Glasgow Travelers Recommend

With three days in Glasgow, you have plenty of time to soak up the city’s atmosphere, see its most famous sights, delve into local culture, and even head out of town and into the surrounding countryside. Here are a few ways to experience the very best of Glasgow in 72 memorable hours.

Day 1: See the City’s Sights

Start your visit to Glasgow by getting your bearings and checking off top attractions such as George Square, Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis, and the People’s Palace on a guided walking tour or a hop-on hop-off bus tour. Tour Finnieston, Glasgow’s hottest foodie neighborhood, and take your pick from any of the eateries and cocktail bars clustered around “the strip” on Argyle Street, or opt for dinner aboard a 1966 double-decker Routemaster bus that takes you around the city as you dine. 

Day 2: Delve Into Local Culture

Get a taste of football (soccer)—a Glaswegian passion—by visiting Celtic Park, home to the Celtic city club, or Hampden, home stadium of the Scottish national team. Behind-the-scenes tours let you peek into players’ dressing rooms and walk down the tunnel, and provide broad-ranging insights into Scottish football culture.

Glasgow is home to some of Scotland’s best whisky bars and pubs, and guided tours take you to some hidden spots missed by most visitors. Sample a variety of single-malt whiskies and learn more about the whisky-making process, Scottish distilleries, Glasgow drinking culture, and whisky’s role in the city’s history. Some tours are focused on the restaurant-filled West End, a great place to head for dinner afterward.

Day 3: Head Out of Town

Although it makes for a long day, it is possible to explore the Scottish Highlands, Loch Lomond, the haunting valley of Glencoe, Cairngorms National Park, and the famed Loch Ness in a single day trip from Glasgow, learning all about Scotland’s history—and some of its most tragic events—along the way.

Another option of interest to “Outlander” fans is a full-day tour from Glasgow focused on the book and television show’s locations. You’ll see such sights as Doune Castle, used as the Mackenzie home Castle Leoch in the TV adaptation; the town of Falkland, which stood in for Inverness in early scenes; and Midhope Castle, which was used for Lallybroch. You’ll be back in Glasgow in time for a last dinner and drinks in the bustling city center.

Scotland’s largest city has long been overlooked in favor of its more genteel neighbor, Edinburgh. But recent years have seen a dizzying transformation, and the onetime industrial powerhouse has quickly emerged as one of Britain’s most interesting cities. With its stately architecture, impressive museums and galleries, and great restaurants, there’s plenty to fill a day, so here’s how to make the most of 24 hours in Glasgow.

Morning: See the Sights

Glasgow’s atmospheric streets, lined with interesting architectural gems, make the city a pleasure to explore on foot, so start your day with a guided walking tour of the main sights. Private and group walking tours take you to such top attractions as George Square, Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis, and the People’s Palace. Bicycle tours, on the other hand, head off the beaten path along canal towpaths and cycle lanes. Alternatively, booking a hop-on hop-off bus tour allows you the flexibility to create your own itinerary and spend as much time at each of the stops as you wish.

Afternoon: Sample Some Scotch

Scotch whisky is world renowned, and Glasgow is home to some of Scotland’s best whisky bars and pubs, so join a guided tour that takes you to a handful of different bars across the city. In a small group, you’ll visit bars missed by most visitors, sample a variety of single-malt whiskies, and learn about whisky-making, popular Scottish distilleries, Glasgow drinking culture, and whisky’s role in the history of the city. Some tours are focused on the West End, while others take place throughout the city center.

Night: Check Out the Dining Scene

Finnieston, between the West End and city center, is Glasgow’s hottest foodie neighborhood, filled with top-class dining. The area’s numerous restaurants serve everything from contemporary Scottish cuisine to tapas, seafood, steak, and curries. Head down there and take your pick among the numerous eateries and cocktail bars clustered around “the strip” on Argyle Street. Alternatively, you can combine dinner with a unique form of sightseeing aboard a classic red 1966 double-decker Routemaster bus on a dinner tour that includes a gourmet burger and drink, enjoyed as you experience the streets of Glasgow by night.

Two days in Glasgow allow you time to thoroughly experience its most famous sights, while also getting a deeper perspective on such crucial cultural elements as whisky and football, and even venturing outside the city to marvel at great feats of engineering. Here’s how to spend 48 hours in Scotland’s biggest city.

Day 1: Soak Up the Sights of the City

**Morning:**Start your day with a guided walking tour of Glasgow’s main sights. Private and group tours take you to such top attractions as George Square, Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis, and the People’s Palace. Alternatively, a hop-on hop-off bus tour offers the flexibility of creating your own itinerary and spending as much time at each of the stops as you wish.

**Afternoon:**Learn all about the “water of life,” Scotch whisky, on a guided tour that takes you to a handful of different bars across the city. In a small group, you’ll be able to sample a variety of single-malt whiskies and learn about whisky-making, popular Scottish distilleries, Glasgow drinking culture, and whisky’s role in the history of the city. 

**Night:**Round out your first day by heading for the trendy Finnieston neighborhood, between the West End and city center, where you’ll find Glasgow’s top restaurants. Clustered around “the strip” on Argyle Street are numerous eateries serving everything from contemporary Scottish cuisine to tapas and Italian.

Day 2: Discover Scottish Football and Innovation

**Morning:**See two of Scotland’s most impressive feats of modern design on a half-day tour to the towering twin horse statues of the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel rotating boat lift, both in Falkirk. Guided tours delve into Scotland’s rich engineering history and teach visitors about the country’s canal-building heritage.

**Afternoon:**Glasgow has two home football (soccer) teams—the arch rivals Celtic and Rangers—and is also home to the Scottish national team’s stadium, Hampden. You can take a tour of Celtic Park and/or Hampden for a behind-the-scenes peek into players’ dressing rooms, to walk down the tunnel, and to learn all about Scottish football.

**Night:**Conclude your visit to Glasgow on a sightseeing excursion with a difference. You can book dinner about a classic 1966 Routemaster double-decker bus and dine on a gourmet burger as you travel through the streets of Glasgow, taking in its sights one last time.