Glasgow
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Louise Wylie is a freelance writer from Glasgow, Scotland. Her love of travel led her to live in Cartagena, Spain, and enjoy the Mediterranean way of life. When not ticking off bucket items around continental Europe, Louise is attempting to explore all the highlights of Scotland and eat the best vegetarian food on offer. She never travels with fewer than two books on hand and loves to swim outdoors wherever she can.
Why We Love Glasgow: Scotland’s largest city used to have a reputation as a tough, working city, but a lot has changed over the past 30 years. Glasgow has a large student population and is a cultural hub for music, contemporary art, and theatre. Visitors have been wowed by Glasgow’s cool factor. Delight in its many independent restaurants and bars, world-class museums and expansive parks. Plus, Glasgow’s people are famously warm and hospitable. What’s not to love?
Best of Glasgow
✨ Things to Do
Glasgow is a bustling city, and you won’t be lost for something to do with these exciting attractions:
- Glasgow Necropolis – A stunning, tranquil Victorian cemetery with views over the east of the city. The Necropolis is also featured in Alasdair Gray’s magnum opus, the novel Lanark.
- Barras Market – Explore this eclectic market to find a bit of everything: second-hand video tapes, furniture, art prints, and more. Above the market is the iconic Barrowland Ballroom venue where you can dance the night away to live performances.
- Botanic Gardens – These conservatories are home to beautiful marble statues and plant collections. The Botanics host film showings and outdoor plays in the summer, light displays at Halloween, and book fairs year-round.
- Glasgow Cathedral – This medieval church is the oldest and arguably grandest building in Glasgow. Visit the crypt and see the site where the city of Glasgow began.
- Pollok Country Park – This extensive greenspace shelters a flock of Highland cows. It also contains the Burrell Collection, a unique museum of artwork, historical artefacts and craft workshops.
🗺️ Where to Stay
These are my recommended neighbourhoods to stay in if you’re new to Glasgow:
- City Centre – The hub of the city, full of historic architecture, nightlife, theatres, restaurants and more.
- West End – Recommended for those who love museums, beautiful parks, and artisan shops.
- Shawlands – Home to the trendiest places to eat, drink, and shop.
For more, see my full guide to where to stay in Glasgow.
🛎️ Best Hotels
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Many hotels in Glasgow are centrally located, and it’s easy to explore surrounding areas with strong public transport links. These hotels combine great locations with something special:
- Voco Grand Central Station Hotel – A historic, luxury hotel inside Glasgow Central Station.
- One Devonshire Gardens a Hotel Du Vin – A boutique hotel offering over 300 whiskies and 600 wine bins for a touch of class.
- Babbity Bowsters – This characterful former townhouse in an 18th-century building has a vibrant pub and unique hotel.
🍽️ Restaurants
Glasgow’s food scene is thriving, with new culinary ventures launching regularly. Find whatever taste you’re looking for here. These are some of the best restaurants you’ll find in Glasgow:
- Coia’s Cafe – A Glasgow institution, Coia’s Cafe is a traditional Italian restaurant which has been run by the same family for almost 100 years.
- Katsu – Japanese street food served up fresh and delicious.
- Ubiquitous Chip – Come for the famous Alasdair Gray mural, and stay for the upscale Scottish cuisine, including haggis at its finest.
- Ranjit’s Kitchen – The stuff of local legends, Ranjit and her children serve seasonal vegetarian Panjabi food.
- Stereo – Restaurant by day, venue by night, Stereo offers vegan takes on Scottish and international food.
👉 Read my full list of favorite restaurants in Glasgow.
🚗 Day Trips
- Loch Lomond – An easy distance from the city is one of Scotland’s most beautiful lochs, with water sports available in summer.
- Edinburgh – Scotland’s capital is packed full of activities for tourists and locals alike.
- Stirling – This historic city has a beautifully preserved castle and an unmissable monument to William Wallace, Scotland’s most iconic national hero.
- Culzean Castle – A clifftop castle with walking trails and adventure playgrounds to explore.
- Loch Fyne & Inveraray – The fishing town of Inveraray on the banks of Loch Fyne is a tranquil spot to enjoy some local fish and whisky.
👉 See my full list of best day trips from Glasgow.
🏘️ Neighbourhoods
- Merchant City – Merchant City is Glasgow’s cultural hub and is home to independent cafes, bars and restaurants.
- Finnieston – Finnieston has been described as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the UK and is full of trendy bars.
