other places. The Cathedral is especially beautiful in winter, with the early darkness and chilly weather providing a wonderfully atmospheric feeling to the Cathedral and highlighting the beauty of the many candles that populate and light up the Cathedral from the inside. Around Christmas, large collections of decorations are installed in the Cathedral, providing a cozy and homely feeling to this grand structure.
Arts and culture in Glasgow
A Play, a Pie and a Pint
Yes, you read it right! The Oran Mor pub, located in Glasgow's bustling west end, offers you the chance to have a little something delicious to eat and drink while you enjoy the dramatic offerings of the west end in comfort and style. A converted church, the Oran Mor pub is architecturally stunning and provides a wonderful backdrop to the high-quality plays that light up the venue. Rated by many as one of Glasgow’s premier attractions, the uniqueness of the offer are not lost on most guests. If you’re a big fan of the theatre, this provides you with a more informal (and indeed more fun!) way to experience the Glasgow theatre scene without having to get dressed up and without praying the kids stay quiet. With all plays lasting approximately fifty minutes, you don’t have to worry about fussy toddlers or bored teenagers playing with their phone the whole time, especially with the added food and drink. This will keep the whole family spellbound and interested for the entire time you spend there – not to mention fed and watered. There is a great variety of pies, many made with local traditional recipes, on offer and traditional local ale to be enjoyed by parents. This is a theatre trip unlike any other – uniqueness and local flavor abound.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow is Scotland’s most popular free-to-enter attraction and brings in thousands upon thousands of visitors to Glasgow each year. People make the trip from all corners of Europe to experience some of the incredible art that the museum is home to, including originals by Salvador Dalí, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Botticelli. With some of the world’s most famous art among its exhibitions, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery is an incredible attraction and is free! Access to both the art wings and the museum is completely free of charge, meaning that families especially get a great deal here - it means you can come and enjoy the fascinating works of art and incredible fossils and artifacts housed in the museum and, when the kids get tired, go for a bite or have an early night and come back the next day, without extra charge. This means that the gallery can become a staple of your holiday itinerary and you can visit it as many times as you wish without worrying about entrance prices. This allows you and whoever you’re with to get the most out of the gallery and see every single thing on offer – something difficult to find anywhere else. The Kelvingrove in Glasgow offers you an incredible chance that you really won’t want to miss and, with its incredible price-point, offers you an amazing level of flexibility and a chance to make your itinerary a little more laid-back, as sleepy kids with aching feet won’t mean that you have to pay twice as much for entrance over two days. This is undoubtedly one of Scotland’s greatest attractions – we thoroughly recommend.
The Hunterian
The Hunterian is Scotland’s oldest public museum and the best stocked private museum in the country, second in size only to the country’s national museums in Edinburgh. Recognized by the Scottish government as a 'Collection of National Significance', the exhibitions and catalogue of the museum document some of the greatest achievements in Scottish history and indeed the development of Europe overall. With a major science collection, an exquisite collection of artifacts brought to Scotland through Cook’s journey through the Pacific, the world’s largest collection of James McNeill Whistler’s world-famous paintings and a truly outstanding permanent collection of writings, art and artifacts from Enlightenment-era writers and artists, the Hunterian brings together an incredibly varied and fascinating range of places, times and topics and fuses them together into a single, singularly thought-provoking experience. The Hunterian also maintains a strong focus on education and learning. The museum has a range of varied and interesting interactive exhibitions that are fantastic for children and teenagers. It also allows large groups to each follow their own interests through the museum with the interactive tours available that guide each visitor through the large exhibition series. Just to make sure you always have something to do, the museum also offers tours with trained and well-versed tour guides, meaning you can always get the best out of your visit.
Glasgow's Parks & Gardens
Pollok Country Park
Pollok Country Park, formerly the largest urban green space in Europe, is one of Glasgow's best days out and the perfect panacea to all of the city’s hustle and bustle. Staying in a metropolitan and exciting city like Glasgow can sometimes take its toll, especially on children and the elderly, and Pollok Country Park gives you the chance to recharge and get back to nature in comfort and ease, without ever having to leave the city. Enjoy a picnic at the side of the river, or just relish in the beautiful wildlife and the beautifully tended gardens – take in the fresh air and the soft breeze and rustling of the bushes and trees as you enjoy the day in the tranquility and calm of one of Glasgow’s most beautiful spaces. For those who want to keep the culture ball rolling, the park is home to the Burrell Collection, housed in a purpose-built gallery that is home to William Burrell’s large and fascinating collection of a wide range of art and artifacts, including treasures from Ancient Egypt and China, donated to the city council upon his passing. You can traverse the park leisurely on foot or make use of the well-maintained cycle paths, even the mountain biking trails that cross the green space and provide you with another perspective on and opportunity to enjoy the park. The park is in full-bloom in high summer and beautifully atmospheric in winter – this is a truly dynamic and flexible attraction that can be enjoyed by all, any time. 