- Shawlands – This lively neighbourhood is bordered by two stunning parks. It has an incredible art collection within walking distance.
- West End – Wander through the beautiful University of Glasgow campus and the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.
- Dennistoun – An overlooked neighbourhood with plenty of delicious bakeries and restaurants.
🍸 Bars
- Waxy O’Conner’s – This unique Irish pub is a maze split over 3 floors. Don’t have too much to drink or you’ll never find your way back!
- Speakeasy – A late-night LGBT+ bar with affordable cocktails and cosy booths.
- Sloan’s – Glasgow’s oldest pub has a pretty outdoor patio and weekly traditional ceilidh dances.
- Òran Mór – This former church is known for its regular A Pie, A Pint and A Play events. It also has one of the most beautiful ceilings in Glasgow, if not the world.
- The Rum Shack – A Caribbean pub with more than 100 rums and a basement dancehall.
🏛️ Museums
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum – A collection of Scottish and international art, natural history exhibits, design artefacts, and visiting exhibitions.
- Hunterian Collections – The Hunterian collections are split between an art gallery, a museum, and a zoology building within the University of Glasgow campus. Here you can find gems of Scottish art, anatomical curiosities, and a piece of the Roman Antonine Wall.
- Burrell Collection – This collection holds over 9,000 objects, including ancient Chinese art, Egyptian pottery, and medieval tapestries.
- Glasgow Science Centre – 3 floors of interactive science exhibitions, including a flight academy and Planetarium.
- Riverside Museum – Home to Glasgow’s extensive collection of historic vehicles and a recreated street scene.
🌲 Parks
- Pollok Country Park – Highland cows are the star attractions of Pollok, closely followed by the incredible Burrell Collection and beautiful country house.
- Kelvingrove Park – This West End park looks out over the University of Glasgow campus and is perfect for a barbeque on rare hot days.
- Glasgow Green – The oldest park in Glasgow lies along the banks of the River Clyde and holds the Trnsmt Music Festival and the World Pipe Band Championships. Don’t miss out on a visit to the People’s Palace to learn about the city’s history.
- Bellahouston Park – Visit House for an Art Lover, a country house and arts centre in Bellahouston Park. It was built based on designs by influential architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
- Queen’s Park – A smaller park which often hosts craft fairs and outdoor film screenings in summer.
Glasgow Travel Advice
🗓️ Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Glasgow is in the summer months of June to August when the days are long and there’s more chance of sunny days. While the weather can be changeable in May, the long daylight hours make some of the most beautiful days of the year.
- 🌞 Summer – During the longest days of the year in June, daylight lasts for over 17 hours. There’s more chance of warmer weather in July and August, although summer showers are common.
- 🌼 Spring – Spring days from March to May are cool, with plenty of rain, but you can switch to a light jacket and leave the gloves at home.
- 🍂 Autumn – Glasgow’s many trees start to turn a beautiful autumnal colour in September and October. November days begin to get dark, but they are lit up by fireworks around Bonfire Night on the 5th.
- ❄️ Winter – While Glasgow’s winter from December to February sees little daylight, the weather doesn’t usually drop much lower than freezing. Christmas markets in December add enough cheer to warm you up.
🚌 Getting Around
Glasgow has a diverse public transport system involving buses, trains, and a single subway line. You can drive around most of the city, but you may want to avoid driving through the City Centre due to bus lanes, a low emission zone, and limited parking.
- 🚶♀️ Walking – It’s possible to walk around any of the neighbourhoods in Glasgow. But it may be easier to take public transport between different areas due to the size of the city.
- 🚗 Driving – Cars are most useful if you are travelling from Glasgow or planning to make day trips elsewhere. Many streets in the city centre are reserved for public transport and parking is limited.
- 🚇 Public Transit – Glasgow has a subway which circles from the West End to the City Centre and parts of the Southside. There are train stations in most neighbourhoods of the city and frequent buses. Nighttime schedules are minimal.
- 📲 Ride Share – Uber is available in Glasgow, but it has become more expensive and there are fewer drivers on the platform.
- 🚴♀️ Biking – There are cycle lanes in many parts of Glasgow, although these are not all connected. It’s possible to hire bikes around the city through OVO Bikes.
- 🛴 Scooters – There are currently no rental schemes for e-scooters in Glasgow. Although they have become popular, it is illegal to use them in public places in Scotland.
👉 Tips & Things to Know
- 🚂- Check public transport tickets – Glasgow’s public transport does not have joined-up ticketing between buses, trains and the subway. Make sure to pay for each form of transport as you take it.
- ⚽ – Pay attention to football fixtures – When Glasgow’s football teams are playing matches in the city, public transport can be crowded, and traffic may be worse than usual. Celtic play in the East End while Rangers are based in Glasgow South. Try to avoid travelling during peak teams for fans.
- 🍺 – Be aware of alcohol laws – Glasgow has a strict bylaw prohibiting people from drinking alcohol in outdoor public places. Breaking this law can result in a hefty fine. You also can’t drink on public transport, so make sure alcohol is sealed if you’re carrying it in public.
- 🍴 – Give local food a go – Traditional Scottish food may not seem very appealing, but it remains popular among locals for a reason. Haggis is much more flavourful than you might think, and there are also vegetarian versions available.
- ☂️ – Don’t let the rain stop you – It’s likely to rain if you’re in Glasgow for any length of time. Try not to be put off by this, as you’ll never get anywhere! Wear a hood or bring an umbrella and make the most of it.
🧳 What to Pack
- ☂️ – Umbrella – You should be prepared for a bit of rain regardless of the time of year you are visiting Glasgow.
- 👟 – Comfortable Shoes – Glasgow is a hilly city and some streets still have cobblestones, so sturdy shoes are a must.
- 👚 – Layers – The weather in Glasgow is changeable. The best way to adapt is to layer up and adjust as necessary.
- ☕ – Reusable Coffee Mug – Glasgow has a great coffee scene, and a hot mug doubles up as a hand warmer on winter walks.
- 🕶️ – Sunglasses – Glasgow occasionally does get some nice weather, and those long summer days go nicely with a pair of shades.
🤓 Facts & Info
- Census Population (2024) – 650,300 (city), 1,708,000 (metro area)
- Time Zone – Greenwich Mean Time (UTC +0 / UTC +1 during British Summer Time)
- Area Codes – 0141
- Airports – Glasgow Airport (GLA), Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK)
- Nickname – Dear Green Place
- Demonynm – Glaswegian
- Country – Scotland
💵 Costs & Budgeting
- 3-Star Hotel Room – £115/night
- 1 Bedroom Apartment Rental – £150/night
- Rental Car – £15/day
- Public Transit Ticket – ~£2 (£10 to airport from centre)
- Ride Share from Downtown to Airport – £20
- Take Out Meal for Two – £25
- Sit Down Dinner for Two – £35
- Draft Beer – £4.50
FAQs About Visiting Glasgow
Is Glasgow safe for tourists?
Glasgow is generally a safe city for tourists. Visitors should feel comfortable in most areas. Take all normal precautions such as staying in busy, well-lit places when out at night. In addition, be aware of occasional anti-social behaviour in and around Glasgow Central Station after dark.
Is there much to see in Glasgow?
Glasgow has plenty to see and do, whether you’re an art lover, a foodie, or a history buff. The city offers a range of entertaining ways to spend the day from wandering around Glasgow Cathedral to drinking shots at The Rum Shack.
Is Glasgow a walkable city?
Glasgow is a walkable city, particularly central Glasgow. However, it is a large city so public transport is recommended for travelling further afield. It’s not necessary to have a car in the city, as there are regular trains, buses and a subway circle.
What month is best to visit Glasgow?
June is the best month to visit Glasgow. June sees the longest days in Glasgow and there are plenty of concerts, comedy shows, and other events to keep you entertained.
Meet Our Glasgow Travel Expert
Louise Wylie
Louise Wylie is a freelance writer from Glasgow, Scotland. Her love of travel led her to live in Cartagena, Spain, and enjoy the Mediterranean way of life. When not ticking off bucket items around continental Europe, Louise is attempting to explore all the highlights of Scotland and eat the best vegetarian food on offer. She never travels with fewer than two books on hand and loves to swim outdoors wherever she can.
📰 Glasgow Travel Guides
I’m Scottish and working to give you local insights on where to go and what to do in Scotland. Check out our other Scotland travel guides:
- A Glasgow Local’s Suggested Day Trips
- My 36 Favourite Restaurants in Glasgow (As a Local)
- Where to Stay in Glasgow (Best Places, by a Local)
- Glasgow on a Budget – How to Eat, Stay, & Do It Cheaply (By a Local)
- A Local’s Perfect 3 Day Glasgow Itinerary
- 35 Things to Do in Glasgow (By a Local)